Festoon

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of suppressing falling of a movable frame.SOLUTION: A festoon 1 has: a first fixed frame 16 having a plurality of first upper pulleys 16b; a first movable frame 18 having a plurality of first lower pulleys 18b around which a conveying belt 8 is wound between the plurality of first upper pulleys 16b, and vertically movably provided below the first fixed frame 16; a second fixed frame 26 arranged side by side with the first fixed frame 16 and having a plurality of second upper pulleys 26b; a second movable frame 28 having a plurality of second lower pulleys 28b around which the conveying belt 8 is wound between the plurality of second upper pulleys 26b and vertically movably provided below the second fixed frame 26; a chain 41 having one end connected to the first movable frame 18 and the other end connected to the second movable frame 28; and a support mechanism 40 around which the chain 41 is wound so as to travel and suspending and supporting the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a festoon for storing a long strip of material. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a tire is obtained by vulcanizing a green tire (a tire in an unvulcanized state, also called a raw cover) in a mold. A tire is made up of rubber components such as a tread and sidewalls. A strip winding method is known as a method for forming the rubber components. In the strip winding method, a long, belt-like strip made of unvulcanized rubber is formed by an extruder, and the strip is spirally wound by a molding machine to form a tubular rubber member (hereinafter also referred to as a tubular member) having a desired cross-sectional shape.

[0003] The speed at which the strip is formed in the extruder is slower than the speed at which the strip is consumed in the molding machine. Therefore, if an attempt is made to form a tubular member while forming the strip, the strip may not be formed in time, and the required amount of strip may not be supplied to the molding machine. Therefore, as in the laminating device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, an accumulator section (also called a festoon) for stocking the strip is provided between the extruder and the molding machine. This allows a predetermined amount of strips to be formed in advance and stocked in the festoon, and the amount of strips required to form a tubular member can be supplied to the molding machine (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a festoon. In FIG. 7, the festoon 100 includes a fixed frame 102, a movable frame 104, and a conveyor belt 106. The fixed frame 102 includes a plurality of upper pulleys 102a. The movable frame 104 includes a plurality of lower pulleys 104a. The movable frame 104 is provided below the fixed frame 102 so as to be movable up and down. The conveyor belt 106 is a belt that conveys the strip 108 from the extruder to the molding machine. The conveyor belt 106 is looped alternately around the upper pulley 102a and the lower pulley 104a with the strip 108 overlapping each other.

[0005] The festoon 100 stocks the strips 108 (and the conveyor belt 106) between the fixed frame 102 and the movable frame 104. The stock amount of the strips 108 is determined by the distance between the fixed frame 102 and the movable frame 104. Here, the movable frame 104 includes a weight 110. The weight 110 applies a downward load (tension) to the conveyor belt 106 and strip 108 that are stretched between the fixed frame 102 and the movable frame 104. When a strip 108 is given to the festoon 100 from the extruder, the movable frame 104 is lowered by the length of the given strip 108 due to the load of the weight 110, and the given strip 108 is stored. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-136740 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] A movable frame 104 including a weight 110 is suspended from a fixed frame 102 by a conveyor belt 106 (strips 108). Therefore, if a part of the conveyor belt 106 breaks, the movable frame 104 will fall downward. The weight 110 may be several hundred kg, and it is necessary to prevent such a heavy object from falling.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a technique that can prevent the movable frame from falling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The festoon includes a fixed frame and a movable frame around which a conveyor belt running in the conveying direction is looped, as well as a fixed frame and a movable frame around which a conveyor belt running in the opposite direction is looped to collect the conveyor belt after conveyance. The present inventors have focused on the structure of such festoons and completed the present invention.

