TIKKANEN, Taito (Esikonk. 3 B 6, Lahti, FI-15240, FI)
CLAIMS
1. Apparatus for the transverse feeding of elongated timber pieces (100), which apparatus is fitted such that the timber pieces are lifted from a first lower
5 position to a second higher position, and the higher of which positions is displaced downstream in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor such that the main direction of lifting is at an inclined attitude with respect to the vertical direction, and which apparatus comprises rotating lifting parts, which are beside the carrying
10 surfaces and are arranged on the same axis with them and consecutively in the lifting direction, for lifting the timber pieces from one carrying surface to another, and a drive appliance for rotating the lifting parts, which drive appliance is fitted to rotate the lifting parts at least essentially at the same speed, wherein the rotating lifting parts are toothed wheels (108), comprising tooth
15 parts (109), which are arranged at regular intervals on the hub (110) of the wheel, characterized in that the lifting parts are arranged to be interlaced such that the tooth part of the next lifting part always receives a timber piece from the previous tooth part.
20.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that between the lifting parts is a frame part (102), in which a short contact with the top surface of the frame part is arranged between the tooth parts.
25 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drive appliance is a motor-driven transmission arrangement (111 ), with which all the wheels are connected to each other for rotating the toothed wheels at the same speed.
30 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , 2 or 3, characterized in that the teeth are fitted so that at least one timber piece (100) fits into one tooth clearance, and the joint (112) between the teeth and the hub can be rounded.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the teeth are 35 arranged symmetrically on the rim of the hub.
6. Apparatus according to claim 1 , 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the joint area (112) between the teeth and the hub can be rounded.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 , characterized in that the drive appliance is an electric motor drive, in which each shaft is provided with its own speed regulation drive, such as a frequency converter, in which case the motors can be rotated at the same speed by means of speed regulation drives that are synchronized with each other. |
TRANSVERSE FEEDER APPARATUS
Field of the invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for the transverse feeding of elongated timber pieces, with which apparatus the timber pieces are lifted from a first lower position to a second higher position, and the higher of which positions is displaced downstream in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor such that the main direction of lifting is at an inclined attitude with respect to the vertical direction.
In addition to this, the apparatus comprises rotating lifting parts, arranged consecutively in the lifting direction, for lifting timber pieces, and drive devices for rotating the lifting parts, which drive devices are fitted to rotate the lifting parts at least essentially at the same speed.
Prior art
These types of transverse feeder apparatuses are used in, among others, the wood processing industry e.g. for dispensing individual logs in the transverse direction.
Known from Finnish patent 94743 is a transverse feeder apparatus applicable to this type of purpose, with which logs can thus be lifted one at a time in an inclined direction from a lower level to a higher one. The apparatus of the patent referred to comprises two moving and adjacent step-like lifting parts, which form two adjacent carrying surfaces, and wherein the lifting parts are moved by means of a drive device back and forth in relation to a fixed frame and to each other, and wherein the reciprocating motion of the moving parts is fitted to lift the logs in cycles to the higher level. The moving parts in the relevant patent are connected to each other by means of a crank mechanism, which converts the rotating motion of the drive device such that the moving parts of the apparatus that are adjacent to each other in the transverse direction always move in an opposite direction with respect to each other. This type of apparatus is complex and expensive, especially owing to the crank mechanism in it.
US patent 5,423,417 presents a transverse feeder apparatus that comprises a fixed frame, and step-like carrying surfaces for lifting timber pieces in a step-like fashion from a first lower position to a second higher position, and the higher of which positions is displaced downstream in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor such that the main direction of lifting is at an inclined attitude with respect to the vertical direction. In addition to this, the apparatus comprises rotating lifting parts, which are beside the carrying surfaces and are arranged on the same axis with them and consecutively in the lifting direction, for lifting the timber pieces from one carrying surface to another, and drive devices for rotating the lifting parts, which drive devices are fitted to rotate the lifting parts at least essentially at the same speed. The lifting parts are shaped as a sector of a circle and are thus asymmetrical, in which case lifting occurs always in only a certain attitude of the lifting part, in which case the apparatus is relatively complex and, especially owing to the unfavorable shape of the lifting parts, good lifting efficiency is not achieved.
Summary of the invention
The purpose of this invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of prior art and to achieve an entirely new type of transverse feeder apparatus for lifting elongated timber objects, more particularly logs.
The invention is based on toothed rotating lifting parts, which thus comprise a hub and the tooth parts arranged around it. The lifting parts are arranged to be interlaced such that the tooth part of the next lifting part always receives a log from the previous tooth part without the log being guided to travel via the step- like carrying surfaces according to prior art, except for possibly slight contact on the top surface of the frame part in the transfer phase between teeth, in which case the topmost of any logs that are possibly one on top of the other can fall backwards, and the logs can thus be lifted upwards one log at a time.
In this way lifting occurs at the point of each tooth part and thus in many attitudes of the lifting parts, in which case by means of the apparatus a relatively simple construction and good lifting efficiency is achieved with respect to prior art.
The characteristic features of the invention are described in more detail in the claims below, more particularly in the independent claim 1.
Brief description of the figure
In the following, the invention will be described in more detail by the aid of some embodiments with reference to the attached drawing, in which Fig. 1 presents a side view of the transverse feeder apparatus according to the invention.
Description of preferred embodiments
Fig. 1 presents a transverse feeder appliance for feeding elongated timber pieces, more particularly round timber pieces, such as logs 100, which apparatus comprises a fixed frame 101 and on it a top part 102 and consecutive to them inclined guide, i.e. transport, surfaces 103 for lifting the timber pieces in a step-like fashion from a first lower position, e.g. a rolling level 105 from a debarker 104, to a second higher level, the rolling level 106. Since the upper level 106 is displaced downstream in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor, the main direction of lifting is at an inclined attitude with respect to the vertical direction.
In addition to this, the apparatus comprises rotating toothed wheels 108 that are beside the carrying surfaces and on the same axis with them beside the shafts 107, e.g. at 1 m intervals, and arranged as a few consecutively e.g. in the inclined lifting direction of Fig. 1 , of which there are four one after the other in Fig. 1 , each of which comprises teeth, e.g. in Fig. 1 four teeth 109, arranged at regular intervals on the hub 110 of the wheel for lifting logs 100, and drive devices, e.g. a chain drive 111 driven by electric motor, with which chain drive all the wheels are connected to each other, for rotating the toothed wheels at the same speed.
The teeth are fitted so that at least one log 100 fits in one tooth clearance, and the joint 112 between the teeth and the hub can be rounded.
The lifting parts are arranged to be interlaced such that the tooth part 109 of the next lifting part always receives a log from the previous tooth part. It is, of course, possible to arrange slight contact on the top surface 102 of the frame
part in the transfer phase between teeth parts, in which case the topmost of any logs that are possibly one on top of the other can fall backwards, and the logs can thus be lifted upwards one log at a time. For this purpose the top surface 102 can be of sawtooth shape on its top edge, in which case the logs can made to tumble and thus to fall backwards better.
It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the different embodiments of the invention are not limited solely to the example described above, but that they may be varied within the scope of the claims presented below. The drive appliance can also be a motor-driven cardan shaft drive, with which all the wheels are connected to each other for rotating the toothed wheels at the same speed, or each shaft can also be provided with its own electric motor controlled by a frequency converter, in which case the motors are rotated at the same speed by means of frequency converter drives that are synchronized with each other. There can be three or more teeth.
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