Devices, systems, and methods for scorching boards and panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12337500-B2
Application number	US-202318328171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2023
Priority date	Sep 11, 2018
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

A system having a conveyor assembly, at least one scorching assembly, and a central controller. The conveyor assembly has a conveyor that effects movement of at least one board or panel relative to a movement axis. Each scorching assembly has a combustion chamber, at least one burner, and at least one processing unit. Each burner can be mounted to the combustion chamber and at least partially received within the combustion chamber. Each burner can be oriented toward the conveyor. The at least one processing unit can be communicatively coupled to the at least one burner and configured to selectively control activation and operation of the at least one burner. The central controller can be communicatively coupled to each processing unit of the at least one scorching assembly and configured to receive a user input corresponding to a scorching profile for the at least one board or panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a conveyor assembly comprising a conveyor configured to effect movement of at least one board or panel relative to a movement axis;
at least one scorching assembly, each scorching assembly comprising:
a combustion chamber;
at least one burner mounted to the combustion chamber and at least partially received within the combustion chamber, wherein the at least one burner is oriented toward the conveyor, and
at least one processing unit communicatively coupled to the at least one burner, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to selectively control activation and operation of the at least one burner; and
a first spray head positioned along the movement axis upstream of the at least one burner along the conveyor assembly, wherein the first spray head is configured to selectively spray flame retardant onto only portions of the board or panel to control a scorching profile applied to the at least one board.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a central controller communicatively coupled to each processing unit of the at least one scorching assembly, wherein the central controller is configured to receive a user input corresponding to a scorching profile for the at least one board or panel.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a memory communicatively coupled to the central controller, wherein the memory stores a plurality of scorching profiles, and wherein the central controller is configured to receive a user input corresponding to a selection of a stored scorching profile.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the central controller is configured to stop operation of the system when the temperature sensor detects a temperature exceeding a maximum temperature threshold.

5. The system of claim 2 , further comprising at least one of the following sensors:
a flame detection sensor that is configured to shut off fuel to an ignitor of the at least one burner when (a) a flame is not detected following activation of the ignitor or (b) a preset time has expired; or
a smoke detection sensor, wherein the central controller is configured to stop operation of the system when the smoke detection sensor detects a presence of smoke.

6. The system of claim 2 , wherein the scorching profile comprises at least one randomized parameter.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one randomized parameter is associated with at least one of conveyor speed, transverse oscillating speed, flame size, flame intensity, flame duration, flame depth, or position of the at least one burner.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the scorching profile comprises a change in at least one parameter while the at least one board or panel is below at least one of the at least one burner, wherein the change in the at least one parameter comprises a change in conveyor speed, transverse oscillating speed, flame size, flame intensity, flame duration, flame depth, or position of the at least one burner.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one scorching assembly comprises a plurality of scorching assemblies.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each processing unit of each scorching assembly is configured to selectively modify a rate or volume of fuel or a rate or volume of air supplied to a corresponding burner of the scorching assembly.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein an operative height of each burner of the at least one scorching assembly is selectively adjustable.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein a position of at least one combustion chamber of the at least one scorching assembly is selectively adjustable relative to a transverse axis that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the movement axis.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one scorching assembly further comprises at least one baffle within the combustion chamber of the scorching assembly, wherein the at least one baffle is configured to control a directional path of a flame produced by at least one burner of the scorching assembly.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one baffle cooperates with the combustion chamber of the corresponding scorching assembly to limit spread of the flame relative to the movement axis.

15. A method comprising:
scorching at least one board or panel with a system comprising:
a conveyor assembly comprising a conveyor configured to effect movement of at least one board or panel relative to a movement axis;
at least one scorching assembly, each scorching assembly comprising:
a combustion chamber;
at least one burner mounted to the combustion chamber and at least partially received within the combustion chamber, wherein the at least one burner is oriented toward the conveyor, and
at least one processing unit communicatively coupled to the at least one burner, wherein the at least one processing unit is configured to selectively control activation and operation of the at least one burner; and

spraying, by a first spray head positioned upstream of the at least one scorching assembly along the movement axis, flame retardant onto only portions of the board or panel to control a scorching profile applied to the at least one board.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving, by a central controller communicatively coupled to each processing unit of the at least one scorching assembly, a user input corresponding to the scorching profile.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least two boards or panels are sequentially scorched using the same scorching profile.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein a first board or panel is scorched using a first scorching profile, and wherein a second board or panel is scorched using a second scorching profile.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the second scorching profile comprises a different positional arrangement of burners than the first scorching profile.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first and second scorching profiles are randomly generated by a central controller that is communicatively coupled to each processing unit of the at least one scorching assembly.

Assignees

• Columbia Insurance Co

Inventors

• Morris Roman
• Davis Ronald L
• Ellington Kenneth

Classifications

• B27M1/08

  by multi-step processes · CPC title

• B44C1/02

  Pyrography · CPC title

• B27M1/003 Primary

  Mechanical surface treatment · CPC title

• B44B7/00

  Machines, apparatus or hand tools for branding, {e.g. using radiant energy such as laser beams}(burning or charring wood stock B27M1/06) · CPC title

• B27M1/06 Primary

  by burning or charring, e.g. cutting with hot wire (as surface treatment B44B {; cutting synthetic materials with heated tools B26F3/06 - B26F3/12}) · CPC title