JPH08244967A - Assorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] The interval of the chute 46 along the transport direction A is significantly reduced without any disadvantage due to the increase of the intersections 43 of the branch rails 41 and 42. [Configuration] A plurality of branch rails 41 and 42 are provided along the transport direction A, respectively, and are arranged so as to intersect with the branch rails 41 and 42 that are adjacent in the transport direction A, respectively. Further, a guide member 45 is provided in the rail missing section 44 at the intersection 43 of the branch rails 41 and 42, and the branch rails 41 and 42 engage the guide rollers 34 except in the rail missing section 44. By doing so, and in the rail missing section 44,
By engaging the rotating shoe 35 with the guide member 45, the moving shoe is guided in the sorting direction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention conveys articles on a slat by moving a large number of slats and presses the articles by moving shoes provided on each slat to sort the slats in a predetermined chute direction. Regarding the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a sorting device suitable for sorting articles having different outer shapes and sizes, the articles transferred from the introduction conveyor onto the slats are conveyed by the movement of a large number of slats, and at the same time, to each slat. There is a type in which an article on the slat is pressed at a predetermined position for each article by discharging a movable shoe provided along the slat and discharged to the side in the carrying direction for sorting.

Both longitudinal ends of the slat are respectively connected to chains provided on both sides in the carrying direction. The chain is wound around sprockets provided at both ends of the conveyor frame in the transport direction, and is rotated along the transport direction by the rotation of each sprocket to move the slats in the same direction.

In each of the moving shoes, a guide pin is provided on the lower surface of a slide portion slidably supported so as to surround the slat, and the guide pin rotatably supports the guide roller in a horizontal state. It When an article is conveyed by the movement of the slat, each moving shoe is guided by the main rails provided with the guide pins and the guide rollers thereof along the conveying direction, and moves with the slat in the conveying direction. Then, the path of the guide pin and the guide roller is switched by the switching mechanism at a predetermined position for each article, and the moving shoe is introduced to the required branch rail. As a result, the movable shoe slides along the slats along the slats to press the articles on the slats,
The articles are discharged and sorted on a predetermined chute.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the main rails 60 are provided on both sides in the carrying direction A along the carrying direction (direction of arrow A), and guide rollers 61 of a moving shoe (not shown) are engaged with each other. This moving shoe is guided in the transport direction A. The branch rail 62 branches off from the main rail 60 on either side of the conveyance direction A, and the main rail 60 on the other side.
And are provided so as to intersect with each other in an X shape in a plan view. The guide roller 61 of the moving shoe is the main rail 6
By moving from 0 to the branch rail 62, the moving shoe is guided in a predetermined sorting direction on the left and right in the transport direction A. Figure 10
As shown in FIG. 6, the chute 63 is arranged so as to be connected to the downstream side of the branch rail 62 along the carrying direction A for each branch rail 62, and the articles (not shown) sorted by the moving shoes are carried.

As shown in FIG. 11, at each intersection 64 of each branch rail 62, which branch rail 6
2 is also divided into an upstream side and a downstream side in a state where a part is missing, and a rail missing section 65 that is at least longer than the outer diameter dimension of the guide roller 61 is formed. Due to these rail missing sections 65, the guide rollers 61 that are guided and moved by any of the branch rails 62 can pass through the intersection 64. A switching member 66 capable of swinging or reciprocating is provided in the rail missing section 65, and the switching member 6
6 swings or reciprocates to make the upstream side and the downstream side of one of the branch rails 62 continuous in the rail missing section 65.

[0007]

In the conventional sorting apparatus described above, if the number of the chutes 63 having the above-described intervals is increased in order to increase the sorting direction of the articles, the installation space for the chute 63 which is considerably large in the transport direction A. Will need to be secured. Therefore, as a countermeasure, it is conceivable to reduce the interval of each chute 63 along the transport direction A. Then, in order to reduce the interval of the chute 63 along the transport direction A, it is conceivable to make the angle of the branch rail 62 steeper or to close the interval of each branch rail 62 as it is. However, there is a limit to making the angle steep, and if the angle is too steep, there is a problem in that the conveyance of articles may be clogged or the apparatus itself may be broken. In addition, when the distance is kept as it is, the intersection 64 of the branch rail 62
This means that the problem existing in the rail missing section 65 of the intersection 64 is amplified. That is, in the rail missing section 65 of the branch rail 62, the upstream side and the downstream side of one of the branch rails 62 are made continuous by the swinging or reciprocating motion of the switching member 66, and the guide rollers 61 of the moving shoes are sorted. It is necessary to reliably operate the switching member 66 at an accurate operation timing according to the direction. Therefore, complicated and highly accurate control is required, and the control mechanism becomes very complicated and expensive. Since such a problem occurs at all the intersections 64 of the branch rail 62, an increase in the number of the intersections 64 of the branch rail 62 causes an extremely serious problem.

