Vibration conveyor and rod-like article selection device with the vibration conveyor

Abstract

To provide a vibration conveyor that can array and convey rod-like objects such as Wiener sausages more securely and efficiently with their long axes aligned with a conveyance direction, and further reduce manual work, and a rod-like article selection device with the vibration conveyor.SOLUTION: An array conveyance part 11b for a diaphragm 11a is sectioned into a plurality of conveyance lanes L while partition parts 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a comprising a tip inclined surface 39a atop and differing in length shift forward / backward in tip position, and a ridge line of the tip inclined surface 39a and partition body parts 35 of the partition parts 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a intersect three-dimensionally when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the partition parts 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vibrating conveyor that applies vibrations to rod-shaped items such as wiener sausages to align their longitudinal axes in the conveying direction, and to a rod-shaped item sorting device equipped with this vibrating conveyor. [Background technology]

[0002] Wiener sausages, which are rod-shaped products, are produced, for example, as follows. That is, minced meat such as pork, beef, mutton, or horse meat, or minced meat such as poultry or rabbit, is kneaded with seasonings, spices, binders, antioxidants, etc., and the resulting raw material is stuffed into a casing such as a sheep intestine, and ligatures are formed at desired intervals to obtain raw linked wiener sausages.

[0003] The raw linked wiener sausages are hung on a rod in a loop shape and placed together with the rod in a smoking treatment device, where they are smoked and heated, and then dried to obtain linked wiener sausages. The chain of wiener sausages is cut at the ligated portions using a cutting device to separate them into individual wiener sausages (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, the cut products obtained using the above-mentioned cutting device may contain non-standard products that deviate from the standard products (good products) that will become products, such as short wiener sausages that are shorter than the standard size (good product size) because the linked wiener sausages have been cut at places other than the ligated parts or because the separated wiener sausages have broken during the process, or long wiener sausages that are longer or shorter than the standard size because the ligated parts have not been sufficiently twisted when the linked wiener sausages are produced or because the twist has returned to normal and adjacent wiener sausages are connected to each other. Therefore, the non-standard products must first be removed before they can be shipped as products.

[0005] Therefore, the applicant of the present invention has already proposed a sorting device that can sort rod-shaped items of different lengths, for example, the sorting device comprising a sorting table having a sorting hole on the sorting surface through which rod-shaped items of a predetermined length or less can pass, and a vibration device for vibrating the sorting table to move the rod-shaped items on the sorting surface in a certain direction relative to the sorting table, and the sorting surface is provided with a guide surface that extends diagonally downward from the front edge of the sorting hole toward the rear end of the sorting hole (see Patent Document 2). That is, the sorting device comprises a stand, a sorting table (vibrating plate) attached to the stand via a coil spring (elastic member), and a vibration imparting means that vibrates the sorting table to feed a large number of wiener sausages as rod-shaped objects into the feed section of the sorting table, which are then sorted and transported into multiple conveying lanes separated by a sorting section, with the long axis of each wiener sausage facing the conveying direction. Wiener sausages that are shorter than a specified length are allowed to fall through sorting holes provided midway along each conveying lane into, for example, a storage container below the sorting holes, and wiener sausages that are longer than the specified length are discharged from the exit of the conveying lane and received in the storage container, thereby enabling wiener sausages of different lengths to be sorted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3851878 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-159872 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the case of the above-mentioned sorting device, when wiener sausages fed into the feeding section are sent to the entrance of the conveying lane in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, they are received straddling the tips of adjacent partition sections, and these straddling wiener sausages block the entrance of the conveying lane, obstructing the subsequent wiener sausages when they enter the conveying lane, resulting in the problem of wiener sausages becoming stuck above the wiener sausage feeding section. Therefore, in the case of the above-mentioned sorting device, if such a jam occurs, an operator must remove the jammed wiener sausages, and the operating costs cannot be reduced sufficiently.

[0008] Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, the applicant of the present invention tried to shift the positions of the tips of the adjacent partitions forward and backward in the conveying direction and to form inclined surfaces at the tips. In other words, with the above configuration, when a wiener sausage is transported with its long axis perpendicular to the conveying direction, i.e., perpendicular to the axial direction of the partitions, its abdomen first abuts against the tip of one of the partitions, then it rides up the inclined surface and rotates in either direction around the tip of the partition, and as a result of this rotation, its long axis direction becomes oriented in the conveying direction, so that it can be neatly inserted into the conveying lane in the rotating direction and aligned. However, some wiener sausages, especially long ones, may ride up along the inclined surface to the top end of the partition section and be transported in a state spanning the top ends of adjacent partition sections, making it impossible to sort them properly in the sorting process.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide a vibrating conveyor that can more reliably and efficiently align and convey rod-shaped items such as Vienna sausages with their long axes aligned in the conveying direction, thereby further reducing manual work, and a rod-shaped item sorting device equipped with this vibrating conveyor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the vibrating conveyor of the present invention comprises a vibrating plate having a rod-shaped article inlet section at one end for injecting rod-shaped articles, and an aligning conveying section at the other end which is divided by a plurality of partitions into a plurality of conveying lanes parallel to the conveying direction, and the vibrating plate is vibrated by a vibration imparting means to convey the rod-shaped articles introduced into the rod-shaped article inlet section toward the aligning conveying section, and the rod-shaped articles conveyed to the aligning conveying section enter one of the conveying lanes and align with their major axes facing the conveying direction. The vibrating conveyor is configured to convey materials in a state toward the exit of the conveying lane, and each of the partition sections has a tip section and a partition main body section formed continuously from the tip section, and the tip section has a tip inclined surface that gradually becomes higher from the tip and a descending surface that descends from the highest point of the tip inclined surface to the upper end of the partition main body section, and adjacent partition sections are offset so that the ridge line of one tip inclined surface and the upper end of the other partition main body section intersect at an intersection when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the partition section.

