JPH0427130B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to parts supply. Arranging and supplying parts to various machine devices is
This is an essential method for rationalizing and automating production. The success or failure of automatic supply controls the operating rate of the entire production system, and in a system using a conventional parts feeder, the inside of the parts feeder, the parts feeder outlet, and the transport means such as chute and belt connected to the parts feeder. This has resulted in clogging of parts at the joints between the machines, lowering the operating rate of automated systems and making it difficult to reduce the number of people involved in the production process. Patent Application No. 58-230183 (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-12133) filed earlier by the applicant
In order to achieve this purpose, the described feeding machine uses a rotating type parts feeding machine (feeding machine described in Patent No. 1129756).
Focusing on the fact that the rotation of the disc and track stops due to blockage of parts, the system detects the stoppage of rotation of the disc and track and automatically reverses rotation of the disc and track to prevent the blockage. It was an attempt to release the . Such an attempt has not been made with any parts feeder other than the revolving type parts feeder. Even in the above-mentioned revolving type parts feeder, it is not possible to sufficiently eliminate jamming by simply reversing the disk and track.
The present invention is based on the characteristics of the parts to be fed and the corresponding structure of the parts feeder (alignment mechanism, structure of the discharge section) in the currently used vibrating parts feeder and rotating parts feeder. ), it has become clear through a number of experiments that the problem is determined by the amount of jamming caused by clogging, so self-repairing methods can be used to actively release jamming by injecting air jets, for example, to areas where jamming or clogging is likely to occur on the alignment track. The purpose is to obtain a functional automatic feeding system.

The invention will be explained by examples. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a mechanical part in which the present invention is implemented by a revolving parts feeder described in Japanese Patent No. 1129756. The upper part of FIG. 1 is a plan view of the revolving component feeder, and the lower part is an explanatory view seen from the side. Reference numeral 1 designates a storage section for storing parts to be supplied, and normally a disc that rotates at an angle with respect to the alignment track 2 is used, but it is not shown because it is unnecessary for the explanation of the present invention. An alignment track 2 for aligning the parts to be supplied is provided around the reservoir. In a revolving type parts feeder, clogging of parts to be fed mainly occurs near the exit and the wiper area provided to remove two overlapping parts to be fed. Under the wiper, the overlying parts to be supplied become wedged between the wiper and the track, causing a blockage. In addition, near the exit, when the aligned parts to be supplied move outward from the inner edge of the track, they are no longer pressed against the alignment wall and are guided to the exit by the wall installed in the direction of track movement. When moving to the outer wall, the supplied part becomes oblique between the inner and outer walls, causing a blockage.

One or more attachments are fixedly provided above the alignment track 2 for regulating the directionality of the supplied parts, but are not shown because they are not necessary for the explanation of the present invention. The alignment track 2 is connected at a feeder outlet 5 to a conveying means 3 such as a chute or belt for discharging the parts to be fed. A wiper 4 is fixed by means (not shown) for wiping off the overlapping parts when two parts are stacked on top of the alignment track 2. An air jet pipe 6 is installed from the outside of the truck 2 by a member (not shown), through which an air jet is blown to remove the clogged parts from the back surface of the wiper 4 when a blockage occurs. An air injection pipe 7 for blowing back to the reservoir 1 the parts to be supplied that are obliquely obliquely clogged between the walls on both sides of the feeder outlet 5 is provided above the feeder outlet 5 on the downstream side by a member (not shown).

