JPS6031866A - Article automatic sorter - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to an automatic article sorting machine for sorting articles such as potatoes, onions, carrots, cucumbers, apples, mandarin oranges, or fish according to their size, and particularly relates to an automatic article sorting machine that is less likely to damage the sorted articles. . Conventionally, this type of sorting machine has a plurality of rollers 2 arranged downwardly in the transfer direction A of the warehouse to be sorted, as shown in Fig. 1, and the downstream end of each roller 2 is arranged in the direction of arrow B. The gap between the adjacent rollers 1 and 10, which are movable and gradually widen from the upstream side to the downstream side, can be adjusted, and each roller 2 is driven to rotate at a high speed of, for example, about 500 rpm, and the objects 1 to be sorted are separated from each other as shown in the figure. Roller 2 from the upstream side located at the top end
There is a device in which small objects are allowed to fall on the upstream side of the gap between the adjacent rollers, and large objects are allowed to fall on the downstream side of the gap between the adjacent rollers. However, this type of sorting machine has a structure in which the objects 1 to be sorted are sorted by size by sliding down on the inclined rollers 2 as described above, so the objects 1 to be crushed and sorted may be damaged (or damaged) when they slide down. Moreover, since each roller 2 is driven to rotate at high speed, there is a risk that the objects 1 to be sorted may be damaged.Furthermore, the objects 1 to be sorted are sorted according to size by the gap between adjacent rollers, which gradually increases. However, depending on the orientation of the objects 1 to be sorted, objects that should originally fall in the narrow gap between the adjacent rollers may be transferred downstream and fall in the wide gap between the adjacent rollers, and the sorting accuracy may not necessarily be high (f' The present invention was made in view of the current situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic article sorting machine that does not cause damage to the articles to be sorted during sorting (and has high sorting accuracy). The present invention solves the problem of the conventional method by allowing the objects to be sorted to slide down in the longitudinal direction on rollers that are tilted downward and are driven to rotate at high speed.

[Focusing on the problem caused by the sorting process, we moved a large number of rollers arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal direction (axial direction) to transport the objects to be sorted, and also The present invention is characterized in that the gap is automatically changed as the rollers move, and each roller is rotated at low speed, thereby enabling highly accurate sorting without the risk of damaging the objects to be sorted. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings from FIG. 2 onwards. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of an automatic article sorting machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the same.
1 are transported by a large number of rollers 12 arranged in parallel in the direction of arrow A shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, and are sorted according to their size. Each of the rollers 12 has an engaging shaft 15 fixed at both ends inserted through each of a large number of connecting fittings 14 arranged at intervals of a pitch P on the endless chain 13, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6. As a result, it is rotatably supported and moves along with the movement of the endless chain 13. The endless chain 13 has three guide sprocket wheels 16
and one gear 18 driven by the drive shaft 17, and is rotationally driven by the rotation of the gear 18. On the other hand, at both ends in the width direction of the sorter, screws 19 having thread grooves 19a are installed horizontally in the direction of the arrow A, as shown in FIG. The roller 12 sent out to the sorting transfer line is rotated along its engagement shaft 1 as shown in FIGS.
The tips of the screws 5 are engaged with the thread grooves 19a and 19C of the screw 19, and from then on, the transfer is regulated by the pitch of the thread grooves 19a. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4, 5, and 6, this screw 19 has an integral structure with a screw shaft 21 located at its axial center position and supported at both ends by bearings. As the screw shaft 21 rotates, it is driven to rotate at four times the rotational speed of the gear 18. That is, the bevel gears n fixedly installed at the upstream ends of the screw shafts 210 on both sides for sorting and transferring are respectively meshed with the bevel gears n installed on the interlocking shafts orthogonal to the screw shafts 21 on both sides, as shown in FIG. The sprocket 5, which is fixed to the tip of the interlocking shaft B, rotates at the same speed, and the sprocket chain N which is fixed to the drive shaft 17 of the gear 18, as shown in FIG. are connected via. Then, the diameter of the sprocket 5 is set to be false relative to the sprocket 26, and thereby the drive shaft 17. That is, both screw shafts 21 are driven at four times the rotational speed of the gear 18. As shown in FIG. 6, the gear 18 has a circumferential length that is four times the pitch between the connecting fittings 14, that is, the pitch P between the engaging shafts 15. Notch 18
a and a guide cylinder portion 18b that guides the endless chain 13.
are provided for each. Then, the engagement shaft 15 of each roller 12 is engaged with the gear 18 while being engaged with the notch 18a.
is sequentially sent out to the inlet side of the screw 19 by the rotation of
It is designed to be reliably engaged with the thread groove 19a of the screw 19. This thread groove 19a is set at the same pitch P as the pitch P between the engagement shafts 15 for one turn from the inlet end, and after that, the range indicated by symbol SPt in FIG. 3 is set at the narrowest pitch P1.
