JP5371398B2 - Cart carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a truck carrying device for improving production efficiency in a factory where a plurality of processes are carried out in distant locations. <P>SOLUTION: The truck carrying device includes an endless carrying means 1 provided over sites in the factory where the plurality of processes are carried out, for continuously circulating therearound, a plurality of trucks 2 to be carried by the carrying means, and stopper means 3 provided in processes, the carrying means having engaging sections 13 at intervals to be locked to the trucks, the trucks each having a sliding rod 4 supported slidably in the moving direction and a rod 5 supported movably up and down, the rod having a lower part 5a to be locked to the engaging sections 13 of the carrying means, when moved down with the deadweight. The stopper means is provided movably forward and backward relative to a carrying passage for the truck. A front end 4a of the sliding rod abuts on the stopper means 3 in the moving state, the rod 5 is pushed up through the movement of the truck by the sliding rod 4, and the rod lower part 5a is removed from the engaging section 13 of the carrying means to stop the truck 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cart conveying device used for improving productivity in a factory where places where a plurality of processes are performed are separated.

  The sash manufacturing process includes a process of cutting a long material made of extruded aluminum material into a predetermined length, a process of drilling the cut material, etc., but a conventional sash manufacturing factory Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the location 90 of the cutting process is separated from the location 91 of the machining process such as drilling, and a store 92 is created at a location between the two processes, and the store 90 and 91 is stored from the locations 90 and 91 of each process. Up to 92, the operator carried the material on the carriage 93 to supply and collect the material. In this method, there is a problem that labor and time are wasted and production efficiency does not increase.

In Patent Document 1, a locking tool provided on a carriage is engaged with a chain belt, the carriage is connected to the chain belt, a bent portion where the chain belt is separated from the track is provided on a part of the track, and the carriage is a bent portion. When it comes to the stop, the locking tool comes off the chain belt and the carriage stops, and when the work is finished, the carriage is pushed to the exit of the bent part with a pusher and moved so that the carriage is reconnected to the chain belt. Yes. In this device, the time for which the carriage can be stopped is limited to the time when the next carriage reaches the bent portion, and the bent portion cannot be provided near the sprocket around which the chain belt is wound. There are inconveniences such as being unable to stop the cart. In addition, it is necessary to provide a bent portion or a pusher at the stop position of the carriage, which makes the configuration complicated and lacks flexibility.
JP-A-5-286559

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a convenient cart transport apparatus capable of improving production efficiency by eliminating labor and time in a factory where a plurality of processes are separated. .

In order to achieve the above object, a cart transport device according to the invention described in claim 1 is transported by an endless transport means provided continuously across a place where a plurality of processes in a factory are performed, and a transport means. a plurality of carriages being provided with a stopper means provided respectively for each location to perform each step, conveying means, engaging portion for carriage and locking it is provided with at intervals, engagement portion, progresses The trolley has a slide bar that is slidably supported along the direction of travel and a rod that is supported so that it can be raised and lowered. The lower part of the rod that is lowered by its own weight serves as the engaging part of the conveying means. The slide bar has a rear end that is in contact with an abutting portion provided on the upper portion of the rod, and the abutting portion is a lower surface inclined upward as it goes forward, and the stopper means , Advance and retreat with respect to the carriage transport route The front end of the slide bar comes into contact with the stopper means set in the advanced state, and the rod is pushed up by the slide bar when the slide bar is pushed in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the carriage as the carriage moves, The lower part of the rod is disengaged from the engaging part of the conveying means, and the carriage is stopped.

  In addition to the structure of the invention described in claim 1, the carriage transport device according to the invention of claim 2 further comprises detection means for detecting the passing of the carriage on the front side in the traveling direction of the carriage with respect to the stopper means, and the stopper means is in the retracted state. After that, when the detecting means detects the passage of one carriage, the stopper means returns to the advanced state.

