Seaweed bundle rotation and lifting device

Abstract

To provide a system provided with one line of a sorter, a rotary elevator for laver bundles, an alignment device, a folding machine, and a bundle machine allowing processing capacity to be 12000 pieces per hour or more and allowing the alignment device to be added to the rotary elevator for laver bundles while keeping the processing capacity of about 12000 pieces per hour.SOLUTION: A rotary elevator for laver bundles is provided with: a cam cylinder 12 fixed on a frame; an elevator shaft 11 vertically moving along an inner surface of the cam cylinder 12; a receiving plate 10 fixed on a top part of the elevator shaft 11; an elevator shaft support body 13 supporting the elevator shaft 11; an annular groove 14 formed in the elevator shaft support body 13; a crank 17 connected to a rotational shaft 16 of an inverter motor 15; and operation shafts of L-shaped links 18, 18 pivotably connected to a tip of the crank 17 and rollers 19, 19 provided at the other end of the L-shaped links 18, 18 and rotating in the annular groove 14. The inverter motor 15 is rotated at speed from low to middle one when the receiving plate 10 is descending and rotated at high speed when the receiving plate 10 is ascending.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device that rotates a seaweed bundle formed by stacking multiple sheets of seaweed that have been judged to be non-defective by a sorting machine in a seaweed production line, lowers and aligns the bundle while rotating it 90 degrees so that the long side can be fed to a folding machine and a binding machine. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in Figure 1, one type of nori production line is one in which two lines of nori are discharged from a nori dryer and then combined into one line using two direction changers. The nori is then inspected for foreign objects and tears in a sorting machine, and defective products are collected in a box outside the system. Only non-defective products are counted and stacked in ten sheets to form a nori bundle. This bundle is then rotated 90 degrees by a nori bundle rotation and lifting device, lowered and aligned, and sent to the folding machine and binding machine with the long side facing forward. Prior art examples of seaweed bundle rotating and lifting devices used in such seaweed production lines include the concentrated seaweed conveying device described in Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 63-27373) and the seaweed bundle 90 degree rotation and alignment device described in Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication No. 2008-230675) applied for by the present applicant. The number of sheets that can be processed on a seaweed production line is determined by the processing capacity of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device. Most conventional seaweed bundle rotating and lifting devices have a processing capacity of around 7,200 sheets per hour, and even the seaweed bundle 90 degree rotation and alignment device of Patent Document 2, which has improved processing capacity, had a maximum processing capacity of 10,000 sheets per hour (see paragraphs 0006 and 0012 of Patent Document 2).

[0003] However, due to recent advances in seaweed dryers, there is a growing demand to increase the processing capacity of seaweed production lines to around 12,000 sheets per hour. In response to this, Patent Document 3 (JP Patent Publication No. 2004-329121) and Patent Document 4 (JP Patent Publication No. 2015-84689) have proposed devices that sort, rotate, align, fold, and bind the seaweed that is transported from the seaweed dryer in two lines, on separate lines.With these devices, it is possible to increase the processing capacity to more than 12,000 sheets per hour. However, the devices described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 have the problem that they use two of each of the sorting machine, consolidating machine, seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device, aligning machine, folding machine, and binding machine, which increases the cost of the device and requires a large installation area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-27373 [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-230675 A (Patent No. 4875524 A) [Patent Document 3] JP 2004-329121 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2015-84689 A (Patent No. 6363831 A) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The first objective of this invention is to solve the above problems and to combine the seaweed discharged from the seaweed dryer in two lines into one line using two direction changers, and then to process more than 12,000 sheets per hour using one system of sorting machine, seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device, aligner, folding machine and binding machine. The second challenge is to add an alignment function to the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device while maintaining a processing capacity of approximately 12,000 sheets per hour. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device of the invention according to claim 1 is as follows: A receiving plate on which a stack of nori sheets can be placed; a support plate rotating and lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the support plate between the top dead center and the bottom dead center and rotate the support plate by 90 degrees while lowering and while raising the support plate; A variable speed motor that drives the support plate rotating and lifting mechanism; a variable speed motor control means for controlling the start, stop and rotation speed of the variable speed motor; A conveyor that conveys the nori bundle downstream before the receiving plate rises from the bottom dead point, and receives the nori bundle placed on the receiving plate while the receiving plate is descending from the top dead point to the bottom dead point. The variable speed motor control means In the early stage of the step of the backing plate descending from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a low speed in order to rotate and descend the backing plate at a low speed; In a later stage of the downward movement of the backing plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a medium speed so that the backing plate is rotated and lowered at a medium speed; In the stage where the backing plate rises from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a high speed in order to rotate and rise the backing plate at a high speed.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 is the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device according to claim 1, The variable speed motor control means In order to rotate and raise the backing plate at a high speed during a period from an initial stage to a final stage of the phase in which the backing plate rises from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a high speed; The rotation speed is controlled to a low speed so that the backing plate is rotated and raised at a low speed from the final stage of the stage in which the backing plate rises from the bottom dead center to the top dead center until the backing plate reaches the top dead center.

