JP7807650B2 - Item transport device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an item transport device that transfers aligned items from a transport chute to a picker.

A known cap transport device sequentially transfers tube-attached caps transported in a single file on a transport chute to multiple pickers that move intermittently at the downstream end of the transport chute perpendicular to the chute transport direction (Patent Document 1). The transport chute in Patent Document 1 uses the weight of the caps and wind pressure to transport the caps by blowing air onto the caps lined up on the inclined transport chute. Furthermore, to control the delivery of caps from the transport chute to the pickers, multiple stoppers are provided downstream of the transport chute to restrict the movement of the caps. The stoppers can be advanced and retracted in front of the caps being transported from above, allowing the leading cap to wait just before the picker.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-15111

However, with the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when caps move from the transport chute to the picker, they may bounce back from the picker toward the transport chute, causing part of the leading cap to protrude into the transport chute. If the stopper at the downstream end is lowered in this state, the stopper may interfere with the leading cap, preventing the picker from transporting it.

The present invention aims to prevent items from bouncing back from the picker to the conveying chute in an item conveying device that transfers aligned items from a conveying chute to a picker.

The first invention of the present invention is an item transport device comprising: a transport chute that supports items in a row along a transport path; an item transport means that positions a picker that holds the items at a receiving position opposite the end of the transport chute; a first stopper that is provided at the end of the transport chute and that can engage with the first item in the row of items to restrict forward movement in the transport direction; a first stopper moving means that moves the first stopper between an engagement position where it can engage with the item and a standby position spaced apart from the item; a second stopper that can engage with the second item from the front of the row of items to restrict forward movement in the transport direction; and a second stopper that moves the second stopper between an engagement position where it can engage with the item and a standby position spaced apart from the item. the first item in the row of items is discharged by the discharge pusher in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveying chute between a standby position and a discharge position; a second stopper moving means for moving the first item in the row of items to a discharge position; a discharge section for engaging with the first item in the row of items and discharging it to the receiving position; a discharge pusher having a locking section for locking the item discharged to the picker located at the receiving position; and a discharge pusher moving means for moving the discharge pusher between a standby position and a discharge position in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveying chute; and by moving the discharge pusher from the standby position to the discharge position with the first stopper disengaged from the item, the discharge section discharges the first item in the row of items to the picker located at the receiving position.

The second invention of the present invention is an item transport device according to the first invention, characterized in that after the first item in the row of items is sent to the picker, the first stopper is moved to an engagement position and the discharge pusher is positioned at the sending position until the first stopper reaches the engagement position.

This invention makes it possible to prevent items from bouncing back from the picker to the transport chute in an item transport device that transfers aligned items from a transport chute to a picker.

1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a cap transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cap transport device 10 taken along the line AA in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the cap transport device in the vicinity of the receiving position P1. 5 is a view of the picker holding the cap, seen from the downstream side in the direction of the arrow B in FIG. 4. 10A to 10C are plan views showing the first half of the cap delivery operation in the conveying chute (initial state to item discharge operation 2) in time sequence. 10A to 10C are plan views showing the latter half of the cap sending-out operation in the conveying chute (first to third transfer operations) in time sequence.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view showing the layout of an item transport device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The cap transport device (item transport device) 10 receives caps (items) C at receiving position P1, transports them to delivery position (section) P2, and delivers the caps C to a downstream device such as a capper. The caps C have a tube T at their lower center, and are supplied to the cap transport device 10 from the transport chute 12 with the tube T hanging downward. The cap transport device 10 sequentially receives the caps C from the transport chute 12 using, for example, multiple adjacently arranged first pickers 14A.

The first picker 14A is moved between the receiving position P1 and the delivery position P2 by a first picker moving device (item transport means) 16A. The first picker moving device 16A is attached, for example, along the outer periphery of a pair of upper and lower first endless chains 22A that are wound around a first driving sprocket 18A and a first driven sprocket 20A that rotate around a vertical axis. The receiving position P1 and the delivery position P2 are located on opposite span sides of the first endless chain 22A.