  In addition to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, the carriage transport device according to the invention described in claim 3 has an abutting portion with which the front end portion of the slide rod of the subsequent carriage can come into contact with the rear portion. Features.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cart transport apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention. In addition to the configuration of the third aspect of the present invention, the stopper means includes a first stopper capable of stopping only one cart, and the carriage traveling relative to the first stopper. The second stopper is provided on the rear side of the direction and can stop a plurality of carriages side by side. After the carriage passes through the first stopper, one carriage is supplied from the second stopper side to the first stopper side. Thus, the first stopper and the second stopper are interlocked.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cart transporting device in which a cart is transported one after another by a transporting means between a plurality of processes in a factory, and the cart can be stopped at each process place by a stopper means. Saves labor and time and greatly improves productivity. The carriage has a slide bar that is slidably supported along the traveling direction and a rod that is supported so as to be able to move up and down. When the slide bar is pushed in the direction opposite to the direction of travel by the stopper means that has moved together and moved forward, the rod is pushed up accordingly, and the lower part of the rod is disengaged from the engaging part of the conveying means, so that the carriage stops. Therefore, it is unnecessary to control the moving means to move or stop, and the carriage can be reliably conveyed and stopped with a simple configuration. Since the engaging part of the conveying means is open on the front side in the traveling direction, the engaging part smoothly engages with the lower part of the lowered rod.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cart conveying device comprising a detecting means for detecting the passing of the carriage on the front side in the traveling direction of the carriage with respect to the stopper means, and the detecting means is arranged in a retracted state after the stopper means is in the retracted state. When the passage is detected, the stopper means returns to the advanced state, so that the operator can perform only the operation for retracting the stopper means and omit the operation for moving the stopper means.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the subsequent carriage approaches the carriage stopped by the stopper means, the slide rod of the subsequent carriage is pushed by the abutting portion of the previous carriage so that the lower portion of the rod is conveyed by the carriage means. It is possible to disengage from the engagement portion and to sequentially stop the subsequent carriages, thereby improving convenience.

  Furthermore, the cart transport apparatus according to the invention of claim 4 is configured such that one cart is stopped near the operator by the first stopper, and the following carts are aligned and stopped by the second stopper, so that the worker can Since it is sufficient to collect and supply articles only to the carriage stopped by one stopper, workability can be further improved. Further, since the first stopper and the second stopper are interlocked, it is not necessary for the operator to operate the first stopper and the second stopper individually, and the operability is improved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the cart conveyance device of the present invention. This cart conveying device straddles between a place 10 where a cutting process of an aluminum profile as a material of an aluminum sash is performed and a place 11 where a machining process such as drilling is performed in a factory where the aluminum sash is manufactured. The material that is installed and cut in the cutting step is placed on the carriage 2 and sequentially conveyed to the place 11 where the processing step is performed.
The carriage transporting apparatus includes two sprockets 12a and 12b that are supported on a vertical axis on the cutting process side and the machining process side, an endless chain 1 wound between the sprockets 12a and 12b, 1 is provided with a plurality of carriages 2 conveyed by 1 and stopper means 3 for stopping the carriages 2 at locations 10 and 11 of each process.

  The sprocket 12a on the cutting process side is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and the chain 1 continuously circulates at a constant speed in the clockwise direction. As shown in FIG. 4, a substantially U-shaped piece 13 in plan view with an opening at the front is attached to the chain 1 at regular intervals, and the carriage 2 is locked to the piece 13 to convey the carriage 2. .

