JP6852857B2 - Goods counting and loading device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a counting and loading device for articles for a packaging machine, and more specifically, to an article counting and loading device that counts and inputs meatballs and the like among processed foods to the packaging machine side.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a conventional general retainer-type article counting / loading device for loading meatballs into a packaging machine. In this conventional article counting and feeding device, a large number of retainers 21 having counting holes 20 into which 10 meatballs are fitted are connected in parallel by a chain (not shown), and the chain is connected to a sprocket (not shown). A throwing conveyor 23 having a wound endless track 22 is provided, and the endless track 22 is intermittently rotated by a drive device (electric motor) (not shown) to throw a meatball fitted into the counting hole 20 of the retainer 21. It is put into 24 and filled in a packaging bag of a packaging machine (not shown) for packaging.

An article pool hopper 25 for storing meatballs is provided at the rear end of the loading conveyor 23, and the stored meatballs are fitted into the counting holes 20 of the retainer 21 and conveyed to the front end side by the loading conveyor 23. The meatballs that have not been fitted into the counting hole 20 are scraped off by the scraping impeller 26 provided at the center of the loading conveyor 23 and dropped to the article pool hopper 25 side.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-328110 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-58858

By the way, in the conventional retainer-type article counting / loading device of FIG. 4, when the number of meatballs loaded increases, the width of the loading conveyor 23 becomes wider and the drop position expands laterally, so that the meatballs are loaded into the loading hopper 24. There is a problem that it takes a long time to put the meatballs into the packaging bag, the width of the putting hopper 24 becomes large, and the whole device becomes large.

Therefore, in order to reduce the width of the input conveyor 23, the number of counting holes 20 of the retainer 21 for one row is changed from 10 to 5, and the number of counting holes 20 for one row is changed by 2 pitches of the retainer 21 (the retainer 21 for two rows is intermittently rotated at one time). When the endless orbit 22 is rotated, there is a problem that the count of meatballs is limited to an even number. For example, the article counting and feeding device of FIG. 4 is covered with a cover member 27 for changing the number of pieces according to the width of the counting holes 20 in one row shown in FIG. If 22 is sent, it will be 18. When the number of cover members 28 for changing the number according to the width of the counting holes 20 in the two rows is placed on the endless track 22 and the endless track 22 is rotated by two pitches of the retainer 21, the number is 16. Below, only an even number can be input, such as 14 in the 3rd row, 12 in the 4th row, 10 in the 5th row, and 8 in the 6th row.

It should be noted that Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose an article counting / input device in which the counting of articles can be freely changed, but both of them have a problem that the structure becomes complicated and the cost becomes high. ..

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an article counting and loading device in which the loading time into the packaging bag is short and the number of articles to be loaded can be set to be even or odd.

In order to achieve the above object, the article counting / loading device of the present invention includes a loading conveyor having an endless track in which a plurality of retainers for counting are connected in parallel, and a drive mechanism for intermittently rotating the endless track at a predetermined pitch. An article counting and loading device including a loading hopper provided at the tip of the loading conveyor and loading the counted articles into the packaging machine, and an article pool hopper for storing the articles before counting at the rear end of the loading conveyor. The retainer constituting the endless orbit is a retainer of the endless orbit in which even-numbered and odd-numbered counting holes into which the articles to be counted are fitted are connected alternately and continuously. A cover member for changing the number of articles that prevents the articles from being fitted into the counting holes is detachably provided on the upper part of the counter member, and the counting holes are covered with the cover member or the cover member is removed according to the number of articles. The drive mechanism rotates the endless track by the required pitch of the retainer to load the article into the loading hopper.

In the above configuration, the retainer constituting the endless orbit is formed by staggering and continuously connecting an even number and an odd number of counting holes into which the articles to be counted are fitted, and is connected to the upper part of the retainer of the endless orbit. , A cover member for changing the number of articles that prevents the articles from being fitted into the counting hole is detachably provided, and the counting hole is covered with the cover member or the cover member is removed according to the number of articles, and the drive mechanism By rotating the endless orbit by the required pitch of the retainer, it is possible to load an even number or an odd number of articles into the loading hopper. Further, since the drive mechanism can rotate the endless track by a plurality of pitches of the retainer, the width of the loading conveyor can be reduced.

With the above configuration, by selectively covering the counting hole of the article with the cover member for changing the number or removing the cover member , the article can be counted and loaded in an even number or an odd number with a simple structure. Moreover, since the width of the charging conveyor can be reduced, the width of the charging hopper can be reduced and the charging time can be shortened.

