Flat seaweed stack stacking device

Abstract

To provide an accumulation equipment of flat laver bundles which enables (1) accumulating multiple bundles of flat laver, (2) accumulating automatically, smoothly and effectively, and (3) handling with no concern about divergence, disorder, impairment, damage and bending in the accumulated flat laver bundles.SOLUTION: The accumulation equipment 1 is utilized in the production process of laver, and consists of a stacking and pushing-out device 2 and an accumulating device 3. The stacking and pushing-out device 2 consists of stacking parts 4 and pushing-out parts 5. The stacking parts 4 can stack up flat laver bundles A, after being bundled and carried in. The pushing-out parts 5 can push out the multiple bundles of flat laver A, after being stuck up by the stacking parts 4. The accumulation device 3 consists of storage racks 6, elevating parts 7 and a pushing-in part 8. The elevating parts 7 can move up and down the stacked-up multiple bundles of flat laver A, after being pushed out by the pushing-out parts 5 to carry in, to the height levels of storing racks 6 for storage. The pushing-in part 8 can push the flat laver bundles A, after being elevated by the elevating parts 7, in the storage racks 6 for storing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for stacking flat laver bundles, that is, a device for stacking flat laver bundles that is used in the laver production process and that stacks unfolded flat laver bundles. [Background technology]

[0002] In the production process of nori (dried nori), after the pre-processing such as picking raw nori, washing with water, papering, dehydrating, and drying, the post-processing such as inspection, counting (folding), and bundling is carried out, and the nori is produced and shipped. That is, in the subsequent process, the dried and inspected flat seaweed is counted into bundles of, for example, 10 sheets, folded in half, bound, and shipped. In contrast to Conventional Example 1, Conventional Example 2, in which flat, unfolded nori sheets are bundled and shipped without being folded or bundled, is also becoming more common due to market needs. Conventional Example 2, in which flat, unfolded nori sheets are bundled and shipped in bundles of 50 or 100 sheets, is also becoming more common. In other words, after production and shipping, seaweed is often subjected to secondary drying and further processing such as roasting seaweed and seasoning seaweed. At that time, the folded and bound Conventional Example 1 was unbound and the folds were straightened out again, and the original flat seaweed was dried and processed. In response to this, in order to avoid the labor of stretching, there has been an increase in the number of conventional methods2 in which flat nori is bundled and shipped as is. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] As a conventional example 2 of bundling and shipping flat nori seaweed without folding it, for example, the following patent documents 1 and 2 are listed. [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-101809 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-101810 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] <<Prior Art>> At the final stage of the production process, the bundled Nori seaweed bundles are accumulated in preparation for shipping. That is, the bundled Nori seaweed bundles are collected, piled up, and stored in preparation for shipping. In the above-mentioned conventional example 1, a dedicated stacking device was used. In the conventional example 1 in which the product is folded in half, bundled, and shipped, a dedicated stacking device was widely used and was installed in a line next to the bundling device. In contrast to this, in the above-mentioned conventional example 2, the development of a dedicated integrated device is awaited. In other words, there was a need for a stacking device that could automatically, smoothly, and efficiently collect, stack, and store bundles of flattened nori seaweed. The challenge was to develop a stacking device that would prevent the bundles of nori seaweed from shifting, becoming disordered, being damaged, being bent, etc. In the current situation of Conventional Example 2, a large number of bundles of flat laver seaweed are manually piled up and stored in a pile on an appropriate space such as a table.

[0005] About the present invention The laver bundle stacking device of the present invention has been developed in view of the above circumstances and to solve the problems of the prior art. The present invention aims to provide a device for stacking flat nori bundles that, first, is capable of stacking a large number of flat nori bundles, second, stacks the bundles automatically, smoothly, and efficiently, and third, does not pose any risk of misalignment, disorder, damage, bending, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] <<About each claim>> The technical means of the present invention for solving such problems are as follows, as set forth in the claims. Regarding claim 1, the following applies: The laver bundle stacking device of claim 1 is used in the laver production process and includes a stacking extruder and a stacking machine. The stacking extruder has a stacking section and an extruding section. The stacking section can stack bundles of flat seaweed that are individually bound and brought in. The extruding section can extrude the bundles of flat seaweed that are stacked in the stacking section. The stacking machine is equipped with a storage shelf, a lifting section, and a storage section. The lifting section can raise and lower the stacked bundles of flat seaweed bundles extruded by the extrusion section of the stacking extruder to a height position appropriate for the storage shelf where they will be stored. The storage section can push the bundles of flat seaweed bundles raised and lowered by the lifting section into the storage shelf where they will be stored. Therefore, it is characterized in that a large number of bundles of flat laver seaweed can be stacked in the stacking machine.

