Weight sorting machine

Abstract

To provide a weight selector that is less likely to be broken even if being repeatedly used, and therefore can achieve stable operation with a simple mechanism.SOLUTION: A plurality of selecting buckets 21 are fixed to a selecting conveyor and the selecting buckets 21 are fixed to a rotating shaft 26. The rotating shaft 26 is inserted through a support body 25 fixed to both ends of the selecting conveyor. A pusher 30 for pushing the rotating shaft 26 is arranged adjacently to one end of the rotating shaft 26. A guide rail 27 which receives lower parts of the selecting buckets 21 is fixed, along an advancing direction of the selecting conveyor 21, to the end, at which the pusher 30 is arranged, of both ends of the selecting conveyor. When the pusher 30 pushes the rotating shaft 26, the selecting buckets 21 move horizontally, the selecting buckets 21 deviates from the guide rail 27 and the selecting buckets 21 rotate with the rotating shaft 26 as a center, so that objects on the selecting buckets 21 fall downward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanism for dropping an object mounted on a bucket downward in a weight sorter that sorts objects by weight.

Background Art

[0002] Regarding long crops such as harvested asparagus and long green onions, a plurality of crops are bundled in a predetermined weight unit and shipped. In this case, manually selecting a combination that reaches a predetermined weight is complicated, time-consuming, and inefficient. For this reason, various weight sorters that automatically discharge the weighed objects in a combination close to the set weight from the input weighed objects have been proposed.

[0003] As a weight sorter, there is known one that rotates a bucket while moving it integrally with a chain that circulates a large number of continuously arranged buckets (receiving bases), and drops the long crops on the bucket downward. The sorting device described in Patent Document 1 is such that if the weight of the plant on the weighing scale is greater than or equal to the set weight, the guide rod with the support piece rotates, and accordingly the weighing scale rotates and the plant on the weighing scale drops downward.

[0004] The weight sorter described in Patent Document 2 is configured with a posture holding rail and a movable rail for holding and transporting the bucket, and by moving the movable rail away from the posture holding rail, the bucket is tilted to drop the radishes on the bucket downward. The sorting device described in Patent Document 3 provides a movable guide rail in the middle of the guide rail. By retracting the movable guide rail, the receiving base is rotated to drop the green onions on the receiving base downward.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0006] However, in the sorting device described in Patent Document 1, the support piece that forms part of the mechanism for rotating the balance scale is made of an elastically deformable spring material (page 9, lines 8-9 of Patent Document 1), and there was a possibility that the support piece would break if the elastic deformation was repeated over a long period of time. In addition, the weight sorting machine described in Patent Document 2 and the sorting device described in Patent Document 3 were equipped with movable rails, and their structures were complex.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve the aforementioned conventional problems and to provide a weight sorting machine that is less likely to break even with repeated use and can achieve stable operation with a simple mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a weight sorting machine that sorts objects by weight placed in sorting buckets, wherein a plurality of sorting buckets are continuously fixed along the direction of travel of a circulating sorting conveyor, the sorting buckets are fixed to a rotating shaft, the rotating shaft is inserted through supports fixed to both ends of the sorting conveyor, a pusher is positioned adjacent to one end of the rotating shaft to push the rotating shaft, a guide rail that receives the lower part of the sorting bucket is fixed along the direction of travel of the sorting conveyor on the side of the sorting conveyor where the pusher pushes the rotating shaft, causing the sorting bucket to move integrally with the rotating shaft. sorting The sorting bucket moves horizontally in the width direction of the conveyor, detaches from the guide rail, rotates around the rotation axis, and the objects on the sorting bucket fall downward.

