Lateral conveying device

Abstract

Conventionally, there has been a problem where transported objects get caught when the shutter is closed, resulting in incomplete shutter closure. [Solution] A conveying conveyor 10 is provided to transport materials supplied from a rear supply section 2 into a case 1 which is formed to be long in the direction of transport of the transported material, such as granules, powders, grains of rice and wheat, adzuki beans, or tea leaves. The case 1 is provided with a discharge section 6 having one or more openings 5, and each opening 5 is provided with a shutter 7 that opens and closes the opening so as to be rotatable on a horizontal axis by a pivot shaft 40, and the discharge section 6 is provided with a jam prevention device 31 that prevents the transported material from getting jammed when the shutter 7 closes the opening 5.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a lateral feed conveyor device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a conveyor for conveying a conveyed object supplied from a supply unit is provided in a case formed long in the conveying direction from the rear-side supply unit to the front side. The case is provided with one or more discharge units, and a shutter for opening and closing the discharge port (opening) of the discharge unit is configured to be opened and closed by rotating up and down about a horizontal axis center, which is publicly known (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The known example has a problem that when the shutter is closed, the conveyed object is bitten in, resulting in incomplete closing of the shutter. That is, even in a conveying device for conveying powder or the like, a situation where a biting phenomenon of conveyed objects such as grains and tea leaves occurs is assumed. Therefore, regardless of the usage mode, it is desirable to prevent the occurrence of the biting phenomenon. The present application devises the configuration of the shutter to prevent the occurrence of the biting phenomenon.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The invention of claim 1 is a lateral conveying device that provides a conveying conveyor 10 for conveying materials supplied from a rear supply unit 2 into a case 1 which is formed to be long in the direction of conveying the materials, such as granules, powders, grains of rice or wheat, adzuki beans, or tea leaves, and provides a discharge unit 6 which has one or more openings 5, and provides a shutter 7 which opens and closes the opening so as to be rotatable on a horizontal axis by a pivot shaft 40, and provides a jam prevention device 31 which prevents the conveyed materials from getting jammed when the shutter 7 closes the opening 5. The invention of claim 2 is a horizontal conveying device in which the jamming prevention device 31 is provided with a guide 32 that guides the shutter 7 so that the rotational direction of the tip of the shutter 7 does not intersect with the end face 37 of the opening 5. The invention of claim 3 is a lateral conveying device in which the jamming prevention device 31 is provided with at least a guide 32 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 5 facing the pivot shaft 40. The invention of claim 4 is a lateral conveying device in which the guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is provided to protrude below the periphery of the opening 5, and is at least longer than one grain of grain among the conveyed material. The invention of claim 5 is a lateral conveying device in which the guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is positioned directly below the periphery of the opening 5, or at least at a distance smaller than the center of a single grain from the periphery. The invention of claim 6 is a lateral conveying device in which the guide 32 is formed in a vertical or inclined shape when viewed from the side. The invention of claim 7 is a lateral conveying device in which the guide 32 is formed in an arc shape when viewed from the side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] In the invention of claim 1, each opening 5 is provided with a shutter 7 that can rotate on a horizontal axis to open and close the opening, and the discharge section 6 is provided with an anti-jamming device 31 that prevents the conveyed material from getting caught when the shutter 7 closes the opening 5. Thus, the shutter 7 prevents the conveyed material from getting caught, prevents leakage of the conveyed material, and ensures reliable conveyance. In the invention of claim 2, the jamming prevention device 31 is configured with a guide 32 that guides the rotation direction of the tip of the shutter 7 so as not to intersect with the end face 37 of the opening 5. Therefore, even if the conveyed material (grains) is positioned so as to be caught between the