[0007] Regarding claim 2, the following applies: The flat seaweed bundle stacking device of claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the flat seaweed bundles transported to the stacking section of the stacking extruder are optionally covered and wrapped with protective paper and are essentially bound with a binding band. Regarding claim 3, the following applies: The laver bundle stacking device of claim 3 is the same as claim 2, wherein the stacking extruder is provided with a reversing section at the stacking section. The inversion section is used when a protective paper is wrapped around the flat seaweed bundle brought into the stacking section, and is characterized by inverting the bundle so that the edge of the protective paper is on top and the covering surface is on the bottom. Regarding claim 4, the following applies: In the laver bundle stacking device of claim 4, the stacking section of the stacking extruder is provided with a plurality of stacking members, each of which can stack the laver bundles carried in one by one and can move up and down. Thus, the stacking member is characterized in that the flat laver bundles are stacked one by one from the bottom.

[0008] Regarding claim 5, the following applies: The laver bundle stacking device of claim 5 is in claim 2, wherein the extrusion section of the stacking extruder is movable forward and backward in a direction intersecting the direction in which the laver bundles are carried into the stacking section. Thus, the stacked bundles of flat laver seaweed are pushed out by the forward movement. Regarding claim 6, the following applies: The laver stacking device of claim 6 is the same as claim 5, wherein the stacking extruder is provided with a stopper at the stacking section, and the stopper is disposed at the leading end of the laver stack in the direction of conveyance to the stacking section. The stopper stops and positions the flat seaweed bundle being carried in, and in conjunction with the pushing out in the cross direction by the pushing section, multiple flat seaweed bundles are aligned. Regarding claim 7, the following applies: The laver bundle stacking device of claim 7 is the same as claim 2, wherein the stacking machine is provided with a stopper, and the stopper is disposed at the leading end side of the laver bundles in the carrying-in direction. Thus, the stopper stops and positions the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles being carried in, and in combination with the pushing section pushing the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles in a direction crossing the carrying-in direction of the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles, the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles are aligned. Regarding claim 8, the following applies: The laver bundle stacking device of claim 8 is the same as claim 2, but the stacking machine has multiple storage shelves with vertical spacing that allows multiple laver bundles to be stored in a stacked state. At the same time, the stored laver bundles can be easily removed by pinching them from above and below.

[0009] <About the effects> The present invention comprises such means and is as follows: (1) The stacking device of the present invention comprises a stacking extruder and a stacking machine, and the bundles of flat laver sheets bound in the previous process are transported thereto. (2) Furthermore, the bundles of nori seaweed wrapped with protective paper are turned over in advance in the turning section, so that the edges are on top and the covered side is on the bottom, preventing the edges from bending during subsequent transportation and movement. (3) The flat laver bundles are first stacked in multiple bundles from the bottom up at the stacking section of the stacking extruder. (4) Then, it is extruded in the extrusion section of the stacking extruder. (5) The multiple bundles of extruded flat seaweed are raised and lowered by the lifting section of the stacking machine to a height that matches the storage shelf where they will be stored. (6) Then, in the storage section of the collecting machine, the items are put into the storage shelves where they are to be stored. (7) By repeating this process, many bundles of flat seaweed are accumulated in multiple bundles on each storage shelf of the accumulation machine. (8) The present invention combines a stacking and extruding machine with a stacking section and an extruding section, and an accumulating machine with a storage shelf, a lifting section, and a storage section, thereby making it possible to accumulate and store bundles of flat nori seaweed in multiple bundles. (9) In this invention, by following the process in order, the Nori seaweed bundles are automatically, smoothly, and efficiently accumulated on the storage shelf. Furthermore, the bundles of flat seaweed accumulated and stored on the storage shelf can be easily removed by pinching them from above and below with your hands while they are still stacked in multiple bundles. (10) Furthermore, the present invention prevents the sheaves of nori seaweed from shifting, becoming disordered, being damaged, being bent, etc., by the following points: The stacking section of the stacking extruder stacks the nori seaweed bundles one by one from the bottom up, which prevents these problems compared to stacking from the top down due to free fall. The combination of the extrusion part of the stacking extruder and the stopper, and the combination of the push-in part of the stacking machine and the stopper, aligns the flat nori seaweed bundles in the X and Y directions. The protective paper wrapped around the bundle of nori seaweed is prevented from bending by turning it over using the reversing section. (11) Now, the present invention has the following effects. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] First effect First, it is possible to stack a large number of bundles of flat seaweed. The laver stacking device of the present invention is the first to combine, for laver stacks, a stacking extruder equipped with a stacking section and an extrusion section, and a stacking machine equipped with a storage shelf, a lifting section, and a storage section. This makes it possible to accumulate a large number of bundles of flat laver. For the first time, it is possible to stack and store a large number of bundles of flat laver, which contributes to the mass processing and mass production of laver. This eliminates the need to manually pile up a large number of bundles of flat seaweed in an appropriate space, as in the conventional example described above.

