Method for arranging raw material sheets

Abstract

Provided is a method in which a plurality of raw material sheets (P) disposed adjacent to each other in the conveyance direction (A) on a first belt conveyor (3) are rotated by 90 degrees and arranged on a second belt conveyor (4) disposed on the downstream side of the first belt conveyor. When the center position (PC) of one raw material sheet is shifted from a reference position (TC) in a preset width direction (B), and the shifted side is the side returning with respect to a predetermined rotation direction on the downstream side of the one raw material sheet, the holding position (HL) of the raw material sheet on the first belt conveyor is shifted to a position (HL2) on the upstream side. When the shifted side is the side that advances with respect to the prescribed rotational direction on the downstream side of the one raw material sheet, the holding position (HL) of the raw material sheet on the first belt conveyor is shifted toward the downstream position (HL2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for arranging food raw material slices such as bread raw material slices, and more specifically, to a method for rotating a plurality of raw material slices adjacent to each other in a conveying direction on a first belt conveyor by 90 degrees and arranging them on a second belt conveyor arranged on the downstream side of the first belt conveyor. Background Art

[0002] There is known a method of rotating a plurality of material sheets adjacent to each other in the conveying direction on a first belt conveyor by 90 degrees using a holding means and arranging the sheets on a second belt conveyor disposed downstream of the first belt conveyor (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-146781

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-074998 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] Although the raw material sheets on the first belt conveyor are held at the same position by the holding unit, the positions of the raw material sheets arranged on the second belt conveyor are sometimes unstable in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. This is considered to be because, for example, the raw material sheets are deformed due to a temporal change in the properties (softness) of the raw material sheets, or the positions of the raw material sheets are shifted relative to the holding unit.

[0009] For example, if the position of the triangular croissant raw material sheet arranged on the second belt conveyor is offset in the width direction, it is sometimes impossible to achieve center alignment of the raw material sheet in the winding device and bending device arranged on the downstream side, and the shape of the raw material sheet after forming is asymmetric or unstable.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for stabilizing the position of a raw material sheet arranged on a second belt conveyor after being rotated 90 degrees by a holding unit in the width direction.

[0011] Solutions for solving problems

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the method of the present invention is a method of rotating a plurality of raw material sheets arranged adjacent to each other in the conveying direction on a first belt conveyor by 90 degrees and arranging them on a second belt conveyor arranged on the downstream side of the first belt conveyor, wherein:

[0013] The method is constructed to include the following actions:

[0014] (a) detecting, by an upstream sensor, a position of a raw material sheet moved in a conveying direction by the first belt conveyor relative to the first belt conveyor;

[0015] (b) when the one raw material sheet reaches a predetermined position relative to the first belt conveyor, moving a holding unit for holding the one raw material sheet in a conveying direction so that an alignment position of the holding unit reaches a holding position of the raw material sheet;

[0016] (c) lowering the holding unit while moving in the conveying direction at the same speed as the one raw material sheet, thereby holding the one raw material sheet by the holding unit, and further moving the holding unit toward the downstream side at a speed faster than the speed of the first belt conveyor;

[0017] (d) after rotating the one raw material sheet by 90 degrees in a predetermined rotation direction, raising the holding unit to release the one raw material sheet;

[0018] (e) detecting a center position of the one raw material sheet released from the second belt conveyor in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction;

[0019] (f) when the center position of the one raw material sheet is offset relative to a preset reference position in the width direction, and the offset side is the side of the downstream side of the one raw material sheet that is returned relative to the prescribed rotation direction, the holding position of the raw material sheet on the first belt conveyor is offset toward the upstream side;

[0020] (g) When the center position of one of the raw material sheets is offset relative to the reference position, and the offset side is the side of the downstream side of the one of the raw material sheets that moves forward relative to the prescribed rotation direction, the holding position of the raw material sheet on the first belt conveyor is offset toward the downstream side.

[0021] According to (f) and (g), by bringing the center position of the one raw material sheet closer to the reference position, the position of the raw material sheets arranged on the second belt conveyor can be stabilized in the width direction.

[0022] In the present invention, it is preferred that after the step (d), the one released raw material sheet is aligned using an alignment gate, and then the step (e) is performed.

[0023] In the present invention, preferably, in the above-mentioned (b), the movement of the holding means is controlled based on a signal of an encoder that generates a pulse due to the movement of the first belt conveyor.

