Transverse conveyance device

Abstract

To resolve a problem that a surface is changed into black, when conveyed articles are rice grains in a conventional transverse conveyance device.SOLUTION: A transport conveyor 7 which conveys a conveyed article supplied to a case 1 formed long in a conveying direction is provided. The transport conveyor 7 is constituted by winding an endless chain 13 to which a conveyance body 12 is attached at a prescribed interval onto a driven gear 8 and a driving gear 10. The conveyance body 12 is formed by a vertical board material made of synthetic resin, in a side view. A lower portion of the conveyance body 12 forms an angle-shaped lower side conveying part 25, in a front view. An intermediate conveying part 26 in which the lower side is short and the upper side is long is formed above the lower side conveying unit 25. An angle-shaped upper side conveying unit 27 is formed above the intermediate conveying unit 26. A both sides link 30 of the endless chain 13 is located at a right and left central portion of the upper side conveying unit 27 of the conveyance body 12, the intermediate conveying unit 26 and the lower side conveying unit 25. In a transverse conveyance device, a left and right side edge part of each conveyance body 12 has a gap S with respect to an inner surface of the case 1, and is configured so as to move in a state that it is supported by a support mechanism X.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transverse feed conveying device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a transport conveyor is provided to transport objects from a supply section provided in a case to a discharge section, and the transport conveyor is configured by wrapping an endless chain with a transport body attached at a predetermined interval, and an inclined support plate section is provided at the upper end of a lower upright plate that stands on the left and right sides of the bottom plate of the case, and is positioned outward as it goes upward.The inclined support plate section supports the oblique side section of the transport body, and a gap is provided between the lower end of the transport body and the bottom plate of the case, thereby transporting the objects inside the case (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-85111 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the known transverse conveying device, when the object being conveyed is rice grains, there is a problem that the surface of the grains turns black. An investigation into the black discoloration of rice grains revealed that it is well known that lotus root turns black when cooked in an iron pot, and that the cause of this discoloration is a chemical reaction that occurs between vegetable components such as polyphenols (tannins) and the iron in the iron pot. However, simply storing rice grains in a storage tank made of stainless steel containing iron has not resulted in discoloration. In doing so, rice grains do not normally discolor simply through contact with stainless steel, so the exact reason for the discoloration of rice grains in the horizontal conveying device remains unknown. However, it was determined that the difference between the horizontal conveying device and the storage tank is that the conveying resistance of the horizontal conveying device is greater than that of the storage tank. When the contact resistance between the conveying body and the inner surface of the case was reduced, it was found that the discoloration of the rice grains was suppressed. The present invention provides a transverse conveying device that reduces contact resistance between the conveying body and the inner surface of the case, suppresses discoloration of the conveyed object, and produces little abnormal noise, noise, and vibration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention of claim 1 comprises a case 1 formed long in the conveying direction from a supply section 2 at the rear of the conveying direction to at least one discharge section 6 provided in front of the supply section 2, and a conveying conveyor 7 for conveying the conveyed objects supplied from the supply section 2, the conveying conveyor 7 being configured by wrapping an endless chain 13 with conveying bodies 12 attached at predetermined intervals around a driven gear 8 and a driving gear 10, the case 1 being provided with lower standing plates 16 standing upright on both the left and right sides of a bottom plate 15 of the case 1, each lower standing plate 16 being provided with an inclined plate section 17 positioned outward as it extends upward, and the lower end of a substantially vertical upper standing plate 18 being connected to the upper end of each inclined plate section 17, and thereby The case 1 is constituted, and the conveying body 12 is formed from a vertical plate member made of synthetic resin when viewed from the side, and when viewed from the front, the lower part of the conveying body 12 forms an angular lower conveying section 25, and above the lower conveying section 25 is formed an intermediate conveying section 26 with a short bottom side and a long top side, and above the intermediate conveying section 26 is formed an angular upper conveying section 27, and the left and right central parts of the upper conveying section 27, intermediate conveying section 26 and lower conveying section 25 of the conveying body 12 are attached to the both side links 30 of the endless chain 13, and the left and right side edges of each conveying body 12 have a gap S with the inner surface of the case 1 and move while being supported by a support mechanism X, thereby forming a lateral feed conveying device. The invention of claim 2 is a horizontal feed conveying device in which the support mechanism X forms an inclined plate portion 17 on the case 1 side that is inclined outward relative to the lower standing plate 16, and a contact support portion 40 is provided on the conveying body 12 side that moves in contact with a part of the inclined plate portion 17, and only the contact support portion 40 of the conveying body 12 abuts against the inner surface of the case 1, and the conveying body 12 moves with a gap S between the lower end and left and right side surfaces of the lower conveying portion 25 of the conveying body 12, both side surfaces of the intermediate conveying portion 26, both side surfaces of the upper conveying portion 27, and the bottom plate 15 and left and right side plates 20 of the case 1. The invention of claim 3 is a lateral feed conveying device in which the load of the conveying body 12 is supported only by the contact support part 40, and a gap S is formed between the outer peripheral edge of the conveying body 12 and the inner surface of the case 1. The invention of claim 4 is a horizontal feed conveying device in which the oblique side portion 41 of the intermediate conveying section 26 of the conveying body 12 is cut out to form a cutout portion 42, and the cutout portion 42 forms a gap S between the oblique side portion 41 and the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1, and a contact support portion 40 is formed on the oblique side portion 41 that protrudes toward the inclined plate portion 17. The invention of claim 5 is a lateral feed conveying device in which the left and right contact support parts 40 are formed at the same height position when viewed from the front. The invention of claim 6 provides a transverse conveying device in which the relationship between the contact support portion 40 and the notch portion 42 is such that the length of the notch portion 42 is longer than the length of the contact support portion 40. The invention of claim 7 is a horizontal feed conveying device in which the oblique side portion 41 formed continuously at the lower end of the side edge of the upper conveying section 27 is left as it is to form the contact support section 40, and the oblique side portion 41 below the contact support section 40 is cut out to form the cutout portion 42. The invention of claim 8 is a transverse feed conveying device in which the lower and upper ends and left and right side ends of the conveying body 12 and the upper surfaces of both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 each have a triangular cross section that slopes gradually downward around the apex of the triangle, forming an edge portion 45. The invention of claim 9 is a horizontal feed conveying device in which a floating prevention body 50 is provided inside the case 1 to prevent the endless chain 13 from floating up due to conveying resistance, the floating prevention body 50 is formed from a vertical