[0011] Second Effect Second, it can be integrated automatically, smoothly, and efficiently. In the device for stacking flat nori seaweed bundles of the present invention, the flat nori seaweed bundles pass through the following processes in order: stacking section → pushing section → lifting section → pushing section. This allows multiple bundles of nori seaweed to be automatically and smoothly accumulated on the storage shelves. The process is continuous and does not require stopping the line. Stacking multiple sheets allows for the mass processing of nori seaweed bundles, improving efficiency. Furthermore, the bundles of flat seaweed stored in the storage shelf can be removed in multiple bundles while still stacked. They can be removed by pinching them from above and below. Instead of pinching them from the left and right, or removing them one by one, multiple bundles can be removed at once. This makes removal easy, and is also an excellent efficiency factor.

[0012] Third Effect Thirdly, there is no risk of misalignment, disorder, damage, bending, or the like. In the device for stacking flat seaweed bundles of the present invention, stacking from the underside of the stacking section and alignment using the push-out section, push-in section and stopper prevent the flat seaweed bundles from becoming misaligned, disordered, damaged, or the like. Furthermore, when a protective paper is wrapped around the bundle of laver seaweed, the turning over of the laver seaweed by the turning over section prevents the end from bending during subsequent transport and movement. In this way, the effects of the present invention are remarkable and great, as all of the problems that existed in the prior art of this type are solved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] This figure explains the form for implementing the invention of the flat seaweed stacking device of the present invention, showing the stacking extruder, etc. Figure (1) is a front view, and Figure (2) is a side view. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of an embodiment of the present invention, showing a stacking machine, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a side view. [Figure 3] The following are perspective views of a bundle of flat laver seaweed to explain the embodiment of the invention. (1) shows the bundled state, (2) shows the state with protective paper wrapped around it, (3) shows the state with additional binding with a binding band, (4) shows the state upside down, and (5) shows the state with only binding with a binding band without the protective paper wrapped around it. [Figure 4] 1 is a front view illustrating the stacking and extrusion process using a stacking extruder, and is provided for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. Figures (1), (2), (3), and (4) show steps 1, 2, 3, and 4. [Figure 5] This figure is provided to explain an embodiment of the invention and relates to the stacking and extrusion process using a stacking extruder. Figures (1), (2), (3), etc. are front explanatory views showing steps 5, 6, 7, etc. Figures (1'), (2'), (3'), etc. are side explanatory views showing steps 5, 6, 7, etc. [Figure 6] This figure is provided to explain an embodiment of the invention and relates to the stacking and extrusion process using a stacking extruder. Figures (1), (2), (3), etc. are front explanatory views showing steps 8, 9, 10, etc. Figures (1'), (2'), (3'), etc. are side explanatory views showing steps 8, 9, 10, etc. [Figure 7]1 is a side view illustrating the stacking process by a stacking machine, and is provided for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. Figures (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), etc. show stacking processes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. [Figure 8] The figures are explanatory side views of the stacking process by a stacking machine, and are provided for explaining the mode for carrying out the invention. Figures (1), (2), (3), (4), etc. show stacking processes 7, 8, 9, 10, etc. Figure (5) shows an example in which storage shelves are installed on both sides. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Overview of the Invention The outline of the present invention is as follows. The stacking device 1 for flat laver bundles A of the present invention is used in the laver production process and has a stacking extruder 2 and a stacking machine 3. The stacking extruder 2 includes a stacking section 4 and an extrusion section 5 . The stacking section 4 can stack the bundles of flat seaweed A that have been individually bound and brought in. The pushing section 5 can push out the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that have been stacked in the stacking section 4. The stacker 3 includes a storage shelf 6, a lifting section 7, and a storage section 8. The lifting section 7 can raise and lower the stacked bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that have been extruded and carried in by the extrusion section 5 of the stacking extruder 2 to a height position that matches the storage shelf 6 where they are to be stored. The pushing section 8 can push the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that have been raised and lowered by the lifting section 7 into the storage shelf 6 where they are to be stored. Therefore, it is characterized in that a large number of bundles of flat seaweed bundles A can be accumulated in the accumulation machine 3. The outline of the present invention is as described above. The present invention will be described in detail below.

[0015] <About Nori Bundle A etc.> In this nori production process, as shown in FIG. 1(1) and FIG. 4, flat nori bundles A are bound by a binding device 9 in the preceding process and transported to a stacking device 1. The flat seaweed bundle A is unfolded flat seaweed and bundled into bundles of 50 or 100 sheets. Each flat seaweed sheet is approximately rectangular, measuring 210 mm (up to 230 mm, or even 275 mm) in length and 190 mm (up to 200 mm) in width (see (1) in Figure 3). The flat seaweed bundle A is then bound directly with a binding band C by a binding device 9 (see Figure 3 (5)), or it is wrapped around with a protective paper D (see Figure 3 (2)), and then bound with a binding band C by the binding device 9 (see Figure 3 (3)). In this way, the flat laver bundle A is optionally covered and wrapped with protective paper D as needed, and the whole bundle is bound together with binding bands C. Such flat seaweed bundles A are extruded by an extrusion plate 10 from below the binding device 9 in the previous process, and are placed one bundle at a time on a conveyor 11 made of a string conveyor in the illustrated example, and transported toward the stacking section 4 of the stacking extruder 2 of the accumulation device 1. The above is the case for Flat Nori Bundle A etc.

