Conveying device that can handle unstable heavy object

Abstract

To develop a conveying device that can convey a workpiece reliably and stably, even if the workpiece is an unstable heavy object with a short round cross section.SOLUTION: A conveying device C according to the present invention includes a base frame 2 provided with a main conveyor 3 for conveying a workpiece W and a regulating body 4 for regulating the conveyance posture of the workpiece W. The regulating body 4 is provided in a space 3S between rollers of the main conveyor 3, and a holding arm 41 of the regulating body 4 has one end rotatably attached to the base frame 2 and the other end arranged toward the outside of the conveying track of the main conveyor 3. By raising the outer end of the holding arm 41 with a shift device 5, the outer end of the holding arm 41 is protruded upward from the conveyance surface of the main conveyor 3, thereby regulating the conveyance posture of the workpiece W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device capable of handling unstable heavy objects, which can safely and accurately convey short and large-diameter annular column members and the like for forming diaphragm materials at the connection parts of unstable heavy objects such as steel frame structures.

Background Art

[0002] For example, a short column member for forming a diaphragm material is obtained by cutting a tubular starting material having a round cross-section in a cylindrical shape or a square cross-section in a square tube shape into short lengths, which is an example of an unstable heavy object. Then, this short column member is subsequently subjected to chamfering on the cut end face or the like, and for this reason, transfer by the above-described transfer device is performed in the transfer paths before and after in the chamfering machine. And many of the above-described transfer devices are roller conveyors in which a large number of single rollers are arranged in alignment. However, it is undeniable that a column member having a relatively short longitudinal dimension is unstable in the transfer direction. In addition, in the case of a column member having a round cross-section, it is expected to roll in the lateral direction (the lateral direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, also referred to as the width direction) of the transfer track, and the unstable state during transfer is further increased.

[0003] For these reasons, first, in a transfer device to which a roller conveyor is applied, in order to ensure stability in the transfer direction regardless of whether the workpiece to be transferred is a column member with a square cross-section or a round cross-section, the arrangement pitch of the single rollers is made dense, and the workpiece is always supported by at least two to three or more single rollers. By such measures, stable transfer is possible for at least the column member (workpiece) with a square cross-section, while for the column member (workpiece) with a round cross-section, rolling (lateral sway) in the lateral direction is still likely to occur, and countermeasures therefor must be considered. By the way, when transporting column members with round cross-sections of different diameters, a commonly adopted method is to form a concave portion in the center of a single cylindrical roller so that it presents a drum shape when viewed from the front, and a roller conveyor is formed by arranging a plurality of such single rollers in an aligned manner. However, when the same transport device (roller conveyor) is also used to transport column members with square cross-sections, improvements and ingenuity are required. Specifically, it is conceivable to make the single roller presenting a drum shape retractable from between the single rollers with a straight diameter that forms a flat transport surface, and make the single roller presenting a drum shape movable up and down.

[0004] However, when the workpiece to be transported is a heavy object, both the general single roller with a straight diameter and the single roller with a drum shape need to have a large diameter in order to ensure a large load-bearing capacity. However, for short workpieces that are also unstable in the transport direction, as described above, it is necessary to make the arrangement pitch of the single rollers as small as possible, and it is impossible to arrange a single roller with a drum shape that moves up and down between such single rollers with a short pitch. Of course, in order to transport round cross-section column members and square cross-section column members in a combined manner, it may be possible to achieve combined transport by arranging wall-shaped guide members for guiding the transport on both the left and right sides of a roller conveyor composed of single rollers with a straight diameter. However, considering handling operations such as setting the object to be transported on the conveyor, such a method becomes a rather obstructive structural member and is not necessarily preferable.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of such a background. In a roller conveyor in which the arrangement pitch of individual rollers is set to be narrow, while utilizing the narrow gap between individual rollers, i.e., the roller space, by installing a regulating body therein, even if the workpiece is an unstable heavy object having a round cross-section and a short columnar member, it is possible to surely guide this workpiece and also enable stable conveyance. The technical problem is to develop a conveyance device for unstable heavy objects.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] That is, the conveyance device according to claim 1 capable of handling unstable heavy objects is a conveyance device provided with a main conveyor for conveying a workpiece and a regulating body for regulating the conveyance posture of the workpiece with respect to a base frame. The main conveyor is a roller conveyor in which a number of driven individual rollers are arranged in alignment in the conveyance direction. On the other hand, the regulating body is provided in the roller space between adjacent individual rollers in the main conveyor, and the regulating body includes a holding arm. One end of this holding arm is rotatably attached to the base frame, and the other end is arranged toward the outside of the conveyance track of the main conveyor. When regulating the conveyance posture of the workpiece by the regulating body, the outer end portion of the holding arm is lifted by a shifting device, and the outer end portion of the holding arm protrudes upward from the conveyance surface of the main conveyor. This is a characteristic configuration.

