US3721341A

US3721341A - Sorting arrangement

Info

Publication number: US3721341A
Application number: US00148076A
Authority: US
Inventors: K Lindblom
Original assignee: Ostbergs Fabriks AB
Current assignee: Ostbergs Fabriks AB
Priority date: 1970-06-01
Filing date: 1971-05-28
Publication date: 1973-03-20
Anticipated expiration: 1990-03-20
Also published as: NO130044B; CA929894A; SE359462B; FI50669B; DE2124996A1; FI50669C

Abstract

At a sorting arrangement according to the invention is provided an underlying drop shaft adapted to receive wood sections of a first dimension dropped down centrally. The shaft is defined on two opposed sides by pivotal guide means located with their horizontal bearing axle below the upper level of the shaft. Each of the guide means has such an extension in the direction perpendicular to the axle that by inclination it can be caused to project into the central area of the drop shaft to deflect centrally dropped objects of a second and, respectively, third dimension to a collecting place on one and, respectively, the other side of the shaft.

Description

United States Patent [191 Lindblom 51arch 2d, 1973 [54] SORTING ARRANGEMENT [75] Inventor: Karl Thore Lindblom, Alfta,

I Sweden [73] Assignee: Ostbergs Fabrik AB, Alfta, Sweden [22] Filed: May 28, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 148,076

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 1, 1970 Sweden ..7526/70 [52] US. Cl. ..209/74 IR [51] Int. Cl. ..B07c [58] Field of Search ..209/72, 73, 74 R; 214/6 D, 214/] P, l PB [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,458,055 7/l969 Council ..214/1 P 9/1971 Jeddeloh ..209/74 4/1964 Rossi ..2l4/1PB [5 7 ABSTRACT At a sorting arrangement according to the invention is provided an underlying drop shaft adapted to receive wood sections of a first dimension dropped down centrally. The shaft is defined on two opposed sides by pivotal guide means located with their horizontal bearing axle below the upper level of the shaft. Each of the guide means has such an extension in the direction perpendicular to the axle that by inclination it can be caused to project into the central area of the drop shaft to deflect centrally dropped objects of a second and, respectively, third dimension to a collecting place on one and, respectively, the other side of the shaft.

9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHARZOISB 721' ,34 1

SHEET 10F 4 FIG.1

PATENTEUHARZOISYS 3 1 SHEET 30F 4 C) c; w N U.

SORTING ARRANGEMENT This invention relates to a sorting arrangement for cross cut wood and similar longitudinal objects.

Cross cut wood, such as delimbed stern sections, heretofore have been sorted into different assortments (for example, broad-leaf trees, coniferous trees, etc.) in such a way that the crane boom carrying the grapple was swung into a position such that the grapple was placed above the desired wood pocket for dumping the wood thereinto. This permanent shifting between different pockets apparently is tedious and requires high attentiveness of the crane operator. The sorting is still more complicated when the cross cut wood is delivered as a final product directly in a mobile processor where the feeding means for the felled tree together with delimbing and cross-cutting members forms a coherent, relatively rigid unit. In that case, either the entire unit must be made pivotal or the vehicle carrying the unit must be operated between the separate pockets.

The aforesaid disadvantages are eliminated by the sorting arrangement according to the invention, which is characterized in that the arrangement comprises a drop shaft for centrally receiving dropped objects, which shaft on two opposed sides is defined by pivotal guide means located with their bearing axles below the upper level of the shaft and having such an extension in the direction perpendicular to the axle that each guide means by inclination can be caused to project into the central area of the drop shaft so as to catch and deflect the objects dropped centrally to a collecting place on one and, respectively, the other side of the shaft and thereby to divide the objects into three assortments.

One embodiment of the invention applied to a mobile processor is described below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a side view of the sorting arrangement connected to the outlet end of a processor mounted on a vehicle,

FIG. 2 shows a plane view, and

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the sorting arrangement, and

FIG. 4 on a smaller scale shows a schematic view of different operations with the sorting arrangement.

