JPH0853228A - Seedling raising box separating and supply apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To smoothly separate and supply a seedling raising box with little lateral shifting caused by the lowering operation by providing a guide width control means for varying the width of a guide path by a guide member with the guide member for guiding a seedling raising box for a lower moving path. CONSTITUTION:A guide member 22 for guiding a seedling raising box for a lower moving path is provided on both ends in the longitudinal direction of a seedling raising box 1 group and the side thereof on the opposite side to the feed conveyer side, a comparatively easily deformable elastic member 22b such as urethane or the like is fitted to a support plate 22a installed extending over the upper and lower lateral frames 13b to form the guide member 22, and the guide member is placed in six places to present a normal position for the seedling raising box 1 in their somewhat elastically deformed state. Accordingly, even if the full length and full width of the seedling raising box 1 are varied, the box can be always guided from the side and even if an operational shock caused by lowering movement is generated, lateral shifting and rotating displacement are not caused so that the box can be fed out in an expected attitude to the next process.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a nursery box separating / feeding device configured to separate the lowermost one of the stacked group of nursery boxes and to feed the separated nursery boxes one by one. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, the one disclosed in JP-A-6-144580 is provided with an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the whole nursery box and a holding mechanism for supporting the second-stage nursery box from the bottom. The raising and lowering mechanism lowers the whole nursery box group by one step, the holding mechanism supports the second and higher steps, and then the elevator mechanism is lowered again to separate only the lowermost nursery box, and then the drive roller. It is to be fed horizontally.

[0003]

Although not clearly shown in the above-mentioned publication, the separation and supply device has a frame frame for supporting a holding mechanism and the like, and the frame frame laterally connects the nursery box. It is also designed to regulate the fall to. However, since the nursery box is made of resin such as plastic and has a relatively large variation in product size, and there are also nursery boxes with slightly different dimensions depending on the supplier, there is a difference between the frame and the nursery box. A sufficient gap had to be taken, and in many cases the gap between the nursery box and the frame was large. Therefore, it is disturbed by a transfer shock caused by the drop between the transport surface of the front feed conveyor and the box receiving surface of the separation / feeding device, and an operational shock when the seedling raising box group held by the holding mechanism or the separated seedling raising boxes moves downward. There is room for improvement, such as the tendency that the holding mechanism's claws are unstable and the posture is disturbed, or the posture of the nursery box that is sent out is disturbed, which may adversely affect the subsequent processes. . An object of the present invention is to suppress lateral misalignment associated with the descending operation of the seedling raising box in the separating and feeding device so that the posture can be suppressed smoothly, and the seedling raising box can be stably separated and supplied. .

[0004]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is to move a lowermost nursery box from a group of nursery boxes stacked in a plurality of stages with respect to a neighboring nursery box on the upper side. A separating mechanism for separating the seedlings by the separating mechanism and a sending mechanism for sending out the seedling-growing box separated by this separating mechanism are provided, and a guide member for guiding the downward movement path of the seedling-raising box is provided, and the guide path width by the guide member can be changed. A guide width adjusting means is provided.

[0005]

In other words, since the guide member for guiding the downward movement path of the nursery box is provided in a state where the guide width can be changed, it is possible to guide the product without lateral shake according to the variation in product dimensions. , The seedling raising box will not shift laterally even if there is a shock of downward movement. Therefore, the seedling raising box can be separated and sent out with a desired good posture, and there is no adverse effect on the subsequent steps.

[0006]

As a result, by a relatively simple modification in which the frame frame is provided with a guide member for adjusting the position, even if the product size of the nursery box varies, the seedlings can be separated and sent out well without disturbing the posture. It was possible to provide a box separating and supplying device.