[0008] Further, the conveyance device according to claim 2 capable of handling unstable heavy objects, in addition to the requirements described in claim 1, the regulating body is characterized in that it acts when the workpiece has a round cross-section presenting a cylindrical shape.

[0009] Further, the conveyance device according to claim 3 capable of handling unstable heavy objects, in addition to the requirements described in claim 1 or 2, A regulating roller that can roll freely along the conveying direction is provided on the rotatable free end side which is the outer end of the holding arm.

[0010] Moreover, the conveying device according to claim 4 that can handle unstable heavy objects, in addition to the requirements described in claim 1 or 2, The regulating body is provided so as to act on either the left or right side of both end portions of the conveying track in the main conveyor in one roller space. Moreover, the regulating body is arranged such that the acting positions alternate between the left and right in adjacent roller spaces.

[0011] Moreover, the conveying device according to claim 5 that can handle unstable heavy objects, in addition to the requirements described in claim 1 or 2, The shift device is configured to directly push up the rotatable free end side of the holding arm of the regulating body. And, the problems are solved by the means described in each of these claims.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] First, according to the invention described in claim 1, when conveying a round cross-section workpiece, for example, the regulating body is put into an operating state, that is, the outer end of the holding arm is projected upward from the conveying surface of the main conveyor, so that the workpiece can be supported from below by the main conveyor (single roller) and the holding arm, and the rolling of the workpiece in the lateral direction can be suppressed. Of course, it is also conceivable that the cross-sectional diameter of the round cross-section workpiece is small and does not contact the tip of the holding arm projected upward. In this case, as the workpiece is conveyed, it will roll laterally (roll in the lateral direction perpendicular to the conveying direction), but the laterally rolled workpiece (lower part of the outer circumference) will contact the holding arm projected upward, so the lateral rolling of the workpiece can be suppressed, and the falling of the workpiece in the lateral direction can be reliably prevented. In addition, when conveying a square cross-section workpiece, since the smooth bottom surface of the workpiece is supported by the conveying surface of the main conveyor in the first place, stable conveying can be performed without operating the regulating body. Thus, in the present invention, whether the workpiece has a round cross-section or a square cross-section, it can be conveyed by the same conveying device. For example, there is no need to separately manufacture a conveying device specialized for a round cross-section workpiece, specifically, a conveying device with a concave central portion on the workpiece placement surface of a single roller, etc.

[0013] Further, according to the invention described in claim 2, when the workpiece has a round cross-section presenting a cylindrical shape, since the restricting body is made to act, the conveyance of the workpiece can be carried out safely and surely. That is, such a round cross-section workpiece is likely to roll laterally during conveyance by a roller conveyor, and there is also a concern that it may fall from the side of the conveyance path when this rolling is intense. However, in the present invention, by making the restricting body act, such rolling and falling can be prevented, and the workpiece can be conveyed surely. Moreover, since the freely rotatable end side of the restricting body protrudes above the conveyance surface, when viewed from the conveyance direction, the round cross-section workpiece on the conveyance surface is biased toward the rotation base end side of the restricting body. That is, in the state where the restricting body acts, the rolling of the round cross-section workpiece in the width direction of the conveyance path is suppressed, and the axial center of the workpiece is aligned with the rotation base end side of the restricting body, and the conveyance posture of the workpiece also becomes more stable.

