Bolt supply device

Abstract

To shorten tact time and discharge a large number of bolts per unit time efficiently and stably in a vertical position in a line. [Solution] The bolt supply device comprises a single-row discharge section 10 which sends out bolts 1 lined up in a horizontal position, and a position changing discharge section 20 which discharges the bolts 1 lined up in a vertical position, the position changing discharge section 20 having a discharge guide 21 which engages both sides of the head 3 of the bolt 1 to change the position from a horizontal position to a vertical position for discharge, the discharge guide 21 being arranged in parallel to each other, having a slit 23 through which the threaded portion 2 passes, and a pair of parallel guides 22 which slope downwardly towards the transport direction, the position changing area 24 which changes the position has a swinging section 30 which swings the threaded portion 2 in the width direction of the slit 23, and the swinging section 30 has a number of collision protrusions 31 which are arranged apart in the transport direction of the bolt 1 so that both sides of the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 collide alternately with each other to swing the threaded portion 2.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a bolt supplying device that discharges bolts in a vertical position and in a line. [Background technology]

[0002] A bolt supplying device that discharges bolts in a vertical position has been developed (see Patent Document 1). This bolt supplying device has a mechanism that discharges bolts in a vertical position with the heads of bolts supplied in different positions facing upwards in a line, as shown in Figures 17 and 18. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-130560 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The bolt supply device 900 of Patent Document 1 drops bolts 901 supplied in different orientations into a zigzag-shaped drop passage, and discharges them by controlling their orientation so that the heads 903 face upwards and are in a vertical orientation. The bolt supply device 900 of this structure has a problem that, when attempting to supply a large number of bolts 901, bridging occurs in the drop passage, causing clogging. To prevent bridging, it is necessary to supply the bolts 901 one by one and drop them into the drop passage. This requires a complex structure to supply the bolts 901 individually, and furthermore, since it is not possible to supply a large number of bolts 901 to the drop passage per unit time, there is a problem that it is not possible to line up a large number of bolts 901 in a row and discharge them in a vertical orientation per unit time.

[0005] The present disclosure has been developed with the objective of solving the above problems, and one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a bolt supply device that can convert bolts that are supplied in both a forward position, in which the threaded portion of the bolt leads, and a backward position, in which the threaded portion trails, to a vertical position, and can efficiently and stably discharge a large number of bolts per unit time in a single row in a vertical position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A bolt supplying device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has all of the following configurations (a) to (h). (a) The bolt supply device is a single-row discharge section that arranges the supplied bolts in a single row and sends them out in a horizontal position; The bolts sent out from the single row discharge section are changed from a horizontal position to a vertical position, and a position changing discharge section that discharges the items in a line. (b) The attitude change ejection section is The bolts are fed in a line from the single row discharge section, It is equipped with a discharge guide that changes its position from horizontal to vertical and discharges the products in a line. (c) The discharge guide is The bolt head is latched on both sides and then changed from a horizontal to a vertical position for ejection. A pair of parallel guides are arranged in parallel to each other. (d) A pair of parallel guides A slit is provided through which the threaded portion of the bolt passes. (e) Parallel guides are The inclination angle (α) at ​​which the bolt slides in the ejection direction under its own weight. It slopes downward in the direction of bolt transport. (f) Parallel guides are The threads of the bolts supplied from the single row discharge section in a horizontal position are a posture change area in which the robot is dropped into a slit and changed to a vertical posture; and an external discharge section that discharges the bolts that have been changed to a vertical position in a line to the outside. (g) The attitude change area is The screw part falls into the slit and tilts, A swinging portion is provided for swinging in the width direction of the slit. (h) The oscillating part is The screw part falls through the slit of the parallel guide and tilts. The two sides of the bolt's thread collide alternately, A plurality of collision protrusions that cause the threaded portion to swing in the width direction of the slit are disposed at intervals in the bolt transfer direction.

[0007] In this disclosure, "tilt" refers mainly to the inclination and change in posture of the bolt (threaded portion) in the longitudinal direction, vertical direction, or forward / backward direction (forward or backward direction) of the advancement direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, "tilt" of the threaded portion 2 means a state in which the threaded portion 2 performs a pendulum motion in a horizontal plane including the slit 23, and the threaded portion 2 tilts on the tilting plane in the slit 23. The foot side tip of the threaded portion 2 supplied in a horizontal position falls into the slit 23, and the tilt of the threaded portion 2 begins, and the forward / backward tilt decreases and the bolt 1 assumes a vertical position. "Swing" refers mainly to the movement, meandering, swinging (including lateral tilting), position change, and posture change of the bolt (threaded portion). For example, as shown by the chain line in FIG. 15, it refers to a state in which the bolt 1 (threaded portion 2) performs a meandering or pendulum motion in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the slit 23, and the swinging portion 30 transfers the bolt 1 in the discharge direction while swinging it in the width direction of the slit 23. However, the rocking motion includes lateral tilting, lateral shaking, and posture change that intersect with the tilting plane along which the threaded portion tilts forward or backward in the transport direction, and the rocking motion also includes diagonal positional fluctuations and posture changes that accompany the transport of the bolt. Both the tilting motion and the rocking motion occur with the transport of the bolt in the ejection direction. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The above bolt supply device has the characteristic that it can convert bolts supplied in both a forward position, where the threaded portion of the bolt leads, and a backward position, where the threaded portion trails, to a vertical position, and can efficiently and stably discharge a large number of bolts per unit time in a single row in a vertical position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a bolt supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the bolt supply device of FIG. 1 from above. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the bolt supply device of FIG. 1 taken along line III-III. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a delamination unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a rotation mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing an alignment unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view showing another example of an outer ring plate and a flow path. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a position changing and discharging section. [Figure 10] 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an intermediate guide, a discharge guide, and a pair of parallel guides. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view showing a state in which a bolt in a forward position is converted from a horizontal position to a vertical position. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view showing a state in which a bolt in a rearward position is converted from a horizontal position to a vertical position. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view showing a comparative example having no swinging portion or collision protrusion, in which a bolt is supplied in a backward position and the threaded portion falls into a slit and tilts. [Figure 14] 11 is a schematic perspective view of the position changing discharge section as seen obliquely from below. FIG. [Figure 15] 1 is a schematic plan view of the attitude changing and discharging section, showing the swinging section, the collision protrusion, the opposing protrusion, and a pair of parallel guides, as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a schematic plan view of the attitude changing discharge section, showing other examples of the collision convex portion and the opposing convex portion, as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 17]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the behavior of bolts in a bolt supply device according to a conventional example. [Figure 18] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating another example of the behavior of bolts in the bolt supply device according to the conventional example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, examples of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. However, the examples shown below are examples of bolt supply devices for embodying the technical ideas of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure does not specify the bolt supply device as follows. In addition, the present disclosure never specifies the members shown in the claims to the members of the embodiments. In particular, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of the components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure to those alone, and are merely explanatory examples, unless otherwise specified. Note that each drawing is simplified, outlined, and schematic for explanation purposes, and the size and positional relationship of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated to clarify the explanation. In the following explanation, the same name and symbol indicate the same or similar members, and detailed explanation will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, each element constituting the present disclosure may be configured as a form in which multiple elements are composed of the same member and one member serves multiple elements, or conversely, the function of one member can be shared among multiple members.

[0011] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be characterized by the following configurations and features. A bolt supplying device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure has all of the following configurations (a) to (h). (a) The bolt supply device is a single-row discharge section that arranges the supplied bolts in a single row and sends them out in a horizontal position; The bolts sent out from the single row discharge section are changed from a horizontal position to a vertical position, and a position changing discharge section that discharges the items in a line. (b) The attitude change ejection section is The bolts are fed in a line from the single row discharge section, It is equipped with a discharge guide that changes its position from horizontal to vertical and discharges the products in a line. (c) The discharge guide is The bolt head is latched on both sides and then changed from a horizontal to a vertical position for ejection. A pair of parallel guides are arranged in parallel to each other. (d) A pair of parallel guides A slit is provided through which the threaded portion of the bolt passes. (e) Parallel guides are The inclination angle (α) at ​​which the bolt slides in the ejection direction under its own weight. It slopes downward in the direction of bolt transport. (f) Parallel guides are The threads of the bolts supplied from the single row discharge section in a horizontal position are a posture change area in which the robot is dropped into a slit and changed to a vertical posture; and an external discharge section that discharges the bolts that have been changed to a vertical position in a line to the outside. (g) The attitude change area is The screw part falls into the slit and tilts, A swinging portion is provided for swinging in the width direction of the slit. (h) The oscillating part is The screw part falls through the slit of the parallel guide and tilts. The two sides of the bolt's thread collide alternately, A plurality of collision protrusions that cause the threaded portion to swing in the width direction of the slit are disposed at intervals in the bolt transfer direction.

[0012] The above bolt supply device has the characteristic that it can efficiently and stably discharge a large number of bolts per unit time in a vertical position in a line. This is because the above bolt supply device can change the position of bolts supplied in both a forward position where the threaded part leads and a backward position where the threaded part trails (head-first position) from a horizontal position to a vertical position in the slits of the parallel guide and discharge them in a line. The above bolt supply device has the characteristic that it can reliably and stably change the position of bolts supplied in both a forward position where the threaded part of the bolt leads and a backward position where the head of the bolt leads and the threaded part trails to a vertical position and discharge them. This is because the parallel guide is provided with a position change area where bolts supplied in both a forward position and a backward position are changed from a horizontal position to a vertical position, and this position change area is provided with a swinging part that drops the threaded part of the bolt supplied in a horizontal position into the slits of the parallel guide and tilts it, and swings and meanders it laterally in the width direction of the slit. The swinging part has a plurality of collision protrusions arranged apart in the bolt transfer direction, which collide alternately on both sides of the tilting screw part when the screw part passes through the slits of the parallel guides and tilts, i.e., when the screw part changes its position from the horizontal position to the vertical position, and the collision protrusions collide alternately on both sides and forcibly swing the screw part. The screw part that tilts toward the vertical position swings by colliding with and coming into contact with the collision protrusions on both sides alternately as it passes through the slits, and while swinging, it tilts forward or backward in the direction of travel, slowing down the tilting speed, attenuating the kinetic energy and momentum of the screw part's tilt, and limiting and controlling the tilting direction and degree. The bolt that is changed to the vertical position by slowing down the tilting speed suppresses and reduces the excessive tilt from the horizontal position beyond the vertical position, i.e., passing through the vertical position and further toward the horizontal position on the opposite side, and can prevent it from climbing up onto the head of the bolt at the front position. In addition, the collision protrusions can adjust the degree of collision and contact with the screw part. The above bolt supply device can supply bolts to the position changing and discharge section in both forward and backward positions, and can stably and reliably change the position of bolts supplied in both positions from horizontal to vertical, thereby achieving the characteristic of being able to discharge a large number of bolts per unit time in a row in the vertical position.

[0013] As shown in Figs. 11 to 13, the bolt 1 supplied in a horizontal position can be converted to a vertical position by dropping the threaded portion 2 into the slit 23. Fig. 11 shows a state in which a bolt 1A in a forward position is converted to a vertical position, and Figs. 12 and 13 show a state in which a bolt 1B in a backward position is converted to a vertical position. The comparative example in Fig. 13 shows a state in which a bolt 1B in a backward position is supplied to a parallel guide 22 without a collision protrusion 31, and the threaded portion 2 drops into the slit 23 and tilts. The parallel guide 22 shown in Fig. 13 shows a state in which a bolt 1B in a backward position is converted to a vertical position, but there is a problem in that the bolts 1B in a backward position supplied to the parallel guide 22 cannot be discharged normally in a line in a vertical position in the process of converting the bolts 1B in a backward position supplied to the parallel guide 22 from a horizontal position to a vertical position. As shown by the chain line in FIG. 13, the bolt 1B in the backward position, which is fed into the parallel guide 22, may tilt significantly with the threaded portion 2 that has fallen through the slit 23, overlapping with the head 3 of the bolt 1C in the forward position, and may not be able to return to the normal vertical position. As shown in FIG. 13, the bolt 1B in the backward position passes through the slit 23 from a high position at the tip of the foot side of the threaded portion 2 (the rearmost portion in the direction of travel) and starts to fall, so it falls with a large drop and force. The threaded portion 2 that falls through the slit 23 with a large drop has a high tilting speed, that is, the kinetic energy of the threaded portion 2 is large, and as shown by the chain line in FIG. 13, the threaded portion 2 exceeds the vertical position and further tilts toward the horizontal position on the opposite side like a pendulum. The tip of the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 that tilts significantly may rise from the bottom end (vertical state) to the opposite side with even more force and ride over the head 3 of the bolt 1C in the forward position that has moved ahead of the parallel guide 22. Furthermore, in the case of bolt 1B in the backward position, the head 3 moves ahead and the threaded portion 2 moves behind, so that the threaded portion 2 starts to fall into the slit 23 at a later timing than the bolt 1A in the forward position. In other words, in the case of bolt 1B in the backward position, the foot side tip of the rearward threaded portion 2 starts to fall into the slit 23 at the timing when the foot side tip of the threaded portion 2 in the rearmost part in the direction of travel moves onto the slit 23.If the transfer and supply speed of the bolts 1 (1B) is so fast that the change to the vertical position cannot be made in time, the head 3 of the bolt 1B in the backward position may ride up on the head 3 of the bolt 1C in the forward position, or may collide with the bolt 1C in the forward position in an insufficient position, causing it to get stuck, and making it impossible to return to the normal vertical position. In contrast, the bolt supply device 100 of the present disclosure solves the above problems and can reliably and stably change the position of the bolt 1B in the backward position to the vertical position for discharge, and has the characteristic of being able to change the position of the bolt 1 supplied in both the forward position 1A (FIG. 11) and the backward position 1B (FIG. 12) to the vertical position, and to discharge a large number of bolts per unit time efficiently and stably in a line in the vertical position.