The first picker 14A can move cyclically between the receiving position P1 and the delivery position P2 by rotation of the first drive sprocket 18A. When receiving caps C, the first endless chain 22A moves intermittently, and each first picker 14A is temporarily stopped just before the conveying chute 12. While the first endless chain 22A is stopped, the first picker 14A receives one cap C from the conveying chute 12. Meanwhile, at the delivery position (section) P2, capping heads 23, the same number as the first pickers 14A, are positioned above each first picker 14A, and the caps C held by each first picker 14A are simultaneously removed by the capping heads 23.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cap transport device 10 of Figure 1 taken along the line A-A. As shown in Figure 2, the cap transport device 10 of this embodiment includes a second picker movement device (item transport means) 16B in parallel with a first picker movement device 16A. The second picker movement device 16B is disposed below the first picker movement device 16A and includes the same number of second pickers 14B as the first pickers 14A along the outer periphery of a pair of upper and lower second endless chains 22B that are wound around a second driving sprocket 18B and a second driven sprocket 20B.

Because the first and second pickers 14A and 14B have the same configuration, the following description of the common parts will refer to picker 14. As shown in the enlarged plan views of the picker in Figures 2 and 3 and the enlarged plan view of the vicinity of receiving position P1 in Figure 4, picker 14 includes a plate 24 that supports the cap body and a gripper 26 for gripping the tube T. A notch 24A is provided in the center of the outer edge of plate 24, into which the tube T hanging down from the center of the cap C is inserted when the cap C is transferred onto plate 24. Notch 24A is formed perpendicular to the outer edge of plate 24, and its width is wider than the outer diameter of the tube T and its length is slightly longer than the radius of the cap C. In addition, three protrusions 24B, for example, are provided around notch 24A on the top surface of plate 24 to position the cap C body transferred onto plate 24.

As described below, the caps C transported in this embodiment are dispenser caps equipped with a nozzle and a trigger, and a trigger guide 24C into which the trigger is inserted is provided on the rear side of the notch 24A on the outer edge of the plate 24 in the transport direction.

The plates 24 of the first and second pickers 14A and 14B are held by the first and second endless chains 22A and 22B via first and second support members 28A and 28B, respectively, which extend vertically. That is, the inner edges (opposite the outer edges) of the plates 24 are attached to the upper ends of the first and second support members 28A and 28B, and the base ends 30 of the first and second support members 28A and 28B are held between the pair of first endless chains 22A and the pair of second endless chains 22B, respectively. Note that in Figure 2, the first picker 14A is shown to the left of the first picker moving device 16A, and the second picker 14B is shown to the right of the second picker moving device 16B.

The base end 30 has a total of four pairs of rollers 30A, one above the other, that rotate around a vertical axis, and a roller 30B located at the center of its inner surface that rotates around a horizontal axis. The rollers 30A run within the grooves of guide rails 32A that are arranged along the top and bottom of the pair of first endless chains 22A and the top and bottom of the pair of second endless chains 22B. The rollers 30B run within the grooves of guide rails 32B (not shown) that are arranged along the inside of the track of the base end 30. This defines the track along which the base end 30, i.e. the picker 14, moves.

The vertical length of the second support member 28B is longer than the vertical length of the first support member 28A because the second endless chain 22B is positioned lower than the first endless chain 22A. As a result, the first picker 14A and the second picker 14B are positioned at the same height and circulate along the same track.

The first driving sprocket 18A is integrally attached around the shaft 34, and the second driving sprocket 18B is rotatably attached around the shaft 34. A gear 36A is provided at the lower end of the shaft 34 and is rotated by the drive of a motor 38A. A gear 36B is provided at the lower end of the second driving sprocket 18B and is rotated around the shaft 34 by the drive of a motor 38B. The drive of motors 38A and 38B can be controlled independently.

The gripper 26 is attached to the underside of the plate 24. The gripper 26 has a pair of left and right gripper pieces 26A, 26B, the base ends of which are attached to rotating shafts 40A, 40B that are journaled below the plate 24. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rotating shafts 40A, 40B have gears 42A, 42B that engage with each other, respectively, and rotate by the same angle in opposite directions.

A first lever arm 44A is attached to the gear 42A. One end of a biasing member 46, such as a spring, is attached to the tip of the first lever arm 44A, and the other end of the biasing member 46 is attached to the plate 24. A second lever arm 44B is attached to the gear 42B, and a cam follower 48 for opening and closing the gripper is provided at the tip of the second lever arm 44B. The cam follower 48 engages with a cam 50 for opening and closing the gripper, which is provided along the movement direction of the picker 14 (see Figure 4).

