A device for correcting meandering, a device for manufacturing glass chopped strand mats, a method for correcting meandering, and a method for manufacturing glass chopped strand mats.

Abstract

The present invention provides a meandering correction device that can suppress meandering of a mesh belt used for accumulating and conveying glass chopped strands, a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus equipped with the meandering correction device, a meandering correction method performed by the meandering correction device, and a method for manufacturing glass chopped strands performed by the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus. [Solution] The system includes a correction roller 101 that extends axially in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt 22b in a plan view, and supports the lower surface of the second conveyor belt 22b; a detection unit 102 that detects the position of one end of the second conveyor belt 22b in the width direction; and a control unit 103 that changes the axial angle of the correction roller 101 with respect to the conveying direction based on the detection result by the detection unit 102.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to a meandering correction device for correcting meandering of a mesh belt for depositing and conveying glass chopped strands, a manufacturing apparatus for a glass chopped strand mat provided with the meandering correction device, a meandering correction method implemented by the meandering correction device, and a manufacturing method for a glass chopped strand mat implemented by the manufacturing apparatus for a glass chopped strand mat. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Conventionally, a glass chopped strand mat formed by shaping a glass chopped strand composed of a plurality of finely cut glass fibers into a sheet shape is known. To manufacture a glass chopped strand mat, first, glass fibers are cut to a predetermined length to obtain glass chopped strands. Next, the glass chopped strands are dispersed on a conveyor and deposited in a sheet shape (dispersion deposition step). The glass chopped strands dispersed and deposited on the conveyor are subjected to a binder spraying step of spraying a binder onto the glass chopped strands, a heating step of heating the glass chopped strands to which the binder has adhered, and a cold press bonding step of press-bonding while cooling the heated glass chopped strands, etc. while being conveyed by the conveyor. Thereby, a sheet-shaped glass chopped strand mat is continuously formed. Then, the formed glass chopped strand mat is wound by a winding device to form a roll-shaped wound body (winding step), and then shipped (see, for example, "Patent Document 1"). 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0003】 【Patent Document 1】 International Publication No. 2013 / 094402 【Summary of the Invention】 [Problems that the invention aims to solve] 【0004】 In the manufacturing process of the aforementioned glass chopped strand mat, the conveyor belt used in the binder application process requires water resistance and chemical resistance to the binder. Furthermore, the conveyor belt used in the heating process requires heat resistance. For these reasons, in the binder application and heating processes, conveyor belts using endless mesh belts made of metal components are mainly employed. 【0005】 In these conveying conveyors, if the glass chopped strands being conveyed accumulate unevenly on one side in the width direction of the mesh belt (the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in a plan view), or if the mesh belt undergoes aging due to long-term use, or if other unexpected events occur, the mesh belt may meander. 【0006】 Such meandering of mesh belts, if left unchecked, can lead to damage to surrounding equipment and a decline in the quality of the manufactured glass chopped strand mats. Therefore, it is preferable to correct it as needed, and there was a need for measures that could effectively suppress the meandering of mesh belts. 【0007】 The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the current situation described above, and aims to provide a meandering correction device that can suppress meandering of a mesh belt used to deposit and transport glass chopped strands, a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus equipped with the meandering correction device, a meandering correction method carried out by the meandering correction device, and a method for manufacturing glass chopped strands carried out by the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus. [Means for solving the problem] 【0008】 The problems that this invention aims to solve are as described above, and the means for solving these problems will now be explained. 【0009】 That is, the meandering correction device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention is a meandering correction device for a mesh belt that carries glass chopped strands in a pile, and is characterized by comprising: a correction roller that extends axially in the width direction which is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the mesh belt in a plan view and supports the lower surface of the mesh belt; a detection unit that detects the position of one end of the mesh belt in the width direction; and a control unit that changes the axial angle of the correction roller with respect to the conveying direction based on the detection result by the detection unit. With this configuration, the meandering correction device according to the present invention can reliably detect the occurrence of meandering in the mesh belt based on the detection result from the detection unit, and based on the detection result, the meandering of the mesh belt can be appropriately corrected and suppressed by changing the axial angle of the correction roller that supports the lower surface of the mesh belt. 【0010】 Furthermore, the meandering correction device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in embodiment 1, the detection unit has a detection means that detects that the position of one end of the mesh belt has moved from a predetermined position in the width direction by contacting the one end. Thus, in the meandering correction device according to the present invention, the displacement of one end of the mesh belt from a predetermined position is detected when that end actually comes into contact with the detection means. This suppresses false detections by the detection means and makes it possible to more reliably detect the occurrence of meandering in the mesh belt. 【0011】 Furthermore, the meandering correction device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention is characterized in that, in embodiment 2 above, the mesh belt is made of a conductive material, the detection means has a first detection member made of a conductive material, and the detection unit detects that the one end of the mesh belt has come into contact with the first detection member and that current has been passed between the mesh belt and the first detection member, thereby detecting that the one end has been displaced. With this configuration, the meandering correction device according to the present invention does not detect the displacement of one end of a mesh belt from a predetermined position by applying a physical external force, such as pressing one end of the mesh belt against a detector, but rather detects the displacement of one end of the mesh belt from a predetermined position by an electrical event caused by energization between one end of the mesh belt and the first detection member. Therefore, it is possible to detect the occurrence of meandering without placing an extreme load on the mesh belt. 【0012】 Furthermore, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, the meandering correction device, in the third aspect, further comprises a second detection member made of an insulating material, the first detection member and the second detection member are provided adjacent to each other coaxially along the width direction, the second detection member is positioned on the central side of the mesh belt in the width direction relative to the first detection member, and the detection unit detects that the end of the mesh belt has been displaced by transitioning from a first state in which the end of the mesh belt is in contact with the second detection member to a second state in which the end of the mesh belt is in contact with the first detection member. With this configuration, the meandering correction device according to the present invention can detect when one end of the mesh belt is displaced outward in the width direction from a predetermined position, and can accurately determine the direction in which the mesh belt meanders. 【0013】 Furthermore, in the meandering correction device according to embodiment 5 of the present invention, in embodiment 4 above, the detection unit, when it detects a transition from the first state to the second state, changes the axial angle of the correction roller so that one end of the mesh belt moves toward the central part in the width direction, and when it detects a transition from the second state to the first state, changes the axial angle of the correction roller so that one end of the mesh belt moves toward the outside in the width direction. With this configuration, the meandering correction device according to the present invention can accurately grasp the direction in which the mesh belt meanders and correct it appropriately, whether one end of the mesh belt is displaced outward in the width direction from a predetermined position or displaced towards the center in the width direction, thereby suppressing the meandering of the mesh belt. 【0014】 Furthermore, the meandering correction device according to embodiment 6 of the present invention is characterized in that, in embodiment 4 or embodiment 5, the first detection member and the second detection member each consist of a circular member in an axial cross-sectional view. With this configuration, the meandering correction device according to the present invention can bring one end of the mesh belt into contact with the first or second detection member by riding on the outer surface of the first or second detection member. Therefore, compared to, for example, the case where the meandering of the mesh belt is detected by pressing the end against a detector, the occurrence of meandering can be detected without placing an extreme load on the mesh belt. 【0015】 Furthermore, in any of embodiments 4 to 6 of the present invention, the meandering correction device is characterized in that the first detection member and the second detection member each consist of a tapered member whose cross-sectional shape gradually decreases in diameter toward the central part in the width direction of the mesh belt. With this configuration, the meandering correction device according to the present invention allows one end of a mesh belt moving in the width direction to ride up and make contact with the outer surface of a first detection member or a second detection member, without interfering with the axial ends of the first detection member or the second detection member, thereby enabling the end to ride up and make contact more stably. 