US3038585A

US3038585A - Automatic transfer means for off-bearing assembly

Info

Publication number: US3038585A
Application number: US50709A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur H Beckley
Original assignee: Moore Dry Kiln Co
Current assignee: Moore Dry Kiln Co
Priority date: 1960-08-19
Filing date: 1960-08-19
Publication date: 1962-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 1979-06-12

Description

4 June 12, 1962 A. H. BECKLEY 3,038,585

AUTOMATIC TRANSFER MEANS FOR OFF-BEARING ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 19, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. ARTHUR H. BECKLEY ATTORNEY:

June 12, 1962 I A. H. BECKLEY 3,033,585

AUTOMATIC TRANSFER MEANS FOR OFF-BEARING ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 19, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 n H u h h ll] I II I:

June 12, 1962 Q A. H. BECKLEY 3,038,585

AUTOMATIC TRANSFER MEANS FOR OFF-BEARING ASSEMBLY Filed Aug 19, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 JVENR. ARTHUR H. BECKLEY ATTORNEY June 12, 1962 A. H. BECKLEY 3,038,585

AUTOMATIC TRANSFER MEANS FOR OFF-BEARING ASSEMBLY INVENTOR. ARTHUR H. BECKLEY Patented June 12, 1962' 3,038,585 AUTOMATIC TRANSFER MEANS FUR OFF-BEARHJG ASSEMBLY Arthur H. Beckley, Portland, Greg, assignor to Moore Dry Kiln Company, North Portland, Greg, a corporation of Oregon Filed Aug. 19, 1960, Ser. No. 50,709 7 Claims. (Cl. 19832) This invention relates to the handling of sheets of material required to be transferred individually and consecutively from a multiple deck supply source onto a single conveyor.

The present invention, like the invention described in my pending application for U8. patent Serial No. 853,- 285, filed under date of November 16, 1959, entitled Automatic Oil-Bearing Assembly for Dryers, relates in particular to the automatic transfer of sheets of veneer, received from a multiple deck dryer and cooler, and from a corresponding multiple deck off-bearing assembly, onto a single continouus conveyor; and this application is a continuation-in-part of the previous application Serial No. 853,285 to which reference is made.

In the device of the previous application the sheets are transferred consecutively from the consecutive decks of the multiple deck off-bearing assembly onto a tipple which in turn delivers the sheets consecutively to the single final endless conveyor, the transfer of the sheets from the various decks of the off-bearing assembly onto the tipple requiring separate control means, including pinch wheels and operating mechanism and controls therefor, mounted on the discharging end of each deck of the ofi-bean'ng assembly. A particular object of the present invention is to provide an improved and simplified control system and means in which only a single set of pinch wheels, mounted on the receiving end of the tipple, will be required, and in which a corresponding single set of controls, also carried on the tipple, will take the place of the plurality of separate controls described for the device in the previous application.

A related object is to provide an improved transfer means, especially adapted for use with sheets of veneer delivered from a multiple deck dryer and cooler, which will function automatically to transfer the sheets in consecutive order, which will be readily adjustable for operation under various circumstances, and which will not be extensively complicated in construction or troublesome in maintenance.

The manner in which and the means by which these particular objects and other advantages are attained in the present invention will be explained and described briefly in the following specification with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1A is a foreshortened diagrammatic side illustration of a multiple deck off-bearing section together with a connected end of the multiple deck dryer and cooler, indicating in broken lines the driving means for the feeder rolls in the off-bearing section and showing in part the connection with the driving feed rolls of the dryer and cooler through the medium of which a master control is provided for the operation of the oil-bearing section and tipple;

FIG. 1B is a continuation of FIG. 1A and is an elevation, partly diagrammatic, of the transfer tipple by which the sheets are transferred from the consecutive decks of the off-bearing section to the endless conveyor, a portion of the latter being shown on the right and a portion of the discharging end of the off-bearing section being shown on the left, the tipple being shown in its highest position for receiving a-sheet or sheets from the top deck of the off-bearing section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1B, but drawn to a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation taken on the line indicated at 33 of FIG. 2 and corresponding in part to FIG. 1B, but showing the tipple just before it has reached its highest position; v

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 44 of FIG. 2, the tipple being shown in highest position and receiving a sheet from the top deck of the off-bearing section, the sheet being omitted for clarity but its course being indicated by the line S;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary partial elevation and partial section on line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view on line 6-6 of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section on line 7-7 of FIG. 6 drawn to a larger scale; and

FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic wiring diagram to illustrate the manner in which the operation of the device is controlled and synchronized.