That is, the first lever arm 44A biases the gripper piece 26A and, via the gears 42A and 42B, the gripper piece 26B in the closing direction via the biasing member 46. This causes the second lever arm 44B to rotate in a direction that presses the cam follower 48 against the cam 50. When the cam follower 48 is pushed outward relative to the track due to the shape (protrusion) of the cam 50, the first lever arm 44A rotates against the biasing force of the biasing member 46, and the gripper pieces 26A and 26B are released.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5, the transport chute 12 is positioned perpendicular to the outside of the track of the picker 14, and the caps C are supplied with a tube T inserted between a pair of slide bars 12A and 12B of the transport chute 12. In this embodiment, the caps C are dispenser-equipped caps, and include a vertically elongated head H with a built-in pump (not shown) above the cap body, a nozzle N provided at the tip of the head H, and a trigger lever L located below the nozzle N and extending downward from the head H. Note that Figure 5 is a view seen from the direction of arrow B in Figure 4.

Caps C are transported along the transport chute 12 in close contact with each other, with the longitudinal direction of the head portion H perpendicular to the transport direction of the transport chute 12. As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of top guide bars 51 are provided above the transport chute 12 to guide the caps to the top surface of the head portion H. Additionally, first and second stoppers 52 and 53 are arranged above the downstream end of the transport chute 12, in that order from downstream in the cap transport direction. The first and second stoppers 52 and 53 each include a locking member 52A or 53A that abuts against the front side of the head portion H in the transport direction to restrict the movement of the cap C, and cylinders 52B or 53B (first and second stopper movement means) located above the locking members 52A or 53A that raise and lower the locking members 52A or 53A. In other words, the locking members 52A or 53A can move back and forth between an engagement position where they engage with the front surface of the head portion H and a standby position where they are spaced apart from the head portion H.

The locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 can extend downward to a height that engages with the cap C being transported on the transport chute 12. When the locking member 52A is lowered by the cylinder 52B, the locking member 52A engages with the front surface of the head portion H of the cap C located at the front (first) position on the transport chute 12, restricting the movement of the front (first) cap C (engaged position). When the locking member 52A is raised by the cylinder 52B, the lower end of the locking member 52A is moved to a position higher than the head portion H, and the restriction on the movement of the front (first) cap C is released (standby position).

Furthermore, the locking member 53A of the second stopper 53 can also extend downward to the same height as the locking member 52A. When the locking member 53A is lowered by the cylinder 53B, it is inserted between the first (leading) and second caps C on the conveying chute 12 and engages with the front of the second head portion H, restricting the movement of the second cap C (engaged position). When the locking member 53A is raised by the cylinder 53B, the lower end of the locking member 53A is moved to a position higher than the head portion H, and the restriction on the movement of the second cap C is released (standby position). The top surface guide bar 51 extends just before the first cap C, which is locked by the locking member 52A. Therefore, the locking member 53A is lowered to a position where it does not interfere with the pair of top surface guide bars 51.

This embodiment also includes a pair of discharge pushers 60 for pushing the first (leading) cap C on the conveying chute 12, which is locked by the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52, into the picker 14. Each discharge pusher 60 is movable back and forth in a direction intersecting (perpendicular to) the conveying chute 12 by a discharge pusher drive actuator (discharge pusher moving means) 62, such as an air cylinder. As described below, while the first cap C is locked by the first stopper 52 and the second cap C is locked by the second stopper 53, the discharge pushers 60 are positioned outside the conveying chute 12 (standby position) where they are not engaged with any caps C. Thereafter, when the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 is moved to the engagement position, the discharge pusher drive actuator 62 pushes the left and right discharge pushers 60 onto the conveying chute 12 until their leading edges approach each other (sending position). Additionally, an introduction sensor 66 is provided on the side of the conveying chute 12 at a position where it engages with the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 to detect whether the leading (first) cap C is present.

The discharge pusher 60 has a wedge-shaped (tapered) shape, for example, formed by cutting off the tip of a rectangular parallelepiped plate at an angle, and is positioned so that the wedge-shaped slope (feeding portion) 60A faces the picker 14. The width of the discharge pusher 60 roughly corresponds to the spacing between the locking members 52A, 53A of the first and second stoppers 52, 53. When the discharge pusher drive actuator 62 pushes the discharge pusher 60 onto the conveying chute 12, the tip of the wedge-shaped discharge pusher 60 is pushed between the first and second caps C.

When the discharge pusher 60 is pushed toward the sending position, the leading (first) cap C on the transport chute 12 is sent onto the picker 14 by the wedge-shaped inclined surface 60A. When the discharge pusher 60 reaches the sending position, the leading (first) cap C is transferred onto the plate 24 of the picker 14, and the tube T is inserted into the notch 24A. At this time, the movement of the leading cap C in the transport direction is restricted by the end stopper 64 fixed in front of the cap C, preventing the cap C from tipping over.