By means of the grapple mounted on the vehicle, which in FIGS. 1 and 3 generally is designated by I, felled trees are fed to the processor, the outlet end of which is indicated at 2 in FIG. I, and which by a hydraulic means 3 can be lifted and lowered about a bearing axle on the vehicle. In the front view according to FIG. 3 is shown how a felled tree 4 is slipped down from a buffer supply (not shown) on an inclined guideway 5 and lands between the log feed rolls 6 of the unit. Whilst being advanced by said rolls the tree is delimbed by the indicated shearing members 7 and thereafter cross cut by the folding cross cutting member 8 (see also FIGS. 1 and 2). I

Below the slide 9 (FIG. 3) for the tree 4, at the outlet end 2 of the unit a forward and a rearward plate 10 and, respectively, 11 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are mounted which I serve as carrying mountings for one end respectively of four parallel axles located substantially on the same level (FIG. 2), of which axles the two central ones are designated by 12 and, respectively, 13, and the two outer ones by 14 and, respectively, 15. As appears from FIGS. 2 and 3, the axles are placed symmetrically in relation to the tree path 9, i.e. the outwardly projecting stem 4 being located directly above the gap between the two

central axles

12 and 13, so that a cross cut stern section falls down into this gap.

Each of the central axles l2 and 13 pivoted with one end in the

plates

10 and 11 carries a forward and a rearward guide means 16 and, respectively, 17 (applies to the axle 1112) in the form of a two-armed lever, which by a hydraulic means 20 applyingbetween a lever 18 on the end of the axle l2 and a stationary (during the sorting operation) pin 19 can be turned between a standing and a lying position.

Each of the

outer axles

14 and 15 is fastened with one end in the plates 10, 1 l and carries a forward and a rearward vertical support 21 and, respectively, 22 (applies to the axle 14). Between said supports is mounted on the axle a tube 23, which at both ends carries an arm 24 and, respectively 25. A hydraulic means 28 acts between a lever 26 (FIG. 3) on the tube 23 and a pin 27 (FIG. 1) at the upper portion of the rearward support 22, by which hydraulic means the tube can be turned about the axle l4 and thereby the

arms

24, 25 be swung between the vertical position shown in FIG. 1 and the horizontal position in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The aforedescribed arrangement, with respect to the axles l2 and 14 with the levers, supports and arms carried thereon, applies also to the two remaining axles l3 and 15 such that a mirror-symmetric system is obtained, as clearly appears from FIGS. 2 and 3. In the position shown in FIG. 3, the combination of the pivotal levers (represented by 16 which for reason of simplicity in the following will be called pivot guide), the stationary vertical supports (represented by 21) and the pivotal arms (represented by 24 which in the following will be called bottom flap) defines a central compartment or drop shaft or zone located below the tree path 9, and on both sides thereof pockets to be emptied.

The sorting is carried out as follows.

For stern sections of a greater length and diameter, which are classified as timber, the position shown in FIG. 3 is utilized. The cross cut sections fall down straightly through the central shaft to the ground. This timber represents the first assortment.

The log having been advanced and cut off such a distance that the remaining dimension is too small to serve as timber or if for other reasons this log section cannot be utilized as timber wood the pivot guide 16 is rocked by the hydraulic means 20 inwardly to the center of the drop shaft and catches the centrally dropped section 4 to deflect it to the pocket located to the left of the shaft, as shown in FIG. 4a. This timber constitutes the second assortment and is intended for use as pulp wood, for example of 3 m length.

When the pulp wood is desired to be differentiated additionally, for example with reference to felled broad-leaved trees and conifers, pulp wood for sulfite pulp or sulfate pulp etc., the pivot guide shown to the right in FIGS. 3 and 4a is rocked accordingly inwardly to the center of the drop shaft to deflect the wood to the right-hand pocket. This wood constitutes the third assortment.

