JPS6238253B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a container aligning device for aligning multiple rows of containers in a single line.

To align multiple rows of containers in one line, a pair of guides is provided on the conveyor that conveys the multiple rows of containers, and the distance between the guides is gradually decreased toward the downstream side of the conveyor until the minimum distance is reached. may be the interval that one container can pass through. However, with such a configuration, the so-called bridging phenomenon is likely to occur, in which multiple containers are sandwiched between the guides and stopped, so conventionally, the guides have been vibrated or the guides have been vibrated or they have been placed in the area where the bridging phenomenon occurs. Although diaphragms or eccentric rotating bodies were installed to relieve the bridging phenomenon, there was still a high risk of bridging occurring.

In view of these points, the present invention provides a container aligning device that can eliminate the bridging phenomenon and smoothly align containers in a line with an extremely simple configuration.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
In FIG. 1, 1 is a conveyor that conveys containers 2 in a plurality of random rows, 3 and 4 are screws each having a spiral groove carved into its outer periphery that can be engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the container 2; The screw 3 is disposed diagonally across the conveyor 1 so as to be in direct contact with the containers 2 conveyed by the conveyor 1, and is engaged with the screw 3 by being rotationally driven by a prime mover (not shown). The conveyor 1 crosses the container 2 diagonally in the container conveyance direction of the conveyor 1.
Transfer it to one side. The other screw 4 is disposed on the conveyor 1 slightly obliquely in the same direction as the screw 3, and the distance between the two screws 3 and 4 is gradually decreased from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveyor 1. The minimum interval is set to allow one container to pass through. This screw 4 is rotationally driven by a prime mover (not shown) to transport the containers 2 engaged with the screw 4 in a direction opposite to the container conveyance direction of the conveyor 1. Incidentally, the opening angle α of both screws 3 and 4 is set to a predetermined angle or more in order to prevent damage to the container 2, as will be described in detail later.

5 and 6 are guides provided on both sides of the conveyor 1 upstream from the screws 3 and 4 at one end, and the downstream end of the guide 6 provided on the screw 4 side is bent inside the conveyor 1 in a dogleg shape. let me,
The top part 6b of the bent part 6a is made to slightly protrude inside the conveyor 1 from the upstream end 4a of the screw 4. A pair of guides 7 and 8 are also provided on both sides of the conveyor 1 on the downstream side of the screws 3 and 4 at one end at a distance that allows one container 2 to pass therethrough.

With the above configuration, when the containers 2 are conveyed in a plurality of random rows by the conveyor 1, the containers 2 are guided and assembled by the guides 5, 6 and the pair of screws 3, 4, and are arranged in a single row. The guides 7 and 8 guide the guides downstream.
At this time, when one container 2 is conveyed along the guide 5, the container 2 engages with the screw 3 and is transferred by the screw 3 across the conveyor 1 to the other screw 4 side, Screwyu 4
It is fed between the guides 7 and 8 without contacting the guides 7 and 8. On the other hand, when one container 2 is transported along the guide 6, the container 2 is transported along the bent portion 6a of the guide 6.
When it passes through the top 6b of the bent portion 6a, it is transferred to the downstream side of the conveyor 1, away from the guide 6, and further engaged with the screw 3, thereby causing the guide 7, Sent during the 8th period. In this way, the container 2 transported by the conveyor 1 basically does not come into contact with one of the screws 4.

However, when a large number of containers 2 are transported at the same time, the containers 2 come into contact with each other and overlap between the pair of screws 3 and 4, as shown in the figure. Then, the container on the side of the screw 4 is engaged with the screw 3 and moved by the container, so that the container on the side of the screw 4 is moved relative to the screw 4.
When pushed out to the side, the pushed out container engages with the spiral groove of the screw 4 and is forcibly pushed back. The containers that have been returned and whose overlaps have been released are moved forward by the conveyor 1 at the same time that their overlaps are released.
He will also leave Scryyu 4. At this time, the two adjacent containers 2a and 2b, which are transferred by engaging the screw 3, will come into contact with each other and be pushed toward the screw 4, and will also engage with the screw 4 and be forcibly pushed back. The container 2c is the container 2b, 2
In order to prevent damage to both containers 2b and 2c,
It is necessary to prevent the screw from being pushed back beyond the tangent A of There is.

As mentioned above, the container 2 basically does not engage with the screw 4, and moreover, when it is pushed out toward the screw 4 and the bridging phenomenon is about to occur, it engages with the screw 4 and is pushed back. Therefore, the occurrence of the bridging phenomenon can be prevented while minimizing damage to the container 2.

Although it is preferable that the screw 4 be disposed obliquely to the conveyor 1 as in the above embodiment, the same effect can be obtained even if the screw 4 is disposed parallel to the conveyor 1, as shown in FIG. . Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the screw 4 is disposed obliquely in the opposite direction to that of the above embodiment, the container is directly attached to the screw 4.
But even in that case,
By appropriately selecting the speed of the conveyor 1, the intersection angle and rotational speed of the screw 4, the depth and pitch of the spiral groove, etc., the containers engaged with the screw 4 can be returned to the upstream end of the screw 4. It is sufficient if the user can easily leave Screw 4 without any problems. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the container conveyance direction of the other screw 3 can also be set to be opposite to the container conveyance direction of the conveyor 1, similar to the above-mentioned screw 4. Fifth
The arrangement and feeding direction of the screws 3 and 4 may be set as shown in the figures.

As described above, according to the present invention, the occurrence of the bridging phenomenon can be effectively prevented with the extremely simple configuration of providing a pair of screws.
This provides the effect that a plurality of rows of containers can be smoothly arranged in a single row. In particular, in the present invention, a pair of screws are used whose distance gradually decreases from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveyor,
In addition, since the container conveyance direction of at least one of the screws is set in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned conveyor, when a plurality of containers try to compete with each other in the vicinity of the minimum interval corresponding to one container between these screws, both screws For example, when a belt conveyor is used, the center positions of the containers occupying the above-mentioned minimum distance between the plurality of containers that engage with each spiral groove of the screw are equidistant from each other, and the containers end up against each other there. There is absolutely no fear that the spiral grooves of both screws are always inclined, and the center portions of the containers that engage with the screws will be arranged at positions that are offset from each other. Since it engages with the screw in the direction, it has the advantage of reliably preventing the bridging phenomenon caused by the competing containers.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a schematic plan view showing another embodiment of the invention, and FIGS. 3 to 8 are schematic plan views showing still other embodiments of the invention. 1... conveyor, 2... container, 3, 4... screwdriver.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A conveyor capable of conveying containers in multiple rows, and an outer circumferential surface of the containers whose intervals are gradually decreased from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveyor, with the minimum interval being an interval that allows one container to pass through. a pair of screws having a spiral groove that can be engaged with the screws, and
A container alignment device characterized in that the container conveying direction of at least one of the screws is set to be opposite to the container conveying direction of the conveyor.