Smoother, gypsum board manufacturing equipment

Abstract

This smoother comprises: a conveyance device for a molded body; a pair of arms respectively arranged on both widthwise end sides of the conveyance device and each having longitudinal ends that can be pivotally moved up and down with respect to a conveyance surface of the conveyance device; a smoother board that is fixed on one longitudinal end side of the pair of arms; a weight that is attached to each of the pair of arms and movable along the longitudinal direction of the arms; a weight position change device that changes the position of the weight on the arms; and a first control device that controls the position of the weights on the arms via the weight position change device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a smoother, a gypsum board manufacturing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a moving belt that receives and conveys a continuously supplied unhardened hardenable slurry on a moving surface, a first roll that is provided on the moving belt and has a rotation axis that is aligned in a direction transverse to the conveying direction of the moving belt; a rotatable second roll, which is disposed downstream of the first roll in the conveying direction, facing the first roll and spaced apart from the moving surface by a desired distance, and which has a rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis of the first roll; a width defining member provided on each side of the moving belt for defining a flow width of the hardenable slurry on the moving surface; A slurry molding apparatus is disclosed, which is characterized in that the hardenable slurry is supplied between the first roll and the second roll from above, and the hardenable slurry is supplied from between the first roll and the second roll onto the moving surface while being spread in the width direction of the moving belt by the first roll and the second roll, and is molded into a plate-like molded product whose width is determined by the width determining member and whose thickness is determined by the distance between the moving surface and the second roll. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-277222 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, various slurries have conventionally been molded into compacts using a molding machine.

[0005] The plate-shaped molded body obtained by molding the slurry with a molding machine has a nearly smooth surface. However, the molded body obtained from the slurry may have a shape that is slightly bulged in the thickness direction rather than the intended shape, depending on the supply mode of the slurry in the molding machine. In addition, the molded body may warp or bulge due to drying during transportation of the molded body after molding. When a molded body is manufactured in which a covering member such as a board base paper is placed on the surface of the slurry, such as a gypsum board, there may be a portion where the internal pressure is high due to air bubbles contained between the slurry and the covering member, and a portion of the surface of the molded body may bulge.

[0006] For this reason, in order to correct (straighten) the bulges and warping of such molded bodies and to increase the smoothness of the surface, a device called a smoother has traditionally been used to further level and smooth the surface of the molded body after molding by the molding machine.

[0007] In order to smooth the surface of a molded body or the like using a smoother, it is necessary to press and level the surface of the molded body with a smoother plate while applying an appropriate load to the molded body to smooth the surface. For this reason, in the past, a glass plate with sufficient weight was sometimes used as the smoother plate that comes into contact with the molded body.

[0008] However, the load required to smooth the surface varies depending on the type and size of the molded body to be manufactured. The weight of the glass plate used for the smoother plate is predetermined and cannot be changed, so for example, it is necessary to prepare multiple smoother plates with different weights and change the smoother plate with the appropriate weight each time the type of molded body to be manufactured is changed. Therefore, from the viewpoint of increasing productivity, a smoother that can easily change the load applied to the molded body without the need for the complicated work of changing the smoother plate has been desired.

[0009] In view of the above problems in the conventional technology, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a smoother that can easily change the load applied to a molded body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a conveying device for a molded body is provided, a pair of arms arranged at both ends of the conveying device in a width direction, the arms having longitudinal ends that can swing up and down relative to a conveying surface of the conveying device; a smoother plate fixed to one end side of the pair of arms in the longitudinal direction; a weight attached to each of the pair of arms and movable along a longitudinal direction of the arm; a weight position changing device that changes the position of the weight on the arm; and a first control device that controls the position of the weight on the arm via the weight position changing device. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a smoother capable of easily changing the load applied to a molded body can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a smoother according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the smoother shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a gypsum board manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the form for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the following embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Smoother] A configuration example of the smoother of this embodiment will be described. The smoother of this embodiment is a device for leveling and smoothing the surface of a molded body molded by a molding machine 37, as shown in a gypsum board manufacturing apparatus 30 in Fig. 3 described later, and can also be called a smoothing device.

[0014] While a molding machine is a device that molds an amorphous slurry into a predetermined shape, the smoother of this embodiment is a device for correcting the shape of the molded body of the slurry molded by the molding machine, specifically, for example, a device for smoothing the surface of the molded body as described above. Therefore, the smoother of this embodiment can be disposed downstream of the molding machine in the conveying direction of the molded body, and can perform final molding of the molded body.