[0024] In the present invention, it is preferred that the plurality of raw material sheets arranged adjacent to each other in the conveying direction on the first belt conveyor include one raw material sheet on the downstream side and one raw material sheet on the upstream side.

[0025] Performing the above steps (a) to (c) on a raw material sheet on the downstream side,

[0026] Then, the steps (a) to (c) are performed on a raw material sheet on the upstream side.

[0027] Then, the step (d) is performed simultaneously on a raw material sheet on the downstream side and a raw material sheet on the upstream side.

[0028] Thereafter, the above-mentioned (e) to (g) are performed on one of the raw material sheets on the downstream side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It is a schematic top view of a portion of the device of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 It is a schematic left side view of the device of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 It is a schematic front view of the device of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 It is a schematic top view of the device of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5 It is a schematic front view of a part of the device of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 It is a schematic top view of a portion of the device of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 It is a schematic left side view of the device of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8a This is a schematic diagram for explaining the basic operation of the method of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8b This is a schematic diagram for explaining the basic operation of the method of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 8c This is a schematic diagram for explaining the basic operation of the method of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 9a This is a schematic diagram for explaining the method of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 9b This is a schematic diagram for explaining the method of the present invention.

[0041] Fig.9cThis is a schematic diagram for explaining the method of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 9d This is a schematic diagram for explaining the method of the present invention.

[0043] Fig.10a This is a schematic diagram for explaining the method of the present invention.

[0044] Fig.10b This is a schematic diagram for explaining the method of the present invention.

[0045] Fig.10c This is a schematic diagram for explaining the method of the present invention.

[0046] Fig.10d This is a schematic diagram for explaining the method of the present invention.

[0047] Fig.11 It is a right side view of the gate.

[0048] Fig.12 It is a top view of the gate.

[0049] Fig.13 It is the main view of the gate.

[0050] Fig.14a This is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the gate.

[0051] Fig.14b This is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the gate.

[0052] Fig.14c This is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the gate.

[0053] Fig.14d This is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the gate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] Reference Figure 1 to Figure 7 , an example of an arrangement system used in the method of the present invention is briefly described. Figure 1 to Figure 7 In the figure, the figure mark "A" represents the conveying direction (front-to-back direction) of the raw material sheet P from the upstream side (rear side) to the downstream side (front side), the figure mark "B" represents the width direction (left-right direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction A, and "C" represents the up-down direction.

[0055] like Figure 1 to Figure 4As shown, the arrangement system 1 comprises: left and right frames 2; a first belt conveyor 3, which conveys a plurality of raw material sheets P arranged adjacent to each other in a conveying direction A; a second belt conveyor 4, which is arranged on the downstream side of the first belt conveyor 3; and an arrangement device 5, which rotates the raw material sheet P on the first belt conveyor 3 by 90 degrees and arranges it on the second belt conveyor 4, and the arrangement device 5 has a holding unit 10 for holding one raw material sheet P.

[0056] In this embodiment, the raw sheets P arranged adjacent to each other in the conveying direction A are arranged in two rows adjacent to each other in the width direction B. The raw sheets P are in the shape of an elongated triangle. The plurality of raw sheets P in one row are arranged so that the vertices of the triangle alternate left and right.

[0057] In the present embodiment, the arranging device 5 is configured to arrange two adjacent raw material sheets P (raw material sheet PD on the downstream side and raw material sheet PU on the upstream side) in the conveying direction A in two rows (the first row L1 on the left side and the second row L2 on the right side), that is, to arrange four raw material sheets P. The speed of the second belt conveyor 4 is set faster than the speed of the first belt conveyor 3.

[0058] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the holding unit 10 includes a holding plate 11 arranged horizontally and a plurality of holding pins 12 extending downward from the holding plate 11. The holding unit 10 can be moved up and down as described later, and is configured so that when the holding unit 10 is lowered, the holding pins 12 press the raw material sheet P to hold the raw material sheet P. The number and positions of the holding pins 12 are preferably determined in such a way that the raw material sheet P is not deformed as much as possible during the arrangement process. In this embodiment, seven holding pins 12 are installed on the holding plate 11.

[0059] like Figure 2 As shown, the arrangement device 5 includes: a first moving device 20 for moving the holding unit 10 in the conveying direction A; a second moving device 30 for moving the holding unit 10 in the width direction B; a third moving device 40 for moving the holding unit 10 in the vertical direction C; and a fourth moving device 50 for rotating the holding unit 10 around its vertical axis D. The arrangement device 5 also includes a driving device 60 for driving the second moving device 30.

