JP2750847B2 - Method of heating and pressing wood and press device used for this method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a press method for pressing wood, which has been softened by heating, to a high density to make it tough.
The present invention relates to a press used in this method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An enormous amount of thinned wood is discarded without being effectively used. One of the reasons that thinned wood is not used effectively is that the density is low and the strength is not enough.
If the thinnings can be made strong enough, their use will increase significantly. For example, cedar, which is a thinned wood, is rarely used as a pillar or a frame material for two-by-four. For this purpose, peelers and beech pine are used. If thinned wood can be processed to a sufficient strength, it will be a wood suitable for this type of application. Thinned wood that does not have sufficient strength due to its low density can be effectively used as high quality wood if it can be pressed to high density to obtain sufficient strength. Not only thinned wood but also low-density wood is not used effectively because its use is limited due to lack of sufficient strength.

[0003] By pressing wood while it is being heated, low-density wood can be subjected to high-density processing to be tough. Wood has annual rings consisting of summer and winter eyes. When the wood is heated and compressed,
The soft Natsume part is crushed thinly and becomes tough. In winter, hard parts have sufficient strength. Natsume is a very weak spot compared to winter. If Natsume is pressed to high density and hardened, the whole wood can be extremely strong. Wood can be pressed to high density by heating lignin or hemicellulose, which is the main component, to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature to bring it into a wet state. The glass transition temperature of wood is 130 ° C. to 250 ° C. in a dry state, but 80 ° C. in a wet state.
２５０250 ° C. When wood is heated in a wet state,
The glass transition temperature is lowered, and the state becomes easy to compress.

[0004] In order to heat wood to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature and form it, an apparatus has been developed in which the wood is pressed into a narrow passage and heated (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2-3646). The device described in this publication presses wood into a narrow passage. The passages are irradiated with microwaves to heat the wood pressed into it.

[0005]

This apparatus can press wood into a narrow passage and compress it. This device requires considerable microwave power to heat the wood to the glass transition temperature with microwaves. Further, there is a disadvantage that it takes time to heat the wood. In order to reduce the microwave output and shorten the heating time of the wood, it is preferable to first heat the wood before inserting it into the passage. The optimal heating method for primary heating of wood is steam heating. This is because running costs and equipment costs can be reduced as compared with microwaves and the like. A device that heats wood with steam at 100 ° C. or higher uses pressurized steam. For this reason, it is necessary to put the wood in an airtightly sealed tank and to inject heated and pressurized steam. Put the wood in a tank that is pressurized tightly,
The primary heater that presses the steam heated and pressurized to 100 ° C. or higher into this tank can efficiently heat wood. For this reason, the wood preheated by primary heating is supplied to the wood pressing machine, reducing the subsequent heating time,
It can be pressed efficiently.

This device compresses wood in the following manner. A lot of wood is put in a pressure tank and hermetically sealed. Heating and pressurized steam is injected into the closed pressure tank to heat the whole wood. The heating time of the wood is not constant depending on the thickness of the wood. Thick wood increases the heating time. For example, the heating time for wood used for pillars is about 30
Minutes. Open the pressure tank, take out one heated piece of wood, put another piece of unheated wood into the pressure tank, hermetically seal the pressure tank, and press the heated and pressurized steam to press the wood in. Heat. The wood taken out of the pressure tank is carried into a press and pressed. When the pressing of the wood is completed, the pressure tank is opened again, the heated wood is taken out, another piece of unheated wood is carried in, and the taken out wood is put into a press and compressed.

By repeating the above steps, the wood is pressed one after another at a high density. The time for the press to press the wood is considerably shorter than the time to first heat the wood in the pressure tank. The size of the pressure tank, that is, the number of pieces of wood that can be heated simultaneously by the pressure tank is determined in consideration of the pressing time of the press and the heating time of the pressure tank. For example, if the time for heating the wood in the pressure tank is 30 minutes and the time for pressing the wood with the press machine is 5 minutes, if the wood is designed to be heated by putting 6 pieces of wood in the pressure tank,
Wood can be compressed efficiently with a pressure tank and a press.

