Lapper assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11299359-B2
Application number	US-202017102214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 1, 2017
Publication date	Apr 12, 2022
Grant date	Apr 12, 2022

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:
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;
an elongated stop member with a first end and an opposite second end; and
a lever arm fixedly coupled to, or configured to be fixedly coupled to, the outer face of the first bearing mount at a location that is offset from the respective first aperture along the outer face of the first bearing mount, such that the lever arm is fixed in position relative to the first bearing mount,
wherein the inner faces of the bearing mounts are configured to be removably 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 bearing mounts with said apertures in alignment along an axis that extends through the apertures.

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, and wherein the elongated plate is angular or curved in cross-section.

3. The lapper assembly of claim 2 , 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.

4. 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.

5. The lapper assembly of claim 4 , 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.

6. The lapper assembly of claim 1 , further including an actuator operatively coupled with the lever arm, such that the actuator is operable to pivot the stop member assembly in opposite rotational directions about the lapping roller.

7. 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 roller; 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,
a first and a second bearing mount removably 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 fixedly coupled to the outer face of the first bearing mount at a location that is offset from the respective first aperture along the outer face of the first bearing mount, such that the lever arm is fixed in position relative to 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 first 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.

8. The conveyor system of claim 7 , 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.

9. The conveyor system of claim 7 , wherein the lever arm is rigidly coupled to the first bearing mount by a shaft that is substantially perpendicular to the lever arm and the first bearing mount.

10. The conveyor system of claim 7 , 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.

11. The conveyor system of claim 7 , further including a drive system coupled with the first roller and selectively operable to drive the first roller in rotation.

12. The conveyor system of claim 11 , wherein the first rollers have respective first ends with respective first sprockets, and the first end portion of the second roller has a second sprocket, and wherein the drive system includes a drive chain and a motor operatively coupled with the drive chain, and the first sprockets and the second sprocket are operatively coupled with the drive chain.

13. The conveyor system of claim 12 , 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.

14. The conveyor system of claim 13 , further including a computer system configured to control the actuator based on data from one or more sensors operable to detect workpieces on the first rollers or the second roller.

15. The conveyor system of claim 13 , further including a computer system configured to control the actuator based on workpiece length and a transport speed of the workpieces.

16. 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:
pivotably coupling a lapper assembly to the frame, wherein the lapper assembly includes
an elongated stop member with a first end and an opposite second end,
a first and a second bearing mount removably 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,
a second roller with a middle portion and opposite end portions, and
a lever arm fixedly connected to the outer face of the first bearing mount, such that the lever arm is fixed in position relative to the first bearing mount,

wherein the ends of the second roller are disposed through the first apertures, and pivotably coupling the lapper assembly to the frame includes rotatably mounting the ends of the second roller to the frame, substantially parallel to the first rollers, such that the first and second rollers form a support surface, and the stop member and bearing mounts are 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.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including coupling an actuator to the frame and the lever arm, such that the actuator is operable to pivot the stop member and the bearing mounts around the second roller.

18. The method of claim 16 , further including coupling the second roller to a drive system of the roller conveyor, such that the drive system is selectively operable to rotat

Assignees

• Usnr Llc

Inventors

• Spangler Clinton

Classifications

• B65G47/8823

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

• B27D3/04 Primary

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

• B27M1/02

  by compressing · CPC title

• B65G47/88

  Separating or stopping elements, e.g. fingers (attached to star-shaped wheels B65G47/84) · CPC title

• B27M1/00

  Working of wood not provided for in subclasses B27B - B27L, e.g. by stretching · CPC title