JPH0444930A - Paralleling and aligning apparatus for bar-shaped article - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automate a process for arranging and aligning bar-shaped articles by constituting a transfer path of a conveyer which moves the bar-shaped articles along a widthwise direction and providing a posture controlling means which horizontally supports the dropping bar-shaped articles and retreats from a drop path. CONSTITUTION:An apparatus for aligning bar-shaped articles in parallel is equipped with a carry path 6 for carrying bar-shaped articles 1, a drop path 7 for dropping the bar-shaped articles 1 from the carry path 6 and a transfer path 8 for supporting the bar-shaped articles and moving them in a direction crossing a lengthwise direction. A movement control means 15 has a rod 13 retreat from the drop path 7 and restores the rod 13 to the original position immediately after the retreat to shut the drop path 7. A plurality of the rods 13 are placed in parallel to one another, which support the bar-shaped articles 1 approximately horizontally while they are dropping, retreat from the drop path 7 immediately after the supporting, and controls the posture of the bar-shaped articles 1 to have them landed on the transfer path 8. With respect to a belt conveyer apparatus 18 on the transfer path 8, with a sensing signal from a sensor 19 received, the conveyer apparatus 18 is intermittently moved by a travel amount S which does not exceed a lateral size of the bar-shaped articles 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus in which rod-shaped articles such as disposable chopsticks are aligned in parallel, and the array of the juxtaposed rod-shaped articles can be easily packaged in a bag.

[Conventional technology and issues]

For example, as shown in the first diagram, a rod-shaped article 1 related to disposable chopsticks is
It is known that disposable chopsticks 3 are inserted and stored in the shaft holder 2, but when selling this, a predetermined number of rod-shaped articles 1 are overlapped in the width direction and aligned in parallel. It is housed and packaged in a bag body 5 made of plastic film or the like. When the unit of the number of rod-shaped articles 1 to be sold increases, a plurality of rod-shaped articles 1 arranged in parallel in the width direction (for example, 10 pieces)
Let the whole rod-shaped article l be one unit of the array body 4, and several units (
When folded, two units) of parallel bodies 4 are stacked vertically and packaged in a bag body 5.

By the way, conventionally, when performing such packaging, the bar-shaped articles 1 are placed on a work table by hand, and the bar-shaped articles 1 are aligned in the width direction by applying the Opara 7 bar as described above one by one. All of this was done by hand, making the work extremely inefficient and not only unable to improve productivity but also requiring less skilled workers. The problem is that it requires

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides a parallel alignment device for rod-shaped articles that solves the above-mentioned problems, and after completely conveying the rod-shaped articles such as disposable chopsticks,
In the case of automating all the steps up to the final packaging of the parallel products into bags, it is possible to automate the process of aligning the rod-shaped articles to form the array.

Therefore, the present invention is configured as a means for this purpose: a conveyance path for conveying the rod-shaped article; a drop path for dropping the rod-shaped article from the conveyance path; a conveyor for transporting the rod-shaped article in a direction intersecting with the horizontal dimension; While blocking
The present invention is characterized in that a posture control means is provided for supporting a falling rod-shaped article substantially horizontally and then retracting it from the falling path.

[Example] An example of the present invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings. The following embodiments include a parallel alignment device for completely transporting rod-shaped articles 1 such as disposable chopsticks into a predetermined number of parallel objects 4, and packaging the parallel objects 4 in a bag 5. The figure shows a device that automates the process of packaging a rod-shaped article 1 into a bag body 5 from beginning to end.

(Parallel alignment device) In FIG. 2, the parallel alignment device for rod-shaped articles includes a conveyance path 6 for conveying the rod-shaped article 1, a drop path 7 for dropping the rod-shaped article 1 from the conveyance path 6, and a dropped rod-shaped article. 1 and a transfer path 8 for supporting the rod-shaped article 1 and transferring the rod-shaped article 1 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, and a work table 9 facing the end of the transfer path 8.

The conveyance path 6 constitutes a belt conveyor device 6a, and when an operator places the rod-shaped articles 1 one by one on the conveyor device 6a, the rod-shaped articles are transferred to a falling path 7 as shown by the arrow. transport.

