Product alignment and removal equipment using a cutting device

Abstract

To provide a facility for aligning and taking out a product using a cutting device which takes out a plurality of products cut out with a cutting device as they remain aligned.SOLUTION: A facility of this invention comprises: a cutting device, which cuts a plate-like product out of a workpiece 1; an under guide 41, which makes one end approach the exit of a cutting zone Z where a protruding blade 311 approaches the outer peripheral surface of an anvil roll 32 to cut the product out of the workpiece 1, and makes the other end extend in a workpiece take-out direction so that a receiving face 41a may keep horizontal to support the product taken out of the exit and a cutting hole opening workpiece; and an upper guide 42, which is a plate-like body and enables the undersurface 42b to secure a gap where the workpiece 1 passes above the receiving face 41a and closely disposed, and which forms, at a point matching the cutting zone Z, an opening 420 sized for the protruding blade 311 to penetrate as a die cut roll 31 rotates. The tip of the protruding blade 311 approaches the outer peripheral surface of the anvil roll 32 to cut the product out of the workpiece 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to an alignment and extraction facility for products using a cutting device that passes a workpiece between a die cut roll and an anvil roll and extracts a cut product.

Background Art

[0002] For example, there is a cutting device that supplies and passes a plate-shaped workpiece between a die cut roll having a cutting edge formed on its outer peripheral surface and an anvil roll that rotates receiving the cutting edge of the cutting edge, thereby cutting out a plate-shaped product from the workpiece. It is also called a rotary die cut device (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-196080) or a roll cutter device (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-24073). Here, there is a case where the product cut by the cutting edge of the die cut roll slips out of the workpiece with a cutout hole. Especially when the product is small, the product is lifted and jumps outwards following the rotation of the die cut roll, making it impossible to stably extract the product. For these reasons, a die cut device that reliably separates the product cut from the workpiece has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above problems and to provide a product alignment and removal system using a cutting device that removes multiple products cut out by the cutting device while they remain aligned. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, a first aspect of the present invention is a cutting device for aligning and removing products using a cutting device, comprising: a die-cutting roll having a protruding blade formed in an annular shape on its outer circumference and an anvil roll disposed opposite to it, which rotate to pass a plate-shaped workpiece inserted between them and cut out a plate-shaped product from the workpiece; an under guide which has one end positioned towards the exit of a cutting zone where the protruding blade and the outer circumference of the anvil roll come close together to cut the product from the workpiece, and the other end extending in the direction of workpiece removal so that the receiving surface is kept horizontal, to receive and support the product and the cut-out workpiece removed from the exit; and an upper guide which is a plate-shaped body, with its lower surface positioned close to the receiving surface on the upper side to secure a gap for the workpiece to pass through, and having an opening formed at a corresponding location in the cutting zone that is large enough for the protruding blade to enter as the die-cutting roll rotates, wherein the cutting edge of the protruding blade passes through the opening and approaches the outer circumference of the anvil roll to cut out the product from the workpiece. A product alignment and removal system using a cutting device according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, the upper guide is provided with a curved recess on the upper surface side around the opening, matching the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the die-cut roll. A product alignment and removal system using a cutting device according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, a plurality of the annular protruding blades formed on the outer circumferential surface of the die-cut roll are arranged in the direction of the rotation axis of the die-cut roll, and the openings are formed at each location in the width direction of the upper guide corresponding to these protruding blades. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The product alignment and removal equipment using the cutting device of the present invention guides the products cut out by the cutting device so that they remain in the cut-out holes of the workpiece, allowing them to be removed in an aligned state. This facilitates subsequent processes such as foreign object inspection of the products, resulting in significant benefits in reducing labor and costs. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of the main body, under guide, and upper guide of the cutting device. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view of the area around the notched zone. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of the workpiece entering the notched zone shown in Figure 2, after it has entered the workpiece insertion port. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the product taken at different points in time. [Figure 5] This is a comparison diagram that replaces Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a view along the line VI-VI in Figure 4. [Figure 7] This is a front view of the product alignment and removal equipment, including the ancillary equipment on the upstream and downstream sides of the cutting device. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a plan view [Figure 9] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the area around the punching press machine, showing the product fitted into the perforated workpiece and moved onto the through-hole plate shown in Figure 8. [Figure 10] This is a vertical cross-sectional view of a product being punched out of the through-hole plate shown in Figure 9 onto a product feed conveyor by a punching press. [Figure 11] This is a schematic plan view of the area around a punching press that separates the products on the product feed conveyor from the perforated workpieces from which the products have been cut. [Figure 12] (a) The upper part is a plan view of the workpiece, and the lower part is a front view thereof. (b) is a plan view of the product fitted into the cutout hole formed in the workpiece. (c) is a plan view of the product and the workpiece with the hole. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes in detail the product alignment and removal equipment (hereinafter also simply referred to as "alignment and removal equipment") using the cutting device according to the present invention. Figures 1 to 12 show one form of the alignment and removal equipment of the present invention. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the cutting device, under guide and upper guide, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the area around the notch zone, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the workpiece in the notch zone of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the product cut out after some time has passed since Figure 3, Figure 5 is a comparison diagram replacing Figure 4, Figure 6 is a view along the line VI-VI in Figure 4, Figure 7 is a front view of the alignment and removal equipment including the upstream and downstream sides of the cutting device, Figure 8 is a plan view of Figure 7, Figures 9 to 11 are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the area around the punching press, and Figure 12 shows (a) a plan view and front view of the workpiece, (b) a plan view of the product fitted into the perforated workpiece, and (c) a plan view of the product and the perforated workpiece separated. For clarity, each figure is simplified to highlight the essential parts of the invention, and hatching representing cross-sections is omitted in some drawings. Furthermore, parts not directly related to the present invention are omitted.

