FR2536694A1 - Tree trunk turning mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The mechanism turns tree trunks, particularly those with flats formed on two opposite sides. It has a holder movable at right angles to the transport direction of the trunk, and hinging on an axis extending in this direction. The hinge axis (M2) is at a predetermined distance from the central plane (M1) of the trunk (1), so that it is situated near the edge of the latter, typically near one side (4) and at the bottom corner, while its distance from the central plane can be equal to half the height (h) of the trunk after turning.

Description

 The present invention relates to a device for dividing logs of wood, in particular logs and squared timber dresses on two opposite longitudinal cities, comprising a retaining device adjustable perpendicular to the direction of advance of the ball and pivotally mounted on a machine frame about a pivot axis located approximately in said direction of advance.

 Using devices of this type, quartering (that is to say a pivoting is printed) is given to tree trunks or logs formed, for example, from squared timber, so as to be able to eliminate, for example, in a work station located downstream, mutually opposite flaches. In this case, by means of routing devices which can, like the tilting device, form part of a sawing installation, the ball to be erected is directed towards said tilting device and, from there, towards the parting off or cutting.

 In a known device of this type, the retaining device comprises two gripping arms fixed to a support rotatably mounted on the frame of the machine. The gripping arms grip one end of the ball, the longitudinal central axis of the latter substantially coinciding with the axis of rotation of said support. Then, the end of the ball held captive is tilted around the longitudinal axis of the ball at a corresponding angle, measuring for example 900. The other end of the ball, which rests with play on the routing device of the sawing installation, then rolls aside. Thus, after tilting, the ball is no longer parallel to the axis, but it is offset by a certain angle relative to the direction of advance. So that the transport of the ball can continue unimpeded in the direction of advance after its pivoting, this known tilting device comprises an auxiliary carriage by means of which the end of the ball resting with play is pushed in the opposite direction when it rolls sideways. Because of the auxiliary carriage, this tilting device is of a complicated and expensive construction and it also requires a relatively large size.

 In another known tilting device, the ends of the ball to which it must be given quarter are each supported on a carriage supported by V-shaped guide elements furnished with chaste. These chaste are trained so that they move concomitantly on one side or the other of the installation. Again, the disadvantage lies in the large stretch of the device in space. In addition, the angle of rotation cannot be determined precisely when the ball tilts.

 From patent DE-C> 2? 9? 8,949, another tilting device is known in which the retaining device is equipped with two pivoting gripping arms, just as in the aforementioned prior art. ball, this is permanently gripped by the gripping arms between its center and its rear end relative to its direction of advance In this way, a rotation is imparted at this end of the ball around its longitudinal axis located in the direction of advance, so that it is not offset laterally. On the other hand, the anterior end of the ball resting with play on the conveying device is moved by a bearing of c6té corresponding to the angle of rotation of the tilting device. Thus, the tilted ball is no longer parallel to the axis of the direction of advance; as a result of this inclined position, the ball must be aligned at the latest before it enters the next work station.

 The invention further relates to a method for dividing wooden logs, in particular squared logs or wood standing on two opposite longitudinal sides, in which the ball is gripped, during transport, by a retaining device adjustable perpendicular to the direction of advance of said ball, after which a pivoting is imparted thereto about a pivot axis situated substantially in said direction of advance. In this method, the retaining device imposes a rotation on the ball about its longitudinal axis. As a result, its free end bearing with play on a conveying device rolls aside, which means that the longitudinal axis of the ball is no longer parallel to the direction of advance, but inclined relative to this direction.

In order for the ball to continue to move without any discomfort in the direction of advance, this ball must be aligned by an alignment device during its tilting. These additional procedures make this process complicated and time consuming.

 The object of the invention is to propose a device and a method of the aforementioned types, thanks to which the ball is parallel to the axis of the direction of advance after its tilting, without it being necessary to use a device for this purpose. additional alignment.

 According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device in which the pivot axis is spaced, from the longitudinal median plane of the ball, by a predetermined distance such that this pivot axis is in the marginal zone of said ball. The method according to the invention is characterized in that a pivoting is printed on said ball around an axis located at a distance from its longitudinal median axis.

 Thanks to the tilting device and to the method proposed by the invention, the ball movable in the direction of transport is tilted, at its end gripped by the retaining device, around a pivot axis located outside the longitudinal median axis of said ball.

As a result, not only does the end of this ball trapped by the retaining device pivot, but it is at the same time offset laterally.

Thus, this captive end performs a lateral movement of amplitude substantially identical to that of the end of the ball which rests freely on the conveying device and which rolls sideways during tilting.

