Feeder for transporting articles and combination scale having the same

Abstract

A feeder for transporting articles, in which an article transporter is detachably mounted on a vibration head of a vibration mechanism, the feeder for transporting articles comprising: a fastening operation part having an operation lever; and a movable connecting member provided with a support shaft capable of elastically flexing and deforming, connected to the fastening operation part, and moved by a rotational operation of the operation lever. The feeder for transporting articles elastically holds the engagement between the vibration head and the article transporter by causing the support shaft of the movable connecting member to elastically flex and deform with the movement of the movable connecting member generated by the rotational operation of the operation lever.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article feeder for vibrating and transporting articles and a combination weigher having the article feeder for vibrating and transporting articles. Background Art

[0002] Generally, in a combination weigher, articles to be weighed are supplied to the top cone of a dispersion feeder at the upper center of the combination weigher, and the articles are vibrated and transported outward by the dispersion feeder, and further vibrated and transported outward by a plurality of straight-through feeders radially arranged around the dispersion feeder, and are respectively supplied to the supply hoppers corresponding to the respective straight-through feeders.

[0003] Each supply hopper discharges articles to the corresponding weighing hopper, and the weight of the articles is weighed in each weighing hopper. Based on the weight of the articles in the weighed weighing hopper, a combined calculation is performed, and a combination of weighing hoppers in which the weight of the articles is within a specified weight range, that is, an appropriate combination, is selected. The articles are discharged from the weighing hoppers of the selected appropriate combination and are put into a packaging machine or the like below via a collecting chute.

[0004] In a combination weigher for weighing and processing foods, regular cleaning work is indispensable for food hygiene, and in addition, cleaning work is required whenever the type of food is changed. Therefore, in the combination weigher, it is necessary to clean each component such as the top cone of the dispersion feeder, the trough of the straight-through feeder, the supply hopper, and the weighing hopper, and these components are configured to be easily detachable and attachable.

[0005] In the straight-through feeder, a gutter-shaped trough as an article transporter is attached to and detached from the vibrating head of an electromagnetic excitation mechanism, and an example of the attachment and detachment structure is shown in Patent Document 1. In the straight-through feeder of Patent Document 1, while a connecting member provided on the lower surface of the trough is positioned and engaged with the vibrating head, the operating rod of the fastening operation portion is rotated. As a result, it is configured to push the trough toward the vibrating head side while performing fastening engagement, and firmly connect the trough to the vibrating head.

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-64016

[0007] In the fastening structure for rotating the operating rod, in order to obtain elastic fastening force, it is necessary to assemble an elastically deformable member in a part of the structure. In Patent Document 1 above, a spiral spring is used as the elastically deformable member.

[0008] However, since debris or dregs of articles enter and adhere to the spiral spring, it takes time and effort to clean and remove the adhered matter. Especially in the case of a combination weigher for processing foods, sufficient cleaning is required from the viewpoint of hygiene, and thus a great deal of labor and time are required for cleaning many feeders. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present invention has been completed in view of this point, and its main object is to provide a feeder for transporting articles and a combination scale having the feeder for transporting articles, the feeder for transporting articles being capable of being easily cleaned and reliably connecting an article transporting body to a vibration head with stable fastening.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

[0011] (1) In the feeder for transporting articles according to the present invention, an article transporting body for placing and transporting articles is detachably mounted on a vibration head of an excitation mechanism.

[0012] The feeder for transporting articles includes: a fastening operation portion having an operation rod, and fastening and holding the engagement between the vibration head and the article transporting body by a rotational operation of the operation rod; and a movable connecting member provided with a support shaft that can elastically flex and deform, and being connected to the fastening operation portion and moving by a rotational operation of the operation rod, and causing the support shaft to elastically flex and deform by the movement of the movable connecting member generated by the rotational operation of the operation rod of the fastening operation portion, thereby elastically holding the engagement between the vibration head and the article transporting body.

[0013] According to the feeder for transporting articles of the present invention, the support shaft that can elastically flex and deform for elastically holding the engagement between the vibration head and the article transporting body is a member having a simple shape and is easy to clean.