【0016】 Furthermore, in any of the embodiments 3 to 7 described above, the meandering correction device according to embodiment 8 of the present invention is characterized in that the first detection member is made of stainless steel. With this configuration, the meandering correction device according to the present invention allows the first detection member to be formed from a conductive material having wear resistance and corrosion resistance. 【0017】 Furthermore, in any of embodiments 4 to 8, the meandering correction device according to embodiment 9 of the present invention is characterized in that the second detection member is made of an engineering plastic selected from at least one of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, monomer cast nylon, and polyacetal. With this configuration, the meandering correction device according to the present invention allows the second detection member to be formed from an insulating material having wear resistance and corrosion resistance. 【0018】 Furthermore, a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus according to embodiment 10 of the present invention is a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus comprising a mesh belt for accumulating and conveying glass chopped strands, and forming the glass chopped strands into a sheet shape to manufacture a glass chopped strand mat, characterized in that it comprises a meandering correction device as described in any of embodiments 1 to 9 above. By having such a configuration, according to the manufacturing apparatus of the glass chopped strand mat according to the present invention, in the above-described meandering correction apparatus, the occurrence of the meandering of the mesh belt can be surely grasped based on the detection result by the detection unit, and based on the detection result, by changing the axial angle of the correction roller that supports the lower surface of the mesh belt, while appropriately correcting and suppressing the meandering of the mesh belt, a high-quality glass chopped strand mat can be manufactured. 【0019】 Further, the meandering correction method according to Aspect 11 of the present invention is a meandering correction method for correcting the meandering of a mesh belt that deposits and conveys glass chopped strands, and includes a detection step of detecting, by a detection unit, the position of one end portion in the width direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction in a plan view, of the mesh belt, and a correction step of displacing the position of the one end portion of the mesh belt based on the detection result of the detection step to correct the meandering of the mesh belt. By having such a configuration, according to the meandering correction method according to the present invention, in the detection step, the occurrence of the meandering of the mesh belt can be surely grasped based on the detection result by the detection unit, and then, in the correction step, based on the detection result, by changing the axial angle of the correction roller that supports the lower surface of the mesh belt, the meandering of the mesh belt can be appropriately corrected and suppressed. 【0020】 Further, in the meandering correction method according to Aspect 12 of the present invention, in the detection step in Aspect 11 above, a predetermined voltage is applied to the mesh belt, the detection unit includes detection means having a first detection member made of a conductive material, and when the one end portion of the mesh belt contacts the first detection member and current is passed between the mesh belt and the first detection member, it is characterized in that the position of the one end portion of the mesh belt moving outward in the width direction is detected. By having such a configuration, according to the snake - path correction method of the present invention, for example, instead of detecting that one end of the mesh belt is displaced from a predetermined position by applying a physical external force such as pressing one end of the mesh belt against a detector, an electrical event in which electricity is conducted between one end of the mesh belt and the first detection member is used to detect that one end has been displaced from the predetermined position. Thus, the occurrence of snake - path can be grasped without applying an extreme load to the mesh belt. 【0021】 Further, the snake - path correction method according to Aspect 13 of the present invention, in the above - mentioned Aspect 12, the detection means further has a second detection member made of an insulating material. The first detection member and the second detection member are provided adjacent to each other coaxially along the width direction, and the second detection member is arranged on the central - part side in the width direction of the mesh belt with respect to the first detection member. The detection part detects that the position of one end of the mesh belt has moved to the central - part side in the width direction when one end of the mesh belt contacts the second detection member and the conduction between the mesh belt and the first detection member is interrupted. By having such a configuration, according to the snake - path correction device of the present invention, not only can it be detected that the position of one end of the mesh belt has moved outward in the width direction by the conduction between the mesh belt and the first detection member, but also it can be detected that the position of one end of the mesh belt has moved to the central - part side in the width direction by the interruption of the conduction between the mesh belt and the first detection member. Therefore, the direction in which the mesh belt snakes can be accurately grasped. 【0022】 Further, the method for manufacturing a glass - chopped strand mat according to Aspect 14 of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a glass - chopped strand mat in which glass - chopped strands are deposited and conveyed by a mesh belt, and the glass - chopped strands are formed into a sheet shape. The method is characterized by comprising the snake - path correction method according to any one of the above - mentioned Aspects 11 to 13. With this configuration, the method for manufacturing glass chopped strand mats according to the present invention allows for the reliable detection of the meandering of the mesh belt based on the detection results from the detection unit in the meandering correction method described above. Based on these detection results, the axial angle of the correction roller supporting the lower surface of the mesh belt is changed to appropriately correct and suppress the meandering of the mesh belt, thereby enabling the production of high-quality glass chopped strand mats. [Effects of the Invention] 【0023】 The present invention provides the following effects: In other words, according to the meandering correction device, the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus equipped with the meandering correction device, the meandering correction method performed by the meandering correction device, and the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing method performed by the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus, the meandering of the mesh belt can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0024】 [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing the configuration of a meandering correction device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] These diagrams illustrate the operation of the detection unit, where (a) is a partially enlarged front view showing one end of the mesh belt in the width direction resting on the second detection member, and (b) is a partially enlarged front view showing one end of the mesh belt in the width direction resting on the first detection member. [Figure 3] This is a process diagram showing each step of the meandering correction method performed by a meandering correction device. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing the configuration of a meandering correction device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a side view showing the overall configuration of a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus equipped with a meandering correction device. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0025】 Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. For convenience, the following explanation will define the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions of the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus 1 and the meandering correction apparatus 100-200 according to the directions of the arrows shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5. Furthermore, the direction of arrow A in Figures 1, 4, and 5 is defined and described as the transport direction of the glass chopped strand S (or glass chopped strand mat M). 【0026】 [Overall configuration of the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus 1] First, the overall configuration of the glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as "manufacturing apparatus 1") in this embodiment will be explained using Figure 5. 【0027】 The manufacturing apparatus 1 is composed of parts that perform a dispersed deposition process S01, a binder application process S02, a heating process S03, a cold rolling process S04, and a winding process S05, etc., which are arranged sequentially in one direction (direction of arrow A). The apparatus continuously manufactures a sheet-like glass chopped strand mat M while conveying glass chopped strands S, which consist of multiple glass fibers, in that one direction. 【0028】 Here, the dispersion and deposition process S01 is a process in which multiple finely cut glass chopped strands S are dispersed onto a conveying means consisting of a conveying conveyor and deposited in a sheet-like manner. Furthermore, the binder application step S02 is a step in which a binder P is applied to the glass chopped strands S that are piled up in a sheet-like shape. Furthermore, heating step S03 is a step of heating the glass chopped strand S to which the binder P is attached. Furthermore, the cold rolling process S04 is a process in which the heated glass chopped strand S is pressed together while being cooled to form a glass chopped strand mat M. Furthermore, winding process S05 is the process of winding the formed glass chopped strand mat M into a roll shape. 【0029】 The manufacturing apparatus 1 mainly comprises a cutting device 10, a first conveying device 20, a binder application device 30, a heating furnace 40, a cold rolling roll 50, a second conveying device 60, and a winding device 70, etc. Furthermore, these cutting device 10, binder application device 30, heating furnace 40, cold rolling roll 50, and winding device 70 are arranged sequentially from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction (direction of arrow A shown in Figure 5). 【0030】 The dispersion and deposition process S01 is mainly carried out by the cutting device 10 and the first conveying device 20 (specifically, the first conveying conveyor 21 described later), the binder application process S02 is mainly carried out by the binder application device 30 and the first conveying device 20 (specifically, the second conveying conveyor 22 described later), the heating process S03 is mainly carried out by the heating furnace 40 and the first conveying device 20 (specifically, the third conveying conveyor 23 described later), the cold pressure welding process S04 is mainly carried out by the cold rolling roll 50, and the winding process S05 is mainly carried out by the winding device 70. 