As a result of this lateral offset from the end of the ball located in the tilting device, the longitudinal axis of the tilted ball may be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of this ball before it tilts. In this way, it is no longer essential to align the ball with the tilting, so that additional devices and additional work passes ensuring alignment are not necessary, Consequently, the device and proceeds according to it. The invention are considerably simpler and they can be respectively manufactured and implemented with less cost than the known device and method. In addition, the device is significantly shorter when removed from the auxiliary carriage and it can, therefore, be incorporated into the sawing installation with an extremely small footprint. In addition, the device and method according to the invention have the advantage of thus allowing routing, to another transport path, of logs to which it need not necessarily be given quarter.

 According to other advantageous characteristics of the device of the invention, the pivot axis can be located in the vicinity of a longitudinal side, preferably on the line of intersection between a transport plane and a longitudinal plane substantially parallel to the plane longitudinal median and passing through the peripheral surface of the ball. The retaining device can between connected to the frame of the machine by the intermediary of at least one articulated assembly preferably comprising four members; and this articulated assembly may preferably consist of a bent lever and two articulated links, one of which is connected to said b & i and is substantially parallel to an arm of said bent lever. This retaining device can be connected to the assembly articulated to four members by two articulated rods substantially parallel-articulated preferably on a support of at least two conveyor rollers which constitutes said retaining device, so as to form an articulated assembly with three members. Said retaining device can be mounted movable perpendicular to the direction of advance of the ball, preferably by means of a carriage, and, to pivot, this retaining device can be provided with a pivoting member, preferably a jack articulated on said carriage and / or on the frame of the machine. Finally, said retaining device can be supported on at least two guide tracks which, succeeding at a distance in the circumferential direction and substantially arched in in the form of circular sectors, are formed by three edges of a recess and its preferably arranged concentrically with the pivot axis of said retaining device.

 According to other advantageous characteristics of the method of the invention, a pivoting can be printed the ball around an axis located in the vicinity of a longitudinal side of this ball and being in a lower corner of said ball through which passes approximately a transport plan for the latter. In addition, before gripping the ball, the retaining device can be moved transversely, preferably perpendicular to the direction of advance, so that its pivot axis is spaced, from the longitudinal median plane of said ball, by distance approximately equal to half the height of the ball after tilting.

The invention will now be described in more detail by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the appended drawings in which
Figure la is a schematic front view of a device according to the invention in its starting position
FIG. 1B represents the device of FIG. 1a in the extreme position
FIG. 1c is a fragmentary plan view of said device according to FIG. 1a, and
Figures 2a to 2c and 3a to 3c respectively illustrate alternative embodiments of a device according to the invention, with representations corresponding to those of Figures 1a to 1c.

 The devices shown in the drawings are used in a sawmill to tilt or quarter tree trunks or logs transported in the longitudinal direction of the installation. Be tilting device is interposed between devices for removing chips or sawing (flow) which follow one another in the longitudinal direction of the installation and with the help of which the sides of the ball are raised before this ball is shaped in squared wood and / or in planks.

For this purpose, two opposite longitudinal sides of the ball are preferably first drawn up in a first cutting device. Then, a pivoting of 900 preferably is printed in the tilting device with the upright ball, in order, in a second following cutting device, to remove the flaches in the rough state remaining between the upright sides of said ball, by removing by milling the corresponding records. In this way, a squared wood of substantially rectangular section is obtained, the shaping of which can continue in the installation.

 Figures la to îc illustrate a ball 1 standing on two mutually opposite longitudinal sides 3 and 4, which is conveyed to the flow installation (not shown) on a conveying device (not illustrated) in the direction of a arrow P in FIG. 1c, and which is gripped by a tilting device 2. This ball 1 (square timber) comes from a shaping machine (not shown), for example a roll forming machine located upstream of the tilting device 2 by relative to the direction of advance P and in which said ball 1 has been erected on its longitudinal sides 3 and 4. When the upright ball 1 enters the tilting device 2, the longitudinal axis A of this ball is in a median transport plane ml. As soon as the ball 1 leaves the cutting device and arrives in the tilting device, it is gripped by two conveying rollers 5 and 6 (juxtaposed at a distance from each other) d '' a retaining device 7, which at the same time mps continuing its transport.

 The routing rollers 5 and 6 are applied with preload by their circumferential surfaces 8 and 9 against the longitudinal sides 3 and 4 of the ball 1. Their spacing with respect to the median transport plane ml is equal to half the respective distance separating the longitudinal sides 3 and 4. This distance is equal to the height of the ball after the consecutive tilting process (Figure lb). The routing rollers 5 and 6 are subject to respective support arms 10 and 11 of a 12-L support.