[0008] As described above, the apparatus for primary heating and pressing wood is capable of efficiently compressing wood in a short time with a press machine, but has the disadvantage that the thermal efficiency of heating wood with a pressure tank is poor. This is because when the pressure tank is opened and the primary heated wood is taken out, the steam in the pressure tank is exhausted. In addition, the device of this structure has the disadvantage that the pressure tank becomes extremely expensive. This is because a large pressure tank is used to heat many pieces of wood together. Further, the apparatus having this structure has a disadvantage that it is not always possible to efficiently heat and compress all the woods having different thicknesses. For example, if the wood becomes thicker than the design value and the heating time of the pressure tank becomes longer, the wood cannot be sufficiently heated by the pressure tank even if the compression of the wood is completed by the press machine. For this reason, the press machine cannot be used effectively, and the processing efficiency decreases.

The present invention has been developed with a view to further solving these disadvantages. An important object of the present invention is to provide a method for heating and pressing wood and a press apparatus used for this method, which can efficiently and primarily heat wood with a pressure tank and can manufacture a pressure tank for primarily heating wood at low cost. Is to do. Further, another important object of the present invention is to efficiently heat wood of different thicknesses,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for heating and pressing wood and a press device used for the method.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for heating and pressing wood, wherein the wood is firstly heated with steam and then carried into a press machine, where the wood is heated to a softening temperature. Is improved over the entire circumference by pressing at a high density. The method of pressing wood of the present invention, in the step of primary heating of wood, a plurality of wood, separately inserted into a cylindrical primary heating pipe separated into a plurality of,
The primary heating pipe into which the wood has been carried is closed in an airtight manner, and the wood is primarily heated by heating and pressurized steam being injected therein. When the wood is heated by the heating and pressurized steam supplied to the primary heating pipe, the heating and pressurization of the heated wood into the carried-in primary heating pipe are stopped. The primary heating pipe to which the heating and pressurized steam is no longer supplied is opened, and the wood is carried into the press from the primary heating pipe and pressed.

[0011] Further, a wood pressing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a primary heater for primary heating wood with steam, and further heating or heating the wood heated by the primary heater. And a press machine for pressing the heated and softened wood all around without compressing it at a high density.

The primary heater has a cylindrical primary heating pipe separated into a plurality of pipes, and a boiler for independently pressurizing and injecting heated steam into the plurality of primary heating pipes. The primary heating pipe has an opening at the end through which wood can be taken in and out. The entrance is equipped with an opening / closing lid that can airtightly block the primary heating pipe. A plurality of pieces of wood are separately inserted and inserted into a plurality of primary heating pipes.The entrance and exit of the wood-inserted primary heating pipes are hermetically closed by an opening / closing lid, and heating and pressurized steam are injected from a boiler. The wood is heated. The heated primary wood pipe is opened with an open / close lid, and the heated wood is carried into a press and pressed.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is an example of a method for heating and pressing wood for embodying the technical idea of the present invention and a press apparatus used for this method, and the present invention is intended to press. The method and press equipment are not specified below.

Further, in this specification, in order to make it easy to understand the claims, the numbers corresponding to the members described in the embodiments are referred to as "claims" and " In the column of “Means of the above”. However, the members described in the claims are not limited to the members of the embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a press apparatus used in the method of heating and pressing wood according to the present invention. The press shown in this figure is a primary heater 1 for primary heating wood with steam.
And a press machine 2 that presses the wood heated by the primary heater 1 all around and compresses the wood at a high density.

As shown in the figure, the primary heating device 1 has a cylindrical primary heating pipe 3 separated into a plurality of pipes, and pressurized and heated steam is independently injected into the plurality of primary heating pipes 3. And a pipe 5 for supplying heated and pressurized steam discharged from the boiler 4 to the primary heating pipe 3.

The primary heating pipe 3 is shown in the perspective view of FIG.
As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. The pipe 3A shown in the figure has one end airtightly closed and the other end open. The primary heating pipe 3 has this opening as an entrance / exit 3B for wood. Further, the primary heating pipe 3 is equipped with an opening / closing lid 6 for hermetically closing the pipe 3A as shown in the figure.

The primary heating pipe 3 inserts wood therein and heats the wood in the pipe 3A with steam. For this reason,
The pipe 3A is designed to be longer than the wood to be inserted and larger in inner diameter than the outer circumference of the wood. Also, the pipe 3A is
It has strength that does not deform even when pressurized and heated steam is injected.