[0014] Further, according to the invention described in claim 3, since a regulating roller that rolls along the conveyance direction is provided on the freely rotatable end side which is the outer end portion of the holding arm, when the holding arm rotates to present an inclined state and the regulating roller rises above the conveyance surface, if the workpiece abuts against the regulating roller, the regulating roller rolls in the conveyance direction and has the effect of promoting the forward transfer of the workpiece (it does not prevent the transfer of the workpiece). Also, since the holding arm presents an inclined state as described above, the workpiece that abuts against the regulating roller is naturally biased toward the central portion of the conveyance surface (conveyance path) (a kind of centering action), and the conveyance of the workpiece can be made more stable. Incidentally, as described above, since the cross-sectional size of the workpiece is small, there may be a case where the workpiece does not come into contact with the regulating roller that protrudes above the conveying surface (although the workpiece may sway laterally). Even in this case, when the workpiece comes into contact with the holding arm that is in an inclined state, rolling of the workpiece in the left-right direction is prevented, and it is possible to prevent the workpiece from falling from the conveying surface.

[0015] Further, according to the invention described in claim 4, since one regulating body is provided in one roller space, the roller space set to a small size can be effectively used. That is, when a short workpiece is to be conveyed, the workpiece first becomes unstable in the conveying direction. To prevent this, while setting the roller space to a small size, only one regulating body is provided here, so that the narrow roller space can be effectively used. In addition, since the plurality of regulating bodies are arranged in a staggered pattern, the regulating bodies, the mechanism for operating them, and thus the entire conveying device can be configured simply.

[0016] Further, according to the invention described in claim 5, since the shift device for operating the regulating body is configured to push up the rotation free end side of the holding arm (not the rotation base end side), a long push-up distance is required. However, the holding arm can be pushed up with a relatively small force and maintained in that state. Therefore, even if the workpiece is a heavy object and even if the workpiece rolls laterally, it can be firmly received, and the fall of the workpiece can be reliably prevented (it is possible to reliably convey an unstable and heavy workpiece). In addition, since the shift device is configured to directly push up the holding arm and does not interpose an intermediate member in the middle, the pushing-up operation by the shift device can be directly transmitted to the regulating body, and the configuration also becomes simple.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0018] The present invention is as shown in the following examples, but it is also possible to make appropriate changes within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention for these examples.

Examples

[0019] First, as an example, the conveying device C of the present invention that can handle unstable heavy objects (hereinafter also simply abbreviated as "conveying device C") is applied as a device constituting the conveying line L disposed before and after the grooving machine 1 for intermediate processing of the workpiece W to be conveyed, when the workpiece W is a diaphragm material for steel frame construction, as shown in FIG. 1. That is, the conveying line L is provided with an incoming / outgoing line L1, a clamp line L2, and a retractable relay line L3 before and after the grooving machine 1, and the conveying device C of the present invention can be applied to each of these conveying lines L. Here, prior to the description of the conveying device C of the present invention, a general outline of the grooving machine 1 will be described. As viewed from the transfer direction of the workpiece W, for example, an annular rotating frame 12 is supported on a processing machine frame 11 having a rectangular frame shape or a portal shape. A chamfering cutter 13 provided on this rotating frame 12 acts on the workpiece W to perform chamfering on the entire circumference of the edge portion of the workpiece W.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1 above, two chamfering machines 1 are installed one after the other. With this configuration, while moving the workpiece W in one direction, chamfering can be performed on the front and rear edge portions of the workpiece W. As an example, as shown in an enlarged partial view of FIG. 1, for the workpiece W facing the chamfering cutter 13, a pair of chamfering cutters 13 provided on the rotating frame 12 perform chamfering while contacting the edge portion of the workpiece W as the rotating frame 12 rotates. At this time, the lower part of the workpiece W is supported by the clamp line L2 and is held from the side and above by a clamp device (not shown). Then, the workpiece W on which chamfering of one edge portion (for example, the front edge portion) has been completed in this way is sent to the next chamfering machine 1 by the retractable relay line L3, where chamfering of the other edge portion (for example, the rear edge portion) is performed. Note that the reference sign W1 shown in FIG. 1 indicates the chamfered portion formed on the edge portion of the workpiece W. Incidentally, the details of such a chamfering machine 1 are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-32274, which the applicant of the present application has already filed a patent application for, and this is incorporated herein by reference.