[0015] The smoother of this embodiment is a smoother that smoothes the surface of a molded body being transported by a transport device, and can have the following transport device, arm, smoother plate, weight, weight position changing device, and first control device.

[0016] A configuration example of the smoother of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a top view of the smoother 10 of this embodiment. Figure 2 is a side view of the smoother shown in Figure 1 along the block arrow A. In addition, in Figures 1 and 2, any members that the smoother of this embodiment may have are also shown, and the smoother is not limited to the above form. In addition, in Figure 1, the various control devices shown in Figure 2 and the connection lines between the control devices and each member are omitted. For convenience of description, in Figure 2, only the connection lines between the control device 22 and each member on one arm 1021 side are shown, but connection lines can be similarly arranged between the control device 22 and the weight position change device 1052 on the other arm 1022 side, the smoother plate position change device 1062, etc.

[0017] 1 and 2, the X-axis is the conveying direction of the molded body 11, the Y-axis is the width direction of the molded body 11 and the conveying device 12, and the Z-axis is the thickness direction of the molded body 11 and corresponds to the height direction (vertical direction) of the smoother 10, etc. The direction of the Z-axis may also be referred to as the vertical direction with respect to the conveying surface of the conveying device 12.

[0018] 1 and 2, a molded body 11 is conveyed by a conveying device 12 from the right side to the left side in the drawings along the X-axis direction, i.e., along the block arrow B. Also, Figs. 1 and 2 show a state in which the surface of the molded body 11 being conveyed is smoothed by the smoother 10 of this embodiment.

[0019] The components of the smoother of this embodiment will be described below. (1) About Smoother (1-1) Transport device The smoother 10 of this embodiment can have a conveying device 12 for the molded body 11. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the conveying device 12 is exemplified by a belt conveyor in which a belt 122 is hung between a pair of pulleys 121 and a roll 123 for supporting the molded body 11 or the like is disposed between the pair of pulleys 121. However, the conveying device 12 may be any device capable of supporting and conveying the molded body 11, and is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0020] For example, one or more types selected from a belt conveyor, a roll conveyor, a chain conveyor, etc. can be used as the conveying device 12. Note that the conveying device 12 may have a plurality of types of conveying devices, such as a belt conveyor and a roll conveyor.

[0021] The surface of the conveying device 12 on which the molded body 11 is placed becomes the conveying surface of the conveying device 12. (1-2) Arm, support shaft The smoother 10 of this embodiment can have a pair of arms 102. The arms 102 are disposed on both ends of the molded body 11 and the conveying device 12 in the width direction.

[0022] That is, the smoother 10 of this embodiment can have two arms 102: an arm 1021 and an arm 1022.

[0023] The shape of the arm 102 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a rod-like or columnar shape. However, the rod-like or columnar shape does not mean a strict geometric shape, and may include any deformation required for installing a weight or the like, which will be described later.

[0024] In addition, the arm 102 is preferably installed at a predetermined distance from the end of the conveying device 12 in the width direction so as not to interfere with the conveying device 12 that conveys the molded body 11.

[0025] The arm 102 can be configured so that the end in the longitudinal direction can swing up and down relative to the conveying surface of the conveying device 12. In other words, the end in the longitudinal direction of the arm 102 can be configured so as to be swingable (movable) along the Z axis in FIGS.

[0026] The configuration for enabling the longitudinal end of the arm 102 to swing is not particularly limited, but for example, the smoother 10 can have a support shaft 103A connected to the arm 102.

[0027] By connecting the support shaft 103A to the arm 102 as described above, both ends of the arm 102 in the longitudinal direction can be configured to be swingable, i.e., movable, up and down with the support shaft 103A as a fulcrum (rotation axis). For example, in FIG. 2, the arm 102 can be rotated clockwise with the support shaft 103A as a fulcrum to move the smoother plate 101 described below downward, so that the smoother plate 101 can be brought into contact with and press against the surface of the molded body 11. At this time, the load applied to the surface of the molded body 11 can be adjusted by adjusting the force of the rightward rotation, in other words, the force of the smoother plate 101 pressing downward.

[0028] In addition, by rotating the arm 102 counterclockwise around the support shaft 103A as a fulcrum, the smoother plate 101 can be moved upward, thereby reducing the load applied to the molded body 11 by the smoother plate 101, and even moving the smoother plate 101 away from the molded body 11.

