US3733069A - Automatic gate means for handling thin veneer-type sheets - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic gate means for mounting over a conveyor means provides for the collecting and aligning of the movement of sideby-side pieces of thin veneer-type materials, such as thin wood veneers from a veneer dryer. The lifting and lowering of the gate means over the conveyor belt is operated responsive to the feed means to the conveyor means, or to the dryer, such that the gate lifting awaits the alignment of a full-width charge of a plurality of pieces on the conveyor. A preferred design and operation incorporates a ''''dead'''' roller which lifts and lowers opposite to the movement of the gate so as to insure the positive and rapid movement of veneer pieces from the conveyor, particularly from an upwardly sloping conveyor means.

Description

United States Patent 1 Cady [54] AUTOMATIC GATE MEANS FOR HANDLING THIN VENEER-TYPE SHEETS [75] lnventor': Royal C. Carly, Melen, Wis.

[73] Assignee: Universal Oil Products Company,

Des Plaines, Ill.

[22] Filed: May 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 145,353

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1916 Cross ..27l/58 8/1966 Manger... 71'/50X 9/l97l Nash 271/48 [4 1 May 15, 1973 1,615,590 1 1927 Low..... ..271 48 Primary ExaminerEdward A. Sroka .Attorney-James R. Hoatson, Jr. and Philip T.

Liggett [57] I ABSTRACT An automatic gate means for mounting over a conveyor means provides for the collecting and aligning of the movement of side-by-side pieces of thin veneertype materials, such as thin wood veneers from a veneer dryer. The lifting and lowering of the gate means over the conveyor belt is operated responsive to the feed means to the conveyor means, or to the dryer, such that the gate lifting awaits the alignment of a full-width charge of a plurality of pieces on the conveyor. A preferred design and operation incorporates a dead roller which lifts and lowers opposite to the movement of the gate so as to insure the positive and rapid movement of veneer pieces from the conveyor,

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures The present gate means may, of course, be utilized for holding and aligning sheet material other than thin wood veneers; however, as heretofore indicated,'such apparatus is of particular advantage in handling veneer pieces such as are encountered in plants that are peeling logs and providing pieces of veneer which will be dried, sorted and bundled for transfer to a plywood side-by-side pieces of relatively flat material, such as wood veneer pieces.

As one example of the utility of the present automatic gate means, there is the need to align, or straighten out veneer which leaves a drying unit. There are various commercially available veneer dryers, and feeder units to the dryer, that are adapted to handle cut pieces of veneer which are obtained from the prior steps of peeling logs by a suitable lathe and then cutting the peeled veneer into pieces by passage on conveyor means under a vertically mounted clipper knife. The clipper is typically used to cut out knots or blemishes in the veneer as well as to cut the veneer into desired length strips. The cut strips then flow to a dryer feeder unit which, in turn, generally introduces one full-width charge of veneer pieces at a time into the dryer unit. The feeder has timing means along with collection and feeding mechanisms such that there are the properly timed periodic charges of veneer beingfed into the dryer unit. Provision may be such that full-width charges of veneer go into the dryer in an orderly fashion; however, due to bow and twist in the dried pieces and because of inclines and varying friction aspects of different pieces carrying through the different stages within the dryer, the veneer can become disarrayed. ln other words, there will be the lagging of some pieces with respect to others and a disarray which results in loss of a book matching" sequence and loss of effi ciency in handling the pieces at the grading table or other next step following the drying operation.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide a timed, automatically operating gate to assist in temporarily holding and aligning side-by-side pieces of material carrying along on conveyor means.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an automatic gate means having a descending and lifting dead roller incorporated therewith so that when the gate is lifted the roller will descend and help to accomplish rapid and uniform discharge of the venee pieces.

In a broad aspect, the present invention provides automatic gate means for collecting and aligning a plurality of side-by-side pieces of sheet material prior to transferring such pieces from accompanying conveyor means to a next stage of handling and thereby improve the efficiency of such handling, with such gate means comprising in combination: (a) a liftable, elongated gate member suitable for extending across the width of said conveyor means; (b) power-operated retractable lift means connective with said gate member; (c) deflector-plate guide means for sheet-type materials mounted ahead of said gate member to preclude such materials passing over the latter; and, (d) timing means connective with said retractable lift means, whereby resulting aligned pieces of the sheet-type materials at the gate member will be evenly and uniformly discharged therefrom by the conveyor means.

manufacturing section or plant.