According to the present invention, the cost can be reduced with a relatively simple structure, but no disadvantage is caused by an increase in the number of intersections of the branch rails.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sorting device that can set more sorting directions of articles in a space limited to the transport direction.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above object of the present invention is provided so that an article on a slat can be conveyed in a predetermined conveying direction by the movement of a large number of slats and can be moved in the longitudinal direction of each slat. In a sorting device that presses articles with a moving shoe and sorts them on a slat in a predetermined chute direction, a rotating body rotatably supported by the moving shoe on the lower surface of the article conveying surface and both sides in the conveying direction along the conveying direction of the article. Each of the main rails is provided on the lower surface of the article transport surface and guides the movable shoe in the transport direction by engaging the rotating body, and the connection between the main rails on the lower surface of the article transport surface is a pair of diagonally arranged crosswise arrangements. The first and second parts are provided with a plurality of the pairs, the pairs being overlapped with each other at the intersection along the transport direction, and having chutes corresponding to the respective longitudinal directions. A rail, is achieved by sorting device comprising a.

[0010]

In the sorting apparatus according to the present invention, when the articles on the slats are conveyed by the movement of the slats, the moving shoes are guided in the conveying direction by engaging the rotating body with the main rails, and the conveying shoes are conveyed with the slats. Move in the direction. When the articles on the slats are sorted, the moving shoes are transferred to the first or second branch rails and the articles are guided in the chute direction. Here, as the plurality of intersections are provided per rail as described above, the branch rails are brought closer to each other in the article conveying direction, so that the chute installation interval can be made smaller and the article can be conveyed in the article conveying direction. The intervals between the shoots lined up can be set so as not to leave unnecessary space.

[0011]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.
1 to 3 are views showing a sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an overall schematic plan view excluding a slat and a moving shoe, and FIG. 2 shows a set of a slat and a moving shoe. A plan view and FIG. 3 are enlarged views of the moving shoe in the transport direction. In these drawings, the articles 10 (FIG. 2) are transferred from an introduction conveyor (not shown) onto a large number of slats 20 provided along the conveyor frame 11,
Is moved in a predetermined conveying direction (arrow A direction). Then, at a predetermined position for each article 10, the article 10
Is pressed by the movement of the moving shoes 30 of each set of a predetermined number (four in this embodiment) in the longitudinal direction of the slats (left-right direction in FIG. 2), and a predetermined number of rollers such as a roller conveyor is pushed from above the slats 20. It is discharged onto the chute 46 and sorted.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, slats 20 are shown.
Link plates 21 are attached to both longitudinal ends of the slats 20, and the slats 20 are connected to the chains 22 provided on both sides of the conveyor frame 11 in the transport direction A via the link plates 21. The chain 22 is wound around sprockets (not shown) provided at both ends of the conveyor frame 11 in the transport direction A, and is moved by the rotation of each sprocket. On the surface of the link plate 21 opposite to the slat mounting surface, a traveling wheel 23 is rotatably provided along the transport direction A, and a side guide wheel 24 is rotatably provided in a substantially horizontal state.

That is, the chain 22 and the link plate 21 move the traveling wheel 23 along the conveyor frame 11 while guiding the side guide wheel 24 to the conveyor frame 11, and move in the conveying direction A as the sprocket rotates. Is stabilized and the slats 20 are moved in the same direction.

In the moving shoe 30, each slide portion 3 is slidably supported so as to surround the slat 20.
The cap portion 32 is provided on the upper surface of 1 (FIG. 3),
The cap portion 32 presses the article 10 on the slat 20 as the slide portion 31 slides. A guide pin 33 is provided on the lower surface of the slide portion 31. A guide roller 34 is rotatably supported by the guide pin 33 in a substantially horizontal state, and an oblong elliptical rotating shoe 35 in a plan view is substantially horizontal below the guide roller 34 in the guide pin 33. It is rotatably supported.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, when the article 10 is conveyed by the movement of the slat 20, the moving shoe 30 is used.
The guide rollers 34 are guided by the main rail 40 provided along the transport direction A and move in the transport direction A together with the slats 20. Then, at a predetermined position for each article, the path of the guide roller 34 of the moving shoe 30 is changed by the switching mechanism 50.
Is switched so that it is introduced into the required branch rails 41, 42. As a result, the moving shoe 30 slides on the slide portion 31 along the slats 20 and the slats 20 move.
The article 10 on the upper side is pressed to bring the article 10 into a predetermined chute 46.
Dispose on top and sort.

