JPH0255327B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Field of Application> The disclosed technology belongs to the field of structural technology of conveyors for dispensing snack foods and the like to predetermined weight measuring devices.

<Summary of the gist> The present invention is provided at a predetermined part of a conveyor (including a conveyance trough, hereinafter referred to as a "vibration conveyor") that is supported by a base frame and vibrates in a predetermined cycle, and is installed at a predetermined part of a conveyor (including a conveyor trough, hereinafter referred to as a "vibration conveyor"), which is supported by a base frame and vibrates in a predetermined cycle. This invention relates to a conveyor gate opening/closing device in which a shutter provided on the underside of a conveyor is connected to an advancing/retracting mechanism such as an air cylinder with respect to a discharge port connected to the conveyor. The air cylinder is set in a posture along the vibration direction, and the rod is connected to a meshing mechanism such as a gear mechanism and a connecting/disengaging mechanism such as an electromagnetic clutch, and is connected to a transporting body such as a driving ball screw or a driven ball screw. , the conveying body is provided to traverse in the vibration direction of the conveyor, and the female screw of the bracket of the shutter is engaged with the conveying body, so that the discharge port of the conveyor is continuously and uncoupled. This invention also relates to a conveyor gate opening/closing device that can be adjusted to open and close at once.

<Prior art> As is well known, the transportation of goods is widely used in all fields including not only the primary industry but also the secondary and tertiary industries, and in fact, all industries cannot function without means of transportation. There is.

Of these, the conveyor has no interference from outside the system.
They are widely used because they can directly convey articles accurately between predetermined locations, but belt conveyors, vibrating conveyors, and conveyor troughs that place articles directly on a continuous conveyance surface are widely used. Belt conveyors do not cause deviation or overflow of goods, and are often used to improve production. However, in order to branch and convey goods along multiple predetermined routes midway through belt conveyors, scrapers and dividers must be used. However, there are disadvantages such as the fact that the distribution path is limited in order to distribute from the part that is reversed by the reversing roller to another belt conveyor. A vibrating conveyor or a vibrating conveyance trough (hereinafter referred to as a vibrating conveyor) that transports goods by vibrating a vibrating plate made of metal or the like in a predetermined cycle has a rectangular discharge port of a predetermined size in the middle, and the discharge port is removed by a shutter. By adjusting the opening/closing amount of the belt conveyor, it is possible to connect to multiple branch routes, and belt conveyors can handle sticky items such as cheese, fragile items such as seasonings, etc. In the case of potato chips, etc., adhesion and crushed pieces of seasonings or their powder adhere to the conveying surface and accumulate, reducing the conveying ability over time. It is widely used because it is easy to use.

However, conveyors such as electromagnetic feeders that are subjected to high-cycle vibrations are not suitable for materials with light specific gravity, so they are suitable for cutting raw materials with high specific gravity over a short distance to the next stage conveyor, etc. In contrast, vibrating conveyors with a low oscillation cycle are installed over relatively long distances within a plant and are used to convey relatively small quantities of objects, reducing the weight and inertia of the conveyed objects. It is used as the most suitable conveyance device for conveyance using.

The general form of such a vibrating conveyor is briefly explained in FIG. 4. The vibrating conveyor 1 is made of a parallel material such as metal or reinforced plastic having a predetermined elastic modulus at a plurality of predetermined angles with respect to the frame 2. A metal trough 4 supported by the links 3, 3... is given reciprocating vibration at a set angle in a predetermined cycle by a vibration device such as a swing motor or an eccentric, and cycles through a bouncing motion between a solid line state and a dotted line state. The conveyed object thrown onto the conveying surface of the trough 4 is bounced forward and transported forward in a short cycle by its inertia and gravity. It has the advantage that it can be used in a wide range of applications regardless of temperature and can be used flexibly.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> Therefore, in order to distribute the conveyed objects from the vibrating conveyor 1 to a plurality of distribution paths at a set ratio, a rectangular discharge port or the like is provided on the conveying surface of the trough 4 in the vibration direction. Open the
The shutter installed at the bottom of the shutter opens and closes and traverses to adjust the amount of distribution.There are basically two types: a damper type that opens and closes by turning and a slide type, but the damper type does not resonate with vibrations, etc. Because of this inconvenience, the sliding method is generally used.