[0029] The support shaft 103A can be provided horizontally and perpendicular to the conveying direction of the molded body 11. The end of the support shaft 103A that is not connected to the arm 102 can be connected to a bearing 103B. Also, the support device 103 can be configured by the support shaft 103A and the bearing 103B.

[0030] 1, the support device 103 can also be provided on both ends in the width direction of the molded body 11 or the conveying device 12. Therefore, the smoother 10 can have a support device 1031 and a support device 1032. The support device 1032 can also have a support shaft and a bearing. (1-3) Smoother plate

[0031] The smoother plate 101 is a member that comes into contact with the surface of the molded body 11 and smoothes the surface of the molded body 11 by leveling it. The smoother plate 101 can come into horizontal contact with and press against the surface of the molded body 11 such as a plaster board.

[0032] The smoother plate 101 may be any plate-like body, and its shape is not particularly limited.

[0033] However, in order to avoid damaging the surface of the molded body 11 being transported, when the smoother plate 101 is viewed from the side, it is preferable that the corner 101A (see FIG. 2) located on the upstream side in the transport direction of the molded body 11 and on the side facing the molded body 11 is chamfered. In other words, when the smoother plate 101 is viewed from the side, it is preferable that the corner 101A has an outwardly convex curve.

[0034] Moreover, the lower surface 101B of the smoother plate 101, i.e., the surface facing the molded body 11, is preferably a flat surface since it is a surface that smoothes and levels the upper surface of the molded body 11. When the smoother plate 101 is viewed from the side, the portion corresponding to the lower surface 101B can have, for example, a linear shape.

[0035] The smoother plate 101 can be fixed to and supported by the arm 102 at any position on the arm 102, but is preferably fixed to and supported at one end of the arm 102 in the longitudinal direction as shown in Figures 1 and 2. As described above, both ends of the arm 102 in the longitudinal direction can swing up and down, so by fixing the smoother plate 101 to one end of the arm 102 in the longitudinal direction, the smoother plate 101 can swing up and down in accordance with the arm 102. In other words, the smoother plate 101 can be configured to be fixed to a pair of arms 102 and to be able to swing up and down around the support shaft 103A described above as a fulcrum.

[0036] The material of the smoother plate 101 is not particularly limited as long as it is a material that can smooth the surface of the molded body 11, and may be, for example, glass, various metals, various resins, or the like.

[0037] In addition, when the molded body 11 is pressed and smoothed by the smoother plate 101, it is preferable that a member for supporting the load is disposed below the position where the smoother plate 101 is disposed, sandwiching the molded body 11. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, an example in which the belt 122 of the conveying device 12 is disposed as a member for supporting the load, and an example in which a roller is disposed under the more preferable belt 122 are shown, but the embodiment is not limited to such an embodiment. As a member for supporting the load, a roller of the conveying device, a support plate not shown, etc. may also be provided. (1-4) Weight The weights 104 are attached to the pair of arms 102 respectively, and can be made movable along the longitudinal direction of the arms 102 .

[0038] The weights 104 can be attached to each arm 102 and configured to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the arms 102, as described above, that is, along the directions of the double arrows C1 and C2 in FIGS.

[0039] Weights 104 may be provided on each arm 102 as described above, or weights 1041 may be provided on arm 1021 and weights 1042 may be provided on arm 1022 as shown in FIG.

[0040] It is preferable that the arm 102 is provided with a moving device such as a linear rail, a linear shaft, or a belt in advance, and the weight 104 is installed on the moving device so that the weight 104 can be easily moved along the longitudinal direction of the arm 102 by the weight position changing device 105 described later.

[0041] The weight, material, etc. of the weight 104 are not particularly limited, and can be selected according to the type of molded body 11 to be manufactured, the range of the required load, and the like.

[0042] As described above, the smoother plate 101 is configured to be able to swing up and down, for example, with the support shaft 103A as a fulcrum. Then, by moving the weight 104 attached to the arm 102 in the longitudinal direction of the arm 102, the load applied to the molded body 11 via the smoother plate 101 supported by the arm 102 can be changed. Therefore, according to the smoother 10 of this embodiment, the load applied to the molded body 11 can be easily changed by changing the position of the weight 104 on the arm 102. (1-5) Weight position change device The weight position changing device 105 can change the position of the weight 104 on the arm 102 .

[0043] The configuration of the weight position changing device 105 is not particularly limited, and it may be a device that can slide the position of the weight along the longitudinal direction of the arm 102, i.e., along the double arrows C1 and C2 in Figures 1 and 2. The weight position changing device 105 may have a driving device 105A such as a linear motor or a motor.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the weight position changing device 105 may have an encoder 105B that detects the position of the weight 104, in addition to the driving device 105A such as the linear motor.