The main rail 40 is a lower surface of the transport surface (slat 20
(Lower part) along the conveyance direction A of the article on the conveyor frame 11 and on both sides. The main rails 40 guide the moving shoes 30 in the transport direction A by engaging the guide rollers 34, respectively.

The branch rails 41, 42 branch from the main rail 40 on either the left or right side in the transport direction A and join the main rail 40 on the other side so that the branch rails 41, 42 intersect in a X-shape in plan view. And guides the moving shoe 30 in a predetermined sorting direction to the left and right in the transport direction A. That is, a branch rail 41 (hereinafter, referred to as a left-side branch rail 41) that branches from the main rail 40 on the right side in the transport direction A and joins the main rail 40 on the left side in the transport direction A moves the moving shoe 30 in the transport direction A.
The articles are guided in a predetermined sorting direction on the left side, and the articles are discharged from above the slats onto a predetermined chute 46 on the left side in the transport direction A. A branch rail 42 (hereinafter referred to as right branch rail 42) that branches from the left main rail 40 in the transport direction A and intersects with the left-side guard rail to join the main rail 40 on the right side in the transport direction A transports the moving shoe 30. The article is guided in a predetermined sorting direction on the right side of the direction A, and the articles are discharged from the slats onto a predetermined chute 46 on the right side of the conveying direction A.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a plurality of left-handed and right-handed branch rails 41 and 42 are respectively provided along the carrying direction A and intersect with the branch rails 41 and 42 adjacent to the carrying direction A, respectively. Are placed. That is, the leftward branch rail 41 intersects with the rightward branch rail 42 that is adjacent to the front in the transport direction A, and the rightward branch rail 42
Intersects the leftward branch rail 41 adjacent to the front in the transport direction A.

At the intersection 43 of the branch rails 41 and 42, as shown in FIG. 5, a part of the branch rails 41 and 42 is missing and divided into an upstream side and a downstream side, and at least the guide roller 34 is provided. A rail missing section 44 having a length D larger than the outer diameter dimension C is formed. Due to these rail-missing sections 44, the guide roller 34 can pass through the intersection 43 regardless of which of the branch rails 41 and 42 is guided and moved, but this alone allows the guide roller 34 to move to either the left or right rail.

Therefore, in the rail missing section 44, a guide member 45 is provided on the moving line of the rotating shoe 35. The distance E1 at the position farthest from the rail missing section 44 of each guide member 45 is substantially the same as the long dimension F of the rotating shoe 35, and is gradually narrowed toward the rail missing section 44, and in the rail missing section 44. Interval E2
Is larger than the short dimension G of the rotating shoe 35 and smaller than the long dimension F of the rotating shoe 35. By engaging the guide member 45 with the rotating shoe 35, the rail missing section 4
Immediately before 4, the direction of the rotating shoe 35 is gradually made to follow the traveling direction of the moving shoe 30. As a result, in the rail missing section 44 where the guide roller 34 does not engage with the branch rails 41, 42, the long dimension F side of the rotating shoe 35 bridges the interval E2 of the guide member 45, and the branch where the moving shoe 30 is missing. The rails 41, 42 are guided from the upstream side to the downstream side. A pair of regulation plates 47 may be provided on the upstream side of the rail missing section 41, and the orientation of the rotating shoe 35 may be preliminarily set along the traveling direction by these regulation plates 47.

Therefore, the left and right branch rails 4
1 and 42 are engaged with the guide rollers 34 except for the rail lacking section 44, and
In the rail missing section 44, the movable shoe 30 is guided in the sorting direction by engaging the rotating shoe 35 with the guide member 45.

Referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of chutes 46 are provided for each of the branch rails 41 and 42 along the conveying direction A at predetermined intervals, respectively, and toward the predetermined sorting direction. The articles sorted by 30 (FIG. 2) are conveyed.