Referring first to FIG. 1A, the reference 10 indicates the discharging end of a six deck dryer and cooler, the decks of which discharge respectively onto the

corresponding decks

12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of the six deck off-bearing section indicated in general by the reference character 11. Each deck of the dryer and cooler 10 is provided with driven feed rolls, indicated by the broken lines 18, these feed rolls being driven in unison by suitable means (not shown) with adjustable control (not shown) as is customary, in order that the speed of the passage of the veneer sheets through the dryer and cooler may be adjusted as desired according to circumstances. The speed of operation of the tipple or transfer means later described is governed by the speed of operation of the dryer and cooler, as will be hereinafter explained.

Each deck of the off-bearing section 11 is provided with driven feed rolls 19 which are connected by drive chains 20. The fast or end feed rolls 19 on each deck of the off-bearing section are in turn connected together by'a series of drive chains 21. A drive sprocket 22 for the end feed roll on the bottom deck is connected by an endless drive chain 23 with a motor M1.

A stop fence, indicated in general by the reference character 24 (FIGS. 1A and 2) is mounted at the discharging end of each deck of the off-bearing section 11. These stop fences, described later, are held in normal or closed position by springs. As each sheet reaches the discharging end of a deck of the off-bearing section it is temporarily restrained by the respective stop fence until the fence is momentarily raised against the. force of its springs by the transfer tipple as hereinafter described.

Referring now to FIG. 1B, the tipple 25 includes a frame 26 which is pivotally supported at its discharge end on a supporting structure 27 and is swingable up and down on a horizontal axis. The tipple frame 26 is also supported at each side on a pair of identical hydraulic pistons and piston rods, one of these piston rods 28 and its hydraulic cylinder 29 being shown in FIG. 1B. The top end of each piston rod is pivotally connected to a bracket 30 secured on the corresponding side of the tipple frame, and the hydraulic cylinder is pivotally mounted on a base support 31.

The pair of hydraulic pistons at the opposite sides of the tipple frame are operated in unison, the hydraulic fluid for the operation being delivered into an withdrawn from opposite ends of the hydraulic cylinders through conduits under the control of suitable solenoid-operated valves and the conduits being connected with a pump assembly (not shown) operated by the motor M2. The

pump, valves and controls for this hydraulic assembly are of well known design and need not be described in detail since they do not constitute part of the present invention. The entire hydraulic assembly is so arranged and so controlled by automatic switch means that the hydraulic pistons move the tipple from its lowest position (in registration with the bottom deck 12 of the olfbearing section 11) to its highest position (in registration with the top deck 17 of the off-bearing section) in a series of five moves occurring during equal periods of time, and then return the receiving end of the tipple from its highest to its lowest position quickly during a single equal period of time. The delivery of sheets of veneer from the respective decks of the off-bearing section 11 occurs during the upward travel of the tipple only.

In order to maintain the up and down movement of the tipple exactly the same at both sides of the tipple, and thus to prevent any slight tipping of the tipple towards one side or the other, which might be occasioned by a tendency for one hydraulic piston to move at a slightly different speed from the other or to move over a slightly different distance, a pair of identical rack bars, one of which is shown at 32 in FIG. 1B, are pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the tipple frame respectively. Each rack bar moves through a guideway 33 attached to the tipple frame where it is held in constant engagement with a pinion 34. The two pinions 34 for the two rack bars respectively are identical and are connected to a common shaft which is rotatably supported in the pair of guideways.

The tipple is provided with a series of feed rolls 35 (FIG. 1B) and these feed rolls are connected by drive chains 36 and driven in unison by driving connection with a motor M3, the first feed roll on the receiving end of the tipple being indicated by the special reference 35' for convenience. Pivotally supported press rolls 37 are arranged so as to rest on some of these feed rolls 35 and thus to bear on the veneer sheets which move along over the feed rolls 35 in order to keep the veneer sheets on the tipple moving at the desired speed for which the motor M3 is set. The pivotally mounted or discharging end of the tipple (thus the right hand end as viewed in FIG. 1B) discharges onto an endless travelling conveyor indicated at part at 38 in FIG. 1B.

