JPS6232173Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a bucket conveyor.

Conventionally, for example, bucket conveyors used in article feeding devices of sorting mechanisms that calculate the area of agricultural products such as potatoes by image processing and classify them into grades based on the calculated area, use a transparent plate integrally molded with plastic. A bucket bag is used. However, when a bucket made of plastic board is used to transport potatoes, the skins of the potatoes rub against the plastic board during transport, and the skin or mud adheres to the surface of the bucket on which the potatoes are placed, causing damage to the plastic board. There was a problem that the transparency decreased. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the skins 4 of the potatoes 3 attached to the potato placement surface 2 of the bucket 1 protrude from the potatoes 3, which causes an error in the area of the potatoes 3.

In view of the above points, the present invention is an improved version of the invention, which is rotatably supported at equal intervals on a pair of endless chains, and has a net-like member made of an appropriate material between both side plates. to form the bottom part,
and a plurality of buckets having guide pins protruding outward from both side plates, and a pair of guides installed parallel to the pair of endless chains and supporting the guide pins of the buckets in a slidable manner. A plurality of members are fixedly attached to the pair of guide rails for slidingly contacting the bucket to swing the bucket in the vertical and horizontal directions.

In the following, an example of the present invention will be described in which the area of agricultural products such as potatoes dropped into a bucket is processed by image processing using a television camera, and based on the area, it is classified as S class (small size) or M class (medium size). The bucket conveyor used in the article supply device of the sorting mechanism for grading items into , L class (large size), etc. will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIGS. 2 to 5, 11 is a container for storing articles such as potatoes 12;
14 is a conveyor provided as an inclined bridge between the container 11 and the supply table 13; 15 is a supply table; A supply trough having a V-shaped groove-shaped conveyance path 18 installed in parallel on one side of the table 13 so that the input end 16 does not come into contact with the table 13 and in which the input end 16 is connected to a flat surface 17. The troughs 15 are individually supported for tilt linear reciprocating vibration. Reference numeral 19 denotes a plurality of alignment conveyors arranged in parallel at positions adjacent to each of the supply troughs 15 in the article feeding direction, and aligns and conveys the potatoes 12 sent from each supply trough 15 in a line; 20 indicates each of the alignment conveyors 19; A pool hopper is provided at the discharge end of the pool and is opened and closed at predetermined times by a cam mechanism. 21 is the above pool hopper 2
A bucket conveyor runs directly below 0.
This is installed perpendicular to the alignment conveyor 19. The bucket conveyor 21 has a pair of endless chains 21a, 21a which are continuously rotated, and pivot pins 24, which are protruded from predetermined portions of the outer surfaces of both side plates 23, 23 of the bucket 22, are rotatably supported. A number of buckets 22 which are a multiple of the number of pool hoppers 20 are attached to the endless chains 21a, 21a at equal intervals, and guide pins 25 protruding from predetermined portions of the tips of the side plates 23, 23 are attached to the endless chains 21a, 21a. It is placed on the guide rails 26 arranged in parallel, and the endless chains 21a, 2
When 1a is running, the bucket 22 is attached to its guide pin 25.
The guide pin 25 slides on the guide rail 26 and moves while being held in a substantially horizontal state.
When it comes off from the guide rail 26, it rotates downward about the pivot pin 24 as a fulcrum. The bucket 22 has a mesh member 2 between the side plates 23 and 23.
7 to form an arc-shaped bottom portion 28, and the mesh member 27 may be made of any suitable material such as wire, string, or integrally molded plastic. Incidentally, the bottom surface portion 28 of the bucket bag 22 may be formed into a flat surface as shown in FIG. If the bottom part 28 of the bucket bag 22 is made flat in this way, when calculating the area of a long and narrow potato such as a may-in, the may-in placed on the bottom part 28 will not be tilted. As a result, accurate area calculations can be performed, and there are no area errors. Since the bucket bag 22 has its bottom part 28 made up of the net-like member 27, the potato 1
When calculating the area of the potato 12, the bottom part 28 is prevented from being included in the calculation of the area of the potato 12. Further, a regulating pin 30 is provided protruding from the protruding piece 29 of each side plate 23 of the bucket 22, and this regulating pin 30 is provided to protrude from the guide rail 26 to prevent the bucket 22 from rotating beyond a predetermined angle. Do what you want. 31 is the above guide rail 2
6 is a plate-shaped member that is fixed to a predetermined member on the inner surface of the bucket belt 22 and swings the bucket belt 22 in the vertical direction.When the bucket conveyor 21 moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. The bottom surface of the bucket 23 slides on the inclined surface 32 of the plate-like member 31 that is inclined upward in the direction of travel of the bucket 22, and as a result, the bucket 22 swings up and down about the pivot pin 24, and the rear end The sides are lifted as shown in the figure, and the intervals between the buckets 22 are opened so that the potatoes 12 that have fallen between the buckets can be discharged downward. 33 are fixedly installed on the upper surface of the guide rail 26, for example in a staggered manner,
The member has an inclined surface 34 that slopes upward in the bucket running direction, and when the bucket conveyor 21 moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. As a result, the bucket 22 is swung left and right,
The potatoes 12 that have fallen to the end side of the bucket 22 are positioned at the center of the bucket 22 so as to be within the range of image processing.