[0010] (1) Product alignment and removal equipment using a cutting device The product alignment and removal equipment using a cutting device comprises a cutting device 3, an under guide 41, an upper guide 42, and an under sub-guide 43 (Figures 1 to 4, Figure 7). In Figure 7, the left side of the paper is the upstream side, where the workpiece 1 is supplied to the cutting device 3, and the right side of the paper is the downstream side, where the cut-out product 11 is transported to the next process. Also, in Figure 2, the top of the paper is literally the top, the upper side, or the surface side.

[0011] The cutting device 3 is a cutting device that cuts out the shape of the product 11 from the workpiece 1 by inserting the workpiece 1 between a die-cutting roll 31 and an anvil roll 32, which rotate with their outer peripheral surfaces 31a and 32a facing each other (Figure 7). In this invention, the plate-like shape of the workpiece 1 includes sheet-like materials. The product 11 produced from the workpiece 1 by the cutting device 3 of this embodiment is a small cardboard product 11 in the shape of a vertically long trapezoidal spoon with a height of about 8 cm, for scooping desserts, etc. (Fig. 12). The workpiece 1 is a vertically long rectangular cardboard plate 1A that can hold a plurality of products 11 (here, 8, 7, and 8) in the long side direction and arrange them in a plurality of rows (here, 3 rows) in the short side direction. The workpiece thickness 1t is about 2 mm.

[0012] The rotation axis 33 of the die-cut roll 31 and the rotation axis of the anvil roll 32 are parallel, and on the outer peripheral surface 31a of the die-cut roll 31, a cutting edge 311 formed in an annular shape with a substantially constant height projects along the outer peripheral edge of the product 11 as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The cutting edge 311 is formed to bulge annularly in accordance with the outer periphery of the product 11. The sharp cutting edge of the cutting edge 311 is received by the outer peripheral surface 32a of the anvil roll 32, and the workpiece 1 inserted between the die-cut roll 31 and the anvil roll 32 as they rotate is sequentially passed through, and a plurality of plate-like products 11 are successively cut out from a single workpiece 1. The symbol Z indicates the cutting zone where the cutting edge 311 of the die-cut roll 31 and the outer peripheral surface 32a of the anvil roll 32 approach each other to cut the product 11 from the workpiece 1 (Fig. 3). The cutting zone Z refers to the section from the starting point where the cutting edge of the cutting edge 311 enters the workpiece 1 due to the rotation of the die-cut roll 31 to the cutting arrival point where the cutting edge is received by the outer peripheral surface of the anvil roll 32 as shown in Fig. 3, and further to the point where the cutting edge of the cutting edge 311 rises and separates from the workpiece as the die-cut roll 31 rotates. The symbol V indicates the cut groove cut into the workpiece 1 by the cutting edge 311. At both axial ends of the die-cut roll 31, bearing portions 37 corresponding to the height of the cutting edge 311 bulge in the radially outward direction. Incidentally, Figs. 2 to 4 omit the hatching representing the cross-sections of the die-cut roll 31, the anvil roll 32, the cutting edge 311, the workpiece 1, the product 11, and the perforated workpiece 12.