The amount of opening/closing of the outlet by the shutter is determined by measuring the amount of supply to the next stage using a flow rate sensor or weight sensor and connecting it to a control device so as to feed back a control signal. It is designed to be automatically controlled.

In this case, the main method of sliding the shutter with respect to the trough 4 is a type in which it slides parallel to the vibration direction, and there is also a type in which it slides in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, but the appropriate opening/closing mechanism itself is inertial. In practice, it was rarely used because it was affected by the heat and caused failures.

Therefore, in the slide system parallel to the vibration direction as shown in FIG. 5, normally the lower shutter 6 at the full width of the discharge port 5, which is close to the entire width of the trough 4, is moved downward in the vibration direction. The installed air cylinder 7 opens and closes along the vibration direction to perform the discharge operation, and the conveyed object is fed by weight and inertia in the direction of the white arrow according to the opening and closing of the discharge port 5. For example, it can be freely supplied to a hopper of a weighing device, etc., which is waiting on the lower side, as needed.

However, due to the operating characteristics of the air cylinder, the opening and closing of the seed shutter 6 is performed in a manner that corresponds to the vibration direction of the trough 4 over the entire stroke, so that the conveyed object is dropped to the first stage discharge port with its full width. There is a drawback that the amount of supply to the second stage and subsequent stages is insufficient, and the set amount of discharge cannot be freely distributed to the discharge ports of multiple stages.

In addition, in order to eliminate this drawback, in the sliding method perpendicular to the vibration direction as shown in FIG. Since the air cylinder protrudes in the opposite direction, it is difficult to connect it to other equipment, and if it becomes an obstacle to the work, the influence of inertia will occur. 7 is installed inside the trough 4, the full opening amount of the discharge port 5 cannot be equal to the full width of the trough 4. Therefore, the full width of the device including the air cylinder 7 for opening and closing the shutter 6' is equal to the width of the trough 4. If the width of the discharge port is required to be equal to the total width of the trough 4, the full opening amount of the shutter 6' will be equal to the width of the trough 4, which is the total width of the trough 4 minus the dimension of the air cylinder 7. In some cases, it may be possible to open and close only a little less than 1/2 of the width, and such an arrangement has the disadvantage that a large maximum discharge volume cannot be achieved.

Of course, the width of the discharge port 5 may be approximately 1/2 the width of the trough 4, but there is a problem in that there is no degree of freedom in design.

On the other hand, in a mode in which the shutter 6' is opened and closed by the air cylinder 7 in the direction perpendicular to the vibration of the trough 4, the air cylinder 7 is installed on the trough 4 via the bracket 8, but the trough 4
The problem is that the device tends to resonate with the vibrations of the device, and therefore the durability of the device is poor.

In either mode, since opening and closing are performed by an air cylinder, due to the characteristics of the air cylinder mentioned above, the amount of opening and closing of the shutter can only be selected between zero or 100% of the set stroke.
It is not possible to distribute or select items to be conveyed in stages within the 100% opening amount, and also, with a 100% opening amount, a large amount of the conveyed items may fall at once, which is undesirable, resulting in a lack of freedom. Ta.

Furthermore, even if the intermediate stop method is used, there is the troublesome drawback that the initial setting amount for the air cylinder must be manually adjusted in advance.
Furthermore, there was the inconvenience that the stroke could not be adjusted during operation.

Also, if distribution is to multiple measuring instruments (although the same conditions apply for one measuring instrument),
The negative point is that the amount of storage required by the meter is the minimum, and the amount stored after supply is the maximum, and its fluctuations are uneven.