[0021] The transfer device C is applied as a transfer auxiliary machine for such a chamfering machine 1, and the transfer device C will be described below. As an example, as shown in FIG. 2, the general configuration of the transfer device C includes a main conveyor 3 for transferring the workpiece W and a regulating body 4 for regulating the transfer posture of the workpiece W provided on a base frame 2. The regulating body 4 is configured to be able to project from below the transfer surface of the main conveyor 3 to above by a shift device 5 so as to be retractable. Hereinafter, the base frame 2 as a skeletal member for configuring the transfer device C will be described. In the case of the carry-in / carry-out line L1, for example, the base frame 2 has a table-like frame configuration in which the leg frame 21 and the upper frame 22 are combined (see FIG. 1). Also, the transfer device C on the clamp line L2 and the retractable relay line L3 only needs to be configured to support the main conveyor 3, the regulating body 4, and the shift device 5, and the leg frame 21 is not necessarily provided. And the main conveyor 3 is supported by the upper frame 22 of such a base frame 2. The main conveyor 3 is a roller conveyor in which a large number of driven single rollers 31 are aligned in the conveying direction. Both ends of the single roller 31 are supported by pillow blocks 32. Also, two drive sprockets 33 are provided in parallel at one end of the single roller 31, and a chain 34 is alternately wound around the drive sprockets 33 of the single rollers 31 adjacent to each other in the front and rear. Rotation is sequentially transmitted to this chain 34 from a drive motor (not shown), and as a result, all the single rollers 31 are rotationally driven sequentially.

[0022] Here, the arrangement pitch P of the single rollers 31 is preferably set to a short gap so that the workpiece W can be stably conveyed in the traveling direction even when the workpiece W is short (the longitudinal dimension is short). On the other hand, in the roller space 3S which is the gap between the single rollers 31, since the regulating body 4 and the shift device 5 for driving it are provided, if the roller space 3S is too small, it becomes difficult to install these. Therefore, here, while making the roller space 3S as small as possible, a dimension in which the regulating body 4 etc. can be installed is secured. As an example, the roller space 3S, the arrangement pitch P of the single rollers 31, and the diameter D of the single rollers 31 are set as follows.

[0023] (1) Roller space First, as described above, a regulating body 4 and a shift device 5 (cylinder body 51) are provided in the roller - to - roller space 3S, that is, the gap between the individual rollers 31. Thus, at least 60 mm is ensured.

[0024] (2) Arrangement pitch of individual rollers Also, assuming the length of the short - sized work is 350 mm, an arrangement pitch P is set such that even such a short - sized work W can be stably conveyed in the traveling direction. Here, since chamfering is performed on one end edge of the work W, even for a work W with a total length dimension of 350 mm, considering that, as shown in FIG. 5 for example, the length of the work on the main conveyor 3 becomes shorter by the amount of the chamfering, the effective length of the work W, in other words, the length placed on the main conveyor 3 is 320 mm. And, as shown in FIG. 5 above, when one end (rear end) of the work W with this effective length of 320 mm is aligned with the center line of the individual roller 31, in order to stably convey the work W in the traveling direction, it is necessary to place the work W on three individual rollers 31. From this, the arrangement pitch P of the individual rollers 31 is required to be less than 160 mm, which is 320 / 2. Therefore, it is desirable that the arrangement pitch P is less than 160 mm.

[0025] (3) Diameter of individual rollers When the roller - to - roller space 3S is 60 mm and the arrangement pitch P is 160 mm in this way, the diameter D of the individual roller 31 is (320 - 60×2) / 2 = 100 mm. However, allowing some margin (for example, considering ensuring a slightly larger roller - to - roller space 3S), here it is set to 95 mm or more. Note that when the diameter D of the individual roller 31 is less than 95 mm, the shaft diameter of the individual roller 31 also becomes thinner, and ultimately the hole shaft diameter of the drive sprocket 33 also becomes thinner, and it cannot withstand the motor torque. Therefore, the above - mentioned setting is preferable.

[0026] Thus, first, considering that even a short workpiece W can be stably conveyed in the conveying direction, the space 3S between the rollers is set to be narrow (small). However, in the present invention, in order to prevent the rolling (lateral sway) of the round cross-section workpiece in the lateral direction, a regulating body 4 is provided in this narrow space 3S between the rollers, and for this purpose, a dimension that allows the regulating body 4 and its driving member to be installed in the space 3S between the rollers is secured. That is, the space 3S between the rollers is set so as to satisfy such an antinomic relationship. In actuality, for example, depending on the length of the workpiece W, the diameter dimension (diameter dimension in the front view) and weight of the round cross-section workpiece W, etc., the above dimensions can be set within an appropriate range. Therefore, here, the space 3S between the rollers is set to 60 mm as the reference dimension value of the main conveyor 3, the arrangement pitch P of the single roller 31 is set to 160 mm, and the diameter D of the single roller 31 is set to 95 mm, and the actual dimension values of each are set within ±15% of these respective reference dimension values.