Various types of power operation may be used for lifting and lowering the automatic gate that will extend along the width of the conveyor; however, typically, air cylinders or hydraulically-operated cylinders will be utilized to effect the lifting and lowering of the gate means responsive to a solenoid valve in turn being triggered'by suitable timing means. In connection with veneer pieces from a veneer drying unit, there is typically a timing unit which feeds pieces of the veneer to the dryer itself and such timing unit may be connected toan electrically operated air valve which will operate the gate means. On the other hand, electrical signals from the timing means may carry directly to an electrical switch and an electrically operated motor means which will-lift the gate by suitable linkage means, gear and rack means, etc.

A preferred automatic gate unit will also incorporate a lifting and lowering type of dead roller which will serve to provide positive movement of the veneer pieces from the gate position. More specifically, the dead roller will be integrated into the automatic lifting gate unit in a manner to-immediately lower itself to the level of the belt as the gate is being raised such that the weight of the dead roller onto the top of the veneer pieces will insure good frictional contact onto the moving belts and the rapid movement of the aligned veneer pieces to a next belt or conveyor means, or to a sorting table, and the like.

Still further, the preferred automatic gate unit will embody mounting means in combination with the conveyor means such that it may be moved longitudinally along the length of the conveyor belt means to accommodate different lengths of veneer sheets. For example, where the veneer pieces or other sheet-like materials are relatively small, the gate unit may be moved relatively close to the discharge end of the conveyor unit such that there is a minimum time lag for collecting and aligning the veneer pieces as they are fed to the conveyor means. On the other hand, where there are relatively long pieces of sheet material, or veneer, then the automatic gate unit may necessarily be moved farther from the dryer oven or other unit or other prior processing unit which is feeding the pieces onto the receiving end of the conveyor means. The automatic gate means may be mounted on track means or slide rail means and the like which extend along each side of the conveyor means, and there may be manual adjustment to move the gate unit longitudinally along the conveyor means or, where desired, there may be a motor operated means to effect the desired adjustment and positioning of the gate means with respect to the conveyor belts.

Reference to the accompanying drawing and the following descriptions thereof will serve to illustrate the design and arrangement of one embodiment of an automatic gate means for use in combination with a conveyor means so as to be able to effect the desired collection and alignment of a plurality of side-by-sidev pects in the use of the automatic gate means as well as variations in construction aspects will be noted in connection with the following description of the drawings.

FIG. 1 of the drawing is a diagrammatic elevational view indicating how the automatic gate unit may be utilized in combination with a conveyor unit, such as a tailing conveyor receiving veneer pieces from a veneer dryer. This drawing also indicates diagrammatically how the timing unit at the dryer feeder section may be utilized to operate a solenoid valve and pneumatic cylinder for the raising and lowering of the automatic gate unit.

FIG. 2 of the drawing indicates in a partial elevational view the construction and operation for a pneumatically lifted gate member and the linkage means for lowering and raising a dead roller in an opposite direction with respect to the elongated gate member.

FIG. 3 of the drawing shows in a partial sectional elevational view the construction of a portion of the gate unit and the support of such unit on guide rail means, in accordance with line 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 of the drawing is also a partial sectional elevational view showing, in accordance with line 4-4 in FIG. 2, one lifting cylinder and linkage means for operating the transverse gate member.

Referring now to particularly FIG. 1 of the drawing, there is indicated the use of an automatic gate unit 1 which is mounted above a tailing conveyor 2 adapted to in turn receive side-by-side veneer sheets from a veneer dryer unit indicated at 3, with the latter in turn being fed cut pieces of veneer by a dryer feeder unit 4. Typically, the latter units, shown in dash lines, would apart but tied together by longitudinally stiffening angle means 16. Also, as best shown in FIG. 3 of the receive in sequential order various size pieces of veneer 4 from a conveyor belt means that is downstream from a clipper unit that has been used to cut unreeled veneer into desired lengths, or to cut out knots and blemishes from various lengths of the unreeled veneer.