[0014] Furthermore, the above bolt supply device does not require a mechanism for selecting, sorting and aligning only bolts in a forward position, or a mechanism for removing bolts in a backward position, and the structure can be simplified by using a mechanism in which the threaded portion collides and comes into contact with the oscillating portion to reduce the tilting speed and momentum. Also, the bolt slides along the parallel guides in the discharge direction by its own weight, eliminating the need for a bolt transport mechanism, resulting in a simplified structure and reduced component and manufacturing costs.

[0015] In a bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the single-row discharge section can include an inner rotating plate to which bolts are supplied, an outer ring plate disposed outside the inner rotating plate and to which bolts are supplied from the inner rotating plate, a rotation mechanism for rotating the outer ring plate, and an alignment section for discharging the bolts supplied to the outer ring plate in a single row in a horizontal position. The above configuration has the characteristic that it is possible to increase the amount of bolts supplied to the position changing discharge section and improve the supply efficiency without applying excessive load to the bolts, and to supply an appropriate amount of bolts in a forward and backward position to the position changing discharge section in a single row, change the position to a vertical position, and efficiently and stably discharge a large amount of bolts in a single row in a vertical position per unit time.

[0016] In a bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the alignment section may include a single-row alignment section that arranges bolts in a single row by rotating an outer ring plate and discharges them, and an intermediate guide that arranges the bolts supplied from the single-row alignment section in a straight line and supplies them to the position changing and discharging section. The above configuration has the advantage that the single-row alignment section arranges the bolts in a single row by rotating the outer ring plate and discharges and transfers them, thereby increasing the amount of bolts supplied to the position changing and discharging section and improving the supply efficiency, and that an appropriate amount of bolts in forward and backward positions are arranged in a single row and supplied to the position changing and discharging section, and the position is changed to a vertical position, so that a large amount of bolts per unit time can be efficiently and stably arranged in a single row in a vertical position and discharged. The above configuration also has the advantage that the intermediate guide arranges the bolts in a straight line and supplies them to the position changing and discharging section, thereby further improving the reliability and stability of the position change of the position changing and discharging section, increasing the discharge amount and improving the discharge efficiency.

[0017] In another embodiment of the bolt supply device of the present disclosure, the parallel guide has a collision convex and an opposing convex on both sides of the slit, and the opposing convex can be arranged as a passing gap (D) through which the screw passes between the collision convex and the opposing convex. The swinging part of the above configuration has the characteristic that it can more efficiently attenuate the tilt and kinetic energy of the screw part while controlling the meandering trajectory and tilt of the screw part moving forward while swinging, and can reliably and stably change its posture from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. The moving trajectory of the screw part moving forward while colliding with and coming into contact with the collision convex, rebounding, and changing direction can be controlled to a preferred trajectory by the collision convex and the opposing convex, and the passing gap (D) between them. Furthermore, the screw part collides with and comes into contact with the collision convex, and the screw part that rebounds and changes direction further collides with the opposing convex and the collision convex, so that the tilt and kinetic energy of the screw part can be attenuated by both the collision convex and the opposing convex.

[0018] The collision convex portion of the bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure can include a collision ring with which the threaded portion collides against the outer periphery, and a set screw that penetrates the center of the collision ring and fixes the collision ring to the lower surface of the parallel guide. The above configuration has the feature that the collision convex portion can be fixed to the parallel guide with a simple structure, and can be more reliably and stably changed from a horizontal position to a vertical position. This is because the set screw fixes the collision ring to the lower surface of the parallel guide, so that the bolt head can be slid by its own weight while being engaged on the upper surface of the parallel guide, and the collision ring can be arranged close to the threaded portion on the lower surface of the parallel guide, so that the passing gap (D) can be precisely and accurately determined, so that the meandering, swinging, and tilting of the threaded portion can be controlled to a preferred trajectory, and the tilting and kinetic energy of the threaded portion can be more efficiently attenuated. In addition, the collision convex portion fixed to the lower surface of the parallel guide can collide and contact the threaded portion with the outer periphery of the collision convex portion at a lower position below the parallel guide, so that the tilting and kinetic energy of the threaded portion can be more efficiently attenuated, and excessive tilting can be more efficiently prevented, and the collision and contact with the threaded portion can be adjusted.

[0019] In the bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the collision ring can be a circular ring. The above configuration has the advantage that the posture can be changed from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture more reliably and stably. This is because the width of the passage gap (D) can be easily determined by the size and arrangement of the circular ring, and the meandering, swinging, and tilting of the threaded portion can be controlled to a preferred trajectory, and the tilting and kinetic energy of the threaded portion can be more efficiently attenuated. In addition, the circular ring of the collision ring can be freely rotated, and the collision surface and the passage gap (D) can be uniformed by fixing it to a parallel guide without specifying the rotation position of the collision ring, and it can rotate to absorb impact.

[0020] A bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a parallel guide, a collision ring with a threaded portion colliding with the outer periphery of the collision ring and a set screw penetrating the center of the collision ring and fixing the collision ring to the lower surface of the parallel guide, the collision ring of the collision ring of the collision ring being larger in outer diameter than the collision ring of the opposing convex, and the collision ring of the collision ring of the opposing convex can be a large ring and the collision ring of the opposing convex can be a small ring. The above configuration has the advantage that the collision ring and the opposing convex can be fixed to the parallel guide with a simple structure, and can be more reliably and stably changed from a horizontal position to a vertical position. This is because the collision ring and the opposing convex can both be made into a circular collision ring, and the set screw fixes the collision ring and the opposing convex to the lower surface of the parallel guide, and the same description and effects as those described above are valid.

[0021] In a bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of set screws each of which fixes a large ring and a small ring can be arranged linearly on a parallel guide. The above configuration has the features that, by arranging the set screws on a straight line, the large ring can be easily provided on the parallel guide so as to protrude beyond the small ring, the degree of protrusion and the width of the passage gap (D) can be easily determined according to the diameter and size of each of the large ring and the small ring, the meandering, swinging and tilting of the threaded portion can be controlled to a preferred trajectory, the tilting and kinetic energy of the threaded portion can be more efficiently attenuated, and cost reduction can be achieved.

[0022] In the bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the collision ring can be used as a buffer material. The above configuration has the advantage of being able to reduce the noise level generated by the bolt collision, and to efficiently damp the tilting and kinetic energy of the bolt, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the posture change to the vertical posture.

[0023] A bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure can include a posture control arm above the parallel guide that can be contacted by the head of a bolt advancing along the parallel guide. The above configuration has the features that the arm can more reliably change the posture of the bolt to a vertical posture by contacting the head of the bolt that is changed to a vertical posture while moving along the parallel guide, can transfer a single bolt in a vertical posture without overlapping, and can suppress irregular postures and behaviors of the bolt to transfer and stabilize its behavior before discharging.

[0024] A bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure has an attitude control arm that includes a first attitude control arm and a second attitude control arm, the first attitude control arm being arranged in a attitude change area where a bolt in a horizontal attitude is tilted to a vertical attitude, and the second attitude control arm being arranged on the discharge side of the attitude change area. The above configuration has the feature that the first attitude control arm can more reliably change the attitude of the bolt to a vertical attitude by contacting the head of the bolt whose threaded portion has dropped into the slit and is tilted, and the second attitude control arm is arranged on the discharge side of the attitude change area to more reliably transfer one bolt in a vertical attitude without overlapping.

[0025] A bolt supply device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure has a first attitude control arm having a first contact portion that contacts the head of a bolt, a second attitude control arm having a second contact portion that contacts the head of a bolt, a vertical distance (H2) between the second contact portion and the parallel guide that is narrower than a vertical distance (H1) between the first contact portion and the parallel guide, the vertical distance (H1) between the first contact portion and the parallel guide is a distance through which the head of a bolt in a vertical position can pass but not through which the head of a bolt in a horizontal position can pass, and the vertical distance (H2) between the second contact portion and the parallel guide can be a distance through which the head of one bolt can pass in a vertical position. The above configuration has the characteristic of being able to more reliably change the position of a bolt to a vertical position and transfer one bolt in a vertical position without overlapping. The vertical distance (H1, H2) between the first or second contact portion and the parallel guide indicates the vertical distance at a position where the head of the bolt transported in the discharge direction can come into contact, and when there are different vertical distances, the first or second contact portion at the lowest position is used as the reference. (Bolt supply device 100)

[0026] The bolt supply device 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2 discharges randomly supplied bolts 1 in a vertical position and in a single row. The bolt supply device 100 shown in these figures is equipped with a single row discharge section 10 that sends out a large number of bolts 1 supplied without directionality in a single row in a horizontal position, and a posture changing and discharge section 20 that changes the posture of the horizontally-positioned bolts 1 supplied and discharged from the single row discharge section 10 to a vertical position and discharges them in a single row.

[0027] The bolt supply device 100 can be used in all devices that suspend the head 3 of the screw portion 2 by the parallel guides 22 and discharge the bolts in a vertical position. The following specific example illustrates a device that discharges hexagonal bolts 1a having hexagonal heads 3 in a row, but the present disclosure does not limit the bolt 1 to the hexagonal bolt 1a, and the bolt 1 includes all bolts in which the head 3 and the screw portion 2 are connected in an integral structure, such as flanged bolts, hexagonal socket bolts, low head bolts, and bolts with a circular head, as well as screws and screws such as flat head screws, tapping screws, hexagonal tapping screws, wood screws, and drill screws. (Single row discharge section 10)

[0028] The single-row discharge section 10 discharges a large number of bolts 1 supplied without directionality in a single row in a horizontal position, and supplies them to the position changing discharge section 20. The single-row discharge section 10 in Figures 1 and 2 includes an inner rotating plate 11 to which bolts 1 are supplied in a random position, an outer ring plate 12 disposed on the outside of the inner rotating plate 11, a rotation mechanism 40 that rotates the outer ring plate 12, and an alignment section 15 that supplies the bolts 1 supplied to the outer ring plate 12 in a single row in a horizontal position. (Inner rotating plate 11, outer ring plate 12)

[0029] The inner rotating plate 11 is a rotating disk disposed inside the outer ring plate 12, and is arranged to be rotatable within an inner plane around the first rotating shaft 42. The upper surface of the inner rotating plate 11 serves as a placement surface 11a for receiving and storing the bolts 1. The placement surface 11a of the inner rotating plate 11 receives a supply of a large number of bolts 1 from an externally connected device such as a hopper, stores them, and while rotating, sends out the densely packed bolts 1 to the outer periphery of the inner rotating plate 11 while appropriately dispersing them using supply guides 11b, etc., and guides them to the outer transfer section 12A to transfer the bolts 1 to the outer ring plate 12.

[0030] The outer ring plate 12 is disposed outside the inner rotating plate 11 and rotates in the same direction as the inner rotating plate 11. The outer ring plate 12 is disposed rotatably in an outer plane inclined with respect to the inner plane around the second rotating shaft 43 inclined from the first rotating shaft 42. The upper surface of the outer ring plate 12 is a ring-shaped transfer surface 12a that continues in the transfer direction of the bolts 1. The transfer surface 12a is formed in a ring shape along the outer periphery of the inner rotating plate 11, and transfers multiple bolts 1 sent out from the inner rotating plate 11 by the rotation of the outer ring plate 12. The width of the transfer surface 12a is designed to be sufficiently wider than the outer diameter of the bolts 1 so that multiple bolts 1 can be placed on it and transferred. The width of the transfer surface 12a can be changed in various ways depending on the outer diameter and number of bolts 1 to be transferred, the size of the outer ring plate 12, etc., and is, for example, 3 to 15 cm. The transport surface 12a in Figures 1 to 4 is flat and has a transport path 12b, but depending on the shape and size of the bolt 1 to be transported, the shape of the transport surface 12a can be a groove shape that is U-shaped, V-shaped, or C-shaped in cross section, and it may also be an uneven shape, a tapered surface, etc.