plate member of stainless steel, and mounting members 52 formed from left and right axial rods are fixedly provided at the front and back, the floating prevention body 50 is positioned above the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 at a predetermined interval, and the lower edge of the floating prevention body 50 is formed into an arc-shaped arc surface 53, making it a horizontal feed conveying device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In the invention of claim 1, the left and right side edges of each conveying body 12 are configured to have a gap S with respect to the inner surface of the case 1 and to move while being supported by the support mechanism X, thereby reducing contact resistance when the conveying body 12 moves and suppressing discoloration of the conveyed object and the generation of vibration. In the invention of claim 2, the support mechanism X forms an inclined plate portion 17 on the case 1 side that is inclined outward relative to the lower standing plate 16, and a contact support portion 40 that moves in contact with a part of the inclined plate portion 17 on the conveying body 12 side, and only the contact support portion 40 of the conveying body 12 abuts against the inner surface of the case 1, and a gap S is formed between the lower end and left and right side surfaces of the lower conveying portion 25 of the conveying body 12, both side surfaces of the intermediate conveying portion 26, both side surfaces of the upper conveying portion 27, and the bottom plate 15 of the case 1 and the left and right inclined plate portions 17. Since the conveying body 12 is configured to move with only the contact support portion 40 in sliding contact with the inner surface of the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1, the conveying body 12 moves with a gap S between the lower end and both left and right side surfaces of the lower conveying portion 25 of the conveying body 12, both side surfaces of the intermediate conveying portion 26, both side surfaces of the upper conveying portion 27, and the bottom plate 15 and both left and right side plates 20 of the case 1, which reduces the contact resistance with the inner surface of the case 1 when the conveying body 12 moves and suppresses discoloration and vibration of the conveyed object. In particular, only the contact support portion 40 contacts both sides of the intermediate conveying portion 26 of the conveying body 12 and the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1, and there is a gap S, which reduces contact resistance when the conveying body 12 moves and suppresses discoloration of the conveyed object and the generation of vibration. In the invention of claim 3, the load of the conveying body 12 is supported only by the contact support portion 40, and a gap S is formed between the outer peripheral edge of the conveying body 12 and the inner surface of the case 1, thereby reducing the contact resistance with the inner surface of the case 1 when the conveying body 12 moves, and suppressing discoloration of the conveyed object and the generation of vibration. In the invention of claim 4, the oblique side portion 41 of the intermediate conveying section 26 of the conveying body 12 is cut out to form a notch 42, and the notch 42 forms a gap S between the oblique side portion 41 and the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1, and the oblique side portion 41 has a contact support portion 40 that protrudes toward the inclined plate portion 17, so that the left and right contact support portions 40 abut against the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1 and move the conveying body 12 while supporting the load of the conveying body 12. In the invention of claim 5, the left and right contact support portions 40 are formed at the same height position when viewed from the front, so that the left-right center of gravity of the conveying body 12 is located at the center position between the left and right, improving the straight-line stability of the conveying body 12 and suppressing contact with the inner surface of the side panel 20 of the case 1, thereby suppressing discoloration of the rice grains, vibration, and noise generation. In the invention of claim 6, the relationship between the contact support portion 40 and the cutout portion 42 is such that the length of the cutout portion 42 is longer than the length of the contact support portion 40, thereby reducing contact resistance when the conveying body 12 moves and suppressing discoloration and vibration. In the invention of claim 7, the portion of the oblique side portion 41 formed continuously at the lower end of the side edge of the upper conveying section 27 is left as it is to form the contact support section 40, and the oblique side portion 41 below the contact support section 40 is cut out to form the contact support section 40, thereby improving the mounting strength (support strength) of the contact support section 40 and further preventing discoloration and abnormal noise. In the invention of claim 8, the lower and upper ends and left and right side ends of the conveying body 12 and the upper surfaces of both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 are each formed into an edge portion 45 with a triangular cross section that slopes gradually downward around the apex of the triangle, thereby preventing grain from landing on the upper surface of the upper conveying section 27 of the conveying body 12 and the upper surfaces of both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 and becoming residue. In the invention of claim 9, a floating prevention body 50 is provided inside the case 1 to prevent the endless chain 13 from floating up due to transport resistance, the floating prevention body 50 is formed from a vertical plate member of stainless steel, and mounting members 52 formed from left and right axial rods are fixedly provided at the front and back, the floating prevention body 50 is positioned at a predetermined interval above the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13, and the lower edge of the floating prevention body 50 is formed into an arc-shaped surface 53, so that when the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 float up, they come into contact with the lower end of the floating prevention body 50, preventing the endless chain 13 from floating up. In this case, the lower edge of the anti-floating body 50 is formed with an arc-shaped surface 53, which reduces the contact resistance between the anti-floating body 50 and the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 and the impact at the time of contact, thereby preventing damage to the endless chain 13. A chain support roller 54 is provided to support the endless return chain 13 which moves above the floating prevention body 50 in the return direction of the conveying direction, so that the endless chain 13 is prevented from hanging down together with the conveying body 12 above the floating prevention body 50 and coming into contact with the floating prevention body 50. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a front view of another embodiment of the carrier; [Figure 6] The same explanatory diagram. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view of another embodiment of the contact support portion. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] Same plan view. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a problem in the known example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 1 denotes a case for a transverse feed conveying device, which is elongated in the conveying direction. One end of the case 1 is provided with a supply section 2, and the other end is provided with a discharge section 6 having a drop opening 5. In this case, one or more supply sections 2 may be provided in the middle section, and similarly, one or more discharge sections 6 may be provided in the middle section in addition to the discharge section 6 on the other end side, and the middle discharge section 6 is provided with a shutter (not shown) for opening and closing the drop outlet 5. A transport conveyor 7 is provided inside the case 1 between a supply port (not shown) of the supply unit 2 and a discharge unit 6 at the other end. To facilitate understanding of the present invention, the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor 7 is defined as the front-to-back direction, and the configuration will be described by indicating directions such as front-to-back, left-to-right, up-to-down, etc. based on this conveying direction, but the configuration of the present invention is not limited to this.

