JP2006027630A - Container feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a container feeder capable of reliably removing foreign matters even when they are heavy, and preventing the foreign matters from being mixed in the fed container. <P>SOLUTION: The container feeder comprises a magazine 11 having a downwardly-directed outlet 21 to store a cup-shaped container C in an upright state, and a conveying means which takes out the containers C one by one from the outlet 21, inverts the taken-out container C at a position separated from a container feed station S5 by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction, and setting the container C to be in an upright state again and conveying the container to the container feed station S5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a container supply device that supplies, for example, a cup-shaped container used for filling dessert food to a filling machine.

  Conventionally, as this type of container supply device, a cup-shaped container stack is disposed above a container holder that is sequentially carried into a supply station and accommodates a cup-shaped container stack so that the container can be dropped by its own weight. Magazines, stacks in the magazine, one by one from the lowest container, transport means to transport them to the container holder, and foreign object removal to remove foreign substances in the container after holding the container in the holder It is known that the foreign matter removing means has a vertical suction pipe with a lower end opening that can move forward and backward with respect to the inside of the container (see Patent Document 1).

  In the above-mentioned supply device, if the foreign matter is light, it can be sucked up by the suction pipe without any problem, but if the foreign matter is heavy, it is difficult to suck it up. Further, a large amount of air is required to suck up, and the capacity of the ring blower tends to increase. Furthermore, since the foreign matter removing means needs to be installed on the conveyor of the packaging machine, the length of the machine is long.

  Further, as another container supply device, the cup-shaped container stack is disposed above the container holder sequentially carried into the supply station and accommodates the cup-shaped container stack so that the container can be dropped by its own weight with the container facing downward. Equipped with a magazine and a transfer device that takes out the stacks in the magazine one by one from the lowest container and rotates them upwards and conveys them to the container holder. There is known a holding member that holds a foreign material suction port so as to face the opening of a container held by the holding member (see Patent Document 2).

In this conventional apparatus, since the containers in the inverted state are taken out one by one above the container supply position, if there is a foreign substance in the container, it will drop at that time and the fallen foreign substance may be mixed into the already supplied container was there.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-134903 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-253412

  An object of the present invention is to provide a container supply device that can reliably remove even a heavy foreign object and that does not cause a foreign object to be mixed into an already supplied container.

  The container supply device according to the present invention has a magazine that has a downward outlet and accommodates cup-shaped containers in an upward direction, takes out containers one by one from the outlet, and horizontally removes the removed containers from the container supply station. It is provided with a conveying means for inverting the container at a predetermined distance in the direction, and thereafter conveying the container again upward to the container supply station.

  In the container supply apparatus according to the present invention, when the container taken out from the magazine is reversed, the foreign matter in the container is dropped by its own weight. Therefore, even if the foreign matter is heavy, it can be reliably removed. In addition, since the place where the container is reversed is away from the container supply station, there is no fear that the fallen foreign matter will be mixed into the already supplied container. Further, since the magazine is disposed at a position horizontally separated from the container supply station, for example, even if a foreign object falls when the container is taken out from the magazine, there is no fear that it falls on the conveyor.

  Furthermore, the container transport conveyor is arranged so that a plurality of container holders can be sequentially stopped at the container supply station, and the transport means are radially spaced at equal intervals on the horizontal rotating shaft and the rotating shaft arranged below the outlet. And a rotor having a plurality of holding members capable of holding the bottom of the container, a take-out station in which an upward holding member faces the take-out port, and a delivery station in which the holding member is placed sideways above the container supply station The drive means for intermittently rotating the rotating shaft so that the holding members are sequentially stopped at a plurality of processing stations, and the containers are sequentially taken out one by one from the take-out port, and are held on the holding member stopped at the take-out station. A take-out means to be received and a lateral container held by a holding member stopped at a delivery station, When and a transfer member to pass upward to the container holder, the container was taken out from the magazine, after by inverting the container to drop the foreign substances, it is possible to reliably supply the container to the container holder.

  In addition, the processing station has a foreign substance removal station in which the holding member faces downward on the opposite side of the take-out station across the rotating shaft, and the foreign substance suction pipe has its upward suction port stopped at the foreign substance removal station. If it arrange | positions so that it may face the holding member which exists, it can attract | suck to a suction port reliably, without scattering the foreign material which falls.

  Further, when the foreign matter removing air nozzle is disposed in the foreign matter removing pipe, the foreign matter can be blown off by the air nozzle.

