US 12,234,102 B2
Rubber plug supply apparatus
Masaru Hisano, Takarazuka (JP); and Kenji Yamakawa, Takarazuka (JP)
Assigned to Shinmaywa Industries, Ltd., Hyogo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/028,236
Filed by Shinmaywa Industries, Ltd., Takarazuka (JP)
PCT Filed Sep. 16, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/034134
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 24, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/070957, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 7, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-163627 (JP), filed on Sep. 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0373731 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 47/14 (2006.01); B65G 47/24 (2006.01); B65G 47/248 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/14 (2013.01) [B65G 47/248 (2013.01); B65G 47/24 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rubber plug supply apparatus, comprising:
a supply device including an accommodation portion accommodating a rubber plug, a supply path, in communication with the accommodation portion, through which the rubber plug passes, and a discharge port from which the rubber plug is discharged after passing through the supply path;
a sensor detecting an orientation of the rubber plug supplied by the supply device;
an orientation correction device including an accommodation hole accommodating the rubber plug, the orientation correction device changing the orientation of the rubber plug to a predetermined orientation in the case where the orientation of the rubber plug detected by the sensor is different from the predetermined orientation;
a dispatch device dispatching the rubber plug adjusted to be in the predetermined orientation; and
an accommodation assistance device moving one of, or both of, the accommodation hole and the discharge port in a reciprocating motion to move the position of the accommodation hole with respect to the discharge port at least between a first position directly facing the discharge port and a second position shifted from the first position and facing a part of the discharge port until the rubber plug is accommodated in the accommodation hole.