[0011] In the present invention, the long axis of a rod-shaped product means the central axis when the rod-shaped product is straight, and means the line segment connecting both ends of the curve when the rod-shaped product is curved. In the present invention, the angle of inclination of the tip inclined surface is not particularly limited as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved, but it is preferably 10° to 50° with respect to the horizontal plane. In other words, if the inclination angle is too small, the rod-shaped item S may climb too high onto the tip inclined surface 39a, preventing it from rotating and entering the conveying lane, and it may be conveyed straddling the partition sections; if the inclination angle is too large, the rod-shaped item S may hit the tip inclined surface, eliminating the point of having the tip inclined surface.

[0012] Although the vibrating conveyor of the present invention is not particularly limited, when the rod-shaped objects include at least curved rod-shaped objects, it is preferable that the multiple partition sections have an inclined surface for posture correction on at least one side, which corrects the posture of the curved rod-shaped objects so that the center of the curvature faces either upward or downward from both ends of the curved rod-shaped objects. In other words, if the rod-shaped objects fed into the rod-shaped object feed section include curved objects, depending on the degree of curvature and the length of the rod-shaped objects, when the curved rod-shaped objects enter the conveying lane with the surface of the curved object perpendicular to the axis of curvature received on the receiving surface of the conveying lane, both ends of the curve of the rod-shaped object may abut against the wall surface of one of the partitions on either side of the conveying lane, and the outer wall surface of the curve may abut against the wall surface of the other partition on either side of the conveying lane, causing the curved rod-shaped objects to become stuck in the conveying lane. If the rod-shaped article becomes clogged as described above, it may interfere with the transport of the following rod-shaped article. However, by providing an inclined surface for posture correction as described above, when a rod-shaped item enters the conveying lane, the end or middle part of the rod-shaped item is received by the inclined surface for posture correction, and the middle or end part is kept facing downward. This prevents curved rod-shaped objects from getting stuck between the partitions arranged on either side of the conveying lane and becoming jammed.

[0013] The posture correcting inclined surfaces may be provided so as to face each other between adjacent partitions. The method for forming the posture correction inclined surface is not particularly limited, but examples include a method of tilting the plate material constituting the partition section toward one side relative to the alignment and conveying section, a method of bending the plate material constituting the partition section toward one side at a desired position, a method of making the conveying lane V-shaped in cross section, and a method of welding a member with a posture correction inclined surface to the side of the plate-shaped partition section main body. The inclination angle of the posture correction inclined surface is determined appropriately depending on the thickness, shape, and length of the rod-shaped item such as a wiener sausage, and is not particularly limited as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved, but the inclination angle is preferably 45° to 80° with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, if the inclination angle is too gentle or too steep, the posture correction effect may not be fully exerted.

[0014] Although not particularly limited, the vibrating conveyor of the present invention preferably has at least one gap in the longitudinal direction of the partition section that is large enough to prevent the rod-like articles from passing through. In other words, if the rod-shaped items are food ingredients, the vibrating plate needs to be cleaned frequently, but if a long partition is installed along the conveying lane, when cleaning the inside of the conveying lane, there are only outlets for cleaning liquid or cleaning water at the entrance and exit sides of the conveying lane, which may take a long time to clean.

[0015] Therefore, with the above-described configuration, when the diaphragm is washed with water, the washing water flows through the gap into the adjacent transport lane, improving the washability of the diaphragm and shortening the washing time. It is preferable that a plurality of gaps are provided intermittently for each partition section. The positions of the gaps between adjacent partition sections may be shifted in the longitudinal direction.

[0016] Although not particularly limited, the vibrating conveyor of the present invention preferably has at least one through-hole provided so as to communicate between the transport lanes on both sides of the partition. In other words, if the rod-shaped items are food ingredients, the vibrating plate needs to be cleaned frequently, but if a long partition is installed along the conveying lane, when cleaning the inside of the conveying lane, there are only outlets for cleaning liquid or cleaning water at the entrance and exit sides of the conveying lane, which may take a long time to clean.

[0017] Therefore, with the above-described configuration, when the diaphragm is washed with water, the washing water flows through the through-holes into the adjacent transport lane, improving the washability of the diaphragm and shortening the washing time. Preferably, a plurality of through holes are provided intermittently for each partition section. The positions of the through holes in adjacent partition sections may be shifted in the longitudinal direction.

[0018] Although not particularly limited, the vibrating conveyor of the present invention may be configured such that the alignment and conveying section of the vibrating plate main body section is provided with a sorting inclined surface that descends steeply toward the upstream section of the conveying direction of the rod-shaped items midway through the section where the conveying lane is provided, and the conveying lane is provided with a sorting hole on the sorting inclined surface that allows rod-shaped items having a major axis shorter than a specified major axis length to fall below the vibrating plate main body section.

[0019] In other words, with the above configuration, rod-shaped objects having a long axis shorter than the specified long axis length fall through the sorting hole below the vibrating plate, and rod-shaped objects having a long axis longer than the specified long axis length are transported to the exit side of the transport lane. Therefore, during transport, rod-shaped items having a major axis shorter than the specified major axis length can be sorted from rod-shaped items having a major axis longer than the specified major axis length, simplifying tasks such as sorting and removing defective items.

[0020] The sorting holes may be provided intermittently in a plurality in the inclined sorting surface in the inclined direction. When a plurality of sorting holes are provided in the inclined direction as described above, the sorting holes on the downstream side of the inclined surface may be larger than the sorting holes on the upstream side.