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the carriage 2 has a slide bar 4 that is slidably supported along the traveling direction and a rod 5 that is supported to be lifted and lowered at a lower portion on the side of the chain 1. The lower part 5a of the rod 5 lowered by its own weight is engaged with the piece 13 of the chain 1 so that it moves together with the chain 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the slide bar 4 has a front end portion 4 a protruding forward from the carriage 2, and the rear end portion 4 b is chamfered obliquely with a downward slope of 45 ° on the upper surface of the rod 5. It is in contact with the formed contact portion 7. The rod 5 is formed with a concave portion 6 opened forward at the upper portion, and the lower surface (top surface) of the concave portion 6 is an abutting portion 7 with which the rear end portion 4b of the slide rod 4 abuts. The contact portion 7 is an inclined surface having an upward slope of 45 ° that inclines upward toward the front. Around the chain 1, a guide rail 14 for guiding the carriage 2 is provided upright, and rollers 15a and 15b are attached to the carriage 2 so as to sandwich the guide rail 14 from both sides. In addition, a guide bar 18 that rubs against the outer surface of the guide rail 14 is provided on the carriage 2 so as to restrict the inclination of the carriage 2. Four free casters 16 are attached to the lower part of the carriage 2. At the rear part of the carriage 2, an abutting portion 9 on which the front end 4 a of the slide bar 4 of the subsequent carriage 2 can come into contact is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the stopper means 3 is provided on the rear side in the traveling direction of the carriage 2 with respect to the first stopper 3a that can stop only one carriage 2 and the first stopper 3a. A plurality of second stoppers 3b that can be stopped side by side are configured. The first and second stoppers 3a and 3b are provided so as to be movable forward and backward with respect to the movement path of the carriage 2 by air cylinders 17a and 17b, respectively. Limit switches 8a and 8b for detecting the passage of the carriage 2 are provided on the front side of the first stopper 3a in the direction of carriage and the front side of the second stopper 3b in the direction of carriage, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the lower rod 5a is locked to the frame 13 of the chain 1 and the carriage 2 is conveyed, and as shown in FIG. 1 (b), the front end 4a of the slide bar 4 is When contacting the first stopper 3a in the advanced state, the slide bar 4 is pushed in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the carriage 2 as the carriage 2 moves. Then, since the abutting portion 7 of the rod 5 with which the rear end portion 4b of the slide rod 4 abuts is a lower surface inclined upwardly toward the front, the rod 5 is pushed up by the slide rod 4, and the rod lower portion 5a is The carriage 2 stops in order to disengage from the piece 13. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), when the first stopper 3a is in the retracted state, the slide bar 4 is not gripped and slides forward, and the rod 5 is lowered accordingly. The lower part 5a of the rod is locked to the frame 13 and the carriage 2 is conveyed.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the subsequent carriage 2 is transported to the place where the carriage 2 is stopped by the second stopper 3b, as shown in FIG. The front end portion 4 a of the slide bar 4 abuts against the abutting portion 9 of the front carriage 2, and the slide bar 4 is pushed in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the carriage 2. Then, the rod 5 is pushed up by the slide rod 4, and the rod lower portion 5 a is detached from the piece 13, so that the succeeding carriage 2 stops side by side behind the preceding carriage 2.

  The first stopper 3a and the second stopper 3b are configured to cooperate with each other. Hereinafter, the operation of the first and second stoppers 3a and 3b will be described with reference to FIGS. 8-1, 8-2 and FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the first and second stoppers 3a and 3b are initially in an advanced state. One carriage 2 is stopped by the first stopper 3a, and a plurality of the second stoppers 3b are used. The carts 2 are stopped side by side. When the worker finishes placing the cut material on the carriage 2 stopped by the first stopper 3a, the operator presses a stopper release button (not shown) (S1). Then, as shown in FIG. 8A, the first stopper 3a is in the retracted state (S2), and the carriage 2 is conveyed with the lower part of the rod 5 locked to the piece 13 of the chain 1. Thereafter, when the limit switch 8a in front of the first stopper detects the passage of the carriage 2 (S3), as shown in FIG. 8-1 (b), the first stopper 3a returns to the advanced state, and at the same time, the second stopper 3b. Is in a retracted state (S4). Then, the slide bar 4 of the foremost carriage 2 out of the carriages 2 that are stopped side by side has no grip and protrudes forward, and the rod 5 is lowered accordingly. The lower part of the vehicle is locked and the carriage 2 is conveyed. Thereafter, when the limit switch 8b in front of the second stopper detects the passage of the carriage 2 (S5), the second stopper 3b enters the advanced state as shown in FIG. 8-2 (c). Thereafter, as the chain 1 turns, as shown in FIG. 8-2 (d), one carriage 2 is stopped by the first stopper 3a, and the subsequent carriages 2 are sequentially stopped behind the second stopper 3b. .