In addition, at the end of the conveyance path 6, there is a partition plate 1 that defines a fall path 7.
0 is provided with an attitude control means 11 that blocks the falling path and supports the falling rod-shaped article 1 substantially horizontally and then retreats from the falling path 7. This attitude control means 11 includes a base frame 1 facing the terminal end of the conveyor device 6a.
2, and a cylinder device 14 that drives the rod 13 forward and backward, and the cylinder device 14 is driven by a movement control means 15, which will be described later. A guide plate 16 is connected to the base frame 12 to guide the rod-shaped article 1 that is dropped through the drop path 7 so that it is guided onto the rod 13.

The transfer path 8 constitutes a belt conveyor it18 driven by a drive means 17 consisting of a servo motor, and is intermittently fed by a movement control means 15, which will be described later.

The movement control means 15 includes a sensor 19 provided facing the falling path 7, a microcomputer 22 that inputs a signal from the sensor 19 to an input boat 20 and emits a predetermined control signal from an output boat 21, and a microcomputer 22 that outputs a predetermined control signal from an output boat 21. A servo mechanism is constituted by a converter 23 that performs D/A conversion of the signal, and a drive unit 24 that operates in response to this signal.

The sensor 15 constitutes a detection means 25 that detects when the rod-shaped article 1 falls down the falling path 7 and issues a detection signal.

The microcomputer 22 also controls the detected rod-shaped article 1.
A counter means 26 is configured to count the number of lines and to issue a count signal when a predetermined number of lines have been counted.

Thus, the movement control means 15 controls the cylinder device 1.
For the drive source No. 4, the cylinder device 14 is driven in response to a detection signal from the sensor 19. That is, by driving the drive source of the cylinder device 14, the rod 13 is moved to the falling path 7.
The rod 13 is immediately returned to its original position to block the falling path 7 after being evacuated. Although not shown, a plurality of rods 13 are arranged in parallel, and the rod-shaped article 1 that is falling is By supporting horizontally and retreating from the falling path 7 immediately after being supported, the attitude of the rod-shaped article 1 is controlled and it is made to land on the transfer path 8.

Further, the movement control means 15 controls the servo motor 17 of the belt conveyor device 18 in the transfer path 8 in response to a detection signal from the sensor 19.
The amount of movement S that does not exceed the width dimension of the rod-shaped article 1 (Figure 3)
On the other hand, in response to the above-mentioned count signal, the conveyor device 18 is moved by an amount L (FIG. 2) that exceeds the width dimension of the bar-shaped article 1, and the transfer operation by the transfer means 27, which will be described later, is made possible. The microcomputer 22 stores information that causes the robot to move intermittently until the desired position is reached, and the servo motor 17 is driven in accordance with this information. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the rod-shaped articles 1 are dropped one by one from the drop path 7 to the transfer path 8, the conveyor device 18 moves by a moving amount S.
The rod-shaped articles 1 are moved intermittently, and the rod-shaped articles 1 are aligned in parallel on the conveyor device 18 while overlapping in the width direction. When a predetermined number (for example, 10) of rod-shaped articles 1 are arranged in parallel to form one unit of arrayed body 4, the conveyor device 18
is moved intermittently to a large extent corresponding to the moving scale, and the aligned body 4
to the specified position.

The transfer means 27 transfers the aligned bodies 4 to a predetermined position.
A pushing body 28 that reciprocates upward between the conveyor device 18 and the work table 9, and
It comprises a reciprocating means 29 for reciprocating the pushing body 28, and a vertical moving means 30 for changing the vertical position of the pushing body 28 between a position above the conveyor device 18 and the work table 9 and a position near the surface. .

As shown in the fourth diagram, the vertical movement means 30 constitutes a cylinder device 32 attached to a base frame 31, and connects a moving body 33 disposed below the base frame 31 to the cylinder device 32. 9 Another base frame 3 is placed beyond the work table 9.
A guide rod 35 is installed between the base frame 34 and the movable body 33, and a sliding body 36 is slidably guided by the guide rod 35.
A cylinder device door 38 of a cylinder device 37 constituting the reciprocating means 29 is connected to. The pushing body 28
is connected to the sliding body 36 via an arm 39. After the alignment body 4 is transferred by the conveyor device 18 in an amount corresponding to the amount of movement described above, the moving body 33 is lowered by the vertical movement means 30, and in this state, the pushing body 28 is moved by the reciprocating movement means 29 to the conveyor device 18. When the alignment body 4 is moved onto the work table 9 from above, the alignment body 4 is transferred onto the work table 9 by the pushing body 28 . When this transfer work is completed, the moving body 33 is raised by the vertical moving means 30, and the pushing body 28 is returned to the top of the conveyor device 18 by the reciprocating means 29. These vertical movement means 30 and reciprocating movement means 29
The driving may be performed automatically using the microcomputer 22 of the movement control means 15 described above, or may be performed using a sensor and a drive unit separate from the movement control means 15.