[0009] A driven gear 8 is mounted on a driven shaft 9 inside the case 1 on the starting end side, and a drive gear 10 is mounted on a drive shaft 11 inside the case 1 on the terminal end side, and an endless chain 13 with multiple conveying bodies 12 arranged at predetermined intervals is looped between the driven gear 8 and the drive gear 10. The case 1 has a bottom plate 15 and lower upright plates 16 that stand up approximately vertically on the left and right sides of the bottom plate 15. An inclined plate portion 17 is provided at the upper end of the lower upright plate 16 and positioned outward as it extends upward. The lower end of an approximately vertical upper upright plate 18 is connected to the upper end of the inclined plate portion 17, and these together form the side plates 20 of the case 1. In this case, the inclined plate portion 17 is formed with a steep inclination greater than the so-called angle of repose to prevent the conveyed objects from accumulating. On the other hand, when viewed from the side, the conveying body 12 is formed from a vertical plate member made of synthetic resin, and the lower part of the conveying body 12 forms a rectangular lower conveying section 25, and above the lower conveying section 25 is formed an intermediate conveying section 26 which has an inverted trapezoidal shape with a short bottom side and a long top side, and above the intermediate conveying section 26 is formed a rectangular upper conveying section 27.

[0010] In addition, the conveying body 12 forms a space K in the left-right central part of the upper conveying section 27, the intermediate conveying section 26, and the lower conveying section 25, in which connecting parts 28 are located that are attached to both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 described later, and a pair of connecting parts 28 on the left and right that protrude in the front-to-rear direction are provided within the space K, and the connecting parts 28 and both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 are connected by locking shaft members 31 described later (Figures 10 and 11). For ease of understanding, the conveying body 12 and the endless chain 13 are described separately, but the upper conveying section 27, intermediate conveying section 26, lower conveying section 25 and connecting section 28 of the conveying body 12 are integrally formed on both the left and right side surfaces of the side links 30 of the endless chain 13. The endless chain 13 to which the conveying body 12 is attached is formed endless by connecting two front and rear side links 30 made of synthetic resin in a freely detachable manner using locking shaft members 31, and the conveying body 12 is integrally formed on both the left and right sides of specified two side links 30 so that it protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel.

