JPH0441817Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Field of industrial application) The present invention relates to a flower sorting machine. The leaves at the base end of the stem are removed using a removing device.

(Conventional technology) Flowers such as chrysanthemums and roses are sorted by weight and length before being shipped to the market.
The leaves at the proximal end of the stem are generally removed for convenience in holding and handling the flower. As such a flower leaf removal device, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 54-39416, Utility Model Publication No. 39416,
Those disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-131754, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-23939, and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-11789 are known.

(Problem that the invention aims to solve) However, the conventional leaf removal device was an independent device separate from the flower sorter, so the work from leaf removal to sorting was performed in a continuous flow. This method cannot be carried out as a separate operation, and after the leaves have been removed by a leaf removal device, the removed flowers must be placed in a sorting machine, resulting in a problem that the work efficiency is extremely low.

Moreover, with conventional leaf removal equipment, the operator must hold each flower plant in his hand and insert the base end of the stem between a leaf removal member such as a roll brush to remove the leaves. The problem was that it required an extremely large amount of labor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flower sorting machine equipped with a means for automatically removing leaves from flowers.

(Means for Solving the Problems) For this purpose, the present invention is designed to position and horizontally suspend the flowers P in the recessed part 2a of the arm-shaped support member 2, and to transport the flowers P by the endless rotary conveyor 1, while installing the flowers P in the transport path. The leaf-dropping device 5 is incorporated into a flower sorting machine that sorts the flowers P by weighing parts 31 to 33. And the leaf removal device 5 and the measuring section 31~
33, a posture correction member 70 for correcting the posture of the flower P by coming into contact with the stem Pb is provided so as to be swingable in the transport direction of the flower P.

(Function) In the above configuration, when the flowers P are positioned horizontally and transported in the recessed part 2a of the support member 2, the leaf removing member 15 of the leaf removing device 5 is removed from the stem during the transportation.
It slides into contact with the proximal end of Pa and drops the leaf Pb. The flower P from which the leaves Pb have been removed is transported forward as it is, and is transferred to the weighing section 3.
At steps 1, 32, and 33, the weight and length are measured and sorted.

In this case, since the leaf-dropping member 15 slides against the broken part of the stem Pb and drops the leaves, this sliding resistance acts as a load on the forward movement of the base end, preventing its forward movement. However, since the tip side (flower part Pc side) of the flower P continues to move forward, the flower P rotates largely horizontally around this base end, loses its posture, and slips out of the recessed portion 2a. If the posture of the flower P collapses and it is pulled out from the recessed part 2a in this way, the measurement by the measuring parts 31 to 33 will be incorrect. However, in this device, the posture correction member 70 comes into contact with the stem Pb, so that the posture of the flower P is corrected, and the plants P are placed in the correct posture suspended horizontally in the recessed portion 2a.
33 and weighed and sorted.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, this flower sorting machine consists of a sorting section A and a supply section B which transfers the flowers P to the sorting section A one by one. 1 is an endless rotary conveyor consisting of a chain that constitutes the conveyance path of the sorting section A; 2
is an arm-shaped support member that supports the flowers P horizontally. The flowers P transferred from the supply section B onto the support member 2 of the sorting section A are conveyed along the conveyance path in the direction of arrow N by the rotation of the conveyor 1, and then transferred to the weighing sections 31, 32, 33 disposed on the conveyance path. Sorted by weight or length.

41, 42, 43 are conveyors for carrying out the flowers P that have been sorted and fallen in the weighing sections 31 to 33;
is a table for placing flowers P constituting the supply section B. Note that an arbitrary number of measuring units are disposed on the conveyance path.
Reference numeral 5 designates a leaf removal device disposed on the side of the conveyance path in front of the measuring units 31 to 33, and 6 designates an elevating cutter for making the length of the stems uniform. The details of the leaf removal device 5 will be explained with reference to the following.

The leaf-dropping device 5 includes a pair of upper and lower endless conveyors 12a and 12b arranged at an interval t so as to sandwich the base end of the stem Pa protruding to the side of the conveyor path consisting of the conveyor 1 from above and below. We are prepared. 13
Reference numeral 14 denotes an endless belt such as a chain that is tied to the conveyors 12a and 12b, and 14 is a sprocket to which the endless belt 13 is tied, and is driven by a drive unit 18 such as a motor.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a leaf-dropping member attached to the endless band 13, and as shown in FIG. It is formed by setting. Note that the leaf-dropping member may be a base material with brush bristles such as thin steel wires implanted therein.

