Patent ID: 7077641

Claim:
A preform conveying device, receiving, via an unloading device ( 31 ), preforms (P), which have been molded by an injection molding machine having a plurality of preform molding cavities aligned vertically and laterally, and supplying said preforms (P) to a subsequent process side upon alignment in single rows, said device comprising: a preform aligning part ( 1 ), having a slide table ( 3 ) installed on a frame ( 2 ) in a manner enabling sliding in a Y-direction that is a single horizontal direction and having, on said slide table ( 3 ), slide plates ( 4 ), each provided with supporting parts ( 11 ) that respectively hold individual preforms (P) in inverted states at alignment positions corresponding to the alignment of the preforms (P) in a single vertical row of said unloading device ( 31 ), said slide plates ( 4 ) being at least the same in number as the number of vertical rows of said unloading device ( 31 ) and being aligned parallel to a horizontal X-direction, perpendicular to the Y-direction, at intervals corresponding to the alignment of said vertical rows in a manner enabling sliding individually in the X-direction; and a grip conveyor ( 21 ), having grips ( 22 ) formed of a rubber-like soft material for holding said preforms (P) in a sandwiching manner and having, in a state in which a conveying line (L) formed thereby is aligned in direction in the X-direction and inclined by the raising of a downstream part, an upstream end positioned above said preform alignment part ( 1 ); wherein each slide plate ( 4 ), upon being successively set by the sliding of said slide table ( 3 ) in the Y-direction so that its Y-direction position matches the Y-direction position of the conveying line (L) formed by said grip conveyor ( 21 ), is slid in the X-direction at substantially the same speed as the conveying speed of said grip conveyor ( 21 ) and moved below said grip conveyor ( 21 ) as the individual preforms (P) are transferred to the grip conveyor ( 21 ).