[0013] The under guide 41 has one end 411 placed near the outlet OUT of the cutting zone Z, and the other end 412 has a receiving surface 41a extending horizontally in the workpiece extraction direction to support the product 11 and the perforated workpiece 12 after cutting that come out of the outlet OUT (Figs. 4 and 6). Here, the outlet OUT of the cutting zone is the outlet where the workpiece 1 exits after passing through the cutting zone Z, and the inlet IN of the cutting zone is the entrance of the workpiece 1 into the cutting zone Z. The under guide 41 is fixed to the fixed frame related to the cutting device 3 on the outlet OUT side of the cutting zone. The product 11 cut by the cutting device 3 and the perforated workpiece 12 after cutting the product 11 are supported from below by the receiving surface 41a which is the upper surface of the under guide 41. The under guide 41 is a plate-like member that guides the product 11 and the perforated workpiece 12 taken out from the outlet OUT of the cutting zone so as not to fall due to the rotation of both the die cut roll 31 and the anvil roll 32, and bridges them to the downstream post-cutting conveying device 5. Therefore, the under guide 41 has a plate width longer than the length of the short side 1AS of the workpiece (Fig. 6), and further, one end 411 on the upstream side of the under guide 41 is brought close to the outlet OUT of the cutting zone (Fig. 2), and the other end 412 on the downstream side of the under guide 41 has a receiving surface 41a sized to approach the upstream conveyor end 511 of the post-cutting conveying device 5 as shown in Fig. 8. The receiving surface 41a is arranged at a height that can receive the product 11 and the perforated workpiece 12 taken out from the outlet OUT of the cutting zone almost at their height, and a slope 4151 is provided at the tip portion to facilitate receiving. Also, the height of the upstream conveyor end 511 of the post-cutting conveying device 5 is adjusted to this height.

[0014] The under guide 41 of this embodiment is a metal plate-like member as shown in Fig. 1 having a smooth flat plate portion 415 that secures the rectangular plate width of the workpiece 1, and forming raised portions 417 on both sides in the plate width direction. The height of the raised portions 417 is made slightly larger than the plate thickness 1t of the workpiece 1, and when the upper guide 42 is placed, a gap ε1 through which the workpiece 1 can pass is automatically secured on the receiving surface 41a as shown in Fig. 6.

[0015] The upper guide 42 is a plate-shaped guide member whose lower surface 42b is positioned close to the receiving surface 41a, securing a gap ε1 above through which the workpiece 1 can pass. It also has an opening 420 formed in the corresponding location of the cutting zone Z, large enough for the protruding blade 311 to enter as the die-cutting roll 31 rotates (Figure 1). The plate-shaped form of the plate-shaped body includes a disc-shaped form. The upper guide 42, whose lower surface 42b is positioned close to the receiving surface 41a with a gap of the workpiece thickness on the upper side, acts as a restricting member that keeps the product 11 cut out from the workpiece 1 by the cutting device 3 within the cut-out hole 120 on the cut-out zone exit OUT side. The lower surface 42b of the upper guide 42 is positioned horizontally with a gap of the workpiece thickness 1t on the upper side of the receiving surface 41a, while maintaining a gap of closeness to the receiving surface 41a.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the upper guide 42 has a size that extends from the cut-out zone exit OUT side to the workpiece insertion port IN side, with a lower surface 42b facing the receiving surface 41a. An opening 420 is formed so as not to interfere with the cutting of the product 11 by the protruding blade 311. When the cutting device 3 is operated, the cutting edge of the protruding blade 311 passes through the opening 420 and cuts out the product 11 from the workpiece 1. Furthermore, the upper guide 42 is provided with a curved recess 42a1 on the upper surface 42a side around the opening 420, which matches the shape of the outer surface of the die-cut roll 31, thus preventing the cutting device from becoming larger. In this embodiment, multiple (in this case, three rows) annular protruding blades 311 are arranged on the outer peripheral surface 31a of the die-cutting roll 31 as shown in Figure 1, in the direction of the rotation axis of the die-cutting roll 31, and openings 420 are provided at various points in the width direction of the upper guide 42 corresponding to these protruding blades 311. By cutting multiple pieces in the width direction of the workpiece 1, the product 1 becomes smaller, making it easier for the product 11 to pop out of the perforated workpiece 12, but the upper guide 42 prevents this.

[0017] Here, the product 11 cut out by the protruding blade 311 and the perforated workpiece 12 after the product 11 has been cut out move downstream from the cutting device exit OUT. However, the product 11 cut out from the workpiece 1 by the protruding blade 311 is easily dislodged from the cut-out hole 120 of the perforated workpiece 12. Attracted by the rotational force of the protruding blade 311 and the die-cutting roll 31, the product 11, especially if it is a small, flat piece made of paper as in this embodiment, tends to float up and is in an environment where it is easily ejected from the perforated workpiece 12. Previously, measures such as installing a sponge slab SPG as shown in Figure 5 within the annular portion of the annularly formed protruding blade 311 and using its elastic force to press down on the product 11 from above have been taken, but the effect has been insufficient. This is because, as the cutting of the product 11 from the workpiece 1 progresses, the sponge slab SPG separates from the product 11 as shown in Figure 5 due to the rotation of the die-cutting roll 31, and is unable to continue to press down on it. Furthermore, at the point when the product 11 is cut, the final cut by the wedge-shaped protruding blade 311 that separates the product 11 from the workpiece 1 causes the downstream tip of the product to lift up as shown in the figure, which exacerbates the tendency for it to pop out of the perforated workpiece 12.

