Material processing system
OwnerDaniel S. Underwoodinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A material processing system includes: an offsetter configured to receive a stack of material and including a lifting bar configured to lift a portion of the stack of material; and a processing station operably connected to the offsetter. A method of processing a material includes: loading a stack of material on an offsetter, the stack of material including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion positioned above the second portion and separated from the second portion by at least one cross tie, the stack of material including a first end and a second end distal from the first end; lifting the second portion away from the first portion by a lifting bar of the offsetter pushing upward on the second end; and removing the cross tie.
Claims21
A material processing system comprising:
- an offsetter configured to receive a stack of material in an original position, move the stack of material to a new position offset horizontally from the original position, and reorient the stack of material by rotating the stack of material until a side surface of the stack of material faces upward and is aligned with a horizontal orientation;
- the stack of material comprising a plurality of rigid pieces arranged in a plurality of material layers, the rigid pieces arranged side-by-side in a horizontal direction in each material layer, each of the plurality of rigid pieces defining a length, a width, and a thickness;
- the offsetter comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite from the first sidewall, a first lifting bar coupled to the first sidewall, and a second lifting bar coupled to the second sidewalk each of the first lifting bar and the second lifting bar defining a top surface and a bottom surface and configured to lift a portion of the stack of material;
- and
- a processing station operably connected to the offsetter and configured to process a material layer of the stack of material by making a modification to each of the plurality of rigid pieces in a single operation of the processing station while the plurality of rigid pieces are arranged side-by-side in the horizontal direction.
A method of processing a material, the method comprising:
- loading a stack of material on an infeed offsetter at an original position, the infeed offsetter configured to receive, move, and reorient the stack of material;
- the stack of material comprising a plurality of rigid pieces arranged in a plurality of material layers, the rigid pieces arranged side-by-side in a horizontal direction in each material layer, each of the plurality of rigid pieces defining a length, a width, and a thickness;
- the infeed offsetter comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite from the first sidewall, a first lifting bar coupled to the first sidewall, and a second lifting bar coupled to the second sidewall;
- the stack of material comprising a first end and a second end distal from the first end;
- lifting the second portion of the stack of material away from the first portion of the stack of material by the first lifting bar of the infeed offsetter pushing upward on one of the first end and the second end of the stack of material;
- moving the stack of material to a new position offset horizontally from the original position;
- and
- reorienting the stack of material by rotating the stack of material until a side surface of the stack of material faces upward and is aligned with a horizontal orientation.
A method of processing a material, the method comprising:
- receiving a stack of material at an offsetter, the offsetter configured to receive, move, and reorient the stack of material;
- the stack of material comprising a plurality of rigid pieces arranged in a plurality of material layers, the rigid pieces arranged side-by-side in a horizontal direction in each material layer, each of the plurality of rigid pieces defining a length, a width, and a thickness;
- the offsetter comprising a first sidewall, a second sidewall opposite from the first sidewall, a first lifting bar coupled to the first sidewall, and a second lifting bar coupled to the second sidewall, each of the first lifting bar and the second lifting bar configured to lift a portion of the stack of material;
- moving the stack of material to a new position offset horizontally from the original position;
- reorienting the stack of material by rotating the stack of material until a side surface of the stack of material faces upward and is aligned with a horizontal orientation or until a side surface of the stack of material faces is aligned with a vertical orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.