[0010] (1) That is, the festoon of the present invention comprises: a first fixed frame having a plurality of first upper pulleys; a first movable frame having a plurality of first lower pulleys around which a conveying belt running in a conveying direction is looped between the plurality of first upper pulleys, the first movable frame being arranged to be movable up and down below the first fixed frame; a second fixed frame arranged next to the first fixed frame and having a plurality of second upper pulleys; a second movable frame having a plurality of second lower pulleys around which the conveying belt running in a direction opposite to the conveying direction is looped between the plurality of second upper pulleys, the second movable frame being arranged to be movable up and down below the second fixed frame; a suspending belt having one end connected to the first movable frame and the other end connected to the second movable frame; and a support mechanism around which the suspending belt is looped so as to be movable, and which suspends and supports the first movable frame and the second movable frame via the suspending belt.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the first movable frame and the second movable frame are suspended and supported by a suspension belt that is looped around the support mechanism and is capable of moving. Therefore, for example, by making the weight of the first movable frame and the weight of the second movable frame the same or by making the difference between the two weights a small value, the first movable frame and the second movable frame can be balanced with the support mechanism as a fulcrum when the conveying belt is not looped around them. As a result, even if at least one of the conveying belts running in the conveying direction and the conveying belt running in the opposite direction breaks, the first movable frame and the second movable frame can be suspended and supported using the support mechanism as a fulcrum, thereby preventing the movable frames from falling.

[0012] (2) In the above festoon, it is preferable that the support mechanism comprises a first gear rotatably mounted above the first movable frame and engaging with the suspension belt, and a second gear rotatably mounted above the second movable frame and engaging with the suspension belt, and that the suspension belt is suspended between the first gear and the second gear. In this case, the first gear and the second gear can be positioned in accordance with the relative positional relationship between the first movable frame and the second movable frame, and the first movable frame and the second movable frame can be appropriately suspended and supported.

[0013] (3) The support mechanism may further include a third gear disposed between the first gear and the second gear and meshing with the suspension belt from above, and an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tension of the suspension belt by pressing the suspension belt via the third gear. In this case, the tension of the suspension strap can be adjusted to an appropriate value.

[0014] (4) The adjustment mechanism may further include a release section that releases the pressing force that presses the suspending strap when a tension equal to or greater than a predetermined tension acts on the suspending strap. In this case, when the conveyor belt breaks and tension greater than a predetermined tension is applied, the pressing force is released, thereby mitigating the impact caused by tension greater than the predetermined tension being applied. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the movable frame from falling. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a molding device including a festoon of this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the festoon of this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the first festoon unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the support mechanism. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the relationship between the chain, each sprocket, and both movable frames. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustment mechanism. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a festoon. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a molding device including a festoon of this embodiment. In FIG. 1, the molding apparatus 1 includes an extruder 2 , a festoon 4 , and a molding machine 6 . The extruder 2 is a device for forming a long belt-like strip S made of unvulcanized rubber. The strip S formed by the extruder 2 is transported by a transport belt 8. The strip S is held by the transport belt 8 while being in close contact with one surface of the transport belt 8. The conveyor belt 8 passes through the festoon 4 together with the strip S, and conveys the strip S from the extruder 2 side to the molding machine 6 side. The molding machine 6 is a device that spirally winds the strip S to form a cylindrical rubber member. The strip S is conveyed to the forming machine 6 by the conveyor belt 8 and is then fed to the forming machine 6. After conveying the strip S to the molding machine 6 side, the conveyor belt 8 passes through the festoon 4 again and returns to the extruder 2 side. The conveyor belt 8 circulates between the extruder 2 side and the molding machine 6 side while passing through the festoon 4. Therefore, the conveyor belt 8 runs in the conveying direction from the extruder 2 side to the molding machine 6 side within the festoon 4, and also runs in the opposite direction to the conveying direction.

[0018] The festoon 4 is a device for stocking the strip S given from the extruder 2. The strip S stocked in the festoon 4 is supplied to the molding machine 6 by a conveyor belt 8. The festoon 4 comprises a first festoon portion 10 and a second festoon portion 12 . The first festoon section 10 has a function of storing the strip S from the extruder 2, with the strip S traveling in the conveying direction and the conveyor belt 8 stretched around it. The second festoon section 12 has a function of storing the conveyor belt 8 around which the conveyor belt 8 traveling in the opposite direction is wound.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the festoon 4 of this embodiment. In Fig. 1, the X, Y, and Z directions are perpendicular to each other, and the Z direction is parallel to the vertical direction. Therefore, the XY plane is a horizontal plane.

[0020] In FIG. 2, the festoon 4 comprises a first festoon portion 10 and a second festoon portion 12 as described above. 2 includes a pair of first and second festoon portions, but only the first and second festoon portions 10 and 12 indicated by the reference numerals in FIG. 2 will be described here.

