Tapered roll feed
AssigneeU.S. Natural Resources, Inc.
InventorPetri Saastamo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides workpiece feed systems, methods and assemblies comprising one or more tapered feed rolls positioned at an angle to incoming workpieces. The tapered feed rolls may pull individual workpieces toward a guide while gradually accelerating the workpieces and altering their direction of travel. The angle and speed of rotation of the tapered feed rolls may be automatically adjusted to control workpiece speed/acceleration, providing improved gap control and minimizing collisions between successive workpieces. Tapered feed rolls may therefore reduce or eliminate the need for a conventional bridge to decelerate the workpieces after the directional change, reducing the operational space required by a workpiece feed system.
Claims30
A feed roll assembly, comprising:
- a support having a guide with a guide longitudinal centerline;
- a first feed roll coupled to the support, the first feed roll having a proximal end, a distal end, a first feed roll workpiece engaging surface, and a first feed roll axis of rotation, the diameter of the proximal end being greater than the diameter of the distal end, the first feed roll workpiece engaging surface positioned to engage a lower surface of the workpiece, and the first feed roll first axis of rotation being disposed laterally at an angle relative to the guide longitudinal centerline;
- wherein at least the first feed roll is driven by a first driver configured to rotate the first feed roll or the second feed roll around the first feed roll axis of rotation.
A workpiece conveyance system comprising:
- a first transfer with a first workpiece support surface, the first transfer configured to transport a workpiece in a first direction of flow, the workpiece having an initial orientation transverse to the first direction of flow;
- and
- a feed roll assembly configured to transport the workpiece substantially in said initial orientation in a second direction of flow oblique to the first direction of flow, the feed roll assembly comprising
- a support having a horizontal longitudinal axis disposed transverse to the first direction of flow and a guide with a guide longitudinal centerline,
- a first feed roll rotatably coupled to the support, the first feed roll having a first feed roll workpiece engaging surface positioned to engage an upper surface of the workpiece, a first end, a second end, and a first axis of rotation, the second end having a diameter greater than the diameter of the first end, and the first axis of rotation extending perpendicular to the second direction of flow, and
- a first feed roll drive coupled to the first feed roll.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.