[0031] The configuration in which the outer ring plate 12 is disposed outside the inner rotating plate 11 allows a large number of bolts 1 supplied from an externally connected device to be temporarily stored on the placement surface 11a, which is the upper surface of the inner rotating plate 11, and the bolts 1 to be supplied to the transfer surface 12a, which is the upper surface of the outer ring plate 12, while rotating. This makes it possible to prevent a large number of bolts 1 supplied to the inner rotating plate 11 from being excessively supplied to the outer ring plate 12 at once, and also to prevent the amount of bolts 1 supplied to the outer ring plate 12 from becoming too small, thereby making it possible to efficiently supply an appropriate amount of bolts 1 to the outer ring plate 12. The outer ring plate 12 can increase the amount of bolts 1 transported by widening the width of the transfer surface 12a, and the maximum width of the transfer surface 12a is, for example, three times or more, preferably five times or more, the diameter of the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1. Furthermore, with this structure, the bolts 1 are sent from the inner rotating plate 11 to the outer ring plate 12 while rotating, and it is possible to prevent a large number of bolts 1 from being supplied to the outer ring plate 12 in a packed state, effectively preventing the bolts 1 from rubbing against each other and being damaged. The single-row discharge section 10 shown in Figure 1 has two rotors, the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12, but the disk that carries the bolts 1, rotates, and discharges them in a row does not necessarily have to be composed of separate members, the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12, and could be, for example, a single disk.

[0032] The transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 2 has a ring-shaped transfer path 12b that is continuous with the transfer direction of the bolts 1 and extends in the circumferential direction of the outer ring plate 2. The transfer path 12b aligns and transfers the bolts 1 in a horizontal position facing the tangential direction of the circumference, regardless of whether they are in a forward or backward position. The transfer surface 12a in Figs. 1 to 4 has the transfer path 12b on the inner peripheral edge side of the outer ring plate 2. The outer ring plate 12 discharges the bolts 1 in a horizontal position by an alignment section 15 described later. The single-row alignment section 15A and single-row guide 16 described later discharge the bolts 1 in a single row along the inner peripheral edge by the rotation of the outer ring plate 12. The forward and backward bolts 1A and 1B supplied from the transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 12 are guided onto the transfer path 12b along the inner peripheral edge, thereby improving the transfer amount and transfer efficiency of the bolts 1 aligned in a row. The transport path 12b in FIG. 7 is a U-groove. The U-groove transport path 12b can be a groove with a shape that follows the outer shape of the threaded portion 2, an arc shape larger than the outer diameter of the threaded portion 2, a curved surface, or a radius of curvature larger or smaller than the outer diameter of the bolt 1, and a part of the bolt 1 can be placed on the transport path 12b and transported on a trajectory along the center of the transport path 12b. In other words, the bolts 1 can be transported lined up in a straight line so as not to slip sideways. However, the transport path 12b can be a V-groove, or a U-shaped groove that contacts the bottom surface of the bolt 1, a step or staircase shape on which the threaded portion 2 is placed, or a step or staircase shape on which the threaded portion 2 and the head 3 are placed, and the bolts 1 can be transported lined up in a straight line so as not to slip sideways. The transport path 12b need only have a width, shape and configuration that allows the bolts 1 to be aligned in a row and transported in a horizontal position facing the tangent direction of the circumference. For example, in the case of a bolt 1 that can be transported in a stationary position without rolling, such as a hexagonal bolt 1a, the transport path 12b does not necessarily have to be groove-shaped, and can be a flat surface, similar to the transport surface 12a, as shown in Figure 8.

[0033] The outer ring plate 12 is disposed in an inclined position relative to the inner rotating plate 11. Furthermore, the outer ring plate 12 is disposed so that a portion thereof is connected to the inner rotating plate 11, and has an outer transfer section 12A which receives the supply and transfer of bolts 1 from the inner rotating plate 11. The outer transfer section 12A has a portion of the transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 12 disposed on the same plane as the inner rotating plate 11 or at a position or surface lower than the inner rotating plate 11. The outer ring plate 12 has the outer transfer section 12A to which the bolts 1 are supplied from the inner rotating plate 11, and an ascending section 12B disposed at a position elevated (upper position) from the inner rotating plate 11, and transfers the bolts 1 supplied from the inner rotating plate 11 from the outer transfer section 12A to the transfer surface 12a of the ascending section 12B. 3, the height difference between the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 increases as it moves away from the outer transfer section 12A, and an alignment section 15 is provided at a position above the inner rotating plate 11, for example, at a portion where the height difference is large or in the vicinity thereof. The outer ring plate 12 is disposed at an incline relative to the inner rotating plate 11. To realize this configuration, for example, the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 can be disposed at an incline relative to each other by inclining them in opposite directions with respect to a horizontal plane. However, the inner rotating plate 11 may be in a horizontal position and only the outer ring plate 12 may be inclined, or the outer ring plate 12 may be in a horizontal position and the inner rotating plate 11 may be inclined.

[0034] The bolts 1 transferred from the inner rotating plate 11 to the transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 12 may be transferred in various horizontal, overlapping, diagonal, and vertical positions. The bolt supply device 100 of Figs. 1 and 4 has a destacking section 13 disposed on the transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 12, and can transfer the bolts 1 that have passed the destacking section 13 in an unstacked state. The destacking section 13 removes and releases the overlapping and stacking of the bolts 1 transferred on the transfer surface 12a, and only bolts 1 in a single layer of horizontal position without overlapping pass through. The gap between the lower edge of the destacking section 13 and the upper surface (transfer surface 12a) of the outer ring plate 12 is a gap through which only a single layer of bolts 1 can pass. The destacking section 13, which is inclined from the outer circumferential side toward the inner circumferential side in the radial direction, moves, guides, and directs the stacked bolts 1 on the transfer surface 12a inward, and removes the bolts 1 that exceed the transfer path 12b to the inner rotating plate 11. In other words, the destacking section 13 inclines the positions of the bolts 1 on the transfer surface 12a in a direction that allows them to be moved, guided, and removed to the transfer path 12b and the inner rotating plate 11, and while destacking the bolts 1, it can appropriately disperse the crowding of bolts 1 along the destacking section 13, and smoothly correct the transfer direction, trajectory, and posture of the bolts 1. Therefore, the destacking section 13 allows only the first layer of bolts 1 transferred on the transfer surface 12a or the transfer path 12b of the transfer surface 12a to pass through, and guides the bolts 1 placed on the first layer of bolts 1 or the bolts 1 in an upright position to the inside of the outer ring plate 12, and also removes and discharges them from the outer ring plate 12 to the inner rotating plate 11. The bolts 1 transported on the outer ring plate 12 always become horizontally positioned in one layer as they pass through the stacking release section 13. This is a simple mechanism that can correctly position the bolts 1 that are transported stacked on the outer ring plate 12. However, it is also possible to detect bolts 1 with an optical sensor, for example, and remove bolts 1 that are upright or bolts 1 that are transported in an overlapping position by air flow or the like.

[0035] The outer ring plate 12 shown in Figs. 1 to 4 has an outer peripheral wall 12e disposed along its outer periphery. The outer peripheral wall 12e can increase the rotation speed of the outer ring plate 12 to prevent the bolts 1 from flying out from the transfer surface 12a and falling due to centrifugal force. This bolt supply device 100 can supply a large amount of bolts 1 efficiently and stably in the discharge direction by rotating the outer ring plate 12 quickly. The outer ring plate 12 can have a guide that gradually narrows the transfer surface 12a as it proceeds in the transfer direction between the destacking section 13 and the narrowest width of the single row guide 16 through which a single row of bolts 1 can pass, and pushes and guides the bolts 1 on the transfer surface 12a inward (toward the inner edge). Like the single row guide 16, this guide can increase the density of the bolts 1 on the inner peripheral side, improving the transfer and supply efficiency.

[0036] A gap is formed between the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12 and the outer peripheral edge of the inner rotating plate 11. This is because the outer ring plate 12 is inclined relative to the inner rotating plate 11. In Figs. 1 and 4, this gap is blocked by a blocking wall 12c to prevent the bolt 1 from leaking. The blocking wall 12c is provided along the first opening 12d opened in the outer ring plate 12, and is connected and fixed to the outer ring plate 12 or the inner rotating plate 11, so that it can rotate together with either one. The blocking wall 12c can be connected to a disk that rotates the outer ring plate 12. The blocking wall 12c can be, for example, a vertical surface, or a downwardly inclined surface from the outer ring plate 12 to the inner rotating plate 11, so that the bolt 1 can be dropped with less impact when it is removed from the outer ring plate 12 to the inner rotating plate 11, thereby suppressing damage caused by the impact. The blocking wall 12c can be made of synthetic resin such as fluororesin, so that it can be dropped smoothly.

[0037] The outer ring plate 12 has a circular first opening 12d at the center, and the first opening 12d is approximately the same size as the inner rotating plate 11. The inner rotating plate 11 is arranged so as to be exposed from the first opening 12d of the outer ring plate 12. In the example of FIG. 5, the inner rotating plate 11 is arranged inside the first opening 12d of the outer ring plate 12 so that the edge of the inner rotating plate 11 coincides with the inner circumference of the outer ring plate 12 in a cross-sectional view, forming an outer transfer portion 12A for the bolt 1. With this arrangement, the upper surface of the inner rotating plate 11 and the upper surface of the outer ring plate 12 are partially continuous, and the bolt 1 supplied to the upper surface of the inner rotating plate 11 can be guided to the upper surface of the outer ring plate 12 by being pushed outward by the supply guide 11b to the outer periphery. In addition, by inclining the outer ring plate 12 downwardly toward the outer periphery at the portion guided from the inner rotating plate 11 to the outer ring plate 12, the bolt 1 being transferred from the inner rotating plate 11 side to the outer ring plate 12 side can be easily guided into the outer ring plate 12 by the bolt 1's own weight.

[0038] The inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 can be manufactured by cutting a single metal plate into a circle using a laser or press. This is because the outer peripheral edge of the inner rotating plate 11 approaches the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12. However, it goes without saying that the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 can be manufactured from separate metal plates. The outer diameter of the inner rotating plate 11 can be, for example, 10 to 100 cm so that a large number of bolts 1 can be stored. If the inner rotating plate 11 is made larger, a large number of large bolts 1 can be stored. (Rotation mechanism 40)

[0039] The rotation mechanism 40 rotates either or both of the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12. The rotation mechanism 40 can rotate the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 by their respective rotation shafts. The inner rotating plate 11 can be arranged to be rotatable about a first rotating shaft 42, and the inner rotating plate 11 can be arranged to be rotatable in a horizontal or substantially horizontal plane. The outer ring plate 12 can be arranged to be rotatable about a second rotating shaft 43 arranged outside the inner rotating plate 11 and inclined relatively from the first rotating shaft 42. The rotation mechanism 40 in FIG. 1 rotates the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 in the same direction, and supplies the bolts 1 from the rotating inner rotating plate 11 to the outer ring plate 12, and also aligns the bolts 1 supplied to the outer ring plate 12 in a row in the alignment section 15 and supplies them to the posture changing and discharging section 20 in a horizontal posture.

[0040] The rotation mechanism 40 includes one or more driving motors 41. In the rotation mechanism 40, two or more motors can rotate the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12, respectively, and one motor can rotate the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 together. The first rotating shaft 42 and the second rotating shaft 43 can be rotatably connected to each other, and a rotation torque of one can be transmitted to the other to rotate each. The inner rotating plate 11 or the outer ring plate 12 can be rotatably connected to each other at a portion other than the rotating shaft. The rotation mechanism 40 can rotate either the inner rotating plate 11 or the outer ring plate 12 by rotating the inner rotating plate 11 or the outer ring plate 12, and transmit the rotation torque to the other of the inner rotating plate 11 or the outer ring plate 12 via the rotation transmission mechanism 49. The rotation mechanism 40 can rotate the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 together at the same rotation speed. 5 is connected to a central rod 42a fixed to the center of the inner rotating plate 11, and rotates the inner rotating plate 11 in the direction indicated by the arrow. The motor 41 may be, for example, an induction motor, a reduction motor, or a stepping motor. Note that it is preferable to use a motor having a waterproof structure, such as a waterproof motor, for the rotation mechanism 40, as necessary.

[0041] 5 illustrates a configuration in which one motor rotates the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12. The inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 are connected to a frame 48 so that they can rotate with a relative inclination. A central rod 42a with a first rotating shaft 42 as an axis is fixed to the center of the inner rotating plate 11, and this central rod 42a is rotatably connected to the frame 48 via a bearing. The outer ring plate 12 has a second sub-rotating plate 46 fixed to its lower surface via a blocking wall 12c, and a cylindrical second rotating shaft 43 fixed to the center of the second sub-rotating plate 46 is rotatably connected to the frame 48 via a bearing.

[0042] The rotation transmission mechanism 49 in FIG. 5 includes a first pin 45 connected to the inner rotating plate 11 and a pair of second pins 47 arranged to guide the first pin 45 and connected to the outer ring plate 12. As shown in FIG. 5, the inner rotating plate 11 has a first sub-rotating plate 44 fixed to its lower surface, and a first pin 45 protruding from the lower surface of the first sub-rotating plate 44 is fixed. The outer ring plate 12 has a second sub-rotating plate 46 fixed to its lower surface via a blocking wall 12c, and a pair of second pins 47 are fixed toward the center on the upper surface of a flange portion of a cylindrical rotating shaft 43a fixed to the center of the second sub-rotating plate 46. The first pin 45 is inserted so as to be able to move in and out between the pair of second pins 47 and to be able to move along the second pins 47. This rotation transmission mechanism 49 transmits rotational torque to the other of the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 via the first pin 45 and the second pin 47 when either the inner rotating plate 11 or the outer ring plate 12 is rotated, causing the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 to rotate together.