[0021] The first festoon section 10 comprises a first fixed frame 16 and a first movable frame 18 . The first fixed frame 16 includes a frame body 16a and a plurality of first upper pulleys 16b. The frame main body 16a is a member extending along the X direction, and rotatably supports a plurality of first upper pulleys 16b, which are arranged at equal intervals in the X direction. The first movable frame 18 includes a frame body 18a and a plurality of first lower pulleys 18b. The frame main body 18a is a member extending along the X direction, and rotatably supports a plurality of first lower pulleys 18b, which are arranged at equal intervals in the X direction. The first movable frame 18 further includes a plurality of weights 18c. The weights 18c are block-shaped members and are fixed to the frame body 18a while being aligned in the X direction.

[0022] The first fixed frame 16 and the first movable frame 18 are supported by a support member 20. The support member 20 includes a pair of support frames 20a and a pair of guide shafts 20b. The pair of support frames 20a extend parallel to the Z direction and are erected on a lower base B1 made of a metal plate at a predetermined interval in the X direction. The frame main body 16a (first fixed frame 16) is fixed to the upper ends of the pair of support frames 20a.

[0023] The pair of guide shafts 20b are provided parallel to the Z direction along the pair of support frames 20a. Guide holes (not shown) are provided at both longitudinal ends of the frame body 18a, and a pair of guide shafts 20b are inserted through the guide holes. This allows the frame main body 18a (first movable frame 18) to move up and down along the pair of guide shafts 20b. That is, the first movable frame 18 is provided below the first fixed frame 16 so as to be movable up and down.

[0024] The conveyor belt 8 (and the strip S) running in the conveying direction is wound around the plurality of first upper pulleys 16b and the plurality of first lower pulleys 18b. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the first festoon unit 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the conveyor belt 8 (and the strip S) is looped around a plurality of first upper pulleys 16b and a plurality of first lower pulleys 18b. As shown in FIG. 3, the conveyor belt 8 is alternately looped around the first upper pulley 16b and the first lower pulley 18b. A first movable frame 18 that can move up and down is suspended from the first fixed frame 16 by the conveyor belt 8. The first festoon unit 10 stocks the strip S by repeatedly looping the strip S between the first fixed frame 16 and the first movable frame 18 so that the strip S moves up and down again.

[0025] The first movable frame 18 applies tension to the conveyor belt 8 by means of a plurality of weights 18c. Therefore, when the strip S is supplied from the extruder 2 side, the first movable frame 18 descends and stores the supplied strip S. On the other hand, when the strip S is drawn out from the molding machine 6 side to be supplied to the molding machine 6, the first movable frame 18 rises and the stored strip S is supplied to the molding machine 6 side. When the first movable frame 18 is positioned at the lowest position, the amount (length) of the stocked strips S is maximum. When the first movable frame 18 is positioned at the highest position, the amount (length) of the stocked strips S is minimum.

[0026] The total length of the conveyor belt 8 is set according to the maximum amount (maximum length) of strips S that can be stocked in the first festoon unit 10. Therefore, when the amount of the stocked strip S is small, the conveyor belt 8 has a surplus portion that is not wound around the first festoon portion 10 and is not involved in the conveyance of the strip S. The second festoon section 12 has a function of storing the excess portion of the conveyor belt 8.

[0027] Returning to FIG. 2, the second festoon section 12 includes a second fixed frame 26 and a second movable frame 28 . The second fixed frame 26 includes a frame body 26a and a plurality of second upper pulleys 26b. The frame body 26a is a member extending along the X direction, and rotatably supports a plurality of second upper pulleys 26b, which are arranged at equal intervals in the X direction. The second movable frame 28 includes a frame body 28a and a plurality of second lower pulleys 28b. The frame main body 28a is a member extending along the X direction, and rotatably supports a plurality of second lower pulleys 28b, which are arranged at equal intervals in the X direction. The second movable frame 28 further includes a plurality of weights 28c. The weights 28c are block-shaped members. One of the weights 28c is fixed to the frame body 28a. The other weights 28c are stacked above and below the one weight 28c and fixed thereto.

