JPS628365B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a hopper for a vibrating parts feeder.

A vibrating parts feeder is also called a parts feeder.
A bowl-shaped container is provided with a spiral component transfer track formed on the inner circumferential wall, and torsional vibration is applied to the container to transfer the component along the track, position it in a desired position, and release the component one piece from the discharge end of the track. The destination parts are supplied to the subsequent process. The parts to be supplied are placed in advance into the center bottom of the bowl-shaped container, and a hopper is used as a method for this loading. This hopper is fixed to a base or a part of the building, stores a large amount of parts, and its discharge port faces the center bottom of the bowl-shaped container of the parts feeder. The bowl-shaped container is subjected to torsional vibration, and the parts are transferred and discharged from the track, and the parts are replenished from the outlet of the hopper to the center bottom of the bowl-shaped container, but this replenishment is carried out smoothly. There may be no.

That is, some parts may become wedged between the outer wall portion of the discharge end of the hopper and the track of the bowl-shaped container, impeding the transfer action and preventing the parts from being discharged from the discharge port of the hopper. Or, parts may get caught between the edge of the hopper's outlet and the center bottom of the bowl-shaped container, preventing smooth ejection of the parts. Also,
Parts may form so-called bridges in the hopper, interrupting the ejection of the parts.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a hopper for a vibrating parts feeder that ensures smooth supply of parts and does not impede the transporting action of parts. According to the invention, this object is achieved by placing a parts storage hopper above a parts receiving part, which is the bottom part of a bowl-shaped container which is subjected to torsional vibration and is provided with a spiral parts transfer track on its inner circumferential wall. The discharge opening end is disposed at a predetermined distance from the parts receiving part so as to cover almost the entire surface of the parts receiving part, and the parts storage hopper is placed around the axis of the part storage hopper at the bottom of the bowl-shaped container. This is achieved by a hopper for a vibrating parts feeder, which is supported on a base or a part of a building so as to be rotatable relative to the hopper.

The details of the present invention will be explained below based on the illustrated embodiments.

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figures, reference numeral 1 represents a vibrating parts feeder, which is equipped with a known torsional vibration generation source. supported above. Feeding machine 1
A bowl-shaped container 3 is attached to the upper part of the container 3 so as to be able to torsionally vibrate, and a spiral component transfer track 4 is formed on the inner circumferential wall of the container 3 as is known in the art.

The central bottom part 14 of the bowl-shaped container 3 is formed into a conical shape, and a hopper 5 is disposed with the outlet facing the central bottom part 14. This hopper 5 is the upper part 5
a is cylindrical, and the lower portion 5b is conical,
A plurality of rubber pieces 6 are fixed to the lower edge of the lower portion 5b. Since these rubber pieces 6 have considerable rigidity, they form a discharge port in the shape shown in the figure, and their lower edges extend from the central bottom 14 of the bowl-shaped container 3 to the size of the part m. They are spaced at appropriate intervals.

The hopper 5 is supported by a plurality of columns 7 fixed to a base via bearing blocks 9. That is, the upper part of the support column 7 is threaded, and the rotating side of the bearing block 9 provided on the arm 8, which is held by nuts 15 and 16 screwed onto the thread, is connected to the hopper. It is fixed at 5. To explain this in detail, a ring-shaped hopper support member 13 is fixed concentrically to the axis C of the hopper 5 near the upper edge of the hopper 5, and a ring-shaped hopper support member 13 is similarly fixed on the lower surface of the support member 13. A rotating side bearing member 11 having a shape is fixed. In this embodiment, the arms 8 are provided in accordance with the number of columns 7, but the arms 8 may be formed as one ring-shaped member. The arm 8 is formed in an arc shape, and an arc-shaped fixed side bearing member 12 is fixed thereon, facing the rotating side bearing member 11 . A steel ball 10 is interposed between each hemispherical recess of the rotating side bearing member 11 and the stationary side bearing member 12.

With the bearing block 9 as described above, the hopper 5 is rotatably supported on the base by the support 7 via the arm 8. The height of the hopper 5 relative to the base, that is, the distance between the central bottom 14 of the bowl-shaped container 3 of the parts feeder 1 and the discharge port of the hopper 5 is adjusted by screwing into the threaded portion of the support 7. be done.