[0027] Next, the regulating body 4, which is a characteristic component in the present invention, will be described. The regulating body 4 is for stabilizing the conveying posture particularly when the workpiece W has a cylindrical round cross-section, and is provided in the space 3S between adjacent single rollers 31 in the main conveyor 3 as described above. The regulating body 4 includes a holding arm 41 having one end rotatably attached to the base frame 2 (upper frame 22), and the other end of this holding arm 41 is arranged toward the outside of the conveying path of the main conveyor 3. And the arm support shaft 42 serving as the rotation support shaft in this holding arm 41 is provided at the center in the width direction of the main conveyor 3 with respect to the upper frame 22 of the base frame 2. As a result, the regulating body 4 is configured such that the free end of the holding arm 41 can protrude upward from the conveying surface of the main conveyor 3. In this way, the regulating body 4 is responsible for the action of preventing the rolling of the workpiece W by protruding the outer end portion of the holding arm 41 upward from the conveying surface of the main conveyor 3, and acts at the side end portion of the conveying path. Further, a regulating roller 43 that freely rotates in the conveying direction is provided on the free end side (projecting side) of the holding arm 41. When the work W contacts the regulating roller 43 while protruding above the conveying surface, the regulating roller 43 smoothly rotates so as not to impede the conveyance of the work W. Further, the regulating body 4 is operative when conveying the work W having a round cross-section as described above. Therefore, when conveying the work W having a square cross-section, the freely rotatable end side of the holding arm 41, that is, the regulating roller 43, is set to a retracted state where it is recessed below the conveying surface of the main conveyor 3.

[0028] In a state where the regulating body 4 is operative, the holding arm 41 positions the freely rotatable end (regulating roller 43) at a position higher than the conveying surface of the main conveyor 3 while positioning the base end side of rotation at a position lower than the conveying surface of the main conveyor 3. Therefore, in the operative state, the holding arm 41 is in an inclined state with the freely rotatable end at a high position. Further, in the present embodiment, since such regulating bodies 4 are arranged alternately on the left and right in the acting positions in the roller space 3S between the front and rear rollers, when viewed from the conveying direction, the holding arm 41 expands so as to form a "V" shape with the base end portion of rotation (substantially the central portion in the conveying direction) facing downward, and the work W having a round cross-section is naturally brought closer to the base end portion of rotation (the central portion in the width direction in the conveying direction) (a kind of centering). More specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 2(b), when the diameter dimension of the work W is large (for example, about 1000 mm in diameter), both lower portions of the outer periphery of the work W in a cross-sectional view contact the regulating rollers 43 located at both ends of the holding arm 41 that expands in a "V" shape (at this time, it is preferable that the directly lower portion of the work W also contacts the upper portion of the single roller 31), and the axial center of the work W is aligned with the base end portion of rotation of the holding arm 41 (substantially the central portion in the conveying direction). Of course, when the diameter dimension of the workpiece W is small (for example, about 350 mm in diameter), as shown in FIG. 2(b) above, since the workpiece W does not contact the regulating roller 43, it is considered that the workpiece W rolls somewhat laterally during conveyance (so-called lateral sway). However, when viewed from the conveyance direction, since the holding arm 41 is formed in a "V" shape or an inclined state with the base end side of rotation being at a lower position (the free end side of rotation being at a higher position), the lateral sway of the workpiece W is suppressed when the workpiece W abuts against the middle portion of the holding arm 41 in this state, and the axis of the workpiece W is aligned with the base end portion of the rotation of the holding arm 41 (substantially the central portion in the conveyance direction). Here, reference numeral 44 in the figure is a shift receiving portion to which an ascending operation is input by a shift device 5 described later. Further, reference numeral 45 in the figure is a rotation guide for guiding the rotation operation of the holding arm 41 (see FIG. 3).

