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.
Claims19
A system for turning elongated workpieces as they travel in a flow direction on a workpiece support surface, in an orientation that is transverse to the flow direction, the system comprising:
- a plurality of first turner assemblies oriented generally parallel to the flow direction and spaced apart across the flow direction, wherein each of the first turner assemblies includes
- a first endless member rotatable within a respective plane that is substantially parallel to the flow direction,
- a plurality of turner arms pivotably coupled to the first endless member at intervals, and
- at least one guide having a guide surface, wherein the guide is movable from a retracted position to an engaging position in which at least a portion of the guide surface is positioned to engage a portion of a corresponding one of the turner arms, as said turner arm is carried in the flow direction by rotation of the endless member, to thereby pivot said turner arm in a first rotational direction from a resting position to an extended position in which at least part of said turner arm extends above the workpiece support surface;
- and
- means for moving at least two of the guides independently of one another between the retracted position and the extended position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.