JPH0986649A - Vessel bringing out device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a vessel from tilt tumbling in the case of guiding the vessel in the forefront row to a lowering position, so that a device, without using an intermittent press-in means or the like, can be used to even the case of conveying continuously toward a lowering passage without trouble, by making a guide member repeat successively such three operating positions as forward position, lowering position and backward position. SOLUTION: A guide member 23 can be brought into contact with a vessel 5 in the forefront row of vessel group during stopping impeded with advancing by stop means 21, 22 in a forward position. When the stop means 21, 22 are released in a lowering position, the vessel 5 in the forefront row is advanced with a following vessel and guided on a lowering passage 14. In a backward position, in a condition that advancing of a vessel group after the 22th row is impeded by operating the stop means 21, 22, the vessel group is further retracted, pressing force applied to this vessel 5 is released, and a gate 15 is opened, so as to lower down the vessel 5. These three operating positions are successively repeated, so as to bring out row by row from the vessel 5 in the forefront row supplied to a conveyer in the downward. Accordingly, a front surface of the vessel 5 is always supported.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container cutting device for cutting a group of containers conveyed in a container discharge part such as a bulk depalletizer from the front one by one and supplying them to a lower conveying device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a bulk depalletizer or the like, as a technical means for transferring a container which is an object to be processed to a next step, a group of containers sequentially conveyed in a multi-row state by a belt conveyor for discharging is conventionally used. A method is widely used in which the containers in the front row are cut out one by one and transferred to the next step via a conveying device arranged in a right angle direction. As a concrete form thereof, a group of containers sequentially conveyed by a discharge conveyor or the like located above is lowered from the container in the front row to the lower conveying device one row at a time through a cylindrical descending passage. There is known a container cutting device that cuts one line at a time. The present invention also relates to a container cutting device of that type. Further, as a specific cutting device, a holding bar is provided immediately after the descending position, and when the container group is intermittently pushed into the descending passage by using the intermittent pushing means, the holding bar of the front row is removed. The container for one row comes into contact with the holding bar and is stopped at a descending position, that is, on a receiving table that opens and closes the descending passage. The table is retracted to open the descending passage, and the holding bar is retracted to release the pressing force on the container,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-329234 discloses a container in which the frontmost row of containers is placed one by one on a receiving tool and lowered onto a lower conveying device.

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional cutting device, as a transfer system for guiding the container in the front row to the lowered position, the container group in the second and subsequent rows in the state where the holding bar is made to stand by immediately after the lowered position. The system in which the stopped state is released and the container group is moved forward until it comes into contact with the holding bar, and the containers in the front row are transferred to the lowered position, that is, the descending passage, have been adopted. Therefore, in the transfer of this container group, after the stop state is released, the advance of one row of containers that has become blank due to the previous descending is executed, but the front surface of the container group is not supported at all during that time. Therefore, when the container group is continuously transferred, the container in the front row tends to tilt, which is a problem.
For this reason, as the transfer method, a method of intermittently pushing using an intermittent pushing means has been adopted.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances of the prior art as described above, and prevents tilting of the containers when guiding the containers in the front row to the lowered position, and intermittent pushing means. It is an object of the present invention to provide a container cutting device which can cope with a case where it is continuously conveyed toward a descending passage without being used.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a container cutting device for cutting out a group of containers sequentially conveyed one by one from the front and supplying the same to a lower conveying device. A gate that opens and closes the passage, a guide member that guides the container to the descending position by contacting the container in the front row of the continuously conveyed container group, and a subsequent container in the second and subsequent rows immediately before the descending position. Stop means for preventing the forward movement of the group, the guide member is a front position that can come into contact with the container in the front row of the stopped container group whose forward movement is blocked by the stopping means, and the stop means is released. In the state, the container is further advanced in the descending position for advancing together with the succeeding container to guide the container in the front row onto the descending passage, and the stopping means is operated to prevent the advancing of the succeeding container group in the second and subsequent rows. The container in the front row has three operating positions, namely, a backward position in which the container is lowered by releasing the pressing force applied to the container to open the gate, and the container is lowered in the front row by sequentially repeating the respective operating positions. It is characterized in that it is cut out line by line from the above and supplied to the lower conveying device. Further, if the container is configured to be conveyed to the descending passage through a conveyor installed in a slanted state so as to be lowered toward the descending position, tilting of the container group can be prevented,
A smoother transportation state can be obtained.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention can be applied to various devices such as a bulk depalletizer that uses a container cutting device of a type in which containers from the front row are sequentially lowered one by one and cut into a lower conveying device. It is possible. Further, regarding the descending method of the container in the descending passage, the gravity of the container itself is used to drop through a suitable number of gates installed in the middle, or the descending passage is supported while being supported by a bottom part. The lowering method such as a method of lowering the inside is not limited, and the invention can be widely applied to a cutting device using various lowering methods. It can also be implemented as a cutting device for a group of containers directly conveyed from the device without using a relay conveyor or the like.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram showing a main part when the present invention is applied to a container discharge part of a bulk depalletizer, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged configuration showing an enlarged part of the container cutting device. It is a figure. 3 to 7 are operation state diagrams for explaining the operation of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the container cutting device 1 is connected to a high floor type bulk depalletizer 2 and is configured as a container discharge portion thereof. In general, the slab type bulk depalletizer 2 raises objects such as containers 5 stacked in multiple stages on a pallet 3 with an intermediate sheet 4 raised by a raising mechanism 6 one by one, and the uppermost stage It is configured such that the products are sequentially discharged to the next process through the discharge conveyor 7.
In the figure, 8 is a container pushing-out mechanism for pushing out the uppermost container 5, and pushes the container 5 onto the discharge conveyor 7 via a pressing member 9 attached to a chain or the like stretched between sprocket wheels. Is configured. Further, an intermediate sheet take-out mechanism 10 for removing the intermediate sheet 4 is arranged above the container pushing mechanism 8 and becomes a new uppermost stage each time the discharge of one stage of the container 5 is completed. Container 5
The intermediate sheet 4 remaining on the upper part of the sheet is sucked and held by the suction means 11 and transferred to a predetermined place. A container group consisting of a large number of containers 5 extruded onto the discharge conveyor 7 by the container pushing mechanism 8 is connected to the discharge conveyor 7 and forms a part of the inclined conveyor 1.
It is conveyed to the container cutting-out device 1 via 2 and is cut out from the container 5 in the front row one by one row onto the conveying device 13 below.