  In addition, when the foreign matter removing air nozzle can be projected and retracted from the suction port, the air nozzle can be caused to enter the container, and the blowing efficiency of the air nozzle can be improved.

  In addition, the processing station has a static electricity removal station in which the holding member is stopped in a lateral direction opposite to the holding member stopped at the delivery station on the opposite side of the delivery station across the rotation shaft. In addition, when the static electricity removing air nozzle is arranged, the static electricity on the container can be removed, and the foreign matters attached to the container can be surely removed.

  In addition, the container transfer conveyor moves in the transfer direction in a state in which the container transfer conveyor forms a vertical in-plane circulation endless transfer path and the container holders are arranged in contact with each other in the transfer direction on the transfer path. If the support means that freely supports and the moving means that is supported by the support means and moves the container holder in the transport direction, the container holder can be transported without using a chain or the like.

  Normally, this type of conveyor uses an endless chain for transporting the container holder. Chains will stretch with long-term use. When the chain is extended, the center position of the container holder is shifted, which causes problems such as misalignment of the device group such as the filling device and the sealing device. In addition, since the chain has play in the link portion, the accuracy of the stop position of the conveyed product is poor, and when the chain is extended, the accuracy is further deteriorated. Chain extension is absorbed by adjusting the position of the sprocket that drives the chain, but there is also a limit to this displacement adjustment. It took time and money. Furthermore, since there is no need to drive the chain, the motor for driving the chain can be reduced in size, and the length of the conveyor can be shortened accordingly. Further, if the container holder becomes dirty or damaged, only the container holder can be easily replaced.

  The supporting means includes a linear feed rail, a straight return rail extending under the feed rail in parallel thereto, and a downward-turning vertical circle for connecting the terminal end of the feed rail and the start end of the return rail. With the plate-shaped rotating wheel and the upward rotating vertical disk-shaped rotating wheel that connects the end of the return side rail and the starting end of the feeding side rail, the container holder can be moved smoothly along the rail, In the reversal portion, the container holder can be smoothly moved along with the rotation of the wheel.

  Further, the moving means engages with the container holder at the start end of the feed side rail in the transport direction but disengages in the opposite direction, and the container side at the start end of the return side rail. The return-side push pawl that engages in the transport direction but disengages in the opposite direction, and the feed-side push pawl and the return-side push pawl reciprocate in opposite directions along the transport direction. If it is provided with a drive mechanism to be moved, the container holder can be moved smoothly.

  According to the present invention, even if the foreign matter is heavy, it can be reliably removed. In addition, there is no worry that foreign matter is mixed into the already supplied container.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  In the following description, the front and rear refer to the side on which the container conveyed by the conveyor advances (the right side in FIG. 1), the opposite side refers to the rear, and the left and right refer to the left and right sides when viewed from the rear. Let's say.

  The container supply device is for supplying a cup-shaped container C having a flange F at the lip to a filling machine (not shown), and a container storage magazine 11 and a container rotation arranged below the magazine 11 And a rotor 12.

  In addition, although the container supply apparatus is multi-rowed, unless otherwise indicated, the container supply apparatus of 1 line is demonstrated below.

  Around the rotor 12, the position immediately below the magazine 11 is taken as an extraction station S1, and from this, the static electricity removal station S2 and foreign matter removal are spaced 90 degrees apart in the rotation direction of the rotor 12 (counterclockwise in FIG. 1). Station S3 and delivery station S4 are provided in order. A container supply station S5 is provided below the delivery station S4.

  In the take-out station S1, the static electricity removal station S2, the foreign matter removal station S3 and the delivery station S4, the take-out device 13, the static electricity removal device 14, the foreign matter removal device 15 and the delivery device 16 are arranged, respectively. From the container supply station S5, a container transfer conveyor 17 extends forward.

  The magazine 11 has an outlet 21 at the lower end and a plurality of vertical bar-shaped guides 22 for guiding the cup-shaped container C so that it can be dropped by its own weight in a stacked state.

  The rotor 12 includes a horizontal rotary shaft 31 extending in the left-right direction, four vacuum cup holding members 32 provided radially at 90 ° intervals on the rotary shaft 31, and a holding member 32 comprising an extraction station S1, an electrostatic A drive device (not shown) is provided that intermittently drives the rotary shaft 31 by 90 degrees so that the removal station S2, the foreign matter removal station S3, and the delivery station S4 can be sequentially stopped.