[0021] In the present invention, examples of stick-shaped products include, but are not limited to, stick-shaped sausages such as wiener sausages and those sold under the trade name Paul Wiener, and stick-shaped foods such as tubed cheese and tubed kamaboko.

[0022] The rod-shaped item sorting device of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a vibrating conveyor of the present invention as described above; a high-speed belt conveyor having a faster conveying speed than the vibrating conveyor and onto which rod-shaped items are transferred after being conveyed by the vibrating conveyor to the exit of the conveying lane with their longitudinal axis aligned along the conveying direction of the conveying lane; a discrimination means for discriminating whether the rod-shaped items conveyed on these high-speed belt conveyors are standard items or non-standard items; and a sorting means for receiving a control signal from a control unit provided in the discrimination means and separating the non-standard items from the standard items.

[0023] In the rod-shaped item sorting device of the present invention, the objects that the discrimination means discriminates are not particularly limited, but may include, for example, the length of the rod-shaped item, the curvature of the rod-shaped item, the color of the surface of the rod-shaped item, the thickness of the rod-shaped item, and scratches on the surface of the rod-shaped item. The discrimination means may be capable of discriminating between the above discrimination targets individually, or may be capable of discriminating between all of them simultaneously.

[0024] The rod-shaped item sorting device of the present invention is not particularly limited, but may be configured, for example, such that the sorting means includes a standard item storage container, a non-standard item storage container, and sliders in the same number as the conveying lanes, and each slider is positioned on an extension of the conveying lane between the conveying exit of the high-speed belt conveyor and the standard item storage container or the non-standard item storage container, and is configured to have a sliding position that blocks the non-standard item storage container or the standard item storage container and allows rod-shaped items sent to the conveying exit side of the high-speed belt conveyor to slide down into the standard item storage container or the non-standard item storage container, and to be controlled so that when a rod-shaped item determined to be a non-standard item or a standard item by the discrimination means reaches the slider position, the slider rotates around a pivot part provided on the standard item storage container or the non-standard item storage container side to assume an upright position that allows the rod-shaped item to fall into the non-standard item storage container or the standard item storage container. That is, with the above configuration, the removal can be achieved simply by moving the slider, making it possible to make the device compact and simple.

[0025] Although not particularly limited, the rod-shaped item sorting device of the present invention may be configured such that the discrimination unit is arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction of the high-speed belt conveyor, a line camera that photographs the rod-shaped items being conveyed by the high-speed belt conveyor, and a control unit that determines from image data from the line camera whether the rod-shaped items being conveyed on the high-speed belt conveyor are standard or non-standard items, and controls the slider to rise when the non-standard item reaches the slider, so that other rod-shaped items are in a fixed position where they can slide. That is, with the above configuration, the determination can be made based on image data from the line camera, making it possible to make the device compact and inexpensive. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] As described above, the vibrating plate of the present invention comprises a vibrating plate having at one end a rod-shaped article input section for inputting rod-shaped articles, and at the other end an alignment conveying section partitioned by a plurality of partitions into a plurality of conveying lanes parallel to the conveying direction, and the vibrating plate is vibrated by a vibration imparting means to convey the rod-shaped articles inputted into the rod-shaped article input section towards the alignment conveying section, and the rod-shaped articles conveyed to the alignment conveying section enter one of the conveying lanes and are aligned with their major axes facing the conveying direction. A vibrating conveyor designed to transport rolls toward an outlet direction, wherein each of the partition sections has a tip section and a partition main body section formed continuously from the tip section, and the tip section has a tip inclined surface that gradually rises from its tip and a descending surface that descends from the highest point of the tip inclined surface to the upper end of the partition main body section, and adjacent partition sections are offset so that the ridge line of one tip inclined surface and the upper end of the other partition main body section intersect at an elevated level when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the partition sections, thereby providing the following effects.

[0027] In other words, since the tip of a partition section is offset in the conveying direction from the tip of an adjacent partition section and is provided with a tip inclined surface, a rod-shaped item being conveyed toward a partition section first hits the tip of one of the partition sections, is lifted by the tip inclined surface, and rotates around the tip inclined surface so that its long axis faces the conveying direction of the conveying lane, making it easier for the item to enter one of the conveying lanes with its long axis facing the conveying direction. Furthermore, adjacent partition sections are offset so that the ridge line of one of the inclined tip surfaces intersects with the upper end of the other partition main body section when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the partition section.Therefore, even if a rod-shaped item does not rotate sufficiently on the inclined tip surface and is attempted to be transported while straddling adjacent partition sections, its tip will hit the inclined tip surface of the adjacent partition section that is offset backward, and it will be lifted up by this inclined tip surface while rotating and enter one of the transport lanes. Therefore, rod-shaped items fed into the rod-shaped item feed section do not block the entrance to the conveying lane, and the rod-shaped items can enter one of the conveying lanes with their long axes facing the conveying direction, allowing them to be smoothly aligned and conveyed.

[0028] On the other hand, the rod-shaped item sorting device of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned vibrating conveyor of the present invention, a high-speed belt conveyor having a faster conveying speed than the vibrating conveyor and onto which rod-shaped items are transferred after being conveyed by the vibrating conveyor to the exit of the conveying lane with their longitudinal axis aligned along the conveying direction of the conveying lane, a discrimination unit that determines whether the rod-shaped items conveyed on these high-speed belt conveyors are standard or non-standard items, and a sorting means that receives a control signal from a control unit provided in the discrimination unit and sorts the determined non-standard items from the standard items.Therefore, even if non-standard items are mixed in with the large number of rod-shaped items supplied to the vibrating conveyor, the non-standard items can be easily and reliably sorted and removed without manual intervention.