[0028] The second fixed frame 26 and the second movable frame 28 are supported by a support member 30. The support member 30 is arranged next to the support member 20 in the Y direction. The support member 30 includes a pair of support frames 30a and a pair of guide shafts 30b. The pair of support frames 30a extend parallel to the Z direction and are erected on the lower base B1 at a predetermined distance in the X direction. One of the pair of support frames 30a is erected in the center of the lower base B1. Therefore, the distance in the X direction between the pair of support frames 30a is narrower than the distance in the X direction between the pair of support frames 20a.

[0029] The frame main body 26a (second fixed frame 26) is fixed to the upper ends of the pair of support frames 30a. Therefore, the second fixed frame 26 is disposed next to the first fixed frame 16 and aligned in the Y direction. The pair of guide shafts 30b are provided parallel to the Z direction along the pair of support frames 30a. Guide holes (not shown) are provided at both ends of the frame body 28a in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of guide shafts 30b are inserted through the guide holes. This allows the frame main body 28a (second movable frame 28) to move up and down along the pair of guide shafts 30b. That is, the second movable frame 28 is provided below the second fixed frame 26 so as to be movable up and down.

[0030] Further, the conveyor belt 8 running in the opposite direction is wound around the plurality of second upper pulleys 26b and the plurality of second lower pulleys 28b. The conveyor belt 8 is wound around the second upper pulleys 26b and the second lower pulleys 28b alternately.

[0031] A second movable frame 28 that can move up and down is suspended from the second fixed frame 26 by the conveyor belt 8. The second movable frame 28 applies tension to the conveyor belt 8 by means of a plurality of weights 28c. The total weight of the plurality of weights 28c of the second movable frame 28 is set in the range of, for example, several tens of kg to 500 kg. The weight of the first movable frame 18 and the weight of the second movable frame 28 are adjusted to be approximately the same by adjusting the weights 18c and 28c.

[0032] The second festoon section 12 has the same function as the first festoon section 10, and stores the excess portion of the conveyor belt 8 by repeatedly looping the conveyor belt 8 up and down between the second fixed frame 26 and the second movable frame 28.

[0033] In addition, since the second festoon unit 12 stocks the excess strips on the conveyor belt 8, if the amount of strips S stocked in the first festoon unit 10 is large, the excess strips on the conveyor belt 8 will be relatively small. Therefore, in this case, the first movable frame 18 is positioned relatively low, while the second movable frame 28 is positioned relatively high. Conversely, if the amount of strip S stocked in the first festoon unit 10 is small, the excess on the conveyor belt 8 will be relatively large. In this case, the first movable frame 18 is positioned relatively high, while the second movable frame 28 is positioned relatively low. In this way, the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 are in a relationship where when one rises, the other falls.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the festoon 4 of this embodiment further includes a support mechanism 40 and a chain 41 wound around the support mechanism 40. One end 41a of the chain 41 is connected to the first movable frame 18. The other end 41b of the chain 41 is connected to the second movable frame . The support mechanism 40 suspends and supports the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 via chains 41 serving as suspending belts.

[0035] Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the support mechanism 40. Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the support mechanism 40 of Fig. 2 as seen from the back side of the paper. 4, the support mechanism 40 includes a first sprocket 42 (first gear), a second sprocket 44 (second gear), a third sprocket 46 (third gear), and an adjustment mechanism 48. The sprockets 42, 44, and 46 are sprockets that can mesh with the chain 41.

[0036] The support mechanism 40 is mounted on an upper base B2 made of a metal plate, which is fixed to the upper end of a support frame 30a that stands in the center of the lower base B1. Therefore, the support mechanism 40 is provided above the first fixed frame 16 and the second fixed frame 26.

[0037] The support mechanism 40 further includes shaft support units 50 and 52. The shaft support unit 50 includes a pair of rolling bearings 50a fixed to the upper base B2 and a shaft 50b rotatably supported by the pair of rolling bearings 50a. The first sprocket 42 is fixed to the shaft 50b so as to be rotatable together with the shaft 50b. As a result, the shaft support unit 50 rotatably supports the first sprocket 42 relative to the upper base B2. The shaft support 52 includes a pair of rolling bearings 52a fixed to the upper base B2 and a shaft 52b rotatably supported by the pair of rolling bearings 52a. The second sprocket 44 is fixed to the shaft 52b so as to be rotatable together with the shaft 52b. Thus, the shaft support 52 rotatably supports the second sprocket 44 relative to the upper base B2.

