JP-7856302-B2 - Connecting rods for net conveyors

Inventors

• 梶原 薫
• 佐々木 政浩
• 稲村 達也
• 小出 涼
• 小川 博史

Assignees

• 春日電機株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260511

Application Date

20220620

Claims (4)

1. A connecting rod for a net conveyor, which is stretched between sprockets and stretched between a pair of roller chains that are positioned opposite each other at a predetermined distance apart, and whose ends are inserted through through holes formed in each of the roller chains so as to be perpendicular to the direction of travel of the roller chains, thereby endlessly connecting each of the roller chains and forming a conveying belt having an endless pair of roller chains, It consists of a rod-shaped rod body stretched between the pair of roller chains and a cylindrical stopper member attached to the rod body, The rod body described above is A large-diameter portion having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the above-mentioned through hole, Its central axis coincides with the central axis of the large-diameter portion and it comprises a pair of small-diameter portions positioned at each of the longitudinal ends of the large-diameter portion and having an outer diameter and length that can be inserted into the through hole, One small diameter section is longer than the other small diameter section. The above-mentioned fastening member is A cylindrical hole through which the above-mentioned large-diameter portion can be inserted, The axial length is less than the length of one of the small diameter portions and greater than or equal to the length of the other small diameter portion, With the large-diameter portion inserted through the stopper member, the small-diameter portions are inserted into the respective through-holes of the roller chain, and then the stopper member is moved to one of the small-diameter portions. By positioning the stopper member between the step formed at the boundary between the end of the large-diameter portion and the one small-diameter portion and the roller chain through which the one small-diameter portion is inserted, the axial movement of the rod body is restricted. A connecting rod for a net conveyor, wherein the stopper member is moved to the larger diameter portion, thereby moving the rod body axially toward one of the roller chains, allowing the other smaller diameter portion to be removed from the through-hole of the other roller chain, and then allowing the one smaller diameter portion to be removed from the through-hole of the one roller chain.
2. The above-mentioned stopping member is a connecting rod for a net conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical hole is non-circular.
3. The above-mentioned stopping member is a connecting rod for a net conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a cylindrical body with uneven wall thickness on its side walls.
4. The above-mentioned retaining member consists of a coil-shaped compression spring. The above compression spring is, The inner diameter of the coil, which is the cylindrical hole, is smaller than the outer diameter of the large diameter portion when the compression spring is at its natural length, and larger than the large diameter portion when compressed. It comprises a natural length less than the length of one of the small diameter portions and greater than or equal to the length of the other small diameter portion, With the large-diameter portion inserted through the compressed compression spring, the two small-diameter portions are inserted through the through-holes of the opposing roller chains, and then the compression spring is moved onto one of the small-diameter portions. By positioning the compression spring at its natural length between one step continuous with the small-diameter portion and the roller chain opposite this step, the axial movement of the rod body is restricted. The connecting rod for a net conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the above-mentioned compression spring is compressed and moved to the above-mentioned large-diameter portion, thereby moving the rod body axially toward the one roller chain side, thereby allowing the other small-diameter portion to be removed from the through-hole of the other roller chain, and thereafter, the one small-diameter portion can be removed from the through-hole of the one roller chain.

Description

Photograph illustrating the process of removing connecting barbins, as per Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Law. This invention relates to a connecting rod for a net conveyor, which is passed between a pair of roller chains to constitute a net conveyor. Net conveyors have been used, for example, in food processing plants as dewatering devices to blow away water droplets adhering to the surface of products after washing (Patent Document 1). Although not shown in the diagram, the water removal device consists of a net conveyor installed between a pair of frames. The object to be water removed is placed on this net conveyor and transported, and compressed air is blown from the surroundings during the transport process to blow away any water droplets adhering to the object. As shown in the schematic diagram in Figure 9, the net conveyor has a drive shaft 1 and a driven shaft 2 that are parallel and spaced apart. Sprockets 3 and 4 are provided at both ends of the drive shaft 1 and the driven shaft 2, respectively. The net conveyor has an endless conveying belt 5 stretched between these sprockets 3 and 4. The conveying belt 5 is composed of a pair of opposing roller chains 6 and 7 stretched between the sprockets 3 and 4, and a plurality of connecting rods 8 and a strip-shaped net 9, with both ends connected to the roller chains 6 and 7. The drive shaft 1 and driven shaft 2 are supported at both ends by a frame (not shown), and the drive shaft 1 is rotated by a motor (not shown) to circulate the conveying belt 5. Figure 10 is a partial plan view of the conveying belt 5. At the widthwise end of the conveying belt 5, as shown in the figure, the connecting rod 8 passes through the inner link 10 and outer link 11 of the roller chain 6, and a snap ring 12 is attached to its protruding end. The inner link 10 is a combination of a pair of inner plates 10a, two rollers 10b, and bushes 10c inserted into the rollers 10b, while the outer link 11 is a combination of a pair of outer plates 11a and pins 11b that are press-fitted onto them and crimped at both ends. The roller chain 6 is formed by continuously connecting the inner links 10 with the outer links 11. In order to form an endless conveying belt 5, the connecting rods 8 are passed through the outer links 11 instead of the pins 11b, and a strip-shaped net 9 is connected to the roller chain 6. The reason a snap ring 12 is used as a means to prevent the connecting rod 8 from coming loose is to allow the connecting rod 8 to be removed from the strip-shaped net 9 as needed, thereby enabling the transport belt 5 to be deployed. The strip-shaped net 9 is constructed by connecting a pair of spiral members 9a and 9b, which are wound in opposite directions, with a connecting rod 8. Therefore, by removing the snap ring 12 and pulling out the connecting rod 8, the spiral members 9a and 9b can be separated. Furthermore, by removing the connecting rod 8 that passes through the roller chains 6 and 7 in place of the pin 11b, the connection at both ends is released, and the conveying belt 5 can be deployed. Figure 10 shows the state in which the roller chain 6 is connected to one end of the strip-shaped net 9 in the width direction. On the other end, a roller chain 7 having the same structure as the roller chain 6 is connected to the strip-shaped net 9 by a connecting rod 8 in the same manner as above, and a snap ring 12 is attached to the through end of the connecting rod 8 that passes through the bush 10c inside the roller 10b. Note that the symbol 9c in the figure represents a welded joint. When deploying the conveying belt 5 of such a net conveyor, do the following: First, the drive shaft 1 or driven shaft 2 is moved so that the distance between the two shafts is shortened, and the tension of the conveying belt 5 is loosened and it is in a relaxed state. Once the conveying belt 5 is loosened, it can be lifted up from the sprockets 3, 3, 4, 4, and in that state, the snap rings 12 at both ends of any of the connecting rods 8 are removed and the connecting rod 8 is pulled out, which separates the conveying belt 5 at that point. If the conveyor belt 5 is separated, it can be unfolded and pulled out from inside the frame. Once the conveyor belt 5 is pulled out, it can be cleaned, and cleaning the inside of the frame can also be easily performed. The water removal equipment described above is often installed in food manufacturing facilities and other places where it is necessary to completely remove water from washed products. If cleaning is neglected in such facilities, dust and other debris can adhere to the blown-away water droplets, and limescale crystals from tap water can accumulate on various parts of the equipment. It is unacceptable for dust hardened by water droplets or limescale crystals to enter the product, but even if they only adhere to the outside of the product packaging, the product's value will decrease. Sometimes, it can even result in a defective product. Theref