[0029] In other words, a large number of rod-shaped objects are supplied to the rod-shaped object input section located on one end of the vibrating plate, and are transported to the exit of each conveying lane with their long axes facing the conveying direction. Next, the rod-shaped articles that have been transported to the exit of the transport lane are transferred to the high-speed belt conveyor. Since the transport speed of the high-speed belt conveyor is faster than that of the vibrating conveyor, the rod-shaped articles that have been transferred to the high-speed belt conveyor are transported with their longitudinal axis direction maintained in the transport direction of the high-speed belt conveyor, with a gap between them and the rod-shaped articles that have been transferred after them that is at least the difference in speed between the vibrating conveyor and the high-speed belt conveyor.

[0030] The rod-shaped items transported by the high-speed belt conveyor are judged by a discrimination section during transport as to whether they are within the standard or non-standard items, and the non-standard items judged by the discrimination section can be selected and eliminated by a sorting means. In other words, rod-shaped items transferred to the high-speed belt conveyor are spaced apart from the following rod-shaped items and are transported in approximately the same position with their longitudinal axis facing the transport direction, so that the items can be reliably identified in the discrimination section and the timing of their selection and removal by the sorting means can be accurately determined. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of a stick-like article sorting device of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the rod-shaped article sorting device of FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a view of the rod-shaped article sorting device of FIG. 1, seen in the direction of the arrow X in a state where a container for storing standard-sized articles has been removed. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram illustrating a main part of the main body of the sorting unit of the stick-like article sorting device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a plan view of an alignment and conveyance member of a vibration plate of the stick-like article sorting device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a view of the aligning and conveying member of FIG. 5 as seen from the left side. [Figure 7] 7 shows a partition member that forms the partition portion of the aligning and conveying member of FIG. 5, with FIG. 7(a) being a partially cutaway plan view thereof and FIG. 7(b) being a partially cutaway side view thereof. [Figure 8]FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line ZZ in FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a diagram illustrating a state of a multilevel intersection of the partitions of the aligning and conveying section of the stick-like article sorting device of FIG. 1, as viewed from the front. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a conceptual diagram of a sorting method of the rod-shaped article sorting device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a flowchart of the sorting operation of the stick-shaped article sorting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a view of a first modified example of the aligning and conveying member of the stick-like article sorting device of the present invention, viewed from the conveying outlet side. [Figure 13] 13 is a partially cutaway side view of a sorting member that forms the sorting section of the aligning and conveying member of FIG. 12. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a view showing a second modified example of the aligning and conveying member of the stick-like article sorting device of the present invention, viewed from the conveying outlet side. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a third modified example of the aligning and conveying member of the stick-like article sorting device of the present invention. [Figure 16] 16 is a view of the aligning and conveying member of FIG. 15 as seen from the left side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a vibrating conveyor and a rod-like article sorting device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a vibrating conveyor and a rod-like article sorting device according to the present invention.

[0033] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this rod-shaped item sorting device A is designed to sort wiener sausages S as rod-shaped items into standard and non-standard items, as will be described in detail later, and is equipped with a vibrating conveyor 1, a sorting device main body 5, a non-standard item storage container 8a shown in Figure 4, and a standard item storage container 8b. The vibrating conveyor 1 comprises a vibrating plate 11 made of stainless steel, a stand 12 that supports the vibrating plate 11 from below via a coil spring 14, and a vibration imparting means 13 that imparts vibration to the vibrating plate 11.

[0034] The vibration applying means 13 is provided below the diaphragm 11 and applies vibration to the diaphragm 11 obliquely upward from one side of the diaphragm 11 to the other side. As shown in Figure 1, the vibrating plate 11 is equipped with a rod-shaped item input section 11a into which the wiener sausages S to be selected, which are rod-shaped items, are input, and an alignment and conveying section 11b which, by vibrations imparted by the vibration imparting means 13, orients the wiener sausages S, whose longitudinal axis directions are random, conveyed from the rod-shaped item input section 11a in the conveying direction, causes them to enter one of the conveying lanes L described below, and conveys them toward the exit of the conveying lane L while aligning them with their longitudinal axis directions aligned.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rod-shaped article input section 11a and the aligning and conveying section 11b are formed by connecting a rod-shaped article input section forming member 2 and an aligning and conveying section forming member 3a. The rod-shaped article insertion portion forming member 2 is provided with a flat plate-shaped insertion portion main body 21 and rising walls 22 on both sides of the insertion portion main body 21 in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the conveying direction). The alignment / transport section forming member 3a includes a flat plate-shaped transport section main body 30a and rising walls 30b rising from both sides in the width direction of the flat plate-shaped transport section main body 30a.

[0036] The transport unit main body 30a is divided into a plurality of transport lanes L at equal intervals between the rising walls 30b on both sides by a first partition 31a, a second partition 32a, a third partition 33a, and a fourth partition 34a. The width of the conveying lane L is determined appropriately depending on the length, thickness and shape (including curvature) of the wiener sausages S to be aligned and conveyed.

[0037] In addition, the first partition section 31a, the second partition section 32a, the third partition section 33a and the fourth partition section 34a have different lengths, with the order being first partition section 31a > second partition section 32a > third partition section 33a > fourth partition section 34a, and the other longitudinal end of the conveying section main body 30a and the end of each partition section 31a (32a, 33a, 34a) coincide with each other, and the partition sections 31a (32a, 33a, 34a) of the same length are arranged so that they are not adjacent to each other. That is, as shown in Figure 9, adjacent partition sections 31a (32a, 33a, 34a) and partition section 32a (33a, 34a, 31a) are positioned so that their tips (ends on the rod-shaped item insertion section 11a side) are shifted in the conveying direction so that the ridge line of the tip inclined surface 39a of partition section 31a (32a, 33a) whose tip is located on the front side (rod-shaped item insertion section 11a side) intersects with a line segment along the upper end of partition main body section 35 of partition section 32a (33a, 34a) whose tip is located on the rear side.

