Board turner
AssigneeUsnr, LLC
InventorsTim Staal, Thomas Congdon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A board turner assembly may include an endless chain, first and second groups of turning arms pivotably coupled with the endless chain and disposed along opposite sides thereof, an upper guide with an inclined surface, an actuator selectively operable to move the upper guide between a resting position and an extended position, and one or more endless belts. The turning arms may be spaced apart at regular intervals that are offset on one side of the chain relative to the other. The groups of turning arms may be operated in an alternating fashion to turn selected boards to a desired orientation (e.g., wane side up). Corresponding methods and systems are also described.
Claims20
A board turner assembly comprising:
- an endless chain rotatable in a flow direction within a reference plane;
- a plurality of first turner arms pivotably coupled to the endless chain at first intervals and disposed along a first side of the endless chain;
- and
- a plurality of second turner arms pivotably coupled to the endless chain at second intervals and disposed along an opposite second side of the endless chain, such that the first and second turner arms are generally parallel to the reference plane and movable along respective rotational paths by rotation of the endless chain,
- wherein the first intervals are offset from the second intervals such that the first turner arms and the second turner arms are arranged in an alternating manner along the endless chain, and wherein the first and second turner arms are pivotable, relative to the endless chain, in a first rotary direction from a retracted position to an extended position.
A system for turning a board about its longitudinal axis as the board is traveling in a transverse orientation along a flow path in a flow direction, the system comprising:
- an endless chain rotatable in the flow direction within a first plane;
- a plurality of first turner arms pivotably coupled to the endless chain at first intervals along a first side of the endless chain;
- a plurality of second turner arms pivotably coupled to the endless chain at second intervals and disposed along an opposite second side of the endless chain, such that the first and second turner arms are movable along respective rotational paths by rotation of the endless chain, wherein the first intervals are offset from the second intervals such that the first turner arms and the second turner arms are arranged in an alternating manner along the endless chain;
- an elongated first guide disposed proximal to the first side of the endless chain and oriented generally parallel to the first plane;
- and
- a first actuator operatively coupled with the first guide, wherein the first actuator is selectively actuable to move the first guide from a resting position, in which an engaging surface of the first guide is below a path of travel of the guide engaging portions of the first turner arms moving in the flow direction, to an engaging position, in which at least a portion of the engaging surface is positioned to contact the guide engaging portion of a corresponding one of the first turner arms moving in the flow direction, to thereby move the corresponding one of the first turner arms in the first rotary direction from the retracted position to the extended position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.