To deal with this, it is possible to use the vibration of the trough to slide the shutter using a ratchet, an electromagnetic clutch, an electromagnetic brake, a worm gear, or a ball screw. There is a problem in that the shutter itself cannot be adjusted and inspected during inspection, maintenance, etc.

<Objective of the Invention> The object of the present invention is to solve the problem of distributing conveyed objects from the discharge port opening in the vibrating conveyor and vibrating trough based on the above-mentioned prior art as a technical problem to be solved, and to solve the problem of resonating with the vibration of the trough. In addition, it does not interfere with other equipment or work, and at the same time, it is possible to provide a free-width outlet as close to the trough width as possible, making it easier to adjust and maintain while the machine is stopped. It is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent conveyor gate opening/closing device that can be used in a variety of industries to benefit the field of conveyance technology.

<Means/effects for solving the problems> In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the structure of the present invention, which is based on the above-mentioned claims, is to solve the above-mentioned problems. The trough is supported by a base frame via parallel links, and when a vibration device applies a predetermined cycle of diagonally forward shaking force, the transported object is repeatedly thrown forward due to its weight and inertia. An air cylinder is installed along the direction of the vibration on the lower surface of the trough at a rectangular discharge port opened at a predetermined portion along the way and in a direction perpendicular to the direction of vibration. The repeating stroller intermittently rotates a conveying body such as a driving ball screw through an engaging mechanism such as a rack and pinion, and a connecting/disengaging mechanism such as an electromagnetic clutch and an electromagnetic brake, and also through a timing belt pulley. A conveying body such as a driven ball screw also rotates synchronously to move the shutter forward and backward by traversing the discharge port for a set amount, opening and closing the discharge port to a predetermined amount, and at this time,
The operating amount of the air cylinder is determined by the sensor detecting the amount of material to be transported that falls from the shutter and being thrown into the next stage, and the air cylinder is operated to match the set amount. Adjustments are made independently of each other, so that a set amount of each conveyed object is discharged from the discharge port of each stage, and even when the vibrating conveyor is stopped, there is no need for maintenance. The conveyor gate opening/closing device is installed within the entire width of the trough and does not interfere with other equipment or operations, and the actuator is an air cylinder. As a result, technical measures have been taken to make it possible to install the device in a non-resonant manner and improve the durability of the device.

<Embodiment - Configuration> Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on FIGS. 1 to 3. Incidentally, parts having the same features as those in FIGS. 4 to 6 will be described using the same reference numerals.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a mode in which potato chips of a snack product as an object to be conveyed are distributed in set amounts to a plurality of product weighing devices by one vibrating conveyor. Basically, the trough 4 of the vibrating conveyor 1 is As shown in Figure 4, a plurality of parallel links 3,
3... via a base frame 2, and is configured to vibrate obliquely forward and upward at a set angle in a predetermined cycle by a predetermined vibration device.

A rectangular discharge port 5 is bored in the setting part of the trough 4 in the lateral direction of the traverse direction in the vibration direction, and has a rectangular discharge port 5 approximately 1/2 of the total width of the trough 4 on the back side thereof. A conveyor gate opening/closing device 9 is fixedly installed, and a shutter 6'' controls the discharge port 5 steplessly between 0% and 100% regardless of whether the vibrating conveyor is in operation or stopped. It is designed to open and close.

A pair of bearings 10, 10, . A driven ball screw 12 is rotatably supported in parallel.

The shutter 6'' of the discharge port is screwed into a driving ball screw 11 and a driven ball screw 12 as transfer bodies through female threads of brackets 13, 13 fixed thereto, and slides with respect to the discharge port 5. It's at your disposal.

A meshing mechanism 14 is provided near one side of the trough 4.
An air cylinder 7 serving as an advancing/retracting mechanism is fixed to the lower surface of the trough 4 by brackets 15, 15 provided within the width of the trough 4 along the vibration direction of the trough 4. The rod 16 vibrates as a unit and is movable forward and backward. A rack 17 extending along the trough 4 at the front of the rod 16 is integrally installed in the bearing 10 of the driving ball screw 11. It meshes with a pinion 19 provided coaxially with an electromagnetic clutch 18 serving as a connecting/disengaging mechanism.