[0011] In this case, the lower parts of the lower conveying sections 25 of the left and right conveying bodies 12 are connected below the connecting section 28 by the connecting body 32, and the lower parts of the lower conveying sections 25 are positioned below the lower ends of the both side links 30 so as not to come into contact with the bottom plate 15. The left and right connecting portions 28 and both side links 30 are positioned with a roller 33 sandwiched therebetween, through which a locking shaft member 31 is inserted, and the end of the locking shaft member 31 is detachably attached with a fastener 34 such as a split pin. 35 is a washer. Furthermore, each connecting portion 28 and both side links 30 are connected by the locking shaft member 31 to form an endless shape, so that by removing the fastener 34, any of the many both side links 30 at any part can be attached and detached without using any special dedicated tool. This makes it easy to perform maintenance on the endless chain 13 and also makes it easy to adjust the length of the endless chain 13 relative to the case 1, which is preferable.

[0012] With conventional horizontal feed conveying devices, although the number of incidents was small, when the object being conveyed was rice grains, the surface would sometimes turn black, as shown in Figure 14. Research and studies into this matter revealed that it is well known that when lotus root, a vegetable, is cooked in an iron pot, the lotus root turns black, and that the discoloration occurs due to a chemical reaction between the polyphenols (tannins) in the lotus root and the iron in the iron pot, and that contact between the components of the rice grains and the stainless steel case 1 is thought to be one factor, but there have been no cases of rice grains in a stainless steel storage tank containing iron discoloring. Therefore, since rice grains do not normally discolor simply when they come into contact with stainless steel, the exact reason why rice grains discolor in the lateral feed conveying device is unknown. However, when the contact resistance between the conveying body 12 and the inner surface of the case 1 was reduced, it was found that the discoloration of the rice grains did not occur.

[0013] Therefore, in the present invention, a transport conveyor 7 is provided in a case 1 formed long in the transport direction from a supply section 2 on the rear side in the transport direction to at least a discharge section 6 provided in front of the supply section 2, for transporting the transported objects supplied from the supply section 2, the transport conveyor 7 being configured by wrapping an endless chain 13 to which transport bodies 12 are attached at predetermined intervals around a driven gear 8 and a drive gear 10, lower upright plates 16 are provided standing on the left and right sides of a bottom plate 15 of the case 1, inclined plate sections 17 are provided at the upper ends of the lower upright plates 16 and positioned outward as they reach the top, and the lower end of a substantially vertical upper upright plate 18 is connected to the upper end of the inclined plate section 17, thereby configuring the case 1, On the other hand, when viewed from the side, the conveying body 12 is formed from a vertical plate member made of synthetic resin, and when viewed from the front, the lower part of the conveying body 12 forms a rectangular lower conveying section 25, and above the lower conveying section 25 is formed an intermediate conveying section 26 which is shaped like an inverted trapezoid with a short bottom side and a long top side, and above the intermediate conveying section 26 is formed a rectangular upper conveying section 27, and the connecting section 28 and both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 are positioned in the left and right central parts of the upper conveying section 27, intermediate conveying section 26 and lower conveying section 25 of the conveying body 12, and the left and right side edges of each conveying body 12 are configured to move while being supported by a support mechanism X with a gap S between them and the inner surface of the case 1.

[0014] This reduces contact resistance when the transport body 12 moves the transported object, and suppresses discoloration and vibration of the transported object. That is, each conveying body 12 is configured to move while being supported by a support mechanism X with a gap S between it and the inner surface of the case 1 . Therefore, the gap S between the lower edge of the lower conveying section 25 of the conveying body 12 and the bottom plate 15 is set to 2 mm, but the gap S between the lower edge of the lower conveying section 25 of a specific conveying body 12 among the multiple conveying bodies 12 and the bottom plate 15 is always set to a gap smaller than the size of the grains (0.1 to 1 mm), so that not only grains but also powdery residues can be removed and discharged without the need for a so-called scraper. The support mechanism X has an inclined plate portion 17 on the case 1 side that is inclined outward relative to the lower standing plate 16, and a contact support portion 40 on the conveying body 12 side that moves in contact with part of the inclined plate portion 17, with only the contact support portion 40 of the conveying body 12 abutting against the inner surface of the case 1, and is configured to move with a gap S between the lower end and left and right side surfaces of the lower conveying portion 25 of the conveying body 12, both side surfaces of the intermediate conveying portion 26, both side surfaces of the upper conveying portion 27, and the bottom plate 15 of the case 1, the left and right lower standing plates 16, the inclined plate portion 17, and the upper standing plate 18, and only the contact support portion 40 moves in sliding contact with the inner surface of the case 1.