Furthermore, behind the leading cap C is located the front surface (locking portion) 60B of the discharge pusher 60, which has moved to the sending position, and contact with the end stopper 64 prevents the leading cap C from bouncing back into the transport chute 12. This ensures that the leading cap C is held in the correct position and orientation on the plate 24 of the picker 14. In Figure 4, the discharge pusher 60 in the sending position is depicted with a dashed line, and the cap C transferred to the picker 14 is held in the correct position and orientation between the end stopper 64 and the front surface 60B of the discharge pusher 60.

The gripper 26 of the picker 14 at the receiving position P1 is open due to contact between the cam follower 48 and the first cam 50A of the cam 50. When the picker 14 begins to move in the conveying direction from the receiving position P1, the gripper 26 is temporarily closed.

A guide mechanism 54 is located immediately downstream of receiving position P1, which maintains the position of the caps C by regulating the posture and orientation of the head portion H. The guide mechanism 54 consists of, for example, three guide plates extending in the transport direction, and includes a guide plate (not shown) that guides the top surface of the head portion H being transported, and guide plates 54A that guide both side surfaces. The main bodies of the left and right guide plates 54A are arranged parallel to each other, with a gap slightly wider than the width of the head portion H, but their upstream portions are bent outward, and the distance between the two guide plates 54A increases as they move upstream. This aligns all caps C, even if the longitudinal orientation of their head portions H is deviated from the transport direction, in the transport direction.

The tube T of the cap C that was transferred onto the plate 24 at receiving position P1 is immediately gripped by the gripper 26, and therefore the orientation of the head H cannot be corrected by the guide mechanism 54 in this state. Therefore, when the head H reaches between the upstream left and right guide plates 54A, the cam follower 48 of the second lever arm of the picker 14 is pushed outward by the second cam 50B (see Figure 4), temporarily opening the gripper 26. The gripper 26 closes again while the head H is between the parallel guide plates 54A, and the cap C is firmly held by the picker 14.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the conveying chute 12 of this embodiment is equipped with a cap transfer mechanism (item transfer means) 68 upstream of the second stopper 53 for sending caps C on the conveying chute 12 downstream, and further upstream is equipped with a third stopper 70 for restricting the movement of caps C on the conveying chute 12. The conveying chute 12 is also configured so that its slope gradually increases from downstream to upstream. That is, the tip of the conveying chute 12 is approximately horizontal (0° slope) and is tilted up to approximately 5° toward the cap transfer mechanism 68. Furthermore, the slope increases from approximately 5° to approximately 10° from the cap transfer mechanism 68 to the third stopper 70, and increases to approximately 10° to approximately 15° in the section upstream of the third stopper 70.

The cap transfer mechanism 68 includes a transfer pusher 68A inserted between closely spaced caps C on the transfer chute 12, and a transfer pusher drive actuator (pusher movement means) 68B that uses an air cylinder or the like to move the transfer pusher 68A back and forth. In this embodiment, the cap transfer mechanism 68 is positioned downstream of the transfer chute 12 in the picker transport direction, and the transfer pusher 68A moves back and forth between a sending position and a standby position, crossing the cap C transport path from the side of the transfer chute 12.

On the other hand, the third stopper 70 restricts the movement of caps C on the conveying chute 12, for example, by pressing a locking member 70A from the side of the conveying chute 12 against the side of the head portion H of a cap C being conveyed on the conveying chute 12. The locking member 70A is moved back and forth in a direction intersecting the conveying chute 12 by the third stopper drive actuator 70B, and is moved between an engagement position where it engages with the head portion H and a standby position spaced apart from the head portion H. The locking member 70A is sized to be pressed against the side of the head portion H of two adjacent caps C on the conveying chute 12.

In this embodiment, the transfer pusher 68A has a wedge-shaped (tapered) shape, for example, formed by cutting off the tip of a rectangular parallelepiped plate at an angle, and the pressing portion 68C, which is configured as the inclined surface (tapered surface) of the wedge, is positioned so that it faces the downstream side of the conveying chute 12. The transfer pusher 68A is also positioned on the conveying chute 12 in a position that allows it to be inserted between the mth cap C and the (m+1)th cap C from the front of the row of caps held by the first stopper 52 (the cap C held by the first stopper 52).