  The take-out device 13 includes first to third separation claws 41 to 43 that are arranged in order in the vertical direction and a pair of first to third separation claws 41 to 43 that respectively open and close the first to third separation claws 41 to 43. Third fluid pressure cylinders 44 to 46 are provided. The first fluid pressure cylinder 44 is fixed to the magazine 11. The second and third fluid pressure cylinders 45 and 46 can be lifted and lowered together by lifting means (not shown).

  In the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the first to third separation claws 41 to 43 are all closed. The first separation claw 41 receives the flange F of the second container C from the bottom in the magazine 11. The second and third separation claws 42 and 43 sandwich the flange F of the lowermost container C in the magazine 11 from above and below. When the second and third separation claws 42, 43 are lowered, the container C is lowered together with the second and third separation claws 42, 43, and the bottom is held upward at the take-out station S1. 32 holds. After that, when the second and third separation claws 42 and 43 are raised, the second separation claw 42 is opened, and then the first separation claw 41 is opened, the container C in the magazine 11 is as high as one container C. The flange F of the lowermost container C in the magazine 11 is received by the third separation claw 43. When the first separation claw 41 is closed, the first separation claw 41 receives the flange F of the second container C from the bottom in the magazine 11. When the second separation claw 42 is closed, the flange F of the lowermost container C in the magazine 11 is sandwiched between the second and third separation claws 42 and 43.

  The static eliminator 14 includes a static eliminator air nozzle 51 that ejects ionized sterile air. The static electricity removing air nozzle 51 is composed of a horizontal pipe 53 having a jet port 52 extending in the left-right direction and spaced in the length direction toward the rotor 12 side.

  It is carried into the static electricity removing station S2 and the holding member 32 faces backward, and static electricity removing air is blown toward the inside of the container C held by the holding member 32. Thereby, the static electricity charged in the container C is removed.

  The foreign matter removing device 15 includes a foreign matter suction pipe 62 having an upward suction port 61 at the upper end, and a vertical foreign matter removal air nozzle 63 disposed concentrically within the foreign matter suction pipe 62. The air nozzle 63 has a jet port 64 at the upper end and is connected to a piston rod of a vertically upward fluid pressure cylinder 65.

  When the holding member 32 is carried into the foreign matter removal station S3, the foreign matter removal air nozzle 63 is retracted into the foreign matter suction pipe 62 and is not projected from the suction port 61. When the container C is held by the holding member 32 and is carried into the foreign substance removal station S3 and turned downward, the suction port 61 and the opening of the container C are made to face each other. When the piston rod of the fluid pressure cylinder 65 is advanced to raise the foreign matter removing air nozzle 63, the upper portion of the foreign matter removing air nozzle 63 is caused to enter the container C. When air is ejected from the ejection port 64, the foreign matter adhering to the container C is blown off by the air. The foreign matter blown off is collected through the foreign matter suction pipe 62. After the foreign matter removal air nozzle 63 is accommodated in the foreign matter suction pipe 62, the rotor 12 is rotated 90 degrees. Thereby, the container C from which the foreign matter has been removed is carried into the delivery station S4.

  The delivery device 16 includes a pair of upper and lower delivery members 71, a pair of upper and lower horizontal swing shafts 72 extending in the left-right direction to which the both delivery members 71 are fixed, and a pair of upper and lower pairs fixed to the both swing shafts 72. Arm 73, a pair of connecting rods 74 whose rear ends are connected to the front ends of both arms 73, a rod-like connecting member 75 passed to the front ends of both connecting rods 74, and the length of connecting member 75 A fluid pressure cylinder 76 having a piston rod connected in the middle of the center and a rocking body 77 to which the fluid pressure cylinder 76 is attached and having a horizontal rocking center extending in the left-right direction are provided. As shown by a solid line in FIG. 1, both delivery members 71 are in a closed state in a rearward direction. When the piston rod of the fluid pressure cylinder 76 is advanced from this state, the front ends of both connecting rods 74 are pulled forward via the connecting member 75. Both arms 73 are swung together with the swing shaft 72 in opposite directions. As a result, both delivery members 71 are opened.

  The container C carried into the delivery station S4 is facing forward. Both delivery members 71 are held by closing a portion immediately below the flange F of the container C.

  If the rocking body is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise in FIG. 1 while holding the container C, both delivery members 71 face downward.