[0038] Furthermore, the first partition section 31a, the second partition section 32a, the third partition section 33a and the fourth partition section 34a each comprise a tip member 36 having a tip inclined surface 39a and a descending surface 390, and a partition main body member 35 whose length is adjusted to the length of each partition section 31a (32a, 33a, 34a). As shown in Figure 7, in side view, the tip member 36 has one hypotenuse of an isosceles trapezoid that forms a descending surface 390, and is provided with a notch 36a that is cut out at a right angle parallel to the upper base of the trapezoid, and the other hypotenuse of the trapezoid forms a tip inclined surface 39a.

[0039] In this embodiment, the angle of inclination of the tip inclined surface 39a is approximately 25° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0040] The lower end of the tip inclined surface 39a of the tip member 36 is received by the conveying section main body 30a, and is fixed to the partition main body member 35 by welding, although this is not shown.

[0041] As shown in Figure 9, the partition main body member 35 comprises an upper main body portion 35a which serves as the partition main body portion, and a plurality of legs 35b which hang down intermittently from the lower end of the upper main body portion 35a. Although not shown, the legs 35b are fixed to the conveying section main body 30a by welding, fitting, or screwing. A gap 37 is formed between the legs 35b to serve as a flow path for cleaning water.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 8, the upper main body portion 35a has an isosceles trapezoidal cross section and is provided with posture correcting inclined surfaces 39b on both sides. The angle of inclination of the posture-correcting inclined surface 39b is determined appropriately depending on the thickness, shape, and length of the Vienna sausage S, and in this embodiment is about 70° with respect to the horizontal plane.

[0043] The sorting device main body 5 includes a high-speed belt conveyor 5a, a discrimination unit 5b, and a sorting unit . The high-speed belt conveyor 5a has one flat belt 51 having a width equal to or slightly wider than the total width of all the conveying lanes L of the vibration plate 11, and the flat belt 51 is driven to rotate via a servo motor (not shown).

[0044] Each flat belt 51 is provided so that its upper surface, that is, the conveying surface, is at a height that allows the wiener sausages S sent out from each conveying lane L to be transferred thereon while maintaining their posture. In addition, the conveying speed of the flat belt 51 is set faster than the conveying speed of the vibrating conveyor 1 so that the discrimination section 5b, which will be described later, can accurately determine whether the wiener sausage S is a standard or non-standard product, and so that a gap can be formed between the flat belt 51 and the next wiener sausage S to be conveyed, which will allow sufficient time for the sorting operation in the sorting section 7, which will be described later.

[0045] The sorting unit 7 is provided with sliders 71, the number of which is the same as the number of conveying lanes L, and the operation of which is controlled by the control unit 6, which will be described later. That is, the slider 71 is arranged so as to be aligned in a straight line with each conveying lane L, and is configured to rotate around the pivot shaft 72 by the operation of the push-up pin 73, which moves up and down by a drive means (not shown) in response to a signal from the control unit 6 described later.When the push-up pin 73 is lowered, it is in a stationary position shown by the solid line in Figure 4, and when the push-up pin 73 is raised, it is in an upright position shown by the dotted line in Figure 4.

[0046] In its normal position, the slider 71 blocks the top opening of the non-standard product storage container 8a, and as shown by the solid line in Figure 4, its top surface forms an inclined surface that allows the wiener sausages S to slide down from one end to the other, with one end held at a height position that allows the wiener sausages S transported by the flat belt 51 to transfer onto it, and the other end facing the top opening of the standard product storage container 8b. Meanwhile, when the slider 71 is in the upright position, the lifting pin 73 rises, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 4, to stand upright so as to block the non-standard wiener sausages S being transported by the flat belt 51, causing them to fall into the non-standard product storage container 8a.

[0047] The determination unit 5b includes a line camera 53 and an LED light 54 as shown in FIG. 4, and a control unit 6 as shown in FIG. The line camera 53 is located at an intermediate position of the high-speed belt conveyor 5a and is adapted to capture an image of the flat belt 51 directly below it.

[0048] For example, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the control unit 6 uses the line camera 53 to capture images of all wiener sausages S transferred from the 1st to Nth conveying lanes L onto the flat belt 51, and stores in the control unit 6 the first time T1 when the front end of each wiener sausage S passes the imaging position and the second time T2 when the rear end of each wiener sausage S passes the imaging position.The control unit 6 also calculates the length of each wiener sausage S from the first time T1, the second time T2 and the conveying speed of the flat belt 51, and compares the calculated length of each wiener sausage S with the standard length (normal length) stored in the memory unit to determine whether it is a standard product (normal) or a non-standard product (abnormal).

[0049] When the control unit 6 determines that the i-th wiener sausage S is a non-standard product, the control unit 6 raises the push-up pin 73 of the slider 71, which is provided at a position corresponding to the conveying lane L along which the i-th wiener sausage S was conveyed, at the slider standing operation start time T3 calculated from the first time T1 of the i-th wiener sausage S and the conveying speed of the flat belt 51, and sets the slider 71 to the standing position. That is, when the slider 71 is in the upright position, the i-th wiener sausage S is blocked by the slider 71 and falls into the non-standard product storage container 8a.

