Press unit for a manufactured wood product press
AssigneeWeyerhaeuser Company
InventorsNorbert Kott, Steven Rempel, Orlando C. Janzen, Ayodele Adeleye, Edmond Tam, James Cheng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A press unit (20) for a manufactured wood press (60) is provided. The press unit includes a housing (80), a platen (90), and a drive assembly (76) disposed within the housing. The drive assembly is coupled to the platen to drive the platen in a non-linear motion. More specifically, the drive assembly includes a shaft having concentric and eccentric portions which are disposed on separate axes. Rotation of the eccentric portion about its respective axis causes movement of the platen in the non-linear motion.
Claims15
A press unit for a manufactured wood product press, the press unit comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) a platen exterior to the housing;
- (c) a first drive assembly disposed within the housing and coupled to the platen, the first drive assembly comprising a drive mechanism including (i) a shaft having at least one concentric portion disposed along a length of the shaft and at least one eccentric portion disposed along the length of the shaft and rotating about separate axes;
- (ii) a support bearing member extending from the at least one concentric portion;
- and (iii) a platen drive bearing member extending between the at least one eccentric portion and the platen;
- wherein rotation of the eccentric portion about the eccentric portion's axis causes movement of the platen in a substantially circular path.
A press unit for manufactured wood product press, the press unit comprising:
- (a) a platen;
- and
- (b) first and second drive assemblies coupled to a face of the platen;
- the first and second drive assemblies each comprising:
- (i) a housing;
- (ii) a drive mechanism disposed within the housing, the drive mechanism having a shaft and both one concentric portion and one eccentric portion located on separate axes along the shaft wherein movement of the eccentric portion causes non-linear movement of the platen.
A press unit for a manufactured wood products press, the press unit comprising:
- (a) a platen;
- (b) a housing connected to a face of the platen;
- and
- (c) a drive assembly disposed within the housing, the drive assembly including a shaft disposed within the housing for rotational motion relative to a longitudinal axis extending through a length of the shaft, and further comprising a drive mechanism having alternating eccentric and concentric portions rotating about separate axes along the shaft, wherein actuation of the drive mechanism forces movement of the platen in at least a non-linear motion.
A press unit for a manufactured wood products press, the press unit comprising:
- (a) a housing;
- (b) a rotatable shaft disposed within the housing, the rotatable shaft having a first end and a second end, the first and second ends being axially aligned and defining a first axis of rotation, the shaft further comprising a plurality of concentric cylindrical segments aligned on the first axis of rotation and a plurality of eccentric cylindrical segments aligned on a parallel offset axis;
- (c) a first plurality of bearing assemblies supportably connected to the concentric cylindrical segments and fixedly attached to the housing;
- and
- (d) a second plurality of bearing assemblies supportably connected to the eccentric cylindrical segments and adapted to be fixedly attached to a platen such that rotating the rotatable shaft will cause the platen to move along a substantially circular path of travel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.