The hopper for a vibrating component feeder according to the first embodiment of the present invention is constructed as described above, and its operation will be explained next.

First, when using the vibrating parts feeder 1, a large amount of parts m, for example billets, are fed into the hopper 5. Next, when the drive section is energized, torsional vibration is generated and applied to the bowl-shaped container 3. As a result, the bowl-shaped container 3 undergoes torsional vibration as is well known, and each component m within the container 3 receives a transporting force moving upward on the track 4. Each part m is transported along a spiral track 4, and is eventually discharged one by one from this discharge end and supplied to the subsequent process. Along with this supply, the parts m are replenished from the outlet of the hopper 5 onto the central portion 14 of the bowl-shaped container 3, as shown in FIG. The part m that has fallen onto the central receiving part 14 is guided to the starting end of the track 4 and moves up the track 4. At the same time, the hopper 5 moves around its axis C in the transport direction of the part m. Rotate to.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rubber piece 6 fixed to the lower end of the hopper 5 is in a state of being clamped by parts m existing inside and outside of the rubber piece 6. Moreover, since a frictional force acts between these rubber pieces 6 and the component m, the hopper 5 rotates in this direction in response to the transfer force of the component m. For this purpose, Hopper 5
The ejection of part m becomes smoother, and the bridging phenomenon of part m that tends to occur in the past does not occur. Furthermore, since the hopper 5 rotates within the hopper 5, the formation of bridges on the part m is prevented. In this way, the parts m are always smoothly supplied from the hopper 5 to the bowl-shaped container 3, and the parts m are discharged from the discharge end of the track 4 at the original supply speed of the feeder 1.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, which differs from the first embodiment in the way the hopper 31 is supported.

That is, in this embodiment, the hopper 31 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 37 that vertically passes through the vibrating component feeder 21. The support shaft 37 is located at the axis of the hopper 31, and the lower end of the support shaft 37 is connected to the base plate 4.
0, and is rotatably passed through the central bottom part 26 of the bowl-shaped container 23, the movable core 30, the electromagnet 29, and the central part of the base 25 in order from above. The bowl-shaped container 2 of this parts supply machine 21
3 is also constructed in the same manner as the first embodiment, and has a spiral track 24 formed on its inner circumferential wall, but a through hole is formed in the center of the center bottom 26, and a rubber ring for a bearing is formed in this hole. Button 39 is fitted. The support shaft 3 is rotatably attached to this rubber bushing 39.
7 is closely fitted, a through hole formed in the center of the movable core 30, a through hole aligned with this and formed in the center of the core of the electromagnet 29, and a through hole similarly aligned with the base 2.
It is inserted through a through hole formed in the center of 5 and fixed to the base plate 40 at its lower end.

The vibrating component feeder 21 has a support shaft 37 as described above.
The structure is similar to that of the first embodiment except that through holes are provided in each part, and the bowl-shaped container 23 is attached to the base 2.
5 and a plurality of leaf springs 28. The leaf spring 28 includes an electromagnet 29 and a movable core 30 as is well known.
These leaf springs 2 are arranged inclined at a predetermined angle at equal angular intervals around a drive unit constituted by
8 and the drive parts 29 and 30 constitute a torsional vibration generation source. The entire torsional vibration source is covered by the casing 27. In addition, the support shaft 3
7 is tightly fitted into the rubber bushing 39 at the center bottom 26 of the bowl-shaped container 23, so that the part m is attached to the support shaft 3.
7 and the rubber bushing 39.

