Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
  • B65G47/22—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors
  • B65G47/24—Devices influencing the relative position or the attitude of articles during transit by conveyors orientating the articles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B27—WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
  • B27B—SAWS FOR WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; COMPONENTS OR ACCESSORIES THEREFOR
  • B27B31/00—Arrangements for conveying, loading, turning, adjusting, or discharging the log or timber, specially designed for saw mills or sawing machines
  • B27B31/06—Adjusting equipment, e.g. using optical projection
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G43/00—Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting
  • B65G43/08—Control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G2201/00—Indexing codes relating to handling devices, e.g. conveyors, characterised by the type of product or load being conveyed or handled
  • B65G2201/02—Articles
  • B65G2201/0282—Wooden articles, e.g. logs, trunks or planks

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for single feeding of elongate objects from one conveyor, on which the objects are conveyed with their longitudinal direction substantially transversal to the conveying direction, onto a subsequent conveyor.
• the invention also relates to a device for performing of the method.
• a device having a rotating drum, on which there are a number of gripping means, which are controlled e.g. through a cam disk.
• gripping means which are controlled e.g. through a cam disk.
• pneumatically, hydraulically and electrically actuated gripping means This design has functioned quite well for single feeding of uniform as well as mixed dimensions of wood products.
• one object of the present invention is to provide a method that ensures efficient feeding of elongate objects with a high capacity and a high efficiency.
• Another object of the invention is to offer at the same time enhanced degrees of freedom in single feeding, to make it possible to accumulate two or several elongate objects during single object feeding for subsequent release to a subsequent process step with exact positioning of the separate objects, without the creation of a pressure from subsequent objects, thereby reducing the risk for undesired stops.
• the object of the device is achieved when the device is characterized by detection means for measuring the position of incoming objects, control means for aligning and positioning of the objects, and a control system for controlling said control means through feed-back.
• Fig. 1 shows a perspective view, obliquely from above, of the device according to the invention
• Fig. 2 shows a view from above of the device according to Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3a shows a straight side view of the device according to Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3b shows a view of the detail encircled by a ring in Fig. 3a;
• Fig. 4a - e show schematic views from above of steps for aligning a batten, which is conveyed using the method according to the invention.
• Fig. 5a shows a cross-sectional view of the device along the line D-D in Fig. 2;
• Fig. 5b shows a detailed view of the surrounded area in Fig. 5a.
• the invention relates to a device and a method for single feeding of elongate objects on conveyors, wherein the separate objects lie substantially transverse in relation to the conveying direction.
• the individual objects do not lie exactly perpendicular to the conveying direction, they might have different lengths, and some of them may have a wane, etc.
• At accumulation with pressure between the individual objects many different problems may arise, which in their turn might cause shutdown.
• elongate objects particularly, but not exclusively, are meant wood articles in the form of battens and planks, sawn and/or planed, as well as bed laths, e.g. for placement between layers of battens and planks.
• the method is equally well suited for single object feeding of other forms of elongate objects with the same demands on high capacity and efficiency, such as elements manufactured from cardboard, plastic or composite materials of different kinds, such as laminate flooring, etc.
• a feeding device 1 is shown in a perspective view, which is used in single object feeding of elongate objects, such as battens.
• the direction of movement of the elongate objects is from left to right in the Fig., each object being positioned so that its longitudinal direction extends substantially in the direction of movement.
• the elongate objects might be somewhat obliquely placed in relation to the ideal positioning, but the feeding device is intended to align the objects, so that they by the feeding will be aligned completely perpendicular to the conveying direction.
• the conveyor chains, on which the elongate elements are fed up to and away from the feeding device 1 are not shown.
• the present invention relates to a device and a method, wherein individual elongate objects are handled one by one in order to avoid that, e.g. when the length of the individual objects vary, a fan shaped layer is formed during accumulation, which cannot be handled by prior art conveyors, or that, if one object has a wane, subsequent elements slide up onto the object in front, which would cause problems and stops.