The switching mechanism 50 is provided at a position where each of the branch rails 41 and 42 branches from the main rail 40, and as shown in FIG.
It is introduced from 0 into the branch rails 41 and 42. Switching mechanism 5
At 0, the main rail 40 along the transport direction A and the branch rails 4 extending in the predetermined sorting direction on the side of the transport direction A.
An electromagnet 51 is provided in the vicinity of the branch point between the guide rollers 34 and 42, and the electromagnet 51 is excited based on various sort information and a detection signal of the guide roller 34 by the sensor 52 to change the course of the guide roller 34 made of a magnetic material. Let

That is, when the sorting is not performed, the electromagnet 51 is not excited, the guide roller 34 of the moving shoe 30 goes straight without the course being changed by the electromagnet 51, and moves along the main rail 40 in the conveying direction A. (The moving shoe 30 shown by the solid line in FIG. 6). On the other hand, when sorting is performed, the electromagnet 51 is excited and the guide roller 34 of the moving shoe 30 is changed in course by the electromagnet 51. The guide roller 34 whose course has been changed is further subjected to the magnetic action of the permanent magnet (or electromagnet) 53 to cause the branch rail 4 to move.
1, 42 (moving shoe 30 shown by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 6), and moves in the sorting direction. The electromagnet 51 and the permanent magnet (or electromagnet) 53 are connected by a yoke 54 made of a magnetic material, and the yoke 54 continuously connects the main rail 40 and the branch rails 41 and 42 so as to draw an arc. , The guide roller 34 of the moving shoe 30 is moved smoothly.

The operation of this embodiment will be described. Slat 20
The articles 10 on the slats 20 that are conveyed in the conveyance direction A by the movement of are pressed by the moving shoes 30 at predetermined positions for each article 10, and are discharged from the slats 20 onto a predetermined chute 46 and sorted.

That is, in the moving shoe 30, the article 1
When 0 is conveyed by the movement of the slats 20 and sorting is not performed, the guide rollers 34 of the moving shoes 30.
Are guided by the main rail 40 without the course being changed by the switching mechanism 50, and move in the transport direction A together with the slats 20. On the other hand, when the articles 10 are sorted, the guide roller 34 of the moving shoe 30 has its course changed by the switching mechanism 50. The guide roller 34 of the moving shoe 30 whose course has been changed is further subjected to the magnetic action of the permanent magnet (or electromagnet) 53 to cause the branch rail 4 to move.
1, 42, and moves in a predetermined sorting direction on the side of the transport direction A. As a result, the moving shoe 30 moves along the slat 20 as the slide portion 31 slides, and the cap portion 32 presses the article 10 on the slat 20. The pressed article 10 is discharged from the slat 20 onto a predetermined chute 46 and sorted.

Each branch rail 41, 42 engages and guides the guide roller 34 of the introduced moving shoe 30. Then, the branch rails 41, 42 engage the rotating shoe 35 of the moving shoe 30 with the guide member 45 at the intersection point 43, whereby the rail missing section 44 is formed.
Immediately before, the direction of the rotating shoe 35 is aligned with the traveling direction of the moving shoe 30, and the moving shoe 30 is removed in the rail missing section 44.
Guide from the upstream side to the downstream side. That is, each branch rail 4
1 and 42 are engaged with the guide rollers 34 except for the rail lacking section 44, and
In the rail missing section 44, the movable shoe 30 is guided in the sorting direction by engaging the rotating shoe 35 with the guide member 45.