As shown in FIG. 1c, the support arms 11 and 10 are, respectively, rigidly fixed and pivotally mounted on an upper short branch 13 of the support 12 in
L. These arms 10 and 11 are connected to each other by an operating member 14 produced in the form of a jack.

This member 14 is articulated by a rod 15 of its piston on the support arm 11 and it is articulated by its cylinder 16 on a bent end 17 of the support arm 10 projecting beyond said branch 13 of said support 12.

 A movement of the operating member 14 makes it possible to pivot the support arm 10 relative to the other support arm 11, so that the distance between the routing rollers 5 and 6 can be increased or reduced in view to allow adaptation to the dimensions considered of the ball 1 to be shaped. As a result, the ball is permanently mechanically clamped between the rollers 5 and 6.

The support 12 in L is pivotally fixed, around an imaginary pivot axis M2 parallel to the direction of advance P, to a frame 18 of the saw. In addition, this support in
L can be md in the frame 18 by means of a carriage 19, perpendicular to the direction of advance P. The carriage is supported by rollers 20 and 20 ′ on a horizontal wall 21 of the frame of the machine and it is connected to a displacement device 22. The latter may consist for example of a jack which is fixed by its cylinder 24 to a vertical wall 23 of the frame 18 and, by a rod 25 of its piston, to an opposite retaining lug 26 secured of the carriage. The displacement device 22 and the carriage 19 allow optimal adaptation of the retaining device 7 to the height considered of the ball.

 To pivot the support 12 in L of the retaining device 7, there is provided a pivot member 27 consisting, in turn, of a jack. This member 27 is articulated on the carriage 19 between the rollers 20 and 20 'of the latter. and it is secured by a rod 28 of its piston to a long branch 29 of said support 12, a short distance below the short branch 13 of this support.

 The long branch 29 of the L-shaped support 12 forms, together with first and second articulated links 30 and 31, respectively, a three-member articulated assembly which is connected to the carriage 19 via a four-member articulated assembly comprising a bent lever 32 and third and fourth articulated links 33 and 34, respectively.

The first link 30 is articulated on the long branch 29 of the support 12 in L at the height of the rod 28 of the piston of the pivoting member 27 and the second link 31 is articulated on a free end 35 of said support 12. The second link 31 forms a single piece with the third link 33 of the four-member articulated assembly. The angled lever 32 of the four-member articulation connects the first and second link @ articulated heads 30 and 31 of the articulation with three members and it is arranged so that a connecting point 36 of its arms 37 and 38 is closer to the long branch 29 than the free ends 39 and 40 of said bent lever; the end 40 is articulated halfway along the length of the link 31 33 The fourth link 34 is articulated on a second retaining lug 41 situated before the displacement device 22 relative to the direction of advance P as well as on the third link 33, so that it extends roughly parallel to the arm 38 of the bent lever 32 The articulated links 30, 31 and 33, 34 and the arms 37 and 38 of the bent lever 32 are substantially the same length respective The first and second links 30 and 31 are approximately parallel to each other and the arms 37 and 38 of the lever 32 register an angle of approximately 1500
The arrangement and construction of the three-member joint 29 to 31 and the four-member joint 32 to 34 ensure that, when the pivoting member 27 is actuated, the support 12 in L and its rollers routing 5 and 6 rotate around the axis M2, which is formed by the line of intersection between the contact surface ho of one (42) of the flaches of the ball 1 on the transport device, and a vertical longitudinal plane m2. This plane m2 passes through the longitudinal side rises 4 on which the conveying roller 6 is supported by its circumferential surface 9. In FIG. la, the pivot axis M2 is roughly in the lower left corner of the approximately rectangular section of the ball 1 and it is located, with respect to the median transport plane ml, at a distance 2 corresponding substantially to half the height h of said ball.

To rotate and then cut the flaches 42 and 43 of the ball 1 which are still in the raw state, a pivoting of 900 is printed on the retainer 7 from its starting position (FIG. 1 a) to its extreme position
(Figure 1b) .As shown in Figure 1b, the longitudinal frame 4 rests on the contact surface ho after the ball 1 has tipped over, while the flange 42 is now in the vertical longitudinal median plane m2 To rotate the retainer 7 from its initial position to its final position; the rod 28 of the piston of the pivoting member 27 is retracted, while the carriage 19 retain relative to the mount 18 of the machine, its position initially set in which it is stopped by the displacement device 22
The pivoting pivoting device described above is preferably used to tilt the ball at an angle of 900, in order to produce squared timber of rectangular section.