tip of the shutter 7 and the guide 32, the rotational force of the shutter 7 acts as if it were off-center from the center of the conveyed material, thereby preventing the jamming phenomenon from occurring. In the invention of claim 3, the jamming prevention device 31 is configured with a guide 32 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 5. The guide 32 is positioned parallel to the movement trajectory 36 of the tip of the shutter 7, causing the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it were off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing the jamming phenomenon from occurring. In the invention of claim 4, the guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is provided to protrude below the periphery of the opening 5, with a length at least longer than one grain of the conveyed material. Therefore, the guide 32 is positioned parallel to the movement trajectory 36 of the tip of the shutter 7, causing the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it were off-center from the conveyed material, thereby preventing the jamming phenomenon from occurring. In the invention of claim 5, the guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is positioned directly below the periphery of the opening 5, or at least at a distance smaller than the center of a single grain from the periphery. As a result, the center of the conveyed object is always located inside the periphery of the opening 5, causing the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it were off-center from the object, thereby preventing jamming. In other words, when the grain hits the guide 32, it moves towards the base of the shutter 7 and is not caught between the shutter 7 and the guide 32. In the invention of claim 6, the guide 32 is formed vertically or inclined in a side view, so that the rotational force of the shutter 7 acts off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming. In the invention of claim 7, the guide 32 is formed in an arc shape when viewed from the side, so that the rotational force of the shutter 7 acts off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Partial longitudinal side view of the horizontal feed conveyor device. [Figure 2] Rear view and longitudinal side view of the discharge section. [Figure 3] Perspective view of the assembled state of the shutter part. [Figure 4] Reference diagram showing the problems of the present invention. [Figure 5] Engaged state cross-sectional view. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the shutter part. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view near the guide. [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the guide. [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the guide. [Figure 10] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the guide. [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the guide. [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the guide. [Figure 13] Cross-sectional view of the guide when the conveyed object is tea leaves. [Figure 14] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the same guide. [Figure 15] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the same guide. [Figure 16] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the same guide. [Figure 17] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the same guide. [Figure 18] Cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the same guide. [Figure 19] Plan view, side view, and front view of another embodiment of the shutter.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] To explain one embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings, 1 is a case of the horizontal feed conveyor device H, which is formed long in the conveying direction. A supply section 2 is provided above one end side (starting end side) of the case 1, and a discharge section 6 having an opening 5 is provided at the other end side (terminal end side) (Fig. 1). In this case, one or more discharge sections 6 may be provided in the middle of the transport direction of case 1, and each discharge section 6 is provided with a shutter 7 for opening and closing the opening 5. A conveyor belt 10 is installed inside Case 1. For the sake of explanation, the upper side of the conveyor belt 10 in the direction of transport will be referred to as "rear" and the lower side as "front," and the conveyor belt 10 has driven rollers 11 mounted on a driven shaft 12 at the starting end inside Case 1. The drive gear 13 of the conveyor 10 is mounted on a drive shaft 14 inside the case 1 in front of the discharge section 6 which is the furthest end in the conveying direction of the discharge section 6, and an endless chain 16 is wrapped around the driven roller 11 and the drive gear 13, with a plurality of conveying bodies 15 provided at predetermined intervals (Figure 1).