An electromagnetic brake 20 is also interposed between the other end of the drive ball screw 11 and the bearing 10 to control the rotation and stopping of the drive ball screw 11. .

Further, timing pulleys 21, 21 are provided at the tips of the bearings 10, 10 of the driving ball screw 11 and the driven ball screw 12, and a timing belt 22 is stretched.

A chute (not shown) provided below the discharge port 5 faces a hopper of a predetermined product weighing device, and the hopper is also equipped with a sensor (not shown) for measuring the height of the loaded potato chips to be weighed. The height measurement sensor is also electrically connected to a control device (not shown), and electrically connected to a compressed air supply/discharge control valve for the air cylinder 7, as well as an electromagnetic clutch 18 and an electromagnetic brake. A control device 12 (not shown) electrically connected to 20 controls switching and starting/stopping of these.

These electrical instrumentation devices can be installed according to an appropriate design.

Further, the electromagnetic clutch 18 and the electromagnetic brake 20 are programmed to be turned on and off during the process of the air cylinder 7 expanding, and conversely to be turned off and on during the process of contraction.

<Embodiment - Effect> In the above configuration, potato chips (not shown) are fed into the base of the trough 4 of the vibrating conveyor 1, and the vibrating conveyor 1 moves the parallel links 3, 3, . . . in a set cycle by a vibrating device as shown in FIG. When the chips vibrate diagonally forward and upward at a set angle with respect to the base frame, the potato chips draw an arc as shown by the arrow and move forward during the cycle through their weight and inertia as shown by the white arrow in Figure 1. It will be sent.

The shutter 6'' of the discharge port 5 facing the chute connected to the hopper of the product weighing device, which is provided in multiple stages (one in the illustrated state for convenience of illustration), is operated by the above-mentioned predetermined control device according to the setting program. The chute is opened and closed in a predetermined manner, and the potato chips are distributed and dropped into the chute as shown by the white arrow, and the other potato chips are forwarded and sequentially received from each discharge port 5 of the next stage as shown by the white arrow. The products are distributed and dropped through a chute into the hopper of the product weighing device.

Then, as described above, the adjustment of the amount to be distributed and dropped into the hopper of the corresponding product weighing device at each discharge port 5 is performed when the set height is reached by the height measurement sensor installed in the hopper of the product weighing device (not shown). ,
Compressed air is supplied to the air cylinder 7 through the control device, and the valve is opened and closed to move the air cylinder 7 forward and backward, and the movement of the rack 17 through the rod 16 causes the driving ball screw 11 to move forward and backward through the pinion 19. However, as mentioned above, the air cylinder 7
During the extension process, the electromagnetic clutch 18 is turned on, transmitting the power to the drive ball screw 1.
1 rotates forward, during which the electromagnetic brake 20 is OFF.
Because of this, the driven ball screw 12 also operates synchronously through the timing pulley 21, timing belt 22, and timing pulley 21 and rotates forward, and when the air cylinder 7 contracts, the rack 17 moves backward. , the pinion 19 is reversed, the electromagnetic clutch 18 is turned off, and the electromagnetic brake 20 is turned off.
is turned ON, the driving ball screw 11 and the driven ball screw 12 do not rotate together, and by repeating the reciprocating cycle of the air cylinder 7 in a predetermined manner, the driving ball screw 11 and the driven ball screw 12 do not rotate together. , the driven ball screw 12 rotates intermittently and synchronously in the normal direction, and therefore the shutter 6'' operates intermittently in the direction of closing the discharge port 5, and the forward and backward cycles of the air cylinder 7 are performed continuously. When the shutter 6'' closes the discharge port 5, the shutter 6'' closes the discharge port 5 quickly and smoothly.

