Apparatus for placing spacers in stacked lumber
OwnerRobert C. Johnsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for placing spacer sticks between layers of lumber is disclosed. The present invention includes an overheads feed system for distributing spacer sticks to a plurality of stick placement modules. Each stick placement module has a plurality of stick placement arms which are articulated to move in three dimensions. After the arms grasp a spacer stick, the deviation of the arms from their normal orientations are used to gauge the suitability of the spacer stick and then to reject the spacer stick if the quality of the spacer stick does not meet specifications. Also, the apparatus of the present invention is modular and can be retrofitted to existing lumber stacking machines.
Claims17
An apparatus for placing spacer sticks on a layer of lumber overlying an automatically indexed stack support which forms part of a lumber stacking machine, the apparatus for placing spacer sticks comprising:
- an outer frame;
- a plurality of spacer stick placement modules supported by said outer frame above a layer of lumber, said plurality of spacer stick placement modules being arranged in line, each of said plurality of spacer stick placement modules including means for placing spacer sticks on a layer of lumber;
- and,
- an overhead conveyer system for distributing spacer sticks to each of said plurality of spacer stick placement modules;
- wherein each of said plurality of spacer stick placement modules further includes means for rejecting unsuitable spacer sticks.
An apparatus for placing spacer sticks on a layer of lumber overlying an automatically indexed stack support which forms part of a lumber stacking machine, the apparatus for placing spacer sticks comprising:
- an outer frame;
- a plurality of spacer stick placement modules each having a module frame and supported by said outer frame above a layer of lumber, said plurality of spacer stick placement modules being arranged in line, each of said plurality of spacer stick placement modules including means for placing spacer sticks on a layer of lumber;
- an overhead conveyer system for distributing spacer sticks to said plurality of spacer stick placement modules, each one of said plurality of modules further having a reject trough and a conveyance chute for conveying said sticks from said overhead conveyor system to said means for placing spacer sticks;
- wherein each of said plurality of spacer stick placement modules further includes means for rejecting unsuitable spacers sticks.
The apparatus for placing spacer sticks according to claimed 4, wherein said apparatus further comprises at least one reject gate pivotally mounted to said module frame, said gate being selectively openable for receiving said unsuitable spacer sticks into said reject trough.
An apparatus for placing spacer sticks on a layer of lumber overlying an automatically indexed stack support which forms part of a lumber stacking machine, the apparatus for placing spacer sticks comprising:
- an outer frame;
- an overhead conveyer system for distributing spacer sticks to a plurality of spacer stick placement modules, each of said plurality of spacer stick placement modules having a module frame supported by said outer frame above a layer of lumber, said plurality of spacer stick placement modules being arranged in line, each of said plurality of spacer stick placement modules including means for placing spacer sticks on a layer of lumber, each of said plurality of modules further having a substantially vertically disposed chute with a feed end positioned to receive sticks deposited therein by said overhead system and constructed to convey and hold said sticks side-by-side and substantially horizontal for presentation in singulated sequence to said means for placing spacer sticks on said layer of lumber;
- at least one tipple pivotally mounted on a respective one of said plurality of modules, said at least one tipple comprising a conveyor of endless construction for cooperatively conveying sticks over a respective one of said plurality of modules to a succeeding one of said plurality of modules when in closed position and for selectively positioning and feeding sticks to said vertically disposed chute when in open position;
- and,
- at least one detection sensor responsive to displacement of said sticks and for discontinuing the conveyance of said sticks and initiating a stick misalignment correction cycle for selectively running said apparatus according to a predetermined sequence of movements and for selectively engaging at least one stop hook into the path of travel of said sticks for unscrambling said sticks and positioning said sticks uniformly into proper alignment;
- wherein each of said plurality of spacer stick placement modules further includes means for rejecting unsuitable spacer sticks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.