[0015] That is, the load of the conveying body 12 is supported only by the contact support portion 40 , and a gap S is formed between the outer periphery of the conveying body 12 and the inner surface of the case 1 . The configuration of the contact support portion 40 is arbitrary. As an example, a predetermined portion of the oblique side portion 41 of the intermediate conveying portion 26 of the conveying body 12 is cut out to form a notch portion 42, and the notch portion 42 forms a gap S between the oblique side portion 41 and the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1, and a contact support portion 40 is formed on the oblique side portion 41 so as to protrude toward the inclined plate portion 17. That is, for ease of understanding, in Figures 7 and 8, the part that would have been the hypotenuse portion 41 is shown by a virtual line as the original hypotenuse portion 41A, and the area between the hypotenuse portion 41 and the original hypotenuse portion 41A is the cutout portion 42. Therefore, the left and right contact support portions 40 abut against the inclined plate portions 17 of the case 1 and move the conveyance body 12 while supporting the load of the conveyance body 12 . The contact support portions 40 provided on the left and right oblique sides 41 are formed at approximately the same height position when viewed from the front.

[0016] Therefore, the center of gravity of the conveying body 12 in the left-right direction is positioned in the center of the left-right direction, improving the straight-line stability of the conveying body 12 and suppressing contact with the inner surface of the side panel 20 of the case 1, thereby suppressing discoloration of the rice grains, vibration, and noise generation. The relationship between the contact support portion 40, the oblique side portion 41, and the cutout portion 42 is such that the left and right inclined portions of the intermediate conveying portion 26 are the oblique side portions 41, and in Figure 5, the cutout portion 42 is formed by leaving the contact support portion 40 so that part of the oblique side portion 41 becomes the contact support portion 40, and the cutout portion 42 and the oblique side portion 41 coincide with each other. The relationship between the contact support portion 40 and the notch portion 42 is such that the length of the notch portion 42 is longer than the length of the contact support portion 40 . Therefore, contact resistance during movement of the conveying body 12 is reduced, and discoloration and vibration are suppressed. In this case, the conveying body 12 is made of synthetic resin and is lightweight, and when the contact support portion 40 and the cutout portion 42 are formed with a length ratio of 1:3, the contact support portion 40 is able to adequately support the moving weight of the conveying body 12 and also sufficiently reduce contact resistance, preventing discoloration and the generation of abnormal noise, which is preferable. In the conveying body 12 of FIG. 7, the contact support portion 40 is provided at the vertical middle position of the oblique side portion 41 when viewed from the front.

[0017] Figure 8 shows another embodiment of the contact support part 40, in which the upper part of the oblique side part 41 formed continuously at the lower end of both sides of the upper conveying part 27 remains as the contact support part 40, and the lower oblique side part 41 of the contact support part 40 is cut out to form the cutout part 42. Therefore, the attachment strength (support strength) of the contact support portion 40 is improved, and discoloration and generation of abnormal noise are further prevented. The lower and upper ends and left and right side ends of the conveying body 12 and the connecting portion 28, and the upper surfaces of both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 are each formed into an edge portion 45 with a triangular cross section that is inclined so that the cross section becomes gradually lower on either side of the apex of the triangle. This prevents grains from landing on the upper surfaces of the conveying body 12 and the links 30 on both sides of the endless chain 13 and becoming residue, and also reduces the contact area between the conveying body 12 and the inner surface of the case 1, thereby suppressing discoloration of the conveyed goods, vibration, and noise generation. In addition, an edge portion 45 is formed at the lower end of the lower conveying section 25 of the conveying body 12, so that the conveying body 12 can be configured to move in either the forward or reverse (front or back) direction, improving versatility (for example, a supply section 2 can be provided in the center and discharge sections 6 can be provided at both ends, or the supply sections 2 and discharge sections 6 can be arranged alternately and conveyance can be made between each supply section 2 and discharge section 6).

[0018] The gap S between the lower edge of the lower conveying section 25 of a normal conveying body 12 and the bottom plate 15 is 2 mm to prevent the crushing of the conveyed material, but the gap S between the lower edge of the lower conveying section 25 of a specific conveying body 12 out of multiple conveying bodies 12 and the bottom plate 15 is always made smaller than the size of a grain (0.1 to 1 mm), so that not only grains but also powdery residues can be removed and discharged without the need for a so-called scraper. Similarly, the gap S formed between the oblique side portion 41 of the conveying body 12 and the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1 is always made smaller than the grain (0.1 to 1 mm), so that not only the grain but also powdery residues can be removed and discharged.