A series of identical, transversely arranged, pinch wheels 39 (FIGS. 1B, 2, 3, 4, and are carried on the receiving end of the tipple '25 for the purpose of bearing down on the first feed roll 35' on the tipple in order to cause a veneer sheet, when discharged from the deck of the off-bearing section 11 onto the tipple, to be gripped and moved forwardly on the tipple. A shaft 40 has its journal end portions rotatably mounted respectively in a pair of plates 41 carried at opposite sides of the tipple frame 26, one of these plates 41 being shown in FIGS. 1B, 2 and 3, and the other being shown in FIG. 4. Pairs of parallel brackets 42 are carried on the shaft 40 in transverse alignment. A pinch wheel carriage 43 is pivotally mounted at one end on a pin 44 carried by each pair of brackets 42. A lower pin 45 limits the downward swing of the carriage 43 with respect to its pair of supporting brackets. A pinch wheel 35' is rotatably supported in the opposite or free end of the carriage 43. A bar 46 extends upwardly from the middle of the pin 45 through an aperture in the cross web (indicated in broken lines at 47 in FIG. 4). The upper end of this bar is threaded and carries an adjustable nut, and a coil spring 48 is carried on this bar and is held under compression between the cross web and the nut. These pinch wheel assemblies are the same as those described in more detail in the application Serial No. 853,285 previously referred to.

A member 49 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is rigidly secured on the reduced journal end portion of the shaft 40 beyond the side plate 41. An arm 50, extending from member 49, is pivotally connected at its outer end to the piston rod 51 of the piston in an air cylinder 52, which air cylinder is pivotally supported on the side of the tipple frame 26. Thus, as apparent, movement of the piston in one direction (upwardly) in the air cylinder 52 causes the pinch wheels 39 to be lowered from the normal raised inoperative position, indicated in FIG. 3, to the lowered engaging position indicated in FIGS. 1B and 4, for the purpose of engaging a veneer sheet as such sheet is received on the tipple, while movement of the air piston in the reverse direction returns the pinch wheels to their normal raised inoperative position.

A stop fence 53 (FIG. 2) is mounted on the tipple and extends transversely, being positioned a short distance inwardly on the receiving end of the tipple from the first feed roll 35'. This stop fence comprises a fence shaft 54, the reduced journal ends of which are also mounted in the side plates 41 on the tipple frame, and an elongated narrow flange plate or stop fence 54 which is secured to the shaft 54. A second arm 55, extending from the member 49 (FIGS. 1B and 3), carries a pin which engages a slot in an arm secured to the end of the fence shaft for the stop fence 53. Thus movement of the piston in air cylinder 52 operates the stop fence 53 simultaneously with the operation of the pinch wheels 39, the arrangement being such that when the pinch wheels are in raised position the stop fence will be in lowered blocking position, and when the pinch wheels are lowered as indicated in FIG. 4, the stop fence will be raised in order to permit the veneer sheet or sheets, engaged by the pinch wheels, to proceed forwardly on the tipple. Frequently two or more sheets of veneer will be received side by side on a deck of the off-bearing section, and as these are delivered onto the receiving end of the tipple one sheet may be slightly ahead of the other or others. However the stop fence 53 on the tipple, by restraining the movement of the sheets from the deck of the off-bearing section momentarily until the pinch wheels are lowered, will cause them to become lined up evenly on the tipple and consequently to be delivered onto the final endless conveyor 38 in proper arrangement.

A corresponding arrangement (not shown) of air cylinder, piston, and connecting operating arms for the shaft 40 for the pinch wheels and also for the shaft 54 for the stop fence, is provided on the opposite side of the tipple frame. The activation of the two air cylinders is controlled by a solenoid-operated valve, as later explained.

