JPS5815151B2 - Pachinko ball lifting device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention The present invention provides a pachinko machine in which an abrasive is mixed with pachinko balls, this mixture is introduced into a lifting pipe, and the pachinko balls are cleaned while being lifted by rotation of a spiral body provided in the pipe. This invention relates to a ball lifting device.

As an example of a device for cleaning pachinko balls while lifting them, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-4546, a spiral body is inserted into a lifting pipe, and by rotating this spiral body, the pachinko balls are lifted and There is a device that cleans pachinko balls with abrasives mixed into them.

However, in the conventional type, the outer diameter of the spiral body inserted into the lift pipe is relatively small and uniform.

For this reason, the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the lifting pipe and the spiral body is large, which has the advantage of strong stirring action and a high cleaning effect, but has the disadvantage of a low ability to lift balls.

Furthermore, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-4546, for example, a device in which a lifting pipe is bent in an arc shape downwardly and pachinko balls are fed to the bent end is not prone to problems such as pachinko balls being caught in the helical structure. Since the outer diameter of the pipe is uniform, the lifting force is weak, the pipe is high, and it is difficult to manufacture the pipe.

The present inventor has developed a pachinko ball lifting device that eliminates such drawbacks by erecting a lifting pipe in a ball storage section that stores pachinko balls already collected from each pachinko machine and mixes an abrasive material therein. Lifting is achieved by constructing the spiral body inserted into the lift pipe with a first spiral body with a large outer diameter that generates a strong lifting force and a second spiral body with a relatively small outer diameter that generates a strong stirring and cleaning force. He proposed a lifting device for pachinko balls that has both strong power and cleaning power and can process balls with high efficiency (Japanese Patent Application No. 56-22963), but later research and experiments revealed that this device inner diameter and the first
It has been found that depending on the settings of factors such as the outer diameter of the spiral body or the rotational speed of the spiral body, pachinko balls may get caught between the lift pipe and the spiral blade.

The present invention was made for the purpose of obtaining a device that can reliably prevent this phenomenon of pachinko balls being caught. It is characterized by being made of a flexible material that deforms and releases the pachinko balls when they are caught between the lifting pipe and the spiral blade.

The invention will now be described with reference to illustrated embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pachinko ball lifting device 1 according to the present invention is disposed, for example, at an end of a row of pachinko machines in which a plurality of pachinko machines 2 are arranged side by side.・・・
- The lower ends of the lifting pipe 5 and the abrasive material circulation plate 6 face into the ball storage part 4 provided at the downstream end of the collection gutter 3 for pachinko balls discharged from the ball.

A spiral body 7 consisting of a lower first spiral body 8 having a large diameter and a second upper spiral body 8' having a smaller diameter than the first spiral body 8 is inserted into the lifting pipe 5. The lower end of the body 8 protrudes from the lower end opening 9 of the lift pipe 5, and a drive source 10 for rotating the spiral body 7 is provided at the upper end of the lift pipe 5.

A sorting device 12 is provided at the upper end opening 11 of the lifting pipe 5.
is connected so that the inlet 6' of the abrasive material circulation number 6 faces the sorting device 12, and the sloping upper end of a ball replenishment number 13 for replenishing balls to each pachinko machine 2 is connected.

The ball storage section 4 temporarily stores dirty pachinko balls A from each pachinko machine 2, and also stores the pachinko balls A.
Abrasive material B (e.g., small particles of synthetic resin, rubber, etc.) discharged from abrasive material circulation number 6 is mixed into the bottom of the bottom, which stores a mixture of pachinko balls A and abrasive material B at a certain depth. It consists of a deep part 14 and an introduction part 15 having an inclined bottom surface for introducing pachinko balls A and abrasive B from the collection gutter 3 into the deep part 14 while mixing them.

The lifting pipe 5 is a hollow pipe that stands vertically from within the ball storage section 4, and the lower end opening 9 faces the deep bottom part 14 of the ball storage section 4.

Further, this lifting pipe 5 can be divided into upper and lower parts at a flange portion 5' in the middle, so that maintenance and inspection work can be easily performed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first spiral body 8 of the spiral body 7 is composed of a shaft portion 8a and a flat spiral blade 8b wound around the shaft portion 8a.

An appropriate gap C smaller than the diameter of the pachinko ball A is set between the outer periphery of the spiral blade 8b of the first spiral body 8 and the lifting pipe 5, so that the first spiral body 8 can freely move inside the pipe 5. Pachinko balls that can rotate and have entered the pipe 5 will not fall from the gap C.

At least the spiral blades 8b of the first spiral body 8 are made of urethane or other soft or semi-hard synthetic resin, or a flexible material such as rubber.

This flexible first helical body 8 exerts a force for lifting pachinko balls without being deformed during normal lifting, and when a pachinko ball is caught between the pipe 5 and the helical blade 8b, the rotational force of the helical body The hardness is set so that it deforms upward or downward and allows the pachinko ball to escape.

Note that it is preferable to use a stainless steel pipe as the lifting pipe 5.