The primary heating pipe 3 is preferably cylindrical as shown in the figure. This is because the cylindrical pipe 3A can equalize the pressure applied from the inside. However, the primary heating pipe may have a prismatic shape. However, prismatic pipes have the disadvantage that pressure is concentrated on flat surfaces. Further, when heating the prismatic wood, the prismatic pipe has a large contact area between the bottom surface of the wood and the inner surface of the primary heating pipe. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the steam cannot sufficiently heat the bottom surface of the wood. On the other hand, the cylindrical pipe is heated by being inserted in a state where the corners at both lower ends of the prismatic timber contact the inner surface of the pipe and supported by this part. Wood is heated all around by steam,
Heated efficiently. Therefore, in consideration of these points, it is ideal that the primary heating pipe has a cylindrical shape.

The opening / closing lid 6 is a circular metal plate,
Airtightly closed. As a method of closing the pipe 3A, for example, as shown in the figure, a flange 7 is provided on the periphery of the entrance 3B of the pipe 3A, and the opening / closing lid 6 is connected and fixed at this portion. Therefore, the opening / closing lid 6 has an outer diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the flange 7. Further, the opening / closing lid 6 is provided with a plurality of through-holes 6 </ b> A at a portion which is an outer peripheral portion and contacts the flange 7. The flange 7 of the pipe 3A also has a through hole 6
A plurality of through-holes 7A are provided at positions facing A. The opening / closing lid 6 is connected and fixed by inserting a connecting tool 8 such as a bolt into these through holes 6A and 7A. further,
The opening / closing lid 6 is connected to the outer peripheral edge of the flange 7 via a bendable hinge 9 at a part of the outer peripheral edge. Therefore, the opening / closing lid 6 has a structure that can be opened and closed as indicated by the arrow A in the figure. However, the opening / closing lid may be detachable without providing a hinge.

Further, the opening / closing lid 6 is provided with a packing 10 at a portion in contact with the pipe 3A. The opening / closing lid 6 having the packing 10 in this portion airtightly closes the pipe 3A while being fixed to the pipe 3A. The primary heating pipe 3 needs to seal the pressurized heated and pressurized steam. For this reason, the opening / closing lid 6 has such a structure that the pipe 3A can be hermetically closed. However, the method by which the opening / closing lid hermetically closes the pipe is not specified in this method. Although not shown, the opening / closing lid may be formed as a screw-in type lid by providing a male screw and a female screw at the entrance and exit of the pipe without providing a flange to the pipe and connecting them. Furthermore, the primary heating pipe can connect the opening / closing lid with various other structures capable of closing the entrance / exit hermetically.

Although the primary heating pipe 3 shown in the figure has an opening 3B for wood at one end of the pipe 3A, the primary heating pipe may have openings at both ends of the pipe. Although not shown, the primary heating pipe having an entrance at both ends is provided with open / close lids at both ends to have a structure in which the pipe is hermetically closed. The primary heating pipe of this structure can be used by distinguishing one opening into a wood insertion port and the other into a wood discharge port.

Further, the primary heating pipe 3 has a press-fitting portion 3C for sucking heated and pressurized steam. The press-fit portion 3C is perpendicular to the side surface of the pipe 3A in FIGS.
The press-fit tube 11 is provided so as to protrude from the side surface. The press-fitting pipe 11 is a metal pipe, and one end thereof is fixed to an opening provided on a side surface of the primary heating pipe 3 by welding or the like. The press-fitting pipe 11 is hermetically welded to the primary heating pipe 3 and communicates with the inside of the primary heating pipe 3. The other end of the press-fit pipe 11 is connected to the pipe via a socket (not shown) and a pressure hose. Further, the press-fit pipe 11 is provided with an on-off valve 12. On-off valve 12
Open and close to adjust the injection and stop of the injected steam. However, in the press-fit portion 3C shown in the figure, the press-fit tube 11 is disposed on the side surface of the primary heating pipe 3, but the position of the press-fit tube 11 is not specified at this position. Further, although not shown, the press-fitting portion may have any other structure capable of supplying heated and pressurized steam to the primary heating pipe.