【0031】 The cutting device 10 is a device that produces glass chopped strands S by pulling out glass fibers F wound around a glass cake C and cutting them into small pieces. The cutting device 10 includes, for example, a pair of cutter rollers 11 and rubber rollers 12 that extend horizontally (perpendicular to the paper surface) and are arranged facing each other. 【0032】 The cutter roller 11 is configured such that the side facing the rubber roller 12 can rotate downwards around its axis. On the other hand, the rubber roller 12 is configured such that the side facing the cutter roller 11 can rotate downwards around its axis. 【0033】 Then, glass fibers F drawn from the glass cake C are supplied between the cutter roller 11 and the rubber roller 12, which are rotating relative to each other, so that the glass fibers F are continuously cut into small pieces, and glass chopped strands S are continuously produced. 【0034】 These cutter rollers 11 and rubber rollers 12 are provided in pairs for, for example, one glass cake C. In this embodiment, two pairs of cutter rollers 11-11 and rubber rollers 12-12 are provided to accommodate two glass cakes C-C. 【0035】 The first conveying device 20 is a device that conveys the glass chopped strand S produced by the cutting device 10 horizontally toward the cold rolling roll 50. The first conveying device 20 consists of a first conveying conveyor 21, a second conveying conveyor 22, a third conveying conveyor 23, and the like, which are arranged in order from upstream to downstream along the conveying direction of the glass chopped strand S. 【0036】 As will be described later, a cutting device 10 and a binder application device 30 are positioned above the first conveyor belt 21 and the second conveyor belt 22, respectively, and a heating furnace 40 is positioned near the third conveyor belt 23. 【0037】 The first conveyor belt 21 comprises a plurality of rollers 21a, 21a, ... including drive rollers and driven rollers, and an endless first conveyor belt 21b wound around these rollers 21a, 21a, ... Furthermore, the first conveyor belt 21b is composed of a long, strip-shaped net having a mesh opening smaller than the length of the glass chopped strand S. 【0038】 In the first conveyor belt 21, the drive rollers among the multiple rollers 21a, 21a, ... are driven by motors, thereby causing the first conveyor belt 21b to rotate via these multiple rollers 21a, 21a, ... 【0039】 The second conveyor belt 22 comprises a plurality of rollers 22a, 22a, ... including drive rollers and driven rollers, and an endless second conveyor belt 22b wound around these rollers 22a, 22a, ... 【0040】 The second conveyor belt 22b is made of a metal mesh belt with a mesh opening smaller than the length of the glass chopped strand S, as water resistance and chemical resistance to the binder P are required. For example, in this embodiment, it is made of a mesh belt made of a conductive material such as stainless steel. Furthermore, the material of the second conveyor belt 22b is not limited to this embodiment; any conductive material with water resistance, chemical resistance, etc., may be used. 【0041】 In the second conveyor belt 22, the drive rollers among the multiple rollers 22a, 22a, ... are driven by a motor, thereby causing the second conveyor belt 22b to rotate via these multiple rollers 22a, 22a, ... 【0042】 The third conveyor belt 23 comprises a plurality of rollers 23a, 23a, ... including a drive roller and a driven roller, and an endless third conveyor belt 23b wound around these rollers 23a, 23a, ... 【0043】 Since the third conveyor belt 23b is required to have heat resistance to the heating furnace 40, it is formed of a metal mesh belt with a mesh opening smaller than the length of the glass chopped strand S, similar to the second conveyor belt 22b. For example, in this embodiment, it is made of a mesh belt made of a conductive material such as stainless steel. Furthermore, the material of the third conveyor belt 23b is not limited to this embodiment; any heat-resistant conductive material may be used. 【0044】 In the third conveyor belt 23, the drive rollers among the multiple rollers 23a, 23a, ... are driven by a motor, thereby causing the third conveyor belt 23b to rotate via these multiple rollers 23a, 23a, ... 【0045】 Incidentally, the second conveyor belt 22 and the third conveyor belt 23 are each provided with a meandering correction device 100 that corrects the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b and the third conveyor belt 23b, which are made of metal mesh belts, and are configured to convey the sheet-like glass chopped strand S in one direction (direction of arrow A) in a more stable state. 【0046】 Further details regarding the configuration of the meandering correction device 100 will be described later. 【0047】 In the first conveying device 20, which comprises a first conveying conveyor 21, a second conveying conveyor 22, and a third conveying conveyor 23 as described above, a cutting device 10 is positioned above the first conveying conveyor 21. 【0048】 Furthermore, a chamber 13 is provided between the cutting device 10 and the first conveyor belt 21, and the glass chopped strands S cut by the cutting device 10 are configured to pass through the chamber 13 and fall onto the first conveyor belt 21b. 【0049】 Then, the glass chopped strands S that fall onto the first conveyor belt 21 and are dispersed and deposited in a sheet-like manner (dispersion and deposition process S01) are transported towards the cold rolling rolls 50, moving sequentially from the first conveyor belt 21 to the second conveyor belt 22 and then to the third conveyor belt 23. 【0050】 Furthermore, a suction device (not shown), such as a suction duct or blower, is arranged on the back side of the conveying surface (the surface on which the glass chopped strands S are placed) of the first conveyor belt 21b, so that the glass chopped strands S placed on the first conveyor belt 21b can be conveyed while being sucked up. 【0051】 The binder application device 30 is a device that sprinkles a binder P, which is a resin powder, onto the upper surface of the second conveyor belt 22b of the second conveyor belt 22, thereby adhering the binder P to the glass chopped strand S placed on the second conveyor belt 22b. The binder application device 30 is positioned above the second conveyor belt 22, with the nozzle for the binder P directed downwards toward the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0052】 The glass chopped strands S, which have been transported by the first conveyor belt 21, then transfer to the second conveyor belt 22 and are transported by the second conveyor belt 22 to the third conveyor belt 23. At this time, as the glass chopped strand S passes below the binder application device 30, the binder P is sprayed onto the glass chopped strand S by the binder application device 30, and the binder P adheres uniformly to the glass chopped strand S (binder application step S02). 【0053】 The heating furnace 40 is used to heat the glass chopped strand S to which the binder P is attached, in order to melt the binder P. The heating furnace 40 is positioned in the middle of the third conveyor belt 23 in the conveying direction, enclosing a portion of the upper part of the third conveyor belt 23b. 【0054】 The glass chopped strand S, which has been transported by the second conveyor belt 22, then moves onto the third conveyor belt 23 and is transported to the cold rolling rolls 50 by the third conveyor belt 23. During this process, as the glass chopped strand S passes through the heating furnace 40, the binder P attached to the glass chopped strand S is melted by the ambient temperature inside the heating furnace 40 (heating step S03). 【0055】 The cold rolling roll 50 is used to stretch and press the glass chopped strand S to which the binder P is attached, in order to form a sheet-like glass chopped strand mat M. The cold rolling roll 50 extends horizontally and perpendicular to the conveying direction, and is composed of a pair of rolls 51-51 that are arranged opposite each other in the thickness direction (up and down direction in this embodiment) of the glass chopped strand S, and is positioned downstream of the third conveying conveyor 23. 【0056】 The glass chopped strand S, which is then transported by the third conveyor belt 23 and to which the binder P melted in the heating furnace 40 is attached, is then guided to the cold rolling rolls 50 and passes between a pair of rolls 51-51. As a result, the glass chopped strands S are pressed together by a pair of rolls 51-51 while being cooled, and the finely cut glass chopped strands S are bonded together to form a sheet-like glass chopped strand mat M consisting of glass chopped strands S and a binder P (cold pressure welding process S04). 【0057】 The second conveying device 60 is a device that conveys the glass chopped strand mat M, which has been formed by passing through the cold rolling roll 50, toward the winding device 70. The second conveying device 60 has the function of cutting the glass chopped strand mat M in the width direction (in this embodiment, the left-right direction) when the length of the glass chopped strand mat M wound up by the winding device 70 reaches a predetermined length. 【0058】 The second conveying device 60 includes a cutting mechanism 61 located midway in the conveying direction, an upstream conveying conveyor 62 located upstream of the cutting mechanism 61, and a downstream conveying conveyor 63 located downstream of the cutting mechanism 61. 【0059】 The cutting mechanism 61 has, for example, a cutting blade 61a that can move in a direction slightly inclined toward the transport direction with respect to a direction perpendicular to the transport direction in a plan view, and is configured such that when the length of the glass chopped strand mat M, which is continuously transported toward the winding device 70, reaches a predetermined length, the cutting blade 61a moves to cut the glass chopped strand mat M in the width direction. 【0060】 The upstream conveyor 62 includes a plurality of rollers 62a, 62a, ... including drive rollers and driven rollers, and an endless upstream conveyor belt 62b wound around these rollers 62a, 62a, ... Furthermore, in the upstream conveyor belt 62, the drive rollers among the multiple rollers 62a, 62a, ... are driven by a motor, thereby causing the upstream conveyor belt 62b to rotate via these multiple rollers 62a, 62a, ... 【0061】 The downstream conveyor 63 includes a plurality of rollers 63a, 63a, ... including drive rollers and driven rollers, and an endless downstream conveyor belt 63b wound around these rollers 63a, 63a, ... Furthermore, in the downstream conveyor belt 63, the drive rollers among the multiple rollers 63a, 63a, ... are driven by a motor, thereby causing the downstream conveyor belt 63b to rotate via these multiple rollers 63a, 63a, ... 【0062】 With the configuration described above, the glass chopped strand mat M unwound from the cold rolling roll 50 is first conveyed horizontally by the second conveying device 60, then guided along the guide member 2 which is inclined diagonally downward, and then conveyed to the winding device 70 which is located downstream of the second conveying device 60 in the conveying direction. 