[0014] In addition, the elastic characteristics of the support shaft are determined by its material, shaft diameter, support span, etc., all of which are factors with good accuracy and easy to manage. Therefore, the elastic characteristics of the support shaft can be easily managed to be constant, and the desired fastening characteristics can be stably ensured.

[0015] (2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the article transporting body includes the fastening operation portion and the movable connecting member, and the vibration head and the movable connecting member respectively have a wedging inclined surface for engagement, and the article transporting body is pushed toward the vibration head side by a wedging action of the wedging inclined surface generated by the movement of the movable connecting member.

[0016] According to this embodiment, since the engagement via the wedging inclined surface can be performed by fastening with stable elastic characteristics, the movable connecting member can be pushed and connected to the vibration head in a constant fastening state even when the attachment and detachment are repeated.

[0017] (3) In another embodiment of the present invention, the support shaft provided on the movable connecting member and the operation rod of the fastening operation portion are connected by a fastening rod.

[0018] According to this embodiment, with the rotation operation of the operating lever, an external force is applied to the support shaft of the movable connecting member via the fastening rod, and the support shaft elastically flexes and deforms, thereby performing fastening.

[0019] (4) In another embodiment of the present invention, a connecting member is externally fitted and installed at an intermediate portion of the support shaft provided on the movable connecting member, and a bushing is interposed at a support shaft insertion portion in the connecting member.

[0020] If the support shaft provided on the movable connecting member is made of, for example, a hard resin material and the connecting member made of a metal material is externally fitted and installed, the edge of the support shaft insertion hole of the connecting member will directly bite into the support shaft and damage the support shaft. According to this embodiment, since the bushing is interposed at the support shaft insertion portion, damage to the support shaft can be avoided, and the desired elastic characteristics can be maintained, and the elastically deformed support shaft can be used for a long time.

[0021] (5) In another embodiment of the present invention, the fastening rods are screwed into and connected to the connecting member externally fitted and installed at the intermediate portion of the support shaft and the support shaft provided on the operating lever in a thread relationship opposite to each other.

[0022] According to this embodiment, by rotating and adjusting the fastening rods, the distance between the connecting member and the support shaft provided on the operating lever can be adjusted. Thus, even when the elastic characteristics of the support shaft of the movable connecting member deteriorate due to aging or residual flexure, etc., resulting in loosening of the fastening, the desired fastening characteristics can be restored by rotating and adjusting the fastening rods.

[0023] (6) The combination scale according to the present invention includes: a dispersing feeder for dispersing and transporting the supplied articles outward; a plurality of straight-feeders provided around the dispersing feeder; and a plurality of supply hoppers and a plurality of weighing hoppers provided corresponding to each straight-feeder,

[0024] The straight-feeder is a feeder for transporting articles according to any one of the above (1) to (5), which is configured such that a trough serving as an article transporter can be detachably mounted on the vibrating head of the exciting mechanism.

[0025] According to the combination scale of the present invention, the support shaft that can elastically flex and deform for elastically holding the engagement between the vibrating head of the straight-feeder and the trough is a member with a simpler shape compared to a helical spring, and it is easy to clean, and the labor and time required for cleaning a plurality of straight-feeders can be reduced.

[0026] In addition, after detaching the trough of the straight-feeder and cleaning it, the trough can be reliably connected to the vibrating head of the exciting mechanism with a specified fastening characteristic.

[0027] Thus, according to the present invention, cleaning can be easily performed, and an article carrier can be reliably connected to a vibration head with stable fastening. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a combination weigher according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a side view of a linear feeder of the combination weigher.

[0030] Figure 3 FIG. is a bottom view of the linear feeder.

[0031] Figure 4 FIG. is a perspective view of a trough mounting portion of the linear feeder as viewed from below.

[0032] Figure 5 FIG. is a perspective view of a vibration head of the linear feeder.

[0033] Figure 6 FIG. is a bottom view of the trough mounting portion of the linear feeder.

[0034] Figure 7 FIG. is a bottom view showing an assembly process in the trough mounting portion of the linear feeder.