[0008] The invention according to claim 3 is the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device according to claim 1 or 2 of the present application, The laver bundle rotating and lifting device is The apparatus further includes alignment wings provided on four sides of the receiving plate in a lowered state so as to be able to be raised and lowered, and an alignment wing raising and lowering means for raising and lowering the alignment wings, The variable speed motor control means During the latter stage of the downward movement of the receiving plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a medium speed in order to rotate and lower the receiving plate at a medium speed until the receiving plate is rotated 90 degrees, During the latter stage of the downward movement of the receiving plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, when the receiving plate has rotated 90 degrees, the rotation of the variable speed motor is stopped to temporarily stop the receiving plate; During the latter stage of the downward movement of the receiving plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a medium speed in order to rotate and descend the receiving plate at a medium speed from when the receiving plate stops until when the receiving plate reaches the bottom dead center; The alignment feather raising and lowering means is characterized in that it controls the posture of the alignment feathers from a lowered state to an upright state during the latter stage when the receiving plate descends from the top dead center to the bottom dead center until the receiving plate has rotated 90 degrees, so that the alignment feathers become upright at the same time as the receiving plate is stopped. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device of the invention according to claim 1 rotates and lowers the receiving plate at a low speed in the early stage of the phase in which the receiving plate descends from the top dead point to the bottom dead point, rotates and lowers the receiving plate at a medium speed in the later stage of the phase in which the receiving plate descends from the top dead point to the bottom dead point, and rotates and lifts the receiving plate at a high speed in the phase in which the receiving plate rises from the bottom dead point to the top dead point. Therefore, the time taken for the receiving plate to descend from the top dead point to the bottom dead point and then to return from the bottom dead point to the top dead point, which constitutes one cycle of processing a seaweed bundle, can be shortened to about 2.5 seconds, and the processing capacity can be increased to about 14,000 sheets per hour.

[0010] According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device of the invention of claim 1, the receiving plate is rotated and lifted at high speed from the beginning to the final stage of the phase in which the receiving plate rises from the bottom dead point to the top dead point, and is rotated and lifted at low speed from the final stage of the phase in which the receiving plate rises from the bottom dead point to the top dead point until it reaches the top dead point, thereby preventing the receiving plate from overrunning the top dead point and rotating too much.

[0011] According to the invention of claim 3, although it is slower than the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device of the invention of claim 1 or 2, one cycle for processing seaweed bundles can be shortened to about 2.8 seconds, so that the processing capacity can be increased to about 12,000 sheets per hour. In addition, since the rotation, lifting, and alignment of the seaweed bundles can be performed all at once, eliminating the need for a separate alignment machine, the entire seaweed production line can be made more compact and the installation area can be reduced.Furthermore, since the path that the seaweed passes before being bundled is shorter, the frequency of the seaweed becoming distorted in its posture due to getting caught, etc. can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an overview of the nori seaweed production line. [Diagram 2] 4 is a side view and a plan view of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device and the alignment machine at the top dead center. [Diagram 3] 4 is a side view and a plan view of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device and the alignment machine at the bottom dead center. [Figure 4] 4 is a side view and a plan view of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device and the alignment machine during ascent. [Diagram 5] 4A and 4B are perspective and side views showing the state of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device near the top dead center. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the state of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device at the bottom dead center. [Figure 7] 4 is a flow chart showing the operation and control state of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a side view of a seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device and an alignment device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing the operation and control state of the alignment machine according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Examples 1 and 2. EXAMPLES

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a seaweed production line to which the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device 1 of Example 1 is applied, and FIG. 2 is a side view (a) and a plan view (b) of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device 1 and the alignment machine 2, showing the state in which the receiving plate 10 of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device 1 is at the top dead center. In the upper left of Figure 1, there is a seaweed drying machine. The rectangular pieces of seaweed coming out of the seaweed drying machine in two lines are combined into one line using two direction changers 3 and 4, and then transported to the right side, where each piece is sorted one by one by sorting machine 5 to determine whether it is good or defective. Then, seaweed that is determined to be defective by the sorting machine 5 is piled up in a defective product bucket (not shown), and seaweed that is determined to be non-defective is transported to the bundling machine 6, where it is stacked while being counted by an appropriate means. Once a predetermined number of sheets (usually 10 sheets) have been counted, the sheet is dropped and the seaweed bundle 8 is placed on a receiving plate 10 that is waiting at the top dead center, as shown in Figure 2(a).