[0060] In this embodiment, the arranging device 5 has four holding units 10 for four raw material sheets P (see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 ), four second moving devices 30 (refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 ) and four fourth moving devices 50 (refer to Figure 2, Figure 4 , Figure 5 ). In addition, the arrangement device 5 includes two sets of first moving devices 20 (refer to Figure 1 ) and two sets of third moving devices 40 (refer to Figure 1 ).

[0061] like Figure 2 As shown, the two sets of first moving devices 20 each have: left and right guide rails 21, which are installed on the frame 2 in a manner extending along the conveying direction A; left and right sliders 22, which move along the guide rails 21; left and right linear motors 23, which are used to move the left and right sliders 22 in the conveying direction A respectively; left and right brackets 24, which are installed on the sliders 22; and two (front and rear) cross plates 25, which are installed between the left and right brackets 24 in a manner extending along the width direction B. The left and right guide rails 21 are used in common for the two sets of first moving devices 20. With such a structure, the cross plate 25 is configured to be movable in the conveying direction A.

[0062] like Figure 5 As shown, each of the four second moving devices 30 has: front and rear guide rails 31, which are mounted on the front and rear cross plates 25 and extend in the width direction B; front and rear sliders 32, which move along the guide rails 31; a plate 33, which is mounted on the front and rear sliders 32; a rotating cylinder 34, which is arranged on the plate 33; a U-shaped bracket 35, which extends upward from the rotating cylinder 34; and four cam followers 36, which are mounted on the top of the U-shaped bracket 35. The rotating cylinder 34 has a rotating part 34a that rotates around the vertical axis D as the center and a through hole 34b extending along the vertical axis. With such a structure, the second moving device 30 itself is configured to be movable in the width direction B along the cross plate 25.

[0063] like Figure 2 As shown, the two sets of third moving devices 40 each include: left and right cylinders 41, which are mounted on left and right brackets 24 and can be extended and retracted in the vertical direction C; a U-shaped span 42, which extends between the left and right cylinders 41; and two U-shaped brackets 43, which are mounted on the span 42 in a manner that can slide in the width direction B. The span 42 has a long hole 42a extending in the width direction B, and the bracket 43 has a pin that slides in the long hole 42a. With such a structure, the U-shaped bracket 43 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction C relative to the cross plate 25.

[0064] like Figure 2As shown, each of the four fourth moving devices 50 has a tube guide 51 mounted on the rotating portion 34a of the rotating cylinder 34 and a plate 52 mounted on the tube guide 51. The tube guide 51 has a through hole 51a with a circular cross section extending in the up-down direction and a long hole 51b extending in the up-down direction C. In addition, each of the fourth moving devices 50 has a shaft 53 that is fitted with the through hole 51a in a manner that can slide in the up-down direction C and a pin 54 that extends from the shaft 53 to the long hole 51b of the tube guide 51. The shaft 53 passes through the through hole 34b of the rotating cylinder 34 and extends upward, and is mounted on the Japanese kana U-shaped bracket 43 in a manner that can rotate around the up-down axis D. In addition, the holding unit 10 is mounted on the lower end of the shaft 53. The plate 52 is located below the holding plate 11 and has a hole for the holding pin 12 to pass through when the holding plate 11 is lowered.

[0065] With such a structure, the holding unit 10 can be rotated by the rotary cylinder 34 around the vertical axis D by means of the long hole 51b of the cylinder guide 51 and the pin 54 of the shaft 53. In addition, the holding unit 10 can be moved in the vertical direction C by means of the cylinder 41 by means of the shaft 53, the U-shaped bracket 43 (third moving device 40) and the U-shaped span 42. In addition, the holding unit 10 can be moved in the conveying direction A by means of the linear motor 23 by means of the span plate 25.

[0066] In the present embodiment, the rotating cylinder 34 is configured to rotate 90 degrees. When viewed from above, the fourth moving device 50 for the downstream raw material sheet PD is configured to rotate the holding unit 10 counterclockwise R1, and the fourth moving device 50 for the upstream raw material sheet PU is configured to rotate the holding unit 10 clockwise R2 (see FIG. 9 ).

