Woodworking – Feeder or presser – Feed roll
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-02
2001-01-23
Bray, W. Donald (Department: 3725)
Woodworking
Feeder or presser
Feed roll
C144S242100, C144S248500, C144S357000, C144S382000, C144S250250, C144S250200, C198S468200, C198S502200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176283
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an adjustable support, particularly for a conveyor, which enables the conveyor to be adjusted vertically and horizontally, and through a combination of adjustments as between a pair of supports, the conveyor can be adjusted for skew, taper and roll.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There is an ongoing need to develop lumber handling systems for reducing logs into lumber whereby the maximum percentage of the available wood is utilized for lumber production. Logs are irregularly shaped and vary greatly in dimension, and the lumber produced therefrom is rectangular in cross section but has a wide range of cross section and lengthwise dimensions.
Consider that a log is tapered, curved and/or out of round. A scanner will establish the configuration and enter the data for computer evaluation. The computer determines the maximum boards of various dimensions that will fit that configuration as well as the cutting pattern for achieving that production. Then the log handling and/or log break down apparatus in response to the computer input follows the desired cutting pattern to produce the computed lumber pieces from that log.
There are numerous developments that have been made to the various components of the log handling and break down apparatus. The present invention applies to the infeed system, e.g., a conveyor or conveyors from which the logs are fed into the break down apparatus which may include, e.g, chippers and saws. Whereas conveyors have typically been adjustable only for elevation and side movement, the objective of the present invention is to provide adjustability for skew and tilt and preferably roll, as well as elevation and side movement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support assemblies for the conveyor bed include mechanism for independently raising and lowering the leading or trailing end of the conveyor bed and thus the log being conveyed and for independently side shifting the leading or trailing end of the conveyor.
In one embodiment of the invention disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/098,920, the complexity of adjustments is accomplished with two cylinders for each support. The two cylinders are anchored to a stationary base at opposed sides of the conveyor bed and extend angularly in a cross over relation to a movable conveyor support at opposite sides of the bed. Each cylinder is movable independently but cooperatively to side shift (in either direction), raise and lower that end of the conveyor bed. The pairs of cylinders (a pair for each support base) are cooperatively manipulated to achieve a variety of adjustments to the orientation of the conveyor bed.
Whereas the above embodiment of the invention is capable of performing all of the movements described, i.e., side and elevation movements as well as skew, tilt and roll, the cross over arrangement of the cylinders may not be as stable as other arrangements for controlling these movements. A number of embodiments are disclosed herein that have features that accordingly may be preferred over that of the arrangement whereby cylinders are crossed.
The conveyor is provided with a pivotal mounting as between the conveyor bed and the stationary bases in that the conveyor bed is not simply side shifted and elevated but is angularly shifted relative to the bases.
Movements of the supports can be made as a single adjustment to align a log relative to subsequent apparatus or the movements may be ongoing. Consider that a log being conveyed is slightly curved. The log may be oriented by the conveyor to feed the log's leading end into a saw. As the log feeds through the saw, the conveyor position can be continuously adjusted to accommodate the curve of the log. (This movement is referred to as side slewing). A similar ongoing adjustment can be made for feeding a truncated log past a chipper, i.e., the front end of the conveyor can be raised or lowered to tilt the log as the log is fed through the chipper (tilt slewing).
A further use of the preferred multiple adjustment feature would be the raising of both right side or both left side support positions. This angularly adjusts a log on the conveyor to provide log roll positioning.
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Bray W. Donald
Harrington Robert L.
U.S. Natural Resources, Inc.
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