  Next, the container transport conveyor 17 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The container transport conveyor 17 forms a plurality of rectangular plate-shaped container holders 101 that are separated from each other without being connected to each other, and forms a vertical in-plane circulation endless transport path, and the container holder 101 is in the transport direction on the transport path. A support rail 102 is provided that supports the container holder 101 so as to be movable in the transport direction in a state where the adjacent ones are arranged so as to be in contact with each other.

  A plurality of container holding holes 111 are formed in a line in the length direction of the container holder 101. The flange F is received and held at the edge of the container holding hole 111 in a state where the body portion of the container C is inserted into the container holding hole 111. Engaging protrusions 112 are provided at both ends of the container holder 101. The lower surface of the engagement protrusion 112 is formed in a semicircular arc shape. In the vicinity of both end portions of the container holder 101, rectangular engagement holes 113 are formed so as to penetrate vertically.

  The support rail 102 includes a linear feed rail 121 extending in the front-rear direction, a straight return rail 122 extending below and parallel to the feed rail 121, and the front ends of the feed rail 121 and the return rail 122. Are connected to each other, and a downward reversing rotation wheel 123 that communicates with each other, and an upward reversing rotating wheel 124 that communicates the rear ends of the return side rail 122 and the feeding side rail 121.

  The feed-side rail 121 is a pair of left and right upper presser rails 131 and upper receiving rails 132 that sandwich the both ends of the container holder 101 from above and below in the feed-side path, and left and right that sandwich the container holder 101 from both the left and right sides. It consists of a pair of upper side rails 133.

  The return side rail 122 is composed of a pair of left and right lower support rails 134 receiving both ends of the container holder 101 in the return side path, and a pair of left and right lower side rails 135 sandwiching the container holder 101 from both left and right sides. .

  The downward reversing rotation wheel 123 is composed of a pair of left and right front vertical discs 141 arranged so as to sandwich the container holder 101 excluding the engaging protrusion 112 from both left and right sides. A plurality of semicircular arc-shaped front engagement notches 142 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the front vertical disk 141 at equal intervals. The pitch of the front engagement notches 142 is made to correspond to the pitch of the engagement protrusions 112 of the two container holders 101 arranged so as to be in contact with each other.

  The upward reversing rotating wheel 124 is composed of a pair of left and right rear vertical disks 143 corresponding to the front vertical disk 141. A rear engagement notch 144 is also formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rear vertical disc 143 in the same manner as the front engagement notch 142.

  A pair of left and right forward semicircular arc-shaped front guide rails 145 are provided on the front half of the outer periphery of both front vertical disks 141. A pair of left and right rearward semicircular rear guide rails 146 are provided on the rear half of the outer periphery of both rear vertical disks 143.

  A brake 147 is provided on the rotating shaft of the downward reversing rotating wheel 123. A motor 148 is provided on the rotating shaft of the upward reversing rotating wheel 124. The motor 148 may be a very small one.

  A horizontal drive shaft 151 extends in the left-right direction behind the upward reversing rotation wheel 124. In the middle of the length of the drive shaft 151, a drive device 152 for swinging the drive shaft 151 is provided.

  A pair of left and right rocker arms 161 are fixed to both ends of the drive shaft 151 in the middle of the length so as to have the same phase. The upper ends of both rocker arms 161 are connected to the rear ends of a pair of left and right upward and backward rods 162 extending in the front-rear direction via an upper connecting rod 163. The up-and-down rod 162 extends above the movement path of both the engagement holes 113 of the container holder 101, and the front end thereof reaches slightly ahead of the upward reversing rotary wheel 124. The lower end portions of both rocker arms 161 are connected to the rear end portions of a pair of left and right lowering / retracting rods 164 extending in the front-rear direction via a lower connecting rod 165. The downward advance / retreat rod 164 extends below the movement path of both the engagement holes 113 of the container holder 101 and has its front end slightly reached forward of the downward reversing rotation wheel 123. Although not described in detail, the up / down rod 162 and the down / up rod 164 are supported at appropriate positions on the conveyor frame so as to be slidable back and forth.

  An upper push-down pawl 171 is attached downward to the up-and-down rod 162 so as to be positioned near the rear end of the feed-side rail 121. A lower pushing claw 172 is attached to the downward advance / retreat rod 164 so as to be positioned near the front end of the return rail 122.

  FIG. 5 shows the mounting structure of the upper pushing claw 171 in detail. The upper pushing claw 171 has a rectangular plate shape that is long in the vertical direction, and has a rear-upward inclined sliding surface 181 at the lower edge.