• the spacing between different pieces can be predicted exactly, and accordingly the equipment for feeding, transfer and so on can be controlled when accumulation takes place under pressure.
• the equipment for feeding, transfer and so on can be controlled when accumulation takes place under pressure.
• a displacement of the separation between the pieces might occur because of addition of tolerances, whereby it will be difficult, if not impossible, to arrest the right piece before gripping of a piece lying in front thereof.
• a first conveyor consisting of a number, individually controllable conveyor elements being mutually aligned in relation to each other
• Fig. 2 the feeding device 1 is shown from above.
• detection means 2 for detecting the actual positions of the fed battens/objects in relation to the exactly transversal, ideal position, short before they reach the feeding device 1.
• Measuring of the position of the piece can, as was mentioned above, take place with a sensor according to the most well suited technology. Examples of such technologies are light-curtain device, camera or a system based on laser beams. Light-curtain is a robust, fast and economical solution.
• the detection means In order to be able to detect a misalignment of an object the detection means have to be at least two in number. Further, it is advantageous to arrange further detection means 2 in addition, since thereby it is secured, that both shorter and longer objects can be handled with a high accuracy.
• the distance between two adjacent detection means 2 should be less than half the shortest length of objects, which are expected to be handled by the device. Each object, that is handled, will then be detected by at least two detection means 2, and thereby it is possible to determine a possible misalignment of the respective object, so that this
• each control drive 3 comprises a pair of rolls 3a, 3b, which, when they are brought closer to each other will abut the object on both sides thereof, securely gripping it.
• the part being engaged by the control drive 3 can be delayed, which is accomplished by making the rolls 3a, 3b stand still for a time interval.
• An acceleration forwards, in a direction inwards towards the feeding device, of the engaged part is accomplished by making the rolls 3a, 3b to roll faster than the prevailing velocity of the object.
• the control drive 3 can be one single control drive 3, which catches the object and aligns it in the desired way, but it can also be two or several control drives 3 arranged at a distance from each other, which in cooperation aligns the object so it ends up transversally in relation to the convey direction. At the same time the control drive 3 or control drives 3, acts to release the object synchronously with the movement of the drivers on a subsequent conveyor.
• the number of control drives 3 and, in the preferred embodiment, the distances between them are decided in a way corresponding to the determination of the number of detection means 2 above.
• control drives 3 may, as has been mentioned already, consist of rubber rolls 3a, 3b, arranged above and/or underneath the conveyor track for the elongate objects, or alternatively bands or belts running over drive rolls, which rolls may be driven by pneumatic, hydraulic or electric servo motors, which are directly coupled back to a control system, or any other types of motors, which are controlled through video cameras, following the object and adjusting it until it is correctly aligned.
• Fig. 3a the conveyor device according to the invention is shown directly from the side, with an enlargement of the encircled area in Fig. 3b.
• the detection means 2 as well as the control drives 3 are shown.
• the position of the object is measured in real time with the aid of suitable sensors, and the control system calculates the movement the rolls 3 a, 3b of the respective control drive 3 have to perform in order to align the object, so that it lies exactly transversal in relation to the conveying direction, and so that the object is aligned before the object is released by said control drives 3.
• a subsequent conveyor is a chain of carriers
• the movement of the control drives 3 shall also be calculated so that the object is conveyed correctly in between the carriers. This means that the velocity of the aligned object when it is released by the control drives 3 and the time for the release are calculated such that the objects reach the subsequent conveyor just before a carrier of the conveyor moves to a position just behind the object, and can drive the object in front of itself, in a direction away from the conveyor arrangement.
• Figs. 4a - e are shown a sequence of schematic views directly from above of steps for aligning an object in the form of a batten 5, which is handled in the conveyor arrangement 1.
• Fig. 4a the batten 5 is detected by two detection means 2, and its width, position, actual velocity and the extent of misalignment is determined.
