US3545744A - Veneer grade line apparatus - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Emil A. Herman,

a Star lite Box C 124, Westllr, Oregon 97492 1 [21] Appl. No. 778,694 [22] Filed Nov. 25, 1968 [45] Patented Dec. 8, 1970 [54] VENEER GRADE LINE APPARATUS '7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs. [52] US. 271/64, 209/74; 214/6; 271/68, 271/76, 271/86 [51 Int. B65h 29/60 [50] Field ol'Search 271/64, 68, 76, 86, 88; 214/60, 611, 6F; 209/74 [56] References Clted UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,224,761 12/1965 Meycr-Jagenbery 271/68 3,288,312 11/1966 Hughes 2l4/6(D)X' I Primary Examiner-Richard A. Schacher Attorney-James D. Givnan, .lr.

ABSTRACT: A sorting apparatus for flexible sheet material is disclosed embodying an elongate framework along which the sheets being sorted are consecutively moved by overlying slack belts. A first belt system as shown delivers sheets to said slack belts. Raisable diverter arms within a grading station selectively divert an oncoming sheet downwardly onto mova ble supports which receive and hold a quantity of like sheets of material for subsequent deposit onto a stack. The overlying belts are in frictional moving contact with the sheets both during passage along the framework and throughout the downward diverting onto the supports. Control means are provided for automatic sheet diverting and for release of a quantity of sheets from said movable supports.

. PATENTEnnEc 81970 3545144 S15E11 0F 3 INVENTOR. EMEL A. HERMA PATENTED DEC 8 1975 I saw 2 or 3 INVENTOR EMIL A. HERMAN PATENTEDBEQ sumsofs 3.545744 INVENTOR. EMIL A. HERMAN 1 VENEER-GRADE LINE APPARATUS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION The present invention relates to machinery for sorting sheet material and more particularly to an apparatus for sorting flexible sheet material such as wood veneer of the type taken from a peeler log for ultimate use .in a laminated product.

To the extent the priorart is known, various machines have been designed to accomplish the sorting of sawn board lumber which machines by necessity vary substantially in structure and function from the present invention 'which is directed toward the sorting of semirigid sheet material. The present disclosure is made in reference to the grading and sorting of thin, wooden veneers of the type peeled by a lathe turned log and ultimately combined with other veneer pieces as laminates of a plywood sheet. The thickness of such material will range, in conventional plywood layup operations, from one-tenth of an inch to seven thirty-seconds of an inch and accordingly is both flexible and easily damaged, such characteristics making the rapid sorting of same a very distinct problem from that of sorting board lumber.

While some efforts have been made in the art to provide a veneer sortpksuch efforts have been for the most part commercially unsuccessful to the extent known for the reason of their highly sophisticated design resulting in both high original price and costly maintenance; Further, services of highly skilled technicians are required to maintain same. By far the majority of veneer producing plants are of a relatively small size unable to afford nor maintain such sorting equipment. For these reasonssorting of peeled veneer is still, for the most part, done manually by men stationed along a conveyor line.

An even more undesirable feature of the existing veneer graders known is the unsatisfactory ratio of downtime to operational time, the downtime also causing the costly shutdown of associated production line equipment. 7

From'the foregoing it isbelieved apparent that a need has existed in the art at hand for-a veneer sorter utilizing for the most part tro'uble-free'componcnts in combination with highly reliable power-operated components combined to provide a grader line readily advantageous to and economically feasible for the typical veneer plant.

SUMMARY The present invention isdirec ted toward providing an apparatus for sorting flexible I sheet material according to selected criteria. Conveyor'means move the sheet material past a series of grading stations each of which includes diverter means actuated by the operator alone or in combination with a memory control system to terminate horizontal sheet passage of like sheets at a desired station. Temporary supporting means are included at each station on which are deposited the sheets until a desired quantity of sheets have been collected at which time release of the sheet supporting means allows said quantity of sheets to move onto a stack of sheet material previously sorted out at that grading station. Hence, the material is both sorted by the present apparatus and accurately stacked for convenient transfer for subsequent manufacturing steps.