[0067] like Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the driving device 60 is configured to correspond to four rows, and has: two (front and rear) cross plates 61, which are installed between the left and right frames 2 in a manner extending in the width direction B; two (front and rear) guide rails 62, which are installed on the cross plate 61 in a manner extending in the width direction B; eight sliders 63, which move along the guide rails 62; and four driving rods 64, which are installed on the sliders 63 by means of brackets and extend in the conveying direction A. The two driving rods 64 are used for the first row L1 and the second row L2. In addition, the four cam followers 36 of the second moving device 30 are arranged on both sides of the driving rod 64 in a manner that can slide in the conveying direction A. With such a structure, the driving rod 64 can be moved in the width direction B, and the second moving device 30 is configured to move in the width direction B by moving the driving rod 64 in the width direction B.

[0068] The drive device 60 also has a scaling unit 70. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the zoom unit 70 includes: two span members 71 extending in the width direction B; a support block 72 slidably mounted on the span member 71 with the span member 71 interposed therebetween; a motor 73 mounted on the support block 72; a pinion 74 rotatably mounted on the motor 73; two racks 75 threadably engaged with the pinion 74 in a manner extending in the width direction B; and a zoom mechanism 76. Figure 6 As shown, the pantograph mechanism 76 has two X-shaped connecting rod portions 77 adjacent to each other and two V-shaped connecting rod portions 78 arranged at both ends of the X-shaped connecting rod portion 77 in the width direction B. The connecting rod portions 77 and 78 can be pivotally mounted at the intersection portion 77a, respectively. The four intersection portions 77a are arranged on a straight line extending in the width direction B. In addition, the ends of the adjacent connecting rod portions 77 and 78 can be pivotally mounted at the connection portion 77b. Three connection portions 77b are arranged on the upstream side of the intersection portion 77a, and three connection portions 77b are arranged on the downstream side of the intersection portion 77a. The four intersection portions 77a are pivotally connected to each driving rod 64. The two racks 75 are respectively supported in a cantilever manner on the driving rod 64 to which the V-shaped connecting rod portion 78 is installed. In addition, the two central pivoting portions each have a cam follower 79 extending upward. The support block 72 can be fixed at an appropriate position in the width direction B of the span member 71, and has a long hole 72a for receiving the cam follower 79 so that the cam follower 79 can slide in the conveying direction A. In this way, the zoom unit 70 is configured to operate the zoom mechanism 76 by rotating the pinion 74 using the motor 73, thereby expanding or contracting the drive rod 64 in the width direction B and at equal intervals.

[0069] With such a configuration, the holding unit 10 can be moved in the width direction B by the motor 73 via the second moving device 30 , the driving rod 64 , and the pantograph mechanism 76 .

[0070] like Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the aligning device 5 further includes a rotating plate type alignment gate 80. Thus, the downstream side edges of the raw material sheets P are aligned in the width direction.

[0071] like Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, the arrangement system 1 further includes: an upstream sensor 81, which is positioned above the first belt conveyor 3; a downstream sensor 82, which is positioned above the second belt conveyor 4; an encoder 83, which generates a signal according to the movement of the first belt conveyor 3; and a controller 84, which is connected to these sensors 81, 82 and the encoder 83. The controller 84 is connected to the linear motor 23 of the first moving device 20, the rotary cylinder 34 of the second moving device 30, the cylinder 41 of the third moving device 40, and the motor 73 of the driving device 60, and can control them. In particular, the controller 84 can control the position and movement speed of the holding unit 10 in the conveying direction A by controlling the linear motor 23.

[0072] Preferably, the downstream sensor 82 is a sensor of a type in which a plurality of detection elements are arranged in a straight line, thereby preferably being able to detect the length and position of the raw material sheet P at the detection position in the width direction B. In addition, the upstream sensor 81 may be a sensor of a type that can detect at least two locations in the width direction B of the raw material sheet P, thereby also being able to automatically determine the orientation of the triangular raw material sheet P.

[0073] Next, refer to Figure 8a to Figure 10d , the operation of the above-mentioned arrangement system 1 applied to one row of a raw material sheet will be described.

[0074] First, refer to Figure 8a to Figure 8c , explaining the basic operation. The holding unit 10 has a preset alignment position AL (e.g., center position) in the conveying direction A, and stops at the initial position in the conveying direction A. The raw material sheet P (PD) on the most downstream side has a preset holding position HL (e.g., center position) in the conveying direction A.

[0075] At a position DP in the predetermined conveying direction A of the first belt conveyor 3, the raw material sheet P is detected by the upstream sensor 81 (see Figure 8a , action (a)). Thereafter, the controller 84 is able to determine the position of the raw material sheet P based on the signal of the encoder 83.

