US 4,144,976 AGranted

Method and apparatus for providing lumber stacks with stickers

OwnerAlpo Rystiinventor

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing lumber stacks with stickers includes a suitable conveyer which is operated to situate a plurality of stickers over the uppermost lumber layer of a lumber stack during formation thereof. The stickers are carried to a predetermined position over the uppermost lumber layer by way of support members of the conveyer, these support members being substantially L-shaped and having bottom legs which project forwardly from bottom ends of upright legs thereof in the direction of travel of the stickers to the position over the stack, and the upright legs of the support members are situated behind the stickers at this time. A number of removing members are also situated behind the stickers when the latter are in the position over the stack to be deposited thereon. The removing members and the support members which carry the stickers to be deposited on the stack form two groups of members at least one of which is moved relative to the other in a direction which will displace the stickers from the support members so that the stickers are released to be deposited on the uppermost lumber layer of the stack which is being formed.

Claims14

Dependent claims

In a method for placing a plurality of stickers on the uppermost layer of lumber of a lumber stack during formation thereof, the steps of transporting a plurality of said stickers at a predetermined spacing from each other to a predetermined position situated over the uppermost layer of lumber while the stickers are respectively carried by substantially L-shaped support members forming a group of support members which travel horizontally with the stickers supported on horizontal legs of said L-shaped support members which extend forwardly in the direction of travel of the support members from upwardly directed legs of the support members which are situated behind the stickers in the direction of travel of said support members, said direction of travel defining forward and rear surfaces of the stickers, and said horizontal support member legs having free forwardly situated terminal ends, situating respectively behind the stickers when they reach said position over the uppermost layer of lumber a group of removing members for respectively removing the stickers from the group of support members, each of said removing members having a forwardly situated push surface, and, when the stickers have been transported on the group of support members to said position and said removing members are situated behind said stickers, terminating the forward travel of said group of support members whereby the rear surfaces of the stickers and the push surfaces of the respective removing members of said group of removing members are in opposed relationship with each other and reversing the movement of said support members to place the rear surfaces of the stickers in engagement with the respective push surfaces of said removing members and continuing the reverse movement of said support members while maintaining said removing members stationary so that the stickers are pushed by the removing member push surfaces beyond the forward free end of the horizontal legs of the supporting members whereby the stickers are then free to fall downwardly toward the uppermost layer of lumber.

In an apparatus for placing a plurality of stickers on the uppermost lumber layer of a lumber stack during formation thereof, conveyer means for conveying a plurality of stickers at a predetermined spacing from each other to a predetermined position situated over the uppermost lumber layer of a lumber stack which is being formed, said conveyer means having upper and lower runs and a plurality of substantially L-shaped support members carried by and projecting outwardly from said upper and lower runs with at least said lower run being substantially horizontal and transporting the support members projecting therefrom in a forward direction along a substantially horizontal path situated over the lumber stack which is being formed with the substantially L-shaped support members at said lower run having upright legs extending downwardly from said lower run and substantially horizontal legs extending forwardly from said upright legs in the direction of travel of said lower run at end regions of said upright legs which are distant from said lower run, said horizontal support member legs having free forwardly situated terminal ends in the direction of travel of said lower run, feed means situated adjacent said conveyer means for feeding stickers respectively to support members which carry the stickers received from the feed means along a substantially horizontal path over a lumber stack which is being formed while the support members project downwardly from said lower run, said stickers being supported by said supporting members such that said upright legs are adjacent to the rear surfaces of said respective stickers carried thereby as defined by the direction of travel of said lower run, removing means for removing stickers which reach said predetermined position from the support members carrying the same, each of said removing members having a forwardly situated push surface, support means supporting said removing means for movement away from and back to a removing position situated behind stickers which reach said predetermined position, means for terminating the forward travel of said support members so that the rear surfaces of the stickers and the push surfaces of the removing members are in opposed relationship with each other, and means for reversing the movement of said support members to place the rear surfaces of the stickers in engagement with the respective push surfaces of said removing members, means for maintaining said removing members stationary while said support members are reversely moved so that the stickers are pushed by the removing member push surfaces beyond the forward free end of the horizontal legs of the supporting members.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.