[0038] The third sprocket 46 is rotatably mounted on an adjustment mechanism 48 . The adjustment mechanism 48 has a function of adjusting the tension of the chain 41. The adjustment mechanism 48 includes a movable block 56 and a pair of guide shafts 58. The movable block 56 is movable up and down along a pair of guide shafts 58. The movable block 56 supports the third sprocket 46 so that it can rotate freely. A restricting member 60 is provided at the upper end of the pair of guide shafts 58 to restrict the movable block 56 from coming off the guide shafts 58 .

[0039] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the relationship between the chain 41, the sprockets 42, 44, 46, and both the movable frames 18, 28. The chain 41 is stretched between a first sprocket 42 and a second sprocket 44. The third sprocket 46 is disposed between the first sprocket 42 and the second sprocket 44 and meshes with the chain 41 from above.

[0040] The chain 41 is wound around rotatably provided sprockets 42, 44, and 46. As a result, the chain 41 is wound around the support mechanism 40 so as to be able to run. As described above, the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 are in a relationship in which when one rises, the other falls. In contrast, the chain 41 is looped around the support mechanism 40 so as to be able to run, and therefore does not interfere with the raising and lowering movement between the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28.

[0041] As described above, the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 have approximately the same weight. Therefore, the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 are approximately balanced with the support mechanism 40 as a fulcrum when the conveyor belt 8 is not wound around them. As a result, even if at least one of the conveyor belts 8 running in the conveying direction and the conveyor belt 8 running in the opposite direction breaks, the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 can be suspended and supported using the support mechanism 40 as a fulcrum, thereby preventing the movable frames 18, 28 from falling.

[0042] Furthermore, since the support mechanism 40 is equipped with a first sprocket 42 and a second sprocket 44 and the chain 41 is stretched across both sprockets 42, 44, the first sprocket 42 and the second sprocket 44 can be positioned to match the relative positional relationship between the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28, and the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 can be appropriately suspended and supported.

[0043] In FIG. 5, the adjustment mechanism 48 adjusts the tension of the chain 41 by pressing the chain 41 downward via the third sprocket 46. The adjustment mechanism 48 adjusts the effective length of the chain 41 relative to the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 by pressing the portion of the chain 41 that is stretched across the first sprocket 42 and the second sprocket 44. This adjusts the load (tension) borne by the chain 41 when the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28 are suspended and supported by the conveyor belt 8 and the chain 41. This allows the tension of the chain 41 and the tension of the conveyor belt 8 to be adjusted appropriately.

[0044] The adjustment mechanism 48 adjusts the vertical position of the third sprocket 46 by adjusting the position of the movable block 56, thereby adjusting the amount of pressure applied to the chain 41. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the adjustment mechanism 48. The movable block 56 of the adjustment mechanism 48 includes a block body 56a and four bushings 56b. The block body 56a is a metal member and has a pair of through holes 56a1 into which the pair of guide shafts 58 are inserted. The four bushings 56b are fixed to the upper and lower openings of the pair of through holes 56a1. The movable block 56 is attached to a pair of guide shafts 58 via four bushings 56b.

[0045] The bushing 56b is set to have an interference fit with respect to the outer diameter of the guide shaft 58. Therefore, the movable block 56 is configured to move up and down when a load equal to or greater than a certain level is applied. The movable block 56 does not move up and down due to the load acting on the third sprocket 46 when maintaining pressure on the chain 41. The movable block 56 moves up and down when a load greater than the load acting on the third sprocket 46 when maintaining pressure on the chain 41 is applied.

[0046] Therefore, when the movable block 56 is pressed downward, the movable block 56 moves downward and presses the chain 41 as shown in FIG. 5, and then the load on the movable block 56 is removed, the movable block 56 remains stationary in that position, and the state in which the third sprocket 46 presses the chain 41 is maintained. In this way, the tension of the chain 41 is adjusted by moving the movable block 56 of the adjustment mechanism 48.