[0019] The depth of the lower standing plate 16 and the width of the bottom plate 15 are arbitrary, and the inclination angle of the inclined plate portion 17 and the oblique side portion 41 can be set so that the conveying body 12 moves through the center according to the depth of the lower standing plate 16 and the width of the bottom plate 15. Inside the case 1, there is provided a floating prevention body 50 that prevents the endless chain 13 from floating up due to conveyance resistance. The floating prevention body 50 is made of a stainless steel vertical plate member, and mounting members 52 formed of left-right axial rods are fixed at the front and rear, and is attached to the side plate 20 of the case 1. The floating prevention body 50 is positioned a specified distance above the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13, and when the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 float up, they come into contact with the lower end of the floating prevention body 50, preventing them from floating up.

[0020] In this case, the bottom edge of the anti-floating body 50 is formed into an arcuate surface 53 . This reduces the contact resistance between the anti-floating body 50 and the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 and the impact at the time of contact, thereby preventing damage to the endless chain 13. A plurality of anti-floating bodies 50 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the case 1, and a chain support roller 54 is provided in the case 1 above the anti-floating bodies 50 to support the return endless chain 13 that moves above the anti-floating bodies 50 in the conveying direction. Therefore, the endless chain 13 together with the conveying body 12 hangs down above the anti-floating body 50 and is prevented from contacting the anti-floating body 50.

[0021] (Operation of the embodiment) The present invention has the above-described configuration. When a motor (not shown) is energized, the drive gear 10 rotates, which in turn rotates the endless chain 13 to move the conveyor 12 from the supply section 2 to the discharge section 6. The case 1 has a bottom plate 15 and substantially vertical lower upright plates 16 on the left and right sides of the bottom plate 15, and each conveying body 12 is configured to move while being directly guided and supported by the support mechanism X, so that each conveying body 12 moves through the center of the case 1 without swaying sideways or running to one side thanks to the support mechanism X.

[0022] In conventional horizontal conveying devices, when the object being conveyed is rice grains, the surface may turn black. However, since the rice grains in the stainless steel storage tank have not turned black, it was determined that the main cause of this problem in the case of horizontal conveying devices is the resistance to conveyance by the conveying body 12. It was found that by reducing the contact resistance between the case 1 and the conveying body 12, the discoloration of the rice grains could be prevented. Therefore, in the present invention, each conveying body 12 is configured to move while being supported by a support mechanism X with a gap S between it and the inner surface of the case 1, thereby reducing contact resistance when the conveying body 12 moves and suppressing discoloration of the conveyed object and the generation of vibration.

[0023] The support mechanism X has an inclined plate portion 17 on the case 1 side, and a contact support portion 40 on the conveying body 12 side that comes into contact with and moves on a part of the inclined plate portion 17, with only the contact support portion 40 of the conveying body 12 abutting against the inner surface of the case 1, and the conveying body 12 moves with a gap S between the lower end and left and right side surfaces of the lower conveying portion 25 of the conveying body 12, both side surfaces of the intermediate conveying portion 26 and both side surfaces of the upper conveying portion 27, and the bottom plate 15 and left and right side plates 20 of the case 1.As a result, only the contact support portion 40 of the conveying body 12 comes into sliding contact with the inner surface of the case 1, and the conveying body 12 moves with a gap S between the lower end and left and right side surfaces of the lower conveying portion 25 of the conveying body 12, both side surfaces of the intermediate conveying portion 26 and both side surfaces of the upper conveying portion 27, and the bottom plate 15 and left and right side plates 20 of the case 1, which reduces the contact resistance with the inner surface of the case 1 when the conveying body 12 moves and suppresses discoloration and vibration of the conveyed object.

[0024] The load of the conveying body 12 is supported only by the contact support part 40 of the support mechanism X, and a gap S is formed between the outer edge of the conveying body 12 and the inner surface of the case 1, which reduces the contact resistance with the inner surface of the case 1 when the conveying body 12 moves, and suppresses discoloration of the conveyed object and the generation of vibration. The configuration of the contact support portion 40 is arbitrary, but the oblique side portion 41 of the intermediate conveying portion 26 of the conveying body 12 is cut out to form a notch 42, and the notch 42 forms a gap S between the oblique side portion 41 and the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1, and the oblique side portion 41 has a contact support portion 40 that protrudes toward the inclined plate portion 17, so that the left and right contact support portions 40 abut against the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1 and move the conveying body 12 while supporting the load of the conveying body 12. In this case, if the gap S formed by the notch 42 is 3 mm in size, which is larger than a grain of rice, the contact resistance is further reduced, and discoloration of the transported object and the generation of vibration are suppressed. In other words, even if there is a gap S between the oblique side portion 41 of the intermediate conveying section 26 and the inclined plate portion 17, it does not significantly affect the conveying capacity of the conveying body 12, and is rather effective in reducing contact resistance and suppressing discoloration of the conveyed object and the generation of vibration. Furthermore, since the transported material does not accumulate on the inclined plate portion 17 but flows down onto the bottom plate 15, even if there is a gap S between the oblique side portion 41 of the intermediate transport portion 26 and the inclined plate portion 17, there is no problem of material remaining.