(Wrapping device for arrayed bodies) The arrayed bodies 4 on the work table 9 that have passed through the alignment and alignment device are then stored and packaged in a bag 5 by a packaging device as shown in FIGS. 5 to 8.

This packaging device includes extrusion means 40 for pushing out the aligned bodies 4 in the longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped articles 1 from the work table 9, the extruded aligned bodies 4 are inserted through a receiving opening 41, and the extruded aligned bodies 4 are inserted through an insertion opening 42. Guide cylinder 43 that can be freely inserted and held
, a lifting means 44 for the guide cylinder 43, and a guide cylinder 4.
The bag is comprised of a protruding means 45 for protruding the aligned body 4 in the bag 3 from the insertion opening 42, and a bag holding means 46 for holding the bag 5.

The extrusion means 40 includes a plate-shaped body 47 that slides on the work table 9, and a plate-shaped body 47 that slides the tip of the plate-shaped body 47 to the vicinity of the receiving opening 41 of the guide cylinder 43 and returns it to its original position. A cylinder device 48 is provided.

The guide cylinder 43 has a plurality of compartments 49a and 49b vertically arranged in parallel for holding the alignment bodies 4 in a stacked manner, and has a division plate 50 for this purpose.

The elevating means 44 constitutes a cylinder device 51 connected to the bottom of the guide cylinder 43; (2) a second elevating position that makes the bottom of the second compartment 49a of the guide cylinder 43 flush with the work table 9;
A third elevating position where the movable member faces the protruding means 45, and three stages of elevating and lowering and stopping are possible. In addition, when the compartments of the guide cylinder 43 are made into two stages as in the case of rotation, the above-mentioned three stages of raising, lowering and stopping are sufficient, but when the compartments of the guide cylinder 43 are made into three or more stages, Correspondingly, the lifting means 44
It should be understood that the steps of raising, lowering, and stopping positions are also increased.

The protrusion means 45 moves the guide cylinder 43 while the guide cylinder 43 is stopped at a predetermined position via the elevating means 44.
A plurality of protrusions 52a, 52b are simultaneously inserted into the plurality of compartments 49a, 49b, and these protrusions 52a,
The cylinder device 53 is connected to the cylinder 52b.

The bag holding device 46 includes a fixed vacuum suction table 56 that suctions a tongue-shaped sealing piece 55 for sealing the opening 54 of the bag 5 from below, and a movable vacuum suction table 56 that vacuum suctions the body of the bag 5 from above. Although not shown in the drawings, the movable holding device 57 vacuum-adsorbs the uppermost bag 5 in a magazine section in which a large number of bags 5 are stored in a stack, and then holds the bag. At the same time, the bag body 5 is moved to the vicinity of the vacuum suction table 56 while holding the bag body 5, and is lowered to the position shown in the figure, and the sealing piece 55 is slightly pulled up with the vacuum suction table 56 adsorbed. It is attached to a robot mechanism that is lifted up and moved to open the opening 54 of the bag 5.

The operation of inserting and storing the aligned body 4 into the bag body 5 is performed as follows.

First, as shown in FIG.
In the transferred state, the guide cylinder 43 is stopped at the above-mentioned first position by the elevating means 44. In this state, the extrusion means 40 is driven to move the plate-shaped body 47 via the cylinder device 48, and insert and hold the alignment body 4 on the work table 9 into the first compartment 49a of the guide cylinder 43 (first 6), then the plate-shaped body 47 of the extrusion means 40
is returned to its original position by the cylinder device 48.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, the guide cylinder 43 is moved to the above-mentioned second position by the elevating means 44 and stopped.

