Lumber kiln conveyor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9746240-B2
Application number	US-201514728949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2015
Priority date	Jun 3, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments provide a conveyor for conveying loads of lumber through a lumber kiln or other structure without the use of lumber carts or pushers. The conveyor may include a plurality of rollers arranged to form a flow path through the lumber kiln. Groups of the rollers may be driven by separate drives that are configured to rotate the rollers in opposite rotary directions and/or at variable speeds. Some or all of the drives may be operable independently of the other drives to transport loads of lumber at different speeds/directions in adjacent areas of the lumber kiln. In the event of a fire or a shut-down, the rollers in the proximal half of the kiln and those in the distal half of the kiln can be rotated in opposite directions to evacuate loads quickly from both ends.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lumber drying system comprising:
a lumber kiln, wherein the lumber kiln includes an enclosure with a first end and a generally opposite second end, a heated zone between said ends, a first portal located at the first end and dimensioned to allow passage of a load of stacked lumber, and a floor; and
a conveyor system coupled to the lumber kiln, the conveyor system comprising
a plurality of first rollers coupled with the floor of the lumber kiln in fixed locations and spaced apart at intervals along a first flow path that extends through the first portal and the heated zone, the first rollers being rotatable around corresponding axes of rotation that are oriented transverse to the first flow path, and
a drive system coupled with the first rollers, the drive system selectively operable to drive some or all of the first rollers in a first rotary direction and in a generally opposite second rotary direction, wherein the drive system includes a first motor disposed outside of the enclosure and coupled with one or more of the first rollers,

wherein the conveyor system is configured to move the load of stacked lumber in a forward direction and in a reverse direction, respectively, along the first flow path on at least the first rollers.

2. The lumber drying system of claim 1 , further including a plurality of second rollers disposed along the first flow path, the first rollers and the second rollers collectively forming a lumber support surface.

3. The lumber drying system of claim 2 , wherein at least some of the second rollers are disposed between said intervals and freely rotatable in the first and second rotary directions.

4. The lumber drying system of claim 2 , wherein the second rollers are positioned downstream of the first rollers along the first flow path, the drive system includes a second motor disposed outside of the enclosure and operatively coupled to one or more of the second rollers, and the drive system is operable to drive said one or more of the first rollers independently of said one or more of the second rollers.

5. The lumber drying system of claim 4 , wherein the drive system further includes a first drive assembly configured to operatively connect the first motor to said one or more of the first rollers and a second drive assembly configured to operatively connect the second motor to said one or more of the second rollers, each of the drive assemblies includes a shaft coupled to a corresponding one of the rollers and a belt or chain coupled to the shaft and a corresponding one of the motors.

6. The lumber drying system of claim 4 , wherein at least some of the second rollers are disposed outside of the enclosure and at least some of the first rollers are disposed within the enclosure.

7. The lumber drying system of claim 1 , further including a plurality of second rollers coupled with the floor and spaced apart at intervals along a second flow path that extends through the enclosure generally parallel to the first flow path, the second rollers being rotatable around corresponding axes of rotation that extend transverse to the second flow path, wherein the second rollers are configured to support a load of stacked lumber thereon, and the drive system is configured to drive the second rollers.

8. The lumber drying system of claim 7 , wherein the drive system includes a second motor coupled with the second rollers, and the first and second motors are selectively operable to drive the corresponding rollers at different speeds.

9. The lumber drying system of claim 1 , wherein the conveyor system includes a plurality of conveyor sections and the drive system further includes one or more additional first motors, each of the conveyor sections having at least one of the first motors coupled with a corresponding one or more of the first rollers, and at least two of the first motors are operable independently of one another to drive the corresponding first rollers at different speeds or in different rotary directions.

10. The lumber drying system of claim 9 , further including a plurality of second rollers coupled with the floor and spaced apart at intervals along a second flow path that is generally parallel to and spaced apart from the first flow path, each of the conveyor sections further including one or more of the second rollers, wherein the second rollers are configured to support a second load of stacked lumber thereon, and the drive system is further configured to drive the second rollers.

11. The lumber drying system of claim 10 , the drive system further including a plurality of second motors, each of said second motors operatively coupled with one or more of the second rollers of a corresponding one of said conveyor sections, wherein at least one of the second motors is operable independently of at least one of the first motors.

12. The lumber drying system of claim 4 , further including a control system coupled with the drive system and configured to control one or more of said motors independently of the others of said motors.

13. The lumber drying system of claim 12 , wherein the control system is configured to cause the first motor to drive said one or more of the first rollers at a first speed and said one or more of the second rollers at a second speed to thereby adjust a gap between two loads of lumber on the first flow path.

14. The lumber drying system of claim 13 , wherein the control system includes a sensor configured to detect a moisture content of a load of lumber, and the control system is further configured to cause the motors to adjust a rate of travel of at least one of the loads of lumber through the enclosure based at least on data from the sensor.

15. The lumber drying system of claim 11 , wherein a first one of the conveyor sections is disposed outside of the enclosure proximal to said first end, a second one of said conveyor sections is disposed at least partially within the enclosure proximal to said first end, and said first and second ones of the conveyor sections are collectively operable to convey workpieces through the first portal.

16. The lumber drying system of claim 15 , wherein the enclosure includes a second portal at the second end, a third one of the conveyor sections is disposed at least partially within the enclosure proximal to said second end, and a fourth one of the conveyor sections is disposed outside the enclosure proximal to said second end, and said third and fourth ones of the conveyor sections are collectively operable to convey workpieces through the second portal.

17. The lumber drying system of claim 16 , wherein the enclosure has two end zones at opposite ends of the heated zone, the second and third ones of the conveyor sections are disposed generally along the two end zones, respectively, and a fifth one of the conveyor sections is disposed generally along the heating zone.

18. The lumber drying system of claim 11 , further including a control system coupled with the drive system, wherein each of said flow paths includes substantially half of the rollers, and the control system is operable to control the drive system to drive at least some of the first rollers in the forward direction, and at least some of the rollers of the second flow path in the reverse direction, such that loads of lumber along the first and second flow paths travel in opposite directions through the enclosure.

19. The lumber drying system of claim 18 , wherein each of said flow paths includes a proximal portion, a middle portion, and a distal portion, and the control system is selecti

Assignees

• Usnr Llc

Inventors

• Rivera Alejandro
• Robbins Alan
• Beery Wade
• Holland Walter
• Blomquist Christopher W

Classifications

• F26B2210/16

  Wood, e.g. lumber, timber · CPC title

• F26B25/22

  Controlling the drying process in dependence on liquid content of solid materials or objects · CPC title

• F26B25/06

  Chambers, containers, or receptacles {(large containers having means for heating, cooling, aerating or other conditioning of contents B65D88/74)} · CPC title

• F26B15/14

  the objects or batches of materials being carried by trays or racks {or receptacles, which may be connected to endless chains or belts (trays, racks per se F26B25/18; with vertical movement F26B15/22)} · CPC title

• F26B15/122

  the objects or batches of material being carried by transversely moving rollers or rods which may rotate · CPC title