The boiler 4 heats water to generate steam. Although not shown, the boiler includes a fuel combustion device and a combustion chamber, a boiler body that evaporates water, a water supply device that supplies water to the boiler body, a superheater that further heats generated steam, and the like.

The fuel device feeds fuel into a combustion chamber in a boiler. The fuel chamber generates heat by burning fuel sent from the fuel device. The boiler main body receives heat generated in the combustion chamber, transfers the heat to water in the boiler main body, and heats and evaporates the water. The boiler body forms a pressure vessel for containing water and the saturated steam generated from it, and consists of a drum or a combination of many tubes and drums. The water supply device is a device that supplies water reduced by the generation of steam into the boiler body. The superheater further heats the saturated steam from the boiler main body into high-temperature superheated steam.

The boiler generates heated steam as described above. The steam generated in the boiler is, for example, 13
The temperature is set at 0 to 230 ° C, preferably 130 to 200 ° C. The heated and pressurized steam sent from the boiler is
As shown in (1), it is press-fitted into the primary heating pipe 3 through the pipe 5. A steam stop valve 13 is attached to the outlet of the boiler 4, and regulates heating, supply of pressurized steam discharged from the boiler 4 by opening and closing, and stopping.

The pipe 5 is a metal pipe that supplies heated and pressurized steam discharged from the boiler 4 to the primary heating pipe 3. The pipe 5 is independent of the plurality of primary heating pipes 3,
It is branched into a plurality of parts so that pressurized and heated steam can be supplied. The pipe 5 is provided with a connecting pipe 15 via an on-off valve 14 at the tip of the pipe 5 branched into a plurality. Connecting pipe 15
Is connected to a tip of a press-fitting pipe 11 which is a press-fitting portion 3C of the primary heating pipe 3 via a socket (not shown) or the like, and is communicated therewith. The pipe 5 of this structure has a feature that the primary heating pipe 3 can be removed at the connecting pipe 15 portion. The press device used in the present invention is characterized by disposing a plurality of primary heating pipes 3. Therefore, the pipes 5 of this structure that can easily attach and detach the primary heating pipe 3 can be conveniently used according to the number of the primary heating pipes 3 provided. Further, as shown in the figure, if a spare connecting pipe 16 is provided, the number of primary heating pipes 3 can be easily increased.

The pressing machine 2 presses the primary heated wood. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the press machine 2 has a plurality of divided press units U linearly connected in series adjacent to each other. The press 2 adjusts the number of units to be connected according to the total length of the wood to be pressed. The press machine 2 that presses long timber increases the number of connected press units U. For example, if the length of the press surface of the press unit U is designed to be 50 cm, the press machine 2 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 presses four meters of wood because eight press units U are connected in series. be able to. Further, the press machine can press wood having different lengths by changing the number of connected press units.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the press unit U comprises four press plates 17A, 17B, 17C and 17D for pressing the surface of wood into a prismatic shape, and a vertical cylinder for pressing the opposing press plates. 7 and a horizontal cylinder 6. The press plate comprises a first press plate 17A, a second press plate 17B, a third press plate 17C, and a fourth press plate 17D for pressing wood in four directions at right angles. Each press plate is disposed at a right angle to an adjacent press plate and mounted so as to be movable in a direction parallel to the surface thereof.

The vertical and horizontal cylinders 19 and 18 are a horizontal cylinder 18 for bringing the first press plate 17A and the third press plate 17C closer to each other, and a vertical cylinder 19 for bringing the second press plate 17B and the fourth press plate 17D closer to each other. Consists of

Press plates 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D
Is a metal plate that does not deform even when the wood is pressed.
The first press plate 17A and the third press plate 17C face each other, and the second press plate 17B and the fourth press plate 17D are provided at positions facing each other. The first press plate 17A presses the lower surface of the wood, and the third press plate 17C presses the upper surface of the wood. Therefore, the first press plate 17A and the third press plate 17C are arranged horizontally, and can approach each other via the second press plate 17B and the fourth press plate 17D so that the upper and lower surfaces of the wood can be pressed. It is arranged in.

Second press plate 17B and fourth press plate 17D
Are arranged vertically opposite to each other and press both sides of the wood. In the figure, the second press plate 17B presses the left side of the wood, and the fourth press plate 17D presses the right side of the wood.