The above-mentioned parallel alignment device successively forms the next alignment body 4 of rod-shaped articles, and the above-mentioned transfer means 27 transfers it onto the work table 9. Then, the extrusion means 40 is driven again and the plate-shaped body 47 is pushed through the cylinder device 48.
, and insert and hold the new alignment body 4 on the work table 9 into the second compartment 49b of the guide cylinder 43 (
Figure 7). Thereafter, the plate-shaped body 47 of the extrusion means 40 is returned to its original position by the cylinder device 48.

When the above work is completed, the guide cylinder 43 is moved to the elevating means 44.
is moved to the third position mentioned above and stopped. In this position, the insertion opening 42 of the guide cylinder 43 matches and faces the opening 54 of the bag 5 held by the holding device 57 (FIG. 8). Then, the protrusion means 45 is driven, and the protrusions 52a and 52b are respectively thrust into the compartments 49a and 49b of the guide cylinder 43 via the cylinder device 53, and the arrayed bodies 4.4 in each compartment are moved into the bag body 5. Insert it inside and store it. After that, the protrusions 52a, 52 of the protrusion means 45
b is returned to its original position by the cylinder device 53. Note that, prior to driving the protrusion means 45, the guide cylinder 43 is moved laterally, the coracoid edge of the insertion opening 42 of the guide cylinder 43 is slightly inserted into the opening 54 of the bag body 5, and the alignment is performed. It is preferable to provide a horizontal movement driving means for returning the guide cylinder 43 to its original position after the insertion and storage operation of the body 4 into the bag body 5 is completed.

The bag body 5 containing the arrayed bodies 4 is moved onto the sealing line while being held by the movable holding device 57, and is removed from the movable holding device 57 on the sealing line. Then, while the bag 5 is being transported on the belt conveyor, the sealing piece 55 is folded back onto the body of the bag 5 by a known sealing device, and
They are adhered or welded, and packaging with the bag body 5 is thus completed.

By repeating the above operations, the rod-shaped article 1
Formation of an arrayed body 4 by parallel alignment of and bag body 5 of the arrayed body 4
This means that the work of inserting and storing the machine into the machine is automatically and continuously performed. Therefore, the operator only needs to feed the rod-shaped articles 1 one by one into the conveyance path 6, and the subsequent operations can be fully automated.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, before the rod-shaped articles 1 such as disposable chopsticks are inserted into the bag body 5, the arrayed body 4 is formed by aligning a necessary number of rod-shaped articles 1 in parallel so as to overlap each other in the width direction. The work can be automated, in which case
This has an excellent effect in that it is possible to reliably form an arrayed body 4 in which the rod-shaped articles 1 are correctly arranged in parallel without being deviated from each other.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of disposable chopsticks arranged in parallel and packaged in a bag, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing a parallel alignment device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the parallel alignment device 4 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing the action of the attitude control means, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing the action of the transfer means in the parallel alignment device, and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the packaging device in one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are longitudinal sectional side views showing the operation of the packaging device in order. 1... Stick-shaped article, 2... Shaft, 3... Disposable chopsticks, 4...
... Aligned body, 5... Bag body, 6... Conveyance path, 7...
Fall path, 8... Transfer path, 9... Work table, 11
... Attitude control means, 13... Rod, 14... Cylinder device, 15... Movement control means, 16... Guide plate, F... Drive means, 18... Belt conveyor device, 19...Sensor, 22...Microcomputer, 25
...Detection means, 26...Counter means, 27...
- Transfer means, 28... Pushing body, 29... Reciprocating means, 30... Vertical movement means, 33... Moving body, 35...
・Guide rod, 36...Sliding body, 40...Extrusion means, 41...Reception port, 42...Insertion opening, 43...
- Guide cylinder body, 44... Lifting means, 45... Projection means, 46... Bag body holding means, 47... Disc-shaped body, 49
a, 49b... compartment chamber, 5o... compartment board, 52a,
52b... Projection body, 54 Opening of river bag body, 55... Sealing piece, 56... Vacuum suction stand, 57... Moving holding device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A conveyance path (6) for conveying the rod-shaped article (1), and a drop path (7) for dropping the rod-shaped article (1) from the conveyance path (6).
and a transfer path (8) that supports the dropped rod-shaped article (1) and transports the rod-shaped article (1) in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. 1)
The falling path (7
) is provided with a posture control means (11) that blocks the falling path (7) and supports the falling rod-shaped article (1) substantially horizontally and then retreats from the falling path (7). Parallel alignment device for rod-shaped articles.