Rod-like body alignment tool and method for aligning rod-like body

Abstract

To provide a rod-like body alignment tool that can acquire rod-like bodies while respective tips of the rod-like bodies are aligned from tangled rod-like bodies, and to provide a method for aligning a rod-like body.SOLUTION: A rod-like body alignment tool includes: an alignment container having conical recesses in which apexes of conical bodies are arranged on a vertically lower side; and a storage box for storing the alignment container. Tips of rod-like bodies are aligned while being collected in the apexes of conical bodies, thereby achieving alignment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rod aligner and a rod aligning method for aligning a plurality of rods, such as coil springs, that are intertwined and have the same length. [Background technology]

[0002] FIG. 8 shows a conventional rod-shaped body alignment tool or supply device. In particular, in Patent Document 1, 8-A-1 and 8-A-2 show an aligner for rod-shaped bodies, and in Patent Document 2, 8-B shows a supply device for rod-shaped bodies. The aligner 8-A-1 has a V-shaped recess formed by two inclined surfaces, and has a hole 12 at the tip side (one side or both sides) of the base line where the tip of the V extends to the back side. 8-A-2 shows this usage state. By placing rods with misaligned orientations in the recess and applying vibration, most of the rods will align along the base line. However, rods that are oriented in a direction that straddles the two inclined surfaces at the tip of the base line can be difficult to align, and are dropped through hole 12 to be discharged. In 8-B, like 8-A-1 and 8-A-2, the hopper has a V-shaped depression created by two inclined surfaces, but in this case, the purpose is not to align the rods, but to supply the aligned rods to the hopper and then discharge them one by one. 8-C shows the pre-improvement version of 8-A-1 and 8-A-2 without the hole 12. All three have a V-shaped depression created by two inclined surfaces, with the tip of the V having a base line extending toward the back, but this configuration makes it easy for misalignment to occur. As a result, rod-shaped body alignment devices having the characteristics of Patent Documents 1 and 2 often result in rods tipping over as shown in 8-C, which is inconvenient for the purpose of the present application, which is to align the tips of the rods and stand them upright. In the present application, as will be described later, instead of adopting a configuration in which there is a V-shaped recess formed by two inclined surfaces and the tip of the V has a base line extending to the back, a configuration is adopted in which a housing having a cone-shaped recess is held by a support with the apex of the cone pointing vertically downward, thereby making it easier to align the tips of the rod-shaped bodies by gathering them at the apex of the cone, as will be described in detail later. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2013-180386 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 63-208436 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The object of the present application is to provide a rod aligner and a rod aligning method that can obtain rods from entangled rods with the tips of each rod aligned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The following description is based on the claims. The invention described in claim 1 is a rod-shaped body aligner, The invention is characterized in that it has an alignment container assembly, which has a plurality of cone holders with cone-shaped depressions arranged in a line, and has an edge plate attached integrally around and in contact with the edge of each opening of the cone-shaped depression of each of the cone holders, and a support body attached integrally to support each apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression of each of the cone holders, and the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression of each of the cone holders is arranged facing approximately vertically downward when the rod-shaped bodies are collected and when vibration is applied to the rod-shaped bodies, so that the tips of the rod-shaped bodies are collected and aligned at the apex of the cone.

[0006] The invention of claim 2 is the rod-shaped body aligner of claim 1, The storage box is capable of storing a plurality of the aligned container assemblies in a direction horizontal and perpendicular to the direction of arrangement of the plurality of cone holders, and is characterized in that at least three sides around the opening at the top of the storage box are provided with inclined plates that take in the rod-shaped bodies that protrude outside the storage box.

[0007] The invention of claim 3 is the rod-shaped body aligner of claim 2, The storage box is characterized by having a spill tray on one side around the opening at the top of the storage box for receiving the rod-like object that does not fit into the conical recess.

[0008] The invention of claim 4 is the rod-shaped body aligner of claim 1, The aligned container assembly is characterized in that the edge of the opening of each of the conical depressions or the edge plate attached to the edge has a protrusion or a slope.

[0009] The invention of claim 5 is the rod-shaped body aligner of claim 1, The device is characterized by being provided with a tilting means that, when placed under the aligned container assembly or a support object on which the aligned container assembly is placed, essentially tilts the opening surface of the conical recess of the aligned container assembly and the edging plate.

[0010] The invention described in claim 6 is a rod-shaped body aligner, The alignment container has a cone holder having a cone-shaped depression, a edging plate attached around the edge of the opening of the cone-shaped depression, and a support that supports the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression, and is characterized in that the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression is arranged facing approximately vertically downward when the rod-shaped bodies are dropped and received by the opening of the cone-shaped depression, and when vibration is applied to the rod-shaped bodies so that the tips of the rod-shaped bodies are gathered and aligned at the apex of the cone.