The sorting operation, thus, is carried out comfortably and rapidly from the drivers seat of the vehicle by operating one or the other of the hydraulic means for adjusting the pivot guides to vertical or inwardly inclined position. If only pulp wood is involved, with one type dominating, the driver can, for example, fold up the bottom flap 24 of the left-hand pocket by the hydraulic means 28 and adjust the pivot guide 16 to horizontal position. Hereby the volume of the left-hand pocket is increased to include also the drop shaft. If the trees in the cutting area are such homogenous that it is possible to classify them as one type of pulp wood, the driver also lifts up the bottom flat of the right-hand pocket and adjusts the right-hand pivot guide to horizontal position, so that a large volume for one assortment is obtained (FIG. 4b).

For emptying the pockets, the driver first lowers the entire pocket unit to the ground by operating the hydraulic means 3 in FIG. 1, so that the timber is discharged without appreciable drop height when the pockets are opened by folding down their bottom flaps and possibly swinging back the pivot guides, as shown in FIG. 4c. Hereby it is possible (whilst slowly lifting the unit) to obtain an orderly and well-collected staple, which directly and easily can be embraced by a grapple for loading and transport. Heretofore the pocket units could not be raised and lowered, but the timber was dropped without control from a relatively great height, which resulted in an unhandy jam.

In the described method comprising three timber assortments located to the side of each other in the transverse direction of the vehicle, the transport to and from the clear-felled areas and, respectively, between the same involves certain problems at a large capacity of the pockets, because according to the existing regulations the width of the vehicle must not exceed about 2.5 m. At the eccentric arrangement of the pocket unit in relation to the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 3, this problem has been solved by providing possibilities for folding up the outer (left-hand) pocket. This transport position is schematically shown in FIG. 4d.

For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 3, the axle 14 of the left-hand pocket is supported on a boom 29 projecting outwardly in the transverse direction of the vehicle. Said boom is mounted coaxially with the axle 12 of the pivot guide 16 and includes an extension 30 projecting rearwardly from the point of mounting. The boom 29 is pivotal between horizontal and vertical position and carries the aforementioned bearing pin 19 for the hydraulic means 20. In its horizontal position the boom is prevented from swinging downwardly by its extension 30 abutting an overlying stationary stop member 31, which carries an eye with an axle 32 about which is pivotally mounted at its central portion a hook generally designated by 33. With said hook in the position indicated by fully drawn lines, its inwardly curved lower end portion engages below a stop member 34 mounted at the end of said extension 30 to prevent unintentional upward swinging of the boom. The hook 33 at its upper end portion is provided with a downwardly facing recess 35 and with an upwardly facing recess 36. The boom also includes a stop member in the form ofa pin 37.

The relatively heavy pocket is folded up as follows. In the starting position shown in FIG. 3 (fully drawn lines) the driver operates the hydraulic means so that it projects out its rod and turns the lever 18 of the axle l2 (and thereby the pivot guide 16) substantially through to the position indicated by dash-dotted lines. Hereafter the hook 33 is folded down manually to its dash-dotted position whereby the lower end portion of the hook slides out of the locking engagement with the stop member 34, and the recess 35 embraces a pin projecting from the end of the lever 18. Thereafter the driver again operates the hydraulic means 20 so that its rod is retracted. Due to the fact that the end of the lever 18 now is fixed, the hydraulic means swings the boom with the pocket carried thereon upwardly through substantially 90. The hook is swung upwardly manually so that its recess 36 embraces the stop member 37 of the boom to fix the pocket in its position folded up above the drop shaft. By a third operation of the hydraulic means 20, finally, the pivot guide 16 is returned to vertical position. Hereby the transport position indicated by fully drawn lines in FIG. 4d is obtained and the total width of the vehicle is maintained within the limits permitted.