  The upward / retracting rod 162 is formed with a slit 182 that vertically penetrates the upper pushing claw 171. A horizontal pin 183 is provided so as to cross the inside of the slit 182 to the left and right, and an upper pushing claw 171 is supported so as to be swingable. On the front side surface of the slit 182, a rearward vertical portion 191 and a rearward downward inclined portion 192 are formed vertically. On the rear side surface of the slit 182, a front upward inclined portion 193 and a front rear vertical portion 194 are formed vertically.

  A spring hook 195 is provided in an upward projecting manner on the up / down rod 162 so as to be positioned in front of the slit 182. A tension coil spring 196 is hung on the upper edge portion of the upper pushing claw 171 and the spring hook 195, and thereby the upper pushing claw 171 is urged to swing forward.

  In the state shown in FIG. 5, the front side surface of the upper pushing claw 171 is brought into contact with the rearward vertical portion 191 and the rear side surface of the upper pushing claw 171 is brought into contact with the forward rearward vertical portion 194. 171 is maintained in a vertical posture. In this state, the lower end portion of the upper pushing claw 171 is made to enter the engagement hole 113 of the container holder 101. The upper pushing claw 171 is engaged with the container holder 101. From this state, when the upward / backward moving rod 162 is moved backward, the upper pushing claw 171 that is moved together with the upward / backward moving rod 162 rides on the rear edge of the engagement hole 113 via the sliding surface 181. As a result, the upper pushing claw 171 is tilted backward against the force of the spring 196. As a result, the lower end portion of the upper pushing claw 171 that has entered the engagement hole 113 is retracted from the engagement hole 113. The upper push claw 171 is disengaged from the container holder 101.

  The mounting structure of the lower pushing claw 172 conforms to the mounting structure of the upper pushing claw 171 and is upside down and front to back. Detailed description thereof is omitted.

  A take-up member 201 is arranged at the supply station S5. The take-up member 201 can be moved up and down through the container holding hole 111 of the container holder 101 stopped at the supply station S5.

  When both delivery members 71 are opened with both delivery members 71 of the delivery device 16 facing downward with the delivery member 201 left at the upper limit, the holding of the container C is released. The released container C is transferred from the delivery members 71 to the take-up member 201. When the take-up member 201 is lowered and inserted through the container holding hole 111, the container C is transferred from the take-up member 201 to the container holder 101.

  When the drive shaft 151 is swung, the forward / backward movement rod 162 and the downward movement / retraction rod 164 are advanced and retracted so that the front and rear directions are opposite to each other. The advancing / retreating stroke corresponds to the pitch of the container holders 101 arranged so that adjacent objects come into contact with each other. When the up-and-down rod 162 moves forward, the lower end portion of the upper pushing claw 171 enters the engagement hole 113 of the container holder 101, and the upper pushing claw 171 is moved forward with the container holder 101 engaged forward. It is done. As a result, the container holder 101 engaged with the upper pushing claw 171 is pushed forward and advanced. On the other hand, when the up / down rod 162 advances, the down / up rod 164 is retracted. The lower push-down pawl 172 that is retracted together with the downward advance / retreat rod 164 engages the container holder 101 rearward, and pushes it backward. The upper pushing claw 171 pushes the container holder 101 forward, and the lower pushing claw 172 pushes the container holder 101 backward, so that all the container holders 101 move along the support rail 102 at the same time. Be made.

  When the container holder 101 moves between the front end portions of the feed-side rail 121 and the return-side rail 122, the engagement protrusion 112 of the container holder 101 enters the front engagement notch 142 of the front vertical disk 141, and the front vertical circle While the plate 141 is rotated, its periphery can be moved. At this time, the front guide rail 145 guides the front vertical disc 141 so as not to drop off. At the time of this movement, both end surfaces of the container holder 101 excluding the engaging protrusion 112 are sandwiched between the front vertical disks 141, so that the container holder 101 is inverted downward in a stable posture. At the same time, the brake 147 is intermittently operated in synchronism with the intermittent feeding operation by the upper pushing claw 171. Thereby, the inertial force when the container holder 101 is stopped is absorbed.