[0009] In the weight sorting machine of the present invention, it is preferable that a return guide with an inclined section is provided, and the end of the rotating shaft of the sorting bucket during transport is guided by the inclined section of the return guide so that the horizontally moved sorting bucket returns to its original position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the weight sorting machine of the present invention, the object dropping mechanism for weight sorting does not require parts such as springs that are prone to breakage when used repeatedly over a long period of time, and the guide rail only needs to be a rod-shaped member, eliminating the need for a movable rail. Therefore, the possibility of breakage is low even with repeated use, and stable operation can be achieved with a simple mechanism. In addition, by providing a return guide, the sorting bucket that has moved horizontally can be returned to its original position with a simple structure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] External perspective view of a weight sorting machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Side view of a sorting conveyor according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the main section as seen from the upper side. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a perspective view from the pusher side. [Figure 5] Rear view of the sorting bucket as seen from direction A in Figure 4. [Figure 6] A side view of the sorting bucket shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] This figure shows the state after the sorting conveyor has come off the guide rail, compared to the state in Figure 5. [Figure 8] A side view of the sorting bucket shown in Figure 7. [Figure 9] A diagram showing the state in which the sorting bucket has moved to the lower side of the sorting conveyor in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] A plan view showing a sorting bucket that has moved horizontally returning to its original position in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] Side view showing the sorting bucket riding on the guide rail in one embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a weight sorter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, the outline of the weight sorter 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The configuration of the weight sorter 1 is roughly divided into an input unit 2, a cutting unit 3, a weight measuring unit 4, and a sorting unit 5. The object 15 is input into the input unit 2, the object 15 is cut into a certain length by the cutting unit 3, the weight of the object 15 is measured by the weight measuring unit 3, and the object 15 is sorted by the sorting unit 5 according to the weight. The object 15 is a long object in this embodiment, and examples of long objects include long agricultural products such as asparagus and long onions.

[0013] The object 15 is input into the input conveyor 10 by an operator (not shown) standing beside the input unit 2. The object 15 is sequentially conveyed on the weight sorter 1, with the upstream side as the conveyance source and the downstream side as the conveyance destination. The input conveyor 10 has a plurality of input buckets 11 continuously fixed along the traveling direction (arrow a) of the input conveyor 10. The input conveyor 10 circulates between the upper and lower parts.

[0014] When the object 15 input into the input bucket 11 by the operator is conveyed to the cutting unit 3, it is cut into a certain length by a circular cutter (not shown), and the cut pieces are discharged from the discharge port 12. The input bucket 11 moves in reverse in front of the weight measuring unit 4 and reaches the lower part, travels in the opposite direction to the upper part, and reverses again at the upstream end of the input unit 2 and returns to the upper part. When the input bucket 11 moves in reverse in front of the weight measuring unit 4, the object 15 is transferred from the input conveyor 10 to the weight measuring unit 4.

[0015] The object 15 that has reached the weight measurement unit 4 is determined to belong to which of the six weight categories. The six categories are just an example and not limited to this. After the weight determination, the object 15 is supplied to the sorting unit 5. The sorting unit 5 includes a sorting conveyor 20, and a plurality of sorting buckets 21 are continuously fixed along the advancing direction (arrow b) of the sorting conveyor 20.

[0016] The sorting unit 5 is provided with a receiving part 6, and a plurality of spaces 8 are formed by a partition plate 7 (see also FIG. 2). The plurality of spaces 8 correspond to the six weight categories, and the object 15 falls into the space 8 corresponding to the determined weight category. The fall is caused by the pusher 30 pushing the rotation axis 26 of the sorting bucket 21 (see FIG. 3), and the details will be described later.

[0017] Hereinafter, the sorting conveyor 20 will be specifically described. FIG. 2 is a side view of the sorting conveyor 20. In order to show the whole sorting conveyor 20 in the sorting unit 5 of FIG. 1, the illustration of the configuration of the sorting unit 5 in FIG. 1 is appropriately omitted, and only the main part is shown. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the main part seen from the upper side of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view when FIG. 3 is seen from the side of the pusher 30, showing the vicinity of one sorting conveyor 20.

[0018] In FIG. 2, a chain 23 is engaged with gears 22a to 22d. As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of chains 23 are arranged on both sides in the width direction of the sorting conveyor 20. In FIG. 2, the gear 22a is a driving gear and is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). By this rotational drive, the pair of chains 23 move in a circulating manner, advancing downstream on the upper side (in the direction of arrow b) and returning upstream on the lower side (in the direction of arrow c).

[0019] In Figure 3, numerous support attachment pieces 24 are fixed to the chain 23 along its longitudinal direction. Supports 25 are fixed to the support attachment pieces 24 at regular intervals. The rotating shaft 26 of the sorting bucket 21 is slidably inserted through the support 25. The rotating shaft 26 is fixed to the sorting bucket 21. These configurations are the same for the other chain 23. Therefore, the sorting bucket 21 is supported by the pair of supports 25 via the rotating shaft 26. With this sorting conveyor configuration, the sorting bucket 21 also moves in a circulating manner in conjunction with the circulating movement of the pair of chains 23.