[0076] Next, the controller 84 controls the linear motor 23 to move the holding unit 10 along the conveying direction A when the raw sheet P reaches a predetermined position AP in the conveying direction A of the first belt conveyor 3, so that the alignment position AL of the holding unit 10 reaches the holding position HL of the raw sheet P (see Figure 8b, action (b)). In the action (b), it is preferred that the movement of the holding unit 10 is controlled according to the signal of the encoder 83 that generates pulses in conjunction with the movement of the first belt conveyor 3, for example, the movement start time and movement speed of the holding unit 10 are determined according to the signal of the encoder 83. As a modified example, a timer can also be used to determine the time from the detection by the sensor to the movement start time. However, if a timer is used, the timer and speed settings must be changed when the production quantity or product is changed, which increases the burden on the operator. Therefore, it is preferred that the control based on the signal of the encoder 83, which is set in this way, is not required.

[0077] Next, the holding unit 10 is lowered while moving in the conveying direction A at the same speed as the original sheet P to hold the original sheet P, and further, the holding unit 10 is moved downstream at a speed faster than the speed of the first belt conveyor 3 (action (c)).

[0078] In the case of multiple rows, the holding unit 10 is moved a predetermined distance in the width direction B by the second moving device 30 and the driving device 60 so that the distance between the adjacent raw material sheets P in the width direction B is increased.

[0079] Next, after the raw material sheet P is rotated 90 degrees in a predetermined rotation direction (counterclockwise) R1, the holding unit 10 is raised on the second belt conveyor 4 to release the raw material sheet P (see Figure 8c , action (d)). Thus, the center position PC of the width direction B of the raw material sheet P should be consistent with the preset reference position TC. After the above action (d), it is preferred that the released raw material sheet P is aligned using the alignment gate 80.

[0080] Next, the rotational position and the width direction position of the holding unit 10 are restored to return the holding unit 10 to the initial position.

[0081] Next, refer to Figure 9a to Figure 10d , an example of the method of the present invention performed when the center position PC of the raw material sheet P does not coincide with the reference position TC is described.

[0082] After the above-mentioned action (d) (preferably, after the released raw sheet P is further aligned by the alignment gate 80), the center position PC of the raw sheet P in the width direction B is detected by the downstream sensor 82 (action (e)). The controller 84 determines to which side and by how much the center position PC is offset relative to the reference position TC.

[0083] The side offset from the reference position TC is the return side (in the downstream side) of the raw sheet P in the predetermined rotation direction (counterclockwise) R1. Figure 9aWhen the raw material sheet P to be moved next is to be close to the Figure 9b Therefore, the holding position HL of the raw material sheet P is shifted to the position HL2 on the upstream side (refer to Fig.9c , action (f)). The amount of offset of the holding position HL is arbitrary, for example, it can be the offset DC between the center position PC and the reference position TC, or half thereof.

[0084] The side offset from the reference position TC is the advancing side (in the downstream side) of the raw material sheet P in the predetermined rotation direction (counterclockwise) R1. Fig.10a When the raw material sheet P to be moved next is to be moved closer to the raw material sheet P, Fig.10b Therefore, the holding position PL of the raw sheet P is shifted to the position HL2 on the downstream side (refer to Fig.10c , action (g)). The amount of offset of the holding position HL is arbitrary, for example, it can be the offset DC between the center position PC and the reference position TC, or half thereof.

[0085] When the offset DC is large, if the amount of offset of the holding position HL is set to the offset DC, it is assumed that the raw material sheet P that moves next will be offset to the opposite side relative to the reference position TC. Therefore, it is desirable to repeat the operation of offsetting the holding position HL by half the offset DC so that the center position PC gradually approaches the reference position TC.

[0086] Next, an example in which the method of the present invention is applied to two material sheets P adjacent to each other in the conveyance direction A (the material sheet PD on the downstream side and the material sheet PU on the upstream side) will be described.

[0087] The above-mentioned actions (a) to (c) are performed on the raw material sheet PD on the downstream side. Thereafter, the above-mentioned actions (a) to (c) are performed on the raw material sheet PU on the upstream side. Thereafter, the above-mentioned action (d) is performed on the raw material sheet PD on the downstream side and the raw material sheet PU on the upstream side at the same time. In the case of a triangular-shaped raw material sheet P, the rotation direction of the raw material sheet PD on the downstream side and the rotation direction of the raw material sheet PU on the upstream side are opposite to each other. Thereafter, the above-mentioned actions (e) to (g) are performed on the raw material sheet PD on the downstream side.