However, this device is also suitable when it is necessary to manufacture squared timber of other section, since a pivoting of any other chosen angle can be printed on said ball.

To create optimal conditions, the axis of rotation at the instant considered or the pivot axis M2 must be in the vertical longitudinal plane m2 of the ball 1, or else be at least located in the immediate vicinity of this plane. To this end, it is necessary to adapt, to the height considered h of the ball, half the distance between the pivot axis M2 and a longitudinal axis M1 which is formed by the line of intersection between the surface of contact ho and the plane passing through the side
o longitudinal 3 of the ball 1. For this purpose, the carriage 19 is moved by the displacement device 22 horizontally with respect to the frame 18 as a function of the height of the ball to be shaped, so as to permanently obtain a distance M1 - M2 = 2 In this case, the minimum spacing
2 between the circumferential surfaces 8 and 9 of the conveying rollers 5 and 6 is equal to half the height h of the ball from the median transport plane ml.

 As appears in particular from a comparative examination of FIGS. 1a and 1b, the end of the ball 1 gripped by the routing rollers 5 and 6 is offset laterally, during the axial advance in the direction P and of the tascule - ment, in the same way as that of which the free end of this ball moves sideways when it pivots on the transport device. Thus, after the tilting process (lb), the ball 1 is offset laterally by its entire length uniformly with respect to the median transport plane ml, so that its routing can continue in the direction of advance P, parallel to said plane ml. As a result, it is no longer necessary to align the ball i after its tilting, which considerably avoids a long and complicated intervention. In addition, it is also possible to dispense with the alignment devices necessary for this purpose, -which are also expensive and increase the size of the installation.

 The embodiment according to FIGS. 2a to 2c differs essentially from that of the tilting device described above, by the fact that a retaining device 7a is no longer fixed to a carriage while being movable perpendicularly to the direction of advance P (Figure 2c).

On the other hand, a support 12aven L is subject to a b ti 18a of the machine by respective articulated assemblies with three members 29a to 31a and four. members 32a to 34a.

To this end, a bent lever 32a is articulated, in the region of its connection point 36axis of the fourth articulated link 34a, on respective vertical support uprights 44 and 45 secured to the frame of the machine. In addition, a pivoting member 27a is fixed by its cylinder 46 to a vertical wall 47 of said frame 18a. To ensure that a conveying roller 6a is disposed relative to a ball 1a so that its circumferential surface 9a, is located, opposite the median transport plane ml of said ball, & a minimum distance equal to half h of the height (-2), a support arm 11a of said conveying roller is pivotally fixed on the support 12a in L. To pivot this arm 11a, a displacement device 22a is engaged by a rod 25a of its piston with a free end 48 of said arm projecting beyond a short branch 13a of said support 12a in L, and it is articulated on this support in L by its cylinder 24a. The elimination of the carriage 19 of the tilting device according to Figures la to lc gives the tilting device 2a a simpler embodiment. The axis of rotation at the instant considered or pivot axis M2 of the device remains unchanged when, by actuation of the displacement device 22a, the conveying roller 9a is adapted to the considered height of the ball 1a (squared wood) .

 With this tilting device 2a also, it is made so that the ball trapped between the routing rollers 5a and 6a undergoes, simultaneously with its tilting with the retaining device 7a, a lateral offset such as the axis of said ball is parallel to the direction of advance P after the tilting process, and therefore requires no alignment.

 The tilting devices described can also be used to continue the routing of the ball in question on the same transport path, without having to give it quarter. When, after tilting, the ball must continue to be conveyed with its axis parallel to the initial direction of its advance, the associated transport device is relegated to the outside to the tilting device.

In a third embodiment of a tilting device 2b (FIGS. 3a to 3c), there is provided instead of an L-shaped support, a U-shaped support 49 on an upper branch 50 of which (by observing FIG. 3a ) are mounted a pivoting arm 10b and a rigidly fixed arm llb, which respectively support routing rollers 5b and 6b, as in the embodiment according to Figures la to lc. This support 49 has respectively, at the free ends of its branches 50 and 51 (occupying substantially horizontal positions in the representation of FIG. 3a) and on an arm 52 projecting vertically from its transverse wing 53, rollers 54, 55 and 56 at by means of which it can be moved on edges 57, 58 and 59 (in the form of circular sectors) of recess 60 from a carriage 19b. These edges 57 to 59 are concentric. The carriage 19b is supported by rollers 20b and 20bs on a frame 18b of the machine and it is moved by a displacement device 22b perpendicular to the advancing direction
P (Figure 3c). With the help of this displacement device 22b, a retaining device 7b can again be adjusted so that the smallest respective distance between a circumferential surface 9b of the conveying roller 6b and the median plane transport ml is equal to half the height h of the ball. The pivoting of this retaining device 7b is ensured by a pivoting member 27b which is subject to the transverse wing 53 of the support by a rod 28b of its piston between the arm 52 and the branch 50 and is fixed to the carriage 19b, by its cylinder 61, approximately at the height of the attachment zone of the displacement device 22bye This device is simple to make, because it can dispense with both the triple articulation and the quadruple articulation of the forms of realization described above.