[0009] A supply unit 2 is provided on the rear (front) side of the driven roller 11, and a supply opening is made in the rear plate of the case 1. Any transport means 21 such as a lifting device is connected to the supply unit 2 (Figure 1). The shutter 7 of the discharge section 6 is configured to open and close in a direction parallel or intersecting the transport direction by rotating on a horizontal axis relative to the case 1. Therefore, the operating space of the shutter 7 can be accommodated within the left-right width of the lateral transport device, thereby reducing the left-right width of the lateral transport device. As shown in Figure 2, the shutter 7 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the base of the shutter 7 is fixedly attached to a pivot shaft 40 in the left-right (front-back) direction. The pivot shaft 40 is rotatably mounted on the side plate 42 of the shutter frame 41. An opening / closing actuator (air cylinder) 44 is attached to the pivot shaft 40 protruding from the side plate 42 of the shutter frame 41 via a link mechanism 43, and the opening 5 of the discharge section 6 is opened and closed by the extension and retraction of the rod 45 of the opening / closing actuator 44 (Figures 2 and 3).

[0010] In this case, the configuration of the opening 5 is arbitrary, but in this case, an opening 5A is made in the bottom plate 30 of case 1, and an opening 48 of the shutter frame 41 is made below the opening 5A in the bottom plate 30 so as to connect vertically (Figure 3). The shutter frame 41 has a horizontal top plate 47 fixed to the upper end of the side plate 42, and the top plate 47 has an opening 48 located below the opening 5A of the bottom plate 30. When the shutter 7 is rotated upward, the opening 48 and the opening 5A are closed, and when the shutter 7 is rotated downward, the opening 5A and the opening 48 are opened vertically to communicate with each other. In this case, the thickness of the shutter 7 is made to be the same as or thicker than the thickness of the bottom plate 30 of the case 1 and the top plate 47 of the shutter frame 41. A support plate 50 is provided on the lower surface of the fitting portion 49 that fits the shutter 7 into the opening 5 (opening 5A and opening 48). A pair of left and right stays 51 are fixed to the lower base side of the support plate 50, and the stays 51 are fixedly attached to the pivot shaft 40. Therefore, even when the shutter 7 rotates in an arc around the pivot axis 40, the fitting portion 49 of the shutter 7 smoothly and securely fits into the opening 5 of the case 1.

[0011] The configuration of the link mechanism 43 is arbitrary, but as an example, the middle part of the first arm 53 is fixed to the pivot shaft 40, the tip of the second arm 54 is rotatably attached to one end of the first arm 53, and the base of the second arm 54 is rotatably attached to the rod 45 of the opening / closing actuator 44 (Figure 2). The base of the opening / closing actuator 44 is attached to the shutter frame 41 by a stay 55. Conventional conveying devices lacked a device to prevent the conveyed material (grains) from getting caught when the shutter 7 closed the opening 5. As a result, shutter 7 failed to close properly, leading to problems such as leakage of transported materials. This jamming problem could potentially be solved by increasing the thickness of the shutter 7 and strengthening the output of the opening / closing actuator 44, but this would lead to unnecessary cost increases and weight increases in areas not directly related to the transport force of the transport device.

[0012] In this invention, the occurrence of jamming is prevented by providing a jamming prevention device 31 on the shutter 7. To begin with, examining the biting phenomenon, for example, as shown in Figure 4, when picking up a bean with chopsticks, if both chopsticks apply a gripping force (arrows A, B) so that they sandwich the center C of the bean, it can be picked up. However, if you try to pick up the bean with the tips of the chopsticks, without touching the center C, the bean will slip and you will not be able to pick it up. From this perspective, it was found that when the rotational direction of the tip of the shutter 7 and the periphery of the opening 5 act in such a way that they pass through the center of the grain, as shown in Figure 5, the grain jamming phenomenon occurs. Furthermore, even with tea leaves, if they become intricately intertwined in layers, they can become a single unit, causing a jamming phenomenon.

[0013] Therefore, conveying equipment must take into account what kind of objects will be transported and implement measures to prevent jamming. Therefore, a guide 32 is provided in the shutter mechanism to prevent jamming, thereby configuring the jamming prevention device 31 (Figure 6). Therefore, even if the conveyed material (grains, tea leaves, etc.) is positioned between the tip of the shutter 7 and the guide 32 by the guide 32, the rotational force of the shutter 7 acts to move away from the center of the conveyed material, preventing jamming (Figure 7). The jamming prevention device 31 is configured by providing a guide 32 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 5 (Figures 6 and 7).

[0014] Therefore, since the guide 32 is positioned parallel to the movement trajectory 36 of the tip of the shutter 7, the edge E of the opening 5 in Figure 5 disappears due to the presence of the guide 32 (Figure 7), causing the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it were off-center from the transported object, thus preventing jamming. The guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is provided to protrude downward from the periphery (end face 37) of the opening 5 (Figures 7, 8, 11, 12). Therefore, since the guide 32 is positioned opposite the movement trajectory 36 of the tip of the shutter 7, the edge portion E of the opening 5 disappears due to the guide 32, causing the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it were off-center from the transported object, thereby preventing jamming. As shown in Figure 3, guides 32 may be provided on three sides of the opening 48 of the shutter frame 41, excluding side A where the pivot axis 40 is located.

[0015] The guide 32 of the anti-jamming device 31 extends (projects) directly downward from the periphery of the opening 5. In this case, the vertical height of the guide 32 is arbitrary, but it is preferable to position it within a distance smaller than the center of the conveyed object (Figure 10). Therefore, the center of the conveyed object is always located inside the periphery (end face 37) of the opening 5 (center of the front-to-back difference between left and right sides of the opening 5), causing the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it were off-center from the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming. Guide 32 is formed vertically or inclined in a side view (Figures 6, 8, 9). Therefore, the rotational force of the shutter 7 is made to act as if it is off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming. In this case, the guide 32 may be tilted so that it is positioned forward or backward as it goes downward (Figure 6).