As described above, according to the above embodiment, a plurality of left and right branch rails 41 and 42 are provided along the transport direction A, and intersect with the branch rails 41 and 42 adjacent to the transport direction A, respectively. Since the chutes 46 are arranged in parallel, the distance between the chutes 46 along the transport direction A can be reduced. In addition, the guide member 45 at each intersection 43 guides the rotating shoe 35, and can guide the moving shoe 30 in the rail missing section 44 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the branch rails 41 and 42 lacking. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a switching member 66 (FIG. 11) or the like at the intersection 43 of the branch rails 41 and 42 as in the conventional case, and the structure is relatively simple and complicated control is not required.
Although the cost can be reduced, the movable shoe 30 can be accurately and reliably guided in the predetermined sorting direction at the intersection 43 of the branch rails 41 and 42. That is, according to this embodiment, the branch rails 41,
The distance between the branch rails 41 and 42 along the transport direction A can be significantly reduced as compared with the conventional case without causing any disadvantage due to the increase of the intersections 43 of 42. As a result, the interval between the chutes 46 along the transport direction A can be significantly reduced, and in a space limited to the transport direction A, more product sorting directions can be set.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the attachment angle θ1 of each chute 46 to the conveyor frame 11 and the angle θ2 formed by the branch rails 41 and 42 with the conveyor frame 11 are substantially equal. Do you want (Fig. 7),
Alternatively, it is desirable to configure θ1> θ2 (FIG. 8) and further reduce the interval of the chute 46 along the transport direction A. In the case of FIG. 8 where θ1> θ2, θ1 = θ2
As compared with the case of FIG. 7, the interval of the chute 46 along the transport direction A can be further reduced. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the chutes 46 are integrally formed to eliminate the interval between the chutes 46 along the transport direction A, and
May be continuously provided in the transport direction A.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of first and second branch rails are provided along the carrying direction, and the first and second branch rails are adjacent to each other in the carrying direction. At the intersections of the respective branch rails, rail missing sections that are at least longer than the outer diameter dimension of the first rotary body are arranged at the intersections of the respective branch rails, and some of the respective branch rails are missing and the upstream side and the downstream side. A guide member for guiding the moving shoe by engaging the second rotating body is provided in the rail-missing section while being formed so as to be divided into two sides, which is a relatively simple configuration. Although it is possible to reduce the cost without requiring complicated control and the like, it is possible to accurately and reliably guide the moving shoe in a predetermined sorting direction even at the intersection of the branch rails. As a result, it is possible to set more sorting directions of articles, especially in a space limited in the transport direction, without causing any disadvantage due to an increase in the number of intersections of the branch rails.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall plan view showing an outline of a sorting apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a pair of moving shoes and slats of the sorting apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view of a moving shoe as viewed in a transport direction A.

4 is a plan view showing a part of main rails and branch rails of the sorting apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing an intersection of each branch rail.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view showing the switching mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of a structure for attaching a chute to a conveyor frame.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing another example of a structure for attaching a chute to a conveyor frame.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing still another example of a structure for attaching a chute to a conveyor frame.

FIG. 10 is an overall plan view showing the outline of a conventional sorting device.

FIG. 11 is a bottom view showing an intersection of each branch rail of the conventional sorting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 article 20 slat 30 moving shoe 34 first rotating body (guide roller) 35 second rotating body (rotating shoe) 40 main rail 41, 42 branch rail 43 intersection of branch rails 44 rail missing section 45 guide member 46 chute 50 Switching mechanism A Transport direction C Outer diameter of guide roller D Length of rail missing section

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] March 28, 1995

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0020

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

Therefore, in the rail missing section 44, a guide member 45 is provided on the moving line of the rotating shoe 35. The distance E1 at the position farthest from the rail missing section 44 of each guide member 45 is substantially the same as the long dimension F of the rotating shoe 35, and is gradually narrowed toward the rail missing section 44, and in the rail missing section 44. Interval E2
Is larger than the short dimension G of the rotating shoe 35 and smaller than the long dimension F of the rotating shoe 35. By engaging the guide member 45 with the rotating shoe 35, the rail missing section 4
Immediately before 4, the direction of the rotating shoe 35 is gradually made to follow the traveling direction of the moving shoe 30. As a result, in the rail missing section 44 where the guide roller 34 does not engage with the branch rails 41, 42, the long dimension F side of the rotating shoe 35 bridges the interval E2 of the guide member 45, and the branch where the moving shoe 30 is missing. The rails 41, 42 are guided from the upstream side to the downstream side. A pair of regulation plates 47 may be provided on the upstream side of the rail missing section 44 , and the orientation of the rotating shoe 35 may be preliminarily set along the traveling direction by these regulation plates 47.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An article (10) on a slat (20) is transported in a predetermined transport direction (A) by movement of a large number of slats (20) and is movable in the longitudinal direction of each slat (20). Moving shoes (3
In the sorting device that presses the articles (10) by means of (0) to sort the slats (20) in a predetermined chute (46) direction, the rotating body (rotatably supported by the moving shoe (30) on the lower surface of the article transport surface ( 34) and the conveying direction (A) along the conveying direction (A) of the article (10)
The rotating body (3
4) by engaging the main rail (40) for guiding the moving shoe (30) in the transport direction (A) and the main rail (40) on the lower surface of the article transport surface, which make a pair with each other. First and second branches provided in a skewed arrangement and provided with a plurality of pairs of the pairs that overlap each other at an intersection (43) along the transport direction (A) and have chutes (46) corresponding to respective longitudinal directions. Rail (41, 4
2) and the sorting device characterized by including.