[0035] Figure 8 is Figure 6 a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG.

[0036] Figure 9 FIG. is a cross-sectional bottom view showing a part of the trough mounting portion of the linear feeder.

[0037] Figure 10 FIG. is a partially cut-away side view showing a trough installation process of the linear feeder.

[0038] Figure 11 FIG. is a partially cut-away side view showing a trough installation process of the linear feeder.

[0039] Figure 12 FIG. is a partially cut-away side view showing a trough installation process of the linear feeder.

[0040] Figure 13 FIG. is a longitudinally cut-away side view magnifying a trough fastening portion of the linear feeder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0042] Figure 1Fig. 1 is a schematic structural view of a combination scale equipped with a feeder for transporting articles according to an embodiment of the present invention. The combination scale of this embodiment is a combination scale that measures and discharges various articles such as foods in a specified amount, and is installed on a floor surface F and used in a packaging line or the like for putting the measured articles into a packaging machine (not shown) provided below for bagging.

[0043] A hollow base 1 is provided on the floor surface F. A large through-opening is formed in the central portion of the base 1 in the vertical direction. The planar shape of the base 1 is formed as a rectangle. Above the center of the base 1, a hollow short-column-shaped central base 2 is supported via legs 3.

[0044] At the upper center of the central base 2, a dispersion feeder 4 is equipped to disperse and transport the articles that fall and are supplied from the terminal of a supply conveyor (not shown) in a radial pattern by vibration. A plurality of straight-feeders 5 as article transport feeders are radially arranged around the dispersion feeder 4 to receive the dispersed and transported articles and linearly transport them outward by vibration.

[0045] Furthermore, on the outer periphery of the central base 2, a supply hopper 6 for temporarily storing the articles transported by each straight-feeder 5 and a weighing hopper 7 for weighing the weight of the articles discharged from each supply hopper 6 are equipped. Then, the articles are combined and weighed and discharged by a plurality of weighing units each including these straight-feeders 5, supply hoppers 6, and weighing hoppers 7 as a group.

[0046] A collecting chute 8 for collecting the discharged articles is provided below the weighing hopper 7, and a collecting funnel 9 for collecting the articles that slide down from the collecting chute 8 to the center below the central base 2 is provided at the lower end of the collecting chute 8. Furthermore, a collecting hopper 10 is arranged below the collecting funnel 9. The collecting hopper 10 is used to temporarily receive and store the articles collected by the collecting funnel 9 and perform a discharging operation according to a discharge request instruction from the packaging machine side.

[0047] The dispersion feeder 4 has a top cone 11 formed in a gently inclined umbrella shape and an electromagnetic excitation mechanism 12 for driving it to vibrate. The excitation mechanism 12 is provided at the center inside the central base 2. Although the detailed structure is not shown, the vibrating head of the excitation mechanism 12 is exposed on the upper surface of the central base 2. The top cone 11 is detachably mounted on the vibrating head. In addition, the excitation mechanism 12 is supported inside the central base 2 via a weight sensor 13. The weight of the articles on the dispersion feeder 4 is detected by this weight sensor 13. According to the detected weight detection information, the supply conveyor (not shown) is controlled to be turned on / off, so as to supply articles with a weight within a set range to the dispersion feeder 4.

[0048] The linear feeder 5 has a gutter-shaped groove 14 and an electromagnetic excitation mechanism 15 for driving it in vibration. The excitation mechanism 15 of each linear feeder 5 is arranged in the central base 2 so as to surround the excitation mechanism 12 of the dispersing feeder 4.

[0049] A drive unit 16 is installed on the outer peripheral portion of the central base 2. The drive unit 16 incorporates a drive mechanism for opening and closing the doors of the supply hopper 6 and the metering hopper 7, a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the articles in the metering hopper 7, etc. The supply hopper 6 and the metering hopper 7 are detachably mounted and supported on the drive unit 16.

[0050] In the combination scale of this embodiment, the detachable structure of the groove 14 in the linear feeder 5, which is an example of an article conveying feeder, is configured as follows. In the following description, for ease of understanding the structure, the conveyance start end side (the dispersing feeder 4 side) of the linear feeder 5 is referred to as the front side (front), the conveyance terminal side (the supply hopper 6 side) is referred to as the rear side (rear), and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the linear feeder 5 is referred to as the left-right direction.