The four press plates 17A, 17B, 17C,
17D is connected to the adjacent press plates by the same structure. First press plate 17A and second press plate 1
7B, the second press plate 17B and the third press plate 17C, the third
Press plate 17C, fourth press plate 17D, fourth press plate 1
7D and the first press plate 17A are connected by the same structure.

Hereinafter, the connection structure between the first press plate 17A and the second press plate 17B will be described in detail. The other connection structure of the press plates is the same as the connection structure of the first press plate 17A and the second press plate 17B. As shown in FIG. 10, the second press plate 17B is disposed adjacent to the first press plate 17A at a right angle. The second press plate 17B moves in a horizontal direction in a direction parallel to the surface of the first press plate 17A disposed horizontally and presses the wood in a posture of standing vertically.

As shown in the sectional view of FIG. 11, the second press plate 17B is connected to the first press plate 17A via a linear motion bearing 20. FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. The linear motion bearing 20 is the second press plate 1
7B is moved in the pressing direction of the wood. The linear bearing 20 does not move the second press plate 17B in a direction orthogonal to the press direction. The linear motion bearing 20 connects an arm 21 protruding from the back surface of the second press plate 17B to the first press plate 17A. The arm 21 is connected to the first press plate 1
It is fixed in a direction parallel to the surface of 7A and parallel thereto. A triangular reinforcing rib 22 is fixed to the back surface of the arm 21 and the second press plate 17B. The reinforcing rib 22 is connected so that the arm 21 does not bend with respect to the second press plate 17B. Arm 21 fixed to second press plate 17B
Are connected via a linear bearing 20 so as to be movable along the first press plate 17A. A plurality of linear motion bearings 20 are arranged in parallel and arranged between the arm 21 and the first press plate 17A.

The linear motion bearing 20 is connected to the second press plate 17
B can be moved lightly with respect to the first press plate 17A. Second
The press plate 17B and the first press plate 17A do not necessarily need to be connected via the linear bearing 20. Any mechanism that can move the second press plate 17B in the press direction in a direction parallel to the surface of the first press plate 17A can be used.
For example, a plurality of guides may be fixed to the arm-facing surface of the first press plate by extending in the pressing direction, and a slider sliding along the guides may be fixed to the arm. The slider moves along the guide but does not come off the arm.

The press unit U includes a second press plate 17B.
And a horizontal cylinder 18 for pressing the fourth press plate 17D in the wood pressing direction is constituted by a first cylinder 18A and a third cylinder 18B. The first cylinder 18A has a rear end fixed to the first press plate 17A and a front end of the rod
It is connected to the press plate 17B. 1st cylinder 18A
Is in a posture parallel to the pressing direction of the second press plate 17B,
It is fixed to the first press plate 17A. The first cylinder 18A moves the second press plate 17B in parallel to strongly press the wood. The third cylinder 18B has the same structure as the first cylinder 18A, and is fixed to the third press plate 17C.

The vertical cylinder 19 includes a second cylinder 19
A and the fourth cylinder 19B, and the second cylinder 1
9A has the same structure as the first cylinder 18A and is fixed to the second press plate 17B. The fourth cylinder 19B has the same structure as the first cylinder 18A and has the fourth press plate 17B.
D is fixed.

The press unit U shown in the above figures is provided with one horizontal cylinder 18 and one vertical cylinder 19 in one unit. Although not shown, the press unit may include a plurality of pairs of horizontal cylinders and vertical cylinders. A press unit having a plurality of pairs of cylinders can be pressed by reducing the pressure applied to one cylinder.

Further, a press unit U shown in FIG.
The third cylinder 18B and the fourth cylinder 19B of the apparatus shown in FIG. 9 are omitted, the horizontal cylinder 18 is constituted by a first cylinder 18A, and the vertical cylinder 19 is constituted by a second cylinder 19A. In the apparatus having this structure, the first cylinder 18A presses wood from both sides with the second press plate 17B and the fourth press plate 17D, and the second cylinder 19A moves wood up and down with the third press plate 17C and the first press plate 17A. Press from. The press unit U having this structure is configured such that the adjacent press plates 17A, 17B,
17C and 17D are connected to each other so as to be movable in the pressing direction. The press unit U has a feature that the number of cylinders can be reduced and the structure can be simplified.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the press unit U having the above-described structure is configured such that the bottom surface of the first press plate 17A is
It is fixed to 6. A plurality of press units U are connected in series while being fixed to the base 26. A plurality of press units U adjacent to each other are linearly connected in series to form a press machine 2.

