# US 2019/0168976 A1 · Multistage conveyance method, multistage conveyance apparatus, and multistage press apparatus for sheet materials to be treated

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- Number: US 2019/0168976 A1
- Document ID: US20190168976A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/323,761
- Filed: 2017-06-26
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-09
- Assignees: Taihei Machinery Works, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taihei Machinery Works, Ltd.
- Inventors: MASARU ISHIGURO; KEISUKE MIZUTANI; WATARU KATO
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168976A1

## CPC

- B65G 57/32: characterised by stacking during transit
- B27D 3/02: with a plurality of press plates, i.e. multi- platen hot presses
- B27N 3/20: characterised by using platen-presses
- B29C 65/18: using heated tools
- B30B 7/02: having several platens arranged one above the other
- B30B 15/30: Feeding material to presses
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B27D: WORKING VENEER OR PLYWOOD (applying liquids or other fluent materials to surface in general B05; grinding, sanding, or polishing of wood B24; applying adhesives or glue to surfaces of wood B27G11/00; manufacture of veneer B27L5/00)
- B27N: MANUFACTURE BY DRY PROCESSES OF ARTICLES, WITH OR WITHOUT ORGANIC BINDING AGENTS, MADE FROM PARTICLES OR FIBRES CONSISTING OF WOOD OR OTHER LIGNOCELLULOSIC OR LIKE ORGANIC MATERIAL (containing cementitious material B28B; shaping of substances in a plastic state B29C; fibreboards made from fibrous suspensions D21J; drying F26B17/00)
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B30B: PRESSES IN GENERAL (producing ultra-high pressure or ultra-high pressure and high temperature to effect modifications of a substance, e.g. for making artificial diamonds B01J3/00 ){(compressing means for refuse receptacles B65F1/1405)}

## Abstract

A horizontal multistage press apparatus 1 (multistage conveyance apparatus, multistage press apparatus) includes: a loader unit gripping body 70A or an open transpiration unit gripping body 70C (upstream side conveyance body) for carrying out the veneer sheet W1 with the upper part of the veneer sheet W1 (sheet material to be treated) gripped and suspended from the loader device 10 or the open transpiration device 40 (first treatment device), and a hot press unit gripping body 70B or a temperature control press unit gripping body 70D (downstream side conveyance body) for carrying the veneer sheet W1 into the press position of the hot press device 20 or the temperature control press device 50 (second treatment device) with the gripping position of the veneer sheet W1 shifted from the upper part to the lower part and supported.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A multistage conveyance method for a sheet material to be treated, the multistage conveyance method for:
carrying out while holding in parallel along a conveying direction a plurality of sheet materials to be treated held in a standing state in a first treatment step positioned on an upstream side in a conveying direction, and
carrying the plurality of sheet materials to be treated in a standing state into a predetermined press position in which a second treatment step of sandwiching and pressurizing each sheet material to be treated from both sides with a contact plate is configured to be performed, the press position positioned on a downstream side in a conveying direction,
the multistage conveyance method for a sheet material to be treated comprising:
an upstream side carry-out step of carrying out a sheet material to be treated with an upper part of a sheet material to be treated gripped and suspended after the first treatment step; and
a downstream side carry-in step of carrying a sheet material to be treated into a press position of the second treatment step with a gripping position of a sheet material to be treated shifted from an upper part to a lower part and supported.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The multistage conveyance method for a sheet material to be treated according to claim 1, wherein in the upstream side carry-out step and the downstream side carry-in step, a gripping position is shifted from an upper part to a lower part during movement of a lower side and surface on a horizontally continuous conveyance surface, and a sheet material to be treated reaches the press position.