[0045] The weight position changing device 105 can also be provided on each arm 102. As shown in FIG. 1, a weight position changing device 1051 can be provided on the arm 1021, and a weight position changing device 1052 can be provided on the arm 1022. (1-6) First control device, storage device A first control device 221 (see FIG. 2) can control the position of the weight 104 on the arm 102 via the weight position changing device 105.

[0046] The control of the first control device 221 is not particularly limited, and may be configured to control the position of the weight 104 on the arm 102 based on conditions or input values ​​input from an input / output device 24 (see Figure 2) connected to the first control device 221, for example.

[0047] Moreover, the smoother 10 of this embodiment may further include a storage device 23. In this case, the first control device 221 may also control the position of the weight 104 on the arm 102 based on the control conditions according to the type of the molded body 11 stored in the storage device 23.

[0048] Specifically, for example, in accordance with the type of molded body 11 input from input / output device 24, first control device 221 can read control conditions from storage device 23 and control the position of weight 104 on arm 102. That is, the position of weight 104 on arm 102 can be controlled based on a recipe, which is a control condition previously determined in accordance with the type of molded body 11.

[0049] In this way, by controlling the position of weight 104 on arm 102 based on the control conditions according to the type of molded body 11 to be manufactured, it is possible to manufacture molded bodies 11 of stable quality without depending on an operator. Also, by reading the control conditions from storage device 23, the type of molded body 11 to be manufactured can be easily changed, so that the type (variety) of molded body 11 to be manufactured can be switched in a short time.

[0050] It should be noted that suitable control conditions may change depending on the weather, the surrounding temperature, etc. For this reason, even when the position of weight 104 on arm 102 is controlled under predetermined control conditions according to the type of molded body 11, the position of weight 104 on arm 102 may be further controlled based on conditions input from input / output device 24.

[0051] For example, the appropriate load applied to the molded body by the smoother plate varies depending on the size, such as the width, of the molded body to be manufactured, and the type. For example, if an excessive load is applied, the surface of the molded body 11 may be damaged, and if the load is insufficient, the surface of the molded body may not be sufficiently smoothed. In particular, in the case of a conventional smoother, if the width of the smoother plate is large relative to the molded body to be manufactured, there is a risk that an excessive load may be applied to the molded body. For this reason, in the past, it was necessary to use a smoother equipped with a smoother plate having a width and weight corresponding to the width of the molded body to be manufactured, and it was sometimes difficult to handle molded bodies of different widths with one smoother.

[0052] However, according to the smoother 10 of this embodiment, as described above, the position of the weight 104 on the arm 102 can be changed by the weight position changing device 105, the first control device 221, etc., and the load applied to the molded body 11 by the smoother plate 101 can be easily changed. That is, the smoother 10 of this embodiment is a load-variable smoother. Therefore, even when manufacturing varieties of molded bodies 11 having different sizes such as width, it is possible to change the load applied to the molded body 11 by the smoother plate 101 by simply changing the position of the weight 104, and apply an appropriate load to the molded body 11. Therefore, according to the smoother 10 of this embodiment, compared to conventional smoothers, it can be applied to more types of molded bodies in terms of sizes such as width and varieties, and productivity can be improved.

[0053] As described above, the smoother 10 of this embodiment has a pair of arms 102, that is, the arm 1021 and the arm 1022. The weight 1041 is attached to the arm 1021, and the weight 1042 is attached to the arm 1022. Therefore, the first control device 221 can also independently control the weight 1041 and the weight 1042. That is, the first control device 221 may individually control the positions of the weight 1041 and the weight 1042 in the longitudinal direction of the arm 102.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1, the smoother plate 101 has a shape that is long in the width direction of the molded body 11, that is, in the Y-axis direction. FIG. 1 shows a case where the center line CL11 of the molded body 11 in the width direction and the center line CL12 of the conveying device 12 in the width direction coincide with each other, but depending on the molded body 11 to be manufactured, the center line CL11 and the center line CL12 may differ. That is, the molded body 11 may be conveyed and molded in a state where it is close to one end side in the width direction of the conveying device 12. In the above-mentioned case, the appropriate load may differ at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the smoother plate 101. As described above, a glass plate has been used as the smoother plate in the past, so that it was difficult to adjust the load on the left and right sides of the smoother plate in the past.