[0018] In contrast, the present invention provides an upper guide 42 with an opening 420 to reliably prevent the cut-out product 1 from flying out of the cut-out hole 120. More specifically, the lower surface 42b of the receiving surface 41a is positioned parallel to the receiving surface 41a, spaced apart from the receiving surface 41a while maintaining a gap equal to the workpiece thickness of 1t, and the upper guide 42 is positioned as close as possible to the cutting zone Z, so that the upper guide 42 prevents the product from flying out of the cut-out hole 120 of the perforated workpiece 12. On the other hand, by providing an opening 420, the cutting edge of the projecting blade 311 can be received by the outer peripheral surface 32a of the anvil roll, so as not to interfere with the cutting device that cuts out the product 11 from the workpiece 1 with the projecting blade 311. The upper guide 42 has a vertically elongated rectangular opening 420 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, which is positioned in the corresponding location of the cutting zone Z, allowing the projecting blade 311 to enter the workpiece 1 and cut out the product 11 from the workpiece 1 as the die-cut roll 31 rotates.

[0019] When arranging the upper guide 42, it is preferable that the gap ε1 between the receiving surface 41a and the lower surface 42b is greater than 1 times the workpiece thickness 1t but less than 2 times, in order to prevent the product 11 from popping out of the cut-out hole 120. This is because it reduces the frictional resistance associated with the downstream movement of the product 11 and the perforated workpiece 12, and effectively prevents the product 11 from coming out of the perforated workpiece 12. Furthermore, it is preferable that when the cutting device 3 finishes cutting the product from the workpiece 1, the downstream end of the cut-off product 11 reaches below the upper guide 42, as shown in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 4, it is preferable that the downstream end of the product 11 goes beyond the short edge 420a of the opening and slips under the upper guide 42. This is because if the wedge-shaped projection blade 311 cuts into the workpiece 1 from the upper surface 1a in a way that compresses the workpiece 1, the downstream end that becomes the product 1 tends to lift up and easily come off, but this situation can be prevented. The upper guide 42 is positioned so that its upstream end 421 is as close as possible to the cut-out zone exit OUT (Figure 2). Of course, this upstream end 421 must avoid collision with the projection blade 311 and is set slightly downstream of one end 411 of the under guide 41. Furthermore, the downstream rear end 422 of the upper guide 42 does not need to be provided once the product 11 has passed the region where it is likely to come off the perforated workpiece 12. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, it is set upstream of the other end 412 of the under guide 41. The upper guide 42 prevents the product 11 moving on the under guide 41 from moving upward, and allows the product 11 and the perforated workpiece 12 to pass between the two guides 41 and 42, thereby maintaining the alignment of the product 11. As shown in Figure 6, the upper guide 42 has a plate width such that its lower surface 42b can cover the upper surface of the product 11 and the perforated workpiece 12 sliding on the under guide 41.

[0020] Thus, the workpiece 1 supplied to the cutting device 3 shown in Figure 12(a) is cut out, and in the section of the upper guide 42, each product 11 that is removed from the outlet OUT is kept within the cutout holes 120 formed in the workpiece 1 (Figure 12(b)), thereby keeping the products 11 cut out from the workpiece 1 in an aligned state. After that, with the products 11 still fitted into the perforated workpiece 12, it is transported, for example, to the horizontal platen 71 of the punching press machine 7 installed downstream, which will be described in detail later. There, by removing the products 11 that were fitted into the cutout holes 120, only the aligned products 11 remain (Figure 12(c)), making it easier to perform post-process inspections for foreign matter and other contaminants attached to the products 11.