### Claim 3

A multistage conveyance apparatus for a sheet material to be treated, the multistage conveyance apparatus for:
carrying out while holding in parallel along a conveying direction a plurality of sheet materials to be treated held in a standing state in a first treatment device positioned on an upstream side in a conveying direction, and
carrying the plurality of sheet materials to be treated in a standing state into a press position of a second treatment device configured to sandwich and pressurize each sheet material to be treated from both sides with a contact plate, the press position positioned on a downstream side in a conveying direction,
the multistage conveyance apparatus for a sheet material to be treated comprising:
an upstream side conveyance body configured to carry out a sheet material to be treated with an upper part of a sheet material to be treated gripped and suspended from the first treatment device; and
a downstream side conveyance body configured to carry a sheet material to be treated into a press position of the second treatment device with a gripping position of a sheet material to be treated shifted from an upper part to a lower part and supported.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The multistage conveyance apparatus for a sheet material to be treated according to claim 3,
wherein the upstream side conveyance body includes:
an upper part gripping body configured to grip an upper part of a sheet material to be treated and convey a sheet material to be treated, and
a first conveyance body configured to support a lower side and surface of a sheet material to be treated and convey a sheet material to be treated, wherein the downstream side conveyance body includes:
a lower part gripping body configured to grip a lower part of a sheet material to be treated and convey a sheet material to be treated, and
a second conveyance body configured to support a lower side and surface of a sheet material to be treated and convey a sheet material to be treated, and
wherein when a shift is made at least from the upper part gripping body to the lower part gripping body, a sheet material to be treated is held over a conveyance surface of the first conveyance body and a conveyance surface of the second conveyance body, the conveyance surfaces forming a horizontal plane at an identical height.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The multistage conveyance apparatus for a sheet material to be treated according to claim 4, wherein in the lower part gripping body and the second conveyance body, a linkage mechanism configured to synchronously move in a conveying direction while integrally holding sheet materials to be treated at predetermined intervals is provided.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

A multistage press apparatus for a sheet material to be treated comprising:
in the multistage conveyance apparatus of a sheet material to be treated according to claim 4,
a preceding conveying device including the upstream side conveyance body and the downstream side conveyance body when the first treatment device is a loader device for loading a plurality of sheet materials to be treated for drying, and the second treatment device is a hot press device for pressurizing and heating by sandwiching from both sides each sheet material to be treated with a first contact plate; and
a subsequent conveyance device including the upstream side conveyance body and the downstream side conveyance body when the first treatment device is an open transpiration device for evaporating water vapor from both surfaces of each sheet material to be treated, and the second treatment device is a temperature control press device for pressurizing and temperature-controlling by sandwiching from both sides each sheet material to be treated with a second contact plate,
wherein the loader device, the hot press device, the open transpiration device, and the temperature control press device are arranged in this order from an upstream side in a conveying direction, and
wherein the preceding conveyance device is positioned over the loader device and the hot press device, and the subsequent conveyance device is positioned over the open transpiration device and the temperature control press device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The multistage press apparatus for a sheet material to be treated according to claim 6, wherein a loader unit gripping body as the upper part gripping body of the preceding conveyance device and the first conveyance body are configured to synchronously move in an up-down direction while holding a sheet material to be treated, an upper part of a sheet material to be treated is gripped by the loader unit gripping body, and a sheet material to be treated is conveyed to the second treatment device with a lower side and surface of a sheet material to be treated supported by the first conveyance body.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The multistage press apparatus for a sheet material to be treated according to claim 6, wherein an open transpiration unit gripping body as the upper part gripping body of the subsequent conveyance device is configured to synchronously move while gripping a sheet material to be treated, an upper part of a sheet material to be treated is gripped by the open transpiration unit gripping body, and a sheet material to be treated is conveyed to the second treatment device with a lower side and surface of a sheet material to be treated supported by the first conveyance body.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The multistage press apparatus for a sheet material to be treated according to claim 6,
wherein a hot press unit gripping body as the lower part gripping body of the preceding conveyance device and an open transpiration unit gripping body as the upper part gripping body of the subsequent conveyance device are arranged to be adjacent to each other in a plan view, and
wherein when a sheet material to be treated is carried from the hot press device to the open transpiration device, a sheet material to be treated is held with a gripping position shifted from a gripping position in a lower part by the hot press unit gripping body to a gripping position in an upper part by the open transpiration unit gripping body.