Mobile veneer dryer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10161679-B2
Application number	US-201615358013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2016
Priority date	Nov 1, 2013
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments provide a veneer dryer system and methods of constructing, relocating, and replacing veneer dryers and other constructs such as lumber kilns, machinery, and processing lines or parts thereof. Embodiments of a veneer dryer system may include a track and a veneer dryer movably coupled with the track. The track may extend between the desired location of the veneer dryer and a construction location. Movers may be coupled with the track at the construction location. The veneer dryer may be partially or fully constructed on the movers and moved to the desired location for use. A pre-existing veneer dryer at the desired location may remain operational during the construction and removed before the new veneer dryer is moved into place, substantially reducing downtime and costs as compared to prior methods of replacing veneer dryers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A veneer dryer, comprising:
an elongate enclosure with an input end, an output end, a heating zone, and a conveyor extending through the heating zone; and
a plurality of movers, each of the movers having a respective frame, a support platform, and an endless loop rotatably coupled with the frame, the frames fixedly coupled with a bottom portion of the elongate enclosure,
wherein the movers are disposed between the elongate enclosure and an underlying support surface, and
wherein at least some of the movers are movable along the underlying support surface in response to force applied against the elongate enclosure.

2. The veneer dryer of claim 1 , wherein the elongate enclosure has a longitudinal axis extending from the input end to the output end, a first group of the movers is arranged in a first row along the bottom portion, and a second group of the movers is arranged in a second row along the bottom portion.

3. The veneer dryer of claim 2 , wherein the first and second rows are substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis.

4. The veneer dryer of claim 2 , wherein the first and second rows are transverse to the longitudinal axis and generally parallel to one another.

5. The veneer dryer of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the movers is fixedly coupled with the underlying support surface.

6. The veneer dryer of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the endless loops include a roller chain and a plurality of rolls coupled with the roller chain.

7. The veneer dryer of claim 2 , wherein the underlying support includes a first rail and a second rail extending substantially parallel to the first rail, at least one of the movers of said first group is positioned along the first rail, and at least one of the movers of said second group is positioned along the second rail.

8. The veneer dryer of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the movers includes one or more guide members, the one or more guide members being coupled with the frame and configured to restrict lateral movement of the corresponding mover on the corresponding rail.

9. The veneer dryer of claim 8 , wherein the one or more guide members includes a pair of rollers, pins, or protrusions extending downwardly from the frame on opposite sides of the frame and spaced apart by a gap, and wherein the gap is dimensioned to accommodate the corresponding rail and a desired degree of lateral mobility of the corresponding mover on the corresponding rail.

10. The veneer dryer of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion of the elongate enclosure includes a plurality of transverse supports, and wherein the frames of the movers are rigidly coupled to the transverse supports.

11. The veneer dryer of claim 10 , wherein at least some of the transverse supports are spaced apart at intervals of 5-10 feet.

12. The veneer dryer of claim 10 , further including a first anchor assembly comprising an anchor member and a base assembly, the anchor member coupled to a selected one of the transverse supports, the base assembly coupled to the underlying support surface and configured to retain the anchor member to thereby enable retention of the selected one of the transverse supports in a fixed position relative to the underlying support surface.

13. The veneer dryer of claim 12 , wherein the selected transverse support is approximately halfway between the ends of the veneer dryer, or approximately halfway between opposite ends of the heating zone.

14. The veneer dryer of claim 12 , wherein the base assembly includes a pedestal coupled to the underlying support surface, and the base assembly is configured to restrict movement of the anchor member, relative to the pedestal, in a first direction that is transverse to a longitudinal center axis of the elongate enclosure while permitting movement of the anchor member, relative to the pedestal, in a second direction that is generally parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the elongate enclosure.

15. The veneer dryer of claim 14 , further including a second anchor assembly, wherein the second anchor assembly is coupled to said selected one of the transverse supports, and wherein the first anchor assembly and the second anchor assembly are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal center axis.

16. The veneer dryer of claim 14 , wherein the anchor member is rigidly coupled to an underside of the bottom portion of the elongate enclosure.

17. The veneer dryer of claim 1 , wherein the elongate enclosure further includes a cooling zone between the heating zone and the output end.

18. The veneer dryer of claim 1 , further including
a feed section coupled to the elongated enclosure at one of said ends, and
additional movers disposed between the feed section and the underlying support surface, the additional movers being movable along the underlying support surface in response to force applied against the elongate enclosure.

19. The veneer dryer of claim 18 , wherein the feed section is an infeed coupled to the elongated enclosure at the input end.

20. The veneer dryer of claim 18 , wherein the feed section is an outfeed coupled to the elongated enclosure at the output end.

Assignees

• Usnr Llc

Inventors

• Spangler Clinton
• Bullion Conrad

Classifications

• F26B25/004

  in the shape of discrete sheets (wicket conveyors F26B15/085) · CPC title

• F26B15/12 Primary

  the lines being all horizontal or slightly inclined · CPC title

• F26B15/122 Primary

  the objects or batches of material being carried by transversely moving rollers or rods which may rotate · CPC title

• Y10T29/4984

  Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts · CPC title

• F26B2210/14

  Veneer, i.e. wood in thin sheets · CPC title