Lumber grabber for automated crane
AssigneeIdaho Forest Group, LLC
InventorsMarc BRINKMEYER, Chad KOSMICKI, Alex GOMEZ, Clifton Neil BREWER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The technology disclosed relates a lumber grabber for grasping timber. The lumber grabber can achieve grasping large packages of lumber of various work lengths. In one configuration, the lumber grabber includes moveable forks for grasping lumber movably supported by a frame, affixable to a crane. Forks positioned at ends of the frame and arranged to open and close relative to one other under power by a source of motive force; thereby enabling grasping and ungrasping of packages of lumber under programmed control of a programmable controller executing stored instructions.
Claims21
A lumber grabber workstation for grasping packages of lumber, the lumber grabber comprising:
- a frame;
- a set of movable carriages movably supported by the frame;
- two sets of forks, each set of forks positioned on one of the movable carriages at either end of the frame and arranged diametrically opposed to each other;
- a motor;
- and
- a set of one or more rotatable ball screw shafts connected to and driven by the motor and to the movable carriages, to change relative positions of the movable carriages at either end of the frame;
- thereby enabling grasping and ungrasping of packages of lumber under programmed control of a programmable controller executing stored instructions.
A method of grasping packages of lumber, the method comprising:
- lowering using a hoist of a crane a lumber grabber down to pick up a unit of lumber, wherein a movable plate attached to the lumber grabber via a hydraulic cylinder is in a fully down position due to gravity;
- as the hoist lowers, the plate will make contact with a top of the lumber unit, substantially contemporaneously with the hoist of the crane continuing to lower thereby creating a slack rope condition in the hoist;
- opening valving on the hydraulic cylinder allowing the lumber grabber to lower;
- detecting using thru-beam photo sensors mounted near a rear base of forks on either side of the lumber grabber that the lumber grabber is in a clear position to close the forks to pick up the unit of lumber;
- closing valves on the hydraulic cylinder when the lumber grabber is lowered to a commanded height to pick up the unit of lumber;
- and
- commencing raising by the hoist of the crane the lumber grabber the unit of lumber when the forks are closed.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, implement a method of:
- lowering using a hoist of a crane a lumber grabber down to pick up a unit of lumber, wherein a movable plate attached to the lumber grabber via a hydraulic cylinder is in a fully down position due to gravity;
- as the hoist lowers, the plate will make contact with a top of the lumber unit, contemporaneously with the hoist of the crane continuing to lower thereby creating a slack rope condition in the hoist;
- opening valving on the hydraulic cylinder allowing the lumber grabber to lower;
- detecting using thru-beam photo sensors mounted near a rear base of forks on either side of the lumber grabber that the lumber grabber is in a clear position to close the forks to pick up the unit of lumber;
- closing valves on the hydraulic cylinder when the lumber grabber is lowered to a commanded height to pick up the unit of lumber;
- and
- commencing raising by the hoist of the crane the lumber grabber the unit of lumber when the forks are closed.
A lumber grabber for grasping timber, including:
- a frame, affixable to a crane;
- a source of motive force;
- moveable forks for grasping lumber movably supported by the frame, affixable to a crane;
- and
- wherein the forks are positioned at ends of the frame and arranged to open and close relative to one other under power by the source of motive force;
- thereby enabling grasping and ungrasping of packages of lumber under programmed control of a programmable controller executing stored instructions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.