[0011] The invention of claim 7 is the rod-shaped body aligner of claim 6, The edging plate has a slope that rises outward from the opening of the conical recess.

[0012] The invention described in claim 8 is a method for aligning rod-shaped bodies, comprising: The device has a plurality of cone holders, each having a cone-shaped recess, arranged in a line, and has a rim plate attached integrally around the edge of the opening of each of the cone-shaped recesses in contact with each other, and a support body attached integrally to support the apex of each of the cones in the cone-shaped recesses of each of the cone holders, an alignment container assembly in which the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression is arranged to face approximately vertically downward when the rod-shaped bodies are collected and when vibration is applied to the rod-shaped bodies so that the rod-shaped bodies are dropped and received by the opening of the cone-shaped depression, and the tips of the rod-shaped bodies are collected and aligned at the apex of the cone; a storage box capable of storing a plurality of the aligned container assemblies, with the alignment direction of the plurality of cone holders being horizontal and perpendicular directions, and the storage box having inclined plates on at least three sides around the opening at the top of the storage box for taking in the rod-shaped bodies that protrude outside the storage box; With a plurality of the aligned container assemblies housed in the storage box, the rod-shaped bodies separated from the entangled body of the rod-shaped bodies are dropped by gravity from above the opening of the storage box and housed in the cone-shaped depression, and vibration is applied so that the tips of the rod-shaped bodies are aligned with the apexes of the cones of the cone-shaped depression, and then the aligned container assembly is tilted on a table, so that the rod-shaped bodies are taken out in an aligned state on the table. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As configured as described above, the rod aligner of the present invention can obtain rods with the tips of each rod aligned, and also has the effect of making it easier to take measures to eliminate the problem of "straddling rods" described below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the state in which the alignment container and storage box of the rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention are in use. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of aligning rod-shaped bodies using a rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an alignment container or an alignment container assembly of a rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another embodiment of the aligning container or aligning container assembly of the rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing still another embodiment of the aligning container or aligning container assembly of the rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention, which has a tilt imparting means and a vibration function. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a conventional rod-shaped body alignment device and other devices. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention. For example, for aligners of rod-shaped bodies that are long in one direction, such as coil springs, there are means shown in the prior art, but some of them may be oriented in a different direction and the accuracy of alignment is poor. In this application, we solve this problem by using means different from the prior art. The rod aligner of the present invention will be described below. The rod aligner of the present application has an alignment container 100, which has a cone holder 110 having a cone-shaped depression 111, a rim plate 120 attached around the edge of the opening of the cone-shaped depression 111, and a support 130 that supports the apex 112 of the cone of the cone-shaped depression 111 so that it faces approximately vertically downward. 1-A shows an alignment container assembly 100M that is an assembly of five cone holders 110 each having a cone-shaped depression arranged in a line, and in this case, each rim plate 120 and each support 130 are formed integrally, which is convenient for use. The role of the edging plate 120 is to prevent the rod-shaped object from falling off at a place other than the opening of the conical recess 111, which would otherwise occur. Also, the opening of the conical depression 111 can be used with only one alignment container 100, in which case the opening can be made larger or the border plate 120 can be omitted as in 1-D. Furthermore, as in 1-C, the border plate 120 can be configured with an inclined plate surface. Note that 1-C can also be applied to a multiple configuration as in 1-A. Of course, a pyramidal depression 111 with a pyramidal shape as in 1-B is also possible, and in that case, an inclined border plate 120 can also be applied. Furthermore, in the alignment container 100 and the alignment container assembly 100M, as shown in 3-A of Figure 3, the rod-shaped bodies are dropped and received at the opening of the conical depression 111, and the tips of the rod-shaped bodies are gathered and aligned at the apex of the cone.Therefore, when gathering the rod-shaped bodies and when vibrating as described below, the apex 112 of the cone faces approximately vertically downward, and therefore the opening of the conical depression 111 faces approximately vertically upward.

