Method and apparatus for infeed of accumulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12122609-B2
Application number	US-202217944688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2022
Priority date	Oct 1, 2021
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

An accumulator has a control system for controlling motion of a plurality of buckets on a continuous loop and logs traversing on a log transfer device. The log transfer device delivers a log from an entrance of the log transfer device to a bucket infeed on the accumulator. The bucket infeed receives a log from the log transfer device and allows a bucket to receive the log from the log transfer device. A time for the log to move from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed is determined. Based on the time for the log to move from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed, the control system controls the accumulator drive to move the continuous loop such that a bucket in the plurality of buckets is positioned at the bucket infeed with sufficient time to allow the bucket to receive the log from the log transfer device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling motion of an accumulator with a control system, wherein the control system has a controller, the accumulator has a plurality of buckets on a continuous loop, the continuous loop is driven by a drive, the drive is in communication with the controller, the controller is adapted and configured for controlling motion of the continuous loop through the drive, each bucket of the plurality of buckets of the accumulator is adapted and configured to receive, hold and release a log, the accumulator has a log transfer device, the log transfer device is adapted and configured to roll a log from an entrance of the log transfer device to a bucket infeed on the accumulator, the bucket infeed is adapted and configured to receive a log from the log transfer device and allow a bucket of the plurality of buckets to receive the log from the log transfer device, the method comprising:
with at least one sensor in communication with the controller, determining a time for the log to roll from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed; and
based on the time for the log to roll from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed, enabling the controller to control the accumulator drive to move the continuous loop such that a bucket in the plurality of buckets is positioned at the bucket infeed with sufficient time to allow the bucket to receive the log from the log transfer device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the time for the log to roll from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed includes:
providing sensors at distances on the log transfer device;
configuring the sensors to sense movement of the log on the log transfer device, generate signals representative of the movement of the log on the log transfer device, and transmit the signals to the controller; and
based on the generated signals, enabling the controller to determine the time for the log to pass from a sensor to a subsequent sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the time for the log to roll from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed includes determining an acceleration of the log on the log transfer device based on the sensor distances and the respective times for the log to pass from the sensor to the subsequent sensor on the log transfer device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of determining the time for the log to roll from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed includes determining a velocity of the log entering the bucket infeed based on the acceleration, the sensor distances, and the respective times for the log to pass from the sensor to the subsequent sensor on the log transfer device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the controller to send signals to the drive of the accumulator to move the continuous loop with at least one of an intermittent motion and a continuous motion.

6. A method for controlling motion of an accumulator with a control system, wherein the control system has a controller, the accumulator has a plurality of buckets on a continuous loop, the continuous loop is driven by a drive, the drive is in communication with the controller, the controller is adapted and configured for controlling motion of the continuous loop through the drive, each bucket of the plurality of buckets of the accumulator is adapted and configured to receive, hold and release a log, the accumulator has a log transfer device, the log transfer device is adapted and configured to deliver a log from an entrance of the log transfer device to a bucket infeed on the accumulator, the bucket infeed is adapted and configured to receive a log from the log transfer device and allow a bucket of the plurality of buckets to receive the log from the log transfer device, the method comprising:
with at least one sensor in communication with the controller, determining a time for the log to move from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed; and
based on the time for the log to move from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed, enabling the controller to control the accumulator drive to move the continuous loop such that a bucket in the plurality of buckets is positioned at the bucket infeed with sufficient time to allow the bucket to receive the log from the log transfer device; and further comprising:
with the controller enabled for a continuous motion operation of the continuous loop, with the controller determining an index time to move a bucket in the plurality of buckets from a bucket initial position to the bucket infeed based upon the time for the log to move from the entrance of the log transfer device to the bucket infeed with allocation for acceleration and deceleration of the bucket and with allocation of time for a subsequent log entering the entrance to the log transfer device; and
enabling the controller to send signals to the drive based upon the index time.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising determining the bucket initial position based on a bucket start position and a bucket position offset.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing at least three sensors on the log transfer device, a first sensor being provided at the entrance of the log transfer device, the third sensor being provided prior to the bucket infeed, and the second sensor being between the first sensor and the third sensor, each of the sensors being adapted and configured to send a signal to the controller when the log passes the sensor; and
determining (i) a first sensor time for the log to roll on the log transfer device from the first sensor to the second sensor; (ii) a second sensor time for the log to roll on the log transfer device from the second sensor to the third sensor; and (iii) an acceleration of the log on the log transfer device based on a first distance between the first sensor and the second sensor, a second distance between the second sensor and the third sensor, and the first sensor time and the second sensor time.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
determining a velocity of the log at the second sensor based on the acceleration of the log, the second sensor time, and the distance between the second and third sensors.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
determining a velocity of the log at the third sensor based on the velocity of the log at the second sensor, the acceleration of the log, and the second sensor time.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
determining a third sensor time corresponding to a time for the log to pass from the third sensor to the bucket infeed based upon the determined velocity of the log at the third sensor, the acceleration of the log, and the distance between the third sensor and the bucket infeed.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
determining a velocity of the log at the bucket infeed based upon the third sensor time, the distance between the third sensor and the bucket infeed, and the third sensor time.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
enabling the controller to control machinery upstream of the log transfer device based on the determined velocity of the log at the bucket infeed.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of enabling the controller to control the accumulator drive to move the continuous loop such that the bucket is positioned at the bucket infeed with sufficient time to receive a log from the log transfer device includes:
enabling the controller to send signals to the drive of the accumulator to move the

Assignees

• Paper Converting Machine Co
• Bw Converting Inc

Inventors

• Scriven Elijah
• Zahn Jonathon

Classifications

• B65G2201/0232

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