The stop fence 24, positioned at the discharging end of each deck of the off-bearing section 11, is similar to the stop fence 53 on the tipple. The stop fence for each of the decks on the off-bearing section, with the exception of the bottom deck, that is to say, for the

decks

13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 (FIGS. 1A and 1B) has an arm 56 at each end which is normally held by a coil spring 57 against the bottom stop 58 (see FIG. 3), causing the stop fence to be held in a normal lowered blocking position. Means, carried by the tipple, as presently explained, is so arranged as to engage the arms 56 for each stop fence momentarily as the tipple moves upwardly into registration with that deck.

An operating arm 59 (FIGS. 1B, 2, 3 and 5) is pivotally mounted at each side of the receiving end of the tipple on a bracket 60 secured to the tipple frame. Each arm 59 carries a roller 61 (shown best in FIGS. 3 and 5) adapted for engagement with a stop fence arm 56 upon upward movement of the tipple when the operating arm 59 1S moved into the outer or engaging position, shown in full lines in FIG. 3. A piston shaft 62 is connected to the arm 59 and the piston shaft is operated by a piston in an air cylinder 63 mounted on the tipple. Activation of the air cylinder 63 is controlled by a solenoidoperated valve, as later explained. This arrangement is such that, when the tipple, during its upward travel, moves from one deck to the next higher deck, the arm 59 will be automatically moved to the outward engaging position momentarily in order to engage the arm 56 of the stop fence on the deck with which the tipple is being brought into registration. When the tipple starts to move out of registration with the deck, or whenever the tipple is moving in a downward direction, this arm 59 will be held in inoperative position (that is to say, will be moved to the right, or clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 3), so as to be out of engaging position.

The stop fence 24 for the bottom deck 12 of the offbearing section 11 (see FIGS. 1A and and 1B) is the same as the stop fences on the other five decks except that it is oppositely arranged and extends upwardly instead of downwardly when in closed position. Its shaft therefore is located slightly below the top of the adjacent feed roll of the off-bearing section instead of being located slightly above such roll as in the case of the stop fences for the other five decks. An arm 56 is connected to each end of the shaft for this bottom stop fence, and a coil spring 57' is attached to each arm 56' to hold it normally up against a stop 58 and thus holding the bottom fence normally in the closed position, but enabling the fence to be opened when the arms 56' are thrust downwardly against the force of their springs. Each side plate 4-1 on the tipple has a projecting portion 64 (FIG. 3) which carries a roller positioned to engage the arm 56 when the tipple reaches its lowest position. Thus, as the tipple moves into its lowest position and into registration with the bottom deck 12 of the off-bearing section 11, the arms 56 are engaged and are pushed downwardly and cause the stop fence on the deck 12 to open.

In this way, as the tipple reaches its lowest position, the stop fence on the bottom deck 12 of the off-bearing section is raised, allowing the sheet or sheets at the discharging end of this deck to pass onto the tipple up to the stop fence on the tipple. Then, as the pinch wheels on the tipple are lowered to engage the sheet or sheets as they are received, the stop fence on the tipple is also raised and the sheet or sheets are caused to proceed on their course on the tipple. After a momentary predetermined time delay the tipple then starts moving upwardly, the pinch wheels having been raised on the tipple and the stop fence having been lowered on the tipple to normal position. Now as the tipple moves upwardly the arms 59 on the tipple are moved into outward position to engage the fence arms 56 for the stop fence on the next deck 13 of the off-bearing section, so that by the time the tipple is in registration with the next deck 13 the stop fence on that deck has been raised. At this point the lowering of the pinch wheels and the raising of the stop fence on the tipple again takes place as before.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A, 6 and 7, a housing 65 is mounted on one side of the off-bearing section 11 and contains an adjustable gear drive which is driven by

drive chain connections

66 and 67 from one of the drive feed rolls 18 on the dryer and cooler 10. A shaft 69 (FIGS. 6 and 7), rotated through the intermediary of the adjustable gear drive in the housing 65, carries a pair of cam discs 70 and 71, each of which has six equally spaced cam lobes (corresponding to the number of decks in the oif-bearing section), which lobes engage a