[0043] The rotation mechanism 40 in FIG. 5 rotates the inner rotating plate 11 with the motor 41, and transmits the rotation torque to the outer ring plate 12 via the rotation transmission mechanism 49 to rotate the outer ring plate 12. In this case, the drive shaft of the motor 41 is directly or indirectly connected to the center rod 42a of the inner rotating plate 11, so that the inner rotating plate 11 can rotate at a predetermined rotation speed. Therefore, this rotation mechanism 40 can rotate the outer ring plate 12 with a simple structure in which the cylindrical rotating shaft 43a connected to the outer ring plate 12 is fixed to the frame 48 via a bearing, and does not require a transmission mechanism such as a gear mechanism for rotating the outer ring plate 12. In addition, the configuration in which the inner rotating plate 11 is directly driven by the motor 41 can stably rotate the inner rotating plate 11 that becomes heavy when many bolts 1 are loaded. In particular, by directly driving the inner rotating plate 11 that becomes heavy when many bolts 1 are supplied, the load on the first pin 45 and the second pin 47 that constitute the rotation transmission mechanism 49 can be reduced.

[0044] The rotation mechanism 40 rotates the outer ring plate 12 with the motor 41, and transmits the torque of the rotation to the inner rotating plate 11 via the rotation transmission mechanism 49 to rotate it. The rotation mechanism 40 rotates the motor 41. More precisely, the rotation shaft 43a connected to the outer ring plate 12 or the second sub-rotating plate 46 to rotate the outer ring plate 12. For example, the rotation transmission mechanism 49 provides a drive gear to the motor 41, and a ring-shaped external gear is provided on the rotation shaft 43a connected to the outer ring plate 12, and the rotation of the motor 41 rotates the outer ring plate 12 via the drive gear and the external gear. This configuration can adjust the rotation speed of the outer ring plate 12 by reducing the rotation speed of the motor 41 using a gear ratio. In particular, it has the characteristic that a strong torque can be obtained while adjusting the rotation speed while using an inexpensive motor 41. Furthermore, since the rotation of the motor 41 is directly transmitted to the outer ring plate 12 via the drive gear and the external gear, the rotation speed of the outer ring plate 12 can be made constant. For this reason, the bolts 1 transported along the transport path 12b can be supplied at a constant speed, and the accuracy of sorting and alignment on the transport path 12b can be improved. However, a known mechanism other than a gear mechanism can also be used for the rotation transmission mechanism 49 that rotates the outer ring plate 12 with the motor 41.

[0045] The above rotation mechanism 40 rotates either the inner rotating plate 11 or the outer ring plate 12 with one motor, and also rotates the other of the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 via the rotation transmission mechanism 49, so that the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 rotate together at the same rotation speed. In this single-row discharge section 10, because the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 rotate at the same rotation speed, bolts 1 can be stably supplied from the inner rotating plate 11 rotating in the outer transfer section 12A to the outer ring plate 12 rotating.

[0046] However, the rotation mechanism 40 can also rotate the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 separately using two motors. This rotation mechanism 40 can rotate the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 at different rotation speeds (number of rotations). This bolt supply device 100 can adjust the amount of bolts 1 continuously supplied from the inner rotating plate 11 to the outer ring plate 12 in the outer transfer section 12A by adjusting the number of rotations of the inner rotating plate 11. For example, the supply amount can be increased by increasing the number of rotations of the inner rotating plate 11, and the supply amount can be decreased by decreasing the number of rotations of the inner rotating plate 11. By increasing the number of rotations of the outer ring plate 12, the discharge and supply amount from the posture changing and discharge section 20 can be increased, and by decreasing the number of rotations of the outer ring plate 12, the posture change to a vertical posture of the bolts 1 in the posture changing and discharge section 20, the behavior, transfer, and meandering progress can be stabilized. For example, by making the rotation speed of the outer ring plate 12 slower than that of the inner rotating plate 11, the bolts 1 can be supplied stably, and by making the rotation speed of the outer ring plate 12 faster than that of the inner rotating plate 11, the bolts 1 can be transported with increased momentum to the attitude changing and discharging section 20. It is also possible to make it a variable type in which the rotation speed can be adjusted according to the congestion level of the bolts 1 and the transport situation. (Alignment section 15)

[0047] The single-row discharge section 10 has an alignment section 15 disposed on the transfer surface 12a of the bolts 1 transferred by the outer ring plate 2. The alignment section 15 discharges the bolts 1 on the transfer path 12b by arranging them in a row in a horizontal position. The alignment section 15 transfers and supplies the bolts 1 supplied from the outer ring plate 12 to the position changing and discharge section 20 by arranging them in a row in a horizontal position. The alignment section 15 is composed of a single-row alignment section 15A that aligns the bolts 1 in a row on the rotating outer ring plate 12, and an intermediate guide 17 that linearly transfers the bolts 1 aligned in the single-row alignment section 15A and supplies them to the position changing and discharge section 20. (Single row alignment section 15A, single row guide 16)

[0048] The single-row alignment unit 15A in Figure 1 transports bolts 1 in a normal horizontal position and posture on the transfer path 12b of the outer ring plate 2, and drops bolts 1 in other abnormal positions or postures from the outer ring plate 12 to the inner rotating plate 11, lining up the bolts 1 in a single row on the transfer path 12b of the outer ring plate 12. Bolts 1 in a normal horizontal position and posture refer to bolts 1A, 1B in a forward or backward posture that are in a tangential horizontal position on the transfer path 12b. The single-row alignment unit 15A is provided with a single-row guide 16 that, as the outer ring plate 12 rotates, aligns the bolts 1 in a single row along the inner peripheral edge and discharges them.

[0049] The single row guide 16 guides and guides the bolts 1 transferred from the transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 12 to the transfer path 12b along the inner peripheral edge, and transfers the bolts 1 in a single row along the transfer path 12b. Therefore, the single row guide 16 defines the transfer path 12b between its tip 16a and the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12 with a distance (L) that allows only a single row of bolts 1 to be transferred. The single row guide 16 shown in Figures 6 and 7 is disposed on the transfer surface 12a, outside the transfer path 12b. The tip 16a of the single row guide 16 is shaped to be an inclined surface 16b that slopes downward toward the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12, and to follow the transfer path 12b. The single row guide 16 shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 7 has a tip 16a as an inclined surface 16b that follows part of the head 3 of the hexagonal bolt 1a (for example, one hexagonal surface of the head 3 of the hexagonal bolt 1a shown in FIG. 7), and the tip 16b is positioned to guide the threaded portion 2 and head 3 of the bolt 1 to the transfer path 12b, and transfers the bolts 1 on the transfer surface 12a in a single row along the transfer path 12b. The single row guide 16 ejects and removes the bolts 1 that are transferred in two or more rows and the bolts 1 that are transferred in a position that does not follow the transfer path 12b from the outer ring plate 12 to the inner rotating plate 11, and passes only the bolts 1 in a single row that follow the transfer path 12b. In the single row alignment section 15A of FIG. 6, the single row guide 16 (inclined surface 16b) gradually narrows the transfer surface 12a as it advances in the transfer direction, and the narrowest width is a width that allows a single row of bolts 1 to pass along the transfer path 12b. The single-row guide 16 (inclined surface 16b) guides the bolts 1 transported on the transport surface 12a by the rotation of the outer ring plate 12 toward the inner transport path 12b, pushes them out, and aligns the bolts 1 in a row along the transport path 12b so that they pass through the single-row alignment section 15A. If the bolts 1 are not in a position along the transport path 12b, they are pushed out toward the inner rotating plate 11. The position in which the bolts 1 are in a position along the transport path 12b means that the central axis of the bolts 1 is in the center of the transport path 12b, and the single-row guide 16 can stably transport the bolts 1 on the transport path 12b. The single-row alignment section 15A and the single-row guide 16 increase the amount of bolts supplied to the posture changing and discharging section 20 by allowing both the forward-facing and backward-facing bolts 1A and 1B aligned on the transport path 12b to pass through.Furthermore, the single-row guide 16 guides and pushes out the bolts 1 to the transfer path 12b (side) provided on the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12, and positions them along the inner peripheral edge, thereby increasing the density and number of bolts 1 passing through in the correct position and posture, and improving the supply efficiency to the posture changing and discharge section 20, both of which can improve the discharge amount and discharge efficiency of bolts 1 per rotation number of the outer ring plate 12. Also, although the centrifugal force increases as the rotation speed of the outer ring plate 12 increases, the inclined surface 16b and tip 16a of the single-row guide 16 can smoothly and stably guide, guide, correct the posture of, and push out the bolts 1 to the transfer path 12b (side) provided on the inner peripheral side of the outer ring plate 12. (Intermediate Guide 17)

[0050] The intermediate guide 17 is a guide that linearly arranges the bolts 1 supplied from the single-row alignment unit 15A and supplies them to the position changing and discharging unit 20. The alignment unit 15 can be provided with one or more intermediate guides 17. The intermediate guide 17 can have an elastic guide, plate, or wall that can adjust its position and posture. The intermediate guide 17 has a transfer lane 17a for transferring the bolts 1. In FIG. 1, the transfer lane 17a is inclined downward in the transfer direction, and the bolts 1 are transferred by the transfer surface 12a of the rotating outer ring plate 12 and supplied to the position changing and discharging unit 20. This configuration allows the bolts 1 to be smoothly and stably supplied to the parallel guide 22 that is inclined downward in the transfer direction of the bolts 1, and does not require a separate transfer mechanism for the bolts 1. The intermediate guide 17 can be of an appropriate width, shape, and configuration according to the transfer speed, amount, centrifugal force, etc. of the bolts 1. The intermediate guide 17 in FIG. 1 has a curved guide 17X having a curved guide and a straight guide 17Y having a straight guide. The curved guide 17X gradually corrects the direction of movement of the bolt 1, which is supplied in an arc-shaped movement trajectory in a posture along the transfer path 12b of the outer ring plate 12, to linear movement. The linear guide 17Y reliably moves the bolt 1 in a straight line and stabilizes its posture, so that the bolt 1 is stably supplied to the posture changing and discharging section 20. The intermediate guide 17 in FIG. 1 is arranged such that the curved guide 17X is disposed on the entrance side of the transfer lane 17a, on the front side in the transfer direction, and the linear guide 17Y is disposed on the back side in the transfer direction, and the linear guide 17Y is connected to the posture changing and discharging section 20 and the discharge guide 21. The curved guide 17X and the linear guide 17Y can be separate members, or may be of an integrated structure. The posture changing and discharging section 20 can also have a portion that doubles as the intermediate guide 17.

[0051] The intermediate guide 17 can be provided on both the inside and outside of the transfer lane 17a that guides and guides the bolt 1 and determines the transfer direction. The curved guide 17X and the straight guide 17Y in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 each have an inner guide 17X1, 17Y1 arranged on the inner peripheral edge side of the outer ring plate 12, and an outer guide 17X2, 17Y2 arranged on the outside of the inner guide 17X1, 17Y1, and are arranged on both sides of the transfer lane 17a to ensure the transfer of the bolt 1. The inner guides 17X1, 17Y1 and the outer guides 17X2, 17Y2 are shaped to match the threaded portion 2 and head 3 of the bolt 1, for example, a curved surface that widens at the top and narrows at the bottom, or a flat inclined surface or a stepped shape, so that the bolt 1 can be transferred in a stable position. The intermediate guide 17 in Fig. 6 and Fig. 10 does not have a bottom surface and transfers the bolt 1 on the transfer surface 12a. The intermediate guide 17 can reliably and stably supply the bolts 1 from the transfer path 12b along the inner periphery to the position changing and discharging section 20 via the transfer lane 17a by utilizing the rotation of the outer ring plate 2, and can stabilize the behavior and transfer of the bolts 1 in the transfer lane 17a. The intermediate guide 17 can also have a bottom surface. When the transfer lane 17a has a bottom surface, the bottom surface and the like can be shaped to fit the bolts 1, and can also be shaped into a groove shape or a step shape such as a U-groove, a V-groove, or a U-shaped groove. In the transfer lane 17a in FIG. 10, the inner guides 17X1 and 17Y1 and the outer guides 17X2 and 17Y2 have tapered surfaces that narrow downward on both sides, and the bolts 1 are transferred by utilizing the downward slope of the rotating transfer surface 12a. The transfer lane 17a in FIG. 10 has a connecting section 17b that connects the transfer surface 12a to the parallel guide 22. The connecting portion 17b in Fig. 10 is disposed outside the transport surface 12a, and extends its bottom surface from the transport surface 12a to the parallel guide 22 to connect and join the parallel guide 22. The connecting portion 17b in Fig. 10 is provided with a groove 17c (e.g., a U-groove, a V-groove, etc.) whose groove width and depth increase in the direction of travel, and the groove 17c guides the screw portion 2 to the slit 23, and also makes it easy for the screw portion 2 to drop and tilt. The shapes, widths, and configurations of the transport lane 17a of the intermediate guide 17, the inner guides 17X1 and 17Y1 on the side, the outer guides 17X2 and 17Y2, and the bottom surface can be uniformly the same, or the shapes, widths, and configurations can be different for curves and straight lines, and can be partially different for the shape, width, and configuration depending on the curvature of the curve.For example, outer guide 17X2 of curved guide 17X can be shaped and height appropriate for the fast initial transport speed and large centrifugal force of bolts 1 vigorously supplied from single-row alignment section 15A. Intermediate guide 17 can be shaped to minimize the drop in transport speed, and the width of transfer lane 17a can be made wide on the entrance side and relatively narrow on the exit side, for example, to reduce the transport speed and stabilize the transport behavior through frictional resistance of intermediate guide 17.