Front view of the article counting and feeding device of the present invention Top view of the article counting and feeding device of the present invention Explanatory drawing when changing the count of the article counting input device of this invention Top view of a conventional article counting and feeding device Explanatory drawing when it is assumed that the count of the article counting input device is changed.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the article counting / loading device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same. Hereinafter, the article counting / loading device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It is not limited to the example. The article counting / loading device 1 of the present invention comprises a loading conveyor 4 having an endless track 3 in which a plurality of retainers 2 for counting are connected in parallel, and an electric motor that intermittently rotates the endless track 3 at a predetermined pitch. A drive mechanism (not shown), a loading hopper 5 provided at the tip of the loading conveyor 4 for loading the counted articles on the packaging machine side, and an article for counting at the rear end of the loading conveyor 4 are stored. It is equipped with an article pool hopper 6. The article counting and loading device 1 of this embodiment is a device corresponding to a double packaging machine, and can count and load articles into two packaging bags at the same time, but the article counting and loading device 1 for one continuous bag. Needless to say, it may be a throw-in device. It should be noted that the meatballs of food are counted and put in as articles, but the articles are not limited to meatballs.

The single retainer 2 constituting the endless track 3 is made of a prismatic member, and has a semicircular counting hole 7 in which an article to be counted is fitted on the outer surface. Some of the retainers 2 have an even number of counting holes 7 formed, and some have an odd number of counting holes 7. The retainer 2 having an even number of counting holes 7 and the retainer 2 having an odd number of counting holes are staggered. The chain 8 is continuously connected to the sprockets 9 at both ends of the loading conveyor 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the retainer 2 in which the five counting holes 7 are formed and the retainer 2 in which the four counting holes 7 are formed are continuously and alternately connected to each other to form an endless orbit. 3 is formed. The number of counting holes 7 is not limited to 5 or 4, but is limited to a number within a range in which the width of the retainer 2 is not too wide to slow down the speed of loading articles into the packaging bag of the packaging machine. Is preferable.

As shown in FIG. 3, the number of articles that prevent the articles from being fitted into the counting holes 7 is changed on the upper surface of the side portion of the endless track 3 (the side portion of the endless track 3 in the transport direction) composed of the retainer 2. Cover member 10 for attachment and detachment is provided. The cover member 10 may be directly attached to the retainer 2 of the endless track 3 to close the counting hole 7, or the counting of the retainer 2 between the article pool hopper 6 into which the article is fitted and the scraping impeller 13. It may be fixedly attached to the loading conveyor 4 so as to cover the upper surface of the hole 7. In any case, the cover member 10 is detachable and can be replaced according to the counting of articles.

As described above, the charging hopper 5 is provided at the tip of the loading conveyor 4, and the counted articles are loaded to the packaging machine side. In this embodiment, two charging hoppers 5 are provided in order to load the goods into the packaging bags of the two packaging machines. In a single packaging machine, the endless track 3 has a half width. A charging shutter 11 is provided in the lower part of the charging hopper 5, and the charging shutter 11 is opened at the timing of the rotating packaging machine to load the article into the packaging bag. A funnel 12 provided in the packaging machine is arranged below the closing shutter 11 and is lowered and inserted into the bag mouth of the packaging bag to guide the article into the packaging bag.

At the rear end of the loading conveyor 4, an article pool hopper 6 for storing articles for counting is provided. The article pool hopper 6 is a trapezoidal hopper, and when a certain amount of articles before counting is stored in the article pool hopper 6, the endless track 3 rotates and the articles are placed in the counting hole 7 of the retainer 2. It fits in and is conveyed to the tip side of the loading hopper 5.

A scraping impeller 13 is provided at the center of the loading conveyor 4 across the endless track 3. The scraping impeller 13 acts to scrape off excess articles on the endless track 3 that did not fit into the counting hole 7 of the retainer 2 toward the article pool holder 6.

At the tip of the loading conveyor 4, an article confirmation sensor 14 is arranged so as to cross the endless track 3. In the article pool hopper 6, the article is fitted into the counting holes 7 of the retainer 2, but the article is not necessarily fitted into all the counting holes 7. Since there may be a counting hole 7 that is emptied without being fitted, the presence / absence of an article is detected by the article confirmation sensor 14, and the shortage is corrected as described later. The article confirmation sensor 14 uses a conventionally known optical sensor or laser sensor, but the sensor is not limited thereto.

A correction count conveyor 15 for replenishing the shortage of the article as described above is provided on the side portion of the endless track 3. When the control device in the control box 17 determines that the number of articles is insufficient without fitting the articles into the counting hole 7 of the retainer 2 by the article confirmation sensor 14, the insufficient amount is put into the charging hopper 5. , The article is loaded from the correction count conveyor 15. In this embodiment, since it is a double input conveyor 4, a correction count conveyor 15 is provided in the external measurement unit of each endless track 3.