[0029] Next, a shift device 5 for setting the holding arm 41 of the regulating body 4 to an operating state and a retracted state will be described. In this embodiment, the shift device 5 is substantially constituted by a hydraulic cylinder. As an example, as shown in FIG. 2, it includes a cylinder body 51 and a shift rod 52 extending upward from the cylinder body 51, and is configured to directly push up the shift receiving portion 44 located near the tip of the holding arm 41 at the upper end of the shift rod 52. An oil pipe 53 is connected to the cylinder body 51, and hydraulic oil for raising the shift rod 52 is supplied. In this embodiment, as described above, the regulating body 4 and the shift device 5 are provided so as to be unevenly distributed on either the left or right side in a roller space 3S at one location, and the regulating body 4 is arranged in an alternating pattern for each adjacent roller space 3S (so-called stagger pattern). However, of course, it is also possible to provide the regulating body 4 so as to face either the left or right side in a roller space 3S at one location (see FIG. 4(a)).

[0030] The conveying device C of the present invention has the above basic structure, and the operation mode of this conveying device C will be described below. (1) Initial state First, the initial state is, for example, a state in which a workpiece W with a square cross-section is being conveyed (assuming the conveyance of a workpiece W with a square cross-section), and the regulating body 4 is set in a retracted state. That is, with the shift rod 52 of the regulating body 4 in a contracted state, the tip of the holding arm 41 (the regulating roller 43) is positioned below the conveying surface of the single roller 31 in a submerged state (retracted state).

[0031] (2) Conveyance of a workpiece with a square cross-section With the regulating body 4 set in such a retracted state, a normal workpiece W with a square cross-section is conveyed. For example, even when the workpiece W with a square cross-section is unstable in the conveying direction due to its short length (for example, the minimum length is 350 mm), as shown in FIG. 2(a), since the arrangement pitch P of the single rollers 31 of the main conveyor 3 is set relatively narrow (for example, 160 mm), even a workpiece W made of a short diaphragm material with normal design specifications can have its lower surface supported by at least two to three single rollers 31, and thus the workpiece W can be stably conveyed in the advancing direction. Incidentally, if the diameter D of the single roller 31 in this case is, for example, 95 mm, the space 3S between the rollers is 65 mm (160 - 95).

[0032] (3) Conveyance of a workpiece with a round cross-section On the other hand, even if they have the same short length, workpieces W with a round cross-section show even more unstable behavior. That is, such workpieces W with a round cross-section are likely to roll in the lateral direction (the axial direction of the single roller 31) during conveyance, resulting in more unstable conveyance. Therefore, in the present invention, for example, when conveying a short workpiece W with a round cross-section as a diaphragm material, the regulating body 4 is set in an operative state. Specifically, hydraulic oil at a certain pressure is supplied from the oil pipe 53 to the cylinder body 51 to raise the shift rod 52. As a result, the upper end of the shift rod 52 directly pushes up the shift receiving portion 44 of the holding arm 41, and rotates the outer end on the free end side, that is, the regulating roller 43 here, so as to protrude upward from the conveying surface of the main conveyor 3 (the conveying surface constituted by the single roller 31). Of course, in this state, the holding arm 41 is in the inclined state as described above, so that the rotation free end side provided with the regulating roller 43 protrudes from the conveying surface of the main conveyor 3. When the work W with a round cross-section is conveyed in such a state, as shown in Fig. 2(b) as an example, in the case of a round cross-section work with a maximum diameter of 1000 mm, the regulating roller 43 provided at the rotation free end of the regulating body 4 contacts both lower sides of the work W and rotates freely. Therefore, the work W is prevented from further moving in the lateral direction, so that the lateral sway is suppressed and the lateral drop is also prevented.

[0033] In addition, when a round cross-section work with a smaller diameter, for example, a minimum diameter of 350 mm, is conveyed, as shown in Fig. 2(b) together, since the work W does not contact the regulating roller 43, the regulating roller 43 may not be able to directly regulate it. However, when the work W rolls laterally, the work W contacts the middle part of the holding arm 41 that expands in a V shape when viewed from the conveying direction. Therefore, further lateral rolling, that is, lateral sway is suppressed, and in this case, the lateral drop is also prevented. As described above, in the present invention, regardless of whether the cross-sectional shape of the work W is a square cross-section or a round cross-section, as long as it is a short work W, first, the roller space 3S between the single rollers 31 in the main conveyor 3 is reduced, so that the work W is always supported by two or three single rollers 31, thereby achieving stable transfer in the conveying direction. In addition, in the case of the work W with a round cross-section, since it is easy to roll laterally, in that case, the regulating body 4 is operated to suppress the lateral rolling and achieve stability in that direction.