[0051] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a side view of the linear feeder 5 of the combination scale, Figure 3 is a bottom view of the linear feeder 5, Figure 4 is a perspective view of the groove mounting portion of the linear feeder 5 as viewed from below. Additionally, Figure 5 is a perspective view of the vibration head of the linear feeder 5, Figure 6 is a bottom view of the groove mounting portion of the linear feeder 5.

[0052] As the groove 14 which is an article conveying body in the linear feeder 5, a reinforcing plate 14b is welded and fixed to the outer side surface and the lower surface of a groove main body 14a formed by bending a thin plate into a gutter shape that expands upward and is open. Further, a support plate 14c which is formed by bending a thick plate into a U shape and is relatively long in the front-rear direction is welded and fixed to the lower surface of the reinforcing plate 14b. A detachable mechanism 20 with respect to the vibration head 15a of the excitation mechanism 15 is provided on the lower surface of the support plate 14c.

[0053] In the first half of the detachable mechanism 20, a connecting plate 21 made of a thick plate welded and fixed to the support plate 14c on the lower surface of the groove and a movable connecting plate 22 which is a movable connecting member that is relatively long in the front-rear direction and is slidably fitted and supported on the connecting plate 21 are provided.

[0054] As Figure 4As shown, a substantially circular placement portion 21a is provided at the rear of the connection plate 21, and a rectangular engagement connection portion 21b is connected and provided in front thereof. A guiding recess 23 is formed in the placement portion 21a and opens backward to engage the movable connection plate 22 so that it can slide back and forth. A forward engaging hook 24 and engaging pins 25 for left and right positioning are provided protruding from the lower surface of the engagement connection portion 21b.

[0055] The movable connection plate 22 is formed slightly thinner than the connection plate 21. On the inner side surfaces of the connection plate 21 that are opposite to the left and right of the guiding recess 23, engagement pieces 26 that are longer in the front-rear direction are welded and fixed to the lower surface of the connection plate 21 so as to protrude inward of the guiding recess 23 on the same surface. The vertical thickness of the engagement pieces 26 is set to a dimension corresponding to the difference in thickness between the connection plate 21 and the movable connection plate 22. As Figure 6 shown in the A-A cross-sectional view of Figure 8 as shown, the engagement pieces 26 are configured such that the left and right edges of the movable connection plate 22 that are engaged in the guiding recess 23 are sandwiched between the lower surface of the support plate 14c and the upper surface of the engagement pieces 26, so that it can be guided and supported to slide back and forth.

[0056] At the left and right edges of the movable connection plate 22, mounting recesses 27 that are slightly longer than the front-rear length of the engagement pieces 26 are formed by cutting. That is, when the movable connection plate 22 is mounted on the connection plate 21, as Figure 7 shown, first, the mounting recesses 27 are aligned with the engagement pieces 26 and the movable connection plate 22 is engaged in the guiding recess 23, and then the movable connection plate 22 is moved backward, so that the movable connection plate 22 can be fitted and supported on the connection plate 21 without falling.

[0057] In addition, a guiding pin 28 having a large-diameter head is provided protruding from the lower surface of the support plate 14c, and a guiding groove 29 for inserting and engaging the guiding pin 28 is formed in the movable connection plate 22. In this way, the movable connection plate 22 is engaged and supported at two places in the front and rear by the engagement pieces 26 and the guiding pin 28, and can be fitted and supported to slide back and forth without falling.

[0058] An engagement hole 30 for engaging and connecting with the vibration head 15a side is provided at the front of the movable connection plate 22, and the front of the engagement hole 30 is formed to have a small diameter. In addition, as Figure 6 、 Figure 8 shown, a wedge-shaped inclined surface s is formed on the periphery of the engagement hole 30 and faces inward and downward.