When the transfer pusher 68A, which is in the standby position, is inserted between the mth cap C and the (m+1)th cap C by the transfer pusher drive actuator 68B and moved to the sending position, the tapered surface of the pressing portion 68C facing downstream engages with the head portion H of the mth cap C, pushing that cap C downstream. At the same time, the surface of the transfer pusher 68A that is perpendicular to the conveying direction and located on the opposite side (upstream side) from the pressing portion 68C engages with the front surface of the head portion H of the (m+1)th cap C, functioning as a regulating portion 68D that regulates its movement.

Next, the operation of discharging caps C in the conveying chute 12 will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figures 6 and 7 are plan views showing, in chronological order, the operation of discharging caps C in the conveying chute 12 using the first and second stoppers 52, 53, the discharge pusher 60, the transfer pusher 68A, and the third stopper 70. Furthermore, in the explanation up to this point, the first and second stoppers 52, 53 have been depicted as rod-shaped, moving up and down, but for ease of explanation, in Figures 6 and 7 they are depicted as wedge-shaped, moving up and down.

In Figure 6(a), the caps C are lined up closely together on the conveying chute 12, with the leading cap C held between the first and second stoppers 52, 53, which are in the locked position (initial state). Also in Figure 6(a), the discharge pusher 60 and transfer pusher 68A are in the standby position, and the third stopper 70 is in the engaged position. When the introduction sensor 66 confirms the presence of the leading cap C in the initial state, the conveying chute 12 begins to discharge the cap C.

In Figure 6(b), when it is confirmed that the picker 14 is stopped with the locking member 53A of the second stopper 53 maintained in the locking position, the transfer pusher 68A in the standby position, and the locking member 70A of the third stopper 70 in the engagement position, the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 is retracted to the standby position and the discharge pusher 60 is pushed to the sending position (item discharge operation 1). At this time, the movement of the first stopper 52 and the discharge pusher 60 is adjusted so that the slope 60A of the discharge pusher 60 abuts against the head portion H of the leading cap C after the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 leaves the head portion H of the leading cap C. This allows the leading cap C to be delivered to the picker 14.

At this time, the front surface of the head portion H of the second cap C is locked by the locking member 53A of the second stopper 53, restricting the movement of the second and subsequent caps C. In addition, the head portion H of the leading cap C sent to the picker 14 is sandwiched between the end stopper 64 and the front surface (locking portion) 60B of the discharge pusher 60, and its position is maintained.

6(c), the introduction sensor 66 confirms that the leading cap C is not present, and after a predetermined time (e.g., 0.1 seconds) has elapsed since the discharge pusher 60 began moving to the discharge position during item discharge operation 1, the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 is moved to the engagement position and the discharge pusher 60 is moved to the standby position (item discharge operation 2). At this time, the movement of the first stopper 52 and the discharge pusher 60 is adjusted so that after the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 engages with the head portion H of the leading cap C, the sloped surface 60A of the discharge pusher 60 moves away from the head portion H of the leading cap C delivered to the picker 14. In other words, the discharge pusher 60 is positioned at the discharge position until the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 reaches a position where it can engage with the leading cap C sent to the picker 14. This prevents the leading cap C delivered to the picker 14 from being returned to the transport chute 12, even when the discharge pusher 60 is moved to the standby position. This prevents the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 from getting caught in the leading cap C returned to the transport chute 12. During this time, the locking member 53A of the second stopper 53 and the locking member 70A of the third stopper 70 are maintained in their engaged positions, and the transfer pusher 68A is also maintained in its standby position. After the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52 reaches a position where it can engage with the leading cap C sent to the picker 14, the picker 14 holding the leading cap C can begin moving from the receiving position P1.

Next, as shown in Figure 7(d), once it is confirmed that the first stopper 52 is in the engaged position, the locking member 53A of the second stopper 53 begins to move from the engaged position to the standby position, and the transport pusher 68A begins to move from the standby position to the feed position. At this time, the movements of the second stopper 53 and the transport pusher 68A are adjusted so that the locking member 53A of the second stopper 53 leaves the head portion H of the second cap C, and then the pressing portion 68C of the transport pusher 68A abuts against the head portion H of the mth cap C. As a result, the transport pusher 68A pushes the second to mth caps C in the transport direction while restricting the movement of the (m+1)th cap C in the transport direction (first transport operation), until the front surface of the head portion H of the second cap C abuts against the locking member 52A of the first stopper 52. Then, the picker 14 holding the leading cap C is moved from the receiving position P1 by the first or second picker moving device 16A, 16B, and the next picker 14 is moved to the receiving position P1.