[0034] As described above, the present invention enables stable conveyance of short and heavy workpieces that are unstable in the conveyance direction. Even for a workpiece W with a round cross-section, it can be conveyed while reliably preventing it from falling sideways (in the lateral direction). Even if the workpiece W is a heavy object such as the diaphragm material described above, basically, its weight is borne by the individual rollers 31 of the main conveyor 3 with a large load-bearing capacity, and stable conveyance is achieved.

[0035] 〔Other Embodiments〕 The present invention is based on the basic technical idea of the above-described embodiments, but further modifications are conceivable as follows. First, in the above-described basic embodiment, the restricting bodies 4 are arranged in a staggered pattern, left and right alternately, for each roller space 3S, so to speak, in a checkerboard pattern as a whole. However, as shown in Fig. 4(a) for example, it is also possible to install the restricting bodies 4 symmetrically left and right in one roller space 3S. Also, the configuration example shown in Fig. 4(b) is a configuration example in which, as in Fig. 4(a), among the restricting bodies 4 (holding arms 41) provided in a pair on the left and right in one roller space 3S, one is a restricting body 4 (holding arm 41) for a small diameter. That is, among the restricting bodies 4 provided in a pair on the left and right in one roller space 3S, one is a restricting body 4 for a large diameter and the other is a restricting body 4 for a small diameter. In such a case, if we focus on either one of the restricting bodies 4 for a small diameter or a large diameter, it becomes an arrangement pattern where they are alternately distributed left and right for each adjacent roller space 3S. When looking at the overall arrangement pattern of each restricting body 4, it becomes a staggered (alternate) arrangement pattern. Incidentally, in Fig. 4(b), the restricting body 4 for a small diameter is hatched with a virtual line to emphasize the staggered (alternate) arrangement pattern.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0036] C Conveying device D Diameter (diameter dimension of an individual roller) L Conveying line L1 Loading / Unloading line L2 Clamping line L3 Retractable Relay Line P Arrangement Pitch (Arrangement Pitch Dimension of a Single Roller) W Workpiece (Unstable Heavy Object) W1 Tip 1 Tip Processing Machine 11 Machine Frame 12 Rotating Frame 13 Tip Cutter 2 Base Frame 21 Leg Frame 22 Upper Frame 3 Main Conveyor 3S Space between Rollers 31 Single Roller 32 Pillow Block 33 Driving Sprocket 34 Chain 4 Regulator 41 Holding Arm 42 Arm Support Shaft 43 Regulation Roller 44 Shift Receiver 45 Rotating Guide 5 Shifting Device 51 Cylinder Body 52 Shift Rod 53 Oil Pipe

Claims

1. A conveying device provided with a main conveyor for conveying a workpiece with respect to a base frame and a regulating body for regulating the conveying posture of the workpiece, wherein the main conveyor is a roller conveyor in which a number of driven individual rollers are arranged in alignment in the conveying direction, while the regulating body is provided in the roller space between adjacent individual rollers in the main conveyor, and the regulating body has a holding arm, one end of which is rotatably attached to the base frame and the other end of which is arranged toward the outside of the conveying path of the main conveyor, When regulating the conveying posture of the workpiece by the regulating body, the outer end portion of the holding arm is raised by a shifting device, so that the outer end portion of the holding arm protrudes upward from the conveying surface of the main conveyor. A conveying device capable of handling unstable heavy objects, characterized in that it has such a configuration.

2. The conveying device capable of handling unstable heavy objects according to claim 1, characterized in that the regulating body is operative when the workpiece has a round cross-section presenting a cylindrical shape.

3. The conveying device capable of handling unstable heavy objects according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a regulating roller that can roll freely along the conveying direction is provided at the freely rotatable end side of the holding arm, which is the outer end portion of the holding arm.

4. The regulating body is provided so as to act on either the left or right of the both end portions of the conveying path in the main conveyor in one roller space, and the regulating body is arranged such that the acting positions alternate left and right in adjacent roller spaces. A conveying device capable of handling unstable heavy objects according to claim 1, characterized in that it has such a configuration.

5. The conveying device capable of handling unstable heavy objects according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the shifting device directly pushes up the freely rotatable end side of the holding arm of the regulating body.

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