[0016] <<About the reversing section 12>> Next, the reversing unit 12 will be described with reference to FIG. 1(1) and FIG. The stacking extruder 2 is provided with a reversing section 12 attached to the stacking section 4. The reversing section 12 is used when a protective paper D is wrapped around the flat seaweed bundle A that is transported to the stacking section 4. By reversing the stacking section 4, the end Q of the protective paper D is placed on top and the covering surface E is placed on the bottom.

[0017] The following is a more detailed description of the reversing section 12. As described above, the flat laver bundle A fed into the stacking section 4 of the stacking extruder 2 is optionally covered and wrapped with a protective paper D, and is essentially bound with a binding band C. The flat seaweed bundle A, which is wrapped and bound with protective paper D (see (3) in Figure 3), is turned over at the turning unit 12 (see (4) in Figure 3). On the other hand, the flat seaweed bundle A, which is not wrapped with protective paper D, does not require the turning unit 12 and is not turned over. The inverting unit 12 is installed midway along the conveyor 11 to the stacking unit 4 of the stacking extruder 2. When the attached sensor detects the arrival of the nori seaweed bundle A, the nori seaweed bundle A is rotated 180 degrees around the rotation axis 13 and inverted (see steps (1) to (4) in Figure 4). In the previous process, the protective paper D is placed on the top of the nori seaweed bundle A and wrapped around it, but the covering surface E is flipped over from the top (see (2) and (3) in Figure 3) to the bottom (see (4) in Figure 3). In other words, by placing the end Q of the protective paper D on the upper side, bending of the end Q during subsequent transportation or movement is prevented. If the protective paper D is not inverted, there is a risk that the end Q, which remains on the lower side, will get caught, turned up, or bent during transportation or movement. For example, when storing a flat nori seaweed bundle A with protective paper D in the storage shelf 6 of the accumulation machine 3, the underside of the protective paper D that comes into contact with the surface of the storage shelf 6 becomes the flat covering surface E in the present invention as described above. Therefore, when the flat nori seaweed bundle A is moved into or taken out of the storage shelf 6, there is no risk that the protective paper D of the flat nori seaweed bundle A will get caught on the surface of the storage shelf 6, bend, or roll up. The inversion unit 12 is as described above.

[0018] About stacking part 4 Next, the stacking section 4 of the stacking extruder 2 of the stacking device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 5, 6, etc. The stacking section 4 can stack multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that have been individually bound and carried in. That is, multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A are stacked one by one from the bottom up. The number of bundles to be stacked is typically three as shown in the figure, but other numbers of bundles are also possible.

[0019] A more detailed description will be given of the stacking section 4 of the stacking extruder 2. First, the stopper 14 of the stacking section 4 is as follows. The stacking extruder 2 is provided with a stopper 14 at the stacking section 4, which is located at the leading end of the direction F in which the flat nori bundles A are carried into the stacking section 4. This stops and positions the carried-in flat nori bundles A, and in combination with the extrusion in the cross direction G by the extrusion section 5, which will be described later, aligns the multiple bundles of flat nori bundles A. That is, as mentioned above, the laver bundles A are transported one by one by the conveyor 11 toward the stacking section 4, and then transferred to the roller conveyor 15 for further transport. When the laver bundles A reach the stacking section 4, the conveyor 15 stops transporting based on the detection of the stopper 14 located at the leading end in the carrying-in direction F and the sensor 16, and the laver bundles A are stopped and positioned. As will be described later, the extrusion section 5 extrudes multiple bundles of nori seaweed bundles A in a direction G intersecting the direction F of the nori seaweed bundles A entering the stacking section 4 (see Figure 1). This, combined with the positioning of the stopper 14, allows the multiple bundles of nori seaweed bundles A to be aligned in the X and Y directions.

[0020] Next, regarding the stacking member 17 of the stacking section 4, the following is true. The stacking section 4 is equipped with a plurality of stacking members 17, which in the illustrated example consist of two sets of two horizontal shafts. Each of these can stack the delivered Nori seaweed bundles A and can be raised and lowered. The two sets of stacking members 17 can stack the upper and middle flat seaweed bundles A of the three bundles in order while maintaining a gap between them, and the gap can be eliminated afterwards. That is, the stacking member 17 can be raised in stages by the height of one bundle of Nori seaweed A plus α. By raising it in stages, each loaded Nori seaweed bundle A can be stacked one after the other from the bottom up, while maintaining a mutual spacing (a vertical gap of α). (See the steps in each diagram of Figure 5 and Figures (1) and (1') of Figure 6.) Then, the stacked members 17 are lowered by the distance corresponding to the mutual interval (α) to eliminate the mutual interval solution (see the steps in (2) and (2') of FIG. 6). In addition, stacking members 17 are interposed between the flat seaweed bundles A where the mutual gaps have been eliminated. In the illustrated example, considering that three bundles, namely the first bundle (top), the second bundle (middle), and the third bundle (bottom), are stacked as multiple bundles, two sets of stacking members 17 are used for the top and middle bundles. The above is the case for stacking section 4.