Next, the structure of the container cutting device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, when a container group consisting of a large number of containers 5 is conveyed via an inclined conveyor 12 which is installed at a low front, the containers 5 in the front row are sequentially passed through a cylindrical descending passage 14. It is supplied onto the transport device 13 below. In the figure, reference numeral 15 is a first gate which is arranged in a descending position, and is constructed so that an upper opening portion of the descending passage 14 is opened and closed by an air cylinder 16. Similarly, a second gate 17 and a third gate 18 are provided in the middle of the descending passage 14 so as to be retractable, and the descending passages can be opened and closed by air cylinders 19 and 20, respectively. . Then, each of these gates 15,1
By adjusting the opening / closing timings of 6 and 17, the container 5 can be smoothly lowered.

In front of the gate 15 arranged at the lowered position, a stop mechanism for preventing the container group in the second and subsequent rows from advancing is arranged. In this embodiment, this stopping mechanism is composed of a pair of upper and lower stopping means 21, 22. In addition, a guide member 23 for contacting the container 5 and guiding the container to the lowered position is disposed behind the container 5 in the front row, and is driven by a drive mechanism to be described later to a front position, a lowered position, and By sequentially repeating the three operation positions at the rear position, the containers 5 are cut out line by line on the lower transfer device 13 through the descending passage 14. In addition,
In the figure, reference numeral 24 is a sensor for detecting a plurality of containers 5 arranged at appropriate places in the descending passage 14, and this detection data is used as a control signal for the operation timing of each mechanism.

In the present embodiment, the lower conveying device 13
Is composed of conveyors 26 and 27 which are arranged in parallel on both sides of a fixed receiving table 25 placed right below the descending passage 14. A distribution mechanism 28 for distributing the containers 5 cut out from the descending passage 14 to the conveyors 26 and 27 between the conveying device 13 and the lower end of the descending passage 14.
Are arranged. The distribution mechanism 28 is supported by a support shaft 30 via a slide block 29, and is configured to be slidable along the support shaft 30 by an air cylinder 31. Further, the sorting mechanism 28 has a container guide 3 in which guide spaces for accommodating the containers 5 are arranged in parallel for two rows.
2 is provided, and by switching the position of the container guide 32 by the air cylinder 31, the conveyors 26 and 27 are switched. That is, one guide space of the container guide 32 is positioned above either of the conveyors 26 and 27 for carrying out, and the other guide space is positioned above the fixed receiving table 25 for temporary storage. By alternately switching those guide spaces by the air cylinder 31, the conveyors 26 and 27 that carry out the container 5 can be alternately distributed. In that case, while carrying out on one conveyor 26 or 27, the next container 5 is placed on the fixed pedestal 25 in parallel through the other guide space.
Is placed and enters a standby state, the unloading can be started immediately after switching the conveyors 26 and 27, so that the working speed can be improved.