【0063】 The winding device 70 is a device that winds a molded sheet-like glass chopped strand mat M into a roll shape to form a wound body R. A winding core 71 is attached to the winding device 70, and the downstream end of the glass chopped strand mat M in the transport direction is bonded to the outer surface of the winding core 71. By rotating the winding core 71, a wound body R is formed (winding process S05). 【0064】 The length of the glass chopped strand mat M wound onto the core 71 is predetermined, and when the length of the glass chopped strand mat M reaches the predetermined length, the glass chopped strand mat M is cut by the second conveying device 60 as described above. 【0065】 Then, the formed winding body R is removed from the winding device 70, while a new core 71 is attached to the winding device 70. The glass chopped strand mat M, which has been transported by the second transport device 60, is then wound onto the new core 71, and the winding body R is formed again. 【0066】 As described above, in this embodiment, the dispersion and deposition process S01, composed of the cutting device 10 and the first conveyor belt 21; the binder application process S02, composed of the binder application device 30 and the second conveyor belt 22; the heating process S03, composed of the heating furnace 40 and the third conveyor belt 23; the cold welding process S04, composed of the cold rolling roll 50; and the winding process S05, composed of the winding device 70, are arranged in order along the conveying direction. The glass chopped strands S generated by the cutting device 10 are passed through these dispersion and deposition process S01, binder application process S02, heating process S03, cold welding process S04, and winding process S05 in order by the first conveyor belt 20 and the second conveyor belt 60, thereby producing the glass chopped strand mat M. 【0067】 [Configuration of the meandering correction device 100] Next, the configuration of the meandering correction device 100 in this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3. 【0068】 As described above, the meandering correction device 100 is installed on the second conveyor belt 22 and the third conveyor belt 23, respectively, and is a device that detects meandering that occurs in the second conveyor belt 22b and the third conveyor belt 23b, which are made of metal mesh belts, and corrects it as appropriate to suppress said meandering. In other words, the meandering correction device 100 is a device that corrects the meandering of a mesh belt in which glass chopped strands S are piled up and conveyed. 【0069】 Since the meandering correction device 100 installed on the second conveyor belt 22 and the meandering correction device 100 installed on the third conveyor belt 23 have the same arrangement and operating procedure, the following description will mainly focus on the meandering correction device 100 installed on the second conveyor belt 22, and the description of the meandering correction device 100 installed on the third conveyor belt 23 will be omitted. 【0070】 As shown in Figure 1, the meandering correction device 100 mainly comprises a correction roller 101 for correcting the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b, a detection unit 102 for detecting the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b, and a control unit 103 that controls the operation of the correction roller 101 based on the detection result from the detection unit 102. 【0071】 The correcting roller 101 has a cylindrical roller body 101a extending to one side and a main shaft 101b that passes through the roller body 101a coaxially, and the roller body 101a is supported by the main shaft 101b so as to be rotatable about its axis. Furthermore, the total length L of the roller body 101a is set to be slightly larger than the width W of the second conveyor belt 22b (L>W). 【0072】 The correction roller 101 is positioned with its axial direction extending in the width direction (left-right direction), which is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt 22b (direction of arrow A) in a plan view. Furthermore, the correcting roller 101 is positioned on the outer circumferential surface of the roller body 101a to support the back side (i.e., the lower surface at the top of the second conveyor belt 22b) of the conveying surface (the surface on which the glass chopped strand S is placed) of the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0073】 The correction roller 101 is connected to a structure (not shown) at one end 101b1 (the left end in this embodiment) of the main shaft 101b so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis Z. Furthermore, the correction roller 101 is connected to the telescopic rod 131a1 of the hydraulic actuator 131a, which will be described later, at the other end 101b2 (the right end in this embodiment) of the main shaft 101b. In other words, the correction roller 101 is configured to be rotatable about its axis Z both upstream (rear in this embodiment) and downstream (front in this embodiment) in the conveying direction, respectively, by a hydraulic actuator 131a. 【0074】 Then, by rotating the correction roller 101 using the hydraulic actuator 131a, the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 with respect to the conveying direction of the second conveyor belt 22b is appropriately changed, thereby correcting the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0075】 For example, if the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering toward one end 101b1 (left side) of the main shaft 101b (see second conveyor belt 22bX in Figure 1), the hydraulic actuator 131a rotates the correcting roller 101 toward the upstream (rear side) of the conveying direction, and by setting the axial angle θ of the correcting roller 101 with respect to the conveying direction to angle θ1, the actual conveying direction of the second conveyor belt 22b is restricted toward the other end 101b2 (right side) of the main shaft 101b, and the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b is corrected. Furthermore, for example, if the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering toward the other end 101b2 (right side) of the main shaft 101b (see the second conveyor belt 22bY in Figure 1), the hydraulic actuator 131a rotates the correcting roller 101 toward the downstream (front side) of the conveying direction, and by setting the axial angle θ of the correcting roller 101 with respect to the conveying direction to angle θ2, the actual conveying direction of the second conveyor belt 22b is restricted toward the one end 101b1 (left side) of the main shaft 101b, and the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b is corrected. 【0076】 The detection unit 102 is provided on the downstream side (front side) in the conveying direction relative to the correction roller 101 and mainly includes a detection element 121 that is positioned to be in contact with one end 22b1 (the right end in this embodiment) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b, and a detection circuit 122 that detects the position of the end 22b1 based on the state of the detection element 121. The detection element 121 is an example of a detection means according to the present invention. 【0077】 The detection element 121 includes a first detection element 121a made of a conductive material and a second detection element 121b made of an insulating material. The first detection element 121a is an example of a first detection member according to the present invention, and the second detection element 121b is an example of a second detection member according to the present invention. 【0078】 As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the first detection element 121a is made of a frustoconical member made of stainless steel such as SUS303, and is positioned near one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b, with its axial direction being the width direction (left-right direction) of the second conveyor belt 22b, and with its cross-sectional shape gradually decreasing in diameter toward the second conveyor belt 22b side (more specifically, toward the central part in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b, which in this embodiment is the left side). 【0079】 Furthermore, the first detection element 121a is coaxially mounted and integrally formed with a support shaft 121c that extends to the opposite side from the second conveyor belt 22b (to the right in this embodiment). The first detection element 121a is rotatably supported about its axis by a pair of general-purpose bearing members 123, 123 via the support shaft 121c. 【0080】 Furthermore, the material of the first detection element 121a (and support shaft 121c) is not limited to this embodiment; for example, any conductive material such as other metal members, non-ferrous metal members, or resin members may be used. However, as in this embodiment, by forming the first detection element 121a from a stainless steel component, the first detection element 121a can be formed from a conductive material that has wear resistance and corrosion resistance. 【0081】 The support shaft 121c is connected to (grounded to) earth G via a wiring member 121c1, etc., and the pair of bearing members 123-123 are fixed on a base (not shown) with an insulating plate 124 in between. As a result, the first detection element 121a is always connected (grounded) to earth G via the support shaft 121c. 【0082】 The second detection element 121b is made of a cone-shaped member made of an engineering plastic selected from, for example, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, monomer cast nylon, and polyacetal, and the diameter of its base is set to be approximately the same as the diameter of the top surface (the end face on the reduced diameter side (left side)) of the first detection element 121a. Furthermore, the second detection element 121b is provided adjacent to the first detection element 121a on the opposite side from the support shaft 121c (the left side in this embodiment), and is arranged coaxially with the first detection element 121a, with its cross-sectional shape gradually decreasing in diameter toward the central part (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0083】 Furthermore, the material of the second detection element 121b is not limited to this embodiment; for example, any insulating material such as other resin members, glass, or ceramics may be used. However, as in this embodiment, by forming the second detection element 121b using an engineering plastic as the material, the second detection element 121b can be formed using an insulating material that has wear resistance and corrosion resistance. 【0084】 The second detection element 121b is fixed to the first detection element 121a and is configured to rotate around its axis in conjunction with the first detection element 121a. 【0085】 Thus, in this embodiment, the first detection element 121a and the second detection element 121b constituting the detection element 121 are each formed by a circular member in an axial cross-sectional view. 