JPH10236637A - Article aligning device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To align multiple articles in one row at specified intervals. SOLUTION: An article aligning device which aligns multiple articles W in one row at specified intervals is provided with a conveyor 21 to feed articles by a sliding friction with the articles W, a pair of article side part guides 22 to 24 extending in parallel to each other along both sides of an article feed route, and multiple stoppers 25 which are aligned rotatably in horizontal direction along one side of the article feeding route. Also the stopper 25 is provided with a forward arm 71 and a backward arm 72 extending from the rotating center of the stopper to the side opposite to each other. In addition, the top end part of the forward arm 71 and the top end part of the backward arm 72 are aligned so that the articles W can be passed through the side of the stopper 25 when the articles W push the stopper 25 so as to move them forward and backward alternately on an article feeding route. Then subsequent articles W are brought in contact with the top end part of the backward arm 72 of the downstream side stopper 25 and stopped under the condition that the top end parts of the forward arms 71 of two side stoppers 25 on the downstream and upstream sides where continuous two preceding and subsequent articles W are adjacent to each other are escaped from the article feeding route, respectively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an aligning apparatus for aligning articles such as glass bottles in a row at predetermined intervals.

[0002]

When aligning bottles containing cosmetics or whiskey, if adjacent bottles are brought into contact, the bottles may be rubbed and damaged. For this purpose, it is necessary to align the bottles at predetermined intervals. When a plurality of bottles are handled by the robot arm at the same time, also in this case, it is necessary to provide an interval between adjacent bottles.

An object of the present invention is to provide an article aligning apparatus capable of aligning a plurality of articles in a line at predetermined intervals.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An article aligning apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for aligning a plurality of articles in a row at predetermined intervals, and conveys articles by sliding friction with the articles. And a pair of article side guides extending parallel to each other along both sides of the article transport path, and a plurality of stoppers arranged in a horizontal swing along one side of the article transport path. The stopper has a forward arm and a backward arm extending in opposite directions from the stopper swing center, so that the front end of the forward arm and the front end of the rearward arm alternately advance and retreat with respect to the article transport path. When the article pushes the stopper, the article is passed by the side of the stopper, and two consecutive preceding and succeeding articles are adjacent to each other.
In a state in which the distal ends of the forward arms of the two downstream and upstream stoppers are respectively retracted from the article transport path, the subsequent articles are stopped against the distal ends of the rearward arms of the downstream stopper. .

In the article alignment apparatus according to the present invention, when articles are conveyed toward the downstream side while sequentially passing the plurality of stoppers, and the forward-facing arm of the downstream stopper is retreated from the article conveyance path, The rearward arm of the stopper was caused to enter the article transport path, and the article following the article was brought into contact with the article, stopped, and the stopped arm caused the rearward arm of the upstream stopper to enter the article transport path. The articles are held in a state, and this is continuously repeated, so that the articles are arranged in a state at regular intervals from the downstream side to the upstream side.

[0006]

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

In the following description, the side on which the article is conveyed and advances is referred to as the front (right side in FIG. 1), and the opposite side is referred to as the rear (left side in FIG. 1). Is called left and right (left and right in FIG. 2).

Referring to FIG. 1, four parallelly arranged 4
Two article aligning devices 11 and a vertical stopper plate 12 extending in the left-right direction so as to block their front ends are shown. The four article alignment devices 11 have the same structure.
The article W has an outer peripheral surface having a circular horizontal cross-sectional profile (see FIG. 4).

As shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, each article aligning device 11 includes a forwardly extending article transport conveyor 21.
And an intermediate level between the upper left guide 22 and the lower left guide 23 extending in the front-rear direction on the left side of the article transport path and the upper left and right guides 22 and 23 to the right of the article transport path. And a plurality of stoppers 25 arranged in a line below the right side guide 24 at a predetermined interval.

The article conveying conveyor 21 is a conveyor frame.
31 and an endless belt-like transport body 32 arranged in the conveyor frame 31 so as to pass through the upper moving path and receiving the bottom of the article W.

The conveyor frame 31 includes a pair of left and right base frames 41 and a pair of vertical support plates 42 on both base frames 41.
And a pair of left and right side frames 43 respectively supported through the frame. Each of the base frame 41 and the side frames 42 is made of an extruded aluminum member. Plastic slide plates 44 are mounted on the upper surfaces of both base frames 41.

The transport body 32 is composed of a large number of left and right rectangular plate-like plastic slats which are passed over the left and right slide plates 44 and are arranged so as to be adjacent to each other.
Has 51. Ears 52 are provided on the lower surface of the slats 51. Ears 52 of adjacent slats 51 are connected by a link 53.