contact element

72 or 73 respectively upon the rotation of the cam discs. The discs are so arranged that their cam lobes are staggered with respect to each other. When the contact element 73 for the cam disc 71, for example, is connected through a suitable timed delay relay with the relays and solenoids for the hydraulic valves controlling the movements of the tipple, and also with the relays for the circuits controlling the actuation of the air cylinders on the tipple for the pinch wheels and stop fence, and for the air cylinders for the arms 59, the successive engagement of the contact element 73 by the six cam lobes on the disc '71 during one revolution of the disc 71 will complete one cycle of operation of the device, for the entire six decks of the off-bearing section, with the proper timing for veneer sheets of a particular length, thus, for sheets of the customary length of eight feet. However, if veneer sheets having a length of only four feet are to 6 be handled in the device, then the contact element 72 for the other disc is also connected into the same circuits, and, since the cam lobes on the two discs 71 and 70 are staggered with respect to each other, the connecting of the contact 72 as well as the contact '73 into the operating circuits and the adjusment of the time delay relay will double the speed of operation of the device, thus enabling the device to operate with full efficiency for four foot veneer sheets. Furthermore, by adjusting the hand wheel 74 (FIG. 6) of the ratio adjustment of the adjustable gear drive for the shaft 69, intermediate and further variations in the timing periods and thu in the speed of operation of the device are attainable to correspond to other lengths of veneer sheets, should the veneer sheets which are being put through the dryer and cooler be of some other length.

A bar 84 (FIG. 1B), attached to the frame 26 of the tipple 25, supports a carriage 83 which slides up and down in a guideway 85 with the up and down movement of the tipple. The carriage 83 has a member 83 which engages actuating elements for switch assemblies arranged in a succession of six

switch boxes

74, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79, which are so positioned that the travel of the moving or receiving end of the tipple intermittently from the lowest deck 12 to the top deck 17 (FIG. 1A) of the off-bearing section 11 will cause the switch assemblies to be engaged respectively. The controlled movement of the tipple 25 is such that when, for example, the tipple reaches its highest position, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, thus receiving the veneer sheet or sheets from the top deck 17 of the off-bearing section 11, the member 83' will be in engagement with the actuating element for the top switch box 79. The tipple then remains in this position for a predetermined period of time during which the stop fence for the discharging end of the top deck 17 of the off-bearing section is raised, the pinch wheels on the tipple are lowered, and the stop fence on the tipple is raised. Such period of time is sufficient to allow the sheet or sheets of veneer from the end of the deck 17 to be discharged onto the tipple. Then the tipple moves quickly down to the'lowest deck of the off-bearing section during the same predetermined period, required for moving upwardly from one deck to the next, and remains at the lowest deck 12 for the same period with the member 83 then engaging the actuating element in the switch box 74. Thereupon the tipple starts its intermittent upward movement. The downward movement of the tipple in the device illustrated accordingly is five times as fast as each intermittent upward movement.

Each of the switch boxes 74 to 79 inclusive, as indicated in FIG. 8 to be referred to presently, contain a pair of

switches

74A and 74B, 75A and 75B, 76A and 76B, 77A and 77B, 78A and 78B, and 79A and 7913. The switches 74A 79A are normally open but are closed when the contact member 83' engages the actuating element for the respective switch box, and the switches 74B 79B are normally closed but are opened by such engagement with the actuating element for the respective switch box.

The actuation of the solenoids for the hydraulic valves governing the movement of the tipple, the actuation of the solenoid for the air valve controlling the air cylinders and pistons which operate the pinch wheels and stop fence on the tipple, and the solenoid for the air valve controlling the cylinders for operating the arms 59 on the tipple, and the connected time delay elements, all function automatically in accordance with the speed at which the entire device is set to operate, and the speed in turn is governed by such conditions as the speed of the dryer and cooler and the length of the veneer sheets being handled, as previously mentioned.

The manner in which the operations are coordinated and automatically controlled can be explained briefly and more clearly with reference to the schematic diagram of FIG. 8. In this schematic diagram all unimportant wiring 7 details have been omitted for the sake of simplicity and clarity.