[0052] The intermediate guide 17 in Fig. 6 has a displacement guide 17Z that displaces the bolts 1, which are transferred in a row along the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12, from the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12 toward the outer periphery and transfers them in a row along the rotational track. In Fig. 6, the displacement guide 17Z is provided in the inner guide 17X1 at the entrance of the transfer lane 17a, and displaces the bolts 1 from the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12 toward the outer periphery after passing through the single row guide 16. The displacement guide 17Z comes into contact with the threaded portion 2 and head portion 3 of the bolts 1 transferred in a tangential position on the transfer path 12b on the inner peripheral edge side of the outer ring plate 12, displaces the transfer direction of the bolts 1A in a forward position and the bolts 1B in a backward position, and guides and guides the bolts 1 to the transfer lane 17a that is arranged in the tangential direction of the transfer path 12b or outside the tangential direction. The displacement guide 17Z can have a shape and configuration that allows the portion in contact with the bolt 1 to displace the direction of transport of the bolt 1, and can be, for example, an inclined surface, a flat surface, a curved surface, a straight line, a curved line, or the like, and can also have a step. The displacement guide 17Z in FIG. 6 has an inclined surface 17S that slopes downward from the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12 toward the outer periphery. The inclined surface 17S can contact the bolt 1 at a low position, and can displace and guide the bolt 1 toward the outer periphery while reducing the degree of contact and collision. In the displacement guide 17Z in FIG. 6, the end of the inclined surface 17S on the entrance side of the transport lane 17a is located inside the transport path 12b, and the inclined surface 17S extends from inside the transport path 12b across the transport path 12b toward the outer periphery of the transport surface 12a. This displacement guide 17Z can reliably contact and collide with the bolts 1 that are lined up and transported along the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12, and can stably guide and guide the bolts 1 from the inner peripheral edge of the outer ring plate 12 toward the outer periphery to the transport lane 17a on the transport surface 12a as a result of the contact or collision, and can reliably and smoothly guide and guide the bolts 1 on the transport path 12b toward the transport lane 17a, not only on a flat transport path 12b (FIG. 8) but also on a grooved transport path 12b (FIG. 7). The linear displacement guide 17Z can easily displace the bolts 1 as a result of contact or collision. The displacement guide 17Z that crosses the transport path 12b can guide the bolts 1 that it comes into contact with outward from the tangent line.Displacement guide 17Z can be arranged so that the transport direction swings outward from the tangent at an angle of, for example, 10 degrees to 70 degrees, preferably 20 degrees to 50 degrees. Displacement guide 17Z is set within the above range in order to reliably guide and guide bolt 1 from transport path 12b to transport lane 17a on the one hand, and smoothly guide and guide bolt 1 from transport path 12b to transport lane 17a while suppressing and reducing disturbance of the behavior and transport posture of bolt 1 due to contact or collision with displacement guide 17Z on the other hand. Displacement guide 17Z can be provided with an inclined surface Z that slopes downward toward transport lane 17a along transport lane 17a, and by having an inner guide 17X1 of curved guide 17X, bolt 1 can be smoothly and reliably guided and guided from transport path 12b to transport lane 17a. Displacement guide 17Z in Fig. 6 further has a plate- or wall-shaped guide provided on inclined surface 17S, which prevents bolt 1 from climbing over inclined surface 17S and, together with inclined surface 17S, can reliably and stably guide and guide bolt 1 from the inner periphery to the outer periphery of transfer lane 17a. Displacement guide 17Z in Fig. 6 further has a guide at the tip on the entrance side of transfer lane 17a to prevent bolt 1 from falling, so that bolt 1 can be stably and efficiently guided and guided to transfer lane 17a.

[0053] The intermediate guide 17 can be provided with an entrance to the transfer lane 17a at or near the top of the transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 12, or on the downward slope beyond that. The intermediate guide 17 provided on the transfer surface 12a can transfer the bolts 1 using the transfer surface 12a. By providing the intermediate guide 17 on the downward slope side of the transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 12, the bolts 1 can be transferred using the downward slope of the rotating transfer surface 12a. In addition, the bolts 1 can be smoothly and gently connected and transferred from the transfer path 12b to the transfer lane 17a on the transfer surface 12a, and the step with the transfer surface 12a can be reduced. By providing the intermediate guide 17 at or near the top of the transfer surface 12a of the outer ring plate 12, the height difference from the intermediate guide 17 to the discharge at the posture changing discharge section 20 can be maximized. The intermediate guide 17 is a guide that connects, relays, and transports the bolts 1 to the posture changing and discharging section 20, and supplies the bolts 1, which are transported in a curved manner in a horizontal posture in the tangential direction on the transport path 12b of the outer ring plate 12, in a straight line to the posture changing and discharging section 20. By arranging the bolts 1 in a straight line and transporting them, the intermediate guide 17 can stably supply the bolts 1 to the slits 23 between a pair of parallel guides 22 extending in a straight line, reduce and suppress the swinging and movement of the bolts 1 in the width direction of the slits 23, and stabilize the posture and transport direction of the bolts 1. In addition, the bolts 1A and 1B can be stably transported regardless of whether they are in a forward or backward posture, and can be stably and continuously supplied regardless of whether they are supplied at a low speed or a high speed. The bolts 1 that have been stably transported and supplied can be changed to a vertical posture of the posture changing and discharging section 20, and can be arranged in a line to improve the stability and reliability of discharge. The length, shape, arrangement and connection of intermediate guide 17 stabilizes the attitude and transport behavior of bolt 1, enables stable supply of bolt 1 at a predetermined attitude, speed and supply amount, and enables stable supply of bolt 1 in a horizontal attitude to attitude changing and discharge unit 20 arranged on the outside of outer ring plate 12. Also, intermediate guide 17 contributes to making the device more compact and miniaturized while connecting to attitude changing and discharge unit 20 at a predetermined position outside outer ring plate 12 where arrangement space is secured. As attitude changing and discharge unit 20 is arranged at a predetermined position and space is secured, attitude changing to a vertical attitude of bolt 1 and sliding movement under its own weight can be reliably and stably achieved. (Posture changing discharge section 20)

[0054] The position changing discharge section 20 changes the position of the bolts 1 in a horizontal position sent out from the single row discharge section 10 to a vertical position and discharges them in a single row. The position changing discharge section 20 is equipped with a discharge guide 21 that changes the position of the bolts 1 supplied in a horizontal position from the single row discharge section 10 to a vertical position and discharges them. The discharge guide 21 in Fig. 9 discharges the bolts 1 supplied from the intermediate guide 17 in a vertical position. The discharge guide 21 is equipped with a pair of parallel guides 22 that engage both sides of the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 and transports it in a vertical position.

[0055] The pair of parallel guides 22 has a flat surface and a pair of metal plates arranged in parallel, and slides and moves and transports the bolt 1. The pair of parallel guides 22 in Figs. 9 and 10 are each plate-shaped with a flat surface, and the first guide 22a arranged on the inside (the side closer to the outer ring plate 12) and the second guide 22b arranged on the outside of the first guide 22a are arranged parallel to both sides of the slit 23. The upper surfaces of the first guide 22a and the second guide 22b have flat surfaces so that the head 3 of the bolt 1 can be engaged and slid. The parallel guide 22 hooks the head 3 of the bolt 1, guides the threaded portion 2 to the slit 23, and transports the bolt in a vertical position in a suspended state. The first guide 22a and the second guide 22b are inclined downward in the transport direction of the bolt 1, and the bolt 1 is slid in the discharge direction by its own weight and discharged. Between the pair of parallel guides 22, i.e., between the first guide 22a and the second guide 22b, a slit 23 through which the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 passes is provided. The slit 23 has an inner width (W) smaller (narrower) than the diameter (diagonal) of the head 3 and larger (wider) than the diameter (outer diameter) of the threaded portion 2 so that the threaded portion 2 can pass smoothly without passing through the head 3 of the bolt 1. The inner width (W) of the slit 23 is wider than the passing gap (D) between the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34 described later, and the width of the slit 23 determines the maximum width over which the bolt 1 swings and meanders, and the passing position and passing range of the bolt 1 can be determined within the range of the inner width (W). The threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 in a horizontal position falls into the slit 23, so that the position of the bolt 1 can be changed from the horizontal position to the vertical position.

[0056] The pair of parallel guides 22 has a pair of side portions 22d on both side edges and side surfaces, and forms an upper region 22c above the first guide 22a and the second guide 22b. The upper region 22c ensures a space for changing the position of the bolt 1, which is transferred in a horizontal position in the position change region 24, to a vertical position, and a space through which the head 3 of the bolt 1 can pass. The pair of parallel guides 22 in Figs. 11, 14, and 15 has the first guide 22a and the second guide 22b arranged on both sides of the slit 23, and has a pair of opposing side portions 22d connected to the first guide 22a and the second guide 22b on the opposite side to the slit 23. The side portions 22d can form and ensure the upper region 22c, limit the movement behavior of the bolt 1, and can connect and fix the first guide 22a and the second guide 22b via the side portions 22d, and can connect and arrange the position of the position control arm 26 described later. However, the pair of parallel guides 22 may be, for example, L-shaped with the first guide 22a and / or the second guide 22b together with the side portion 22d. The pair of parallel guides 22 may also be U-shaped with the slit 23 opening upward.

[0057] The parallel guides 22 pass the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 supplied in a horizontal position through the slits 23, and while sliding and transporting the head 3 in an engaged state, convert the horizontally-positioned bolt 1 to a vertical position and discharge it. The parallel guides 22 are provided with a position conversion area 24 that converts the bolt 1 supplied in a horizontal position to a vertical position by dropping the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 into the slits 23. The bottom surface of the head 3 of the bolt 1 in the vertical position is engaged and contacted with the upper surfaces on both sides of the pair of parallel guides 23, suspending the bolt 1. The head 3 of the bolt 1 in the slits 23 is engaged with the upper surfaces of the pair of parallel guides 23, and is suspended. The above configuration reduces contact of the parallel guides 23 with the threaded portion 2, and can prevent and suppress damage to the threads and deterioration of the quality of the threaded portion. Furthermore, because this configuration suspends the bolt 1 from its head 3, i.e., from the base side (neck side) of the threaded portion 2, even in the case of a bolt that has an anti-loosening adhesive such as Loctite (a registered trademark of Henkel, LOCTITE) attached to the tip side (foot side) of the threaded portion 2, contact with the adhesive is prevented, and the bolt can be supported, slid, transported, and its position changed by the upper part of the base side (neck side) of the threaded portion 2 where no adhesive is attached.

[0058] The parallel guide 22 is inclined downward toward the forward and transport direction of the bolt 1 at an inclination angle (α) at ​​which the bolt slides in the discharge direction so that the bolt 1 being supplied advances and transports by its own weight. This configuration simplifies the structure and reduces costs without requiring a separate bolt transport mechanism, and the inclination angle (α) and the speed at which the bolt slides on the inclined surface in the discharge direction can be determined and adjusted. The inclination angle (α) can be, for example, 10 degrees or more and 40 degrees or less, and preferably 15 degrees or more and 30 degrees or less. The inclination angle (α) can be increased to increase the transport speed, but if it is too large, the angle at which the bolt 1 tilts becomes large, which tends to hinder smooth sliding, sliding, and movement, so the inclination angle is set within the above range. The parallel guide 22 can be structured to determine an appropriate inclination angle (α) according to the size, supply amount, etc. of the bolt 1, and can be changed or adjusted. For example, the inclination angle can be adjusted according to the size, mass, shape, configuration, and form of the bolt, and can also be used for plated bolts with low sliding resistance and bolts with oil attached.