Instead of the hook shown, of course, some other device for folding upward the pocket may be used, and another power source than the hydraulic means 20 already available may be utilized. The folding-up of the pocket, as a matter of fact, can be avoided entirely by a re-arrangement of the three sorting spaces, for example by abandoning the left-hand pocket in the embodiment shown and instead providing the drop shaft with a bottom flap to form a pulp wood pocket, which then borders immediately the right-hand pocket. The wood classified as timber then is deflected to the space now free to the left of the former drop shaft. Hereby the width of the pocket unit stationary can be kept within the maximum limits permitted.

Also other modifications can be imagined within the scope of the invention, particularly with respect to the details defining the different pockets and, respectively, the drop shaft. The lever-shaped pivot guides, for example, the supports and arms may be replaced, for example, by grid constructions or integer plates. The hydraulic means may be replaced by equivalent power means and be varied with respect to their points of application. It is also possible to imagine more than three sorting spaces with a resulting modification of the location and extension of the pivot guides.

Finally, the principles of the invention obviously can also be applied to the sorting of objects other than cross cut wood.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for sorting elongated pieces of wood into assortments thereof comprising supply means for feeding individual pieces of wood in a horizontal position to a drop zone, an axle disposed on each side of the drop zone and below the top of the drop zone, each axle extending substantially parallel to the axes of the pieces of wood, guide members mounted on each axle for pivotal rotation about the axes thereof, said guide members, when in a vertical position, forming the opposed sides of the drop zone and each guide member, when rotated to an oblique angle to the vertical, projecting into the drop zone to deflect falling pieces of wood to a collecting zone disposed laterally of the drop zone, whereby the pieces of wood may be separated into three distinct assortments.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising vertical barriers disposed laterally to the outside of and spaced from the drop zone to define the outer lateral limits of the collecting zones and bottom flap members pivotally mounted at the bottom of said vertical barriers about axes parallel to said axles to close the bottom of the associated collecting zone and, when pivoted, to open the zone to release the pieces of wood disposed therein.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the axes of rotation of said bottom flap members and the axes of said axles are all substantially parallel and in substantially the same horizontal plane, whereby when said guide members are pivoted to lie in substantially the same horizontal plane of the axes said guide members will close the drop zone and cooperate with said bottom flap members to increase the size of the collecting zone to include the drop zone.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 and further comprising means for raising and lowering the apparatus with respect to the ground.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 and further comprising means for rotating at least one of said vertical barriers and said associated bottom flap member upwardly and inwardly over the drop zone to a retracted position to reduce the overall width of the apparatus transporting same.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising hydraulic means for rotating said guide members about the axes of each axle.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means for rotating said at least one vertical barrier comprises a boom member mounted for rotation about the axis of the associated axle of at least one of said guide members, said vertical barrier and associated bottom flap member being mounted on the outer end of said boom member, rotatable hook means for limiting the rotation of said boom member between an outwardly extending horizontal position and an upwardly extending vertical position, and means for locking said boom member in its vertical position when the vertical barrier and the bottom flap member are in their retracted position.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said boom member extends inwardly from its point of rotation and further comprising a stop member for engaging the inwardly extending portion of the boom to prevent said boom from falling below its outwardly extending horizontal position. 1

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 and further comprising a second stop member mounted on said boom for engagement by said hook means when said boom is in its vertical position, to maintain such vertical position.

Claims

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising hydraulic means for rotating said guide members about the axes of each axle. 7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means for rotating said at least one vertical barrier comprises a boom member mounted for rotation about the axis of the associated axle of at least one of said guide members, said vertical barrier and associated bottom flap member being mounted on the outer end of said boom member, rotatable hook means for limiting the rotation of said boom member between an outwardly extending horizontal position and an upwardly extending vertical position, and means for locking said boom member in its vertical position when the vertical barrier and the bottom flap member are in their retracted position.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said boom member extends inwardly from its point of rotation and further comprising a stop member for engaging the inwardly extending portion of the boom to prevent said boom from falling below its outwardly extending horizontal position.