[0055] In contrast to this, in the smoother 10 of this embodiment, the load applied to the smoother plate 101 is adjusted by controlling the position of the weight 104 on the arm supporting the smoother plate 101. As described above, the first control device 221 can also independently control the weights 1041 and 1042. Therefore, according to the smoother 10 of this embodiment, the magnitude of the load can also be individually controlled at each end side of the smoother plate 101 in the longitudinal direction.

[0056] Therefore, it is preferable that the first control device 221 of the smoother of this embodiment independently controls the positions of the weights 104 on the two arms 102 according to the position of the molded body 11 in the width direction of the conveying device 12 that conveys the molded body 11. By performing the above control, appropriate loads can be applied to the left and right of the smoother plate 101, respectively, and the surface of the molded body 11 can be made particularly smooth.

[0057] For example, when the position of the molded body 11 in the width direction of the conveying device 12 is determined by the manufacturing conditions (control conditions) of the molded body 11 stored in the storage device 23, the position of the molded body 11 can be determined based on the manufacturing conditions. Also, if necessary, a sensor for detecting the position of the molded body 11 on the conveying device 12 can be provided, and the position of the molded body 11 can be determined based on the detection result of the sensor. Then, the first control device 221 can independently calculate appropriate positions of the weights 104 on each arm 102 based on the position of the molded body 11 in the width direction of the conveying device 12, and control them via the weight position changing device 105.

[0058] Even if the center line CL11 in the width direction of the molded body 11 coincides with the center line CL12 in the width direction of the conveying device 12, the appropriate magnitude of the load may differ at each end side in the longitudinal direction of the smoother plate 101. For this reason, even if the above CL11 and CL12 coincide with each other, the first control device 221 may control the positions of the weights 104 on the two arms 102 independently as necessary.

[0059] The configuration of the first control device 221 is not particularly limited, but may have a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, an input / output interface, etc., so as to calculate an appropriate position of the weight 104 on the arm 102 and communicate with the weight position changing device 105. Examples of the main storage device include a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and examples of the auxiliary storage device include an SSD (Solid State Drive) and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). Examples of the input / output interface include a communication interface for exchanging control signals and data with the weight position changing device 105, etc. The type of the communication interface is not particularly limited. The communication interface may be either a wired or wireless communication method, and examples of the communication interface include a wired LAN (Local Area Network) and a wireless LAN.

[0060] The storage device 23 may be configured as the auxiliary storage device described above, and may be integrated with the first control device 221.

[0061] 2, the first control device 221 is illustrated as one control device 22 together with the second control device 222 described later, but is not limited to this form. The first control device 221 may be configured as a control device separate from the second control device 222 described later.

[0062] The control device 22 can also be connected to the above-mentioned input / output device 24. The configuration of the input / output device 24 is not particularly limited, but for example, the input / output device 24 can have a user interface such as a touch panel, a keyboard, a display screen, and operation buttons so that the user can input predetermined conditions and the like. (1-7) Smoother plate position change device, second control device The smoother 10 of this embodiment may further include a smoother plate position changing device 106 and a second control device 222.

[0063] The smoother plate position changing device 106 can change the position of the smoother plate in the height direction.

[0064] The second control device 222 can control the position of the smoother plate 101 in the height direction via the smoother plate position changing device 106 .

[0065] The smoother plate position change device 106 may be any device capable of changing the height position of the arm 102, and its configuration is not particularly limited, but it may be configured, for example, by an air cylinder or an oil cylinder (hydraulic cylinder).

[0066] The smoother plate position changing device 106 can be provided on each arm 102, and as shown in FIG. 1, a smoother plate position changing device 1061 can be provided on arm 1021, and a smoother plate position changing device 1062 can be provided on arm 1022.

[0067] As described above, the second control device 222 can be integrated with the first control device 221 to form a single control device 22, or can be provided separately from the first control device 221. The second control device 222 can have the same configuration as the first control device, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0068] The control of the height direction position of the smoother plate 101 by the second control device 222 via the smoother plate position changing device 106 is not particularly limited.

[0069] For example, when the smoother 10 has a dregs detection sensor 107 described later, the second control device 222 can move the smoother plate 101 upward, i.e., in the direction away from the molded body 11 along the Z-axis, based on the detection result of the dregs detection sensor 107 (rising process). Specifically, when the dregs detection sensor 107 detects that dregs are attached to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101, the second control device 222 can move the smoother plate 101 upward. Note that the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101 means the side surface of the smoother plate 101 on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the molded body 11 as shown in FIG. 1, for example, the side surface arranged on the molding machine side (not shown).