[0047] If the conveyor belt 8 on the first movable frame 18 side breaks after that, the first movable frame 18 will tend to fall downward. However, the first movable frame 18 is connected to the second movable frame 28 via the chain 41. This prevents the first movable frame 18 from falling. Furthermore, when the first movable frame 18 is prevented from falling, excessive tension acts on the chain 41, and the chain 41 is pulled toward the first movable frame 18 side. When this excessive tension acts on the chain 41, the second movable frame 28 is raised, and the tension of the chain 41 acts on the movable block 56 via the third sprocket 46, causing the movable block 56 to move upward. When the movable block 56 moves upward, the pressing force applied to the chain 41 by the adjustment mechanism 48 is released. In other words, the four bushes 56b constitute a release portion that releases the pressing force that presses the chain 41 when a tension equal to or greater than a predetermined tension acts on the chain 41. In this case, when the conveyor belt 8 breaks and tension greater than a predetermined tension is applied, the pressing force on the chain 41 is released, thereby mitigating the impact caused by tension greater than the predetermined tension being applied.

[0048] As described above, in this embodiment, the impact of a fall acting on the chain 41 due to the fall of the conveyor belt 8 on the first movable frame 18 side can be mitigated by the lifting of the second movable frame 28 and the movement of the movable block 56.

[0049] 〔others〕 It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. In this embodiment, the support mechanism 40 is illustrated as having three sprockets, but the support mechanism 40 may have only one sprocket or may have a greater number of sprockets as long as it can suspend and support the first movable frame 18 and the second movable frame 28. Also, in this embodiment, a chain is used as an example, but other belt-shaped members such as wires may also be used as the suspension belts. In this case, the guide wheels that guide the suspension belts in the support mechanism 40 are changed as appropriate depending on the suspension belts to be used.

[0050] The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the meaning described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Molding equipment 2. Extruder 4 Festoon 6 Molding machine 8 conveyor belt 10 First Festoon Section 12 Second Festoon Section 16 First fixed frame 16a frame body 16b 1st upper pulley 18 First moving frame 18a frame body 18b 1st lower pulley 18c weight 20 Support member 20a support frame 20b Guide shaft 26 Second fixed frame 26a frame body 26b 2nd upper pulley 28 Second movable frame 28a frame body 28b 2nd lower pulley 28c weight 30 Support member 30a support frame 30b Guide shaft 40 Support mechanism 41 Chain 41a One end 41b Other end 42 1st sprocket 44 2nd sprocket 46 3rd sprocket 48 Adjustment mechanism 50 Shaft support part 50a rolling bearing 50b shaft 52 Shaft support part 52a Rolling bearing 52b shaft 56 Movable Block 56a Block body 56a1 Through hole 56b Bush 58 Guide shaft 60 Restriction member B1 Lower Base B2 upper base S Strip

Claims

1. a first stationary frame having a plurality of first upper pulleys; a first movable frame provided below the first fixed frame so as to be movable up and down, the first movable frame including a plurality of first lower pulleys around which a conveyor belt running in a conveyance direction is wound between the plurality of first upper pulleys; a second stationary frame arranged adjacent to the first stationary frame and having a plurality of second upper pulleys; a second movable frame provided below the second fixed frame so as to be movable up and down, the second movable frame including a plurality of second lower pulleys around which the conveyor belt, which runs in the opposite direction to the conveying direction, is wound between the second upper pulleys; a suspension strap having one end connected to the first movable frame and the other end connected to the second movable frame; a support mechanism around which the suspension belt is stretched so as to be capable of running, and which suspends and supports the first movable frame and the second movable frame via the suspension belt.

2. The support mechanism includes: a first gear rotatably provided above the first movable frame and engaging with the suspension belt; 2. The festoon of claim 1, further comprising: a second gear rotatably mounted above the second movable frame and engaging with the suspension strap; and the suspension strap being stretched across the first gear and the second gear.

3. the support mechanism includes a third gear disposed between the first gear and the second gear and meshing with the suspension belt from above; an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tension of the suspending strap by pressing the suspending strap via the third gear.

3. The festoon of claim 2.

4. The adjustment mechanism includes a release unit that releases the pressing force that presses the suspending strap when a tension equal to or greater than a predetermined tension acts on the suspending strap.

4. The festoon of claim 3.

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