[0021] The under-sub-guide 43 is a guide that directs the downstream rear portion 431 toward the workpiece insertion port IN of the cutting device 3, while extending the upstream front portion 432 toward the workpiece supply side so that its surface 43a is kept horizontal, thereby receiving, supporting, and guiding the workpiece 1 supplied to the cutting device 3 toward the insertion port IN. The under-sub-guide 43 is fixed to the cutting device frame on the workpiece insertion port IN side. The under-sub-guide 43 receives the workpiece 1 to be inserted into the workpiece insertion port IN of the cutting zone Z from an upstream device, such as a supply conveyor CR. In this case, the under-sub-guide 43 is provided in the section between the supply conveyor CR and the workpiece insertion port IN of the cutting device 3. The upper surface 43a of the under-sub-guide 43 supports the workpiece 1, bridging the gap between the supply conveyor CR, which is the device immediately upstream of the cutting device 3, and the workpiece insertion port IN, guiding the workpiece 1 to the insertion port IN. The surface 43a of the under-sub-guide 43 and the receiving surface 41a of the under-guide 41 are set to approximately the same height. The under-sub-guide surface 43a is positioned at a height that allows the workpiece 1 to be supplied to the workpiece insertion port IN of the cutting zone Z at its original height (Figure 4), and the height of the downstream end of the supply conveyor CR is matched to this height. In this embodiment, an embossing device 2 is interposed between the supply conveyor CR and the cutting device 3 (Figure 7). Therefore, the surface 43a of the under-sub-guide 43 supports the workpiece 1 from the embossing device 2, bridging the gap between the exit-side under-receiving guide 49 of the embossing device 2 and the workpiece insertion port IN (Figure 7), guiding the workpiece 1 to the insertion port IN. The receiving surface, which is the upper surface of the exit-side under-receiving guide 49, is matched to the height of the surface 43a of the under-sub-guide 43.

[0022] The upper guide 42, as mentioned above, also serves as a guide member that directs the workpiece 1 to the insertion port IN of the cutting device 3 by having its back surface 44b approach the surface 43a of the under sub-guide 43 while maintaining a gap equal to the thickness of the workpiece on the upper side. Without the upper guide 42, the workpiece 1 supplied to the cutting device 3 may not enter the insertion port IN properly. Workpieces 1 made of paper, in particular, may get stuck at the insertion port IN. Even if the workpiece 1 is slightly misaligned or deformed from the insertion port IN, the upper guide 42 allows the workpiece tip T to be aligned with the insertion port IN of the cutting zone Z and inserted. The upper guide 42 is horizontally positioned with its back surface 44b approaching the surface 43a of the under sub-guide 43 with a space equal to the thickness of the workpiece (1t) on the upper side. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the upper guide 42 of this embodiment has a chamfered edge on the back surface of the upstream tip 421. By widening the opening for receiving the workpiece 1, even if the supply-side tip T of the workpiece 1 is slightly lifted, it is guided into the gap between the upper guide 42 and the under sub-guide 43, leading the workpiece 1 to the cut-out zone insertion opening IN. The upper guide 42 has a plate width that can cover the upper surface 1a of the workpiece 1 as it slides on the under sub-guide 43.

[0023] In Figures 7 and 8, the downstream lateral sway prevention piece 45 is fixed to the receiving surfaces 41a on both sides in the width direction of the downstream end 413 of the under guide. The internal dimension between the two prevention pieces 45, 45 is made slightly larger than the length of the short side 1AS of the workpiece, so that the perforated workpiece 12 with the product 11 coming out of the cutting device 3 does not sway and flows downstream. The upstream lateral sway prevention piece 46 is fixed to the surfaces 43a on both sides in the width direction of the upstream leading end of the under sub-guide 43. The corners of the upstream ends of the two lateral sway prevention pieces 46, 46 are significantly chamfered on the opposing plate thickness sides. The opening is widened to make it easier to receive the supplied workpiece 1. The distance in the workpiece travel direction between the downstream lateral sway prevention piece 45 and the upstream lateral sway prevention piece 46 is set to be shorter than the length of the long side 1AL of the rectangular workpiece plate, thereby eliminating lateral sway of the rectangular workpiece plate 1A supplied to the cutting device 3. Note that the under guide 41 and under sub-guide 43 in Figures 1 to 4 are simplified illustrations, omitting the downstream and upstream portions of the downstream lateral sway prevention piece 45 and the upstream lateral sway prevention piece 46.

[0024] In this embodiment of the sorting and picking equipment, the upstream side includes a paper feed device SY, a supply conveyor CR, and an embossing device 2. Downstream of the cutting device 3, there is a post-cutting transport device 5, a lateral pusher device 6, a punching press 7, and a product feed conveyor 8. These are attached to or positioned and fixed on a frame formed from support columns F1, F2 and plate bodies PL, maintaining their relative positions (Figures 7 and 8).