[0021] 《Stacking process for stacking section 4》 Next, the stacking process of the illustrated stacking part 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the first bundle of laver A reaches the position of the stopper 14 and the sensor 16 and stops (see the process in Figure 5 (1) and Figure 5 (1')), the stacking member 17 of the stacking section 4 rises from under the conveyor 15, loads it, and raises it one step (see the process in Figure 5 (2) and Figure 5 (2')). Then, when the next bundle of laver seaweed A reaches the stopper 14 and the sensor 16 and stops (see the steps in Figure 5 (3) and (3')), the upper stacking member 17 raises the first bundle of laver seaweed A that it has loaded one more step. Then, the second bundle of laver A is loaded onto the middle stacking member 17 that rises from under the conveyor 15 and is raised one level. After that, the third bundle of laver seaweed A reaches the stopper 14 and the sensor 16 and stops, and in the example of multiple bundles shown, three bundles of laver seaweed A are stacked with intervals between them (see the steps in Figure 6 (1) and Figure 6 (1')). Then, the upper and lower stacking members 17 are each slightly lowered, causing the first and second bundles of nori seaweed A to be lowered slightly, eliminating the gap between them. In this way, multiple bundles of Nori seaweed bundles A are stacked in multiple layers, one after the other, starting from the bottom (see the steps in Figure 6 (2) and (2')). The first (top) and second (middle) bundles of Nori seaweed bundles A are stacked on top of the third (lower) bundle of Nori seaweed bundle A using the stacking member 17. In the illustrated example, an example of three bundles is described as the multiple bundles, but for other multiple bundles, the process similar to the illustrated example can be carried out by increasing or decreasing the number of stacked members 17. The stacking process for stacking section 4 is as described above.

[0022] <<About extrusion section 5>> Next, the extrusion section 5 of the stacking extruder 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS. 6(2) and 6(3). The extrusion section 5 is capable of extruding the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that have been stacked in the stacking section 4 and have had their spacing eliminated. The extrusion section 5 is capable of extruding the flat seaweed bundles A in a direction G that intersects with the direction F in which the flat seaweed bundles A are fed into the stacking section 4. The extrusion unit 5 in the illustrated example is composed of two vertical shafts, one in the front and one in the back, and is movable forward and backward in a direction G that intersects with the conveyor belts A's carrying direction F, i.e., the conveyor belts F carried by the conveyors 11 and 15. By moving forward, the extrusion unit 5 extrudes multiple bundles of nori seaweed bundles A toward the stacking machine 3. As described above, the plurality of bundles of flat seaweed bundles A are aligned by the extrusion by the extrusion unit 5 and the stopping and positioning of the fed flat seaweed bundles A by the stopper 14. The extrusion section 5 is as described above.

[0023] <<About the drive mechanisms 18 and 25>> Next, an illustrated example of the drive mechanisms 18, 25 of the stacking extruder 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 5, 6, etc. First, the drive mechanism 18 of the stacking section 4 of the stacking extruder 2 is as follows. The drive mechanism 18 of the stacking section 4 includes a vertical conveyor 19, a vertical shaft 20, a drive slide 21, a free slide 22, and the like. The drive slide 21 is attached to the vertical conveyor 19 arranged in parallel with the drive slide 21 and moves up and down while being guided by the vertical shaft 20. The free slide 22 is also guided by the vertical shaft 20 and moves up and down substantially following the drive slide 21. The free slides 22 are provided in a number corresponding to the number of flat seaweed bundles A to be stacked (in the illustrated example where three bundles are stacked, there are two, one for the first bundle and one for the second bundle), and each is attached to the base of a stacking member 17. Both the drive slide 21 and the free slide 22 are attached to a vertical guide shaft 20 so that they can slide up and down. Each free slide 22 is placed on a corresponding locking piece 23 for hooking, which is fixed under the driving slide 21. That is, the free slide 22 is placed on and caught by the locking piece 23 on the driving slide 21 side.

[0024] The steps of the drive mechanism 18 in the illustrated example are as follows. When the driving slide 21 is raised by the vertical conveyor 19, the free slide 22 and the stacking member 17 are lifted by the locking piece 23, and are thereby raised accordingly. As described above, the laver bundles A are stacked at intervals on the stacking member 17 (see the steps in each of the drawings in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6(1)). When the driving slide 21 starts to descend from this stacked state, the free slide 22 and stacking member 17 placed on the driving slide 21 also start to descend accordingly. When the stacking member 17 starts to descend and comes into contact with the laver bundle A below it, the stacking member 17 and the free slide 22 stop descending. This creates a small gap between the free slide 22 and the drive slide 21. Then, based on the detection of the attached sensor 24, the drive slide 21 and the vertical conveyor 19 also stop descending. As a result, the spacing between the stacked bundles of Nori seaweed A is eliminated (see the steps in (2) and (2') of Figure 6).

