GB1257560A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1,257,560. Feeding timber to woodworking machines. K. LTNCK. 8 Sept., 1969 [15 March, 1969], No. 44301/69. Heading B5L. [Also in Division B8] A conveyer arrangement for feeding trunks to a wood-working machine, e.g. a frame saw or profile chipping machine comprises endless conveyers 2, 3, 4, two pairs of centring devices 24, 26 arranged with one of each pair on opposite sides of the conveyer 4 and two holddown devices 21, 22. The conveyers 2, 3 are mounted in respective frameworks 5, 11, pivoted about a horizontal axis transverse of the conveyer by hydraulic rams 7, 13, whereby the conveyers may be inclined relative to one another (Fig. 5, not shown) to cause an unmachined trunk to rotate about its longitudinal axis to bring its centre of gravity to a lowest position. A turning device 17, comprising a pair of rollers (18), (19), Fig. 2 (not shown), at least one of which is driven, and positioned between the conveyers may assist in the turning of a trunk. When partially machined trunks or cants are handled the conveyers 2, 3 are aligned in a common horizontal plane, Fig. 6 (not shown). The centring devices 24, 26 may each comprise a pair of endless chain conveyers (23), (24), Fig. 4 (not shown), or a pair of arms (25), (26). In each case the conveyers or arms are linked to a respective common operating cylinder 47, 54 so that they move symmetrically about the centre line of the conveyers. The hold-down devices each comprise an endless chain conveyer (31), (32) pivotally mounted at one end for movement about a horizontal axis transverse to the conveyers by respective hydraulic rams (35), (36). The hydraulic rams (35), (36) of the hold-down devices and the hydraulic rams (47), (54) of the centring devices are respectively connected to low and high pressure hydraulic circuits (Fig. 3) during the initial passage of a trunk along the conveyer 4 until the arms (26), (25) are opened by the trunk and thereby actuate a limit switch to reverse the low and high pressure circuit connection to the rams 47, 54, 35, 36 until the trunk has passed through the centring device 26. The conveyers (31), (32), (23), (24) are driven at substantially the same speed as the conveyers 2, 3, 4. The conveyers 2, 3, 4 each comprise a series of endless chain with teeth to engage the trunk, the height of the teeth being such as to allow relative movement between the conveyers and the trunk should a predetermined force at the teeth be exceeded.