Board turner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569970-B2
Application number	US-201916258470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2019
Priority date	Nov 13, 2015
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A board turner assembly may include an endless chain, first and second groups of turning arms pivotably coupled with the endless chain and disposed along opposite sides thereof, an upper guide with an inclined surface, an actuator selectively operable to move the upper guide between a resting position and an extended position, and one or more endless belts. The turning arms may be spaced apart at regular intervals that are offset on one side of the chain relative to the other. The groups of turning arms may be operated in an alternating fashion to turn selected boards to a desired orientation (e.g., wane side up). Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for turning elongated wood workpieces traveling in a flow direction and oriented transverse to the flow direction, the system comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of turner assemblies coupled to the frame and spaced apart across the flow direction, and oriented generally parallel to the flow direction, each of said turner assemblies further including
an endless member rotatable within a respective plane that is generally vertical and substantially parallel to the flow direction, wherein the endless member is an endless chain or an endless belt,
a first plurality of turner arms pivotably coupled to the endless member at intervals, such that rotation of the endless member carries the turner arms along a rotational path, and
at least one guide coupled with the frame and movable from a resting position, in which the guide is outside of the rotational path, to an engaging position in which the guide is positioned to engage a portion of a corresponding one of the turner arms as said turner arm is carried in the flow direction along the rotational path;

a first actuator operatively coupled with two or more of the guides; and
a second actuator operatively coupled with another two or more of the guides,
wherein said actuators are selectively operable, independently of one another, to move the respective guides from the resting position to the engaging position.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of turner arms is disposed along opposite first and second sides of the endless member in an alternating manner, the at least one guide includes a first guide and a second guide disposed along the first and second sides, respectively, of the endless member, the first actuator is operatively coupled with the first guides, and the second actuator is operatively coupled with the second guides.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a first shaft and a second shaft coupled with the frame and disposed in parallel across the flow direction, wherein the first shaft is operatively coupled with the first guides and the first actuator and the second shaft is operatively coupled with the second guides and the second actuator.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein each of the guides has a first end and an opposite second end, the first end is pivotably coupled with the frame, and the opposite second end is pivotably coupled with a respective torque arm, and wherein the torque arms of the first guides are fixedly coupled to the first shaft and the torque arms of the second guides are fixedly coupled to the second shaft.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second actuators is a linear actuator having a first end and a second end, and the first end is pivotably coupled to the frame, and wherein the second end of the first actuator is pivotably coupled to the first shaft by a second torque arm, and the second end of the second actuator is pivotably coupled to the third shaft by a third torque arm, such that extension of the actuators moves the respective guides to the engaging position.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein in one or more of the turner assemblies the respective turner arms are disposed along only one side of the respective endless member, the one or more guides is one guide, and the one guide is disposed along said one side of the respective endless member.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of turner assemblies includes two or more first turner assemblies and two or more second turner assemblies, the first actuator is operatively coupled to the guides of the first turner assemblies, and the second actuator is operatively coupled to the guides of the second turner assemblies.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the intervals between the turner arms of the first turner assemblies are offset relative to the intervals between the turner arms of the second turner assemblies.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a first shaft and a second shaft coupled with the frame and disposed in parallel across the flow direction, wherein the first shaft is operatively coupled with the guides of the first turner assemblies and the first actuator, and the second shaft is operatively coupled with the guides of the second turner assemblies and the second actuator.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the guides has a first end and an opposite second end, the first end is pivotably coupled with the frame, and the opposite second end is pivotably coupled with a respective torque arm that is fixedly coupled to a respective one of the shafts.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second actuators is a linear actuator having a first end and a second end, the first end is pivotably coupled to the frame, and the second end is pivotably coupled to a respective one of the shafts by another torque arm, such that extension of the actuators moves the respective guides to the engaging position.

12. The system of claim 1 , further including a plurality of endless conveyors coupled to the frame and spaced apart across the flow direction, wherein at least one of the endless conveyors is disposed between two of the turner assemblies.

13. The system of claim 12 , further including a first drive operatively coupled to the endless members of the turner assemblies and one or more second drives operatively coupled with the plurality of endless conveyors.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the endless conveyors are lugged conveyors.

15. The system of claim 1 , further including:
a first sensor configured to detect workpieces upstream of the guides; and
a control system operatively coupled with the first sensor and the actuators, wherein the control system is programmed to
determine, based at least on data received from the sensor, whether the workpieces are in a desired orientation, and
in response to identifying workpieces that are not in the desired orientation, operate the first and second actuators to turn only the workpieces that are not in the desired orientation.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control system is programmed to operate the first actuator and the second actuator in an alternating manner to thereby turn successive ones of the workpieces that are not in the desired orientation.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first sensor includes a camera mounted above the path of flow of the workpieces, and the control system includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) and/or a computer.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first sensor includes a laser profile sensor, and the control system includes a programmable logic controller (PLC) and/or a computer.

19. The system of claim 15 , further including:
a plurality of belt conveyors coupled to the frame and spaced apart across the flow direction, wherein at least one of the endless conveyors is disposed between two of the turner assemblies; and
at least one drive operatively coupled with the belt conveyors,
wherein the belt conveyors and the turner assemblies are disposed along a lugged conveyor, and the control system is programmed to operate the drive to rotate the belt conveyors at a slower speed than the lugged conveyor to thereby aid in turning the workpieces that are not in the desired orientation.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the frame and the turner assemblies are located upstream of a planer or an edger or at a grading station.

Assignees

• Usnr Llc

Inventors

• Staal Tim
• Congdon Thomas

Classifications

• B65G17/16

  comprising individual load-carriers which are pivotally mounted, e.g. for free-swinging movement (guides inverting or tilting load-carriers for emptying {B65G47/38; B65G17/20 takes precedence}) · CPC title

• B65G2201/022

  Flat · CPC title

• B65G2201/0282

  Wooden articles, e.g. logs, trunks or planks · CPC title

• B65G19/265

  for article conveyors, e.g. for container conveyors · CPC title

• B65G47/248 Primary

  by turning over or inverting them (B65G47/244 takes precedence) · CPC title