[0015] 3A and 3B are, like FIG. 2, a side view and a plan view of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1 and the alignment device 2, respectively, showing the state in which the receiving plate 10 of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1 is at the bottom dead center. When the nori bundle 8 is placed on the receiving plate 10 and the inverter motor 15 starts after a first predetermined time (the time until the vibration of the nori bundle 8 stops) has elapsed, the receiving plate 10 rotates 90 degrees while descending, and the nori bundle 8 is loaded onto the stopped transport conveyor 9 just before it reaches the bottom dead point. Then, when the receiving plate 10 reaches the bottom dead point, the transport conveyor 9 starts and transports the seaweed bundle 8 downstream before the fifth predetermined time has elapsed, and the bundle 8 is loaded onto the aligner transport conveyor 27. When the seaweed bundle 8 begins to be transported by the aligner transport conveyor 27, the transport conveyor 9 stops and the receiving plate 10 starts to rise from the bottom dead point. That is, as can be seen from Figures 2(b) and 3(b), the long side of the seaweed bundle 8 (the side parallel to arrow A in Figure 2) is parallel to the conveying direction when the seaweed bundle 8 is placed on the receiving plate 10, but becomes perpendicular to the conveying direction when it is loaded onto the transport conveyor 9. Therefore, if the seaweed bundle 8 is transported downstream as is on the transport conveyor 9, it can be aligned by the alignment machine 2 and then sent to the folding and binding machine 7 with the long side facing forward, so that the seaweed bundle 8 can be smoothly folded in half, and 10 sheets (usually a total of 100 sheets) folded in half can be bundled together, bound with paper tape, boxed, and ready for shipment.

[0016] 4A and 4B are a side view and a plan view, respectively, of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1 and the alignment device 2, similar to FIGS. 2 and 3, showing the state in which the receiving plate 10 of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1 is rising. As described above, the seaweed bundle 8 is transported downstream (to the side where the aligner 2 is located) with the receiving plate 10 at the bottom dead center, and as shown in Figure 4, when the receiving plate 10 reaches the aligner 2 while rising, the aligner transport conveyor 27 stops temporarily and the alignment blades 28 on all four sides rise up and the four sides are intermittently tapped, so that all four sides are aligned. After the seaweed bundles 8 are aligned, the alignment wings 28 fall under the alignment machine transport conveyor 27, which then starts again, and the aligned seaweed bundles 8 are transported downstream, transferred to the folding machine transport conveyor 31, and sent to the folding machine and binding machine 7.

[0017] FIG. 5(a) is a perspective view and FIG. 5(b) is a side view showing the state of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1 near the top dead center, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the state of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1 at the bottom dead center. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the receiving plate 10 is fixed to the top of a vertical lift shaft 11 which moves up and down within a cam cylinder 12 and rotates. The cam cylinder 12 is fixed to a frame (not shown). A lifting shaft support 13 that supports the lifting shaft 11 is provided at the lower end of the lifting shaft 11 that extends through the bottom of the cam cylinder 12, and an annular groove 14 is formed in the lifting shaft support 13. A compression spring (not shown) is attached to the lifting shaft support 13, which extends when the lifting shaft support 13 descends and contracts when the lifting shaft support 13 ascends from the bottom dead point, providing a rotational force that rotates the lifting shaft 11 90 degrees counterclockwise.

[0018] In order to move the lifting shaft 11 up and down, the tip of a crank 17 connected to the rotating shaft 16 of the inverter motor 15 is pivotally attached to the center of an operating shaft provided at one end of dog-legged links 18, 18 arranged on both sides of the lifting shaft support 13, and the other ends of the dog-legged links 18, 18 are provided with rollers 19, 19 that roll in the annular groove 14 of the lifting shaft support 13. That is, when the rotating shaft 16 of the inverter motor 15 rotates clockwise from the state shown in Fig. 5, the crank 17 is pulled in to the left, and when it rotates 180 degrees, it reaches the state shown in Fig. 6. When the rotating shaft 16 rotates further clockwise, the crank 17 is pushed out to the right, and when it rotates 180 degrees, it returns to the state shown in Fig. 5. This movement of the crank 17 reciprocates the operating shaft provided at one end of the dog-legged links 18, and this reciprocating movement causes the rollers 19, arranged in the annular groove 14 to move up and down between the state shown in Fig. 5 and the state shown in Fig. 6. When the lifting shaft support 13 moves up and down due to this up and down movement of the rollers 19, the lifting shaft 11 moves up and down along the inner surface of the cam cylinder 12, and the receiving plate 10 moves up and down.