  When the container holder 101 moves between the rear ends of the feed-side rail 121 and the return-side rail 122, the engagement protrusion 112 of the container holder 101 enters the rear engagement notch 144 of the rear vertical disk 143, and the container holder While being guided by the rear guide rail 146 in a state where both end faces of the 101 are sandwiched between the rear vertical disks 143, the periphery thereof can be moved. At this time, the motor 148 is intermittently driven in synchronism with the intermittent feeding operation of the lower pushing pawl 172. This assists the upward feeding operation of the container holder 101.

  When the container holder 101 is fed by one pitch, this time, the up / down rod 162 is moved backward and the forward / backward rod 164 is moved forward. The upper pushing claw 171 retreats from the engaged engagement hole 113 and moves backward while sliding on the rear surface of the engagement hole 113 on the upper surface of the container holder 101 and engages with the next container holder 101 that immediately follows. It is made to enter the joint hole 113. The lower pushing claw 172 moves out of the engaged engagement hole 113 and moves forward while sliding on the front of the engagement hole 113 on the lower surface of the container holder 101. It is made to enter the engagement hole 113.

  In the above description, the engagement protrusion 112 of the container holder 101 is projected from the end surface of the container holder 101. However, this position is not necessarily required, and the position may be shifted upward or downward. Further, the lower surface of the engagement protrusion 112 does not necessarily have an arc shape, but it is preferable that the lower surface has an arc shape in consideration of wear.

It is a side view of the container supply apparatus by this invention. It is a side view of the conveyor of the supply apparatus. It is a top view of the conveyor. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to line IV-IV in FIG. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows a part of the conveyor.

Explanation of symbols

11 Magazine
12 Rotor
13 Unloader
15 Foreign material removal device
16 Delivery device
17 Container conveyor
21 Exit
32 Holding member

Claims (9)

A magazine that has a downward outlet and accommodates cup-shaped containers facing upward, and containers are removed one by one from the outlet, and the removed containers are separated from the container supply station by a predetermined distance in the horizontal direction. A conveying means for reversing and then conveying the container again upward to the container supply station;
A container supply device comprising: A container conveyor is arranged so that a plurality of container holders can be sequentially stopped at a container supply station,
A rotor having a plurality of holding members that are provided at equal intervals on a horizontal rotating shaft and a rotating shaft arranged below the take-out port and can hold the bottom of the container, and a holding member that faces the take-out port upward A drive means for intermittently rotating the rotating shaft so as to sequentially stop the holding member at a plurality of processing stations including a take-out station on which the holding member is exposed and a delivery station in which the holding member is placed sideways above the container supply station; The container is sequentially taken out one by one, and the take-out means for holding the container on the holding member stopped at the take-out station and the sideways container held on the holding member stopped at the delivery station are received, The container supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a delivery member that faces the container holder with the face facing upward. The processing station has a foreign substance removal station in which the holding member faces downward on the side opposite to the take-out station across the rotating shaft,
The container supply device according to claim 2, wherein the foreign matter suction pipe is disposed so that the upward suction port faces the holding member stopped at the foreign matter removal station.   The container supply device according to claim 3, wherein a foreign matter removing air nozzle is disposed in the foreign matter removing pipe.   The container supply device according to claim 4, wherein the foreign matter removing air nozzle is configured to be able to appear and disappear from the suction port.   The processing station has a static electricity removing station in which the holding member is stopped in the lateral direction opposite to the holding member stopped at the delivery station on the opposite side of the delivery station across the rotation shaft. The container supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a static electricity removing air nozzle is disposed.   Container transport conveyor forms a vertical in-plane circulation endless transport path and allows container holders to move freely in the transport direction with the container holders arranged in contact with each other in the transport direction. The container supply apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a supporting unit that supports the moving unit configured to move the container holder in the transport direction, supported by the supporting unit.   The support means is a straight feed rail, a straight return rail that extends under the feed rail in parallel with it, and a vertical disk for reversing downward that connects the end of the feed rail and the start of the return rail. The container supply device according to claim 7, comprising: a rotating wheel; and an upwardly reversing vertical disk-shaped rotating wheel that communicates the end of the return side rail and the starting end of the feed side rail. The moving means engages with the container holder at the start end of the feed side rail in the transport direction, but disengages and disengages in the opposite direction, and with respect to the container holder at the start end of the return side rail. The return-side pushing claw that engages in the conveyance direction but disengages in the opposite direction, and the feed-side pushing claw and the return-side pushing claw reciprocate in opposite directions along the conveyance direction. The container supply apparatus of Claim 7 or 8 provided with the drive mechanism.

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