[0020] In Figure 3, the pusher 30 is positioned along the longitudinal direction of the chain 23. The pusher 30 has a head 32 at the tip of a body 31 which contains a solenoid. When the solenoid is activated, the head 32 protrudes from the body 31, and the head 32 pushes the rotating shaft 26. As a result, the sorting bucket 21 moves in the width direction of the sorting conveyor 20 together with the rotating shaft 26.

[0021] Figure 4 shows the vicinity of one sorting bucket 21, and for convenience, the adjacent sorting buckets 21 are not shown. On the pusher 30 side, a long, slender rod-shaped guide rail 27 is fixed along the direction of travel of the sorting conveyor 21 (direction of arrow b). The guide rail 27 supports the bottom of the sorting bucket 21, and the sorting bucket 21 is placed on top of the guide rail 27. As a result, the sorting bucket 21 is stable with its surface facing upwards.

[0022] Figure 5 is a view of the sorting bucket 21 from the rear, corresponding to the view from direction A in Figure 4. Both ends of the rotating shaft 26 are inserted through the support 25, and the sorting bucket 21 is placed on a guide rail 27 provided on the pusher 30 side. Figure 6 is a side view of the sorting bucket 21 shown in Figure 5. For ease of illustration, only the essential parts are shown, the support 25 is shown by a dashed line, and the rotation restricting shaft 14 is shown in cross-sectional view. The object 15 is also shown on the sorting bucket 21. In the state shown in Figure 6, the object 15 remains on the sorting bucket 21 because the sorting bucket 21 is placed on the guide rail 27.

[0023] In Figure 5, when the head 32 of the pusher 30 protrudes at the moment when the rotating shaft 26 and the head 32 of the pusher 30 face each other, the head 32 comes into contact with the rotating shaft 26, and then the head 32 pushes the rotating shaft 26. When the rotating shaft 26 is pushed, the sorting bucket 21 moves horizontally in the width direction of the sorting conveyor 20 together with the rotating shaft 26 (arrow d), and comes off the guide rail 27. This state is shown in Figure 7. In the state shown in Figure 7, the sorting bucket 21 is off the guide rail 27, and the sorting bucket 21 is rotating around the rotating shaft 26.

[0024] Figure 8 is a side view of the sorting bucket 21 shown in Figure 7. Figure 8 shows the sorting bucket 21 after it has rotated from the state shown in Figure 6. For convenience, the sorting bucket 21 before rotation is shown by a dashed line. The rotational movement of the sorting bucket 21 is restricted by the rotation restricting shaft 13 (see also Figure 7), preventing interference with adjacent sorting buckets 21. In Figure 8, the sorting bucket 21 has rotated (arrows f, g), and is now in a nearly vertical position. As a result, the object 15 that was on the bottom of the sorting bucket 21 has fallen downwards.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the pushers 30 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the sorting conveyor 20, but in this embodiment, there are six pushers 30. Each of the six pushers 30 is positioned to correspond to one of the six spaces 8 in Figure 2. As described above, when the pushers 30 are activated, the objects 15 on the sorting buckets 21 fall downwards. Therefore, by specifying which pusher 30 to activate, the objects 15 can be dropped into any of the six spaces 8.

[0026] As described above, the weight measurement unit 4 determines which of the six weight categories the object 15 belongs to. The six spaces 8 in Figure 2 correspond to the six weight categories, and the object 15 of the weight category corresponding to each space 8 falls into each space 8. Specifically, the six pushers 30 are assigned different numbers. Each time the weight measurement unit 4 determines the weight category of the object 15, the control means (not shown) specifies the number of the pusher 30 to be operated for the sorting bucket 21 on which the object 15 is placed (let's say number 3). In this case, when the sorting bucket 21 is transported to the position of pusher 30 number 3, pusher 30 number 3 is activated, and the object 15 falls into the space 8 corresponding to pusher 30 number 3. In this way, each object 15 falls into the space 8 corresponding to its weight category and is sorted.

[0027] In Figure 8, the sorting bucket 21, from which the object 15 was dropped, continues to be transported downstream (arrow e), reverses direction at the downstream end of the sorting conveyor 20, and moves downward. Figure 9 shows the sorting bucket 21 after it has moved to the underside of the sorting conveyor 20. In Figure 9, the sorting bucket 21 has moved downward via the end of the sorting conveyor 20 and is moving upstream (arrows h, i). As the sorting bucket 21 moves along the end of the sorting conveyor 20, its posture changes, causing it to rotate around the rotation axis 26 due to its own weight. In this embodiment, a rotation restricting shaft 14 (see also Figure 4) is attached to the support 25, and the rotation of the sorting bucket 21 is restricted by the rotation restricting shaft 14, enabling stable transport.