[0059] As Figure 4 、 Figure 6 etc. shown, the movable connection plate 22 is linked and connected to the fastening operation portion 20a provided at the rear side of the disassembly and assembly mechanism 20. By rotating the operating rod 37 of the fastening operation portion 20a, the movable connection plate 22 slides back and forth.

[0060] A pair of left and right shaft support portions 31 are protrudingly provided opposite to the rear end portion of the movable connection plate 22. A support shaft 32 is horizontally supported transversely across the two shaft support portions 31, and a connection member 33 is rotatably externally fitted to the left and right intermediate portions of the support shaft 32.

[0061] Here, the support shaft 32 is formed of a rigid resin material (such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP: Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics)) that can be elastically flexed and deformed. As Figure 9 shown in the cross-sectional bottom view, since the bearing member 34 is screwed into the shaft support portion 31 from the outside, the support shaft 32 is fixed in a constant position. The end portion of the support shaft 32 is inserted into the bearing member 34 and is supported in a double-supported state. According to this structure, by pulling out the bearing member 34 from the shaft support portion 31 outward, the support shaft 32 can be easily pulled out and removed in the axial direction. In the case where the support shaft 32 is damaged, etc., the support shaft 32 can be easily replaced.

[0062] A pair of left and right resin bushings 35 are interposed at the support shaft insertion portion of the connection member 33, which can prevent the edge of the support shaft insertion hole of the connection member 33 made of a metal material such as stainless steel from directly biting into the support shaft 32 and damaging the support shaft 32. Among them, the bushing 35 can also be an integral type.

[0063] As Figure 4 、 Figure 6 shown, a fulcrum bracket 36 bolted to the lower surface of the support plate 14c and an operating rod 37 pivotally connected to the fulcrum bracket 36 so as to be able to rotate up and down around the lateral fulcrum p are provided on the fastening operation portion 20a. A support shaft 38 is rotatably provided at the middle in the longitudinal direction of the operating rod 37. A fastening rod 39 screwed and connected orthogonally to the central portion of the support shaft 38 extends forward. The front end portion of the fastening rod 39 is screwed and connected to the connection member 33 installed on the movable connection plate 22 via the support shaft 32.

[0064] The threads provided at both end portions of the fastening rod 39 are in a relationship of opposite threads to each other, one end portion being a left thread and the other end portion being a right thread. By rotating the fastening rod 39 forward and backward, the distance between the connection member 33 and the support shaft 38 can be finely adjusted.

[0065] On the other hand, as Figure 5As shown, the mounting plate 41 made of thick plate is horizontally connected and fixed to the vibrating head 15a in the excitation mechanism 15 by a pair of screws 42. The mounting plate 41 is formed in a shape having a circular mounting portion 41a and a rectangular engaging and connecting portion 41b extending forward therefrom. At the center of the mounting portion 41a of the mounting plate 41, a connecting pin 43 having a large-diameter head 43a is erected and welded and fixed. The large-diameter head 43a of the connecting pin 43 is formed in an inverted umbrella shape having a wedge-shaped inclined surface t downward and outward.

[0066] In addition, a rectangular engaging hole 44 corresponding to the engaging hook 24 on the groove side and a longitudinal hole 45 corresponding to the engaging pin 25 on the groove side are provided on the engaging and connecting portion 41b.

[0067] The mounting plate 41 is fastened together with the circular support plate 46 disposed below it and connected to the vibrating head 15a. The upper end opening edge of the waterproof bellows 48 is embedded and supported in the annular groove 47 formed in the support plate 46. In addition, although not shown, the lower end opening edge of the waterproof bellows 48 is waterproofly fitted and supported on the periphery of the opening portion for inserting the head formed on the upper surface of the central base 2. Through the waterproof bellows 48, when the disassembly groove 14 is cleaned, it is possible to prevent the cleaning water from entering the central base 2 from the insertion portion of the vibrating head 15a.

[0068] Next, the procedure for connecting and fixing the groove 14 to the excitation mechanism 15 using the above-mentioned disassembly and assembly mechanism 20 will be described.

[0069] First, as Figure 10 shown, with the operating rod 37 of the fastening operation portion 20a rotated downward significantly to slide the movable connecting plate 22 forward, the groove 14 is carried above the vibrating head 15a.

