Multi-pass lumber kilns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9964359-B2
Application number	US-201514717176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments provide a multi-pass kiln with two or more chambers, an entrance and an exit at a proximal end of the kiln, and a reciprocal flow path extending through the kiln from the entrance to the exit. Lumber charges traveling along the reciprocal flow path may travel in a first direction along one side of the heated second chamber before traveling in a substantially opposite second direction along the opposite side of the second chamber. The distal end of the kiln may be substantially sealed, and a pressure differential between the distal end and the proximal end may draw moist heated air from the heated chamber toward the exit and entry to preheat and/or condition lumber charges traveling through the first chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for drying lumber charges, comprising:
an elongated enclosure having first and second opposite ends connected by side walls and an upper wall, a first chamber, a second chamber, a longitudinal axis that defines generally opposite first and second sides of the second chamber, a floor, and a first and a second charge portal disposed at the first end of the elongated enclosure, wherein said first end includes the first chamber and an adjacent portion of the second chamber; and
a guide member disposed at least partially within the elongated enclosure, the guide member defining a reciprocal flow path from the first charge portal to the second charge portal, the guide member including first and second parallel tracks disposed along said floor and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis and a connector portion between the first and second tracks, wherein the connector portion includes a third track, and wherein the tracks are configured to engage a movable support disposed thereon, such that the guide member is operable to guide successive lumber charges disposed on corresponding movable supports through the first side in a first direction toward the second end, across the longitudinal axis on the third track, and through the second side in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction,
wherein each of the tracks includes a pair of rails, and the rails of the third track are generally parallel to the rails of the first and second tracks, the connector portion further includes a carriage and the third track is mounted on the carriage, and the third track is movable on the carriage between a first position, in which the third track is aligned with a distal end of the first track, and a second position, in which the third track is aligned with a distal end of the second track.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first chamber includes one or more fans positioned to circulate heated air received from the second chamber within the first chamber.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one of said one or more fans is configured to rotate in only one direction.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the connector portion is disposed within the elongated enclosure and the second end of the elongated enclosure is devoid of charge portals.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further including a transport device, wherein said transport device comprises an endless loop.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the endless loop is driveable in rotation to thereby move one or more of the movable supports operatively coupled thereto along one of the tracks.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a first transport device operatively coupled to the guide member or one or more of the movable supports.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the transport device is a pusher device configured to push the movable supports through the elongated enclosure along the one or more of the tracks.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further including a computing system operatively coupled with the transport assembly and configured to control the transport assembly to thereby control a rate of travel of the corresponding lumber charges along the first guide member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the computing system is further configured to monitor a moisture content of one or more of the lumber charges within the elongated enclosure and to adjust said rate of travel or an environmental condition within the elongated enclosure based at least on said moisture content.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including a second transport device operatively coupled to the guide member or to another one or more of the movable supports, wherein the first and second transport devices are disposed near the first and second ends of the elongated enclosure, respectively, and wherein the first transport device is operable to apply force against movable supports on the first track in the first direction and the second transport device is operable to apply force against movable supports on the second track in the second direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one of the transport devices is a pusher device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carriage includes a fourth track that extends perpendicular to the first and second tracks, the third track is slideably mounted to the fourth track, and the connector portion further includes an actuator selectively actuable to apply force against the third track to thereby move the third track between the first and second positions.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further including a computing system operatively coupled with the connector portion and configured to control the actuator to move the third track between the first position and the second position.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third track and the carriage are located within the elongated enclosure near the second end.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the elongated enclosure further includes a third chamber, the second chamber is between the first chamber and the third chamber, and the third track and the carriage are located within the third chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated enclosure further includes a third and a fourth charge portal located at the second end on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, the first track extends through the third charge portal and the second track extends through the fourth charge portal, and the connector portion is at least partially outside of the elongated enclosure.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the elongated enclosure further includes a third chamber, the second chamber is between the first chamber and the third chamber, and the third chamber defines the distal end of the elongated enclosure.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including one or more insulating members coupled with, and configured to reduce airflow through, one or more of the charge portals, and wherein the one or more insulating members includes a door or a curtain.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more insulating members is configured to be pushed aside by a passing lumber charge.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the one or more insulating members is selectively actuable to open and close said one or more of the charge portals.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising a computing system operatively coupled with the one or more insulating members and one or more sensors positioned to detect a lumber charge along the guide member, wherein the computing system is configured to control the one or more insulating members based at least on data from the one or more sensors.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first chamber is disposed generally to one side of the longitudinal axis, the first charge portal is disposed at a proximal end of the first chamber, and the second charge portal is disposed at a proximal end of the second chamber.

24. An apparatus for drying lumber charges, comprising:
an elongated enclosure having first and second opposite ends connected by side walls and an upper wall, a first chamber, a second chamber, a longitudinal axis that defines generally opposite first and second sides of the second chamber, a floor, and a first and a second charge portal disposed at the first end of the elongated enclosure, wherein said first end includes the

Assignees

• Usnr Llc

Inventors

• Blomquist Christopher W

Classifications

• F26B2210/16

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

• F26B15/10 Primary

  with movement in a path composed of one or more straight lines, e.g. compound {, the movement being in alternate horizontal and vertical directions} · CPC title

• F26B15/04

  in a horizontal plane · CPC title

• F26B25/08

  Parts thereof · CPC title

• Y10T29/49716

  Converting · CPC title