[0019] The mechanism that rotates the receiving plate 10 90 degrees as the lifting shaft 11 descends, and then rotates the receiving plate 10 90 degrees as the lifting shaft 11 ascends and returns it to its original position is composed of a cam roller 21 that is rotatably supported at the end of a cam roller support rod 20 that is fixed perpendicular to the lifting shaft 11, and an inclined cam surface 22 that is formed by cutting out the wall of the cam cylinder 12. That is, the inclined cam surface 22 on which the cam roller 21 rolls is formed in a spiral shape, and when the lifting shaft support 13 and the lifting shaft 11 descend from the top dead point (the state in FIG. 5), the cam roller 21 is moved clockwise as viewed from above along the inclined cam surface 22 against the biasing force of the compression spring, and the lifting shaft 11 rotates 90 degrees before reaching the bottom dead point (the state in FIG. 6). Conversely, when the lifting shaft support 13 and the lifting shaft 11 ascend from the bottom dead point, the cam roller 21 receives the biasing force of the compression spring and moves counterclockwise as viewed from above along the inclined cam surface 22, so that the lifting shaft 11 rotates 90 degrees at the time of reaching the top dead point and returns to its original state. Therefore, the receiving plate 10 fixed to the top of the lifting shaft 11 also rotates 90 degrees clockwise as viewed from above while descending from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, and rotates 90 degrees counterclockwise as viewed from above while ascending from the bottom dead center to the top dead center. In addition, to enable the receiving plate 10 to descend vertically to the bottom dead point below the conveyor 9 after rotating 90 degrees, and to enable the receiving plate 10 to rise from the bottom dead point to just above the conveyor 9 without rotating, vertical grooves 23 are formed at the ends (two locations) of the inclined cam surface 22 to allow the cam rollers 21 to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0020] The inverter motor 15 is adapted to operate intermittently so as to keep the lifting shaft 11 on standby and not lowered until a first predetermined time has elapsed since the seaweed bundle 8 was placed on the receiving plate 10 at the top dead point, and so as to keep the lifting shaft 11 on standby and not raised until a fifth predetermined time has elapsed since the transport conveyor 9 started at the bottom dead point. Furthermore, the inverter motor 15 has an inverter motor control means capable of controlling starting, stopping and the rotation speed so that the lifting shaft 11 can be lowered and rotated smoothly and quickly when the seaweed bundle 8 is placed on the receiving plate 10, and so that the lifting shaft 11 can be raised and rotated as quickly as possible from the state in which the receiving plate 10 is at the bottom dead center (the state in Figure 6) to the state in which the receiving plate 10 is at the top dead center (the state in Figure 5). In order to reliably stop the inverter motor 15 when the backing plate 10 reaches the top dead center and the bottom dead center, a rotating cam 24 and a motor stop switch 25 are provided on the rotating shaft 16 of the inverter motor 15 and in its vicinity, respectively, and the motor stop switch 25 has a motor stop cam roller 26 that comes into contact with the rotating cam 24 and can activate the motor stop switch 25.

[0021] Next, the lifting and rotation of the receiving plate 10 and the operation of the transport conveyor 9 in the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is a flow diagram showing the operation and control state of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device 1, with the state of the rotating cam 24 shown on the left side and the positional relationship between the cam roller 21 and the inclined cam surface 22 (developed view) shown on the right side.

[0022] (1) Start of operation Before the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1 starts operating, the cam roller 21 is positioned at the 90 degree point of the inclined cam surface 22, and the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 are at the top dead center, waiting for the nori bundle 8 to be placed on it. The operation of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device 1 is initiated by the operation of a clutch provided in the bundler 6 to drop the seaweed bundle 8, but the inverter motor 15 remains stopped until a first predetermined time has elapsed after the clutch is operated (the time until the seaweed bundle 8 stops shaking and comes to a standstill after the seaweed bundle 8 is placed on the receiving plate 10). For this reason, a first timer ("timer 1" in FIG. 7) is provided that outputs a start signal for the inverter motor 15 when a first predetermined time has elapsed since the clutch operation signal was received.

[0023] (2) Low-speed operation (the early stage when the rotating / support plate descends from the top dead center to the bottom dead center) When a start signal is output from the first timer, the inverter motor control means starts the inverter motor 15 and controls it to rotate at a low speed to prevent the seaweed bundle 8 from slipping on the receiving plate 10. Until a second predetermined time has elapsed after the start, the inverter motor 15 rotates at a low speed, and the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 descend while rotating at a low speed. For this reason, a second timer ("timer 2" in FIG. 7) is provided that outputs an acceleration signal for the inverter motor 15 when a second predetermined time has elapsed since the start signal was received.

[0024] (3) Medium speed operation (to the seaweed transport position / later stage when the receiving plate descends from the top dead point to the bottom dead point) When an acceleration signal is output from the second timer, the inverter motor control means controls the inverter motor 15 to rotate at a medium speed, and rotates it at the medium speed until the motor stop switch 25 turns on ("sensor ON" in FIG. 7). Then, the receiving plate 10 rotates 90 degrees and then descends vertically, and on the way down, the seaweed bundle 8 is loaded onto the stopped transport conveyor 9 (the "V-belt" in Figure 7). Thereafter, when the receiving plate 10 descends to the bottom dead point below the transport conveyor 9, the motor stop switch 25 is turned on, and the inverter motor control means stops the inverter motor 15.