[0070] Next, as Figure 11 shown, the groove 14 is placed on the vibrating head 15a, the engaging hook 24 is inserted through the engaging hole 44, and the engaging pin 25 is engaged with the front portion of the longitudinal hole 45. At this time, the connecting pin 43 is inserted into the large-diameter portion of the engaging hole 30 in the movable connecting plate 22.

[0071] Next, the groove 14 placed on the vibrating head 15a is slightly pushed forward so that the inner corner portion of the engaging hook 24 abuts against the leading edge of the engaging hole 44. After that, as Figure 12 shown, the operating rod 37 is rotated upward. As the operating rod 37 rotates upward, the support shaft 38 moves backward, and the movable connecting plate 22 slides backward.

[0072] Until the axis of the support shaft 38 moves upward beyond the dead point d passing through the lever fulcrum p and the axis q of the support shaft 32, as the movable connecting plate 22 moves backward, the small-diameter portion in the engaging hole 30 is hooked on the large-diameter head portion of the connecting pin 43. Thus, as Figure 13 shown, the upward wedge-shaped inclined surface s of the engaging hole 30 engages with the downward wedge-shaped inclined surface t of the large-diameter head portion 43a.

[0073] If the operating lever 37 is rotated more strongly upward from this state, while the backward movement is blocked by the engagement between the connecting pin 43 and the engaging hole 30, the support shaft 38 tends to move further backward, and the fastening lever 39 is strongly pulled backward. Due to this backward force acting on the central portion of the support shaft 32 via the connecting member 33, the support shaft 32 elastically flexes and deforms backward.

[0074] When the axis of the support shaft 38 reaches the dead point d passing through the lever fulcrum p and the axis q of the support shaft 32, the flexural deformation of the support shaft 32 is maximum.

[0075] As Figure 12 shown, when the upper edge of the operating lever 37 reaches the upper rotation limit where it abuts against the bottom surface of the fulcrum bracket 36, the axis of the support shaft 38 is in a state where it moves slightly upward beyond the above-mentioned dead point d. At this time, the support shaft 32 is in a slightly flexed and deformed state. Due to the elastic restoring force of the support shaft 32, the movable connecting plate 22 is pulled forward, and the connecting plate 21 is in a state of being pushed forward. Thus, the engaging hook 24 engages firmly with the engaging hole 44, and due to the wedge action accompanying the engagement of the wedge-shaped inclined surfaces s and t of the engaging hole 30 and the connecting pin 43, the movable connecting plate 22 is strongly pushed toward the vibration head 15a side. As a result, the connecting plate 21 is strongly pushed and engaged with the mounting plate 41 of the vibration head 15a.

[0076] Therefore, the entire groove 14 is reliably and firmly fastened and fixed in a state where it is correctly positioned relative to the vibration head 15a at a specified position.

[0077] If the above steps are performed in reverse, the groove 14 can be easily disassembled from the vibration head 15a, and the groove 14 and the vibration head 15a exposed at the upper part of the central base 2 can be cleaned.

[0078] The disassembled groove 14 can be easily cleaned and the attached substances removed by performing forward and reverse rotation operations on the operating lever 37 so that the movable connecting plate 22 slides back and forth while forcefully spraying cleaning water.

[0079] In addition, as Figure 5 shown, the vibration head 15a from which the groove has been disassembled is substantially flat, and only the engaging hole 44 and the front and rear elongated holes 45 are open on the mounting plate 41, and one connecting pin 43 protrudes. Therefore, even if fragments or debris of an article adhere to these parts, they can be easily cleaned and removed.

[0080] According to this embodiment, manufacturing errors and installation errors of each component can be absorbed by the elastic flexural deformation of the support shaft 32. Thus, it is not necessary to adjust each of the multiple in-line feeders 5 of the combination scale in order to make the fastening characteristics uniform.