A detector 8 detects a clogged supplied part below the wiper 4 and downstream of the feeder outlet 5.
and 9 are provided. When necessary, the transfer means 3 is also provided with a workpiece detector 10. The detectors 8, 9, and 10 can be implemented as sensors that directly contact the parts to be supplied, or as non-contact sensors that utilize light, magnetism, or capacitance.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control circuit of the present invention. The signals of detectors 8, 9 and 10 are applied to an OR circuit 11. It is applied to a circuit 12 that generates an output only when the output of the OR circuit 11 continues for a certain period of time or more, and the output of the circuit 12 acts on the timer 13 only when the output of the OR circuit 11 continues for a certain period of time or more. The signal is generated only for a predetermined period of time. The output of the timer 13 is the solenoid valve group 14
Then, the relay 15 is operated to inject jets for a certain period of time from the air injection pipes 6 and 7 connected to a pneumatic source (not shown), and at the same time, the relay 15 stops the operation of the parts supply machine for a certain period of time. The number and mounting positions of the detectors for detecting jamming and clogging are easily selected depending on the shape and characteristics of the supplied parts.
Even if the number of detectors is only one, the gist of the present invention does not change. If the number of detectors is one, the OR circuit 11 is omitted. The operation of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The parts to be supplied are the storage part 1
The components are fed into the storage section 1 by the operation of the parts feeder.
The parts are selectively aligned while moving from the to the track 2 in the direction of the arrow, and the incorrectly oriented supplied parts are returned from the track to the storage section. The overlapping parts to be supplied are caught in the wiper 4, and the parts to be supplied are the wiper 4.
, the detector 8 detects the stuck component and generates a signal indicating that the component has not passed through the front surface of the detector 8 and remains there. When a supplied component becomes clogged at the component feeder outlet 5, the detectors 9 and 10 generate a signal indicating that the supplied component remains in front of them and cannot pass through. The signals from the detectors 8, 9, and 10 are applied to the OR circuit 11, and if any one of the detectors 8, 9, and 10 generates a signal, the OR circuit generates an output, which is applied to the circuit 12. Due to the nature of the circuit, the circuit 12 does not produce an output unless the signal continues for a certain period of time, so the pulse-like signal generated when the supplied component passes in front of the detector is removed and the supplied component is truly detected. Only when the stagnation occurs, the circuit 12 sends the output signal to the timer 1.
Send to 3. When the timer 13 is activated by the circuit 12, the timer 13 sends a signal to the solenoid valve 14 and the relay 15 for a certain period of time. The relay 15 stops the rotation of the disc in the storage part 1 of the parts feeder and the rotation of the track 2, and the parts to be fed on the track stop moving, pushing the biting parts from behind to increase the biting. This eliminates the need for jammed parts to be fed, allowing them to move freely. At the same time, the solenoid valve 14 opens and air flows into the air injection pipes 6 and 7 from a pneumatic source (not shown), and a jet stream is injected from the air injection pipes 6 and 7 to the stagnant parts to be supplied. The supplied parts are blown back into the storage section 1 and the retention is released. Since the signal from the timer 13 disappears after a certain period of time has elapsed, the parts supply machine returns to normal operation. Since the bitten supplied component has been removed, the control circuit returns to its initial state. Even if a method using a relay and a solenoid is used as a mechanism for removing retained parts formed by a solenoid valve and an air injection pipe, the gist of the present invention will not be changed.

Since the operating rate of the parts feeder is greatly improved by the present invention, the efficiency of the automation system is improved, which greatly contributes to the improvement of productivity.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1... Explanatory diagram of the mechanism part, 1... Reservoir,
2... Alignment track, 3... Transfer means, 4... Wiper, 5... Parts feeder outlet, 6... Air injection pipe, 7... Air injection pipe, 8, 9, 10... Detector. Figure 2...Block diagram of control circuit, 8.
9, 10...detector, 11...OR circuit, 12
...Primary delay circuit, 13...Timer, 14...Solenoid valve, 15...Relay.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a revolving type parts feeder having a central revolving disc for storing parts to be supplied, and an alignment track around the disc that rotates at an angle with respect to the disc,
One or more clogging detectors are installed on the alignment track of the parts feeder near the downstream part of the part where clogging of supplied parts is likely to occur, and only when the output of the detector continues for a certain period of time or more. A circuit that generates an output, a timer that generates a signal for a certain period of time based on the output of the circuit, and a drive that uses the signal from the timer to remove the supplied components that are clogged in the areas where clogging is likely to occur. 1. An automatic parts feeder comprising one or more supplied parts removing mechanisms, and a relay that stops the parts feeder in response to a signal from the timer.