In FIG. 8, in which L1 and L2 are the two power line conductors, the solenoid for the hydraulic valve controlling the upward movement of the tipple is indicated at 96, the solenoid for the hydraulic valve controlling the downward movement of the tipple is indicated at 106, the solenoid for the air valve controlling the operation of the cylinders for the pinch wheels and stop fence on the tipple is indicated at 122, and the solenoid controlling the actuation of the cylinders for operating the arms 59 on the tipple, which operate the stop fences on the upper five decks of the off-bearing assembly 11, is indicated at 123. The

switch boxes

74, 75, 76, 77, '78, and 79 are indicated twice, once to show the normally open switches 74A 79A, and again to show the normally closed switches in these boxes, 74B 79B. The switches 72' and 73 are the switches for the contact elements 72 and 73 (FIG. 6) through which contacts are intermittently made by the rotating cam discs 70 and 71 (FIG. 6) previously mentioned. For the purpose of illustration it is first assumed that only eight foot veneer sheets are being put through the device. In such case switch 72 is not connected and the operation of the device is to be considered as controlled entirely through switch 73.

Let it be assumed that at the start, the tipple is in the lowest position in registration with the bottom deck 12 of the off-bearing section. Thus switch 74A will have been moved to closed position and the switch 743 will have been moved to open position. The

time switch contacts

112 and 113 for the cam disc operated switch 73 are previously manually set and closed. Each time the switch 73 is closed (that is each time one of the lobes on the rotating cam disc 71 of FIG. 6 closes a contact), the time delay relay 86 is activated. Time delay relay 86 is arranged to close the time switch 87. The closing of time switch 87 results in activating solenoid 122 through the closed switch 74A and the activation of this solenoid 122 causes lowering of the pinch wheels and raising of the stop fence on the tipple. Time delay relay 86 also momentarily closes switch 88 activating time delay switch 89 through normally closed switch 98 (mentioned later) and through the manually closed time switch contact 113 previously mentioned. Activation of time delay switch 89 closes the holding switch 90, and it also closes switch 91. The closing of switch 91 momentarily causes current to pass to control relay 93 through the normally closed switch 92 (mentioned later). Control relay 93 operates to close holding switch 94-. Control relay 93 also closes switch 95 and opens switch 98. The closing of switch 95 causes activation of solenoid 96 through normally closed switch 107 (mentioned later). This results in upward movement of the tipple. Switch 95 and switch 92 are connected so that the momentary closing of switch 95 causes switch 92 to be opened. Since the switch 74B returns to its normal closed position immediately the tipple starts moving upwardly, the current to control relay 93 momentarily continues and thus holds switch 95 closed and solenoid 96 remains activated with the tipple moving upwardly. The closing of switch 95 activates time delay relay 97 which holds switch 92 open. The activation of control relay 93 also opens switch 98 thereupon rendering time delay switch 89 inactive, which opens

switches

90 and 91 and causes switch 89 to be reset for the next cycle.

When the tipple reaches the second deck 13 of the offbearing section 11 the switch 75B is opened and companion switch 75A is closed. The opening of switch 75B interrupts the circuit to control relay 93 which opens

switches

94 and 95 and allows

switches

92 and 98 to close, and deactivates solenoid 96, causing the tipple to stop its upward movement. The closing of the switch 75A again activates solenoid 122 for the pinch wheels and stop gate on the tipple. This cycle of switch operations is repeated five times as the tipple moves upwardly in intermittent periods, each cycle being caused by the closing of the switch 73 as a result of the engagement of the cam lobes on the disc 71, as previously mentioned.

The arms 59 on the tipple remain in outward engaging position all the time the tipple is travelling upwardly, thus causing the stop gate on each of the decks 13 to 17 of the oil-bearing section to be momentarily opened as the tipple comes into registration with the respective deck.

When the tipple reaches the top deck it opens switch 79B and closes related switch 79A, the opening of switch 79B closes a connected switch 79C which activates control relay 99. This relay 99 closes switch 101. The activation of control relay 93 through switch 92 as previously described, also closes switch 102, and, since switch 101 is now closed the current relay 103 is activated. This relay 103 opens switch 107, closes switch 105, and closes the holding circuit switch 104. The closing of switch 105 activates solenoid 106 which produces downward movement of the tipple. The closing of switch 105 also closes switch 121 which activates solenoid 123, and the activation of this solenoid causes the arms 59 on the tipple to be retracted during the downward travel of the tipple. When the tipple reaches the bottom deck 12 the switch 74B is opened and the switch 74A is closed for the next cycle. Manual control switches are indicated at 108 and 120.