[0025] The drive mechanism 25 of the extrusion section 5 of the stacking extruder 2 is as follows. The drive mechanism 25 of the extrusion section 5 includes a horizontal conveyor 26, a horizontal shaft 27, a horizontal slide 28, and the like. The horizontal slide 28 is guided by the horizontal shaft 27 and is capable of moving forward and backward on the horizontal conveyor 26. The lower end of the extrusion unit 5 is attached to the horizontal slide 28. The horizontal conveyor 26 and the horizontal shaft 27 are arranged in parallel to each other and are arranged in a direction G intersecting the carrying-in direction F of the conveyors 11 and 15. Therefore, the stacked bundles of flat seaweed bundles A can be pushed out by the forward movement of the horizontal slide 28 and the extrusion section 5 (see the steps in (3) and (3') of Figure 6). The drive mechanisms 18 and 25 are as described above.

[0026] About Accumulator 3 Next, the stacking machine 3 of the stacking device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 5, 6, etc. The lifting section 7 of the stacking machine 3 can raise and lower the stacked bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that are pushed out from the extrusion section 5 of the stacking extruder 2 and carried in, to a height position that matches the storage shelf 6 where they are to be stored. The storage section 8 of the accumulation machine 3 can store the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that have been raised and lowered by the lifting section 7 into the storage shelf 6 where they are to be stored.

[0027] The stacking machine 3 will now be described in more detail. First, the stopper 29 of the lifting section 7 will be described. The stacking machine 3 is provided with a stopper 29, which is disposed at the leading end of the direction H in which the flat seaweed bundle A is carried into the lifting section 7. This stops and positions the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A being carried in, and aligns the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A in conjunction with the pushing-in of the pushing-in section 8. That is, the multiple stacked bundles of flat seaweed bundles A are pushed out from the pushing-out section 5 of the stacking extruder 2 as described above, and then transported by the carry-in conveyor 30 toward the lifting section 7 of the accumulator 3. When the laver reaches the entrance of the accumulation machine 3, i.e., below the front of the storage shelf 6, the conveyance of the conveyor 30 is stopped based on the detection of the stopper 29 and the sensor 31 located at the tip of the direction of conveyance H, and the multiple bundles of laver bundles A are stopped and positioned. As will be described later, the push-in section 8 of the stacking machine 3 pushes multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A into the storage shelf 6 in a direction J intersecting the carry-in direction H. There, in conjunction with the positioning of the stopper 29, the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A are aligned and aligned in the X and Y directions. The lifting section 7 of the accumulation machine 3 can raise and lower the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A carried in by the carrying-in conveyor 30 to a height position that matches the target storage shelf 6 where they are to be stored. The storage section 8 of the accumulator 3 can move forward and backward relative to the storage shelf 6, and by moving forward from the standby position, multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that have been raised and lowered by the lifting section 7 can be pushed into and stored on the storage shelf 6 where they are to be stored. The storage section 8 in the illustrated example is plate-shaped, with its base attached to the lifting section 7.

[0028] The accumulation process of accumulation machine 3 is as follows. The lifting unit 7 is driven to rise based on the detection of the sensor 31, and lifts the flat seaweed bundle A, which has been stopped and positioned by the stopper 29, to the height position of the first storage shelf 6, which is the lowest level in the illustrated example (see steps (1) and (2) in Figure 7). The drive mechanism of the lifting unit 7 is, for example, based on detection control using an encoder and inverter control of the motor, so that the stop position is appropriately selected, set, stabilized, managed, and maintained. The use of a servo motor or pulse motor is also considered. When the bundles of flat seaweed A reach a height suitable for the storage shelf 6, they are pushed into the storage shelf 6 through the storage section 8 and stored therein (see the steps in (3) and (4) of Figure 7). Then, the same process is repeated, and multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A are put into the storage shelf 6 and stored (see the process in (5) and (6) of Figure 7 and (1) of Figure 8). When that storage shelf 6 is full, the same process is repeated for the next storage shelf 6, in the illustrated example, the second storage shelf 6, and multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A are placed in and stored (see the process in (2) and (3) of Figure 8).

[0029] Through these steps, a large number of bundles of Nori seaweed A are accumulated in each storage shelf 6 of the accumulation machine 3 (see (4) in Figure 8). By changing the number and depth of the storage shelves 6, the number of bundles of flat seaweed bundles A that can be accumulated, i.e., the total amount that can be accumulated, can be freely set. Furthermore, if the standby position of the closet section 8 can be switched between the left and right, it is possible to provide storage shelves 6 on both the left and right sides (see FIG. 8(5)). The above is the case for accumulation machine 3.