  Although the operation of the stopper means 3 on the cutting process side has been described above, the stopper means 3 on the processing process side also operates in the same manner. The stopper means 3 on the cutting process side and the machining process side can control the carriage conveyance and stop independently of each other without being influenced by each other.

As described above, according to this cart transport apparatus, the cart 2 is transported one after another by the chain 1 between the places 10 and 11 where a plurality of processes are performed in the factory, and the location 10 of each process by the stopper means 3. , 11 can stop the cart 2, saving labor and time of the operator carrying the cart 2 and greatly improving productivity. Each carriage 2 includes a slide bar 4 that is slidably supported along the traveling direction and a rod 5 that is supported to be movable up and down, and a lower portion 5 a of the rod 5 that is lowered by its own weight is engaged with the piece 13 of the chain 1. Thus, when the slide rod 4 is pushed in the direction opposite to the traveling direction by the stopper means 3 that moves together with the chain 1 and is in the advanced state, the rod 5 is pushed up accordingly, and the rod lower portion 5a is detached from the piece 13, Since the carriage 2 is stopped, control for moving or stopping the chain 1 is unnecessary, and the carriage 2 can be reliably conveyed and stopped with a simple configuration. Further, the carriage 2 can be stopped by the stopper means 3 for a desired time according to the work content. The carriage 2 can be easily installed simply by placing it along the guide rails 14 around the chain 1, and the number of carriages 2 can be easily increased or decreased. The stopper means 3 can be installed at an arbitrary position on the transport path of the carriage 2 and can be easily installed because only the air cylinders 17a and 17b are added.
Further, the carriage transport device is provided with limit switches 8a and 8b for detecting the passage of the carriage 2 in front of the stopper means 3, and the limit switches 8a and 8b pass through one carriage 2 after the stopper means 3 is in the retracted state. Since the stopper means 3 is returned to the advanced state when the signal is detected, the operator can perform only the operation for retracting the stopper means 3 and omit the operation for moving the stopper means 3.
Since the carriage 2 is provided with an abutting portion 9 on the rear portion where the front end portion 4a of the slide bar 4 of the subsequent carriage 2 can come into contact, when the subsequent carriage 2 approaches the carriage 2 stopped by the stopper means 3, When the slide rod 4 of the carriage 2 is pushed by the abutting portion 9 of the preceding carriage 2, the rod lower portion 5a is detached from the piece 13, and the subsequent carriage 2 can be stopped sequentially, and convenience is improved.
Further, the carriage transporting device includes a stopper means 3 composed of a first stopper 3a and a second stopper 3b. The first stopper 3a stops one carriage 2 near the operator, and the subsequent carriage 2 is moved thereafter. By arranging and stopping by the second stopper 3b, the operator only has to collect and supply the material only to the carriage 2 stopped by the first stopper 3a, so that the workability can be further improved. Further, since the first stopper 3a and the second stopper 3b are interlocked with each other, it is not necessary for the operator to individually operate the first stopper 3a and the second stopper 3b, thereby improving the operability.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Three or more sprockets can be provided, and the chain can be made to have a triangular shape or a square shape in plan view. The front end of the slide bar 4 does not have to protrude forward from the carriage 2, and in this case, the abutting portion 9 is provided so as to protrude rearward of the carriage 2. As shown in FIG. 10 (a), the rod 5 protrudes forward at the upper portion to form a protrusion 19, and the lower surface of the protrusion 19 is inclined upward to contact the contact portion 7 of the slide rod rear end 4b. As shown in FIG. 10B, the protrusion 19 is formed on the upper portion of the rod 5 so as to be shifted laterally, and the lower surface of the protrusion 19 is inclined upward to slide the rear end 4b of the slide rod. The contact portion 7 may be used. Any number of stopper means can be provided at any position on the transport path of the carriage. A timing belt or the like can be used instead of the chain. This trolley transfer device can be used not only at an aluminum sash manufacturing plant but also at any product manufacturing site.