[0025] The paper feed device SY in Figure 7 loads each workpiece 1 from the storage case onto the rail of the supply conveyor CR, and the supply conveyor CR then sequentially transfers the workpiece 1, once it has been placed on rail CR2, to the inlet-side receiving guide 48 of the embossing device 2 (Figure 8). The embossing device 2 is a device that imprints an identification mark on a designated location on the product 11 before the product 11 is cut into the workpiece 1 by the cutting device 3. The embossing device 2 has embossing projections on its rolls. The rail surface of the supply conveyor CR, the upper surfaces of the inlet-side under-support guide 48 and the outlet-side under-support guide 49 related to the embossing device 2, and the surface 43a of the under-sub-guide 43 of the cutting device 3 are arranged in a straight line toward the direction of travel of the workpiece 1 and form a plane of approximately the same height. Therefore, the workpiece 1 is smoothly transported from the supply conveyor CR to the cutting device 3.

[0026] The post-cutting transport device 5 is a transport device in which the transport direction of the transport conveyor 51 is aligned with the direction in which the perforated workpiece 12 with the product 11 fitted into it is removed from the cutting device 3 (Figure 8). The upstream end 511 of the transport conveyor 51 approaches the downstream end 413 of the under guide 41 (Figure 7). The under guide 41 receives the perforated workpiece 12 with the product 11 fitted into the cut hole 120 from the cut-out zone exit OUT, and then transfers it from the under guide 41 onto the transport conveyor 51 at the same height and transports it downstream.

[0027] The lateral pusher device 6 is a device in which a pressing body 61 presses against the plate thickness surface of the long side 1AL of the perforated rectangular workpiece plate 1A from the side of the conveyor belt 51, pushing the perforated workpiece 12 containing the product 11 out of the conveyor belt 51 and moving it onto a through-hole plate 65 which has a larger through-hole 650 corresponding to the cut-out hole 210 (Figure 1). The device is located near the downstream end of the conveyor belt 51 and has a plate-shaped pressing body 61 that can move back and forth in a space on one side that is aligned with the conveyor. It is equipped with a reciprocating slider crank mechanism that converts the rotational motion of the drive link 62 of the turntable into the reciprocating linear motion of the pressing body 61. The surface of the conveyor belt 51 on which the perforated workpiece 12 containing the product 11 rests and the surface of the through-hole plate 65 form a plane of approximately the same height. The symbol ST indicates a stopper located near the top of the conveyor belt 51. The bar-shaped stopper ST, fixed to the device frame, restrains the perforated workpiece 12 containing the product 11 as it moves on the conveyor belt 51, and positions the product 11 in the direction of travel. Subsequently, by pressing the perforated workpiece rectangular plate 1A containing the product 11 with the pressing body 61, each product 11 can be positioned directly above its respective through-hole 650 (Figure 9).

[0028] More specifically, when the tip edge 611 of the pressing body 61 retracts, it is recessed from the conveyor belt 51 as shown in Figure 8. However, due to the rotation of the drive link 62, the pressing body 61 advances as shown by the dashed line, and the plate thickness surface of the tip edge 611 presses against the plate thickness surface on the long side 1AL of the rectangular workpiece plate 1A, crossing the conveyor belt 51. In this embodiment, the advance of the pressing body 61 pushes the perforated workpiece 12, in which the product 11 is fitted into the cutout hole 120, outwards from the state shown in Figure 8 (downwards in the plane of the paper in Figure 8). When the perforated workpiece 12 with the product 11 is pushed out and placed on the through-hole plate 65 next to the conveyor belt 51, the perforated workpieces 12 with the product 11 that were previously placed on the through-hole plate 65 are pushed, and each of the products 11 is positioned directly above the through-hole 650 as shown in Figure 9.

[0029] The punching press machine 7 is a device that punches out the product 11 from the perforated workpiece 12 in which the product 11 is fitted into the cut-out hole 120 (Figures 9 and 10). Note that the cross-sectional hatching of the perforated workpiece 12 in Figure 9 in which the product 11 is fitted is omitted. A horizontal plate 71 that moves up and down is provided above the through-hole plate 65, and a protruding member 72 is provided on the lower surface of the horizontal plate 71 corresponding to each through-hole 650. As the horizontal plate 71 descends, each product 11 on the rectangular workpiece plate 1A with holes for the product 11 that has finished moving onto the through-hole plate 65 is punched out by the protruding member 72 (Figure 10). The punched-out products 11 fall in an aligned manner through the through-hole 650. The mechanism by which the horizontal plate 71 moves up and down is described using Figures 8 to 10, where cylindrical bodies 732 fixed to the device frame stand upright on all four sides in a plan view, straddling the through-hole plate 65. A horizontal plate 71 is fixed to the upper part of a round bar 731 inserted through each cylindrical body 732, and a horizontal bar 733 is fixed to the lower part of the round bar to form a vertically moving body 73. A rotating drive link (not shown) is attached to a support beam near the floor at one end, and the other end employs a reciprocating slider-crank mechanism in which the horizontal plate 71 moves up and down together with the horizontal bar 733 via an engaging element 734. The product feeding conveyor 8 is a conveying device that maintains the aligned state of each product 11 that has fallen through the holes 650 onto a feeding conveyor 81 positioned in the lower area of ​​the through-hole plate 65 with its upper surface facing upward, and transfers them to subsequent processes such as quality inspection (Figures 10 and 11). The perforated workpieces 12 that have been separated from the products 11 are pushed out downwards in Figure 11 and collected.