[0025] The left and right contact support parts 40 are formed at the same height when viewed from the front, so that the left-right center of gravity of the conveying body 12 is located at the center of the left and right, improving the straight-line stability of the conveying body 12 and suppressing contact with the inner surface of the side panel 20 of the case 1, thereby suppressing discoloration of the rice grains, vibration, and noise generation. The relationship between the contact support portion 40 and the notch portion 42 is such that the length of the notch portion 42 is longer than the length of the contact support portion 40, thereby reducing contact resistance when the conveying body 12 moves and suppressing discoloration and vibration. In this case, the conveying body 12 is made of synthetic resin and is lightweight, and the contact support portion 40 and the notch portion 42 are formed with a length ratio of 1:3, so that the contact support portion 40 can adequately support the moving load of 15 and also sufficiently reduce contact resistance to prevent discoloration and abnormal noise.

[0026] In the conveying body 12 of Figures 4 and 7, the contact support part 40 is provided at the vertically middle position of the oblique side part 41 when viewed from the front. Therefore, the contact support part 40 abuts against the inclined plate part 17 to support the vertically middle position of the conveying body 12, and the contact support part 40 can adequately support the moving load of 15 and also sufficiently reduce the contact resistance to prevent discoloration and abnormal noise. 5 and 8 show another embodiment of the contact support part 40, in which the oblique side part 41 formed continuously at the lower end of the side edge of the upper conveying part 27 is left as it is to form the contact support part 40, and the oblique side part 41 below the contact support part 40 is cut out to form the contact support part 40, thereby improving the mounting strength (support strength) of the contact support part 40 and further preventing discoloration and abnormal noise generation.

[0027] The lower and upper ends and left and right side ends of the conveying body 12 and the upper surfaces of both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 are each formed with an edge portion 45 having a triangular cross section that slopes gradually downward around the apex of the triangle, thereby preventing grain from landing on the upper surface of the upper conveying section 27 of the conveying body 12 and the upper surfaces of both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 and becoming residue. In addition, edge portions 45 are formed on the side edges of the upper conveying section 27 of the conveying body 12, the oblique side portion 41 of the intermediate conveying section 26, and the side edges of the lower conveying section 25, thereby reducing the contact area with the inner surface of the case 1 and suppressing discoloration of the conveyed object, vibration, and noise generation.

[0028] In addition, an edge portion 45 is formed at the lower end of the lower conveying section 25 of the conveying body 12, so that the conveying body 12 can be configured to move in either the forward or reverse (front or back) direction, improving versatility (for example, a supply section 2 can be provided in the center and discharge sections 6 can be provided at both ends, or the supply sections 2 and discharge sections 6 can be arranged alternately and conveyance can be made between each supply section 2 and discharge section 6). The gap S between the lower edge of the lower conveying section 25 of a normal conveying body 12 and the bottom plate 15 is 2 mm to prevent the crushing of the conveyed material, but the gap S between the lower edge of the lower conveying section 25 of a specific conveying body 12 out of multiple conveying bodies 12 and the bottom plate 15 is always set to a gap smaller than the size of the grains (0.1 to 1 mm), so that not only grains but also powdery residues can be removed and discharged without providing a so-called scraper.

[0029] The depth of the lower standing plate 16 and the width of the bottom plate 15 are arbitrary, and the inclination angle of the inclined plate portion 17 and the oblique side portion 41 can be set so that the conveying body 12 moves through the center according to the depth of the lower standing plate 16 and the width of the bottom plate 15, thereby improving the versatility of the lateral feed conveying device. Inside the case 1, there is provided a floating prevention body 50 which prevents the endless chain 13 from floating up due to transport resistance. The floating prevention body 50 is formed from a vertical stainless steel plate member, and mounting members 52 formed from left and right axial rods are fixedly provided at the front and back. The floating prevention body 50 is positioned above the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 at a predetermined distance, so that when the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 float up, they come into contact with the lower end of the floating prevention body 50, preventing the endless chain 13 from floating up.