[0088] The case where the predetermined rotation direction of the raw material sheet P is clockwise is the same as the case where the predetermined rotation direction of the raw material sheet P is counterclockwise. In action (f), the side offset from the reference position TC is the return side ( Fig.10a When the raw material sheet P to be moved next is to be moved closer to the raw material sheet P, Fig.10bTherefore, the holding position HL of the raw material sheet P is shifted to the position HL2 on the upstream side (refer to Fig.10d ). The amount of offset of the holding position HL is arbitrary, and may be, for example, the offset DC between the center position PC and the reference position TC, or half thereof.

[0089] The side offset from the reference position TC is the advancing side (in the clockwise direction) R2 of the predetermined rotation direction R2 at the downstream side of the raw material sheet P. Figure 9a When the raw material sheet P to be moved next is to be close to the Figure 9b Therefore, the holding position HL of the raw sheet P is shifted to the position HL2 on the downstream side (refer to Figure 9d ). The amount of offset of the holding position HL is arbitrary, and may be, for example, the offset DC between the center position PC and the reference position TC, or half thereof.

[0090] Next, refer to Figure 11 to Figure 13 , a preferred alignment gate 100 is described. The alignment gate 100 includes: a rotation shaft 110; two rotation plates 120, which are thin plates and extend radially outward from the rotation shaft 110; a support portion 130, which supports the rotation shaft 110 so that it can rotate; and a moving portion 140, which moves the rotation shaft 110 in the up-down direction C.

[0091] The rotating plates 120 extend in opposite directions to each other, ie, are separated in the rotating direction E by 180 degrees.

[0092] The support portion 130 includes a first support plate 131 that supports an end portion of one side of the rotating shaft 110 in a manner that allows the rotating shaft 110 to rotate, and a second support plate 132 that supports an end portion of the opposite side of the rotating shaft 110 in a manner that allows the rotating shaft 110 to rotate. Each of the first support plate 131 and the second support plate 132 includes a sliding portion 134 that can linearly move in the up-down direction C together with the rotating shaft 110. In addition, in order to rotate the rotating shaft 110, the support portion 130 includes: a motor 135a that is fixed to the first support plate 131; a driving pulley 135b that is mounted on the motor 135a; a driven pulley 135c that is fixed to an end portion of one side of the rotating shaft 110; and a driving belt 135d that is wound around the driving pulley 135b and the driven pulley 135c.

[0093] The moving part 140 includes: a pair of frames 141; a pair of sliding support parts 142, which support the sliding part 134 so that it can slide relative to the frame 141; a pair of cam plates 143, which are fixed to the two ends of the rotating shaft 110; and a pair of cam followers 144, which are fixed to the frame 141. In this embodiment, the sliding support part 142 includes a bracket 142a fixed to the frame 141 and two shafts 142b extending in the up-down direction C and having a circular cross section, and the shaft 142b includes two ends fixed to the bracket 142a. In addition, the sliding part 134 of the support plates 131 and 132 protrudes in a manner exceeding the shaft 142b and includes a circular hole 134a that can be slidably engaged with the shaft 142b. The cam plate 143 has a cam groove 143a that guides the cam follower 144. The cam groove 143a is arranged in a ring shape with the rotating shaft 110 as the center. The cam follower 144 is arranged above the rotating shaft 110. Thus, the cam follower 144 supports the rotating shaft 110 via the cam plate 143 .

[0094] The cam plate 143 is configured to move up and down relative to the frame 141 according to the distance of the cam groove 143a from the rotating shaft 110. In the present embodiment, the raised position HU (refer to Fig.14c ) is determined by the position CU of the cam groove 143a so that the top end 120a of the rotating plate 120 approaches the conveyor belt 4a of the second belt conveyor 4 when the rotating plate 120 is in the lower position. As a result, the movement of the raw sheet P is interrupted by the rotating plate, and a plurality of raw sheets P can be aligned in the width direction B. When the rotating plate 120 is in the horizontal position, the lowered position HD of the rotating shaft 110 (see Fig.14a ) is lower than the rising position HU. The cam groove 143a is an arc at the position CD. In addition, the cam groove 143a is curved in a range CL in a manner that the radius from the rotating shaft 110 becomes smaller toward the position CU, so that the top end 120a is kept close to the conveyor belt 4a (the gap between the top end 120a and the conveyor belt 4a is substantially the same) during the period when the rotating plate 120 rotates within a specified range including the lower position. In this way, the alignment gate 100 is configured to synchronize the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 with the movement in the up-down direction C. In addition, the alignment gate 100 is configured to use a motor 135a to perform the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 and the movement in the up-down direction C. At this time, the rotating shaft 110, the rotating plate 120, the first support plate 131, the second support plate 132 and the motor 135a are configured to move in the up-down direction C as a whole.