When the shutter 6'' is fully closed to the discharge port 5 when the weighing and packaging machine (not shown) is loading film or due to a failure, a limit switch (not shown) for the shutter 6'' is activated and the conveyor gate opening/closing device 9 is stopped. Then, distribution and supply of potato chips to the product measuring hopper is stopped.

Since the weighing and packaging machine is continuously packaging products during operation, it is ideal to feed the product according to the amount, but with this method, the vibration and the opening in the perpendicular direction are measured using sensors, etc. Adjust and open slightly to hold at the level set, for example on the goods weighing device,
Also, it is difficult to keep it constant by providing a function to close it slightly, but by keeping it almost constant,
Ensure measurement accuracy and even distribution.

Conversely, when the height sensor detects an amount below the set height, the electromagnetic clutch 1 is activated according to the program.
8 and the electromagnetic brake 20 are switched in the opposite direction, and the drive ball screw 11 and the driven ball screw 12 intermittently rotate in the opposite direction to the above-mentioned operation due to the advancing and retracting cycle operation of the air cylinder 7, and the shutter 6'' is rotated. The discharge port 5 is operated to the open side, and the dispensing port 5 is opened and the dispensing and supply of potato chips to the hopper of the product weighing device is resumed.

Therefore, under control by the height sensor of the hopper of the product weighing device, the shutter 6'' can open and close the discharge port 5 in a predetermined manner, thereby controlling the distribution of the optimum supply amount at all times.

As a matter of course, during this period, the trough 4 of the vibrating conveyor 1 continues to vibrate in a predetermined cycle, and the trough 4 of the conveyor gate opening/closing device 9 vibrates integrally with the predetermined shutter 6''. Opening/closing control of the discharge port 5 is performed simultaneously and smoothly without any trouble.

The control of the shutter 6'' for the first stage discharge port 5 does not interfere with the opening/closing control of each discharge port 5 from the second stage onward. Control is effected independently only by controlling the hopper height sensor of each corresponding product weighing device.

In addition, each conveyor gate opening/closing device 9 is provided within the entire width of the trough 4, and since the weight distribution is not biased from side to side, and because it is designed in advance to prevent resonance, There is no fear that durability will be impaired.

During maintenance work such as inspection and maintenance of various mechanical parts while the vibrating conveyor 1 is stopped, maintenance work such as checking the operating function of the shutter 6'' relative to the discharge port 5 is performed while the trough 4 is not vibrating.
That is, it can be carried out mechanically and electrically without any problems even when stopped.

An embodiment of a meshing mechanism that replaces the meshing mechanism 14 of the above-mentioned embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 2 and 3 with reference to FIG. 1, assuming that all other mechanisms are the same. In the meshing mechanism 14' of the example, a chain 17' is connected to both ends of the rod of a double rod type air cylinder 7' provided on the lower surface of one side of the trough 4.
Driving sprocket 19' of electromagnetic clutch 18 of No. 1
and a free sprocket 19'' which does not transmit power by being loosely inserted into the protruding end of the driven ball screw 12 which is shaft-mounted on the bearing 10. ′
The driving ball screw 11 and the driven ball screw 12 are synchronously moved forward and backward through the electromagnetic clutch 18 and the electromagnetic brake 20 by the forward and backward movement of the shutter 6'' to control the opening and closing of the discharge port 5 of the shutter 6''. There is no substantial change.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the engagement mechanism 14'' is connected directly to the input shaft of the electromagnetic clutch 18 of the drive ball screw 11 and a commercially available rotary air cylinder 7''. This embodiment is also substantially the same in operation and effect as the embodiments described above.

It goes without saying that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments; for example, various embodiments such as a pawl or ratchet mechanism can be adopted for the meshing mechanism.