The novel conveyor means of the present invention serves dually both to transfer consecutive sheets of material horizon tally past the several grading stations and upon their diversion from said horizontal path moves them downwardly whereat said sheets are collected. Utilization is made of slack conveyor belts in weighted frictional contact upon saidsheet for movement thereof at different levels In addition to the foregoing advantages it is an important object of the present invention to provide a grade line apparatus for rapidly sorting flexible, fairly fragile wood veneer sheets jwithout subjecting said veneer sheets to damage. Further, a single operator, in close surveillance of the entire grader line, can view the progress of each sheet as it is diverted and comes to rest at its appropriate grading station by reason of the apparatus being embodied in an open structure wherein any sorting problem is immediately obvious and quickly remedied without loss or damage to successively delivered sheets. I

A further object resides in the feature of being capable of sorting irregular or random width veneer sheets which are relatively narrow resulting from the selective clipping out of imperfections within the original peeled veneer sheet. In the past where grading has been accomplished by workmen stationed along a dry or green chain the sorting out of the smaller random-sized sheets presented no obstacle however with the advent of mechanical sorters utilizing vacuum means the smaller random sheets do present some difficulties. In the present apparatus however such is avoided since all sheets regardless of size are in positive frictional contact with endless conveyor belts during travel along the grade line apparatus to their respective grading station.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings;

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the veneer grade line apparatus showing two grading stations as being typical of any number of such stations in such an apparatus,

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational-view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view somewhat diagrammatic of the belt arrangement for delivery of successive sheets to the lower runs of the main frameworks conveyor belts,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of sheet diverter means at a typical grading station with like collected veneer sheets shown in dashed lines,

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of one grading station in which a second sheet of veneer is being received,

FIG. 7 is a sectional, elevational view of the grading station taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 8 is a wiring schematic of a typical control system for operating a series of diverter arms on one grading station.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like parts are identified by like reference numerals, in the following specification the reference numeral 10 indicates generally an elongate open metal main framework of angle iron construction supported by leg members 11. A pair of side rails 12 are supported by said legs and extend the length of the apparatus which length will-be determined by the number of grading stations desired. While but two of such stations are shown generally at 15 in FIG. 1 and 2 it is understood that a wood veneer sorting apparatus would have several additional grading stations with the number of stations of course being determined by the number of grades to be sorted.

The off load end of a belt conveyor system is shown generally and fragmentarily at 16 said system presenting, in a consecutive manner, sheets of veneer at V to the endless conveyor means supported by the main framework 10. Conveyor system 16 includes conventional, powered endless belts 17 entrained at their sheet discharge end on pulleys 18 as best viewed in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. The companion pulleys (not shown) for pulleys 18 mounting the on loading ends of belts are located such as to allow belts 17 to receive individual pieces of sheet material from conveyors or other sheet delivery devices. A flat belt supporting surface is provided in the form of a table like structure 19 preferably inclined and across the upper surface of which the plural belts 17 slide.

Endless belts indicated at 20 are forwardly entrained on pulleys 21 for travel along main framework 10. Belts 20 are of the type known in the industry as rough top or rough surface belts which identifies a belting with its outer or work contacting surface of a material having a high coefficient of friction for conveying material under conditions where the material has a tendency to slide relative to its supporting belts. Shaft 28 carries pulleys 21.

With attention to FIG. 3 the relationship is therein typically shown of one pulley 18 to a belt 20 which relationship insures the veneer at V, carried by the belts 17 is transferred in an uninterrupted manner to the belts 20 traveling the framework 10. To accomplish such a transfer pulleys 18 are rotatably mounted on a shaft 27 subjacent the lower runs of belts 20, shaft 21 being suitably journaled in bearings 22 on one pair of legs 11.

For powering the multiple belts 17 and multiple belts 20, I provide an electric motor 23, gear reduction unit 26 in chain driven connection at 29 with a sprocket 24 to drive pulleys 21 and is also in driving connection with shaft 27 carrying pulleys 18.

The speed of the belts 17 is such as to provide desired spacing between consecutive sheets as they are delivered to the belts 20 on the framework 10. Such spacing is preferably a few feet or so between the trailing edge of a first sheet and the leading edge of a following sheet while moving along the framework 10. To effect this spacing it will be appreciated that various conventional chain drive arrangements including multispeed drive or drives may be utilized in powering the belts above described.