In Figure 7(e), the locking member 70A of the third stopper 70 is maintained in the locked position, and after a predetermined time (e.g., 0.1 seconds) has elapsed since the transfer pusher 68A began moving to the discharge position in the first transfer operation, the transfer pusher 68A is returned to the standby position. As a result, the caps C positioned in front of the third stopper 70 in the transfer direction from the (m+1)th cap C move in the transfer direction on the transfer chute 12 due to their own weight and the air blown, and the head portion H of the (m+1)th cap C comes into close contact with the head portion H of the mth cap C (second transfer operation). Note that Figure 7(e) shows the state in which the picker 14 holding the leading cap C is moved from receiving position P1, and the next picker 14 is in the process of being moved to receiving position P1.

Next, as shown in Figure 7(f), after a predetermined time has elapsed since the second stopper 53 was moved to the standby position during the first transfer operation, and the presence of caps C is confirmed by the introduction sensor 66, the locking member 53A of the second stopper 53 is moved to the engagement position, and the locking member 70A of the third stopper 70 is moved to the standby position. As a result, the row of caps C on the upstream side, whose movement in the transfer direction was restricted by the third stopper 70, is moved downstream of the transfer chute 12, and the locking member 70A of the third stopper 70 is moved to the engagement position (third transfer operation). As a result, the row of caps C on the transfer chute 12 returns to the initial state shown in Figure 6(a).

As a result, the cap C that was previously second in the line of caps on the transport chute 12 becomes the first cap C, and the sending operation shown in Figures 6(a) to 7(f) is repeated sequentially until all caps C have been delivered to the first picker 14A or second picker 14B.

The first to third stoppers 52, 53, 70, discharge pusher 60, transfer pusher 68A, first and second picker movement devices 16A and 16B, and capping head 23 are driven in synchronization by a control unit (control means) comprised of a microcomputer, PLC, personal computer, etc. (not shown) based on a signal from the introduction sensor 66.

As described above, with the cap transport device of this embodiment, the locking portion of the discharge pusher prevents caps transferred from the picker to the transport chute from being bounced back toward the transport chute by the end stopper. Furthermore, by providing a transfer pusher and a third stopper, caps can be more smoothly discharged from the transport chute and caps can be prevented from becoming caught in the second stopper downstream of the transport chute.

10 Cap conveying device 12 Conveying chute 14 Picker 14A First picker 14B Second picker 16A First picker moving device (item conveying means)
16B Second picker moving device (item transport means)
52 First stopper 52B Cylinder (first stopper moving means)
53 Second stopper 53B Cylinder (second stopper moving means)
60 Discharge pusher 62 Discharge pusher drive actuator (discharge pusher moving means)
68 Cap transfer mechanism (item transfer means)
68A Transfer pusher 68B Transfer pusher drive actuator (pusher moving means)
70 Third stopper C Cap H Head part P1 Receiving position P2 Delivery position (section)
T-Tube

Claims (2)

a conveying chute for supporting a single file of articles along a conveying path;
an article conveying means for positioning a picker for holding the article at a receiving position opposite the terminal end of the conveying chute;
a first stopper provided at a terminal end of the conveying chute and capable of engaging with a leading article in the row of articles to restrict forward movement in the conveying direction;
a first stopper moving means for moving the first stopper between an engagement position where the first stopper can engage with the article and a standby position separated from the article;
a second stopper that can engage with the second article from the top of the row of articles to restrict forward movement in the conveying direction;
a second stopper moving means for moving the second stopper between an engagement position where the second stopper can engage with the article and a standby position separated from the article;
an article discharge means including a discharge pusher having a delivery section that engages with the leading article in the row of articles and delivers it to the receiving position, and a locking section that can lock onto the article delivered to the picker located at the receiving position; and a discharge pusher moving means that moves the discharge pusher between a standby position and a delivery position along a direction that intersects with the conveying direction of the conveying chute,
an item conveying device characterized in that, when the first stopper is disengaged from the item, the discharge pusher is moved from the standby position to the sending position, and the sending section sends the item at the front of the row of items to the picker located at the receiving position. 2. The article transport device according to claim 1, wherein after the first article in the row of articles is sent to the picker , the first stopper is moved to an engagement position and the discharge pusher is positioned at the sending position until the first stopper reaches the engagement position.