[0016] 1-A illustrates the case where the cone is a circular cone, while 1-B illustrates the case where the cone is a square pyramid. Polygonal pyramids such as triangular, pentagonal, and hexagonal pyramids can be used, but cones are preferred. It is also possible to form a conical depression 111 in a carved shape in a rectangular parallelepiped, as in 1-E. In this case, although it is not a plate-like body, the rectangular parallelepiped itself plays the role of an integrated edging plate 120 and support body 130. The function of the aligned container 100 or aligned container assembly 100M when in use will be described in FIG. 3 and subsequent figures. 1-F shows an example of a storage box 200 for storing the aligning container 100 of 1-A or 1-B or the aligning container assembly 100M and for use when aligning rod-shaped objects. As shown in FIG. 2-2B, when the storage box 200 is filled with the alignment container 100 or the alignment container assembly 100M, the rods separated from the tangled rods are dropped by gravity from the storage box opening 210 of the storage box 200. In this case, the storage box 200 has an inclined collection plate 220 to collect the rods scattered slightly around the storage box opening 210 and direct them to the opening of the conical recess 111 of the alignment container 100 or the alignment container assembly 100M. As shown in the figure, it is preferable to have a connecting collection plate 221 at the corner of the storage box 200 that connects adjacent collection plates 220. As shown in the figure, the side plate 230 on the left rear side of the storage box 200 opens. Furthermore, by providing a connector 222 such as a hinge between the storage box 200 body, the collection plate 220, and the connecting collection plate 221, opening, closing, folding, and assembly are facilitated.

[0017] 2 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the state of the alignment containers and storage box of the rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention when in use. 2-B shows a storage box 200 storing three rows of the alignment container assemblies 100M of 1-A, and 2-A shows one of the alignment container assemblies 100M in an inserted / removed state. While insertion and removal may be performed vertically, as in this example, inserting and removing the alignment container assemblies 100M horizontally, by opening the side panel 230 on the left rear side of the storage box 200, has the advantage that it is easier to grasp the alignment container assemblies 100M.

[0018] 3 shows one embodiment of rod alignment using a rod aligner according to the present invention. In 3-A, as shown in 2-B of FIG. 2, with the storage box 200 filled with the alignment container assembly 100M, the rods separated from the rod tangle 310 (by disentangling the tangle) are allowed to fall by gravity from above the storage box opening 210 of the storage box 200. Most of the fallen rods fall into the opening of the conical depression 111 of the alignment container assembly 100M. Due to the characteristic of the rods, that is, one side is longer than the other perpendicular to its width, the rods fall with one tip facing downward while contacting the side wall of the conical depression 111. The rods come to rest with one tip gathered at the apex 112 (tip) of the cone of the cone of the cone of the depression 111, and the other end comes to rest along the slope of the cone of the depression 111. This state, particularly the state in which one tip of each rod is gathered at a single point, the apex 112 of the cone, is a characteristic of the rod aligner of the present invention.

[0019] In reality, the number of rod-shaped bodies inserted into the opening of the conical recess 111 is greater than that shown in the figure. Also, the rod-shaped bodies shown in the figure are coil springs as an example. Furthermore, if vibration is applied to the storage box 200 during the loosening and dropping action of the rod-shaped bodies 3-A (excitation), one tip of each rod-shaped body is encouraged to gather at a single point, the apex 112 of the cone. 3-B-1 shows a case where, instead of vibrating the storage box 200, the aligned container assembly 100M pulled out from the storage box 200 is vibrated. In either case, the effect of vibration is the same, and this effect is shown in 3-B-2. In 3-B-2, (a) shows the arrangement of nearly isotropic particles, such as sand, inside a cone-shaped depression 111. They fall due to gravity and have no distinctive arrangement. In (b), a rod-shaped object is inside the cone-shaped depression 111. Unlike sand, rods are not isotropic, and due to this characteristic, one end of the rod points downward and is in contact with either the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression 111 or the inner slope of the cone of the cone-shaped depression 111. The results of applying vibration to this are shown in (c) and (d). (c) corresponds to the state seen from the side, and (d) corresponds to the state seen from directly above. The rod-shaped bodies are arranged radially along the inner slope of the cone of the cone-shaped recess 111 . With one tip of the rod-shaped body gathering at the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression 111, the rod-shaped body lies parallel to the inner slope of the cone, and the other tip is at approximately the same height. The fact that one tip of the rod-shaped body gathers at the apex of the cone, resulting in the other end being at the same height, is a feature formed by the cone and the rod-shaped body.