【0086】 With this configuration, the meandering correction device 100 of this embodiment can, as described later, bring one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b, which is made of mesh, into contact with the first detection element 121a or the second detection element 121b by riding on the outer surface of the first detection element 121a or the second detection element 121b. Therefore, compared to, for example, the case where meandering of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b is detected by pressing the end 22b1 against a detector, the occurrence of meandering can be detected without placing an extreme load on the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b. 【0087】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first detection element 121a and the second detection element 121b are each formed by tapered members whose cross-sectional shape gradually decreases in diameter toward the central part (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b, which is made of mesh belt. 【0088】 With this configuration, the meandering correction device 100 of this embodiment allows one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b, which moves in the width direction (left-right direction), to ride up and make contact with the outer circumferential surface of the first detection element 121a or the second detection element 121b. This allows the end 22b1 to ride up and make contact more stably without interfering with the axial ends of the first detection element 121a or the second detection element 121b. 【0089】 The detection element 121 is positioned on its outer surface to always support the back (bottom) side of the conveying surface at one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b, and rotates around its axis as the second conveyor belt 22b is conveyed. The detection element 121 is not limited to this embodiment and may be configured not to rotate around its axis. 【0090】 The detection circuit 122 is composed of a general-purpose current detector and is electrically connected to the wiring member 121c1 which is connected to the support shaft 121c at an intermediate point. 【0091】 Then, the detection circuit 122 detects the position of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b based on the following operating procedure. 【0092】 In other words, as mentioned above, the second conveyor belt 22b is made of a mesh belt made of a conductive material and, like the first detection element 121a, is always connected (grounded) to earth G via the wiring member 22b2. Furthermore, a predetermined voltage is always applied to the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0093】 In the second conveyor belt 22b, a reference position Q is pre-set as the position of the end face of one end 22b1 in a normal state where meandering does not occur, and the boundary between the first detection element 121a and the second detection element 121b is pre-set to be located at this reference position Q. However, the reference position Q is an example of a predetermined position according to the present invention. 【0094】 In this state, for example, as shown in Figure 2(a), if the end face of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b moves from the reference position Q towards the center (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b, and the end face 22b1 rides up onto the outer surface of the second detection element 121b and comes into contact with it (hereinafter referred to as "first state N1" as appropriate), then the space between the second conveyor belt 22b and the detection element 121 (more specifically, the first detection element 121a) becomes blocked. Therefore, the detection circuit 122 detects the disconnection state between the second conveyor belt 22b and the detection element 121, thereby understanding that the state has transitioned from the second state N2 to the first state N1, and detects that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b has shifted to the central part (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b (i.e., the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering to the left). 【0095】 On the other hand, for example, as shown in Figure 2(b), if the end face of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b moves outward (to the right) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b from the reference position Q, and the end face 22b1 rides up onto the outer surface of the first detection element 121a and comes into contact with it (hereinafter referred to as "second state N2" as appropriate), then the second conveyor belt 22b and the detection element 121 (more specifically, the first detection element 121a) become energized. Therefore, the detection circuit 122 detects the energized state between the second conveyor belt 22b and the detection element 121, thereby determining that the state has transitioned from the first state N1 to the second state N2, and detects that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b has shifted to the outside (right side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b (i.e., the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering to the right). 【0096】 Thus, in this embodiment, the detection unit 102 has a detection element (detection means) 121 that detects the displacement of one end 22b1 when the position of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b, which is made of a mesh belt, moves (swerves) in the width direction (left-right direction) from the reference position (predetermined position) Q. 【0097】 Therefore, in the meandering correction device 100 of this embodiment, when one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b actually comes into contact with the detection element 121, it is detected that the end 22b1 has been displaced from the reference position Q. This suppresses false detections by the detection element 121 and makes it possible to more reliably detect the occurrence of meandering of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b. 【0098】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second conveyor belt 22b, which is made of a mesh belt, is made of a conductive material, and the detection element (detection means) 121 has a first detection element (first detection member) 121a made of a conductive material. The detection unit 102 is configured to detect when one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b comes into contact with the first detection element 121a, and current is passed between the second conveyor belt 22b and the first detection element 121a, thereby detecting that the end 22b1 has been displaced. 【0099】 With this configuration, the meandering correction device 100 in this embodiment does not detect the displacement of one end 22b1 from the reference position Q by physical external force, such as pressing one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b against the detector, but rather detects the displacement of one end 22b1 from the reference position Q by an electrical event, which occurs when current is passed between one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b and the first detection element 121a. Therefore, the occurrence of meandering can be detected without placing an extreme load on the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0100】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection element (detection means) 121 has a second detection element (second detection member) 121b made of an insulating material. Furthermore, the first detection element (first detection member) 121a and the second detection element 121b are provided adjacent to each other coaxially along the width direction (left-right direction), and the second detection element 121b is positioned on the left side of the width direction of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b relative to the first detection element 121a. 【0101】 The detection unit 102 is configured to detect that the end portion 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b has been displaced when it transitions from a first state N1, in which the end portion 22b1 is in contact with the second detection element (second detection member) 121b, to a second state N2, in which the end portion 22b1 is in contact with the first detection element (first detection member) 121a. 【0102】 With this configuration, the meandering correction device 100 in this embodiment can detect when one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b is displaced outward in the width direction (to the right in this embodiment) from the reference position (predetermined position) Q, and can accurately grasp the direction in which the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering. 【0103】 As shown in Figure 1, the control unit 103 includes a hydraulic circuit 131 that constitutes the drive system for the correction roller 101, and a pneumatic circuit 132 that controls the operation of the hydraulic circuit 131. 【0104】 The hydraulic circuit 131 includes a hydraulic actuator 131a that moves the correction roller 101, a hydraulic pump 131b that is the drive source for the hydraulic actuator 131a, and a control valve 131c that controls the operation of the hydraulic actuator 131a. 【0105】 The hydraulic actuator 131a has an extendable rod 131a1, and the tip of the extendable rod 131a1 is connected to the other end 101b2 of the main shaft 101b of the correcting roller 101. Furthermore, the hydraulic actuator 131a is positioned so that the telescopic rod 131a1 can be extended and retracted along the conveying direction (front-to-back direction) of the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0106】 The hydraulic actuator 131a then extends the telescopic rod 131a1, thereby rotating the correction roller 101 toward the upstream (rear) side in the conveying direction. Furthermore, the hydraulic actuator 131a rotates the correction roller 101 toward the downstream (front) side in the conveying direction by retracting the telescopic rod 131a1. 【0107】 The hydraulic pump 131b is connected to an electric motor 133 along with a blower 132a, which will be described later, and is driven by the electric motor 133. Furthermore, the discharge port (not shown) of the hydraulic pump 131b is connected to the control valve 131c via the hydraulic piping 134a, and hydraulic fluid is supplied to the hydraulic actuator 131a through the control valve 131c. 【0108】 The control valve 131c is, for example, a general-purpose diaphragm-type control valve and has one inlet 131c1 and two first outlets 131c2 and second outlets 131c3. Furthermore, inside the control valve 131c, the inlet 131c1 and the first outlet 131c2 are in communication due to the biasing force of the spring 131c4. 【0109】 As described above, the control valve 131c is connected to the discharge port of the hydraulic pump 131b via the hydraulic piping 134a at the inlet 131c1. Furthermore, the control valve 131c is connected to the rod-side port 131a2 of the hydraulic actuator 131a via the hydraulic piping 134b at the first outlet 131c2. Furthermore, the control valve 131c is connected to the head-side port 131a3 of the hydraulic actuator 131a via the hydraulic piping 134c at the second outlet 131c3. 【0110】 Then, inside the control valve 131c, when the inlet 131c1 and the second outlet 131c3 are connected against the biasing force (as shown in Figure 1), the hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 131b is supplied to the head-side port 131a3 of the hydraulic actuator 131a via the control valve 131c, causing the telescopic rod 131a1 to extend. Furthermore, when the biasing force is released inside the control valve 131c and the inlet 131c1 and the first outlet 131c2 are connected, the hydraulic fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 131b is supplied to the rod-side port 131a2 of the hydraulic actuator 131a via the control valve 131c, causing the telescopic rod 131a1 to retract. 