Source: {"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"}

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an article conveying device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device for supplying a large number of rod shaped materials (11) to the next step while separating the materials one by one in the middle of conveyance, the device including a fixed floor (41) formed in a step form in which an upstream side surface in the conveying direction of the rod shaped material (11) displaces to the downstream side in the conveying direction towards the upper side, a moving floor (42) adjacently positioned in parallel to the fixed floor (41) and formed in a step form in which the upstream side surface in the conveying direction of the rod shaped material (11) displaces to the downstream side in the conveying direction towards the upper side, and a reciprocate driving means (47), arranged on the lower side of the moving floor (42), for reciprocating a step part (45) of the moving floor (42) to the upper side and the lower side of a step part (43) of the fixed floor (41) is known as an article conveying device, as described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 7-23731. In the article conveying device, when the step part (45) of the moving floor side moves to a level above the step part (43) of the fixed floor side by the drive of the reciprocate driving means (47), the step part (45) of the moving floor side captures one rod shaped material (11) from the group of rod shaped materials placed on the step part (43) of the fixed floor side, and sequentially moves the relevant rod shaped material to the step part (43) of the upper stage on the fixed floor side.
In the article conveying device of Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 7-23731, the fixed floor and the moving floor are adjacently positioned in parallel, where the rod shaped material serving as an article to be conveyed is captured by the pair of moving floor side step parts arranged lined in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction, and the rod shaped material is moved to a pair of similarly arranged fixed floor side step parts. Therefore, the article must be a long length article having a length exceeding the interval of the pair of moving floors, and the length exceeding the interval of the pair of fixed floors. The disposing orientation of the article must be orthogonal to the conveying direction so as to be received by the pair of fixed floor step parts. In the prior art, the article of various dimensional shapes cannot be discharged by substantially constant amount if placed in any direction. Furthermore, since the direction of the long length article cannot be changed, the articles of various dimensional shapes cannot be directed to the orientation in a constant direction if placed in any direction.