Moreover, it goes without saying that the object to be applied is not limited to potato chips, etc., but can also be applied to various other objects to be transported.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, according to the present invention, basically when distributing and supplying potato chip products to a plurality of product weighing devices etc. by one vibrating conveyor, the discharge port provided on the vibrating conveyor is Unlike belt conveyors, etc., the provision of a conveyor gate opening/closing device has the effect of ensuring reliable and stable divisional supply without the accumulation of crushed materials or sticky materials. By being able to freely open and close in the traverse direction to the discharge port opened in the transverse direction in the trough of the vibrating conveyor,
This has the effect that there is no risk of the entire amount being discharged to the first stage discharge port in the transport direction of the conveyed object and not being distributed to the base frame of the second stage or later. The effect is that the objects to be transported are evenly distributed to the outlet.

By providing the conveyor gate opening/closing device on the lower surface within the width of the trough of the vibrating conveyor, excellent effects are achieved in that it does not interfere with other equipment and does not interfere with work.

In addition, since the advancing/retracting mechanism linked to the shutter is an air cylinder or other mechanism, it is light in weight and does not resonate with the vibrations of the trough, which has the effect of improving the durability of the device. ,
Since the advancing/retracting mechanism such as the air cylinder is provided along the vibration direction of the trough, there is an advantage that the above-mentioned effect can be promoted without going out to the side of the trough.

By providing a pinion rack, chain sprocket, pole latch, etc. on the rod of the air cylinder and connecting it to the ball screw in the direction of traversing the trough via an electromagnetic clutch or other connection/disconnection mechanism, the air cylinder is parallel to the vibration. In addition to the elastic effect of being able to freely design the stroke of the installed air cylinder, the shutter can be moved forward and backward independently regardless of trough vibration, so it can be used not only while the vibrating conveyor is in operation. Even when stopped, it can be operated independently.
Therefore, there is an effect that maintenance, inspection, maintenance, etc. can be carried out reliably, and there is also an effect that the advancing/retracting mechanism can be operated in a cycle different from the cycle of vibration of the trough of the vibrating conveyor.

In addition, since an air cylinder is provided as the advancing/retracting mechanism, there is no need to apply an impact load to the stroke end due to incompressible air, which has the excellent effect of improving the durability of all mechanical parts. .

Further, since the shutter is screwed onto a conveying body such as a ball screw, its forward and backward movements can be finely adjusted, resulting in the excellent effect of minute distribution and supply control.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 are explanatory diagrams of embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of one embodiment, FIGS. 2 and 3 are partially enlarged perspective views of other embodiments, and FIG. 4 is a vibration FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic side views of the mechanism of the conveyor, and are schematic perspective views of a conveyor gate opening/closing device for a vibrating conveyor based on the prior art. 1... Vibration conveyor, 2... Discharge port, 6″...
Shutter, 9... Conveyor gate opening/closing device, 7...
... Advancement/retraction mechanism, 16... Rod, 14... Engagement mechanism, 18... Connection/disconnection mechanism, 11... Ball screw.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a conveyor gate opening/closing device in which a shutter provided below a discharge port opening in a vibrating conveyor is linked to an advancing/retracting mechanism, a rod of the advancing/retracting mechanism is provided along the vibration direction on the lower surface of the conveyor. A conveyor gate opening/closing device characterized in that a conveying body is provided to traverse in the vibration direction of the conveyor via an engaging mechanism and a connecting/disconnecting mechanism, and a shutter is engaged with the conveying body. 2. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the air cylinder is a rotary air cylinder. 3. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the meshing mechanism is a rack and pinion. 4. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the meshing mechanism is a chain and a sprocket. 5. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the connection/disconnection mechanism is equipped with an electromagnetic clutch and an electromagnetic brake. 6. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the connection/disconnection mechanism is a ratchet wheel. 7. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the stroke of the shutter is within the width of the conveyor. 8. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the stroke of the shutter is continuously operated in a stepless manner. 9. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the shutter is operated to open and close at a full stroke at one time. 10. The conveyor gate opening/closing device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying body is a ball screw, at least one on the driving side and one on the driven side, and linked by a timing belt.