[0025] (4) Stop (seaweed transport) When the inverter motor 15 stops, the transport conveyor 9 starts, and the nori bundles 8 are transported downstream and loaded onto the aligner transport conveyor 27 within the fifth predetermined time, and the transport conveyor 9 stops when the nori bundles 8 start to be transported by the aligner transport conveyor 27. The stopper 29 of the aligner 2 is in an upright position and on standby from the start of operation of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device 1. On the other hand, the inverter motor 15 remains stopped until the fifth predetermined time has elapsed. For this reason, a fifth timer ("timer 5" in FIG. 7) is provided that outputs a restart signal for the inverter motor 15 when a fifth predetermined time has elapsed since the ON signal of the motor stop switch 25 is received.

[0026] (5) High-speed operation (rising / the initial to final stage when the support plate rises from the bottom dead point to the top dead point) When a restart signal is output from the fifth timer, the inverter motor control means restarts the inverter motor 15 and controls it to rotate at high speed. Until a sixth predetermined time has elapsed from the restart, the inverter motor 15 rotates at high speed, and the support plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 rotate in the reverse direction at high speed while rising to just before the top dead center. For this reason, a sixth timer ("timer 6" in FIG. 7) is provided that outputs a deceleration signal for the inverter motor 15 when a sixth predetermined time has elapsed since the restart signal was received.

[0027] (6) Low-speed operation (end position / after the final stage when the support plate rises from the bottom dead center to the top dead center) When a deceleration signal is output from the sixth timer, the inverter motor control means controls the inverter motor 15 to rotate at a low speed to prevent overrun, and rotates the inverter motor 15 at the low speed until the motor stop switch 25 turns off ("sensor OFF" in Figure 7). Thereafter, when the backing plate 10 rises to the top dead center, which is the position where it has rotated 90 degrees in the opposite direction, the motor stop switch 25 is turned off and the inverter motor control means stops the inverter motor 15. In addition, the nori bundle 8 that has begun to be transported by the aligner transport conveyor 27 in the above (4) then enters the center of the aligner 2 and stops when it hits the stopper 29, which activates the entry sensor 30 and temporarily stops the aligner transport conveyor 27. After the aligner transport conveyor 27 has temporarily stopped, the stopper 29 falls below the upper surface of the aligner transport conveyor 27, and the four alignment wings 28 rise up and intermittently hit the four sides of the nori bundle 8, so that all four sides are aligned. After the seaweed bundles 8 have been aligned, the alignment wings 28 fall under the aligner transport conveyor 27, which then starts again, and the seaweed bundles 8 are transported further downstream, transferred to the folding machine transport conveyor 31, and sent to the folding machine and binding machine 7.

[0028] (7)End The receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 stop at the top dead center, return to the state before the start of the operation described in (1) above, and wait for the next nori seaweed bundle 8 to be placed. The above (1) to (7) are one cycle for processing 10 sheets of nori bundle 8 in the nori bundle rotating and lifting device. The number of sheets that can be processed on a nori production line is determined by the processing capacity of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device, i.e., the time required for one cycle. Conventionally, (3) and (5) were also operated at a low speed, which took time for the lowering and raising of the receiving plate 10, and the time required for one cycle was approximately 3.5 seconds. Therefore, the processing speed was limited to about 10,000 sheets per hour. However, according to the first embodiment, one cycle can be shortened to about 2.5 seconds, so that the processing speed can be increased to about 14,000 sheets per hour. Furthermore, the time from when the seaweed bundle 8 is sent out by the transport conveyor 9 to when it is aligned by the aligner 2 also needs to be shortened to 2.5 seconds or less. However, this process only involves moving the seaweed bundle 8 in parallel and raising and lowering the stopper 29 and the alignment blades 28, so this can be easily controlled by simply adjusting the movement speeds of the transport conveyor 9, the aligner transport conveyor 27 and the folding machine transport conveyor 31. EXAMPLES

[0029] FIG. 8 is a side view of the nori seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device according to the second embodiment, showing the state immediately after the receiving plate 10 carrying the nori seaweed bundle 8 has rotated 90 degrees while descending from the top dead center. The seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device of Example 2 combines the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device 1 of Example 1 with an alignment blade 32, and has a more complex structure than the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device 1 of Example 1, and the control of the lifting and rotation of the receiving plate 10 is also more complex. However, since the rotation, lifting, and alignment of the seaweed bundles 8 can be performed all at once and there is no need to install a separate alignment machine 2, the entire seaweed production line can be made more compact and the installation area can be reduced. In addition, since the path that the seaweed bundles 8 pass through before being bound is shortened, the frequency of the seaweed bundles 8 becoming distorted in their posture due to getting caught, etc. can be reduced. When a nori production line is constructed using the nori bundle rotating and lifting device of Example 2, the alignment machine 2 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is not necessary, but the only other differences are that alignment blades 32 are provided on all four sides of the receiving plate 10 in a lowered state so that they can be raised and lowered, and that multiple control timers are added. Therefore, the explanation of the mechanism for raising and lowering the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 (explanation of Figures 5 and 6) will be omitted, and the common components will be explained using the same numbers as in Example 1.