[0020] 3-C-1 through 3-C-4 show the aligned container assembly 100M being placed on its side on the table, with the rods being placed on the table. 3-C-1 shows the state immediately after the aligned container assembly 100M was vibrated, while 3-C-2 shows the aligned container assembly 100M lying on its side, with the tips of the rods not at the apex of the cone also coming together due to the tilting action. 3-C-3 shows the aligned container assembly 100M being further tilted on its side, with the tips of the aligned rods being placed on the table surface, and 3-C-4 shows the aligned container assembly 100M being pulled, allowing the rods to be separated onto the table in an aligned state. For ease of understanding, the aligned container assembly 100M is depicted with one aligned container, but if the entire aligned container assembly 100M is shown, it would look like 3-C-0, and 3-D shows the state in which two rods from the aligned container assembly 100M have been separated onto the table. After separation of the rods onto the platform, the rod bundles are gathered into larger bundles.

[0021] Figures 4 to 6 below show means for facilitating the fall of rod-shaped objects by using protrusions or inclinations in the aligning container 100 or the aligning container assembly 100M, particularly in the edging plate 120. Figure 7-A shows a tilting means 710 such as an inclined plate that is placed under the aligning container 100 or the aligning container assembly 100M or the storage box 200 carrying it, without any means for facilitating the fall of rod-shaped objects, in order to essentially tilt the surface of the opening of the conical depression 111 of the aligning container 100 or the aligning container assembly 100M.

[0022] 4A and 4B show an embodiment of an alignment container or an alignment container assembly for a rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention. 4A shows that the aligner shown in 2B may have rods straddling the openings of adjacent conical depressions 111 or the border plate 120 between them. The state as viewed from the direction of the arrow is shown in 4-B-1 and 4-B-2. For ease of viewing, the illustration does not show the numerous rods that normally fall into the cone-shaped depression 111. We would like to find a way to eliminate this "straddling rod" state. 4-C-1 and 4-C-2 show the cone-shaped recesses 111 with their openings inclined from the horizontal, and the edging plates 120 between adjacent cone-shaped recesses 111 with vertical steps. The rod-shaped object straddling the rod falls easily into the cone-shaped recess 111 due to the tilt and vibration.

[0023] Fig. 5 shows another embodiment of the alignment container or alignment container assembly of the rod aligner according to the present invention. Like Fig. 4, this is also intended to eliminate the "straddled rod" state. In the examples described so far, the edging plate 120 is flat, but in Fig. 5, the "straddling rod" problem is eliminated by making it non-flat. In 5-A, the four corners around the opening of each conical depression 111 that are adjacent to the opening of other conical depressions 111 are raised as shown to form a slope, so that the "straddling rod" can easily fall into the conical depression 111 along the slope when vibrated. In 5-A, the four corners are raised as shown in the figure, but in 5-B, the right-hand corners are connected in a line at the same height. In 5-A, if a rod-shaped object accidentally rests in the recessed area between the four corners, it is likely to become a "straddled rod." This is because the recessed areas between the four corners are the same height. However, in 5-B, the right-hand corners are connected in a line at the same raised height, creating a slope, making it less likely to become a "straddled rod" in the direction of the slope. In 5-C-1, a step is added to the 5-A structure, as shown in 5-C-2, viewed from the side perpendicular to the direction indicated by the thin line. Even though the structure is raised, there is a step between adjacent corners, making it less likely to become a "straddled rod" due to the slope caused by the step. The same countermeasure can be applied to 5-B.

[0024] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing still another embodiment of the aligning container or aligning container assembly of the rod aligner according to the present invention. As with Figure 4, this is intended to eliminate the "straddling rod" state. In FIG. 5, the corners of the edging plate 120 have a raised structure. In FIG. 6, the edging plate 120 itself has an inclined structure. 6-B-1 and 6-B-2 show the non-tilted state, similar to 4-B-1 and 4-B-2. 6-C-1 shows the opening of the conical depression 111 and the edging plate 120 in a conventional non-tilted state (shown by solid lines) and in a tilted state (shown by dotted and broken lines). When viewed from the direction of the arrow, the dotted line state shows the tilt, so the hole at the opening of the conical depression 111 is visible, as in 6-C-2. 6-C is a perspective view of this state, and 6-D shows the state in which three aligned container assemblies 100M are adjacent to each other. In the tilted direction, this works as a solution to the "straddling rod" state, but it has the weakness of not working in the non-tilted direction.