[0030] 《Effect, etc.》 The present invention is configured as described above, and therefore, the following applies. (1) The stacking device 1 for laver bundles A of the present invention is used in the laver production process, where laver is shipped in the form of flat laver without being bent. It has a stacking extruder 2 and a stacking machine 3. The flat laver bundles A are then bound by a binding device 9 in the previous process and transported one by one to the stacking device 1 (see the process in Figure 4(1)).

[0031] (2) The stacking device 1 is provided with a turnover unit 4 at the front (see (1) in Figure 1). The turnover unit 4 is used when the incoming flat seaweed bundle A is wrapped around with a protective paper D. Then, by turning the protective paper D over, the end Q of the protective paper D is on top and the covering surface E is on the bottom, which prevents the end Q from bending during subsequent transportation and movement (see steps (2) and (3) in Figure 4) (see also steps (3) and (4) in Figure 3).

[0032] (3) The Nori seaweed bundles A are then transported to the stacking section 4 of the stacking extruder 2. At the stacking section 4, the bundles are stacked one after another from the bottom up, with intervals between them maintained, and then the intervals are eliminated. For example, they are stacked in multiple layers, such as in groups of three (see steps in (4) of Figure 4, the diagrams in Figure 5, and the diagrams in (1), (1'), (2), and (2') of Figure 6).

[0033] (4) After that, the multiple bundles of laver sheets A stacked in multiple layers are extruded from the stacking section 4 in the extrusion section 5 (see the steps in Figures (3) and (3') of Figure 6).

[0034] (5) In this way, the multiple bundles of Nori seaweed bundles A extruded by the extrusion section 5 of the stacking extruder 2 are transported via the carry-in conveyor 30 and then raised and lowered by the lifting section 7 of the stacking machine 3. In the illustrated example, they are raised to a height that matches the storage shelf 6 of the stacking machine 3 where they are to be stored (see steps (1) and (2) in Figure 7).

[0035] (6) Then, the storage section 8 of the stacking machine 3 stores the multiple bundles of flat seaweed bundles A lifted by the lifting section 7 into the storage shelf 6 where they are to be stored (see (3) and (4) in Figure 7).

[0036] (7) After that, these steps are repeated (see steps (5) and (6) in Figure 7, and steps (1), (2), and (3) in Figure 8, etc.). Thus, the large number of bundles of flat laver bundles A are accumulated in units of multiple bundles in each storage shelf 6 of the accumulation machine 3 (see the process in (4) of Figure 8).

[0037] (8) Now, the integrated device 1 of the present invention is as follows. First of all, the present invention is characterized by the first combination of a stacking and pushing machine 2 equipped with a stacking section 4 and a pushing section 5, and an accumulator 3 equipped with a storage shelf 6, a lifting section 7, and a storage section 8. As a result, a large number of bundles of flat seaweed bundles A can be accumulated in the accumulation machine 3 in multiple bundle units and stacked up for storage.

[0038] (9) In the stacking device 1 of the present invention, the flat laver bundle A passes through the following processes in order: stacking section 4 of the stacking extruder 2, extrusion section 5, lifting section 7 of the stacking machine 3, and pushing section 8. As a result, a large number of sheets of nori seaweed bundles A are automatically, smoothly, and efficiently accumulated on the storage shelf 6. They are continuously accumulated without stopping the line. The storage shelf 6 of the accumulation machine 3 is provided with a plurality of stages with vertical intervals that allow a plurality of bundles of flat laver bundles A to be stored in a pile inside. Furthermore, the stored and accumulated bundles of nori seaweed bundles A can be picked up by hand from above and below while still stacked. For example, three bundles can be picked up at once, not one by one, but from above and below (not from left to right). In this way, picking up is easy.

[0039] (10) Furthermore, the accumulation device 1 of the present invention has the following advantages. The stacking section 4 of the stacking extruder 2 stacks the nori seaweed bundles A sequentially from the bottom up, preventing misalignment, disorder, damage, and other issues from occurring to the nori seaweed bundles A. If the nori seaweed bundles A were instead stacked by free fall from the top, these issues would likely occur. The combination of extrusion by the extrusion section 5 of the stacking extruder 2 and the stopper 14 aligns the flat nori seaweed bundle A in the X and Y directions, preventing misalignment, disorder, damage, and breakage. The combination of the inserting section 8 of the stacking machine 3 and the stopper 29 aligns the flat nori seaweed bundles A in the X and Y directions, preventing misalignment, disorder, damage, and breakage. When the protective paper D is wrapped around the flat laver bundle A, the reversal part 12 prevents the protective paper D from getting caught or bending due to the laver being turned over. In other words, the protective paper D is wrapped around the flat seaweed bundle A from above, but if left as is, the bottom end Q is likely to get caught on something else, get turned up, or bend during transportation (see (3) in Figure 3). Therefore, the cover surface E is turned from the upper side to the lower side by the turning portion 12, and the end portion Q is turned upside down with the flat cover surface E on the lower side, thereby preventing bending. The operation of the present invention is as described above.