[0030] The lifting and rotation of the receiving plate 10, the stopping and starting operations of the transfer conveyor 9, and the raising and lowering of the alignment blades 32 in the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device according to the second embodiment will be described below. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram showing the operation and control state of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device of the second embodiment, and is similar to FIG. 7 in that it also shows the state of the rotating cam 24 and the positional relationship between the cam roller 21 and the inclined cam surface 22 (developed view).

[0031] (A) Start of operation <same as (1) of Example 1 except for the control of the alignment blade 32> Before the nori bundle rotating and lifting device starts operating, the cam roller 21 is positioned at the 90 degree point of the inclined cam surface 22, and the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 are at the top dead center, waiting for the nori bundle 8 to be placed on it. The operation of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device is initiated by the operation of a clutch provided in the bundler 6 to drop the seaweed bundle 8, but the inverter motor 15 remains stopped until a first predetermined time has elapsed after the clutch is operated (the time until the seaweed bundle 8 stops shaking and comes to a standstill after the seaweed bundle 8 is placed on the receiving plate 10). After the inverter motor 15 starts, the backing plate 10 is controlled to rotate 90 degrees and at the same time the alignment blades 32 are closed. Therefore, there is a first timer ("Timer 1" in FIG. 9) that outputs a start signal for the inverter motor 15 when a first predetermined time has elapsed since receiving the clutch operation signal, and a tenth timer ("Timer 10" in FIG. 9) that outputs a raising signal to the rotary motor that raises and lowers the alignment feathers 32 when a tenth predetermined time has elapsed since receiving the clutch operation signal.

[0032] (B) Low-speed operation (turning) <same as (2) in Example 1> When a start signal is output from the first timer, the inverter motor control means starts the inverter motor 15 and controls it to rotate at a low speed to prevent the seaweed bundle 8 from slipping on the receiving plate 10. Until a second predetermined time has elapsed after the start, the inverter motor 15 rotates at a low speed, and the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 descend while rotating at a low speed. For this reason, a second timer ("timer 2" in FIG. 9) is provided that outputs an acceleration signal for the inverter motor 15 when a second predetermined time has elapsed since the start signal was received.

[0033] (C) Medium speed operation (to the alignment position / in the latter stage when the support plate descends from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, until the support plate has rotated 90 degrees) When the second timer outputs an acceleration signal, the inverter motor control means controls the inverter motor 15 to rotate at a medium speed, and rotates the inverter motor 15 at the medium speed until a third predetermined time has elapsed since the start of acceleration. Then, the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 descend while rotating at a medium speed, and when the third predetermined time has elapsed, the receiving plate 10 reaches a state where it has been rotated 90 degrees. In addition, while the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 are rotating at a medium speed and descending, a rising signal is output from the 10th timer, and the alignment blades 32 begin to close, and at the same time that the receiving plate 10 rotates 90 degrees, the alignment blades 32 are closed and remain closed until the 11th predetermined time (about 0.1 seconds) has elapsed. This operation of the alignment blades 32 allows the four sides of the nori bundle 8 to be aligned with almost no time loss. Therefore, there is a third timer ("Timer 3" in FIG. 9) that outputs a temporary stop signal for the inverter motor 15 when a third predetermined time has elapsed since the acceleration signal was received, and an eleventh timer ("Timer 11" in FIG. 9) that outputs a lowering signal to lower the alignment feathers 32 when an eleventh predetermined time has elapsed since the stop signal was received.

[0034] (D) Stop (alignment / when the receiving plate rotates 90 degrees during the latter stage of descending from the top dead center to the bottom dead center) When a stop signal is output from the third timer, the inverter motor control means stops the inverter motor 15 and keeps it stopped until the fourth specified time has elapsed, so that the support plate 10 stops temporarily after rotating 90 degrees from the top dead center. For this reason, a fourth timer ("timer 4" in FIG. 9) is provided that outputs a re-rotation signal for the inverter motor 15 when a fourth predetermined time has elapsed since the signal was received.

[0035] (E) Medium speed operation (to the seaweed transport position / in the latter stage of the stage in which the receiving plate descends from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, from when the receiving plate stops until it reaches the bottom dead center) When a re-rotation signal is output from the fourth timer, the inverter motor control means re-rotates the inverter motor 15 at medium speed, and continues to rotate at medium speed until the motor stop switch 25 is turned on ("sensor ON" in Figure 9). Then, the receiving plate 10 descends vertically, and on the way down, the seaweed bundle 8 is loaded onto the stopped transport conveyor 9 (the "V-belt" in FIG. 9). Then, when the motor stop switch 25 is turned on and a twentieth predetermined time has elapsed since the rotary motor begins to tilt the alignment blade 32, the transport conveyor 9 starts, and by the time the fifth predetermined time has elapsed, the nori bundle 8 is transported downstream and loaded onto the folding machine transport conveyor 31, and when the nori bundle 8 begins to be transported by the folding machine transport conveyor 31, the transport conveyor 9 stops. Thereafter, when the receiving plate 10 descends to the bottom dead point below the transport conveyor 9, the motor stop switch 25 is turned on, and the inverter motor control means stops the inverter motor 15.