[0028] In Figure 9, as the sorting bucket 21 moves upstream (in the direction of arrow i), the sorting bucket 21 reverses direction at its upstream end and moves upward again. As described above, the sorting bucket 21 that dropped the object 15 is off the guide rail 27. To place the sorting bucket 21 back on the guide rail 27, it is sufficient to move the sorting bucket 21 horizontally in the opposite direction to when it was pushed (in the axial direction of the rotation axis 26).

[0029] Figure 10 is a plan view showing the sorting bucket 21 returning to its original position. Figure 10 shows the sorting bucket 21 moving towards the upstream end (arrow j) at the bottom of the sorting conveyor 20. The return guide 28 is an independent component provided separately from the sorting conveyor 20 and is fixed in the position shown in Figure 10. In the state shown in Figure 10, the end of the rotating shaft 26 is in contact with the inclined portion of the return guide 28. As the sorting bucket 21 moves (arrow j), the rotating shaft 26 moves horizontally while moving along the inclined portion of the return guide 28.

[0030] The dashed line in Figure 10 shows the state where the rotating shaft 26 has moved horizontally by a distance d. In this state, the sorting bucket 21 has also moved horizontally by a distance d together with the rotating shaft 26. If the sorting bucket 21 is transported upwards while maintaining this state, the sorting bucket 21 can ride up onto the guide rail 27. Figure 11 is a side view showing the state where the sorting bucket 21 has ridden onto the guide rail 27. In Figure 11, the dashed line shows the state of the sorting bucket 21 immediately after riding up onto the guide rail 27. As described above, the sorting bucket 21 has moved horizontally by the return guide 28 and returned to its original position, so it is possible for it to ride up onto the guide rail 27.

[0031] The sorting bucket 21 moves along the curved section of the guide rail 27 (arrow j) and then moves to the straight section of the guide rail 27. In this state, the sorting bucket 21 is on the guide rail 27 and is stable (see Figure 5), so it can carry the object 15 sent from the weight measurement unit 4 (see Figure 1) downstream (arrow k).

[0032] The weight sorting of the object 15 according to this embodiment has been described above. As mentioned above, the mechanism for dropping the object 15 for weight sorting is as follows: in Figure 7, the rotating shaft 26 is pushed, causing the sorting bucket 21 to move horizontally in the width direction of the sorting conveyor 20, and the sorting bucket 21 to detach from the guide rail 27. In this mechanism, parts such as springs, which are highly likely to break if used repeatedly for a long period of time, are unnecessary, and the guide rail 27 can be a rod-shaped member, eliminating the need for a movable rail. In other words, if the dropping mechanism according to this embodiment is adopted in a weight sorting machine, the possibility of breakage is low even with repeated use, and stable operation can be achieved with a simple mechanism.

[0033] One embodiment of the present invention has been described above. In the above embodiment, the object 15 was described as a long agricultural crop, but the object is not limited to this, and can be anything that can be loaded onto the bucket, such as a component of a structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1. Weight sorting machine 5. Sorting Department 15. Object 20 sorting conveyor 21 sorting buckets 25 Support 26 Rotation axis 27 Guide rails 28 Recovery Guide 30 Pushers

Claims

1. A weight sorting machine that sorts objects loaded into sorting buckets by weight, Multiple sorting buckets are continuously fixed along the direction of travel of the sorting conveyor as it moves in a circulating manner. The sorting bucket is fixed to the rotating shaft, The rotating shaft is inserted through the supports fixed to both ends of the sorting conveyor. A pusher is positioned adjacent to one end of the aforementioned rotating shaft to push the rotating shaft. Of the two ends of the sorting conveyor, a guide rail that supports the lower part of the sorting bucket is fixed along the direction of travel of the sorting conveyor on the side where the pusher is located. A weight sorting machine characterized in that the pusher pushes the rotating shaft, causing the sorting bucket to move horizontally in the width direction of the sorting conveyor in conjunction with the rotating shaft, the sorting bucket to detach from the guide rail, the sorting bucket to rotate around the rotating shaft, and the objects on the sorting bucket to fall downward.

2. The weight sorting machine according to claim 1, further comprising a return guide with an inclined section, wherein the end of the rotating shaft of the sorting bucket during transport is guided by the inclined section of the return guide, and the horizontally moved sorting bucket returns to its original position.

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