[0007]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings for a separating and supplying apparatus for empty seedling raising boxes before sowing.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conveyor A that conveys empty nursery boxes 1 stacked in 20 stages, a feed conveyor B that locks and conveys a group of nursery boxes 1 to be delivered, and a feed conveyor B There is shown a separating and feeding device C for separating a group of incoming nursery boxes and sending them one by one. The transport conveyor A is for transporting a group of empty seedling raising boxes stacked by a stacking device (not shown), and the separating / feeding device C is for feeding the empty seedling growing boxes 1 to a seeding plant (not shown). is there.

The conveyor A has a large number of rollers 2 arranged side by side, and is equipped with a first motor 3 as a drive source thereof and a transmission mechanism 4 utilizing a belt, a chain, a shaft or the like to drive all the rollers 2. Is. Then, for example, an optical type (eg, CDS) nursery box detection sensor 5 is provided at the second or third roller 2 portion from the transport end side, and when the nursery box detection sensor 5 operates to detect, The driving of the motor 3 is stopped.

The feed conveyor B is provided with a conveyor belt 7 to which standing hooks 6 are attached at a predetermined equal pitch, a second motor 8 as a drive source for the conveyor belt 7, and a transmission mechanism 9.
It is configured to be driven when the seedling raising box 1 of the separating / feeding device C is lost, and to stop when the set of seedling raising boxes 1 group is conveyed and pushed into the separating / feeding device C by the standing hook 6 and moved to stop.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the separating and feeding apparatus C includes an elevating mechanism 10 capable of ascending / descending an entire group of 20 stages of nursery boxes sent from a feed conveyor B, and a second stage from the bottom. A holding mechanism 11 capable of holding all of the seedling raising boxes 1 of the second or higher stage at the height level by mounting and supporting the seedling raising box 1.
A feeding mechanism 12 for feeding the separated single seedling raising box 1 is provided, and a frame 13 and a base frame 14 surrounding the group 1 of raising seedlings are provided. The basic structure of this separation and supply device C is described in the above-mentioned publication (JP-A-6-14).
No. 4580), only a brief description will be given with respect to the known technology disclosed in U.S. Pat.

The elevating mechanism 10 comprises an eccentric plate 16 supporting the pedestal 15 and a motor mechanism 17 capable of driving and rotating the eccentric plate 16. The height of the mounting surface on the upper surface of the pedestal 15 is It can be raised and lowered freely between a receiving position at the same level as the conveying surface of the feed conveyor B and a delivery position slightly lower than a state where the seedling raising box 1 at the lowermost stage is placed on delivery rollers 21 described later. The holding mechanism (corresponding to a separating mechanism) 11 is configured by providing a pair of rotating claws 18, 18 acting on both ends in the longitudinal direction of the seedling raising box 1 and a motor 19 for simultaneously opening and closing these claws 18, 18. There is. When the claw 18 is rotated downward, it is in an operating position in which the seedling raising box 1 can be placed and supported, and when it is rotated upward, it is in a retracted position which allows the downward movement of the seedling raising box 1.
The feeding mechanism 12 is configured to include a plurality of feeding rollers 21 that can be driven and rotated by the motor 20, and feeds the seedling raising box 1 that has been moved down and separated, in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the feed conveyor B. To function.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the frame 13
Is a vertical frame 13a arranged at the four outer corners of the group of nursery boxes,
Along with the horizontal frame 13b arranged at the top of the vertical frame or in the upper and lower intermediate parts, both ends in the longitudinal direction of the group of nursery boxes 1,
A guide member 22 for guiding the downward movement path of the seedling raising box 1 is provided on the side surface opposite to the side of the feed conveyor B, and a guide width adjusting means 23 capable of varying the guide path width by these guide members 22 is provided. . That is, there are provided guide members 22 at a total of 6 places, in which elastic members 22b such as urethane and sponge, which are relatively easily deformed, are attached to the support plate 22a attached across the upper and lower horizontal frames 13b.
It is set so that the regular position of the nursery box 1 is exposed in a state of being elastically deformed to some extent.

