Lapper assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843883-B2
Application number	US-201815994619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Jun 1, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides embodiments of a lapper assembly for use to overlap successive sheets of wood veneer or other materials along a conveyor. The lapper assembly may include a stop member configured to be rotatably mounted to a roller such that the stop member is pivotable around the rotational axis of the roller independently of the rotational angle of the roller. The lapper assembly may further include a lever arm coupled to one end of the stop member. An actuator may be pivotably coupled to the lever arm and the conveyor frame, and operated to pivot the stop member between a workpiece engaging position, in which the stop member extends into the path of workpiece flow, and a workpiece disengaging position below the path. Optionally, the lapper assembly roller and other rollers upstream/downstream may be operatively connected to a drive. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed herein.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lapper assembly, comprising:
an elongated stop member with a first end and an opposite second end;
a first and a second bearing mount, each of the bearing mounts having an inner face, an outer face, and a first aperture that extends through the faces; and
a lever arm rigidly coupled to the first bearing mount by a shaft that extends between, and transverse to, the outer face of the first bearing mount and the lever arm,
wherein the bearing mounts are configured to be rigidly coupled to the first and second ends, respectively, of the elongated stop member to form a stop member assembly in which the elongated stop member extends between the inner faces of the bearing mounts with said first apertures in alignment along a first axis that extends through the first apertures parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated stop member, the first bearing mount is between the elongated stop member and the lever arm, and the shaft is connected to the first bearing mount at a location that is offset from the respective first aperture along the outer face of the first bearing mount.

2. The lapper assembly of claim 1 , wherein the stop member includes an elongated plate and first and second end members coupled to respective ends of the elongated plate and oriented transverse to the elongated plate.

3. The lapper assembly of claim 2 , wherein the elongated plate is angular or curved in cross-section.

4. The lapper assembly of claim 3 , wherein each of the end members has an outer edge, a first portion of the outer edge is connected to the elongated plate, and a second portion of the outer edge has a recess, and wherein the recesses are configured to extend partially around the axis when the elongated stop member and the bearing mounts are coupled together to form said stop member assembly.

5. The lapper assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first end of the the lever arm is coupled to a first end of the shaft, and an opposite second end of the shaft is connected to the first bearing mount at said location.

6. The lapper assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the bearing mounts includes a substantially planar member with a second aperture and an annular bearing configured to be retained at least partially within the second aperture, wherein the annular bearing defines the first aperture.

7. The lapper assembly of claim 1 , further including a lapping roller with a middle portion and first and second end portions that are smaller in diameter than the middle portion, wherein said first apertures are dimensioned to accommodate the respective end portions of the lapping roller and the length of the middle portion is less than the length of the stop member.

8. The lapper assembly of claim 7 , wherein the middle portion is a hollow tube and each of the end portions includes a respective shaft coupled with a respective end of the middle portion in axial alignment therewith.

9. The lapper assembly of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the end portions of the lapping roller is coupled with a sprocket configured to engage a drive chain of a drive system.

10. The lapper assembly of claim 7 , further including an actuator pivotably coupled with the lever arm, wherein the actuator is operable to pivot the stop member assembly in opposite rotational directions about the lapping roller.

11. A conveyor system for moving materials along a flow direction, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of first rollers rotatably coupled to the frame and disposed at intervals along the flow direction;
a second roller rotatably coupled to the frame generally parallel to the first rollers, wherein the second roller and the first rollers collectively form a support surface; and
a lapper assembly pivotably coupled to the second roller, wherein the lapper assembly includes a stop member assembly having
an elongated stop member with a first end and an opposite second end; and
a first and a second bearing mount coupled to the respective first and second ends, respectively, of the elongated stop member, each of the bearing mounts having an inner face, an outer face, and a first aperture that extends through the faces, and
a lever arm rigidly coupled to the first bearing mount by a shaft that extends from the outer face of the first bearing mount, such that the first bearing mount is between the lever arm and the elongated stop member, wherein the shaft is connected to the first bearing mount at a location that is offset from the respective first aperature along the outer face of the first bearing mount,

wherein a middle portion of the second roller is disposed between the ends of the stop member and first and second end portions of the second roller are disposed through respective ones of the apertures, such that the lapper assembly is pivotable about the second roller between a workpiece engaging position, in which the stop member extends above an upper surface of the second roller, and a workpiece disengaging position, in which the stop member is below said upper surface.

12. The conveyor system of claim 11 , wherein the stop member includes an elongated plate and first and second end members coupled to respective ends of the elongated plate and oriented transverse to the elongated plate.

13. The conveyor system of claim 12 , wherein the elongated plate is angular or curved in cross-section.

14. The conveyor system of claim 13 , wherein each of the end members has an outer edge, a first portion of the outer edge is connected to the elongated plate, and a second portion of the outer edge has a recess that extends partially around the respective one of the end portions of the second roller.

15. The conveyor system of claim 11 , further including an actuator coupled to the frame and the lever arm, wherein the actuator is selectively actuable to pivot the stop member assembly relative to the second roller.

16. The conveyor system of claim 15 , wherein the frame includes a first and a second longitudinal support extending in the flow direction and supporting respective ends of the rollers, and the first longitudinal support is between the lever arm and the first bearing mount.

17. The conveyor system of claim 11 , wherein the first roller has respective middle and end portions, and wherein the end portions of the second roller are longer than the end portions of the first roller or the middle portion of the second roller is shorter than the middle portion of the first roller.

18. The conveyor system of claim 11 , further including a drive system coupled with the first roller and selectively operable to drive the first roller in rotation.

19. The conveyor system of claim 18 , further including a sprocket coupled to one of the ends of the second roller, wherein the drive system includes a drive chain and a motor operatively coupled with the drive chain, and the sprocket is operatively coupled with the drive chain.

20. A method of modifying a roller conveyor, wherein the roller conveyor includes a plurality of first rollers rotatably coupled to a frame, the method comprising:
coupling a lapper assembly to the frame, wherein the lapper assembly includes a second roller and a stop member assembly pivotably coupled to the second roller, such that the second roller and the first roller collectively form a workpiece support surface, wherein the stop member assembly includes
an elongated stop member with a first end and an opposite second end,
a first and a second bearing mount coupled to the first and second ends, respectively, of the elongated stop member,

Assignees

• Usnr Llc

Inventors

• Spangler Clinton

Classifications

• B27D3/04 Primary

  with endless arrangement of moving press plates, belts, or the like · CPC title

• B65G47/8823

  Pivoting stop, swinging in or out of the path of the article · CPC title

• B27M1/003

  Mechanical surface treatment · CPC title

• B27C1/04

  Thicknessing machines · CPC title

• B65H5/06

  by rollers {or balls, e.g. between rollers (transport by suction rollers B65H5/226)} · CPC title