[0030] The symbol M represents a motor with a reduction gear, and through gear transmission, winding transmission, etc., incorporating a drive shaft, each device such as the paper feed device SY, supply conveyor CR, embossing device 2, cutting device 3, and lateral pusher device 6 is synchronized and linked together, maintaining the alignment of each product 11 placed on the product feed conveyor 8 (Figure 11). The symbol 62 indicates the transmission part of the slider-crank mechanism of the lateral pusher device 6.

[0031] (2) Method for sorting and removing products using sorting and removal equipment Next, we will describe an example of a product sorting and retrieval method using the sorting and retrieval equipment shown in Figures 1 to 4. When a control panel switch (not shown) located next to the cutting device 3 is pressed, the paper feed device SY places the workpiece 1 onto the supply conveyor CR, which then sends the workpiece 1 to the embossing device 2, where embossing is performed on each designated area of ​​the product. An upright piece fixed to the outside of the chain of the supply conveyor CR is brought against the rear end short side 1AS of the rectangular workpiece 1, sending the workpiece 1 to the embossing device 2 where embossing is performed. After embossing, when supplying workpiece 1 to cutting device 3, workpiece 1 is transported to the vicinity of the cut-out zone insertion opening IN by passing through the gap between the under sub-guide 43 and the upper guide 42, so that workpiece 1 does not get stuck at the insertion opening IN. The paper feed device SY, supply conveyor CR, embossing device 2, and cutting device 3 all move in sync with the start of motor M, and cutting device 3 cuts the product 1 by surrounding the embossed area of ​​workpiece 1. Then, the product 1 cut by the cutting device 3 is supported by the under guide 41 and removed from the notched zone exit OUT along with the perforated workpiece 12. Here, by providing an upper guide 42 positioned close to the under guide 41, each product 1 removed from the exit OUT remains within the cutout hole 120 formed in the workpiece 1 within the section of the upper guide and becomes aligned. The upper guide 42 holds the product 11 into the perforated workpiece 12 at the time of product cutting and further prevents it from flying out of the cutout hole 120, so that the product 1 can be removed from the cutting device 3 in an aligned state.

[0032] Next, the perforated workpiece 12, in which product 1 is fitted into the cut-out hole 120, is placed on the conveyor belt 51 in that state and transported. At a point where there is a lateral pusher device 6 installed on one side of the conveyor belt 51, the progress of the workpiece 1 is stopped by a stopper ST. Subsequently, the pressing body 61 moves forward by contacting the plate thickness surface of the long side 1AL of the rectangular workpiece 1. The workpiece 1 is shifted outwards from the conveyor belt 51 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt in a plan view, and moved onto a through-hole plate 65 having a through-hole 650 corresponding to the cut-out hole 120. Subsequently, the punching press 7 punches out only the product 11 from the perforated workpiece 12 in which the product 11 is fitted, and the punched-out product 1 is received by the product feed conveyor 8 below the perforated plate 65. The aligned product 1 is carried by the product feed conveyor 8 to an image processing area (not shown), and only the normal product 11 that has passed the foreign object check inspection is bagged. This series of processes is automated to enable continuous operation.

[0033] (3) Effects The product alignment and removal equipment using the cutting device 3 configured in this way is a desirable piece of equipment that can remove each product 11 cut from the workpiece 1 while maintaining its alignment. If the product 11, manufactured by cutting out a piece from the workpiece 1 using the cutting device 3, breaks apart and comes loose from the cut-out workpiece 12 near the exit OUT of the cutting zone Z, it can cause problems in subsequent product inspection processes. Collecting the product 11 by blowing it down with air, as described in Patent Document 1, is effective for removing unwanted punched-out pieces. However, if the product 11 is usable and requires foreign object checks by an inspection device after being removed from the cutting device 3, the inspection becomes time-consuming and extremely difficult.