[0095] Furthermore, the aiming gate 100 has a sensor 150 for the purpose of rotation control. The rotation speed and rotation start timing of the motor 135a can be set arbitrarily.

[0096] Next, refer to Figure 14a to Figure 14d , illustrating the action of aligning the gate 100.

[0097] Fig.14a The alignment gate 100 is shown with the rotating plate 120 waiting in a horizontal position. The rotating shaft 110 is in the lowered position HD. When the sensor 150 senses the raw sheet P, the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 starts. The rotation speed of the rotating shaft 110 is determined to be constant in such a manner that the speed of the top end 120a of the rotating plate 120 in the conveying direction A is slightly lower than the speed of the conveyor belt 4a. Preferably, the start time of the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 is determined as follows: before the rotating plate 120 reaches the lower position, all rows of raw sheets P arrive at the rotating plate 120, and the raw sheets P are aligned.

[0098] After the top end 120a of the rotating plate 120 approaches the conveyor belt 4a (refer to Fig.14b ), the cam groove 143a is used to raise the rotating shaft 110 in a manner that maintains the interval between the top 120a of the rotating plate 120 and the conveyor belt 4a. The speed of the top 120a of the rotating plate 120 in the conveying direction A is slightly lower than the speed of the conveyor belt 4a and is kept constant.

[0099] When the rotating plate 120 is located at the lower position, the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 is stopped, and the plurality of raw material sheets P are aligned along the width direction B (refer to Fig.14c ). The rotating shaft 110 is located at the raised position HU. At this time, the center position of the raw material sheet P in the width direction B perpendicular to the conveying direction A is detected by the sensor 82 (action (e)).

[0100] If the raw material sheet P reaches the rotating plate 120 and is aligned before the rotating plate 120 reaches the lower position, the top end 120a of the rotating plate 120 moves in the conveying direction A. Therefore, the impact on the raw material sheet P during the alignment is smaller than the impact when the rotating plate 120 stops. Thus, the positional deviation of the raw material sheet P relative to the rotating plate 120 can be reduced. That is, the center position of the raw material sheet P in the width direction can be accurately detected by the sensor 82.

[0101] After a predetermined time has passed since the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 was stopped, the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 is restarted. The rotating shaft 110 is lowered by the cam groove 143a so as to maintain the distance between the top end 120a of the rotating plate 120 and the conveyor belt 4a. Then, the top end 120a is moved away from the conveyor belt 4a (see Fig.14d The rotation speed of the rotating shaft 110 is determined so that the speed of the top end 120a of the rotating plate 120 in the conveying direction A is faster than the speed of the conveyor belt 4a. Thus, the rotating plate 120 is pulled away from the raw material sheet P, and the raw material sheet P is released from the rotating plate 120. The rotating plate 120 is stopped in a horizontal position.

[0102] The arrangement method of the embodiment of the present invention is roughly described above, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, which are of course also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0103] The structure of the arrangement device 5 is not limited to the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment, but is arbitrary, for example, it can also be a structure described in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2. In addition, the structure of the holding unit 10 is not limited to the structure including the holding pin 12 of the above-mentioned embodiment, but is arbitrary, for example, it can also be a suction-type structure.

[0104] The number of rows of the raw material sheets P arranged adjacent to each other in the conveying direction A is not limited to the two rows in the above embodiment, but is arbitrary, and may be one row or more than three rows. In addition, the shape of the raw material sheet is not limited to the roughly triangular shape in the above embodiment, but is arbitrary, and may be, for example, a rectangle.

[0105] The alignment gate 80 is not limited to the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment, but is arbitrary and can be omitted if not necessary.

[0106] A rotary motor may be used instead of the rotary cylinder 34. The moving angle of the rotary motor may be 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, or 180 degrees corresponding to clockwise and counterclockwise. In the latter case, the orientation of the raw sheet P may be detected to automatically select clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0107] In the above embodiment, in order to determine the amount of offset of the holding position HL of the next moving raw material sheet P, the offset DC between the center position PC of the raw material sheet P and the reference position TC is used, but for example, the average value of multiple offsets DC may be used, or a value derived based on the tendency of the offset DC may be used.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the rotation of the rotating shaft 110 and the movement in the up-down direction C are performed by one motor 135 a , but the rotation and the movement in the up-down direction C may be performed by different motors that are synchronized with each other.