With continuing reference to the main framework 10, as best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 such may be of any desired length as aforesaid necessary to accommodate the number of grading stations desired. Plates 30 are spaced along and extend transversely of the framework tying together pairs of the side rails 12. The framework 10 is further made rigid by angle iron crossmembers 31 also extending transversely of said framework interconnecting legs 11. The plates 30 further serve to support metal strips 35 extending lengthwise of the framework to support the horizontally disposed upper runs of rough surface belts 20.

At both ends of each side rail 12 bearings 32 are mounted for reception of the shaft 28 which rotatably mounts pulleys 21. Viewing FIG. 1 now, it is to be understood that the unseen or right-hand ends of side rails 12 will in a like manner suspend like pulleys oflike diameter and location with respect to the side rails ends.

For transferring veneer sheets from the belts 17 over to the framework 10 for conveyed travel therealong by belts a series of curved ways 34 are provided having forwardly and downwardly sloping portions with upper edges 34A which edges as best shown in FIG. 3 terminate forwardly at a point below a plane containing the upper runs of the belts I7. Accordingly veneer sheets carried by belts 17 are intercepted by said edges and lifted progressively upwardly and away from thebelts 17 with the leading edge of the veneer sheet following the upwardly sloping curved edges 34A of the ways. The sheet V accordingly causes the lower run of the belt 20 to move upwardly away from its normal course.

As viewed in FIG. 2, pairs of ways 34 are located oppositely adjacent each of the belts 20 with the lower runs of the latter normally traveling intermediate the lower edges of said ways as shown in FIG. 1 except for the forward most portion of each way which extends slightly downward.

As best shown in FIG. 3 the lower runs of the rough surface belts 20 are located slightly above the dipping forward end portion of the ways which results in the rough surface (underside) of each belt 20 coming into progressive contact with a veneer sheet that has been intercepted and raised by the upper edges 34A of the ways.

The endless rough surface belts 20 are each of a length whereby the lower run of said belts is in a slack condition when no veneer is being moved along framework 10 thereby. It will be remembered that the upper runs of belts 20 are supported by plates 35. As veneer sheets V are contacted and picked up by the lower runs as above set out it is necessary that the belts 20 have enough slack to allow said lower runs to be displaced upwardly to a horizontal plane or level L1 approximately coplanar with the uppermost edges of the ways 34 which is the case for the remainder of the sheets passage along the framework 10 until diversion thereof. Accordingly the series of ways 34 in addition to intercepting and lifting consecutive veneer sheets delivered by the belts 17, also function to elevate to plane Llsaid sheets as they move along the upper edges 34A of the ways. Ultimately a veneer sheet is accordingly located for travel along framework 10 in a horizontal plane L1 and during movement therealong bears a portion of the belts weight to insure frictional contact therebetween.

A typical grading ,station 15 will now be dew described which serves to selectively divert like grades of veneer sheets from travel along the aforementioned horizontal plane L1 downwardly into temporary supported engagement onto a pair of movable supports 3637 whereat, as later described, said supports periodically release the sheets onto a stack therebelow.

Details of a representative grading station are best shown in FIGS. 5 through 7. Diverter means comprising diverter arms are indicated at 38 which arms are spaced at intervals across a station and which are raisable in unison to divert an oncoming sheet of veneer. Each arm is pivotally mounted at its rearward end by means of a pivot pin 42 within pairs of upright plates 41, said pairs also being spaced at intervals across the width of the framework 10 and are supported by the angle iron crossmembers 31. An actuating rod 43 for each diverter arm extends rearwardly between each pair of plates 41 and pivotally terminates at a crank arm assembly 44. Upon rearward movement of rod 43 by said crank assembly the arm 38 will be raised to present a beveled edge 38A, formed on the underside of said arm, to the oncoming sheet to downwardly divert the leading edge of same. The sheet prior to being diverted is being conveyed along coplanar horizontal upper edges 41A of the upright plates 41. The flat uppermost edges 38B of the diverter arms when down in the inoperative position also constitute veneer sliding surfaces. From this it will be evident that as each veneer sheet passes along framework 10 it will travel over alternating series of diverter arms 38 and upright plates 41 until diverted downwardly by a series of raised diverter arms 38 according to its grade ata particular station. When so diverted the veneer sheet will ride'on a downwardly inclined edge 41Bofplate 41.