[0070] After the raising step, the dregs adhering to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101 can be automatically or manually removed as necessary. Thereafter, after visually checking or using a sensor to confirm that no dregs are adhering to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101, the second control device 222 can lower the smoother plate 101 automatically or by input from the input / output device 24 (lowering step). Then, the smoothing process of the surface of the molded body 11 can be resumed. Note that the second control device 222 may control the smoother plate 101 to be lowered after a certain time has elapsed after raising the smoother plate 101.

[0071] When the smoother plate position changing device 106 is configured with a cylinder device such as an air cylinder, the rod 106A of the smoother plate position changing device 106 can be in a contracted state as shown in Fig. 2 until the above-mentioned raising process is performed. Specifically, for example, the rod 106A of the smoother plate position changing device 106 can be in a state where it is not in contact with the arm 102. Then, while the above-mentioned raising process or lowering process is being performed, the rod 106A portion of the smoother plate position changing device 106 is extended from the above-mentioned contracted state to come into contact with the arm 102, and the position in the height direction of the smoother plate 101 can be controlled via the arm 102.

[0072] In the above-mentioned raising step, the position to which the smoother plate 101 is moved upward is not particularly limited, but for example, the smoother plate 101 can be raised to a predetermined retreat position. After the lowering step is completed, the smoother plate 101 can be lowered to a position where the surface of the molded body 11 can be smoothed. After the lowering step is completed, the rod 106A can be contracted, and the rod 106A of the smoother plate position changing device 106 can be in a state where it is not in contact with the arm 102, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0073] The control of the height direction position of the smoother plate 101 by the second control device 222 via the smoother plate position changing device 106 is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0074] The smoother 10 of this embodiment is a device for smoothing the surface of the molded body 11 molded by a molding machine, and is therefore disposed downstream of the molding machine in the conveying direction of the molded body 11, etc. Therefore, the second control device 222 may be configured to control the position of the smoother plate 101 in conjunction with the molding machine.

[0075] Specifically, for example, when the molding machine is raised or lowered, the second control device 222 can raise or lower the smoother board 101 accordingly. In the case of the gypsum board manufacturing device 30 shown in FIG. 3 described later, when the upper horizontal plate 371 of the molding machine 37 is raised, the smoother board 101 is raised. When the upper horizontal plate 371 of the molding machine 37 is lowered, the smoother board 101 is lowered. The rise and fall of the smoother board 101 can be selected based on the operation of the molding machine or on the control conditions that are stored in the storage device 23 and are predetermined according to the type of the molded body 11. At this time, the first control device 221 described above may also change the position of the weight 104 on the arm 102 via the weight position changing device 105.

[0076] The control contents of the second control device 222 are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and for example, the position of the smoother plate 101 may be controlled to rise or fall based on an input from the input / output device 24 . (1-8) Dregs detection sensor The smoother 10 may also include a dregs detection sensor 107 .

[0077] In this case, as already described, when the dregs detection sensor 107 detects that dregs are attached to the upstream side 101S of the smoother plate 101 in the conveying direction of the molded body 11, the already described second control device 222 can move the smoother plate 101 upward using the smoother plate position changing device 106.

[0078] The molded body 11 being transported is usually formed by molding in a molding machine (not shown), and is transported by a transport device 12 to an area where the smoother 10 of this embodiment is installed. However, when molding in the molding machine or during transport from the molding machine, dregs may adhere to the surface, and the dregs may further adhere to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101. If the surface is smoothed by the smoother 10 with such dregs adhering to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101, there is a risk that depressions will be formed on the surface of the molded body 11 due to the dregs.

[0079] Therefore, the smoother 10 of this embodiment may have a dregs detection sensor 107.

[0080] The attachment position of the dregs detection sensor 107 is not particularly limited, and may be any position that can monitor and detect adhesion of dregs to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101. Note that adhesion of dregs to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101 includes accumulation of dregs on the side surface 101S, getting stuck therein, and the like.

[0081] The dregs detection sensor 107 can be provided, for example, on the arm 102. Specifically, a transmitter 1071 of the dregs detection sensor can be provided on the arm 1021, and a receiver 1072 of the dregs detection sensor can be provided on the arm 1022. Then, when the signal transmitted from the transmitter 1071 is blocked by the dregs and cannot be received by the receiver 1072, it can be determined that dregs are attached to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101.