Reference numeral 18 in FIG. 1 indicates a cleaning nozzle, and the cleaning nozzle 18 cleans dirt in the counting hole. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 19 indicates a moving caster, and reference numeral 20 indicates a fixed leg.

Next, a method of setting the number of articles to be loaded by the article counting / loading device 1 will be described. For example, when seven articles are put into the packaging bag, the counting hole 7 on the left side in the article transport direction in FIG. 3 is covered with the cover member 10. Then, in the counting hole 7, three and four retainers 2 are alternately arranged in the article conveying direction. Therefore, when the endless track 3 is intermittently rotated by two pitches of the retainer 2, seven articles are inserted. It can be put into the hopper 5. At the timing of the packaging machine, the charging shutter 11 is opened, and the goods are loaded into the packaging bag from the charging hopper 5 via the funnel 12.

When eight articles are put into the packaging bag, the counting hole 7 on the right side in the article transport direction in FIG. 3 is covered with the cover member 10. Then, since a large number of four retainers 2 are arranged in parallel in the article conveying direction in the counting hole 7, the loading conveyor 4 can be rotated by two pitches of the retainer 2 to load eight articles into the loading hopper 5. ..

Similarly, when 6 articles are put into the packaging bag, the counting holes 7 on both sides in the article transport direction are covered with the cover member 10 to form 3 counting holes 7, and the endless track 3 is set by the retainer 2 by the drive device. 6 articles are put in by rotating by 2 pitches. When nine articles are put into the packaging bag, the endless track 3 is rotated by two pitches of the retainer 2 without covering the counting hole 7 with the cover member 10.

When four or less articles are put into the packaging bag, the counting holes 7 are covered with the cover member 10 in order from the right side in the article transport direction, and the endless track 3 is rotated by one pitch of the retainer 2. As described above, the article can be changed by the cover member 10 regardless of whether the article is an even number or an odd number.

Further, when 10 or more even-numbered or odd-numbered articles are put into the packaging bag, a retainer 2 having an increased number of counting holes 7 is manufactured, and even-numbered and odd-numbered retainers are manufactured as in the above-described embodiment. 2 are arranged alternately in the article transport direction, a part of the endless track 3 is covered with the cover member 10 according to the number of articles to be loaded, and the endless track 3 is rotated by 2 pitches of the retainer 2. Depending on the number of counting holes 7, the endless track 3 may be rotated by 3 pitches or more of the retainer 2, but the number of pitches of the retainer 2 to be rotated increases too much and the speed of loading the article into the packaging bag of the packaging machine is increased. It is preferable to limit it to the extent that it does not slow down.

With the configuration of the article counting input device 1 as described above, the retainer 2 constituting the endless track 3 has an even number and an odd number of counting holes 7 into which the articles to be counted are fitted, which are alternately continuous. A cover member 10 for changing the number of articles is detachably provided on the upper part of the retainer 2 of the endless track 3 to prevent the articles from being fitted into the counting hole 7. The mechanism can rotate the endless orbit 3 by the required pitch of the retainer 2 to load an even number or an odd number of articles into the loading hopper. Further, since the drive mechanism can rotate the endless track 3 by a plurality of pitches of the retainer 2, the width of the loading conveyor 4 can be reduced .

The present invention is mainly useful for an article counting and loading device that counts articles such as meatballs in a processed food packaging machine and puts them into the packaging bag of the packaging machine.

1 Article counting input device 2 Retainer 3 Endless track 4 Input conveyor 5 Input hopper 6 Article pool hopper 7 Counting hole 10 Cover member 11 Input shutter 13 Scraping impeller 14 Article confirmation sensor 15 Correction count conveyor 16 Down port

Claims (2)

A loading conveyor equipped with an endless track in which a plurality of retainers for counting are connected in parallel, a drive mechanism for intermittently rotating the endless track at a predetermined pitch, and a packaging machine provided at the tip of the loading conveyor for counting. An article counting and loading device including an loading hopper for loading articles and an article pool hopper for storing articles before counting at the rear end of a loading conveyor.
In the retainer constituting the endless orbit, even-numbered and odd-numbered counting holes into which the articles to be counted are fitted are connected alternately and continuously.
A cover member for changing the number of articles that prevents the article from being fitted into the counting hole is detachably provided on the upper part of the retainer of the endless track.
Depending on the number of articles, the counting hole is covered with a cover member or the cover member is removed, and the drive mechanism rotates the endless track by the required pitch of the retainer to load the articles into the loading hopper.
An article counting and feeding device characterized in that. The first aspect of claim 1, wherein an article confirmation sensor is arranged so as to cross the tip of the endless track of the input conveyor, and a correction count conveyor for replenishing the missing article is arranged on the side of the endless track. Article counting and loading device.

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