The second helical body 8' is formed by twisting the wire 16 in the same direction as the twisting direction of the first helical body 8 to form a helical shape having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first helical body 8, and the lower end thereof is a connecting member. 19 to the upper end of the first spiral body 8, and the upper end is connected to a drive source 10, for example, an output shaft 10' of a geared motor.

Therefore, the present pachinko ball lifting device having the above configuration is as follows:
When the drive source 10 operates and the first spiral body 8 and the second spiral body 8' rotate integrally, the mixture of dirty pachinko balls A and abrasive material B piled up in the deep bottom part 14 of the ball storage part 4 is removed. 1 Lifting pipe 5 lifted by the spiral blade 8b of the spiral body 8
be introduced within.

At this time, even if the pachinko ball A is caught between the lifting pipe 5 and the first spiral body 8, for example between the lower end opening edge 9' of the lifting pipe 5 and the spiral blade 8b, the flexible material The helical blades 8b are deformed by the rotational force applied to the spiral body 7 to remove and drop the pachinko balls, so the pachinko balls do not stay in the pipe 5.

When a mixture of pachinko balls A and abrasive material B is introduced into the lifting pipe 5 from the lower end opening 9, the first spiral body 8 rotates.
The wide spiral blades 8b forcefully push up the mixture.

Therefore, even when the mixture is pushed up from the first spiral body 8 to the second spiral body 8' where the lift is weak, it is pushed up by the mixture rising strongly from below, and therefore the pachinko balls A are pushed up inside the lift pipe 5. At any position, it receives a strong lift force and rises.

When the mixture is transferred to the second spiral body 8', the rotation of the second spiral body 8' stirs the pachinko ball A and the abrasive material B, and the abrasive material B cleans the dirt and rust attached to the surface of the pachinko ball A and polishes it. do.

This stirring and cleaning action continues as long as the mixture remains in the pipe 5, and the pachinko balls A are sufficiently cleaned while rising to the upper end opening 11.

When the mixture rises to the upper end opening 11 of the lift pipe 5, it flows out from the upper opening 11 and flows into the sorting device 12.

The sorting device 12 is for sorting the pachinko balls A and the abrasive material B, and is configured by, for example, a cage 20 whose gap is larger than the outer diameter of the abrasive material B and smaller than the diameter of the pachinko ball, tilted slightly downward. .

When the mixture of pachinko balls A and abrasive material B is placed on the tray 20, the abrasive material B, rust, dirt, and other small objects fall through the gaps between the baskets 20 and onto the tray 21, leaving only the pachinko balls A. The balls are sorted and flowed down to the ball supply gutter 13 connected to the slanted lower end of the basket 20.

The abrasive material B that has fallen into the tray 21 is again supplied to the ball storage section 4 by the abrasive material circulation gutter 6.

On the other hand, the pachinko balls A flowing down to the supply gutter 13 are supplied to each pachinko machine 2 as prize balls by a ball supply device 22 provided for each pachinko machine 2.

In the above embodiment, the lower end portion of the spiral body 7 has a large diameter first portion.
Although only the spiral body 8 is made of a flexible material, the present invention does not preclude the upper second spiral body 8' having a smaller diameter from being similarly made of a flexible material.

In summary, in the present invention, at least the lower end of the helical body inserted into the lifting pipe is made of a flexible material that deforms when the pachinko ball is caught between the lifting pipe and the helical blade. It is possible to prevent the jamming phenomenon and obtain stable pumping operation.

Further, the spiral body has a first spiral body at the lower end made of a flexible material;
If it is composed of a second helix at the top with a smaller diameter than this, the first helix with a large diameter will generate a strong lifting force, and the second helix with a small diameter at the top will generate a strong stirring force. It is possible to simultaneously obtain strong lifting power and strong cleaning power that are not available in other systems.

Furthermore, the present invention does not require bending the lower part of the lift pipe, so it is not bulky, and the structure is simple, so it is less likely to break down and has high practical value.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sorting device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Lifting device, 4... Ball storage part, 5... Lifting pipe, 7... Spiral body, 8... First spiral body, 8b...
- Spiral blade, 8'... Second spiral body, 9... Lower end opening, 10... Drive source, 11... Upper end opening, 12...
- Sorting device, A... Pachinko ball, B... Abrasive material.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A ball storage section for storing a mixture of pachinko balls and an abrasive material;
a lifting pipe whose lower end opening faces into the ball storage section and whose upper end opening communicates with a sorting device for pachinko balls and abrasive materials; a spiral body inserted into the lifting pipe; and a drive source for rotating the spiral body. The helical body has at least a lower end portion protruding from a lower end opening of the lifting pipe made of a flexible material that deforms and releases the pachinko ball when the pachinko ball is caught between the lifting pipe and the spiral blade. A pachinko ball lifting device comprising: 2. The pachinko ball lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the spiral body comprises a first spiral body at the lower end made of the flexible material, and a second spiral body at the upper end having a smaller diameter than the first spiral body.