[0036] (F) Stop (seaweed transport) When the inverter motor 15 stops and a twentieth predetermined time has elapsed since the rotary motor begins to tilt the alignment blade 32, the transport conveyor 9 starts and transports the seaweed bundle 8 downstream and loads it onto the folding machine transport conveyor 31 before the fifth predetermined time has elapsed. When the 21st predetermined time has elapsed and the seaweed bundle 8 begins to be transported by the folding machine transport conveyor 31, the transport conveyor 9 stops. On the other hand, the inverter motor 15 remains stopped until the fifth predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, there is a fifth timer ("Timer 5" in FIG. 9) that outputs a restart signal for the inverter motor 15 when a fifth predetermined time has elapsed since the motor stop switch 25 is received, a twentieth timer ("Timer 20" in FIG. 9) that outputs a conveyor start signal for starting the conveyor 9 when a twentieth predetermined time has elapsed since the tipping signal is received, and a 21st timer ("Timer 21" in FIG. 9) that outputs a conveyor stop signal for stopping the conveyor 9 when a 21st predetermined time has elapsed since the conveyor start signal is received.

[0037] (G) High-speed operation (ascending) <same as (5) in Example 1> When a restart signal is output from the fifth timer, the inverter motor control means restarts the inverter motor 15 and controls it to rotate at high speed. Until a sixth predetermined time has elapsed from the restart, the inverter motor 15 rotates at high speed, and the support plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 rotate in the reverse direction at high speed while rising to just before the top dead center. For this reason, a sixth timer ("timer 6" in FIG. 9) is provided that outputs a deceleration signal for the inverter motor 15 when a sixth predetermined time has elapsed since the restart signal was received.

[0038] (H) Low-speed operation (end position) <almost the same as (6) in Example 1> When a deceleration signal is output from the sixth timer, the inverter motor control means controls the inverter motor 15 to rotate at a low speed to prevent overrun, and rotates the inverter motor 15 at the low speed until the motor stop switch 25 turns off ("sensor OFF" in Figure 7). Thereafter, when the backing plate 10 rises to the top dead center, which is the position where it has rotated 90 degrees in the opposite direction, the motor stop switch 25 is turned off and the inverter motor control means stops the inverter motor 15. In addition, the nori bundle 8 that has begun to be conveyed by the folding machine conveyor 31 in the above (F) is sent to the folding machine and bundling machine 7.

[0039] (I) Termination The receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 stop at the top dead center, return to the state before the start of the operation described above in (A), and wait for the next nori seaweed bundle 8 to be placed. The above (A) to (I) are one cycle in which 10 sheets of nori bundles 8 are processed in the nori bundle rotating and lifting device. The number of sheets that can be processed on a nori production line is determined by the processing capacity of the nori bundle rotating and lifting device, i.e., the time required for one cycle. Although it takes longer than one cycle in Example 1 (approximately 2.5 seconds), the (3) medium-speed operation (to the nori transport position) in Example 1 is simply changed to (C) medium-speed operation (to the alignment position), (D) stop (alignment), and (E) medium-speed operation (to the nori transport position). Also, as described in (D) above, the four sides of the nori bundle 8 are aligned with almost no time loss. Therefore, in Example 2 as well, one cycle can be shortened to approximately 2.8 seconds, and the number of sheets that can be processed can be increased to approximately 12,000 sheets per hour.

[0040] Modifications of the seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device of the embodiment are listed below. (1) In the first and second embodiments, the cam cylinder 12, the lifting shaft support 13, the annular groove 14, the inverter motor 15, the crank 17, the dog-shaped links 18, 18, the rollers 19, 19, and a compression spring (not shown) are used to raise and lower the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 while rotating them by 90 degrees. However, instead of such a mechanism, a mechanism may be used in which the lower part of the helical shaft to which the receiving plate 10 is fixed is supported so as to be rotatable about its axis, and the helical shaft, which can move up and down along the inner wall of a cylinder having a protrusion that engages with the helical groove, is raised and lowered by a variable speed motor such as the inverter motor 15. Alternatively, a mechanism may be used in which the receiving plate 10 is rotatably attached to the top of a rod-shaped body, the receiving plate 10 can be rotated by 90 degrees at a time by a first variable speed motor, and the rod-shaped body is raised and lowered by a second variable speed motor. In the latter alternative mechanism, the receiving plate 10 may be rotated by 90 degrees in the same direction when lowering and when raising, or may be rotated by 90 degrees in opposite directions. Therefore, the claims state that the mechanism is "a support plate rotating and lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the support plate between the top dead center and the bottom dead center, and rotate the support plate by 90 degrees during both the descent and ascent."