[0016] The guide 32 may be formed in an arc shape when viewed from the side (Figures 11 and 12). Therefore, the rotational force of the shutter 7 is made to act as if it is off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming. In this case, the guide 32 is formed in an arc shape that bulges forward or backward as it goes downward. When the conveyed material is grain, the guide 32 is formed to protrude downward with a length at least longer than that of a single grain (Figure 9). Therefore, the rotational force of the shutter 7 is made to act as if it is off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming.

[0017] The guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 should be provided so as to protrude below the periphery of the opening 5, and its configuration is arbitrary, but it may be provided either integrally with the bottom plate 30 of the case 1 or separately. If provided integrally with the bottom plate 30, it may be formed by bending (pressing), and if it is separate, it may be fixed by welding. The pivot shaft 40 to which the guide 32 is attached is provided parallel to either the left / right or front / rear edge of the opening 5, and the guide 32 is provided at least on the edge opposite to the edge on the side where the pivot shaft 40 is provided. Furthermore, guides 32 are provided on all edges of the opening 48 of the shutter frame 41 in Figure 3, except for the edge on the side where the pivot shaft 40 is located, to prevent jamming. Furthermore, in Figure 19, the axis of the pivot shaft 40 to which the shutter 7 is attached is oriented in the front-to-back direction.

[0018] The first arm 53 and the second arm 54 of the link mechanism 43 are positioned within the left-right width of the opening / closing actuator 44, which is located to the side of the side plate 34 of the case 1, when viewed from the front. Therefore, the width of the lateral conveying device can be further reduced, and it becomes easier for workers to move around within the facility where the lateral conveying device is installed, and maintenance of the facility can be made easier. An air jet pipe 38 is provided above the opening 5 of the discharge section 6. The air jet pipe 38 blows air downward, causing the conveyed objects on the conveying chain 16 passing through the opening 5 to fall (Figure 2).

[0019] (Effect of the embodiment) The present invention has the above configuration. When power is supplied to the drive motor 77, the drive gear 13 rotates, and the drive gear 13 rotates the endless chain 16, moving the conveyor 15 from the supply unit 2 to the discharge unit 6. When material is fed into the supply unit 2, the conveyor 15 transports it towards the discharge unit 6 and discharges it from the opening 5. In this case, the conventional conveying device lacked a device 31 to prevent the conveyed material (grains, tea leaves, etc.) from getting caught when the shutter 7 closed the opening 5. As a result, shutter 7 failed to close properly, leading to problems such as leakage of transported materials. In this invention, the shutter 7 is equipped with an anti-jamming device 31, thereby preventing jamming and ensuring smooth and reliable transport.

[0020] In other words, the anti-jamming device 31 is configured by providing a guide 32 in the shutter mechanism that guides the rotation direction of the tip of the shutter 7 so as not to intersect with the end face 37 of the opening 5. Therefore, even if the conveyed material (grains) is positioned to be sandwiched between the tip of the shutter 7 and the guide 32, the rotational force of the shutter 7 acts as if it were off-center from the conveyed material, thus preventing jamming. First, when examining the jamming phenomenon, for example, when picking up a bean with chopsticks, if you apply a gripping force so that both chopsticks pinch the center of the bean, you can pick it up. However, if you try to pick it up with the tips of the chopsticks, missing the center of the bean, the bean will slip and you won't be able to pick it up. Considering this point, it was found that when the rotational direction of the tip of the shutter 7 and the end face 37 of the opening 5 act in such a way that they pass through the center of the grain as shown in the figure, the jamming phenomenon of the grain occurs.

[0021] The jamming prevention device 31 is configured with a guide 32 that protrudes downward from the end face 37 of the opening 5. Since the guide 32 is positioned parallel to the movement trajectory 36 of the tip of the shutter 7, the rotational force of the shutter 7 acts as if it were off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing the jamming phenomenon from occurring. The guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is provided to protrude below the end face 37 of the opening 5. Therefore, the guide 32 is positioned parallel to the movement trajectory 36 of the tip of the shutter 7, causing the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it were off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming.