[0034] In contrast, as in the present invention, by providing an under guide 41 and a novel upper guide 42 (which has not been present before) near the cut-out zone exit OUT of the cutting device 3, the cut-out product 11 can be retained in the cut-out holes 120 of the perforated workpiece 12 from which the product 11 has been cut (Figures 4 and 6). As a result, the product 11 fits into the cut-out holes 120 arranged in the perforated workpiece 12, allowing the aligned product 11 to be removed from the cutting device 3. The perforated workpiece 12 with the product 11 fitted into the cut-out holes 120 can be transported downstream while maintaining that state from the cut-out device exit OUT. This invention solves the difficult problem of aligning the product 11 that has been a challenge until now, and is extremely excellent. Next, for example, using a punching press 7, only the products 11 can be punched out from the perforated workpiece 12 and placed on the product feed conveyor 8 while maintaining their alignment (Figures 9 and 10). As shown in Figure 11, if each product 11 on the product feed conveyor 8 is kept in an aligned state, subsequent inspection checks become much easier. Because the products 11 are aligned, foreign objects can be easily detected and removed from each product 11 from above and below using image processing checks timed to coincide with the alignment, allowing only good products to be efficiently packaged. This is extremely beneficial not only for the food products 11 of this embodiment but also for product fields where hygiene and quality control are thoroughly implemented.

[0035] Furthermore, if the upper guide 42 is large enough to be present not only in the cut-out zone exit (OUT) area but also in the workpiece insertion area (IN), the supply of workpiece 1 to the workpiece insertion area (IN) between the die-cut roll 31 and the anvil roll 32 becomes smoother. Without the upper guide 42, workpiece 1 may get stuck at the insertion area (IN), hindering its passage through the cut-out zone Z, but this can be resolved by installing the upper guide 42. Continuous operation is facilitated, and products can be neatly removed using the cutting device from the workpiece 1 that are successively supplied to the insertion area (IN). Furthermore, the new upper guide 42 has an opening 420 formed in the corresponding location of the cutting zone Z, which is sized to allow the protruding blade 311 to enter as the die-cutting roll 31 rotates, thus enabling the cutting device 3 to smoothly cut out the product 11 from the workpiece 1. Furthermore, by providing a horizontal pusher device 6, a punching press machine 7, and a product feed conveyor 8, various excellent effects can be achieved, such as easily separating the aligned product 1 from the perforated workpiece 12 in which the product 1 is fitted.

[0036] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention depending on the purpose and application. The shape, size, number, material, etc. of the workpiece 1, cutting device 3, under guide 41, upper guide 42, under sub-guide 43, post-cut transport device 5, lateral pusher device 6, punching press machine 7, product transport conveyor 8, etc. can be appropriately selected according to the application. For example, although this embodiment uses a paper workpiece, it can of course be applied to metal workpieces as well. Alternatively, the under guide 41 may be made without the raised portion 417, and the upper guide 42 may have protrusions that extend downward on both outer sides in the width direction of the lower surface 42b integrally formed to form a U-shape in cross-section, with the height of the protrusions extending from the lower surface 42b matching the gap ε1, and the upper guide 42 may be placed on the under guide 41 to secure the gap ε1. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1 Work 11 Products 12. Workpiece with holes (cut-out workpiece with holes) 120 cutout holes 3 Cutting device 31 Die-cut rolls 31a Outer surface 311 Toblade 32 Anvil Roll 41 Under Guide 41a Receiver 411 one end 412 Other end 42 Upper Guide 42a Top side 42a1 Bay-shaped depression 42b Bottom side 420 Aperture Z Cutout Zone IN Workpiece Insertion Port OUT exit (cutting zone exit) ε1 gap

Claims

1. A cutting device in which a die-cutting roll with an annular protruding blade formed on its outer surface and an anvil roll positioned opposite each other rotate, passing a plate-shaped workpiece inserted between them to cut out a plate-shaped product from the workpiece, The aforementioned protruding blade and the outer circumferential surface of the anvil roll are brought close together, with one end positioned towards the exit of the cutting zone where the product is cut from the workpiece, and the other end extending in the direction of workpiece removal so that the receiving surface is kept horizontal, thereby providing an under guide to support the product and the cut-out workpiece as they are removed from the exit, The upper guide is a plate-like body, its lower surface positioned close to the receiving surface with a gap above it for the workpiece to pass through, and having an opening formed in the corresponding location of the cutting zone, the opening being sized to allow the cutting edge to enter as the die-cut roll rotates. Product alignment and removal equipment using a cutting device characterized in that the cutting edge of the aforementioned protruding blade passes through the opening and approaches the outer surface of the anvil roll to cut the product from the workpiece.

2. The upper guide is provided with a curved recess on the upper surface side around the opening, which matches the outer surface shape of the die-cut roll, according to claim 1. A product sorting and removal system using a cutting device.

3. Product alignment and removal equipment using the cutting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the annular protruding blades formed on the outer circumferential surface of the die-cutting roll are arranged in the direction of the rotation axis of the die-cutting roll, and the openings are formed at each location in the width direction of the upper guide corresponding to these protruding blades.

Images