【0111】 Furthermore, flow control valves 134d and 134d are provided between the control valve 131c and the hydraulic actuator 131a, in the middle of the hydraulic piping 134b and 134c, respectively, to appropriately adjust the flow rate of the hydraulic fluid. 【0112】 The pneumatic circuit 132 includes a blower 132a that supplies compressed air and a solenoid valve 132b that operates the control valve 131c described above. 【0113】 The blower 132a is connected to the electric motor 133 along with the aforementioned hydraulic pump 131b, and is driven by the electric motor 133. Furthermore, the discharge port (not shown) of the blower 132a is connected to a control valve 131c on one end and to a solenoid valve 132b on the other end via a pneumatic pipe 135a that branches off midway. 【0114】 The solenoid valve 132b is, for example, a general-purpose two-port solenoid valve, and as described above, it is connected to the discharge port of the blower 132a via the pneumatic piping 135a at the inlet (not shown), and a silencer 132c is connected to the outlet (not shown). Furthermore, the solenoid valve 132b is electrically connected to the detection circuit 122, and the opening and closing operation of the inlet is controlled based on the detection result of the detection circuit 122. 【0115】 Specifically, when the detection circuit 122 detects the first state N1 described above (i.e., the state in which the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering to the left; see "second conveyor belt 22bX" in Figure 1), the inlet of the solenoid valve 132b is closed based on the detection result of the detection circuit 122. 【0116】 When the inlet of the solenoid valve 132b is closed, the compressed air discharged from the blower 132a is supplied to the control valve 131c via the pneumatic piping 135a, and inside the control valve 131c, the inlet 131c1 and the second outlet 131c3 are connected against the biasing force of the spring 131c4. 【0117】 As a result, the correction roller 101 is rotated toward the upstream (rear) side in the conveying direction, and the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 changes to angle θ1 such that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b moves outward (right side) in the width direction. 【0118】 On the other hand, if the detection circuit 122 detects the second state N2 described above (i.e., the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering to the right; see "second conveyor belt 22bY" in Figure 1), the inlet of the solenoid valve 132b is opened based on the detection result of the detection circuit 122. 【0119】 When the inlet of the solenoid valve 132b is opened, the compressed air discharged from the blower 132a is supplied to the solenoid valve 132b via the pneumatic piping 135a and then released into the atmosphere via the silencer 132c. Inside the control valve 131c, the inlet 131c1 and the first outlet 131c2 are connected by the biasing force of the spring 131c4. 【0120】 As a result, the correction roller 101 is rotated toward the downstream side (front side) in the conveying direction, and the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 changes to angle θ2 so that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b moves toward the center side (left side) in the width direction. 【0121】 As described above, in this embodiment, when the detection unit 102 detects that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b has transitioned from a first state N1 to a second state N2, it changes the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 so that the end 22b1 moves toward the center (left side) in the width direction. When it detects that the state has transitioned from a second state N2 to a first state N1, it changes the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 so that the end 22b1 moves toward the outside (right side) in the width direction. 【0122】 With this configuration, the meandering correction device 100 in this embodiment can accurately grasp the direction in which the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b is meandering and correct it appropriately, regardless of whether one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b is displaced outward (to the right) in the width direction from the reference position Q, or displaced towards the center (to the left) in the width direction, thereby suppressing the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0123】 As described above, the meandering correction device 100 in this embodiment is a meandering correction device for correcting the meandering of a second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b that carries glass chopped strands S in a pile. The device comprises a correction roller 101 that extends axially in the width direction (left-right direction), which is perpendicular to the conveying direction (direction of arrow A) of the second conveyor belt 22b in a plan view, and supports the lower surface of the second conveyor belt 22b (more specifically, the back surface of the conveying surface on which the glass chopped strands S are placed), a detection unit 102 that detects the position of one end 22b1 in the width direction (left-right direction) of the second conveyor belt 22b, and a control unit 103 that changes the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 with respect to the conveying direction based on the detection result by the detection unit 102. 【0124】 With this configuration, the meandering correction device 100 in this embodiment can reliably detect the occurrence of meandering in the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b based on the detection result by the detection unit 102, and based on the detection result, the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b can be appropriately corrected and suppressed by changing the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 that supports the lower surface of the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0125】 Furthermore, in Figure 3, the meandering correction method performed by the meandering correction device 100 of this embodiment is a meandering correction method for correcting the meandering of a second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b that carries glass chopped strands S in a pile, and comprises a detection step S11 in which a detection unit 102 detects the position of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b in the width direction (left-right direction), which is perpendicular to the conveying direction (direction of arrow A) in a plan view, and a correction step S12 in which, based on the detection result of the detection step S11, the position of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b is displaced to correct the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0126】 With this configuration, according to the meandering correction method of this embodiment, in the detection step S11, the occurrence of meandering of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b can be reliably grasped by the detection result of the detection unit 102, and then in the correction step S12, the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b can be appropriately corrected and suppressed by changing the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 that supports the lower surface of the second conveyor belt 22b based on the detection result. 【0127】 Furthermore, the manufacturing apparatus 1 in this embodiment is a glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus that includes a second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b for accumulating and conveying glass chopped strands S, and for forming the glass chopped strands S into a sheet shape to manufacture a glass chopped strand mat M, and is characterized by including a meandering correction device 100 having the above-described configuration. 【0128】 With this configuration, the manufacturing apparatus 1 in this embodiment can reliably detect the occurrence of meandering in the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b based on the detection result by the detection unit 102 in the meandering correction device 100 described above. Based on the detection result, the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 that supports the lower surface of the second conveyor belt 22b can be changed to appropriately correct and suppress the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b, thereby enabling the production of high-quality glass chopped strand mat M. 【0129】 Furthermore, the manufacturing method carried out by the manufacturing apparatus 1 in this embodiment is a method for manufacturing a glass chopped strand mat M, comprising conveying the glass chopped strand S by accumulating it on a second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b, forming the glass chopped strand S into a sheet, and comprising a meandering correction method having the above-described configuration. 【0130】 With this configuration, the method for manufacturing glass chopped strand mats in this embodiment allows for the reliable detection of the occurrence of meandering in the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b based on the detection result by the detection unit 102 in the meandering correction method described above. Based on the detection result, the axial angle θ of the correction roller 101 supporting the lower surface of the second conveyor belt 22b is changed, thereby appropriately correcting and suppressing the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b while manufacturing high-quality glass chopped strand mats M. 【0131】 [Configuration of the meandering correction device 200 (another embodiment)] Next, the configuration of the meandering correction device 200 in another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 4. 【0132】 The meandering correction device 200 in another embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the meandering correction device 100 in the above-described embodiment, but differs from the meandering correction device 100 in the configuration of the detection unit 202. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the differences from the meandering correction device 100 in this embodiment, and will omit descriptions of configurations equivalent to the meandering correction device 100. 【0133】 The meandering correction device 200, like the meandering correction device 100 in the embodiment described above, is installed on the second conveyor belt 22 and the third conveyor belt 23, respectively, and is a device that detects meandering that occurs in the second conveyor belt 22b and the third conveyor belt 23b, which are made of metal mesh belts, and corrects them as appropriate to suppress said meandering. In other words, the meandering correction device 200 is a device that corrects the meandering of a mesh belt in which glass chopped strands S are deposited and conveyed. 【0134】 Since the meandering correction device 200 installed on the second conveyor belt 22 and the meandering correction device 200 installed on the third conveyor belt 23 have the same arrangement and operating procedure, the following description will mainly focus on the meandering correction device 200 installed on the second conveyor belt 22, and the description of the meandering correction device 200 installed on the third conveyor belt 23 will be omitted. 