In the figure, reference numeral 33 denotes a pressing mechanism arranged above the conveyor 12, and when the number of containers 5 remaining on the conveying path to the descending path 14 becomes small, the remaining containers 5 are left. This is to prevent the container 5 from falling over by pressing the rear side and to obtain a smooth cutting operation. The pressing mechanism 33 includes an L-shaped pressing arm 35 fixed to a support shaft 34 and a drive lever 3 fixed to the support shaft 34.
It is composed of an air cylinder 37 for rotating the pressing arm 35 via the air cylinder 6. As shown, the pressing mechanism 33 is
During normal operation, the container 5 is evacuated upward so as not to interfere with the transportation of the container 5, and when the number of remaining containers 5 decreases, the air cylinder 37 is operated to rotate the pressing arm 35 downward to press it. It will be in operation. In the figure, 38 is a pressing portion attached to the tip of the pressing arm 35.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the operation state shown in FIG. 3 will be described. This operation state shows the case where the guide member 23 is in the lowered position, and the guide member 23 is brought into contact with the container 5 in the front row in standby. The figure shows the lowered position, that is, a state in which the upper opening of the descending passage 14 is guided to above the gate 15 which is closed. In this case, the operation of the guide member 23 is determined by the operating states of the air cylinder 41 for driving the swing lever 40 supported by the support shaft 39 and the air cylinder 42 attached to the swing lever 40 itself. In the operating state, the air cylinder 41 is in the non-operating state, so that the swing lever 40 maintains the front reference position. On the other hand, the air cylinder 42
Is back. Further, the gate 15 is in the forward position, that is, in the closed state, through the support member 45 which is structured such that the air cylinder 16 is in the forward movement state and can be moved back and forth by the two rocking levers 44 supported by the support shaft 43. keeping.

In the above operating state, the upper and lower stopping means 21 and 22 are in the non-operating state, and are configured so as not to hinder the movement of the container 5. As shown in the figure, the upper stop means 21 is provided in the center of the air cylinder 4.
6 is a pressing member 47 which is operated by means of a fixed pressing member 4 for preventing the container from rising.
8 and 49 are arranged, and further, a fixed stopper 50 is arranged adjacent to the pressing member 47. Further, the lower stop means 22 is a pressing member 5 operated by the air cylinder 51.
It consists of two. Then, the upper and lower stop means 2
As will be described later, the first and second units 22 and 22 cooperate to move up and down the containers in the second row to perform stop and stop release operations for preventing the container group in the second and subsequent rows from advancing. In the operation state of FIG. 3 described above, the second gate 17 is retracted via the air cylinder 19 and is in the open state in which the descending passage 14 is opened.

When the upper and lower stopping means 21, 22 are stopped from the above-mentioned operating state of FIG. 3, the operating state shown in FIG. 4 is entered. That is, in the operating state of FIG.
Both pressing members 5 through the air cylinders 51 and 46
2 and 47 are raised by the same amount to raise the containers in the second row, and the operation is stopped. As the container in the second row rises, the upper mouth of the container in the second row becomes the fixed stopper 50, and the front surface of the bottom of the container in the third row becomes the upper end of the pressing member 52, as shown in the figure. By locking, the advancement of the subsequent container group in the second and subsequent rows is prevented. In addition, the above 2
With the rise of the containers in the row, the adjacent containers in the front row and the containers in the third row tend to be lifted up, but are stopped by the pressing members 48 and 49. In this operating state, the second gate 17 is advanced through the air cylinder 19 and the descending passage 14 is closed.

Next, the operation state shown in FIG. 5 will be described. This operation state is changed from the state shown in FIG. 4 to the air cylinder 41.
The swing lever 40 to drive the support shaft 3
9 in the counterclockwise direction to retract the guide member 23 to the rearward position, and to retract the gate 15 via the air cylinder 16 to open the upper opening of the descending passage 14 to operate in the descending state. It is shown. Then
By this backward movement of the guide member 23, the pressing force remaining in the first row of containers is released, and an extremely smooth lowering operation is obtained. Then, the lowered container 5 is
It will stop and wait on Gate 17. That is, by the above operation, one row of the frontmost container is cut out.

Next, from the above-described operating state of FIG. 5, the rocking lever 40 is rotated clockwise through the air cylinder 41 and at the same time, the air cylinder 42 is moved forward so that the guide member 23 is stopped. The air cylinder 1 is moved forward to a front position where it can come into contact with the second row of containers 5.
The first gate 15 is closed via 6, 19 and the second gate
When the gate 17 of FIG. 6 is operated in the open state, the operating state shown in FIG. 6 is entered. By this operation, the container 5 waiting on the second gate 17 descends to the next third gate 18. In this operating state, the guide member 23 does not necessarily have to be in exact contact with the stopped second-row container 5 and may be in a close state.