[0022] The guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is positioned directly below the end face 37 of the opening 5, or at least within a distance smaller than the center of the conveyed object. Therefore, the center of the conveyed object is always located inside the end face 37 of the opening 5, causing the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it were off-center, thereby preventing jamming. In other words, when the grain hits the guide 32, it moves towards the base of the shutter 7 and is not caught between the shutter 7 and the guide 32. Since the guide 32 is formed vertically or inclined in a side view, it causes the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming. Since the guide 32 is formed in an arc shape when viewed from the side, it causes the rotational force of the shutter 7 to act as if it is off-center from the center of the conveyed object, thereby preventing jamming.

[0023] When the conveyed material is grain, the guide 32 is formed to protrude downward to a length at least longer than a single grain, so that the rotational force of the shutter 7 acts off-center from the center of the conveyed material, thereby preventing jamming. Furthermore, the shutter 7 is rotated around the pivot axis 40 by the operation of the opening / closing actuator 44 (extension and retraction of the rod 45), thereby opening and closing the opening 5 of the discharge section 6. Normally, the shutter 7 is opened and closed at the end of the transport operation, but it may also be opened and closed during transport depending on conditions such as switching the transport route. However, since the present invention is provided with an anti-jamming device 31, it is possible to prevent the transported object from getting jammed regardless of the opening and closing conditions. The pivot shaft 40 is rotatably mounted on the side plate 42 of the shutter frame 41. The shutter frame 41 has a horizontal top plate 47 fixed to the upper end of the side plate 42. The top plate 47 has an opening 48 located below the opening 5 of the discharge section 6. When the shutter 7 is rotated upward, it closes the opening 48 and the opening 5, and when the shutter 7 is rotated downward, it opens the opening 5 and the opening 48. For the sake of ease of understanding, the direction of movement of grains or tea leaves on the shutter 7 in each figure is illustrated with arrows; however, this does not limit the configuration of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0024] 1...Case, 2...Supply unit, 5...Outlet, 6...Discharge unit, 7...Shutter, 10...Conveyor, 11...Driven roller, 12...Driven shaft, 13...Drive gear, 14...Drive shaft, 15...Conveyor body, 16...Endless chain, 18...Anti-jamming body, 21...Supply chute, 30...Bottom plate, 31...Anti-jamming device, 32...Guide, 37...End face, 38...Air jet tube, 39...Air jet nozzle, 40...Rotary shaft, 41...Shutter frame, 42...Side plate, 43...Link mechanism, 44...Opening / closing actuator, 45...Rod, 47...Top plate, 48...Opening, 49...Matching part, 50...Contact part, 51...Stay, 53...First arm, 54...Second arm, 55...Stay.

Claims

1. A conveying conveyor 10 is provided to transport materials such as granules, powders, grains of rice or wheat, adzuki beans, or tea leaves supplied from a rear supply section 2 into a case 1 which is formed to be long in the direction of transport of the transported material. The case 1 is provided with a discharge section 6 having one or more openings 5, and each opening 5 is provided with a shutter 7 that opens and closes the opening so as to be rotatable on a horizontal axis by a pivot shaft 40, and the discharge section 6 is provided with a jam prevention device 31 that prevents the transported material from getting jammed when the shutter 7 closes the opening 5.

2. The lateral conveying device according to claim 1 is configured such that the jamming prevention device 31 is provided with a guide 32 that guides the shutter 7 so that the rotational direction of the tip of the shutter 7 does not intersect with the end face 37 of the opening 5.

3. The lateral conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the jamming prevention device 31 is configured by providing at least a guide 32 that protrudes downward from the periphery of the opening 5 facing the pivot shaft 40.

4. The lateral conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is provided to protrude below the periphery of the opening 5, and is at least longer than one grain of the conveyed material.

5. The lateral conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the guide 32 of the jamming prevention device 31 is positioned directly below the periphery of the opening 5, or at least at a distance smaller than the center of a single grain from the periphery.

6. The lateral conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the guide 32 is formed in a vertical or inclined shape in a side view.

7. In claim 3, the guide 32 is a lateral conveying device formed in an arc shape when viewed from the side.

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