[0081] In addition, in the case where the elastic characteristics of the support shaft 32 change due to aging such as wear and the fastening becomes loose, the fastening condition can be restored and adjusted by rotating the fastening rod 39. Further, in the case where the elastic characteristics of the support shaft 32 deteriorate extremely or the support shaft 32 is damaged, the support shaft 32 can be disassembled and simply replaced by pulling out the bearing member 34 from the shaft support portion 31 to the outside.

[0082] [Other Embodiments]

[0083] The present invention can also be implemented in the following manner.

[0084] (1) In the above embodiment, a circular arrangement type combination scale in which multiple groups of metering units are arranged around the dispersion feeder 4 is illustrated, and the metering unit includes the in-line feeder 5, the supply hopper 6, and the metering hopper 7 as a group. However, a linear arrangement type combination scale in which multiple groups of metering units are arranged in a horizontal row can also be applied.

[0085] (2) The present invention can also be applied to a dispersion feeder which is an article conveying feeder using a top cone as an article carrier.

[0086] Description of Reference Numerals

[0087] 5 In-line feeder

[0088] 14 Groove (article carrier)

[0089] 15 Vibration mechanism

[0090] 15a Vibration head

[0091] 20 Mounting / demounting mechanism

[0092] 20a Fastening operation portion

[0093] 22 Movable link plate (movable link member)

[0094] 31 Shaft support portion

[0095] 32 Support shaft

[0096] 34 Bearing member

[0097] 37 Operating rod

[0098] 38 Support shaft

[0099] 39 Fastening rod

Claims

1. A feeder (5) for transporting articles, in which an article transporter (14) for placing and transporting articles is detachably mounted on a vibration head (15a) of a vibration mechanism (15). The feeder (5) for transporting articles is provided with a detaching and attaching mechanism (20) for detachably mounting the vibration head (15a) on the article transporter (14). The detaching and attaching mechanism (20) includes a connecting plate (21) in the front - rear direction and a movable connecting member (22) that is slidably fitted and supported on the connecting plate (21) in the front - rear direction. A pair of left - and - right shaft support portions (31) are oppositely provided at the rear end portion of the movable connecting member (22), and a support shaft (32) is supported between the two shaft support portions (31). A connecting member (33) is rotatably mounted on the support shaft (32). The detaching and attaching mechanism (20) further includes: A fastening operation portion (20a) having an operation lever (37), and by the rotational operation of the operation lever (37), the engagement between the vibration head (15a) and the article transporter (14) is fastened and held. The support shaft (32) can elastically flex and deform and is connected to the fastening operation portion (20a) through the connecting member (33), so that the movable connecting member (22) can be moved by the rotational operation of the operation lever (37). The feeder (5) for transporting articles causes the support shaft (32) to elastically flex and deform through the movement of the movable connecting member (22) generated by the rotational operation of the operation lever (37) of the fastening operation portion (20a), thereby elastically holding the engagement between the vibration head (15a) and the article transporter (14).

2. The feeder for transporting articles according to claim 1, wherein, The vibration head and the movable connecting member respectively have wedging inclined surfaces for engagement. The feeder for transporting articles pushes the article transporter toward the vibration head side through the wedging action of the wedging inclined surfaces generated by the movement of the movable connecting member.

3. The feeder for transporting articles according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The support shaft provided on the movable connecting member and the operation lever of the fastening operation portion are connected through a fastening rod and the connecting member.

4. The feeder for transporting articles according to claim 3, wherein, The connecting member is externally fitted and mounted at an intermediate portion of the support shaft provided on the movable connecting member, and a bushing is interposed at the portion of the connecting member through which the support shaft is inserted.

5. The feeder for transporting articles according to claim 4, wherein, The fastening rods are screwed and connected to the connecting member externally fitted and mounted at the intermediate portion of the support shaft and the support shaft provided on the operation lever in mutually opposite thread relationships.

6. A combination scale includes: a dispersion feeder for dispersedly transporting supplied articles outward; a plurality of straight - through feeders provided around the dispersion feeder; and a plurality of supply hoppers and a plurality of metering hoppers provided corresponding to each straight - through feeder. The linear feeder is the feeder for transporting an article according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, which is configured such that a trough serving as an article transporter can be detachably mounted on a vibrating head of a vibration mechanism.

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