Therefore, even if the total length or width of the nursery box 1 varies to some extent, the deformation amount of the elastic member 22b is changed in accordance with the variation, and the nursery box 1 is always guided from the side and lowered. Even if there is an operational shock due to movement, it is possible to prevent lateral displacement and rotational displacement, and it is possible to send it to the next process in a desired posture. That is, the elastic member 22b also serves as the guide width adjusting means 23, and functions so that the width is automatically adjusted. Since the front-rear direction, which is a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the group of nursery boxes, is relatively unlikely to be displaced, the front and rear elastic members 22b are slightly softer than the elastic member 22b that receives the transfer inertia of the feed conveyor B. It is set for the purpose.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an optical type detection sensor 2 for detecting whether or not the seed feeding box 1 group has been fed from the feed conveyor B to the starting end portion of the separating and feeding device C to detect whether or not the feeding has been performed.
9, a pair of movable guides 24 for restricting the movement of the seedling raising box 1 group taken into the separating and supplying apparatus C to the feed conveyor B side are provided. That is, the movable guide 24 has a door structure that can be opened / closed by pivoting about the vertical axis P, and is equipped with a motor 25 for opening / closing the movable guide 24. 24
Is automatically closed, and the nursery box 1 can be guided forward, backward, left and right. The position of the detection sensor 29 is adjustable in the transfer direction of the feed conveyor B. By adjusting the detection position according to the size of the nursery box 1 to be used,
The closed position of the movable guide 24 is also automatically adjusted and set to a position close to the end of the nursery box 1 side. Further, it is more convenient if the elastic members 22b are attached to the tips of the movable guides 24, 24.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first and second motors 3 and 8, the nursery box detecting sensor 5, and the standing hook 6 which is in a horizontal posture after the group 1 of nursery boxes are transferred to the separating and supplying apparatus C. Is connected to the control device 27, which constitutes an automatic supply control means. That is, when the hook detection sensor 26 detects the standing hook 6, the second motor 8 is immediately stopped, and the second motor 8 is driven by the detection information indicating that the seedling raising box 1 in the separating and supplying apparatus C is gone, and the seedling raising is performed. When the box detection sensor 5 operates for detection, the first motor 3 is controlled to stop immediately. Even if the first motor 3 is stopped, the nursery box detecting sensor 5 is set at a position slightly before the end in consideration of the fact that the group 1 of nursery boxes 1 moves on the transport roller 2 due to inertia.

[Another embodiment] As shown in FIG. 4, a nursery box 1
By providing a plurality of locking claws 18 capable of mounting and holding the position thereof and providing the endless rotation belt 28, the lowermost seedling-raising box 1 can be separated downward, and the seedling-raising box 1 of the second or higher stage from the bottom. The separating mechanism D may be configured to have a holding function of holding the group. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 10 and the holding mechanism 11 constitute the separating mechanism D.

Further, by providing the frame frame 13 with the guide member 22 made of a material having no elasticity such as steel or nylon so that it can be moved laterally by bolts or the like, the guide path width by the rigid guide member 22 can be increased. The variable guide width adjusting means 23 may be configured, or the rigid guide member 22 may be elastically displaced by a coil spring. In this embodiment, the seedling raising box 1 is empty, but the seeded seedling raising box 1 may be separately supplied.

It should be noted that reference numerals are given in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a separation and supply device.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an arrangement structure of guide members.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the structure of the separation and supply device.

FIG. 4 is a main part view showing another structure of the separation mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Nursery box 12 Feeding mechanism 22 Guide member 23 Guide width adjusting means D Separation mechanism

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A separating mechanism for separating a lowermost nursery box (1) from a group of nursery boxes (1) stacked in a plurality of stages by downward movement to a nursery box (1) adjacent to the lowermost nursery box (1). D) and a delivery mechanism (12) for delivering the seedling raising box (1) separated by this separating mechanism (D), and a guide member (22) for guiding the downward movement path of the seedling raising box (1). A seedling raising box separating / supplying device which is provided and is provided with a guide width adjusting means (23) capable of varying a guide path width by the guide member (22).