 A movement of the pivoting member 27b causes the support 49 to pivot around the axis of curvature M2 common to all the edges 57 to 59. During this pivoting, the rollers 54 to 56 roll to the left in the direction d 'an arrow P "along the associated edges, from the initial position of the support 49 (FIG. 3a) to the extreme position illustrated in FIG. 3b, in which the rod ~ 28b of the piston of said pivoting member 27b is fully retracted in the cylinder 61. Consequently, when this tilting takes place, a ball 1b shows a rotation of 90 and a simultaneous lateral offset as in the embodiments described above, although the longitudinal axis of the tilted ball is parallel to the plane transport median m1, so that it is no longer necessary to align it parallel to this plane. Using the tilting device 2b, the ball lb can however also be rotated from any other angle between Oe and 90 .

 It goes without saying that numerous modifications can be made to the device and to the method described and shown, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

 1. Device for dividing wooden logs, in particular logs and squared timber on two opposite longitudinal sides, comprising a retaining device adjustable perpendicular to the direction of advance of the ball and pivotally mounted on a machine frame around a pivot axis located approximately in said direction of advance, device characterized in that said pivot axis (M2) is spaced from the longitudinal median plane (m1) of the ball (1; la; lb), by a predetermined distance such that this pivot axis is located in the marginal zone of said ball.  2 .. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivot axis (M2) is located in the vicinity of a longitudinal side (4), preferably on the line of intersection between a transport plane (surface contact ho) and a longitudinal plane (m2) substantially parallel to the longitudinal median plane (ml) and passing through the peripheral surface of the ball (1).  3. Device according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the retaining device (7 7a) is connected to the frame (18; 18a) of the machine via at least one articulated assembly ( 32 to 34; 32a to 34a), preferably an articulated assembly with four members; and by the fact that this articulated assembly with four members preferably comprises a bent lever (32; 32a) and two articulated links (33, 34; 33a, 34a) one of which (34; 34a) is connected to said frame (18; 18a) and is substantially parallel to an arm (38) of said bent lever (32; 32a).  4. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the retaining device (7; 7a) is connected to the articulated assembly with four members (32 to 34; 32a to 34a) by two rods articulated substantially parallel (30, 31; 30a, 31a), preferably articulated on a support (12; 12a) of at least two conveying rollers which constitutes said retaining device, so as to form an articulated assembly with three members .  5. Device according to any one of claims 1 d-4, characterized in that the retaining device (7; 7b) is mounted movable perpendicular to the direction of advance (P) of the ball (1; lb) , preferably by means of a carriage (19; 19a); and by the fact that, for pivoting, this retaining device (7; 7a 7b) is provided with a pivoting member (27; 27a; 27b), preferably with a jack articulated on said carriage (19 19a) and optionally, or alternatively, on the frame (18a) of the machine.  6. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the retaining device (7b) is supported on at least two guide tracks (57 to 59) which, succeeding at a distance in the direction circumferential and substantially arcuate in the form of circular sectors, are formed by three edges of a recess (60) and are preferably arranged concentrically with the pivot axis (M2) of said retaining device (7b).  7. Method for quartering wooden logs, in particular squared logs or wood standing on two opposite longitudinal sides, in which the ball is gripped, during transport, by an adjustable retainer perpendicular to the direction of the advancement of said ball, after which a pivoting is imparted thereto around a pivoting axis situated substantially in said direction of advance, in particular by using the device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, process characterized in that a pivoting is printed on said ball (1; la; lb) about an axis (M2) located at a distance from its longitudinal median axis (ml).  8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that a pivoting is printed on the ball (1; lb) around an axis (M2) located in the vicinity of a longitudinal side (4) of this ball ( 1 -; la; lb) and being in a lower corner of said ball through which passes approximately a transport plane (contact surface ho) of the latter.  9. Method according to one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that, before gripping the ball (1 lb), the retaining device (7; 7b) is moved transversely preferably perpendicularly to the direction of advance (P), so that its pivot axis (M>) is spaced from the longitudinal median plane (m1) of said  h ball, dVune distance (2) roughly corresponding to the  2 half the height (h) of the ball after tilting