[0050] Next, the control unit 6 lowers the push-up pin 73 after a time T4 has elapsed since the standing-up action start time T3, and returns the slider 71 to its normal position. The time T4 may be set in advance based on the longest expected length of the wiener sausage S, or may be determined by calculating the time at which the rear end of the wiener sausage S reaches the outlet end of the flat belt 51 from the length of the wiener sausage S calculated from the first time T1, the second time T2, and the conveying speed of the flat belt 51. Furthermore, the slider standing up operation start time T3 may be measured from the first time T1 and the imaging result without measuring the second time T2.

[0051] The rod-like article sorting device A has the above-described configuration, and therefore has the following excellent effects. (1) First, the wiener sausages S received in the rod-shaped article input section 11a are transported in the direction of the alignment conveying section 11b by the vibration of the vibrating plate 11. In the alignment conveying section 11b, the lengths of the first partition section 31a, second partition section 32a, third partition section 33a and fourth partition section 34a forming each transport lane L are different, as follows: first partition section 31a > second partition section 32a > third partition section 33a > fourth partition section 34a. The other longitudinal end and the terminal end of each alignment conveying section 11b coincide with each other, and the partition sections 31a (32a, 33a, 34a) of the same length are arranged so that they are not adjacent to each other. In other words, since the tips of adjacent partitions 31a (or 31b, 31c, 31d) are arranged offset in the conveying direction, even if the wiener sausage S is conveyed toward the conveying lane L with its long axis direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, when the side of the wiener sausage S hits the tip of one of the partitions, the wiener sausage S rotates around the tip of partition 31a (or 31b, 31c, 31d) and assumes a position such that its long axis direction faces the conveying direction of the conveying lane L. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the possibility that the Vienna sausages S will block the entrance of the conveyor lane L and hinder conveyance from the stick-like article insertion portion 11a side. (2) Since each partition section 31a (32a, 33a, 34a) has a tip inclined portion 39a at its tip, when the wiener sausage S is transported from the rod-shaped article insertion section 11a side and comes into contact with the tip of the tip inclined portion 39a of each partition section 31a (32a, 33a, 34a), it rides up onto the tip inclined portion 39a, making it easier to rotate. Therefore, the long axis of the Vienna sausage S can be directed in the conveying direction of the conveying lane L more quickly. (3) As shown in FIG. 9, the adjacent partitions 31a (32a, 33a, 34a) and 31b (31c, 31d, 31a) are arranged such that the ridge line of the tip inclined surface 39a of the partition 31a (31b, 31c) whose tip is located on the front side (the side of the rod-shaped article insertion section 11a) intersects with the line segment along the upper end of the partition body 35 of the partition 31b (31c, 31d) whose tip is located on the rear side, and the tip (the end on the side of the rod-shaped article insertion section 11a) faces the conveying direction. Since the inclined end surfaces 39a are positioned offset in the conveying direction, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 9, even if the wiener sausage S is sent straddling between the adjacent partitions 31a (31b, 31c) and 31b (31c, 31d) due to insufficient rotation at the inclined end surface 39a, the wiener sausage S will rotate due to the inclined end surface 39a of the rear partition 31b (31c, 31d) and enter one of the conveying lanes L with its long axis facing the conveying direction, where it will be conveyed in an aligned manner. (4) Since each partition 31a (32a, 33a, 34a) has a posture-correcting inclined surface 39b on its side, when a curved wiener sausage S or the like enters the conveying lane L and part of it rides on the posture-correcting inclined surface 39a, the inclination of the posture-correcting inclined surface 39a supports part of it, while the other part is corrected so that it is received on the conveying surface. That is, the curved wiener sausage S is received with both ends facing upward and the outer edge of the curve facing upward on the conveying surface of the conveying lane L, or with both ends facing downward and the outer edge of the curve facing upward on the posture-correcting inclined surface 39a, and therefore does not get stuck in the conveying lane L. Therefore, even if the wiener sausage S is significantly curved, the long axis of the wiener sausage S can be reliably directed in the conveying direction of the conveying lane L and conveyed without getting jammed in the conveying lane L. (5) Since each partition portion 31a (32a, 33a, 34a) has a water flow channel formed by the gap 37 as described above, when washing the vibration plate 11, the washing water that has entered the transport lane L can be quickly washed away. Therefore, it is easy to maintain, including cleaning. (6) The rod-shaped item sorting device A has a sorting device main body 5 connected to a vibrating conveyor 1, and the vibrating conveyor 1 transports the wiener sausages S to the exit of the conveying lane L with their long axis aligned in the conveying direction of the conveying lane L, and the wiener sausages S are transferred onto the high-speed belt conveyor 5 while maintaining the conveying posture of the conveying lane L.The interval between the wiener sausages S transported on the flat belt 51 is set to ensure the operating time for the sorting device main body 5 to perform the sorting operation accurately, so that non-standard items can be reliably sorted from standard items.

[0052] FIG. 12 shows a first modified example of the aligning and conveying section forming member. As shown in Figure 12, this alignment and conveying section forming member 3b has a conveying section main body 30c of the alignment and conveying section 11c that is bent in a zigzag pattern with repeated peaks and valleys across the width of the conveying lane L, and as shown in Figure 13, the first partition member 31b, second partition member 32b, third partition member 33b and fourth partition member 34b, which form the first partition member, second partition member, third partition member and fourth partition member, respectively, whose tip portions and partition main body portions are integrated, are fixed vertically to the ridge line of one of the peaks, so that the bottom of the valley forms the bottom of the conveying lane L.

[0053] The first partition member 31b, the second partition member 32b, the third partition member 33b and the fourth partition member 34b are each formed by punching or cutting a single sheet of plate material to integrate the tip member and the partition main body portion, and when viewed from the side, they have approximately the same shape as the first partition portion 31a, the second partition portion 32a, the third partition portion 33a and the fourth partition portion 34a, and are provided with a tip inclined surface 39a and a descending surface 390, but no posture correcting inclined surface is formed.