Then, the potatoes 12 on the container 11 are placed on the conveyor 14, and the potatoes 12 are sequentially supplied to the supply table 13. And supply table 1
The potatoes 12 supplied and stored in the pools 3 and 3 are fed into each closed pool hopper 20 via each supply trough 15 and each alignment conveyor 19. When the potatoes 12 are dropped into the pool hopper 20, the pool hopper 20 is moved by a cam mechanism (not shown) in synchronization with the movement of each bucket 22 of the continuously rotating bucket conveyor 21.
As a result, the potatoes 12 in the pool hopper 20 are thrown into a predetermined bucket 22. The potatoes 12 placed in the bucket 22 are sent to the next process as the bucket conveyor 21 moves. At this time, since the bottom surface portion 28 of the bucket bag 22 is constituted by the net-like member 27, the area of the potato 12 can be calculated accurately. Furthermore, if the bottom part 28 of the bucket bag 22 is made flat, even if it is an elongated potato such as a may-in potato, it will be placed on the bottom part 28 without tilting, so the error in area calculation will be reduced. There will be none. Then, in the next step, when the guide pin 25 of the bucket 22 comes off the guide rail 26, the bucket 22 rotates about the pivot pin 24 until the regulation pin 30 collides with the guide rail 26, and the net-like member 27 12 potatoes
is dropped into the next process.

In the above embodiment, the case of agricultural products, particularly potatoes, was explained, but it is not limited to this, and it can be used as a bucket conveyor in a supply device for all kinds of goods, and it can also be used for purposes other than grading of goods. Of course, it can also be used for.

As explained above, the present invention has a pair of endless chains rotatably supported at equal intervals, and a net-like member made of an appropriate material is disposed between both side plates. and a plurality of buckets having guide pins protruding outward from both side plates, and a plurality of buckets installed parallel to the pair of endless chains and supporting the guide pins of the buckets so as to be slidably in contact with each other. A plurality of members are fixed to the pair of guide rails to slide on the bucket and swing the bucket in the vertical and horizontal directions. If used in a bucket conveyor used in a sorting mechanism's article supply device that calculates the area and grades based on the area, the bottom of the bucket will not be included in the area calculation and the grade will be accurately sorted. This is extremely useful as a bucket of this type.Furthermore, since the bucket is provided so as to be able to swing vertically and horizontally, agricultural products that fall between the buckets can be moved by the vertical swing of the bucket. The interval between the buckets is widened and the produce falls downward and is discharged.Also, the agricultural products that have fallen to the ends of the buckets are positioned in the center by the left and right rocking of the buckets, and the produce is reliably image-processed to ensure accuracy. You can calculate the area. Moreover, the bucket swinging means has an extremely simple structure, is easy to manufacture, and is inexpensive.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing the causes of area calculation errors by conventional conveyor buckets. Second
3 is a partially omitted perspective view of the bucket conveyor, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the bucket, and FIG. 5 is a front explanatory view showing how to swing the bucket. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the bucket bag. 21...bucket conveyor, 21a, 21a...
... Endless chain, 22 ... Bucket, 23,2
3...Side plate, 27...Mesh member, 28...Bottom part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It is rotatably supported at equal intervals on a pair of endless chains, and a net-like member made of an appropriate material is arranged between both side plates to form a bottom part, and is guided by both side plates. It is comprised of a plurality of buckets with pins protruding outward, and a pair of guide rails that are installed parallel to the pair of endless chains and slidably support the guide pins of the buckets, A bucket conveyor characterized in that a plurality of members are fixedly attached to a pair of guide rails to slide the bucket and swing the bucket in the vertical and horizontal directions.