If four foot sheets are now to be handled in place of eight foot sheets the circuit will be closed through the switch 72 as well as through the switch 73'. In other words, both disc 70 and 71 (FIG. 6) will govern the time period cycle. In this case manual switch 72" is closed to enable the closing of switch 72' by its disc to become effective. The time delay relay switches 114 and 116 are also manually closed thus enabling time delay relays and 117 to function in the same manner as the time delay relays 86 and 39 previously mentioned. Now time delay relay 115 operates to close switch 87 and switch 110, and time delay relay 117 operates the holding switch 109 and switch 111. The operation throughout the cycle is as previously described, but since each cycle alternately by the closing of the contacts for both cam discs with their cam lobes staggered, and thus by the alternate closing of switches 73 and 72', as illustrated in FIG. 8, the cycles take place twice as rapidly, and consequently the entire device is speeded up so as to handle veneer sheets of four feet in length instead of eight feet in length with similar efficiency.

As previously indicated, the cycles of operation can be varied further by adjusting the adjustable gear drive connection by which the disc shaft 69 is driven from the driving rolls of the dryer and cooler. Thus the entire device, including the off-bearing section 11 and the moving tipple for transferring the sheets can be adjustably set to operate automatically at the speed desired with respect to the speed of the dryer and cooler and to correspond to the length of the veneer sheets being handled, and the sheets will be delivered at the desired rate, separately and consecutively, onto the continuous moving conveyor indicated at 38 in FIG. 1B.

While the device has been illustrated and described for use with a six deck dryer and cooler, and correspondingly with an cit-bearing section having six decks, this device can easily be arranged for operation with any number of decks, especially since only one set of pinch rolls and one stop fence on the moving tipple are required regardless of the number of decks served by the tipple.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described for handling and transferring sheets of material, including a multiple deck dryer and cooler having driven feed rolls and a multiple deck off-bearing assembly, a conveyor tipple having a receiving end movable into registry with the discharging ends of the decks of the off-bearing assembly, means for moving said receiving end of said tipple up and down intermittently and for bringing said tipple end into registration with said decks of said off-bearing section respectively, 1 a control assembly automatically governing the operation of said means, said control assembly connected with and actuated by the driven feed rolls on the dryer and cooler, whereby the operation of said tipple is automatically governed with respect to the speed of operation of said dryer and cooler, a stop fence at the discharging end of each deck of said off-bearing assembly, said fences in normal blocking position restraining the discharge of sheets from their respective decks, an engageable operating member connected with each fence for moving the fence into inoperative releasing position, and cooperating elements on said receiving end of said tipple for engaging said operating members respectively and moving said fences into releasing position as said receiving end of said tipple is brought into registration with said decks of said off-bearing assembly respectively.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 with each of said stop fences comprising a rotatable shaft having a longitudinally-extending flange, the stop fence being in operative blocking position when said flange is substantially vertical, and spring means connected with each stop fence normally holding the fence in such operative position.

3. In a device of the character descrlibed for handling and transferring sheets of material, including a multiple deck dryer and cooler having driven feed rolls and a multiple deck off-bearing assembly, a conveyor tipple having a receiving end movable into registry with the discharging ends of the decks of the off-bearing assembly, means for moving said receiving end of said tipple up and down intermittently and for bringing said tipple end into registration with said decks of said off-bearing section respectively, a control assembly automatically governing the operation of said means, said control assembly connected with and actuated by the driven feed rolls on the dryer and cooler, whereby the operation of said tipple is automatically governed with respect to the speed of operation of said dryer and cooler, a stop fence at the discharge end of each deck of said off-bearing assembly, said fences in normal blocking position restraining the discharge of sheets from their respective decks, each of said stop fences comprising a rotatable shaft having a longitudinally-extending flange, the stop being in operative blocking position when the flange is substantially vertical, a fence-operating arm on each stop fence extending beyond the ends of said off-bearing section decks, means on said tipple for engaging the arm for the stop fence for the bottom deck of said off-bearing section when said tipple moves down into registration with said last mentioned deck, an operative element on said tipple capable of engaging the arms for the other stop fences on said other decks of said off-bearing section when said triple moves into registration with said other decks respectively and when said element is moved into operative position, and means on said tipple for automatically operating said element.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 with the means for operating said element on said tipple controlled by said control assembly.