[0059] The discharge guide 21 is supplied with bolts 1 that are not aligned in the front-rear direction from the intermediate guide 17. The bolts 1 that are not aligned in the front-rear direction are supplied from the intermediate guide 17 to the discharge guide 21 in a forward position with the tip of the threaded portion 2 facing forward in the direction of travel as shown in FIG. 11 (bolt 1A in forward position), or are supplied from the intermediate guide 17 in a backward position with the head 3 facing forward in the direction of travel as shown in FIG. 12 (bolt 1B in backward position). By dropping the tip of the threaded portion 2 into the slit 23 of the parallel guide 22, the tip of the threaded portion 2 of both the bolt 1A in the forward position and the bolt 1B in the backward position can be changed from a horizontal position to a vertical position by dropping under its own weight. In addition, the lateral shaking of the bolt 1 can be suppressed and reduced.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 11, in the case of a bolt 1A in a forward position, in which the threaded portion 2 is supplied to the discharge guide 21 first, the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2 precedes the head portion 3, and the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2 in front of the head portion falls through the slit 23 first. In the case of the bolt 1A in a forward position, the tip of the threaded portion 2 gradually falls into the slit 23 as the bolt 1 (1A) is transported. As the bolt 1A in a forward position advances in the transport direction, the threaded portion 2 gradually moves from the tip (foot side) to the slit 23, and the position can be changed to a vertical position without being supported in a horizontal position. In this position, the threaded portion 2 that falls into the slit 23 has a small drop, and the speed at which the tip of the threaded portion 2 falls is slow. Therefore, the bolt does not tilt significantly beyond the vertical position toward the horizontal position, and the tip of the threaded portion 2 does not rise high and overlap the head 3 of the bolt 1C in the forward position. The direction in which the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2 falls is counterclockwise with respect to the direction of advancement of the bolt 1 (from right to left in FIG. 11), and the threaded portion 2 gradually falls from the tip on the foot side into the slit 23. When the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2 starts to fall, the head 3, which is larger and heavier than the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2, remains behind, and the head 3 pushes it out, causing the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2, which is in the front and lower than the head 3, to gradually fall into the slit 23. As the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 in a horizontal position advances, it is gradually guided into the slit 23, moves into the slit 23, and the length of its existence changes as it is converted from the horizontal position to a vertical position, allowing for a smooth conversion from the horizontal position to the vertical position.

[0061] However, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the bolt 1B in a backward position that is supplied from the head 3 to the discharge guide 21 is supplied with the head 3 preceding the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2. As the head 3 slides on the upper surface of the parallel guide 22, the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2 instantaneously drops through the slit 23 at the timing when the entire bolt 1 moves into the slit 23. In this state, the bolt 1B in a backward position that is changed from a horizontal position to a vertical position has the threaded portion 2 instantaneously drop through the slit 23 as shown by the chain line in Fig. 13, so that the speed at which the tip (foot side) of the threaded portion 2 drops through the slit 23 is fast, that is, the kinetic energy of the threaded portion 2 is large, and the threaded portion 2 may exceed the vertical position and move in the opposite direction toward the horizontal position like a pendulum. The bolt 1 supplied in a backward position that swings widely like a pendulum may not be able to return to the normal vertical position, for example, the tip of the threaded portion 2 may rise from the bottom end with more force and ride over the head 3 of the bolt 1 that has moved through the parallel guide 22 first.

[0062] In particular, the parallel guide 22 is inclined downwards toward the direction of the bolt 1 transfer so that the bolt 1 being fed forward slides under its own weight. The bolt 1B in the backward position fed to this parallel guide 22 has the threaded portion 2 in a higher position than the head 3 at the timing when the threaded portion 2 starts to fall into the slit 23. The threaded portion 2 falling from a high position may tilt vigorously beyond the vertical position toward the horizontal position as the threaded portion 2 changes from the horizontal position to the vertical position, i.e., the speed of tilting in the vertical position increases. Furthermore, to make matters worse, the bolt 1C in the forward position that is fed to the parallel guide 22 first and takes the vertical position is in a lower position than the bolt 1 that falls through the slit 23 and changes position, in particular the top surface of the head 3 is in a lower position, due to the downward slope of the parallel guide 22. Therefore, the bolt 1 that falls through the slit 23 and tilts vigorously may tilt less and ride up on the head 3 of the bolt 1C in the forward position. The bolt 1, with the threaded portion 2 resting on the head 3, cannot return to a vertical position thereafter, and is unable to normally change its position to a vertical position, causing an emergency stop of the feeder. An emergency stop of the feeder is a serious issue that can cause the line to stop.

[0063] For bolt 1B in the backward position, the tip (foot side) of threaded portion 2 falls clockwise with respect to the direction of movement of bolt 1 (from right to left in FIG. 12). For bolt 1B in the backward position, the timing at which the tip (foot side) of threaded portion 2 starts to fall (the timing at which the entire bolt 1 moves onto slit 23 in FIG. 12) and the direction in which it falls (clockwise in FIG. 12) are different from those of bolt 1A in the forward position. For bolt 1B in the backward position, the tip (foot side) of threaded portion 2 behind head 3, which is ahead in the direction of movement, starts to fall with a delay, so during high-speed transport, it may not be able to return to a normal vertical position, for example by riding on top of head 3 of bolt 1C in the forward position that is moving ahead on parallel guide 22 while the tip (foot side) of threaded portion 2 has not yet fallen sufficiently.

[0064] The above-mentioned problems can be solved by aligning the bolts 1 supplied to the intermediate guide 17 by the single-row discharge section 10 in the front-rear direction and supplying all bolts 1 to the discharge guide 21 as bolts 1A in a forward position. However, a device that aligns the bolts 1 in the front-rear direction and discharges the bolts 1 removes the bolts 1B in a backward position and selects only the bolts 1A in a forward position discharged from the threaded section 2, which lengthens the tact time and halves the number of bolts 1 that can be discharged per unit time. In this type of device, it is extremely important to increase the number of bolts 1 that can be discharged per unit time. This is because a supply device with low processing capacity needs to be used in large numbers to increase the amount of bolts discharged per unit time. In addition, the need for a mechanism or structure that removes the bolts 1B in a backward position and selects only the bolts 1A in a forward position leads to problems such as the device becoming more complex, larger, and more expensive. (Swinging part 30)

[0065] The parallel guide 22 is provided with a swinging unit 30 in the position change area 24. The swinging unit 30 swings the screw portion 2, which falls into the slit 23 of the parallel guide 22 and tilts, in the width direction of the slit 23. The swinging unit 30 swings the screw portion 2, which falls into the slit 23 of the parallel guide 22 and tilts, in the width direction of the slit 23. The swinging unit 30 swings the screw portion 2 in the lateral direction intersecting with the vertical plane (side portion 22d) of the parallel guide 22, of the bolt 1 transported in the discharge direction.

[0066] The swinging unit 30 reliably and stably changes the posture of not only the bolt 1A in a forward position, but also the bolt 1B in a backward position, to a vertical position and discharges it from the parallel guide 22. The parallel guide 22 in which the swinging unit 30 is provided in the posture change region 24 reliably and stably changes the posture of the bolt 1 supplied from the intermediate guide 17 in both the forward position and the backward position, that is, the bolt 1 supplied without aligning or selecting the front-to-rear direction of the bolt 1, from a horizontal position to a vertical position and discharges it. In particular, the swinging unit 30 stably changes the posture of the backward-facing bolt 1B supplied in a backward position with the head 3 facing forward, from a horizontal position to a vertical position.

[0067] The swinging unit 30 has two or more collision protrusions 31 that come into contact with and collide with the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 being transported in the discharge direction. One or more collision protrusions 31 are arranged on each side of the pair of parallel guides 22. The collision protrusions 31 are protrusions that protrude toward the slit 23, and change the moving direction of the bolt 1 that has collided with and come into contact with it from the front side of the transport, and cause the bolt 1 to meander in the moving direction by colliding with and coming into contact with the collision protrusions 31 on both sides of the parallel guide 22 alternately. The swinging unit 30 has a plurality of collision protrusions 31 arranged apart in the moving direction of the bolt 1, which alternately collide with both sides of the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 that is supplied from the intermediate guide 17 and falls into the slit 23 of the parallel guide 22, causing the threaded portion 2 to swing laterally. The collision protrusions 31 provided on the swinging unit 30 alternately collide with both sides of the threaded portion 2 that falls through the slit 23 and advances while changing its position from a horizontal position to a vertical position. The screw portion 2, which falls through the slit 23 and advances, alternately collides with the collision protrusions 31 on the opposite side, and is repelled, changes direction, and changes posture by the collision protrusions 31, and advances while swinging left and right. The screw portion 2, which advances in the transfer direction while swinging, loses kinetic energy every time it collides with a collision protrusion 31, and furthermore, the direction of advancement meanders, and the speed of movement in the transfer direction slows down, reducing the forward and backward tilt of the bolt 1 as it advances, and preventing it from passing the vertical posture and tilting in the opposite direction. It is preferable that there are three or more collision protrusions 31, and by preventing excessive collision and contact with one collision protrusion 31, dispersing the collision and contact, and repeating moderate collision and contact, and colliding and contacting multiple collision protrusions 31 in stages, these effects can be more reliably and efficiently achieved. The collision protrusions 31 protrude into the slits 23 from both sides of the pair of parallel guides 22, and are disposed and protrude at positions where the bolt 1 (threaded portion 2) moving parallel to the parallel guides 22 collides with and comes into contact with the collision protrusions 31, preventing it from moving straight. With this configuration, the bolt 1 moving parallel to the parallel guides 22 cannot move straight in the posture change region 24, and the threaded portion 2 reliably collides and comes into contact with the collision protrusions 31, thereby attenuating kinetic energy, slowing down the transport speed, reducing the forward / rearward tilt of the bolt 1, and preventing it from passing the vertical posture and tilting in the opposite direction.

[0068] 14 and 15 has first, second and third collision protrusions 31a, 31b and 31c from the front side in the traveling direction of the bolt 1, with the first and third collision protrusions 31a and 31c spaced apart in the transfer direction of the bolt 1 on the second guide 22b side, and the second collision protrusion 31b being arranged between the first and third collision protrusions 31a and 31c on the first guide 22a side. Figure 15 shows an example in which both sides of the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 collide with and come into contact with the collision protrusions 31 alternately, causing the threaded portion 2 to advance while swinging in the width direction of the slit 23. In Figure 15, the threaded portion 2 of the bolt 1 falls into the slit 23 of the parallel guide 22 and travels parallel to the parallel guide 22 while tilting in the forward and backward directions. First, the second guide 22b side of the threaded portion 2 (the first part 2a of the threaded portion 2 including the left or left front side of the traveling direction in Figure 15) collides with and comes into contact with the first collision protrusion 31a on the second guide 22b side, is reflected and repelled, and the course is changed in a direction approaching the first guide 22a on the opposite side. Next, the first guide 22a side of the screw portion 2 (the second part 2b of the screw portion 2 including the right or right front in the traveling direction in FIG. 15) collides with and comes into contact with the second collision protrusion 31b on the first guide 22a side, is reflected and repelled, and the course is changed to the direction approaching the second guide 22b on the opposite side, and further, the second guide 22b side of the screw portion 2 (the third part 2c of the screw portion 2 including the left or left front in the traveling direction in FIG. 15) collides with and comes into contact with the third collision protrusion 31c on the second guide 22b side, is reflected, and the course is changed to the direction approaching the second guide 22b on the opposite side, and the bolt 1 proceeds in a meandering manner while swinging the screw portion 2 in the lateral direction of the slit 23, and is supplied to the external discharge part 25 and discharged in a line. The swinging part 30 has a collision protrusion 31 that surely collides with and comes into contact with the screw portion 2, and can have a collision protrusion 31 that passes through with or without contact depending on the passing position, tilting, and swinging of the screw portion 2. The same is true for the opposing convex portion 34. Note that the first portion 2a, the second portion 2b, and the third portion 2c indicate the side or portion with which the threaded portion 2 comes into contact, and it does not matter whether the threaded portion 2 rotates due to progression or collision. This configuration reduces the tilting speed, tilting momentum, and transport speed of the bolt 1 each time it collides with or comes into contact with the collision convex portion 31, thereby reducing the degree of contact and direction change, and reliably completing the change in posture to a stable vertical posture.After completing the change in posture to the vertical posture, the bolt 1 can be brought into contact with the collision protrusion 31 to move in a specified direction, or the bolt 1 can be allowed to pass without coming into contact with the collision protrusion 31. A spare collision protrusion 31 can be provided in a position after the posture change is complete to prevent irregular or erratic behavior.

[0069] The swinging part 30 in FIG. 15 has an opposing convex part 34 disposed at a position facing the collision convex part 31 of the pair of parallel guides 22. The bolt 1 passes through a passing gap (D) defined by the opposing convex part 34 at a position facing the collision convex part 31 or the parallel guide 22. The opposing convex part 34 is disposed so as to protrude toward the slit 23 side (inside), or to be flush with the tip of the parallel guide 22, or not to protrude toward the slit 23 side (inside). The advancing screw part 2 swings and tilts vertically and / or horizontally to contact and collide with the side or bottom side of the opposing convex part 34. The collision convex part 31 and the opposing convex part 34 define a passing gap (D) through which the screw part 2 passes, and strictly speaking, the passing gap (D) is determined by the interval between the collision and contact surfaces (portions) of the collision convex part 31 and the opposing convex part 34 with which the screw part 2 collides and comes into contact. The passing gap (D) is set to be narrower than the inner width (W) of the slit 23 of the parallel guide 22 and slightly larger than the outer diameter (d) of the threaded portion 2. The difference between the passing gap (D) and the outer diameter (d) of the threaded portion 2 is set to an optimum value taking into consideration the thickness of the bolt 1. For example, in the bolt supply device 100 in which the outer diameter of the threaded portion 2 is 3 to 5 mm, the difference between the passing gap (D) and the outer diameter of the threaded portion 2 can be set to 0.1 mm to 1 mm, preferably 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. This passing gap (D) can control the course and movement trajectory of the threaded portion 2, and can suppress the vertical and / or horizontal tilting within a preferred range.