[0040] Other Examples First, in the stacking device 1 of the embodiment (illustrated example) described above, the protective paper D is wrapped around the nori seaweed bundle A. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stacking device 1 of the following embodiment is also possible. That is, it is also possible to stack the flat seaweed bundles A (see (5) in FIG. 3) without the protective paper D wrapped around them by the stacking extruder 2 and then stack them in the stacking machine 3.

[0041] Secondly, in the stacking device 1 of the embodiment (illustrated example) described above, the flat seaweed bundle A wrapped with the protective paper D is turned over at the turning section 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stacking device 1 of the following embodiment is also possible. In other words, it is also possible to stack the flat seaweed bundle A wrapped in protective paper D without turning it over, with the covering surface E on top and the end Q on the bottom, using the stacking extruder 2 and accumulating it in the accumulating machine 3.

[0042] Thirdly, in the stacking device 1 of the embodiment (illustrated example) described above, the Nori seaweed bundles A are stacked in groups of three. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stacking device 1 of the following embodiment is also possible. That is, it is also possible to stack laver bundles A of two bundles, four bundles, or other multiple bundles using the stacking extruder 2 and then accumulate them in the accumulator 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] A flat seaweed bundle B Multiple bundles C Cable tie D Protective paper E Covering surface F Loading direction G cross direction H Carrying direction J Cross direction Q Edge of protective paper 1. Accumulation device 2. Stacking extruder 3. Accumulator 4 Stacked part 5. Extrusion section 6 Storage Shelves 7 Lifting section 8 Closet 9 Binding device 10 Extrusion plate 11 Conveyor 12 Reversal section 13 Rotation axis 14 Stopper 15 Conveyor 16 sensors 17 Stacking members 18 Drive mechanism 19 Vertical conveyor 20 Vertical shaft 21 Drive slide 22 Free Slide 23 Locking piece 24 sensors 25 Drive mechanism 26 Horizontal conveyor 27 Horizontal shaft 28 Horizontal slide 29 Stopper 30 Intake conveyor 31 Sensors

Claims

1. A laver stacking device used in the laver production process, comprising a stacking extruder and a stacking machine, The stacking extruder has a stacking section and an extruding section, and the stacking section is capable of stacking bundles of flat seaweed that are individually bound and carried in, and the extruding section is capable of extruding the bundles of flat seaweed that are stacked in the stacking section. The stacking machine is equipped with a storage shelf, a lifting section, and a storage section, and the lifting section can raise and lower the stacked bundles of flat seaweed bundles extruded by the extrusion section of the stacking extruder and carried in to a height position appropriate for the storage shelf where they are to be stored, and the storage section can push the bundles of flat seaweed bundles raised and lowered by the lifting section into the storage shelf where they are to be stored. This is a flat laver bundle stacking device characterized in that a large number of flat laver bundles can be stacked in the stacking machine.

2. 2. The device for accumulating laver bundles according to claim 1, wherein the laver bundles transported to the stacking section of the stacking extruder are optionally covered and wrapped with protective paper and are essentially bound with a binding band.

3. In claim 2, the stacking extruder is provided with a reversing section at the stacking section, The inversion section is used when a protective paper is wrapped around the flat seaweed bundles that are brought into the stacking section, and is characterized by inverting the flat seaweed bundles so that the edge of the protective paper is on top and the covering surface is on the bottom.

4. According to claim 1, the stacking section of the stacking extruder is provided with a plurality of stacking members, The stacking member can load the carried-in flat laver bundles one by one and can move up and down, and the stacking member sequentially stacks the flat laver bundles from the bottom up, in multiple bundles at a time.

5. In claim 1, the extrusion section of the stacking extruder is movable back and forth in a direction crossing the direction in which the laver bundles are carried into the stacking section, This device for stacking flat laver bundles is characterized by pushing out a plurality of stacked flat laver bundles by forward movement.

6. According to claim 5, the stacking extruder is provided with a stopper at the stacking section, The stopper is arranged at the leading end side of the direction in which the flat nori bundles are carried into the stacking section, thereby stopping and positioning the flat nori bundles being carried in, and in combination with the pushing out in the cross direction by the pushing section, the flat nori bundles are aligned in an orderly fashion.

7. According to claim 1, the stacking machine is provided with a stopper, The stopper is arranged at the leading end side of the multiple bundles of flat nori seaweed bundles in the carrying-in direction, thereby stopping and positioning the multiple bundles of flat nori seaweed bundles being carried in, and in combination with the pushing section pushing the multiple bundles of flat nori seaweed bundles in a direction crossing the carrying-in direction, the multiple bundles of flat nori seaweed bundles are aligned, which is a feature of the flat nori seaweed bundle stacking device.

8. 2. A flat seaweed stack stacking device according to claim 1, wherein the storage shelves of the stacking machine are provided in multiple tiers at vertical intervals that allow multiple bundles of flat seaweed stacks to be stored in a stacked state, and the stored multiple bundles of flat seaweed stacks can be pinched from above and below and removed as they are.

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