Upper left guide 22 and lower left guide 23
Are horizontal strips extending in the front-rear direction. The upper left guide 22 has a plurality of long holes 61 extending in the left-right direction at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction. Bolt 62
Are screwed into the left side frame 43 through the long holes 61. A plastic slide piece 63 is attached to the tip of the upper left guide 22. Lower left guide 23
The long hole 64 and the bolt 65
And a slide piece 66.

The right side guide 24 also has an elongated hole 67, a bolt 68, and a slide piece 69, like the upper left side guide 22 and the lower left side guide 23.

The stopper 25 is formed in a substantially V shape in a plan view from plastic, has a forward arm 71 and a rearward arm 72, and is attached to the right side frame 43 via an L-shaped attachment member 73 in cross section. ing. A vertical through hole 74 is provided in a portion corresponding to the base of the forward arm 71 and the backward arm 72. A bolt 75 is screwed into the right side frame 43 through the through hole 74 and the horizontal portion of the mounting member 73. Arc-shaped part at the tip of the rearward arm 72
76 are provided. A vertical stopper pin 77 is provided upright on a horizontal portion of the mounting member 73 so as to be located to the right of the rearward arm 72. A compression coil spring 78 is interposed between the vicinity of the distal end of the forward arm 71 and the vertical portion of the mounting member 73.

The carrier 32 is continuously driven at a constant speed. The article W is transported forward by the sliding frictional force between the carrier 32 and the article W.

Referring to FIG. 4, the leading article W is stopped against the stopper plate 12. In this state,
The article W1 presses the forward arm 71 of the first stopper 25 from the front to the right against the spring 78, the forward arm 71 is withdrawn from the article transport path, and the rearward arm 72 of the stopper 25 is transported with the article. You have been entered the route. The forward facing arm 71 of the second stopper 25 from the front enters the article transport path, and the backward arm 72 is retracted from the article transport path and is brought into contact with the stopper pin 77.

When the succeeding article W is transported, the transported article W passes to the left of the rearward arm 72 of the second stopper 25 from the front, and pushes the forward arm 71 rightward. Then, the stopper 25 is rotated clockwise. Then, the forward arm 71 is withdrawn from the article transport path,
The rearward arm 72 is held in a state of being entered into the article transport path. The following article W is the second stopper from the front
The next article W comes into contact with the arc-shaped portion 76 of the second stopper 25 from the front, although the article W tries to pass to the left of the forward arm 71 of the 25. It is stopped at that position. By repeating the above operation sequentially, on the article transport path,
A plurality of articles W are arranged in a line at predetermined intervals.

In the above description, if there is no spring 78, if a subsequent article W attempts to pass beside the second stopper 25 from the front, the rearward arm 72 of the stopper 25
May not necessarily be withdrawn from the transport path, and may have entered the article transport path like the first stopper 25 from the front. In this case as well, the contact position P of the article on the rearward arm 72 is outside the straight line L connecting the swing center C1 of the stopper 25 and the center of the article C2. It can pass through the side of the rearward arm 72 while being pushed rightward.

The article W does not have to have an outer peripheral surface having a circular horizontal cross section. For example, even if the outer peripheral surface of the article has a horizontal cross-sectional profile elliptical shape, the same alignment can be performed.

[0021]

According to the present invention, a plurality of articles can be arranged in a line at predetermined intervals.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an article alignment device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same device.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the device.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of an alignment operation by the apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 21 Conveyor 22 Upper left side guide 23 Lower left side guide 24 Right side guide 25 Stopper 71 Forward arm 72 Rearward arm W Article

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for arranging a plurality of articles W in a row at predetermined intervals, comprising a conveyor 21 for transporting the articles W by a sliding friction force with the articles W; A pair of article side guides 22 to 24 extending in parallel to each other, and a plurality of stoppers 25 arranged in a horizontal swing along one side of the article transport path. Has a forward arm 71 and a rearward arm 72 extending in opposite directions from the center of the stopper swing, and the distal end of the forward arm 71 and the rearward arm
The article W pushes the stopper 25 so that the tip end of 72 alternately advances and retreats with respect to the article transport path, so that the article W is passed by the side of the stopper 25, and two consecutive leading and trailing The article W comes into contact with the distal end of the rearward arm 72 of the downstream stopper 25 in a state where the distal ends of the forward arms 71 of the two downstream and upstream stoppers 25 adjacent to each other are retreated from the article transport path. An article alignment device adapted to be stopped.