It is the side view seen from the chain inner periphery side which shows a mode when a cart stops by the 1st stopper, (a) is a state when a cart is conveyed, (b) is a cart stopped by the 1st stopper. (C) shows a state where the first stopper is retracted. It is the side view seen from the chain inner periphery side of a trolley. It is the front view seen from the advancing direction front side of a trolley. It is a top view of a trolley. It is the side view seen from the chain inner periphery side which shows a mode that a trolley stops by the 2nd stopper, (a) is the state where the succeeding trolley approached the trolley stopped by the 2nd stopper, (b) is the succeeding trolley Shows a state where the slide bar is stopped by being pushed into the abutting portion of the front carriage. It is a top view which expands and shows the cutting process side of the trolley | bogie conveyance apparatus of FIG. It is a top view of the whole trolley carrier. It is a top view which shows operation of the 1st and 2nd stopper in order, (a) is the state where the 1st stopper is in a retracted state, and the cart has passed the 1st stopper, (b) is the limit before the 1st stopper. The switch detects the passing of the carriage, and shows a state where the first stopper is in the advanced state and the second stopper is in the retracted state. (C) shows a state in which the limit switch before the second stopper detects the passage of the carriage and the second stopper is in the advanced state, and (d) shows that the carriage is the first after that. -The state stopped by the second stopper is shown. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a 1st, 2nd stopper. It is a side view which shows other embodiment of a slide rod and a rod. It is a top view which shows the mode in the conventional aluminum sash manufacturing factory.

Explanation of symbols

1 Chain (conveying means)
2 dolly 3 stopper means 4 slide bar 5 rod 6 recess 7 contact part 8a, 8b limit switch (detection means)
9 abutting part 10 place for cutting process 11 place for machining process 13 piece (engagement part)

Claims (4)

An endless transfer means that is provided across a plurality of steps in a factory and continuously circulates, a plurality of carriages transferred by the transfer means, and a stopper means provided for each place where each step is performed The conveying means is provided with an engagement portion that is engaged with the carriage at an interval, and the engagement portion is open on the front side in the traveling direction, and the carriage is slidably supported along the traveling direction. The lower part of the rod lowered by its own weight is locked to the engaging part of the conveying means, and the rear end of the slide bar is provided on the upper part of the rod. The stopper is a lower surface that is inclined upward as it goes forward, and the stopper means is provided so as to be movable forward and backward with respect to the transport path of the carriage, and is a stopper that is in the advanced state. The front end of the slide bar on the means When the slide rod is pushed in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the carriage as the carriage moves, the rod is pushed up by the slide rod, and the lower portion of the rod is disengaged from the engaging portion of the conveying means, and the carriage stops. Carriage transfer device.   A detecting means for detecting the passing of the carriage is provided on the front side of the traveling direction of the carriage with respect to the stopper means, and the stopper means returns to the advanced state when the detecting means detects the passing of one carriage after the stopper means is in the retracted state. The cart conveying device according to claim 1, wherein   The cart transport apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cart has an abutting portion with which a front end portion of a slide rod of the following cart can come into contact with a rear portion.   The stopper means includes a first stopper that can stop only one carriage, and a second stopper that is provided on the rear side in the traveling direction of the carriage relative to the first stopper and can stop a plurality of carriages side by side. The first stopper and the second stopper are interlocked so that one carriage is supplied from the second stopper side to the first stopper side after the carriage passes through the first stopper. Cart carrier device.

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