[0054] The alignment and conveying section forming member 3b has a first partition member 31b, a second partition member 32b, a third partition member 33b and a fourth partition member 34b which are fixed to the conveying section main body 30c by welding or fitting along the ridge line of the mountain of the conveying section main body 30c, and the inclined surface 39c from the mountain to the valley acts as an inclined surface for posture correction. As described above, this alignment and conveying section forming member 3b can easily form the first partition section 31b, the second partition section 32b, the third partition section 33b and the fourth partition section 34b by punching or cutting, and the conveying section main body 30c can also be easily formed by press processing, and the inclined surface 39c which serves as a posture correction inclined surface can also be formed at the same time, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0055] The aligning and conveying section forming member 3b is configured similarly to the aligning and conveying section forming member 3a except for the above, and therefore the same components as those of the aligning and conveying section forming member 3a are given the same reference numerals.

[0056] FIG. 14 shows a second modified example of the aligning and conveying section forming member. As shown in Figure 14, this alignment and conveying section forming member 3c has a conveying section main body 30d that is similar to the alignment and conveying section forming member 3a, and the first partition member 31c, second partition member 32c, third partition member 33c and fourth partition member 34c are punched or cut into shapes similar to the first partition member 31b, second partition member 32b, third partition member 33b and fourth partition member 34b, and then bent by press working or the like to have an approximately L-shaped bent shape.

[0057] The first partition member 31c, the second partition member 32c, the third partition member 33c and the fourth partition member 34c are fixed to the conveying unit main body 30d by welding or fitting so that their upper ends are parallel to the rising wall 30b, and their lower ends form a posture correcting inclined surface 39d. This alignment and conveying section forming member 3c is formed by punching or cutting the first partition member 31c, second partition member 32c, third partition member 33c and fourth partition member 34c into shapes similar to those of the first partition member 31b, second partition member 32b, third partition member 33b and fourth partition member 34b, and then bending them using press working or the like, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0058] 15 and 16 show a third modified example of the aligning and conveying section forming member. This alignment and conveying section forming member 3d has a conveying section main body 30f made of a stainless steel round bar, and is formed by a horizontal member 40 arranged in parallel to connect the two rising walls 30b, and a number of vertical members 41 welded and fixed onto the horizontal member 40 so as to form gaps 42 parallel to the rising walls 30b and at equal intervals. The first partition portion 31e, the second partition portion 32e, the third partition portion 33e and the fourth partition portion 34e formed by the tip member 36 and the partition main body portion 35 are fixed to the vertical members 41 every other one.

[0059] Since the alignment / transport section forming member 3d has the gap 42 formed therein as described above, it can be easily cleaned.

[0060] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Although the above-described embodiment has four partitions of different lengths, the number may be three, or five or more. In the above embodiment, non-standard products that are longer and / or shorter than standard products are selected and removed, but it is also possible to simultaneously select and remove not only non-standard length products but also wiener sausages with uneven color that occurs during smoking.Also, it is possible to select and remove only wiener sausages with uneven color.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the line camera and LED lighting are provided only above the high-speed belt conveyor, but it is also possible to arrange two high-speed belt conveyors in series, provide a gap at the joint between the two high-speed belt conveyors, and provide a line camera and / or LED lighting below this gap, or to provide a line camera and LED lighting on both the top and bottom. In the above embodiment, the surface of the aligning and conveying section that receives the wieners is substantially horizontal, but it may be an inclined surface that slopes downward in the conveying direction.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the sorting unit is controlled by the control unit to move to a steady position or an upright position so as to be able to sort into standard products and non-standard products. However, for example, a variable speed sorting belt conveyor, a standard product storage container, and a non-standard product storage container may be provided consecutively to the high-speed belt conveyor, and the variable speed belt conveyor may be controlled to operate at the same conveying speed as the high-speed belt conveyor (hereinafter referred to as steady speed) and at a discrimination speed faster than the steady speed. If a wiener sausage transferred from the high-speed belt conveyor to the variable speed sorting belt conveyor is a standard product, the variable speed sorting belt conveyor may be rotated at the steady speed to receive the wiener sausage from the rear end of the variable speed sorting belt conveyor into the standard product storage container, and if the wiener sausage transferred to the variable speed sorting belt conveyor is a non-standard product, the speed of the variable speed sorting belt conveyor may be increased to the discrimination speed to fly over the standard product storage container from the rear end of the variable speed sorting belt conveyor and be received in the non-standard product storage container behind it.

[0063] Furthermore, as described in Patent Document 2, the vibrating conveyor of the present invention may be a vibrating conveyor equipped with a vibrating plate having a sorting function in which a hole is provided in the vibrating plate main body at the intermediate position of the sorting and conveying section so that short wiener sausages shorter than a set length can fall downward while being conveyed along the conveying lane, and the short sausages are stored in a short sausage storage container, while long wiener sausages longer than the set length are conveyed to the exit of the conveying lane and can be stored in the long wiener sausage storage container. The rod-like item sorting device of the present invention may be configured such that a vibrating plate having the above-mentioned sorting function is stacked on top of the vibrating plate of the vibrating conveyor of the rod-like item sorting device of the above-mentioned embodiment, and short wiener sausages that fall through the holes in the upper vibrating plate are received in the rod-like item inlet section of the lower vibrating plate, and the short wiener sausages are aligned in a conveying lane by the lower vibrating plate with their long axes facing the conveying direction, and then conveyed to a high-speed belt conveyor.