[0109] Description of Reference Numerals

[0110] 3. The first belt conveyor; 4. The second belt conveyor; 4a. Conveyor belt; 10. Holding unit; 80, 100. Alignment gate; 83. Encoder; 110. Rotation axis; 120. Rotation plate; 120a. Top end; A. Conveying direction; B. Width direction; AL. Alignment position of holding unit; AP. Position for making the alignment position of holding unit coincide with the holding position of raw material sheet; DP. Detection position of raw material sheet by upstream sensor; HL. Holding position of raw material sheet before rotation; P. Raw material sheet; PC. Center position of raw material sheet in width direction after rotation; TC. Reference position; R1. Counterclockwise; R2. Clockwise.

Claims

1. A method for rotating a plurality of raw material sheets (P) arranged adjacent to each other in a conveying direction (A) on a first belt conveyor (3) by 90 degrees and arranging them on a second belt conveyor (4) arranged on the downstream side of the first belt conveyor (3), wherein: The method includes the following actions: (a) detecting, by an upstream sensor (81), a position (DP) of a raw material sheet (P) moved in a conveying direction (A) by the first belt conveyor (3) relative to the first belt conveyor; (b) when the one raw material sheet (P) reaches a predetermined position (AP) relative to the first belt conveyor (3), a holding unit (10) for holding the one raw material sheet (P) is moved along a conveying direction (A) so that an alignment position (AL) of the holding unit (10) reaches a holding position (HL) of the one raw material sheet (P); (c) causing the holding unit (10) to move in the conveying direction (A) at the same speed as the one raw material sheet (P) while lowering, thereby using the holding unit (10) to hold the one raw material sheet (P), and further causing the holding unit (10) to move toward the downstream side at a speed faster than the speed of the first belt conveyor (3); (d) after rotating the one raw material sheet (P) by 90 degrees in a predetermined rotation direction (R1, R2), raising the holding unit (10) to release the one raw material sheet (P); (e) detecting a center position (PC) of the one raw material sheet (P) released from the second belt conveyor (4) in a width direction (B) perpendicular to the conveying direction (A); (f) when the center position (PC) of the one raw material sheet (P) is offset relative to a preset reference position (TC) in the width direction, and the offset side is the side of the downstream side of the one raw material sheet (P) that returns relative to the prescribed rotation direction (R1, R2), the holding position (HL) of the one raw material sheet (P) on the first belt conveyor (3) is offset toward the upstream side; (g) When the center position (PC) of the one raw material sheet (P) is offset relative to the reference position (TC), and the offset side is the side at the downstream side of the one raw material sheet (P) that moves forward relative to the specified rotation direction (R1, R2), the holding position (HL) of the one raw material sheet (P) on the first belt conveyor (3) is offset toward the downstream side.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: After the step (d), the released raw material sheet (P) is aligned using an alignment gate (80, 100), and then the step (e) is performed.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The alignment gate (100) comprises a rotating shaft (110) and a rotating plate (120) mounted on the rotating shaft (110). The rotating shaft (110) is rotated and raised in such a manner that the top end (120a) of the rotating plate (120) approaches the conveyor belt (4a) of the second belt conveyor (4) and moves along the conveying direction (A) at a speed slower than that of the conveyor belt (4a), and the one raw material sheet (P) is aligned by means of the rotating plate (120) while the top end (120a) of the rotating plate (120) moves along the conveying direction (A).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: In the above (b), the movement of the holding unit (10) is controlled based on a signal of an encoder (83) that generates pulses due to the movement of the first belt conveyor (3).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of raw material sheets (P) arranged adjacent to each other in the conveying direction (A) on the first belt conveyor (3) include one raw material sheet (P) on the downstream side and one raw material sheet (P) on the upstream side. Performing the steps (a) to (c) on a raw material sheet (P) on the downstream side, Then, the steps (a) to (c) are performed on one of the raw material sheets (P) on the upstream side. Then, the step (d) is performed simultaneously on one raw material sheet (P) on the downstream side and one raw material sheet (P) on the upstream side, Thereafter, the steps (e) to (g) are performed on one of the raw material sheets (P) on the downstream side.

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