As shown in FIG. 3, the leaf removal member 15 of the upper conveyor 12a has stems in its lower running portion.
The leaf removal member 15 of the lower conveyor 12b slides on the upper surface of the proximal end of the leaf along its length in the direction of the distal end A, and the leaf removing member 15 of the lower conveyor 12b is disposed on the upper surface of the proximal end of the leaf.
Slides in contact with the lower surface of the proximal end of Pa and slides in the same direction A,
At this time, the leaves Pb at the base end of the stem Pa are removed by both leaf removal members 15, 15. This sliding direction A is opposite to the extending direction B of the leaf Pb extending toward the flower part Pc at the upper end of the stem Pa, and the leaf-dropping members 15, 15 move in the direction A.
By sliding the leaves, Pb can be reliably dropped from the base.

In Fig. 3, 7 is the conveyor 12a, 12b.
39 is a connecting device attached to the sprocket 14 of the conveyor 12a, 36 is a wire whose one end is attached to the connecting device 39 and the other end is attached to the stop 37, and 38 is the wire. This is a cam that comes into contact with 36. When the cam 38 is rotated by being driven by the motor 18, the wire 36 is intermittently pulled by the cam 38, and the conveyor 12a rotates upward around the rotating shaft 40, and between the conveyors 12a and 12b, The approach interval T of the stalks Pa is secured (see the chain line in Figure 3), and the cam 38 further rotates, so that the conveyor 12a is lowered to a horizontal position and the stalks are removed.
The leaf-dropping members 15, 15 of both conveyors 12a, 12b are in sliding contact with the base ends of the conveyors 12a, 12b, and in this state, the leaf-dropping members 15, 15 slide in the above-mentioned direction A to remove leaves. That is, this opening/closing device 7
This was provided to make it easier for the stem Pa to enter between the holes 5 and 15.

19 is a stem Pa arranged on the side of the leaf removal device 5
When the leaf-dropping members 15, 15 are slid in the above-mentioned direction A to drop the leaves, the flower P
to prevent unnecessary movement in the same direction. Second
As shown in the figure, the stopper 19 is connected to the cutter 6.
It extends from to the leaf-dropping device 5, and also serves as a guide for guiding the tip of the stem Pa to the leaf-dropping device 5. Reference numeral 9 denotes a support strut that is suspended horizontally on the conveyor 1 in order to support the support member 2.

This device has the above-mentioned configuration, and the overall operation will be explained next.

Flowers P transferred from supply section B to support member 2
is conveyed forward by the rotation of the conveyor 1, the end of the stem Pa is cut by the cutter 6, and sent to the leaf removal device 5. The conveyor 12a above the leaf removal device 5 is raised by the rotation of the cam 38, and an approach interval T is created between both conveyors 12a and 12b.The stem Pa is sent during this interval T, and then the conveyor 12a is lowered and the stem Pa is held between the leaf removing members 15, 15 of both conveyors 12a, 12b from above and below, and in this state, the leaf removing members 15, 15 are removed from the stem Pa.
By sliding along the length direction of the distal end direction A, the Pb extending in the direction B is easily and reliably dropped. In this way the stem
The flowers P from which the leaves Pb at the base end of the plants P have been removed are transported forward as they are, are weighed by weighing sections 31 to 33, and are dropped onto conveyors 41 to 43 below for sorting.

(Embodiment 2) In FIGS. 5 and 6, reference numeral 51 denotes a leaf removal member consisting of a rotating brush rotatably mounted on the conveyors 12a and 12b. A pinion 52 is coaxially mounted on this leaf-dropping member 51, and this pinion 52 engages with a rack rod 53. Therefore, the leaf-dropping member 52 slides along the stem Pa while rotating toward the distal end A, and drops the leaves. Reference numeral 54 is a connecting plate for connecting the sprocket 14 to the mounting plate 55. The wire 36 is attached to this connecting plate 55, and therefore this conveyor 12a
is pulled up and down by the wire 36, and the distance T is maintained between both conveyors 12a and 12b.