[0070] The swinging part 30 provided with the collision convex part 31 and the opposing convex part 34 can control the course and movement trajectory of the screw part 2 that collides with and repels the collision convex part 31 by the collision convex part 31 and the opposing convex part 34 at the opposing position. Furthermore, the screw part 2 that collides with the collision convex part 31, is repelled and changes direction, and then collides with and comes into contact with the opposing convex part 34, so that the kinetic energy of the screw part 2 can be more efficiently attenuated by both the collision convex part 31 and the opposing convex part 34. Therefore, the swinging part 30 provided with the collision convex part 31 and the opposing convex part 34 has the characteristic that it can more efficiently attenuate the kinetic energy of the screw part 2 while controlling the meandering trajectory of the screw part 2 that advances while swinging, and can reliably and stably change its posture from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture.

[0071] The swinging part 30 can determine, adjust and control the number of collisions, degree, direction change, meandering and swing of the bolt 1 with the threaded part 2 by combining the protrusion of the collision convex parts 31, the number and arrangement of the collision convex parts 31 and the passing gap (D). For example, the number of collisions can be increased by providing four or more collision convex parts 31, and the left and right swing can be increased by narrowing the interval between adjacent collision convex parts 31. The degree of rebound and direction change can be increased by increasing the protrusion of the collision convex parts 31, and the degree of direction change can be reduced by decreasing the protrusion of the collision convex parts 31, and the straightness can be increased. The passing gap (D), the interval between the collision convex parts 31, the arrangement, etc. can be uniform, and can be appropriately determined according to the arrangement location, for example, by setting the passing gap (D) on the entrance side of the posture changing discharge part 20 with momentum and the interval between adjacent collision convex parts 31 wider than the exit side.

[0072] The collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34 can have a curved surface, a flat surface, or an uneven surface at the portion (collision surface, contact surface) where the screw portion 2 collides and contacts, and the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34 can be polygonal such as a circle, a semicircle, a triangle, a square, a pentagon, a hexagon, an octagon, or a trapezoid, regular or irregular, plate-like, and can be a rotating or non-rotating body. The present disclosure does not specify the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34, but for example, the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34 in Figures 14 and 15 are collision rings 32 and 35 with which the screw portion 2 collides and contacts the outer periphery, and the collision rings 32 and 35 are circular rings 32a and 35a with a circular outer shape with which the screw portion 2 collides and contacts. The circular rings 32a and 35a can easily determine the width and arrangement of the passage gap (D) by their size and arrangement. The circular rings 32a, 35a that rotate in a circular shape can make the collision surface and the passing gap (D) uniform, and can absorb shock by rotating. The circular rings 32a, 35a can collide with and contact the bolt 1 at the portion protruding toward the slit 23 side, and the collision surface and the degree of change in direction can be continuously changed without interruption, increasing or decreasing, so that the bolt 1 can change direction and move forward in the transfer direction. This is applicable not only to the same size but also to different sizes, as the pair of circular rings 32a, 35a have similar shapes. The circular rings 32a, 35a can show the collision surface with a tangent line, and for example, the tangent line of the circular ring 32a, 35a that protrudes most toward the slit 23 side is a parallel line to the parallel guide 22, and the degree of change in direction of the bolt 1 that comes into contact there is small. As the distance from the narrowest passage gap (D) to the front side increases, the angle of the tangent to the parallel line of the parallel guide 22 increases, and the degree of change in direction of the contacting bolt 1 can be increased, and in either case, the bolt 1 can be changed in direction and advanced in the transfer direction. The collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34 can be in a shape other than a circle. For example, the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34 in Fig. 16 have a tapered hexagonal tip side protruding into the slit 23, and have a surface parallel to the parallel guide 22, a surface inclined relative to the parallel guide 22, and a corner portion connecting the surface parallel to the parallel guide 22 and the surface inclined relative to the parallel guide 22.

[0073] The collision rings 32, 35 are fixed to the underside of the parallel guide 22 by set screws 32c, 35c that pass through the centers of the circular rings 32a, 35a. With the above configuration, the upper surface of the parallel guide 22 is a flat inclined surface without obstacles, and the head 3 can be slid in the discharge direction to discharge the bolt 1. Furthermore, by fixing the circular rings 32a, 35a to the underside of the parallel guide 22, the threaded portion 2 collides and comes into contact with the outer periphery of the collision protrusion 31 that is located lower than the parallel guide 22, so that the tilting and kinetic energy of the threaded portion 2 can be more efficiently damped and excessive tilting can be more efficiently prevented. Furthermore, since the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34, which are located below the height thickness of the parallel guide 22, can control the serpentine trajectory of the advancing screw portion 2 at the root side (neck side) of the screw portion 2 close to the head 3 of the bolt 1, contact with the tip (foot side) of the screw portion 2 of the bolt 1 is reduced, preventing deterioration in quality that may damage the thread shape at the tip of the screw portion 2, and also preventing or reducing contact with anti-loosening adhesives, etc., attached to the tip of the screw portion 2.

[0074] The collision ring 32 of the collision convex portion 31 can have a larger outer diameter than the collision ring 35 of the opposing convex portion 34. In FIG. 15, the collision ring 32 of the collision convex portion 31 is a large ring 32b, and the collision ring 35 of the opposing convex portion 34 is a small ring 35b. In the swinging portion 30 of this configuration, the large rings 32b and the small rings 35b are alternately arranged at a distance in the longitudinal direction of the parallel guide 22, and a passing gap (D) for allowing the threaded portion 2 to meander can be provided. In the swinging portion 30 of FIG. 15, the collision rings 32 of the multiple collision convex portions 31 arranged at a distance in the advancing direction of the threaded portion 2 are all large rings 32b with the same outer diameter, and further, the collision rings 35 of the multiple opposing convex portions 34 arranged at a distance in the advancing direction of the threaded portion 2 are all small rings 35b with the same outer diameter, so that the bolt 1 can be swung. However, the multiple large rings 32b and small rings 35 can also have different outer diameters.

[0075] 14 and 15, the set screws 32c, 35c that secure the collision rings 32, 35 of the large ring 32b and the small ring 35b are arranged in a straight line on the underside of the parallel guide 22 to form the large ring 32b, which is the collision convex portion 31, and the small ring 35b of the opposing convex portion 34, and the large ring 32b is projected into the meandering passage of the threaded portion 2, so that a passing gap (D) that allows the threaded portion 2 to meander can be provided between the large ring 32b and the small ring 35b. With the above configuration, the passing gap (D) that allows the threaded portion 2 to meander can be determined by the outer diameter sizes of the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34, and the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34 can be easily replaced.

[0076] The collision rings 32, 35 are preferably made of a cushioning material such as plastic or a rubber-like elastic body, and have the advantage of reducing the noise level generated when the threaded portion 2 collides, and further absorbing the kinetic energy of the colliding threaded portion 2 more efficiently.

[0077] Furthermore, the swinging part 30 can be provided with a passing position defining guide 36 that defines the passing position of the screw part 2 passing through the slit 23. The passing position defining guide 36 is disposed on both sides or one side of the pair of parallel guides 22, and the passing position and passing range of the screw part 2 passing through the slit 23 can be defined by the passing gap (T) between the pair of passing position defining guides 36, or the passing gap (T) between the passing position defining guide 36 and the parallel guide 22. For example, by disposing the passing position defining guide 36 on the front side of the collision convex part 31, the passing gap (T) can define the position, range, degree of collision, direction of change, and degree of direction change where the passing bolt 1 contacts and collides with the first collision convex part 31, and similar collisions, contacts, and direction changes can be reliably and stably realized repeatedly. The passing position defining guide 36 can be the collision ring 32, 35 or the circular ring 32a, 35a, like the collision convex portion 31 or the opposing convex portion 34, and can define the passing position of the bolt 1 as well as attenuate the kinetic energy and reduce tilting upon contact and collision with the bolt 1. The pair of passing position defining guides 36 can have the same or different sizes (outer diameters), shapes, and protrusions.

[0078] 14 and 15, the swinging part 30 is provided with central guides 37 as passing position determining guides 36 at opposing positions on both sides of the pair of parallel guides 22, which position the screw part 2 dropping into the slit 23 at the center of the slit 23. The central guides 37 in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are disposed in front of the first collision protrusion 31a, and the passing position where the screw part 2 dropping into the slit 23 first passes can be determined by the passing gap (T). By making the screw part 2 the passing gap (T) between the pair of central guides 37, the screw part 2 passes through the center of the slit 23, and the position and degree of collision and contact with the first collision protrusion 31a protruding from the first guide 22a to the inside of the slit 23 can be made constant and stable. The central guide 37 can stably repeat collision and contact with the initial collision protrusion 31 (first collision protrusion 31a) and subsequent collision protrusions 31 (second collision protrusion 31b, third collision protrusion 31c), thereby enabling more stable and reliable control of the serpentine trajectory of the screw portion 2 advancing through the collision protrusion 31 and improving the accuracy of reproducibility.

[0079] The bolt 1 advances while swinging and meandering as both sides of the threaded portion 2 alternately collide with the collision protrusions 31. In Fig. 15, the threaded portion 2 that has passed through the passage gap (T) between a pair of central guides 37 first contacts and collides with the first collision protrusion 31a at the first portion 2a of the threaded portion 2 including the right or right front in the advancing direction, and changes direction to the second guide 22b side, then contacts and collides with the second collision protrusion 31b at the second portion 2b of the threaded portion 2 including the left or left front in the advancing direction, and changes direction to the first guide 22a side, and then contacts and collides with the third collision protrusion 31b at the third portion 2c of the threaded portion 2 including the right or right front in the advancing direction, and changes direction to the second guide 22b side, decreasing the tilting speed, momentum, and transport speed, reliably completing the change in posture to the vertical posture, and is discharged from the external discharge portion 25 in a line. It does not matter whether the screw portion 2 rotates due to advancement or collision.

[0080] In FIG. 15, the screw portion 2 that has passed through the passage gap (T) of the central guide 37 passes through the passage gaps (D1, D2, D3) between the collision convex portion 31 and the opposing convex portion 34. The central guide 37 can have the same or different configuration, shape, size, and arrangement as the collision rings 32 and 35. For example, the central guide 37 in FIG. 15 has a pair of circular rings 37a and a set screw 37c that passes through the center of the circular rings 37a, and is fixed to the lower surface of the parallel guide 22. The central guide 37 in FIG. 15 has a pair of middle rings 37b that have an outer diameter intermediate between the large ring 32b of the collision convex portion 31 and the small ring 35b of the opposing convex portion 34, and is arranged in opposing positions. The middle rings 37b can be made of the same material as the large rings 32b and the small rings 35b. The pair of middle rings 37b are fixed to opposing positions on the lower surfaces of the parallel guides 22 on both sides with the passage gap (T) separated by the set screw 37c. By arranging a pair of middle rings 37b of the same size at the same positions on both sides of a pair of parallel guides 22, it is possible to position the passage gap (T) of the central guide 37 in the center of the slit 23. By arranging the set screw 37c that fixes the middle ring 37b and the set screws 32c, 35c that fix the large ring 32b and the small ring 35b at a distance on a straight line extending along the slit 23, it is possible to position the passage gap (T) of the central guide 37 in the center of the slit 23.

[0081] The swinging part 30, which causes the screw part 2 to pass through the center of the slit 23 by the central guide 37 and collide alternately with the collision protrusions 31 on both sides, has the characteristic of being able to more reliably and stably change the position of the screw part 2 from a horizontal position to a vertical position. This is because the central guide 37 can stipulate the position where the screw part 2 falling through the slit 23, or the screw part 2 immediately after falling, passes first at the center of the slit 23. The screw part 2 falling through the slit 23 is first guided to the center of the slit 23, where it alternately collides with the left and right collision protrusions 31 and meanders, absorbing energy and changing its position to a vertical position. (Attitude Control Arm 26)

[0082] 11 and 12 is provided with an attitude control arm 26 that controls the attitude of the bolt 1, particularly the head 3, as it advances along the parallel guide 22. Since the bolt supply device 100 changes the bolt 1 from a horizontal to a vertical position by dropping the threaded portion 2 into the slit 23, it is not necessarily necessary to provide the attitude control arm 26, but providing the attitude control arm 26 makes it possible to more reliably and stably discharge the bolts 1 in a vertical position in a single line. The attitude control arm 26 is useful particularly when supplying a large amount of bolts 1 at high speed, in order to stably and reliably discharge the bolts 1 in a vertical position in a single line.