【0135】 The meandering correction device 200 mainly comprises a correction roller 201 for correcting the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b, a detection unit 202 for detecting the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b, and a control unit 203 that controls the operation of the correction roller 201 based on the detection result from the detection unit 202. Since the correction roller 201 has substantially the same configuration as the correction roller 101 in the above-described embodiment, a description of it will be omitted. 【0136】 The detection unit 202 is provided on the downstream side (front side) in the conveying direction relative to the correction roller 201 and mainly includes a detection element 221 that is positioned to be in contact with one end 22b1 (the right end in this embodiment) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b, and a detection circuit 222 that detects the position of the end 22b1 based on the state of the detection element 221. The detection element 221 is an example of a detection means according to the present invention. 【0137】 The detection element 221 consists of a flat plate member bent into an L-shape in plan view, and is positioned near one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b, with the bent portion 221a always in contact with the end face of the said end 22b1. Furthermore, the detection element 221 is arranged along the transport direction (direction of arrow A), and at its upstream (rear) end in the transport direction, it is supported by a pivot shaft 221b that extends vertically, and is rotatable about the pivot shaft 221b. 【0138】 Furthermore, the detection element 221 is constantly biased by the detection circuit 222 to rotate toward the center (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b. 【0139】 The detection circuit 222 includes a cam plate 222a that is movable by the rotational movement of the detection element 221, a link member 222b that connects the cam plate 222a and the detection element 221, a biasing member 222c that biases the link member 222b toward the detection element 221 (to the left in this embodiment) via the cam plate 222a, and a detector 222d that operates by detecting the position of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b based on the state of the cam plate 222a. 【0140】 The cam plate 222a is made of a substantially disc-shaped member, and a cam portion 222a1 that protrudes radially outward is provided on a part of its outer circumferential surface. Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the cam plate 222a is provided with a connecting support portion 222a2 that extends radially outward. 【0141】 The cam plate 222a is positioned alongside the detection element 221 on the outside (right side) of the second conveyor belt 22b in the width direction. Furthermore, the cam plate 222a is mounted through a pivot shaft 222a3 that extends in the vertical direction, and is rotatable about the axis of the pivot shaft 222a3. 【0142】 The link member 222b is, for example, a rod-shaped member extending in one direction, and is positioned between the cam plate 222a and the detection element 221. Furthermore, the link member 222b is connected to the cam plate 222a at one end 222b1 (the left end in this embodiment) in the extending direction, and to the tip of the connecting support portion 222a2 on the cam plate 222a at the other end 222b2 (the right end in this embodiment) in the extending direction. 【0143】 Then, the link member 222b is pulled towards the central part (left side) as the detection element 221 rotates toward the center (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b, causing the cam plate 222a to rotate toward the downstream (front side) in the conveying direction. Furthermore, the link member 222b is pushed outwards (to the right) as the detection element 221 rotates outwards (to the right) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b, causing the cam plate 222a to rotate upstream (to the rear) in the conveying direction. 【0144】 The biasing member 222c is made of, for example, a general-purpose tension coil spring, and is connected at one end to the connecting support portion 222a2 of the cam plate 222a, and at the other end to a structure W such as a frame. 【0145】 The biasing member 222c then biases the cam plate 222a so that it is always rotated toward the downstream (front) side in the conveying direction (that is, so that the detection element 221 rotates toward the center (left side) side in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b via the link member 222b). 【0146】 The detector 222d is, for example, a general-purpose mechanical valve and has one inlet 222d1, two first outlets 222d2 and a second outlet 222d3, and an operating lever 222d4. Furthermore, inside the detector 222d, when the operating lever 222d4 is in the neutral position, the inlet 222d1 and the first outlet 222d2 are in communication. 【0147】 The detector 222d is connected to the blower 232a, which will be described later, at the inlet 222d1. Furthermore, the first outlet 222d2 is blocked by a general-purpose joint member 222d5 when the detector 222d is connected. Furthermore, a silencer 222d6 is connected to the second outlet 222d3 of the detector 222d. 【0148】 The detector 222d is positioned such that, when the end face of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b is at the reference position Q (see Figure 2), the operating lever 222d4, which is in the neutral position, is in contact with the cam portion 222a1 of the cam plate 222a. 【0149】 Then, as the end face of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b moves outward (to the right) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b from the reference position Q, the cam plate 222a is rotated upstream (rear) in the conveying direction, causing the operating lever 222d4 to be tilted upstream (rear) in the conveying direction by the cam portion 222a1 of the cam plate 222a. As a result, the inlet 222d1 and the second outlet 222d3 are connected, and the detector 222d detects that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b has shifted outward (to the right) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b (i.e., the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering to the right) and operates accordingly. 【0150】 Meanwhile, as the end face of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b moves from the reference position Q towards the center (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b, the cam plate 222a is rotated downstream (front side) in the conveying direction, the operating lever 222d4 is released from the pressing force of the cam portion 222a1 of the cam plate 222a and returns to the neutral position. As a result, the inlet 222d1 and the first outlet 222d2 are connected, and the detector 222d detects that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b has shifted to the center (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b (i.e., the second conveyor belt 22b is meandering to the left) and operates accordingly. 【0151】 The control unit 203 includes a hydraulic circuit 231 that constitutes the drive system for the correction roller 201, and a pneumatic circuit 232 that controls the operation of the hydraulic circuit 231. Since the hydraulic circuit 231 has substantially the same configuration as the hydraulic circuit 131 in the above-described embodiment, a description of it will be omitted. 【0152】 The pneumatic circuit 232 has a blower 232a that supplies compressed air. 【0153】 The blower 232a is connected to an electric motor 233 together with the hydraulic pump 231b and is driven by the electric motor 233. Furthermore, the discharge port (not shown) of the blower 232a is connected to the control valve 231c of the hydraulic circuit 231 on one end and to the inlet 222d1 of the detector 222d on the other end, via a pneumatic pipe 235a that branches off midway. 【0154】 Then, one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b shifts to the central part (left side) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b (i.e., the second conveyor belt 22b meanders to the left), and the inlet 222d1 and the first outlet 222d2 of the detector 222d are connected, so that the compressed air discharged from the blower 232a is supplied to the control valve 231c via the pneumatic piping 235a. As a result, inside the control valve 231c, the inlet 231c1 and the second outlet 231c3 are connected against the biasing force of the spring 231c4, the correcting roller 201 is rotated toward the upstream (rear) side in the conveying direction, and the axial angle θ of the correcting roller 201 changes to angle θ1 so that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b moves outward (right side) in the width direction. 【0155】 On the other hand, one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b shifts outward (to the right) in the width direction of the second conveyor belt 22b (i.e., the second conveyor belt 22b meanders to the right), and the inlet 222d1 and the second outlet 222d3 of the detector 222d are connected, so that the compressed air discharged from the blower 232a is supplied to the detector 222d via the pneumatic piping 235a and then released into the atmosphere via the silencer 222d6. As a result, inside the control valve 231c, the biasing force of the spring 231c4 causes the inlet 231c1 and the first outlet 231c2 to communicate, and the correcting roller 201 is rotated toward the downstream side (front side) in the conveying direction, and the axial angle θ of the correcting roller 201 changes to angle θ2 so that one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b moves toward the center side (left side) in the width direction. 【0156】 As described above, the meandering correction device 200 in the other embodiment also has the same configuration as the meandering correction device 100 in the embodiment described above, and includes a correction roller 201 that extends axially in the width direction (left-right direction), which is perpendicular to the conveying direction (direction of arrow A) of the second conveyor belt 22b, and supports the lower surface of the second conveyor belt 22b (more specifically, the back surface of the conveying surface on which the glass chopped strand S is placed), a detection unit 202 that detects the position of one end 22b1 in the width direction (left-right direction) of the second conveyor belt 22b, and a control unit 203 that changes the axial angle θ of the correction roller 201 with respect to the conveying direction based on the detection result by the detection unit 202. 【0157】 Accordingly, according to the meandering correction device 200 in this alternative embodiment, the occurrence of meandering in the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b can be reliably grasped by the detection result of the detection unit 202, and the meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b can be appropriately corrected and suppressed by changing the axial angle θ of the correction roller 201 that supports the lower surface of the second conveyor belt 22b based on the detection result. 