• the front about 10 % of the width of the batten are regarded as a gripping area G, and actual alignment of the batten starts at first when this gripping area G has been passed and the control drives 3 have been engaged with the subsequent working area A, which amounts to about 75 % of the width of the batten 5.
• the last area, seen in the direction of movement, of the batten which is an acceleration and retardation area R, is used to give all points along the batten the same velocity, in order to guarantee that the batten continues to move straight forward in the conveying direction without turning itself, and so that the velocity will allow the batten to be captured by carriers on the subsequent conveyor.
• the batten 5 has taken a correct, transversal position.
• the center of the control drives 3 are now at the end of the working area A.
• the batten 5 does not necessarily perform a purely transversal movement in the longitudinal direction of the conveyor, but different points on the batten 5 might have different velocities, both regarding size and direction. If the batten 5 would be released without control in this position, the risk for the batten to pivot is large, since its different points continue to move with different velocities in different directions.
• the magnitude and direction of the velocities are synchronized in the different points of the batten 5, while the acceleration and retardation area R passes past the control drives 3. At the same time a synchronizing with the subsequent conveyor is done. In Fig. 4e the batten 5 is released, and it can continue forwards towards the subsequent conveyor correctly positioned.
• one works with fixation of a front piece with the aid of at least two control drives, whereupon, after measuring a position and calculation of the movement of the control drives, a positioning of the piece takes place, after which the next piece is guided with pressure against the fixed piece, and finally the two, now positioned pieces are placed on the subsequent conveyor, which now works more calmly and more stable with half the velocity that would be needed in order to achieve the same machine capacity when feeding one piece at a time.
• the invention also comprises accumulation of two or several elongate objects in a so called layer on a subsequent conveyor, which is not provided with drivers. Previously, it has been difficult to build up wide layers, because it was easy to pinch the wrong object, and, as has already been pointed out, it is risky to build up layers using pressure.
• each object is fixed and positioned, subsequently to be transferred onto a second conveyor without drivers, which conveyor is controlled to move corresponding to the width of a transferred element, which is repeated until the layer contains a desired number of objects, whereupon the layer is sent off to a subsequent conveyor and/or process step. Accordingly, the objects are still conveyed according to the same method as when objects are conveyed one by one, and they are transferred to the conveyor where the layer is collected. When the layer is finished, this conveyor sends the layer onwards as a unit.
• Fig. 5a shows the conveyor means according to the invention from the side as a cross section along the line D-D in Fig. 2 with an enlargement of the encircled area in Fig. 5b.
• the essential novelty of the invention is accordingly, with the aid of control drives, a measuring system for measuring of the position of elongate objects and a control system, to catch the elongate objects in said control drives, measure the position of the elongate objects, and thereupon control said control drives through feed-back to position the object to be exactly transversal to the conveying direction, so that, when the elongate object leaves said control drives, the elongate object when necessary also has been synchronized with a subsequent conveyor.
• the subsequent conveyor is normally a conveyor with drivers, but it can be a flat conveyor as well in order to build up layers with a larger number of elongate objects.
• the subsequent conveyor is operated synchronously with said control drives when feeding takes place.
• control drives 3 have, in the preferred embodiment been described as pair of rolls 3 a, 3b.
• one or several hooks 4 can also be used in order to build up units, wherein a number of objects are positioned adjacent to each other in a so called layer.
• the first object is retained with the aid of the hook or hooks 4, and a number of subsequent objects, which when necessary are aligned by the control drives 3, are fed into abutment with the earlier fed objects.
• a predetermined number of objects have been fed, alternatively when the layer built up in this way has achieved a predetermined width (i.e. the layer covers a certain distance, seen in the conveying direction), the layer is released from the hooks at such a time and with such a velocity, that the layer can be conveyed onwards, an a unit, by drivers on the subsequent conveyor.

Landscapes

• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Forests & Forestry (AREA)
• Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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• 2015
  • 2015-01-20 WO PCT/SE2015/050048 patent/WO2015108481A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2015-01-20 EP EP15737039.6A patent/EP3097032A4/de not_active Withdrawn

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