Further, in the press machine 2 shown in the figure, a hot plate 27 is arranged on the surface of the wood to be pressed. Hot plate 27
Is disposed on the surface of the press plate, which is in contact with the wood. The hot plate 27 is disposed in close contact with the surface of each press plate. That is, from the first press plate to the fourth press plate, the four hot plates 27
At right angles to the These four hot plates 2
The square space formed by the space 7 is a molding room for pressed wood.

Further, the hot plate 27 has a length equal to the entire length of the press 2 to which the plurality of press units U are connected. That is, the hot plate 27 is extended so that the back surface thereof is in contact with the surface of the adjacent press plate, and connects the press plates of the plurality of press units U connected linearly. The four hot plates 27 arranged in this state are
Contacts the wood with its surface covering the four sides of the pressed wood. Accordingly, the wood is pressed onto the press plate from four directions with the opposing side surfaces sandwiched between the hot plates 27. The press machine 2 that presses the entire circumference of the wood via the hot plate 27 eliminates the seam formed at the connection portion of the press unit U, and can process the surface of the wood to be flat and straight.

Further, in the press 2 shown in the figure, an electrode plate 25 is disposed on the surface of the hot plate 27 facing the press plate 2. Electrode plate 2
5 is connected to the high frequency power supply 23. High frequency power supply 23
And the electrode plate 25 that contacts the surface of the wood heats the wood with high-frequency energy. At this time, the press plate and the electrode plate 25 need to be insulated from each other. A simple structure for insulating the press plate is as shown in FIG.
An electrode plate 25 is fixed to the surface of the substrate 7 via an insulating material 24 such as plastic, and the insulating material 24 is also provided around the electrode plate 25. The electrode plate 25 is insulated from the press plate while being buried in the insulating material 24. The electrode plate 25 is on a pressed surface of wood and is connected to the high frequency power supply 23. The press 2 having this structure is heated in advance or
There is a feature that unheated wood can be heated and pressed. The preheated wood is slightly cooled before being set in the press machine 2. The press machine 2 capable of high-frequency heating of wood with a press plate can re-heat and efficiently press wood even if the wood is slightly cooled before setting. further,
After setting and heating wood that is not heated at all, it can be pressed.

The above press apparatus heats and presses wood as described below. Logs are processed into prismatic or cylindrical shapes. Wood processed into a prismatic shape is pressed on four sides to become high-density wood. The timber processed into a column shape is pressed from four directions and formed into a prism shape. The method of cutting a log into a cylindrical shape and processing it into a prismatic shape with a press device has a feature that the waste amount of the log is reduced and the log can be effectively used. When processing raw wood into a prismatic or cylindrical shape and pressing it,
In a pressed state, it is processed to a thickness having a predetermined size.

Further, the raw wood can be pressed into a rectangular column by a press without cutting. Wood obtained by pressing raw wood into a prismatic shape without cutting can be used as a decorative material for floor pillars or the like because the surface becomes a natural wood surface.
When processing a log into a prismatic shape, the bark is removed or pressed without removing the bark. When the skin is removed and pressed, the surface can be made smooth. Pressing without removing the skin, and removing the skin after the pressing, can produce a natural uneven wood surface.

The wood is put into the primary heating pipe 3 and steam is injected into the primary heating pipe 3 to heat the wood. The internal temperature of the primary heating pipe 3 is, for example, 80 ° C to 200 ° C.
° C, preferably 80 ° C to 180 ° C, optimally 130 to 18
Set to 0 ° C. When using a press machine 2 that can heat set wood with high frequency, the wood heating temperature in this step can be reduced.

The time for heating the wood by the primary heating pipe 3 is set to a time for sufficiently heating the central portion of the wood. Thick wood can be put in the primary heating pipe for a long time, and thin wood can be heated in a short time. For example, a 10 cm square wood is put into the primary heating pipe 3 for several hours and heated.

The wood heated by the primary heating pipe 3 is quickly set on the press 2 so as not to cool.
When setting the wood, the press 2 contracts the cylinder to keep the press plates wide open. The primary heated wood is inserted between the press plates.