A support arm 34 is fixed in the radial direction near the upper edge of the inner wall of the hopper 31, and a bearing sleeve 35 is fixed to the center of this arm 34 facing downward. A thread is formed on the inner peripheral wall surface of the bearing cylinder 35,
The upper end of the support shaft 37 is loosely fitted into this screw hole. A hole 34a having a larger diameter than the hole of the bearing sleeve 35 is formed in the center of the support arm 34.
A bearing sleeve 35 is fixed to the support arm 34 so as to be concentric with the support arm 4a. A threaded rod 42 is inserted through the hole 34a and is screwed into a threaded hole in the bearing sleeve 35. A hemispherical recess is formed at the lower end of the threaded rod 42, and a hemispherical recess is also formed at the upper end of the support shaft 37, and the ball bearing 3 is inserted into these recesses.
8 are arranged. Therefore, the hopper 31 is rotatably supported by the support shaft 37 via the support arm 34 and the bearing sleeve 35. A nut 36 is screwed onto the threaded rod 42 to prevent it from loosening and to adjust the height of the hopper 31. Although the rubber piece 6 shown in the first embodiment is not fixed to the lower end of the hopper 31 in this embodiment, the distance between its discharge end and the central bottom 26 of the bowl-shaped container 23 will be explained as appropriate depending on the part. If this is determined, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

6 and 7 show a third embodiment of the present invention, which is completely the same as the first embodiment except for the shape of the hopper 51 and the fact that the rubber piece 6 is not attached.

That is, in this embodiment, a component receiving member 52 is fixed concentrically near the discharge port of the hopper 51 via four arm members 53. in general,
Pressure due to the weight of the parts to be stored (so-called direct pressure) is applied from the outlet of the hopper to the center bottom of the bowl-shaped container, but this structure reduces the direct pressure. That is, the direct pressure becomes a load on the bowl-shaped container and reduces its amplitude, so the smaller the direct pressure, the better. Therefore, in this embodiment, the direct pressure is partially taken up by the member 52, and the load on the central bottom 14 of the bowl is correspondingly reduced. The parts are discharged through the space between the arm members 53 into the central bottom 14 of the bowl. The hopper 51 is rotatably supported as in the first embodiment, and the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained in this embodiment as well.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is of course not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made based on the technical idea of the present invention.

For example, in the first embodiment, the rubber piece 6 is fixed to the lower end of the hopper 5, but it may be made of synthetic resin.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the hoppers 5, 31, 5
1 is rotatably supported on the base, but instead of this, it may be rotatably supported on a part of the building above. Further, it may be rotatably supported on a fixed side of the vibrating component feeder, for example, the base 25, via an appropriate member. Therefore, the part of the base or building described in the claims of the present invention also includes the fixed side of the vibrating component feeder.

As described above, according to the present invention, a parts storage hopper is provided above and opposite to the parts receiving part which is the bottom of the bowl-shaped container which is subjected to torsional vibration and has a spiral parts transfer track on the inner peripheral wall. The lower discharge opening end thereof is disposed at a predetermined distance from the parts receiving part so as to cover almost the entire surface of the parts receiving part, and the parts storage hopper is arranged around the axis of the part storage hopper in the shape of the bowl. Since it is supported on a base or a part of the building so as to be rotatable relative to the bottom of the container, bridging of parts near the outlet is not formed and the phenomenon of parts being jammed is prevented. Parts can be smoothly supplied to the truck of the bowl-shaped container.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of a vibrating component feeder equipped with a hopper according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the rotating mechanism of the hopper.
FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged sectional view for explaining the action of the hopper, FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view of a vibrating parts feeder equipped with a hopper according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view of the hopper. FIG. 6 is a partially broken enlarged sectional view for explaining the rotation mechanism of the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a vibrating component feeder equipped with a hopper according to an embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken in the - line direction in FIG. In the figure, 1, 21... vibrating parts feeder, 5, 31, 51... hopper, 3, 23... bowl-shaped container, 4, 24... track, 7... strut, 9... bearing block, 35... bearing tube. , 37... Support shaft, 38... Ball bearing, 42... Screw rod.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A component storage hopper is placed above the component receiving portion, which is the bottom of a bowl-shaped container that is subjected to torsional vibration and has a spiral component transfer track on the inner circumferential wall, and its downward discharge opening end is connected to the component receiving portion. The parts storage hopper is arranged so as to cover almost the entire surface of the container and at a predetermined distance from the parts receiving part, and the parts storage hopper is rotated about its axis relative to the bottom of the bowl-shaped container. A hopper for a vibrating parts feeder, characterized in that it is supported on a base or a part of a building.