[0082] When it is determined that residue is attached to the side 101S of the smoother plate 101, the second control device 222 can use the smoother plate position changing device 106 to move the smoother plate 101 upward, i.e., in the direction away from the molded body 11 along the Z-axis (ascending process).

[0083] After the ascending step, the descending step described above can be carried out as necessary.

[0084] By carrying out the above control, it is possible to prevent the formation of recesses on the surface of the molded body 11 due to residue adhering to the side surface 101S of the smoother plate 101.

[0085] After the above control is performed, an alarm may be issued by the input / output device 24 as necessary, or the smoothing process of the surface of the molded body 11 may be resumed after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0086] The configuration of the dregs detection sensor 107 is not particularly limited, and for example, an infrared sensor or the like can be used. (1-9) Smoother plate position measuring device The smoother 10 may also optionally include a smoother plate position measuring device 21 (see FIG. 2).

[0087] By measuring the position of the smoother plate 101 with the smoother plate position measuring device 21, it is also possible to roughly measure the thickness of the molded body 11 to be produced.

[0088] 2 shows an example of a device in which a contact-type smoother plate position measuring device 21 is disposed in an area where the molded body 11 does not pass, and the device detects the position by contacting the smoother plate 101 from below the smoother plate 101. However, the smoother plate position measuring device 21 may be any means capable of measuring the position of the smoother plate 101, and its configuration is not particularly limited. The smoother plate position measuring device 21 may be a contact-type position measuring device, or a non-contact type position measuring device using a laser or the like.

[0089] Up to this point, the configuration of the smoother of this embodiment has been described using the smoother 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 as an example, but the smoother of this embodiment can also have multiple smoothers 10, for example, two or three, shown in Figures 1 and 2, arranged along the conveying direction of the molded body 11. When distinguishing between cases in which multiple smoothers 10 are included, they can also be called multi-stage smoothers, etc.

[0090] The molded body 11 applied to the smoother 10 of this embodiment will be described. (2) Molded body The type of the molded body 11 whose surface is smoothed by the smoother 10 of this embodiment is not particularly limited. The smoother 10 of this embodiment can be applied to the molded body 11 molded from various materials whose surfaces are required to be leveled and smoothed.

[0091] The molded body 11 whose surface is smoothed by the smoother 10 of this embodiment is not particularly limited as described above, but examples thereof include molded bodies 11 that are required to have a plate-like shape, such as molded bodies of gypsum slurry for producing gypsum boards, etc.

[0092] Examples of the gypsum slurry molded body 11 include a glass mat gypsum board, a gypsum-containing board with glass fiber nonwoven fabric, a gypsum board defined in JIS A 6901 (2014), a gypsum board that is lighter or heavier than the gypsum board defined in JIS A 6901 (2014), a gypsum slurry molded body used for producing a slag gypsum board, etc.

[0093] Gypsum slurry molded bodies are used as building materials for various buildings, and are often manufactured in a wide variety of sizes, etc. In addition, the smoother 10 of this embodiment can change the load applied to the molded body by the smoother plate 101 and apply an appropriate load to the molded body 11 simply by changing the position of the weight 104 on the arm 102 as described above. Therefore, the smoother 10 of this embodiment can handle more types of molded bodies in terms of width, variety, etc., compared to conventional smoothers. Therefore, the smoother of this embodiment can increase productivity compared to conventional smoothers when manufacturing gypsum slurry molded bodies of a wide variety of sizes, etc., and can exhibit particularly high effects. [Gypsum board manufacturing equipment] An example of the configuration of a gypsum board manufacturing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 3, the gypsum board manufacturing apparatus 30 can have a mixer 34 that forms a gypsum slurry, a molding machine 37 that molds the gypsum slurry supplied from the mixer, and a smoother 10 that smoothes the surface of the molded body molded by the molding machine.

[0095] In the gypsum board manufacturing apparatus 30, the base paper 31, which is the base paper for the board, is transported from the right side to the left side in the figure along the arrow D. A mixer 34 can be disposed near the transport line of the base paper 31. The mixer 34 is supplied with calcined gypsum, which is the raw material for the gypsum slurry, and additives such as water, adhesive assistants, hardening accelerators, admixtures, foam, and foaming agents, via a pipe 341, and the gypsum slurry can be prepared by kneading the raw materials in the mixer 34. Although only one pipe 341 is shown in FIG. 3, the raw materials for the gypsum slurry can be supplied to the mixer 34 via a plurality of pipes depending on the number of raw materials to be supplied, etc. Also, the raw materials for the gypsum slurry may be partially mixed and then supplied to the mixer 34.