The wood is pressed by the press machine 2. When the press machine 2 includes the high-frequency power supply 23, the wood can be heated again with high frequency. At this time, the heating temperature of the wood is 130 to 250 ° C. The wood is pressed from four directions by the vertical and horizontal cylinders 19 and 18 of the press machine 2 and compressed. The compressed wood is squashed and stiffened from the soft Natsume part. The wood is cooled while being kept in the pressed state. After cooling, the rods of the vertical and horizontal cylinders 19 and 18 are contracted to release the press plate, and the wood is taken out.

Further, in the apparatus of the present invention, the number of primary heating pipes to be arranged is adjusted according to the thickness, type, shape, etc. of the wood. It depends on the heating time of the wood and the pressing time of the wood.
This is because it varies depending on the thickness, type, shape, and the like of wood.
For example, thick wood takes longer to heat.
In addition, cylindrical wood has a longer press time than prismatic wood. Therefore, the number of primary heating pipes provided in the press device is determined by the heating time of the wood and the pressing time of the heated wood. When processing wood with a long heating time or wood with a short press time, increase the number of primary heating pipes.When processing wood with a short heating time or wood with a long press time, use a primary heating pipe. Reduce the number. For example, if the time for heating the wood with the primary heating pipe is 30 minutes and the time for pressing the wood with the press machine is 5 minutes, six primary heating pipes are provided. This device efficiently compresses wood as follows.

The wood is put into the primary heating pipe 3, and the entrance 3 B is hermetically sealed with the opening / closing lid 6. Heat and pressurized steam are injected into the closed primary heating pipe 3 to heat the entire wood. The wood is put into the next primary heating pipe 3 and heated in the same manner as described above. This process is repeated every 5 minutes,
Wood is put into all the primary heating pipes 3 and heated. When the wood inserted into the first primary heating pipe 3 is sufficiently heated, the heated wood is taken out and carried into the press 2. Another piece of unheated wood is put in the empty primary heating pipe 3 and hermetically sealed, and then heated and pressurized steam is injected to heat the wood. The wood carried into the press machine 2 is pressed. After 5 minutes, the pressed wood is removed from the press 2. By the time the pressing of the wood is completed, the wood in the next primary heating pipe 3 is sufficiently heated. The heated wood is taken out and carried into the press machine 2.
Another piece of unheated wood is put in the empty primary heating pipe 3 and hermetically sealed, and then heated and pressurized steam is injected to heat the wood. Repeat steps ~ to heat the wood one after another,
Press to high density.

[0053]

The method for heating and pressing wood according to the present invention and the press apparatus used in this method are characterized in that the wood can be efficiently primary-heated and the pressure tank for primary heating of the wood can be manufactured at low cost. . It is because the primary heater is
This is because a primary heating pipe, which is a pressure tank for primarily heating wood, is separated into a plurality of pieces. The tubular primary heating pipe separated into a plurality of pieces can take out the heat-treated wood without affecting other primary heating pipes. Therefore, the primary heating pipe in another heating state can heat the wood without exhausting steam. For this reason, the thermal efficiency of the primary heating pipe for heating wood is improved. Furthermore, the device of this structure allows the primary heating pipe to be more compact than conventional pressure tanks. This is because the primary heating pipe divided into a plurality of pieces can use a small pipe for separately heating a plurality of pieces of wood. Therefore, the present invention does not require a large and expensive pressure tank as in the related art, and can manufacture a pressure tank for primarily heating wood at low cost.

Further, the method for heating and pressing wood of the present invention and the press apparatus used in this method have the feature that wood of different thicknesses can be efficiently heated. This is because the method and apparatus of the present invention for separating the primary heating pipe into a plurality of pieces can adjust the heating time according to the thickness of the wood to be heated. For example, the primary heating pipe with thick wood inserted,
The primary heating pipe with a long heating time and thin wood is set to a short heating time. That is, the primary heating pipe separated into a plurality of pieces can heat each of the plurality of pieces of wood to be inserted in an ideal time. Therefore, the primary heating pipe separated into a plurality of pieces can adjust the heating time according to the wood to be inserted, and can heat all the wood in an ideal state. Thus, the method and apparatus of the present invention that can efficiently heat all wood can effectively use a press machine,
Improvement of the processing efficiency of the press device can be realized.