[0025] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the rod-shaped body aligner according to the present invention, which has tilt imparting means and a vibration function. 4 to 6 show cases where a solution to the "straddling rod" problem is applied to an aligned container or an aligned container assembly 100M. In 7-A, no measures are taken to resolve the "straddling rod" problem on the alignment container or alignment container assembly 100M. Instead, a tilting means 710 is provided to tilt the alignment container or alignment container assembly 100M, or the storage box containing them, and to maintain the tilted state. In this example, a tilting platform with a triangular cross section is placed under the storage box, and although the configuration is simple, this alone tilts the alignment container, which, combined with the vibration, serves as a solution to the "straddling rod" problem. The tilt can also be configured along the diagonal of the storage box. Furthermore, it is a good idea to provide a spill tray 720 on the lower slope side of the storage box to catch any rods that happen to not fit into the conical recess 111. 7-B shows a vibrator that vibrates the storage box placed on it. The vibration may be a low-frequency reciprocating vibration in the horizontal and vertical directions, or a higher-frequency ultrasonic vibration. Combining 7-A and 7-B contributes to a rod aligner that solves the "straddle rod" problem.

[0026] In the present specification and claims, the term "rod-shaped body" refers to an object having a shape that is long in one direction, such as a coil spring, a wire rod, or a bar. [Industrial Applicability]

[0027] As described above, the rod aligner according to the present invention is capable of aligning rods with a simple configuration of an alignment container and a storage box, and is extremely convenient for industrial use. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 100 aligned containers 100M aligned container assembly 110 Cone holder 111 Cone-shaped depression 112 V-body vertex 120 Edging board 130 Support 200 Storage Box 210 Storage box opening 220 Collection Board 221 Connection assembly plate 222 Connectors 230 Side Panel 310 Rod-shaped body entanglement body 710 Inclination imparting means 720 Spill catcher

Claims

1. A rod aligner comprising an alignment container assembly, the alignment container assembly having a plurality of cone holders each having a cone-shaped depression arranged in a line, and each of the cone holders having an edge plate integrally attached around and in contact with the edge of each opening of the cone-shaped depression, and a support body integrally attached to support each apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression of each of the cone holders, wherein the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression is arranged facing approximately vertically downward when the rods are being gathered and when vibration is applied to the rods, so that the tips of the rods are gathered and aligned at the apex of the cone.

2. A rod-shaped body aligner as described in claim 1, characterized in that it has a storage box that can store multiple alignment container assemblies in a direction horizontal and perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the multiple cone holders, and at least three sides around the opening at the top of the storage box are provided with inclined plates that take in the rod-shaped bodies that protrude outside the storage box.

3. 3. The rod aligner according to claim 2, wherein the storage box is provided with a spill tray on one side around the opening at the top of the storage box for receiving the rods that do not fit into the conical recess.

4. 2. The rod aligner according to claim 1, wherein the alignment container assembly has a protrusion or a slope on the edge of the opening of each of the conical depressions or on the edging plate attached to the edge.

5. A rod-shaped body aligner as described in claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a tilting means which, when placed under the alignment container assembly or a mounting object on which the alignment container assembly is placed, substantially tilts the opening surface of the conical recess of the alignment container assembly and the edging plate.

6. A rod aligner comprising an alignment container having a cone holder with a cone-shaped depression, a edging plate attached around the edge of the opening of the cone-shaped depression, and a support that supports the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression, wherein the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression is positioned facing approximately vertically downward when the rods are being collected and when vibration is applied to the rods, so that the tips of the rods are collected and aligned at the apex of the cone.

7. 7. The rod aligner according to claim 6, wherein the edging plate has an inclination that rises outward from the opening of the conical recess.

8. The device has a plurality of cone holders, each having a cone-shaped recess, arranged in a line, and has a rim plate attached integrally around the edge of the opening of each of the cone-shaped recesses in contact with each other, and a support body attached integrally to support the apex of each of the cones in the cone-shaped recesses of each of the cone holders, an alignment container assembly in which the apex of the cone of the cone-shaped depression is arranged to face approximately vertically downward when the rod-shaped bodies are collected and when vibration is applied to the rod-shaped bodies so that the rod-shaped bodies are dropped and received by the opening of the cone-shaped depression, and the tips of the rod-shaped bodies are collected and aligned at the apex of the cone; a storage box capable of storing a plurality of the aligned container assemblies with the alignment direction of the plurality of cone holders being horizontal and perpendicular directions, the storage box being provided with inclined plates on at least three sides around the opening at the top of the storage box for taking in the rod-shaped bodies protruding outside the storage box; a method for aligning rod-shaped bodies, characterized in that, with a plurality of the alignment container assemblies contained in the storage box, the rod-shaped bodies separated from the tangled body of multiple entangled rod-shaped bodies are allowed to fall by gravity from above the opening of the storage box and placed in the conical depression, and vibration is applied so that the tips of the rod-shaped bodies are aligned with the apexes of the cones of the conical depression, and then the alignment container assembly is tilted on a table, so that the rod-shaped bodies are removed in an aligned state on the table.

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