[0064] In the vibrating plate of the fourth variant example described above, the lower support bar is formed from a straight wire, but it may also be bent so that the part that supports the partition is higher than the part that forms the conveying surface of the conveying lane. In the above embodiment, the diaphragm is formed of stainless steel, but it may be formed of other metal materials, wood materials, reinforced plastic materials, or composite materials thereof, as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. In the above embodiment, the high-speed belt conveyor is composed of one flat belt, but it is also possible to arrange multiple flat belts horizontally, or to install partition walls above the flat belt with the same width as each conveying lane in a position that does not interfere with the rotation of the flat belt, to more stabilize the position of rod-shaped items on the flat belt. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] A Rod-shaped item sorting device L transport lane S Vienna sausage (stick-shaped item) 1. Vibrating conveyor 11 Diaphragm 11a Rod-shaped article input section 11b Alignment and conveyance section 11c Alignment and conveyance section 12 Mounting stand 13 Vibration applying means 14 Coil spring 2 Rod-shaped article insertion section forming member 21 Insertion unit body 22 Rising Wall 3a Alignment and conveyance section forming member 3b Alignment and conveyance section forming member 30a Transport unit main body 30b Rising wall 30c Transport unit main body 31a First partition 32a Second partition 33a Third partition 34a 4th partition 31b First partition member (first partition portion) 32b second partition member (second partition portion) 33b third partition member (third partition portion) 34b Fourth partition member (fourth partition portion) 39c inclined surface (inclined surface for posture correction) 3c Alignment and conveyance section forming member 30d Transport unit main body 31c first partition member (first partition portion) 32c Second partition member (second partition portion) 33c third partition member (third partition portion) 34c Fourth partition member (fourth partition portion) 39d Slanted surface for posture correction 3d Alignment and conveyance section forming member 30f Transfer unit main body 31e First partition 32e Second partition 33e Third partition 34e 4th partition 35 Partition body member 35a Upper body part (partition body part) 35b leg 36 Tip member 36a notch 37 Gap 39a Tip inclined surface 39b Slanted surface for posture correction 390 Descending surface 40 Crosspiece 41 Vertical members 42 Gap 5. Sorting device body 5a High-speed belt conveyor 5b Discrimination part 51 Flat belt 53 Line Camera 54 LED lighting 6 Control Unit 7. Sorting Department 71 Slider 72 Pivot axis 73 Push-up pin 8a Non-standard product container 8b Standard product container

Claims

1. A rod-shaped article input section for inputting rod-shaped articles is provided at one end of the container, a vibration plate having an alignment conveyance section at the other end thereof, the alignment conveyance section being partitioned by a plurality of partition sections into a plurality of conveyance lanes parallel to the conveyance direction; The vibrating plate is vibrated by a vibration imparting means to convey the rod-shaped articles fed into the rod-shaped article feeding section toward the aligning conveying section, and the rod-shaped articles conveyed to the aligning conveying section enter one of the conveying lanes and are conveyed toward the exit of the conveying lane in an aligned state with their major axes facing the conveying direction, The partitioning portions each include a tip portion and a partitioning body portion formed continuously with the tip portion, The tip portion has a tip inclined surface that gradually increases in height from the tip, and a descending surface that descends from the highest point of the tip inclined surface to the upper end of the partition body portion, and A vibrating conveyor characterized in that adjacent partition sections are arranged offset from one another so that the ridge line of one of the tip inclined surfaces and the upper end of the other of the partition main body section intersect at an intersection when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the partition sections.

2. the rod-shaped article includes at least a curved rod-shaped article, 2. The vibration conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of partition sections have an inclined surface for posture correction on at least one side, which corrects the posture of the curved rod-shaped object so that the center of the curvature of the curved rod-shaped object faces either upward or downward from both ends of the curved rod-shaped object.

3. a vibrating conveyor according to claim 1; and a high-speed belt conveyor having a conveying speed faster than that of the vibrating conveyor, onto which rod-like articles are transferred that have been conveyed by the vibrating conveyor to an exit of the conveying lane with their major axis directions aligned along the conveying direction of the conveying lane; a discrimination means for discriminating whether the rod-shaped articles conveyed on the high-speed belt conveyor are standard or non-standard; A rod-like item sorting device characterized by comprising a sorting means for sorting the non-standard items and the standard items identified in response to a control signal from a control unit provided in the discrimination means.

4. The sorting means includes a container for storing standard products, a container for storing non-standard products, and sliders in the same number as the number of the conveying lanes, Each slider is disposed on an extension line of the conveying lane between the conveying outlet of the high-speed belt conveyor and the standard product storage container or the non-standard product storage container, The rod-shaped item sorting device of claim 3 is controlled to have a sliding position that blocks the non-standard item storage container or the standard item storage container and slides rod-shaped items sent to the conveying outlet side of the high-speed belt conveyor into the standard item storage container or the non-standard item storage container, and to rotate around a pivot part provided on the standard item storage container or the non-standard item storage container side at the time when the rod-shaped item determined to be the non-standard item or the standard item by the discrimination means reaches the slider position, thereby becoming an upright position that allows the rod-shaped item to fall into the non-standard item storage container or the standard item storage container.

5. the discrimination means is a line camera that is provided perpendicular to the conveying direction of the high-speed belt conveyor and that photographs the rod-like articles being conveyed by the high-speed belt conveyor; The rod-shaped item sorting device described in claim 3 is equipped with a control unit that determines whether a rod-shaped item transported on the high-speed belt conveyor is a standard item or a non-standard item from image data from the line camera, and controls the slider to rise when the non-standard item reaches the slider, so that other rod-shaped items are in a fixed position where they can slide.

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