[0083] The attitude control arm 26 in Figs. 11 and 12 has a rear end (base side) connected and fixed to the discharge guide 21 (side portion 22d of the parallel guide 22). The attitude control arm 26 has a contact portion 27 that can come into contact with the head 3 of the bolt 1 at its front end or between its front end and rear end. The contact portion 27 comes into contact with the head 3 of the bolt 1 to reliably and stably change the attitude of the bolt 1 from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude, and moves and discharges the bolt 1 in the vertical attitude along the parallel guides 22 without overlapping. The contact portion 27 approaches the parallel guides 22 (first guide 22a and second guide 22b) as it proceeds in the transfer direction, and can have a portion, attitude, tapered surface, inclined surface, unevenness, or step that narrows the gap with the parallel guides 22. The contact part 27 contacts the head 3 of the bolt 1 while moving the bolt 1 in the transport direction, and can more reliably and stably promote and assist the change in the position of the bolt 1 to a vertical position, and can stabilize the movement and transport of the bolt 1 to ensure that the bolt is transported in a vertical position. The contact part 27 of the position control arm 26 is a structure that can be deformed and moved up and down and / or in the travel direction, and can cushion the impact of the bolt 1, absorb kinetic energy, reduce the travel speed, and reduce noise. The position control arm 26 is a metal or resin elastic body that can contact the head 3 of the bolt 1 being transported to regulate the position and position of the bolt 1, and can also be a cushioning material such as plastic or rubber-like elastic body, reducing the noise level and absorbing the kinetic energy of the colliding bolt 1 more efficiently while transporting it in a vertical position. The contact part 27 in Figs. 11 and 12 is connected to the parallel guide 22 so as to be movable up and down. The upward movement of the contact portion 27 can be determined and adjusted by its own mass and elastic deformation, and the degree and range of the upward movement can be determined, limited, and adjusted by providing a weight, spring, stopper, etc.

[0084] The attitude changing and discharging section 20 may have one or more attitude control arms 26. The attitude control arms 26 in Figs. 11 and 12 are arranged as a first attitude control arm 26A and a second attitude control arm 26B spaced apart in the direction of transfer of the bolt 1, but they may be integrally structured. In Figs. 11 and 12, the first attitude control arm 26A is arranged in the attitude changing area 24 where the bolt 1 in a horizontal attitude is tilted to a vertical attitude, and the first contact portion 27a contacts the head 3 of the bolt 1 moving in the parallel guide 22 in a horizontal attitude, causing the threaded portion 2 to drop into the slit 23, tilting the bolt 1 from the horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude, and reliably changing the attitude. The second attitude control arm 26B is arranged on the discharge side of the attitude changing area 24, maintains the vertical attitude of the bolt 1, prevents the heads 3 of the bolts 1 from overlapping, and discharges the bolts 1 in a line.

[0085] The vertical distance (H1) between the first contact portion 27a of the first attitude control arm 26A and the parallel guide 22 and the vertical distance (H2) between the second contact portion 27b of the second attitude control arm 26B and the parallel guide 22 can be the same or different in height. In Figures 11 and 12, the vertical distance (H2) between the second contact portion 27b, which comes into contact with the head 3 of the bolt 1 moving on the parallel guide 22, and the parallel guide 22 of the second attitude control arm 26B is narrower than the vertical distance (H1) between the first contact portion 27a of the first attitude control arm 26A and the parallel guide 22. The vertical distance (H1) between the first contact portion 27a of the first attitude control arm 26A and the parallel guide 22 is a distance that allows the bolt 1 in a horizontal position to be tilted and changed to a vertical position, and allows the head 3 of the bolt 1 in a vertical position to pass but not pass, so that the first contact portion 27a comes into contact with the head 3 of the bolt 1 moving along the parallel guide 22 in a horizontal position, causing the threaded portion 2 to drop into the slit 23, and the bolt 1 is tilted from the horizontal position to a vertical position, reliably changing its position. The vertical distance (H2) between the second contact portion 27b of the second attitude control arm 26B and the parallel guide 22 is a distance that allows the head 3 of one bolt 1 to pass along the parallel guide 22 in a vertical position, preventing the heads 3 of the front and rear bolts 1 being continuously transferred from moving along the parallel guide 22 in an overlapping state and being discharged. The first attitude control arm 26A and the second attitude control arm 26B in Figures 11 and 12 stabilize the attitude change, movement and behavior of the bolt 1 and can suppress and correct irregular positions and attitudes. The two-stage attitude control arm 26 with different heights and widths can more reliably change the bolt 1 from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude and prevent the heads 3 of the bolts 1 from overlapping, so that the bolts 1 in a vertical attitude can be smoothly and stably discharged in a single line.

[0086] The external discharge unit 25 lines up and discharges the bolts 1 that have been changed to a vertical position in the position change area 24 to the outside. The external discharge unit 25 can discharge and remove the bolts 1 according to a downstream process, for example, an inspection machine, a counting device, a transfer machine, a container insertion machine, etc. In order to smoothly and stably discharge the bolts 1 in a vertical position, the external discharge unit 25 can provide a head guide that guides the head 3 of the bolt 1 on the parallel guides 22 and slits 23, and can form a head guide gap between the head guide and the parallel guide 22. The head 3 of the bolt 1 moves on the parallel guide 22 through the head guide gap.

[0087] In the bolt supply device 100 described above, the single-line discharge unit 10 rotates the inner rotating plate 11 and the outer ring plate 12 with the rotation mechanism 40 to feed out the bolts 1, and the bolts are discharged by the posture changing discharge unit 20. Therefore, the supply amount of the bolts 1 can be adjusted and changed simply by changing the rotation speed of the motor 41 of the rotation mechanism 40. For example, the rotation speed of the motor 41 can be set and changed with an attached controller. The bolt supply device 100 described above can shorten the tact time for lining up the bolts 1 in a vertical position, and can efficiently and stably discharge a large number of bolts 1 in a vertical position per unit time. The bolt supply device 100 can supply, for example, about 6,500 M6 bolts 1 with a threaded portion 2 of 20 mm in length per minute at a rotation speed of about 21 rpm. The single-line discharge unit 10 rotates on a disk-shaped inner rotating plate 11 and a ring-shaped outer ring plate 12, arranging the bolts in a single line and transporting them in a horizontal position, while the position changing discharge unit 20 reliably and stably discharges the bolts in a vertical position. The above configuration reduces contact, collision, and overlap between the bolts 1, preventing deterioration of the quality of the bolts 1. Also, without a vibration mechanism, the bolts can be discharged with reduced noise, from low to high speeds. [Industrial Applicability]

[0088] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present disclosure can be effectively utilized as a bolt supply device that can convert bolts supplied in both a forward-facing and a backward-facing position into a vertical position and discharge a large number of bolts per unit time efficiently and stably in a row in a vertical position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 100, 900... volt supply device 1, 901...Bolt 1A…Bolt in forward position 1B…Bolt facing backwards 1C…Bolt in forward position 1a…Hexagonal bolt 2…Threaded part 2a…Part 1 2b…Part 2 2c…Part 3 3, 903...(Bolt) head 10...Single row discharge section 11…Inner rotating plate 11a...Placement surface 11b…Supply Guide 12…Outer ring plate 12A…Outside transfer section 12B…ascending section 12a…Transfer surface 12b...transport route 12c…Closure wall 12d...first opening 12e…Outer wall 13…De-lamination section 15…Alignment section 15A…Single row alignment section 16... Single row guide 16a...Tip 16b…Slanted surface 17…Intermediate guide 17a...Transportation lane 17b… Contact Department 17c…Groove 17X…Curved guide 17X1...(Curved guide) Inner guide 17X2...Outer guide (of curved guide) 17Y...Straight guide 17Y1...(Straight line guide) Inner guide 17Y2...Outer guide (straight line guide) 17Z…Displacement guide 17S...Slope 20... Posture change discharge section 21...Ejection guide 22...Parallel guide 22a…First Guide 22b…Second Guide 22c…upper area 22d…Side 23...Slit 24...Posture change area 25…External discharge part 26...Attitude control arm 26A…First attitude control arm 26B…Second attitude control arm 27…Contact part 27a...first contact portion 27b...Second contact part 30...Swinging part 31…Collision protrusion 31a…First collision protrusion 31b…Second collision protrusion 31c…Third collision protrusion 32…Collision Ring 32a…Circular ring 32b…Large ring 32c…Set screw 34…Opposite convex part 34a...first opposing protrusion 34b...Second opposing convex portion 34c…Third opposing convex portion 35…Collision Ring 35a…Circular ring 35b...Small ring 35c…Set screw 36...Passing Position Guide 37…Central guide 37a…Circular ring 37b...Middle ring 37c…Set screw 40...Rotation mechanism 41…Motor 42…First rotating shaft 42a…Central rod 43…Second rotating shaft 43a...Cylindrical rotating shaft 44…First sub-rotating plate 45…1st pin 46…Second sub-rotating plate 47…2nd pin 48…Frame 49...Rotation transmission mechanism

Claims

1. A bolt supply device having all of the following configurations (a) to (h). (a) A bolt supply device includes: a single-row discharge section that arranges the supplied bolts in a single row and sends them out in a horizontal position; The bolts discharged from the single row discharge section are changed in position from a horizontal position to a vertical position, and a position changing discharge section that discharges the items in a line. (b) the attitude changing and discharging section is The bolts supplied from the single row discharge portion in a single row are It is equipped with a discharge guide that changes its position from horizontal to vertical and discharges the products in a line. (c) the discharge guide is The bolt head is engaged at both sides and then displaced by changing its position from a horizontal position to a vertical position. A pair of parallel guides are arranged in parallel to each other. (d) the pair of parallel guides A slit is provided through which the threaded portion of the bolt passes. (e) the parallel guide is The inclination angle (α) at ​​which the bolt slides in the ejection direction under its own weight, It slopes downward in the direction in which the bolt is transferred. (f) the parallel guide is The threaded portion of the bolt that is supplied in a horizontal position from the single row discharge portion, A posture change area in which the object is dropped into the slit and changed to a vertical posture; and an external discharge section that discharges the bolts, which have been changed to a vertical position, in a line to the outside. (g) the posture change area is The screw portion that falls into the slit and tilts, A swinging portion is provided for swinging the slit in the width direction. (h) the swinging portion, The screw portion falls through the slit of the parallel guide and tilts. The two sides of the threaded portion of the bolt collide with each other alternately. A plurality of collision protrusions for swinging the threaded portion in the width direction of the slit are disposed apart in the bolt transfer direction.

2. The bolt supply device according to claim 1, The single row discharge section, an inner rotating plate to which the bolts are provided; an outer ring plate disposed outside the inner rotating plate and to which the bolts are supplied from the inner rotating plate; A rotation mechanism that rotates the outer ring plate; an alignment section that aligns the bolts supplied to the outer ring plate in a single row and sends them in a horizontal position to the position changing and discharging section.

3. The bolt supply device according to claim 2, The alignment unit includes: a line alignment unit that discharges the bolts in a line by rotating the outer ring plate; The bolts supplied from the single row alignment unit are aligned in a straight line, and an intermediate guide that supplies the bolt to the position changing and discharging section.

4. The bolt supply device according to claim 1, The parallel guide is The collision protrusion and the opposing protrusion are disposed on both sides of the slit, Between the collision convex portion and the opposing convex portion, A bolt supply device in which the opposing convex portion is arranged as a passing gap (D) through which the threaded portion passes.

5. The bolt supply device according to claim 1, The collision protrusion is a collision ring formed by the threaded portion colliding with an outer periphery; Through the center of the collision ring, and a set screw that fixes the collision ring to the underside of the parallel guide.

6. The bolt supply device according to claim 5, The bolt feeder, wherein the collision ring is a circular ring.

7. The bolt supply device according to claim 1, The parallel guide is The collision protrusion and the opposing protrusion are disposed on both sides of the slit, The collision convex portion and the opposing convex portion are a collision ring formed by the threaded portion colliding with an outer periphery; Through the center of the collision ring, a set screw for fixing the collision ring to the lower surface of the parallel guide; The collision ring of the collision protrusion has an outer shape larger than that of the collision ring of the opposing protrusion, The collision ring of the collision protrusion is a large ring, A bolt supply device, wherein the collision ring of the opposing convex portion is a small ring.

8. The bolt supply device according to claim 7, The plurality of set screws that fix the large ring and the small ring are A bolt supply device arranged in a linear fashion on the parallel guide.

9. The bolt supply device according to claim 5, The bolt supply device, wherein the collision ring is a shock absorber.

10. The bolt supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, Above the parallel guide, A bolt supply device including an attitude control arm that can be contacted by the head of the bolt advancing along the parallel guide.

11. The bolt supply device according to claim 10, The attitude control arm is a first attitude control arm and a second attitude control arm; The first attitude control arm includes: The bolt is disposed in the posture change area where the bolt in the horizontal posture changes posture to a vertical posture by tilting, The second attitude control arm includes: A bolt supply device disposed on the discharge side of the position change area.

12. The bolt supply device according to claim 11, the first attitude control arm has a first contact portion that contacts the head of the bolt, the second attitude control arm has a second contact portion that contacts the head of the bolt, A vertical distance (H2) between the second contact portion and the parallel guide is narrower than a vertical distance (H1) between the first contact portion and the parallel guide, The vertical distance (H1) between the first contact portion and the parallel guide is A gap that allows the head of the bolt in a vertical position to pass through but does not allow the head of the bolt in a horizontal position to pass through, The vertical distance (H2) between the second contact portion and the parallel guide is A bolt supply device having a spacing that allows the head of one of the bolts to pass through in a vertical position.

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