Since the sheet, prior to diversion, will be traveling within the horizontal plane Ll it will be carrying at least a part of the weight of the belts 20. This weight assures the necessary frictional contact for movement of the sheet over said arms and plates by the belts 20 along said plane and secondly, with the diverter arms 38 of a grading station being raised, assures belt contact with the sheet as the latter follows the downwardly inclined edges 41B of the upright plates 41 of the immediate preceding grading station. When at rest on the supports 36- 37 the veneer pieces V are in substantially pressureless contact with the passing belts 20. In the first grading station of FIG. 1 these last mentioned edges are formed on the rearward portions of the ways 34.

Such downwardly inclined travel of a diverted sheet causes the leading edge of same to slidably engage horizontal, inwardly directed segments 45-46 of movable supports 3637 as shown in FIG. 6 wherein a sheet is shown being diverted and partially in place on the movable supports. With attention to FIG. 7 it is seen that each support 3637 may be of formed rod construction including the inwardly directed horizontal segments 45-46 which in the sheet receiving position project inwardly a distance to be in the path of the sheets leading edge. Upon contact occurring, the moving sheet will continue to be moved by belts 20 along the hofizontal segments until it contacts the edge of a previously diverted sheet or a stop 47 on the plate 41. The outer rough surface of belts 20 will be in frictional contact with the piece of veneer to assure movement thereof both downwardly and horizontally in a sliding manner along the segments 45 -46 of the movable supports.

Upon a number of veneer pieces (as determined by the width of the pieces being sorted) filling the horizontal segments 4546 in a grading station the movable supports will be actuated by discharge means including controls as later described. A grading station receiving for example 48-inch width veneers in a typical veneer sorting installation may divert and temporarilyretain but one piece of veneer at a time while conversely a grading Station sorting out random sized veneer pieces will receive several pieces prior to actuation of the movable supports 3 637.

As best viewed in FIG. 7 the bellcrank assembly 44 for raising the diverter arms in each grading station includes a shaft 50 extending transversely of a pair of legs 11 and journaled in bearings 51. The crank arm assembly extends across the framework by. means of a laterally extending crosspiece 52 which carries in a spaced apart manner apertured upright extensions 53 which pivotally receive the rearward, turned ends of the actuating rods 43. An air cylinder 54 is operable to acmate the bellcrank assembly causing simultaneous rearward movement of all actuating rods 43 in one grading station which in turn raises each of said diverter arms 38 into a sheet diverting position as shown in F IG. 6. An air solenoid valve 55 (FlG/S) is in communication with a cylinder 54 for controlling a flow of pressurized air to either end thereof. The diverter arms in a particular grading stationwill be raised for a duration within which the sheet being diverted thereby will have fully passed downwardly onto the movable support. The duration will vary will different widths of sheets being sorted at each station and for this reason a settable time delay may be used in circuit with said solenoid valve and a sheet sensing switch to adjust the raised duration of a series of diverter arms.

system for operation of a series of diverter arms within a single grader station and it is understood that various other control systems for said arms will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to adapt the present apparatus to individual veneer plants.

The typical control system shown in FIG. 8 for the diverter arms 38 includes what is widely known in connection with other types of machines as a memory system which, briefly summarized, serves to allow a machine operator to selectively complete part of a circuit with the remaining part of the cir- *cuit being closed automatically by passage of an article past a sensing switch presently in'the form of a whisker switch. By way of example of such a control system a veneer piece as it passes the operators. location at the forward end of framework wherein a control station is provided, the veneer is judged to be of the grade and size being stacked in thesecond or right hand grading station 15 the operator will set up or close a first circuit to a sensing switch 56 for the grading station by momentarily depressing push button switch 57. A relay 58 will close to provide switch 56 with a source. of power. Upon the sheet actual actuating that particular sensing switch for that grading station the air solenoid valve is energized directing pressurized air to the upper end of the cylinder for retraction of its rod and ultimately the raising of the diverter arms for that grading station. The arms will stay raised until expiration of a time delay control 60 at which time the circuit to solenoid 55 is opened resulting in pressurized air being directed to the base end of cylinder 54 to lower the arms.