5. In a device of the character described for handling and transferring sheets of material, including a multiple deck dryer and cooler having drivenfeed rolls and a multiple deck off-bearing assembly, a conveyor tipple having a receiving end movable into registry with the discharging ends of the decks of the off-bearing assembly, means for moving said receiving end of said tipple up and down intermittently and for bringing said tipple end into registration with said decks of said off-bearing section respectively, a control assembly automatically governing the operation of said means, said control assembly connected with and actuated by the driven feed rolls on the dryer and cooler, whereby the operation of said tipple is automatically governed with respect to the speed of operation of said dryer and cooler, a stop fence at the discharging end of each deck of said off-bearing assembly, said fences in normal blocking position restraining the discharge of sheets from 10 their respective decks, means carried by said tipple for moving said fences to inoperative releasing position as said receiving end of said tipple is brought into registration with said decks of said off-bearing section respectively,

' pinch wheels on said receiving end of said tipple, and

means on said tipple automatically moving said pinch wheels into operative position whenever said tipple is brought into registration with said decks of said offbearing section respectively, pinch wheels on said receiving end of said tipple, and means on said tipple automatically moving said pinch wheels into operative position whenever said tipple is brought into registration with a deck on said off-bearing section.

6. In a device of the character described for handling and transferring sheets of material, including a multiple deck dryer and cooler having driven feed rolls and a multiple deck off-bearing assembly, a conveyor tipple having a receiving end movable into registry with the discharging ends of the decks of the off-bearing assembly, means for moving said receiving end of said tipple up and down intermittently and for bringing said tipple end into registration with said decks of said off-bearing section respectively, a control assembly automatically governing the operation of said means, said control assembly connected with and actuated by the driven feed rolls on the dryer and cooler, whereby the operation of said tipple is automatically governed with respect to the speed of operation of said dryer and cooler, a stop fence at the discharging end of each deck of said off-bearing assembly, said fences in normal blocking position restraining the discharge of sheets from their respective decks, means carried by the tipple for moving said fences to inoperative releasing position as said receiving end of said tipple is brought into registration with said decks of said off-bearing section respectively, pinch wheels and a stop fence on said receiving end of said tipple, and means on said tipple controlled by said control assembly for moving said pinch Wheels into operative position and simultaneously moving said latter mentioned stop fence into inoperative position whenever said tipple is brought into registration with a deck on said off-bearing section.

7. In a device of the character described for handling and transferring sheets of material, including a multiple deck dryer and cooler having driven feed rolls and a multiple deck ofi-bearing assembly, a conveyor tipple having a receiving end movable into registry with the discharging ends of the decks of the off-bearing assembly, means for moving said receiving end of said tipple up and down intermittently and for bringing said tipple end into registration with said decks of said off-bearing section respectively, a control assembly automatically governing the operation of said means, said control assembly connected with and actuated by the driven feed rolls on the dryer and cooler, whereby the operation of said tipple is automatically governed with respect to the speed of operation of said dryer and cooler, adjustable elements in said control assembly for adjusting the relative speed of said tipple with respect to said dryer and cooler to accommodate sheets of various lengths, a stop fence at the discharging end of each deck of said off-bearing assembly, said fences in normal blocking position restraining the discharge of sheets from their respective decks, each of said stop fences comprising a rotatable shaft having a longitudinallyextending flange, the stop fence being in operative blocking position when the flange is substantially vertical, spring means connected with each stop fence normally holding the fence in operative position, a fence-operating arm on each stop fence extending beyond the ends of said offbearing section decks, means on said tipple engaging the arm for the stop fence for the bottom deck of said olfbearing section when said tipple moves down into registration with said last mentioned deck, an operative element on said tipple capable of engaging the arms for the other stop fences on said off-bearing section when said tipple moves into registration with the respective deck and said element 1 1 i 12 is moved into operative position, means controlled by said Whenever said tipple is brought into registration With a control assembly for operating said element, pinch wheels deck on said off-bearing sectlon.

and a stop fence on said receiving end of said tipple, and References Cited in the file of this patent means on said tipple for automatically moving said pinch wheels into operative position and simultaneously moving 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS said latter mentioned stop fence into inoperative position 1,809,456 Streeter June 9, 1931