In addition, the method and apparatus of the present invention do not heat multiple timbers in one large pressure tank, as in the prior art. According to the present invention, a plurality of pieces of wood are separately inserted into a plurality of cylindrical primary heating pipes. Therefore, there is a feature that uneven heating of wood can be reduced. In a conventional apparatus that inserts and heats a plurality of pieces of wood into one tank, contact or overlap may occur between the pieces of wood to be inserted. For this reason, steam does not easily come into contact with this portion, and it becomes impossible to sufficiently heat the portion in a short time. However, the method and apparatus of the present invention separates the primary heating pipe for primary heating of the wood into a plurality of primary heating pipes. The separated primary heating pipe can heat the wood from the entire circumference by separately inserting the wood into each pipe. Wood that is heated from the entire circumference is heated efficiently without uneven heating. Therefore, there is a feature that the time required for heating the wood can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a press device used in a method of heating and pressing wood according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a primary heating pipe shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the primary heating pipe shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a press according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the press shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the press unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the press unit shown in FIG.

8 is a schematic perspective view of the press unit shown in FIG.

9 is a schematic sectional view of the press unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a connection portion between a first press plate and a second press plate of the press unit shown in FIG. 6;

11 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 11, showing a linear motion bearing portion for moving an adjacent press plate in the press direction.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a press unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a hot plate having an electrode plate connected to a high-frequency power supply.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Primary heating machine 2 ... Pressing machine 3 ... Primary heating pipe 3A ... Pipe 3B ... Entrance 3C ... Press-fitting part 4 ... Boiler 5 ... Piping 6 ... Opening / closing lid 6A ... Through hole 7 ... Flange 7A ... Through hole 8 ... Connector 9 ... Hinges 10 ... Packing 11 ... Press-fitting pipe 12 ... On-off valve 13 ... Steam stop valve 14 ... On-off valve 15 ... Connecting pipe 16 ... Spare connecting pipe 17A ... First press plate 17B ... Second press plate 17C ... Third press plate 17D Fourth press plate 18 Horizontal cylinder 18A First cylinder 18B Third cylinder 19 Vertical cylinder 19A Second cylinder 19B Fourth cylinder 20 Linear bearing 21 Arm 22 Reinforcing rib 23 High frequency power supply 24 ... insulating material 25 ... electrode plate 26 ... substrate 27 ... hot plate U ... press unit

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A press machine after first heating wood with steam
In the method of pressing wood, which is transported to (2) and presses the wood heated to the softening temperature around the entire circumference to compress it at a high density, in the process of primary heating of the wood, multiple pieces of wood are separated into multiple pieces The primary heating pipe (3) is inserted separately into the cylindrical primary heating pipe (3), and the primary heating pipe (3), into which the wood has been carried, is airtightly closed. Then, when the wood is heated by heating and pressurized steam, heating the heated wood to the primary heating pipe (3) being carried in,
Stop the injection of pressurized steam, open the primary heating pipe (3) where heating and pressurized steam are no longer supplied, and carry wood into the press (2) from the primary heating pipe (3) and press it. A method of heating and pressing wood. 2. A primary heater for primary heating wood with steam.
(1) and a press machine that further heats the wood heated by this primary heating machine (1), or presses the heated and softened wood without heating all around and compresses it to a high density (2) In the press device consisting of: a primary heating machine (1), pressurized and heated independently to a plurality of primary heating pipes (3) having a cylindrical shape and a plurality of primary heating pipes (3). A boiler (4) for injecting steam is provided.The primary heating pipe (3) has an opening (3B) at the end through which wood can be taken in and out, and the primary heating pipe (3) An opening / closing lid (6) that can close airtightly is provided, and a plurality of pieces of wood are separately and separately inserted into a plurality of primary heating pipes (3), and a primary heating pipe (3) into which wood is inserted. The entrance is closed airtightly with an opening / closing lid (6), the boiler (4) heats the wood, into which pressurized steam is injected, and heats the wood. A wood press apparatus characterized in that the open / close lid (6) of the obtained primary heating pipe (3) is opened, and the heated wood is carried into the press machine (2) and pressed.