The range indicated by the symbol SP2 that follows this is set to a pitch P2 that is slightly wider than the pitch P1, and the range indicated by the symbol SP3 that follows this is set to the widest pitch P.
3, and the gap between the adjacent rollers 12 toward the downstream side of the sorting transfer is widened by 1 degree in every certain range.As a result, the objects 11 to be sorted are sorted according to their size, as will be described later. The exit end of this thread groove 19a, that is, the symbol SP in FIG.
The pitch of the thread grooves in the range from the rear end of the range indicated by g to the guide sprocket wheel 16 located on the exit side thereof is set to the same pitch P as the pitch P between the engagement shafts 15. In addition, in the part of the thread groove 19a where the pitch P1 changes to the pitch P2 and the part where the pitch P changes to the pitch Ps, the VITNA is gradually applied as shown in FIG. A wide transition pitch portion P1-2 is provided. Therefore, the pitch between adjacent rollers 2 is pitch P1 in the range indicated by the symbol Sp1 in FIG. 3, and pitch P2 in the range indicated by the symbol SP2 in FIG. , plus a sign +
In the range indicated by iS p 3, the pitch is set to P3. While the roller 2 is being transported while being regulated by the pitch of the thread groove 19a of the screw 9, the endless chain 13 becomes loose and hangs down according to the pitch, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. On the other hand, at both ends of each roller 20, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a row of grooved wheels is integrally provided at a position inside the connecting fitting 14, and this row of grooved wheels is connected to the screws 19&C. It is engaged with a rail 29 arranged along the rail 29, and rolls on the rail 9 as the screw 19 rotates. As a result, a low-speed rotational force is applied to each row 212 that is engaged with the thread groove 19a of the screw 19 and transferred. As shown in FIG. 3, the above-mentioned mechanism is supported by a frame (9) having casters at the lower end of the legs 30a, and there is a conveyor inside the frame cabinet for carrying out the sorted objects 11. 31 are provided. This conveyor 31 is located below the transport path of the rollers 12 and carries out transport in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the rollers 12. Next, the effect will be explained. When a motor (not shown) is started to rotate the drive shaft 17, the gear 18 integrated therewith rotates to drive the endless chain 13, and the screws 19 on both sides are rotationally driven via interlocking shafts, etc. . As a result, screw 1
Each roller 2 whose engagement shaft 15 is engaged with the thread groove 19a of 9 is transferred while being regulated by the pitch of the thread groove 19a, and the roller 2 sent out from the exit side of the screw 19 is transferred by the endless chain 13. The screw 19 is sequentially guided to the entrance side, and this operation is repeated. In this state, when the objects 11 to be sorted are fed onto the sorting machine in the direction of arrow A in FIG.
Depending on its size, it is transferred downward through the gap between the rollers in the range shown by SP1 in FIG. 3, the range shown by SP2, or the range shown by SP3. The materials are sorted by the conveyor 31 and are individually transported in a direction perpendicular to the - plane of FIG. 3. At this time, the spacing between the openings and the edges 12 is set to gradually widen toward the downstream side (instead of being set so that a certain range has a gap of the same size and gradually widens in each range, and furthermore, in each range , rotation force is given to the roller 2 by the transfer of the groove wheel on that rail 29, so that the material to be sorted J
1 is conveyed while being rotated on rollers 2, and when its smallest cross-sectional dimension can pass through the gap between adjacent rollers 12, it falls through the gap between the rollers. Since the gap between the rollers is always accurately regulated by the pitch of the thread groove 19a of the screw, it is possible to greatly improve the sorting accuracy compared to the conventional method. Further, since the rotational force applied to the roller 12 is not high speed as in the conventional case but extremely low speed, there is no risk of damaging the objects 11 to be sorted. Further, unlike the conventional method in which the sorting is carried out by sliding down an inclined surface, the sorting is carried out by being transferred horizontally, so that damage to the objects 11 to be sorted can be effectively prevented from this point as well. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the present invention, in which a roller 32 having the structure shown in FIG. 8 is used instead of the round bar-shaped roller 12, and potatoes, apples, tangerines, etc. This pressure is applied so that the spherical objects 11 to be sorted can be sorted with higher precision. That is, the roller 32 is connected to the rotating shaft 3 as shown in FIG.
