Method and apparatus for drying wood plates using hot plates
AssigneeYamamoto Engineering Works Co., Ltd.
InventorsKoichi Yamamoto, Hisayuki Nagamine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Wood plates are dried by inserting the wood plates into respective spaces between a plurality of hot plates layered in steps. The wood plates are held, pressed and heat dried by and between the hot plates. A portion of spaces between the hot plates can be opened, and dried wood plates can be discharged from the opened spaces between the hot plates and undried wood plates can be inserted into such opened spaces. Those hot plates from which wood plates are not discharged or between which wood plates are not inserted are kept in a pressed state.
Claims20
A method of drying wood plates, said method comprising:
- inserting each of a plurality of undried wood plates between a respective pair of adjacent hot plates of a stacked plurality of hot plates;
- applying pressure to all of said stacked hot plates and thereby pressing said wood plates between respective pairs of adjacent said hot plates, while applying heat to said wood plates from said hot plates, thereby drying said wood plates;
- periodically separating said hot plates of plural said pairs of adjacent said hot plates, said periodically separating comprising separating at a given time said hot plates of a portion only of said pairs of adjacent said hot plates and thereby opening a space between each thus separated pair of adjacent said hot plates, while maintaining application of said pressure to said hot plates of remaining unseparated said pairs of adjacent said hot plates and said wood plates pressed therebetween;
- discharging the dried said wood plate from said space between each said separated pair of adjacent said hot plates and supplying a new undried wood plate into said space;
- and
- closing each said space such that said pair of adjacent said hot plates thereof no longer are separated and such that said pressure thereafter is applied thereto and to said new undried wood plate, whereafter said new undried wood plate is pressed and dried.
An apparatus for drying wood plates, said apparatus comprising:
- a stacked plurality of hot plates adapted to receive therebetween and to apply heat to a plurality of wood plates when each such wood plate is positioned between a respective pair of adjacent said hot plates;
- an opening and closing device operable to selectively separate said hot plates of plural pairs of adjacent said hot plates, with said hot plates of a portion only of said pairs of adjacent said hot plates being separated at a given time, and thereby open a space between each thus separated pair of adjacent said hot plates and to selectively close each said space such that said pair of adjacent said hot plates thereof no longer is separated;
- a pressing device to apply pressure to said hot plates of all of said pairs of adjacent said hot plates except for each said separated pair of adjacent said hot plates, such that the wood plates except for the wood plate between each said separated pair of adjacent said hot plates are pressed while being heated;
- and
- a transfer device to discharge a dried wood plate from said space between each said separated pair of adjacent said hot plates and to supply a new undried wood plate into said space, whereafter said opening and closing device closes said space and the new undried wood plate is heated by said respective pair of adjacent said hot plates and is pressed by said pressing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.