[0096] The gypsum slurry 35 obtained by mixing in the mixer 34 can be supplied onto the lower paper 31 through a pipeline 342. Although only one pipeline 342 is shown in Fig. 3, the gypsum slurry 35 may be supplied through a plurality of pipelines as necessary. Also, a portion of the gypsum slurry 35 may be supplied and applied to the upper paper 32 as well as necessary.

[0097] The lower paper 31 travels on a conveyor line together with the gypsum slurry 35, and the edge portion in the width direction of the lower paper 31 is folded upward by a guide member (not shown). In addition, the upper paper 32 is fed onto the gypsum slurry 35 via a supply roller 33.

[0098] The bottom sheet 31 , the gypsum slurry 35 , and the top sheet 32 ​​are laminated by upper and lower platens 36 to form a continuous laminate having a three-layer structure, and then supplied to a molding machine 37 .

[0099] The molding machine 37 includes upper and lower horizontal plates 371, 372. The lower horizontal plate 372 is fixed horizontally so as to transport the lower paper 31 horizontally. The upper horizontal plate 371 is disposed above the lower horizontal plate 372 at a distance, and is configured so that its position can be changed by an elevation drive device 373. The elevation drive device 373 controls the position of the upper horizontal plate 371 and adjusts the height dimension of the space formed between the horizontal plates 371, 372, so that an appropriate molding pressure can be applied to the laminate of the lower paper 31, the gypsum slurry 35, and the upper paper 32.

[0100] The smoother 10 described above can be placed downstream of the molding machine 37 in the conveying direction of the molded body, and can level and smooth the surface of the molded body to correct deformation such as bulging of the molded body. The smoother 10 has already been described, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0101] The gypsum board manufacturing apparatus 30 of this embodiment may have a plurality of smoothers 10. In this case, the plurality of smoothers 10 may be arranged along the conveying direction of the molded body.

[0102] The gypsum board manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment may further include a drying device, a cutting device, and the like, as necessary.

[0103] Although the Smoother and the gypsum board manufacturing device have been described above in terms of the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, etc. Various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.

[0104] This application claims priority based on Patent Application No. 2021-140653 filed with the Japan Patent Office on August 31, 2021, and the entire contents of Patent Application No. 2021-140653 are incorporated by reference into this international application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 10. Smoother 101 Smoother Board 101S Side of the smoother plate (upstream side in the conveying direction of the molded product) 102, 1021, 1022 Arms 103A Support shaft 104, 1041, 1042 weight 105, 1051, 1052 Weight position changing device 106, 1061, 1062 Smoother plate position change device 107 Dregs detection sensor 11 Molded body 12. Conveyor 22 Control device 221 First control device 222 Second control device 23 Storage device 30 Gypsum board manufacturing equipment 34 Mixer 35 Gypsum slurry 37 Molding machine

Claims

1. A conveying device for a molded body; a pair of arms arranged at both ends of the conveying device in a width direction, the arms having longitudinal ends that can swing up and down relative to a conveying surface of the conveying device; a smoother plate fixed to one end side of the pair of arms in the longitudinal direction; a weight attached to each of the pair of arms and movable along a longitudinal direction of the arm; a weight position changing device that changes the position of the weight on the arm; A smoother having a first control device that controls the position of the weight on the arm via the weight position changing device.

2. The smoother according to claim 1 , wherein the molded body is a molded body of a gypsum slurry.

3. A smoother plate position changing device for changing the height position of the smoother plate; 3. A smoother as described in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a second control device that controls the heightwise position of the smoother plate via the smoother plate position changing device.

4. It has a lees detection sensor, When the dregs detection sensor detects that dregs are attached to the upstream side of the smoother plate in the conveying direction of the molded body, The smoother according to claim 3 , wherein the second control device moves the smoother plate upward by the smoother plate position changing device.

5. Further comprising a storage device; The smoother according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first control device controls the position of the weight on the arm based on control conditions corresponding to the type of the molded body stored in the storage device.

6. The first control device, depending on a position of the molded body in the width direction of the conveying device, 3. The smoother according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positions of the weights on the arms are independently controlled.

7. a mixer for forming a gypsum slurry; A molding machine that molds the gypsum slurry supplied from the mixer; A gypsum board manufacturing apparatus comprising: a smoother according to claim 1 or 2, which smooths the surface of a molded body molded by the molding machine.

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