Further, by releasing the stopping operation of the stopping means 21, 22 from the operating state shown in FIG. 6, the operating state shown in FIG. 7 is entered. That is, the air cylinder 5
By returning both pressing members 52 and 47 downward via 1 and 46, the containers in the second row are lowered to the original state and the stopped state is released. As a result, the succeeding container group in the second and subsequent rows is guided by the guide member 2 advanced to the front position in the previous stroke.
The state of being supported in contact with 3 shifts to a state in which the vehicle can move forward. Then, from this operating state, the air cylinder 4
When the guide member 23 is retracted to the lowered position by moving the container 2 backward, the subsequent container groups in the second and subsequent rows also move forward and the operating state shown in FIG. 3, that is, the container 5 in the second row. Has advanced to the descending position on the gate 15 that closes the descending passage 14, and will be the target of the next cutting operation.

By the above operations, one cycle of the cutting operation of this embodiment is completed. In the meantime, the guide member 23 has a front position where it can abut the frontmost container of the stopped container group that is prevented from advancing by the stopping devices 21 and 22, that is, the previous position of the container in the second row, and the stopping device 21,
22 is released and the container is moved forward with the following containers to guide the containers in the front row onto the descending passage 14, and the stopping means 2
A rear position in which the containers 1 and 22 are actuated to further retract in a state in which the subsequent container groups in the second and subsequent rows are prevented from advancing to release the pressing force applied to the container and open the gate to descend the container. By sequentially repeating the three operation positions of and, the containers in the front row are cut out one by one and supplied to the lower conveying device. Therefore, the front surface of the container 5 has the pressing members 47 of the stopping means 21, 22 during the stop.
52 is supported by itself and the fixed stopper 50, and is supported by the guide member 23 during each subsequent operation, so that the cutting operation is always performed in a supported state, so that the container 5 is continuously conveyed. Obstacles such as tilting forward are prevented. In this case, tilting of the conveyor 12 also prevents tilting backward.

In the above description of the embodiment, the case where the air cylinder is used as the drive means of each operating part has been described as an example, but various actuators such as other fluid cylinders and electric means can be used. Is. Further, it is possible to change the specific configurations of the stopping means 21, 22 and the guide member 23.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the front surface of the container is always supported in the process of transporting the container to the lowered position, an extremely smooth operation can be obtained and the conventional method can be realized. Without using intermittent pushing means,
Even if it is continuously conveyed, it can handle without problems such as tilting. Therefore, workability can be improved by continuous transportation. Further, if a conveyor whose front is slanted low is used as the transporting means to the lowered position of the container, tilting of the container to the rear can be prevented, so tilting of the container can be further reduced, and a better transporting state can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram showing a main part when the present invention is applied to a container discharge part of a bulk depalletizer.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged configuration diagram showing an enlarged view of the container cutting device portion in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an operation state diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operational state diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an operation state diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an operation state diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an operation state diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Container cutting device, 2 ... Bulk depalletizer, 5 ... Container, 13 ... Conveying device, 14 ... Down path, 15 ... Gate,
16 ... Air cylinder, 17, 18 ... Gate, 21, 22
... Stopping means, 23 ... Guide member, 28 ... Sorting mechanism, 3
2 ... container guide, 33 ... pressing mechanism, 40 ... rocking lever,
41, 42 ... Air cylinder, 46 ... Air cylinder, 47
... pressing member, 48, 49 ... pressing member, 50 ... fixed stopper, 51 ... air cylinder, 52 ... pressing member

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A container cutting device for cutting a group of containers sequentially conveyed one by one from the front and supplying the same to a lower conveying device, and a gate for opening and closing a descending passage of the container,
A guide member that abuts a container in the front row of the continuously conveyed container group and guides the container to a descending position, and a stop that prevents advance of the succeeding container groups in the second and subsequent rows immediately before the descending position. The guide member is moved forward together with the succeeding container in a state in which the stopping means is released, and a forward position where the guide member can come into contact with the container in the front row of the stopped container group which is prevented from advancing by the stopping means. When the container in the front row is guided to the descending passage and the stopping means is operated to prevent the subsequent container groups in the second and subsequent rows from advancing, the container is further retracted to engage the container. There are three operating positions, a rear position where the pressing force is released and the container is lowered by opening the gate, and each operating position is sequentially repeated to cut out one line at a time from the frontmost container Container cutout and wherein the supply to the conveying device. 2. The container cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the container is conveyed to the descending passage by a conveyor installed in an inclined state so as to be lowered toward the descending position.