2a, and a plurality of unit rollers 32c fixed to the rotating shaft 32a at regular intervals in the axial direction via spacers 32b, and each unit roller 32c has a tapered portion on the side in the axial direction. It is shaped like an abacus bead. The axial position of the unit roller 32c in each roller 32 is set to be the same, and the spherical objects 11 fed onto the sorter from the chute 33 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, two unit rollers 32c adjacent to each roller 32, and a roller 32 adjacent to this roller 32.
Two unit rollers 32c and a total of four unit rollers 3
It is chained so that it can be selectively transferred while being held at 2c. In addition, in FIG. 7, A is a stopper for the objects to be sorted 11 arranged at the downstream end in the sorting transfer direction, 35a is a chute or belt conveyor for carrying out the smallest object to be sorted 11 from the sorting source, and 35b is a belt conveyor. A chute or belt conveyor 35c is a chute or belt conveyor for carrying out the medium-sized objects 11 to be sorted, and 35c is a chute or belt conveyor for carrying out the same large objects 11. Therefore, the spherical object 11 to be sorted is divided into four parts as described above.
Since the two unit rollers 32c are held while being sorted and transferred, the rotating force of each roller 32 is reliably transmitted to the objects 11 to be sorted, and the objects 11 to be sorted are sufficiently rotated on the rollers 32. That is, by using the roller structure shown in FIG. 8, the objects 11 to be sorted are subjected to more optical partial pressure during transportation. Therefore, more accurate sorting can be expected. Further, mutually adjacent objects 1 in the axial direction of the roller 32
Since the objects 11 do not come into contact with each other during transportation, damage to the objects 11 to be sorted can be more effectively prevented. In addition, the stopper 34 located at the downstream end allows even if large objects 11 of different types are mixed together, they can be sorted without causing any damage by dropping them on the floor. In the embodiments, a case has been described in which cases are sorted into three types, large, medium and small, but the present invention can also be applied to cases where four or more types are sorted or two types, large and small. When changing the type of sorting or changing the type of objects 11 to be sorted, basically it is sufficient to simply replace the screw 19. As explained above, the present invention moves a large number of rollers arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to their axes to transfer objects to be sorted, and also automatically adjusts the gap between adjacent rollers by adjusting the thread groove pitch of the screw. Since the sorting conveyance surface does not need to be sloped down like in the past (it can be a horizontal surface), the feed port for the sorted materials to the sorting machine can be lowered. In addition to improving work efficiency, it is also possible to more effectively prevent damage to the objects to be sorted compared to conventional methods in which the objects to be sorted slide down on rollers. With conventional structures, accurate sorting may not be expected due to inertia when sliding down, but with the present invention, the sorting is carried out only by the falling of the objects under their own weight, and the roller gap is determined by the thread groove pitch of the screw. Since the selection is determined by Unlike conventional rollers which are driven to rotate, the rollers are driven to rotate at a low speed, so there is no risk of damaging the objects to be sorted.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional sorting machine, Fig. 2 is a plan view of an embodiment of the sorting machine of the present invention, Fig. 3 is a front view of the same, and Fig. 4 shows the relationship between the screw and rollers. Detailed plan of main parts,
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a detailed view of main parts showing the relationship between the gears and screws that drive the endless chain, and FIG. 7 is an overall perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 8 is a detailed view of the roller. 11...Object to be sorted, 12, 32...Roller, 13
... Endless chain, 15 ... Engagement shaft, 17 ... Drive shaft, 18 ... Gear, 19 ... Screw, 19a
...Thread groove, 21...Screw shaft, Field...Interlocking shaft, A...Groove wheel, 29...Rail O Applicant's representative Kiyoshi Inomata (15)

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) a. A pair of opposing parallel screws that are driven to rotate at the same speed, and the pitch of the spiral grooves formed on the outer circumferential surface increases in the direction of the downstream pressure in the direction of sorting and transporting the objects to be sorted; A rotatable material is engaged with each of the screws, and is conveyed with the same pitch as the helical groove pitch as the screws rotate, forming a conveying surface for the sorted material between both screws and forming a sorting gap therebetween. A large number of parallel rollers are connected at required intervals between the ends of the C and rollers, and the rollers fed from the exit side of the screw are guided to the inlet side of the screw. An automatic article sorting machine comprising: a roller rotation mechanism that applies a low-speed rotational force to the rollers that are engaged and conveyed; (2) The automatic article according to claim 1, wherein the roller rotation mechanism includes a rail provided along the screw and a groove wheel fixed near the end of each roller and rolling on the rail. Sorting machine. (3) Each roller has a large number of unit rollers spaced apart in the direction of its longitudinal axis.
The automatic article sorting machine according to item 1 or 2.