As aforesaid each grading station 15 further includes discharge means for operating the movable supports 36-13 37onto which veneer pieces are diverted by the arms 38. The outer edges or margins of each diverted sheet come into supported contact with the horizontally directed segments 45- 46which segments will receive and hold a number of veneer pieces the number being determined by the width being sorted at the station. Upon the segments holding capacity being reached a switch 62 (FIG. 6) is actuated to close a circuit to an air solenoid valvev63 (FIG. 7) which directs air under pressure to the rod'end of an air cylinder 64 momentarily retracting the piston rod 65 thereof. The horizontal segments 4S-46 of the movable supports are moved outwardly to the broken line position of FIG. 7 permitting the supported quantity of veneer pieces to descent onto a stack shown in dashed lines. Each movable support 3637 includes upright arms 66-67 which are swingab le inwardly by a toggle link 68 to a veneer releasing position upon retraction of said piston rod 65. The

t l: The simplified electricalcircuit of'FlG: 18 is but onegcontroli cylinder 64 is bracket mounted at 70 on a crossmember 30. A tie rod 71 interconnects the arm 66 with toggle 68. Further, the movable supports 3 637 are swingably mounted by means of their ends being journaled within ears 72 welded to the leg members 11.

Switch 62 is of the type incorporating a settable delay mechanism which delays closing of the switches contacts and also includes a whisker 62A or flexible tine which when contacted by a veneer sheet initiates the running of a delay period. This delay provision prevents closing of a circuit to the air solenoid valve 63 by each passing veneer piece. It is only until the last veneer piece comes to rest on the horizontal segment 46 of the movable support that the whisker 62A is depressed for a requisite period of time after which the switch actuates solenoid 63.to cycle rod movement of cylinder 64 and release the veneer pieces. Where a grading station is receiving large or 48-inch width veneers this cycling may occur with the reception of each sheet by the movable supports.

The release of the veneer pieces or piece will permit same to fall onto its stack of like size and grade pieces in an orderly, precise fashion. Rollers '74 permit the convenient periodic removal of the stacks. I

The operation of the present apparatus is believed to be above set forth in conjunction with the description of the structural embodiment of the invention.

lclaim:

y 1 1. An apparatus ifojr t-hesorting .qfgse mirigid material, .com

prising in combination: 7

an elongate main framework receiving sheet material at its forward end and embodying grading stations located therealong to receive sheet material of different grades; endless belts having upper and lower runs extending lengthwise of said framework and in driven connection with a source of power, said belts having rough exterior surfaces for frictional overlying engagement with said sheet material and entrained on said framework in a slack manner; inclined ways spaced across the forward end of said framework for receiving sheet material, said ways extending rearwardly and adjacently the slack lower runs of said belts to direct a sheet moving on said ways into progressive frictional engagement with and below segments of said endless belts displacing said segments upwardly from their normal slack course, said sheet being moved along said ways toward a horizontal plane located above the normal course of the belts lower runs; grading stations located along said framework including means slidably supporting a sheet for horizontal move ment in 'said horizontal plane and diverter means for downwardly diverting a moving sheet from said plane;

movable supports also within each of said grading stations for receiving and holding said downwardly diverted sheets; and

said segments of the slack lower runs of the belts being in resting frictional engagement uponsaid sheet throughout the sheets movement along the horizontal plane and also during the downward diverting thereof whereby the sheet is moved onto said movable supports.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said movable supports are swingably mounted on said framework, discharge means coupled with said supports for intermittent shee't releasing movement thereof allowing deposit of said sheet onto a subjacent stack.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said discharge means includes a switch control contactable by a sheet on said movable support.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a belt conveyor system terminates adjacent the forward end of said framework for off loading sheets consecutively onto said ways.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said belt conveyor system includes plural endless belts, said ways having forwardly and downwardly sloping front portions disposed so as to intercept sheets carried by said conveyor system to lift same away from the belts of said conveyor system and ultimately direct the sheets into said progressive frictional contact with said endless belts on the main framework.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for slidably supporting a sheet within a grading station includes upright plates for continued horizontal sheet movement in said horizontal plane with said plates constituting a continuation of said ways, said diverter means comprising a series of pivoted arms spaced apart transversely of said framework, powered means coupled to said arms for simultaneous raising of same for diverting a sheet at that station

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