[0030] In this case, the lower edge of the anti-floating body 50 is formed with an arc-shaped surface 53, which reduces the contact resistance between the anti-floating body 50 and the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 and the impact at the time of contact, thereby preventing damage to the endless chain 13. A plurality of anti-floating bodies 50 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the case 1, and a chain support roller 54 is provided in the case 1 above the anti-floating bodies 50 to support the return endless chain 13 that moves in the conveying direction above the anti-floating bodies 50, thereby preventing the endless chain 13 from hanging down together with the conveying body 12 above the anti-floating bodies 50 and coming into contact with the anti-floating bodies 50. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1...case, 2...supply section, 3...feed inlet, 4...feed inlet, 5...drop outlet, 6...discharge section, 7...conveyor conveyor, 8...driven gear, 9...driven shaft, 10...drive gear, 11...drive shaft, 12...conveyor body, 13...chain, 15...bottom plate, 16...lower upright plate, 17...inclined plate section, 18...upper upright plate, 20...side plate, 25...lower conveying section, 26...intermediate conveying section, 27...upper conveying section, 28...connecting section, 30...both links, 31...locking shaft member, 32...connecting body, 33...roller, 34...fastening device, 40...contact support section, 41...hypothetic side section, 42...notch section, 45...edge section, 50...floating prevention body, S...gap.

Claims

1. A transport conveyor 7 for transporting the transported objects supplied from the supply section 2 is provided inside a case 1 formed long in the transport direction from a supply section 2 on the rear side in the transport direction to at least one discharge section 6 provided in front of the supply section 2, and the transport conveyor 7 is configured by wrapping an endless chain 13 to which transport bodies 12 are attached at predetermined intervals around a driven gear 8 and a drive gear 10, and the case 1 is provided with lower upright plates 16 standing on both the left and right sides of a bottom plate 15 of the case 1, and each lower upright plate 16 is provided with an inclined plate section 17 positioned outward as it extends upward, and the lower end of each inclined plate section 17 is connected to the upper end of each of the inclined plate sections 17, and thereby A horizontal feed conveying device that constitutes a case 1, in which the conveying body 12 is formed from a vertical plate member made of synthetic resin when viewed from the side, and in which the lower part of the conveying body 12 forms an angular lower conveying section 25 when viewed from the front, and above the lower conveying section 25 is formed an intermediate conveying section 26 with a short bottom side and a long top side, and above the intermediate conveying section 26 is formed an angular upper conveying section 27, and both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 are positioned in the left-right central parts of the upper conveying section 27, intermediate conveying section 26 and lower conveying section 25 of the conveying body 12, and the left and right side edges of each conveying body 12 move while being supported by a support mechanism X with a gap S between them and the inner surface of the case 1.

2. In claim 1, the support mechanism X forms an inclined plate portion 17 on the case 1 side that is inclined outward relative to the lower standing plate 16, and a contact support portion 40 is provided on the conveying body 12 side that moves in contact with a part of the inclined plate portion 17, and only the contact support portion 40 of the conveying body 12 abuts against the inner surface of the case 1, and the conveying body 12 moves with a gap S between the lower end and left and right side surfaces of the lower conveying portion 25 of the conveying body 12, both side surfaces of the intermediate conveying portion 26, both side surfaces of the upper conveying portion 27, and the bottom plate 15 and left and right side plates 20 of the case 1.

3. 2. The transverse conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the load of the conveying body is supported only by the contact support portion, and a gap is formed between the outer periphery of the conveying body and the inner surface of the case.

4. In claim 1 or claim 2, the oblique side portion 41 of the intermediate conveying section 26 of the conveying body 12 is cut out to form a notch 42, and the notch 42 forms a gap S between the oblique side portion 41 and the inclined plate portion 17 of the case 1, and a contact support portion 40 is formed on the oblique side portion 41 and protrudes toward the inclined plate portion 17.

5. 5. The lateral feed conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the left and right contact support portions are formed at the same height position when viewed from the front.

6. 5. The transverse conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the relationship between the contact support portion and the notch is such that the length of the notch is longer than the length of the contact support portion.

7. In claim 4, a lateral feed conveying device in which a portion of the oblique side portion 41 formed continuously at the lower end of the side edge of the upper conveying section 27 is left as a contact support section 40, and the oblique side portion 41 below the contact support section 40 is cut out to form a cutout section 42.

8. In claim 4, the lower and upper ends and left and right side ends of the conveying body 12 and the upper surfaces of both side links 30 of the endless chain 13 each have a triangular cross section that is inclined so that the cross section becomes gradually lower around the apex of the triangle, and is formed on the edge portion 45.

9. In claim 4, a horizontal feed conveying device in which a floating prevention body 50 is provided inside the case 1 to prevent the endless chain 13 from floating up due to conveying resistance, the floating prevention body 50 is formed from a vertical plate member of stainless steel, and mounting members 52 formed from left and right axial rods are provided in a fixed state at the front and rear, the floating prevention body 50 is positioned above the rollers 31 of the endless chain 13 at a predetermined interval, and the lower edge of the floating prevention body 50 is formed into an arc-shaped arc surface 53.

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