[0041] (2) In the first and second embodiments, when the receiving plate 10 and the lifting shaft 11 are raised while rotating in the reverse direction, in order to prevent overrun, they are rotated and raised at high speed until just before the top dead center, and then at low speed thereafter (see the explanation of operations (5) and (6) in the first embodiment and operations (G) and (H) in the second embodiment). However, if the sixth timer is designed to output a stop signal slightly earlier in anticipation of an overrun, it is not necessary to rotate and lift at low speed from midway, and this can further shorten the time required for one cycle. In this case, it is better to provide a protrusion on the upper surface of the inclined cam surface 22 so that the cam roller 21 stops at the 90 degree point of the inclined cam surface 22.

[0042] (3) In the first and second embodiments, in order to reliably stop the inverter motor 15, a rotating cam 24 and a motor stop switch 25 are provided on the rotating shaft 16 of the inverter motor 15 and in its vicinity. However, instead of this configuration, a detector may be provided that detects the position of a specific point on any of the rotating shaft 16, the crank 17, the dog-legged links 18, 18, the lifting shaft 11 and the support plate 10, and outputs a stop signal to stop the inverter motor 15 when the support plate 10 or the lifting shaft 11 is located at the top dead center or bottom dead center. (4) In Example 2, a rotary motor was used to raise and lower the alignment feathers 32. However, as long as it is possible to control the posture of the alignment feathers 32 between a lowered state and an upright state, a linear motion mechanism such as a solenoid and a link mechanism may be used instead of a rotary motor. Therefore, in the claims, it is expressed as "alignment feather raising and lowering means for raising and lowering the alignment feathers." [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1: Seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device 2: Alignment machine 3, 4: Direction change machine 5: Sorting machine 6: Bundling machine 7: Folding machine and bundling machine 8: Seaweed bundle 9: Conveyor 10: Support plate 11: Lifting shaft 12: Cam cylinder 13: Lifting shaft support 14: Annular groove 15: Inverter motor 16: Rotating shaft 17: Crank 18: L-shaped link 19: Roller 20: Cam roller support bar 21: Cam roller 22: Inclined cam surface 23: Vertical groove 24: Rotating cam 25: Motor stop switch 26: Motor stop cam roller 27: Alignment machine conveyor 28: Alignment blade 29: Stopper 30: Entry sensor 31: Bending machine transport conveyor 32: Alignment wing

Claims

1. A receiving plate on which a stack of nori sheets can be placed; a support plate rotating and lifting mechanism that can raise and lower the support plate between the top dead center and the bottom dead center and rotate the support plate by 90 degrees while lowering and while raising the support plate; A variable speed motor that drives the support plate rotating and lifting mechanism; a variable speed motor control means for controlling the start, stop and rotation speed of the variable speed motor; A conveyor that conveys the nori bundle downstream before the receiving plate rises from the bottom dead point, and receives the nori bundle placed on the receiving plate while the receiving plate is descending from the top dead point to the bottom dead point. The variable speed motor control means In the early stage of the step of the backing plate descending from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a low speed in order to rotate and descend the backing plate at a low speed; In a later stage of the downward movement of the backing plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a medium speed so that the backing plate is rotated and lowered at a medium speed; In the stage where the receiving plate rises from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a high speed in order to rotate and raise the receiving plate at a high speed. A seaweed bundle rotating and lifting device characterized by the above.

2. The variable speed motor control means In order to rotate and raise the backing plate at a high speed during a period from an initial stage to a final stage of the phase in which the backing plate rises from the bottom dead center to the top dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a high speed; In order to rotate and raise the receiving plate at a low speed from the final stage of the stage in which the receiving plate rises from the bottom dead center to the top dead center until the receiving plate reaches the top dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a low speed.

2. The laver bundle rotating and lifting device according to claim 1.

3. The laver bundle rotating and lifting device is The apparatus further includes alignment wings provided on four sides of the receiving plate in a lowered state so as to be able to be raised and lowered, and an alignment wing raising and lowering means for raising and lowering the alignment wings, The variable speed motor control means During the latter stage of the downward movement of the receiving plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a medium speed in order to rotate and lower the receiving plate at a medium speed until the receiving plate is rotated 90 degrees, When the receiving plate is rotated by 90 degrees during the latter stage of the downward movement of the receiving plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation of the variable speed motor is stopped to temporarily stop the receiving plate; During the latter stage of the downward movement of the receiving plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center, the rotation speed is controlled to a medium speed in order to rotate and descend the receiving plate at a medium speed from when the receiving plate stops until when the receiving plate reaches the bottom dead center; The alignment feather raising and lowering means controls the posture of the alignment feather from the lowered state to the upright state during the latter stage of the descending stage of the receiving plate from the top dead center to the bottom dead center until the receiving plate is rotated 90 degrees so that the alignment feather is in the upright state at the same time as the receiving plate is stopped temporarily.

3. The laver bundle rotating and lifting device according to claim 1 or 2.

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