(Third Embodiment) The sorting machine shown in FIG. 7 is different from the sorting machine of the first embodiment in the structure of a leaf removal device 60 and a cutter 61. 8 to 10 show the details thereof, and the leaf removal device 60 includes a pair of upper and lower leaf removal members 62 (62a, 62b) each consisting of a rotating brush.
It consists of 2 sets of 2 sets of 1st and 3rd rows installed along the stem Pa.
Further, the cutter 61 is a rotating blade, and the leaf removal member 6
The cutter 61 and the cutter 61 are driven and rotated by the same motor 18. The upper leaf removing member 62a is made of a brush, and the lower leaf removing member 62b is formed into a pin shape from flexible rubber or synthetic resin. Rotate. 64, 65, and 66 are transmission chains, sprockets, and gears. Further, a stopper 67 is provided on the side of the leaf-dropping member 62. As shown in FIG. 9, the flowers P are positioned in the recessed part 2a of the support member 2 and suspended horizontally.

Reference numeral 70 denotes a posture correcting member for the flower P, which is vertically installed above the conveyance path so as to be swingable in the conveyance direction, and is made of a rubber belt. This posture correction member 70 is
By coming into contact with the tip side (flower part Pc side) of the stem Pa horizontally suspended in the recessed part 2a of the support member 2, the flower P is conveyed forward N and leaves are removed by the leaf removal member 62. , the base end of the stem Pa is pinched by the leaf-dropping member 62, and the stem Pa rotates significantly clockwise as shown by the chain line in FIG. This prevents the measurement by the measurement units 31 to 33 from being incorrectly performed due to the measurement being taken out. That is, the leaf dropping member 15
slides on the base end of the stem Pb, so this sliding resistance acts as a load on the forward movement of this base end, impeding its forward movement.On the other hand, the tip side of the flower P (flower part Pc side)
Since the flower P continues to move forward, the flower P rotates horizontally around the base end, loses its posture, and is pulled out from the recessed portion 2a. However, when the posture correction member 70 comes into contact with the stem Pb,
The posture of the flowers P is corrected, and the flowers P are weighed and sorted by the weighing sections 31 to 33 in the correct posture positioned in the recess 2a.

As the posture correction member, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to correct the collapse of posture later. Of course, such a posture correcting member may also be provided in the first and second embodiments.

(Effects of the invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the work from removing the leaves of the flower P to weighing can be performed continuously as a series of assembly operations, and labor saving can be achieved. Moreover, by providing the posture correction members 70 and 71 between the leaf removal device 5 and the measuring units 31 to 33,
Correct the posture of the flower plant P whose posture collapsed when the leaves fell,
The measuring part 31 is correctly positioned and horizontally mounted in the recessed part 2a.
-33 enables accurate weighing and sorting.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure shows an embodiment of the present invention.
The figure is an overall side view of the flower sorter, Figure 2 is a plan view of the leaf removal device, Figure 3 is a side view of the same, Figure 4 is a front view of the leaf removal member, and Figure 5 is the other parts of the leaf removal device. 6a and b are a plan view and a side view of the leaf-dropping member, FIG. 7 is an overall side view of another embodiment, FIG. 8 is a partial plan view of the same, and FIG. 9 is a side view of the embodiment. 10 is a front view of the same, and FIG. 11 is a side view of the position regulating member. P...Flowers, Pa...Leaves, Pb...Leaves, Pc...Flowers, 1...Endless rotary conveyor, 2...Supporting members,
2a... recessed part, 5, 60... leaf removal device, 1
5, 51, 62... Leaf removal member, 18... Drive section, 31-33... Measuring section, 70, 71... Posture correction member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] An endless rotary conveyor 1, an arm-shaped support member 2 attached to the endless rotary conveyor 1 for positioning and horizontally transporting the flowers P in the recessed part 2a, and Measuring unit 31 for flowers P provided on the conveyance path
33, and a leaf-dropping device 5 having a leaf-dropping member 15, which is provided upstream of the measuring units 31 to 33 and slides into contact with the base end of the stem Pa of the flower plant P to remove leaves Pb from the base end. Between the leaf removal device 5 and the measuring sections 31 to 33,
A flower sorting machine characterized in that a posture correcting member 70 for correcting the posture of the flowers P by contacting the stems Pb is swingably provided in the conveying direction of the flowers P.