【0158】 Furthermore, in the meandering correction device 200 of this other embodiment, the detection unit 202 has a detection element (detection means) 221 that detects that the end portion 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b, which is made of a mesh belt, has been displaced by contacting the end portion 22b1 when the position of one end portion 22b1 moves (meanders) from a reference position (predetermined position) Q in the width direction (left-right direction). 【0159】 Therefore, in the meandering correction device 200 of this alternative embodiment, the displacement of one end 22b1 from the reference position Q is detected when one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b actually comes into contact with the detection element 221. This suppresses false detections by the detection element 221 and makes it possible to more reliably detect the occurrence of meandering of the second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b. 【0160】 Incidentally, in the meandering correction device 200 of another embodiment, the biasing member 222c keeps the detection element 221 pressed against one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b at all times, so the deterioration of the second conveyor belt 22b tends to progress relatively quickly. 【0161】 Examples of age-related deterioration that may occur in the second conveyor belt 22b, which is made of a metal mesh belt, include, for example, fraying of one end 22b1 due to wear or partial damage, causing the strands forming the mesh belt to fray or for some of the strands to break off in pieces. 【0162】 When such deterioration occurs over time, for example, the first conveyor belt 21b (see Figure 5), which is adjacent to the second conveyor belt 22b on the upstream (rear) side in the conveying direction, may be damaged by the frayed portion of the second conveyor belt 22b. Furthermore, there is a risk that some detached wires may get mixed into the bags containing defective glass chopped strands S collected for reuse, making it difficult to reuse the glass chopped strands S. 【0163】 Furthermore, if such deterioration progresses over time and a relatively large defect occurs at one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b, the detection element 221 may mistakenly detect the defect, causing the second conveyor belt 22b to meander towards the detection unit 202 side (the right side in this embodiment). Therefore, as the conveyor belt meanders toward the detection unit 202 side (right side), one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b comes into contact with the rotation axis 221b of the detection element 221, causing the defect in that end 22b1 to spread over an even wider area. 【0164】 As a result, the degree of meandering of the second conveyor belt 22b may reach an uncontrollable level, potentially requiring the entire manufacturing apparatus 1 to be shut down and replaced with a new second conveyor belt 22b. Furthermore, the amount of strands that fall off from one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b increases, and these strands may get mixed in with the glass chopped strands S being conveyed, potentially causing a decrease in the quality of the manufactured glass chopped strand mat M. 【0165】 In contrast, in the meandering correction device 100 of this embodiment described above, the detection element 121 is brought into contact with the end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b by supporting the lower surface of one end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b with its outer circumferential surface. This allows the detection element 121 to be brought into contact with the end 22b1 of the second conveyor belt 22b without applying an excessive load. 【0166】 Therefore, according to the meandering correction device 100 of this embodiment, age-related deterioration as described above is less likely to occur at one end 22b1 of the second transport device 22b, and various problems seen in the meandering correction device 200 of another embodiment can be effectively suppressed. 【0167】 Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited in any way to this embodiment, but is merely illustrative, and can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and further includes the meaning of equivalents as described in the claims, and all modifications within that scope. [Explanation of symbols] 【0168】 1. Apparatus for manufacturing glass chopped strand mat 100, 200 Meandering Correction Device 101, 201 Correction Roller 102, 202 Detection unit 103, 203 Control Unit 121, 221 Detection element (detection means) 121a First detection element (first detection member) 121b Second detection element (second detection member) 22b Second conveyor belt (mesh belt) 22b1 One end M Glass Chopped Strand Mat Q Reference position (predetermined position) S Glass Chopped Strand S01 Detection process S02 Correction process N1 First state N2 Second state θ angle

Claims

[Claim 1] A meandering correction device for a mesh belt that carries and deposits glass chopped strands, wherein the meandering of the mesh belt is corrected. A correction roller extends axially in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the mesh belt in a plan view, and supports the lower surface of the mesh belt, A detection unit for detecting the position of one end in the width direction of the mesh belt, The system includes a control unit that changes the axial angle of the correcting roller with respect to the transport direction based on the detection result from the detection unit, A meandering correction device characterized by the following features. [Claim 2] The detection unit is When the position of one end of the mesh belt moves from a predetermined position in the width direction, The device has a detection means that detects when the aforementioned end is displaced by coming into contact with the said end. A meandering correction device according to claim 1, characterized in that [Claim 3] The aforementioned mesh belt is made of a conductive material, The detection means includes a first detection member made of a conductive material. The detection unit is When one end of the mesh belt comes into contact with the first detection member, and current is passed between the mesh belt and the first detection member, it is detected that the one end has been displaced. A meandering correction device according to claim 2, characterized in that [Claim 4] The detection means further comprises a second detection member made of an insulating material, The first detection member and the second detection member are They are arranged adjacent to each other coaxially along the width direction, The second detection member is, With respect to the first detection member, the mesh belt is positioned on the central side in the width direction, The detection unit is The system detects that the end of the mesh belt has been displaced when it transitions from a first state in which the end of the mesh belt is in contact with the second detection member to a second state in which the end of the mesh belt is in contact with the first detection member. A meandering correction device according to claim 3, characterized in that [Claim 5] The detection unit is When it is detected that a transition has occurred from the first state to the second state, The axial angle of the correction roller is changed so that one end of the mesh belt moves toward the central part in the width direction, When it is detected that a transition has occurred from the second state to the first state, The axial angle of the correction roller is changed so that one end of the mesh belt moves outward in the width direction. A meandering correction device according to claim 4, characterized in that [Claim 6] The first detection member and the second detection member each consist of a circular member in an axial cross-sectional view. A meandering correction device according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 4 or 5. [Claim 7] The first detection member and the second detection member are each made of a tapered member whose cross-sectional shape gradually decreases in diameter toward the central part in the width direction of the mesh belt. A meandering correction device according to claim 6, characterized in that [Claim 8] The first detection member is made of a stainless steel material. A meandering correction device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that [Claim 9] The second detection member is made of an engineering plastic selected from at least one of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, monomer cast nylon, and polyacetal. A meandering correction device according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that it is the same as described in claim 4 or 5. [Claim 10] A glass chopped strand mat manufacturing apparatus comprising a mesh belt for accumulating and conveying glass chopped strands, and forming the glass chopped strands into a sheet to manufacture a glass chopped strand mat, A meandering correction device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A manufacturing apparatus for glass chopped strand mats, characterized by the following features. [Claim 11] A method for correcting the meandering of a mesh belt used to transport glass chopped strands, A detection step in which a detection unit detects the position of one end of a mesh belt in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction in a plan view, The system includes a correction step in which, based on the detection results from the detection step, the position of one end of the mesh belt is displaced to correct the meandering of the mesh belt. A method for correcting meandering, characterized by the features described above. [Claim 12] In the detection process, A predetermined voltage is applied to the mesh belt. The detection unit is The system includes a detection means having a first detection member made of a conductive material, When one end of the mesh belt comes into contact with the first detection member, and current is passed between the mesh belt and the first detection member, The system detects that the position of one end of the mesh belt has moved outward in the width direction. A method for correcting meandering according to claim 11, characterized in that [Claim 13] The detection means further comprises a second detection member made of an insulating material, The first detection member and the second detection member are They are arranged adjacent to each other coaxially along the width direction, The second detection member is, With respect to the first detection member, the mesh belt is positioned on the central side in the width direction, The detection unit is When one end of the mesh belt comes into contact with the second detection member, and the current is cut off between the mesh belt and the first detection member, The system detects that the position of one end of the mesh belt has moved toward the central part in the width direction. A method for correcting meandering according to claim 12, characterized in that [Claim 14] A method for manufacturing a glass chopped strand mat, comprising: depositing and transporting glass chopped strands using a mesh belt; forming the glass chopped strands into a sheet; and manufacturing a glass chopped strand mat. A method for correcting meandering according to any one of claims 11 to 13, A method for producing glass chopped strand mats, characterized by the following features.

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