There is also indicated diagrammatically in connection with FIG. 1 of the drawing the location ofa timing unit 5 which is conventionally used to provide timed charges of side-by-side pieces of veneer from a tipple section of the feeder unit directly to the drying unit. This timing unit is indicated as being connected by lines 6 and 7 to an electrically operated solenoid valve 8 whereby compressed air from line 9 will be utilized to control the pneumatic cylinders 10 in connection with the automatic gate unit 1. As will be explained in more detail hereinafter, there are preferably two pneumatic cylinders utilized, with one on each side of the gate unit such that there is a desired timed lifting and lowering of the gate responsive to the receiving of side-by-side batches of veneer or other sheet-like material. There is also the indication that the gate controlled tailingconveyor 2 will discharge onto a sorting table 11; however, such conveyor means may feed onto another conveyor which in turn will carry the aligned pieces to a different work station or to another processing unit.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing, there is illustrated one construction and operation for an automatic gate unit whereby there is a pneumatic cylinder type operation utilized for effecting the lifting and lowering of a transverse gate member 12. For the support of the entire automatic gate unit, there is indicated the use of a calibrated guide rail means 13 on each side of the conveyor belt means 2. As portions of the framing for the automatic gate unit 1, there are provided support members 14 and 15 which are spaced drawing, the support member 14 has a side member 17 and a filler piece 18- such that there is a slotted lower portion adapted to fit over the top of the guide rail means 13. There is best shown in FIG.'4 of the drawing, in connection with support member 15, the use of an inner guide member 19 and filler member 20 so as to provide a slotted portion to fit over the top of the guide rail means 13. FIGS. 3 and 4 merely show one side portion of the automatic gate unit, and it is to be understood that similar but opposite hand sections will be embodied as part of the unit for attachment to a guide rail means extending along the opposite side of the conveyor belt means 2. There is also indicated in connection with the side plate section 17, connecting to support 14, the use of threaded screw members 21 extending through threaded nuts 22 as a means for clamping the gate onto the guide rail means and holding it in a desired fixed position.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the support member 15 has a lower horizontal projection 15 which serves to hold the lower end of a pneumatic cylinder 10 in a pivoted connection from support members 23 by pin means 24. The movable piston rod 25 from the upper end of pneumatic cylinder 10 connects through a pin connection 26 to a lift bar 27 that carries horizontally and then vertically downward through 27' to be attached to an angle member28 that extends across the top of gate member 12. Although not fully shown in the drawing, the angle member 28 together with the gate member 12 will extend transversely across the entire full width of the conveyor belt means in order to be able to stop and hold sheet material that will be traveling across the tailing conveyor 2. Also, in order to insure the stoppage of thin veneer or other sheettype materials, there may be small projections, such as wood cleats 29, spaced along the lower edge of the gate member 12 in a manner to fit down between the plurality of belt sections comprising conveyor means 2 so as to insure the holding of the veneer pieces being carried along on the belt means. Typically, the gate member 12 will be provided from a hard wood lumber; however, metals, plastics, or other materials may be used for the gate member and be suitable to engage wood veneer pieces that will abut against the gate during its momentary periods of being lowered to the belt level for effecting the holding and aligning of the pieces carrying along the conveyor belt means.

The actual lifting operation, as heretofore described through the use of piston rod members 25, will be such that the operations of cylinders 10 on each side of the unit will be simultaneously synchronized and piston rod members 25 will move upwardly through a distance H" and subsequently descend together for the same distance H to insure the uniform horizontal positioning of gate member 12. This simultaneous action for each of the pneumatic cylinders 10 will be obtained as described in connection with FIG. 1 by having the timed solenoid valve 8 open and close the air supply from line 9 into lines 9a and 9b which in turn carry to the respective cylinders 10 on each side of the unit. Of course, as the piston rod members 25 raise and lower through the distance H", there is a corresponding vertical movement H for the gate member 12 as shown in both FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawing.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pneumatic cylinder operation providing for the lifting and lowering of the gate member 12 will also provide for the raising and lowering of a dead roller 30 indicated in FIG. 2 of the drawing. The roller 30 is shown supported by a bearing support member 31 extending from a pivoted arm member 32 which in turn connects with a pin member 33 carrying through an upper angle 34 above support member 14. The latter members are also indicated in FIG. 3 which shows that the pivot arm member 32 may be of a structural angle having the pin member 33 extend through the vertical leg portion thereof. Reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 show one form of linkage between arm member 27 which in turn connects through pin member 26 to the top of piston rod 25 and that additional linkage suspending from arm 27 will include a pin holding member 35, spaced plates 36, pins 37 and 38 together with a rocker arm 39 such that there may be a connection through pin means 40 and supports 41 to the top of pivot 8.1111 member 32. There is also shown a center pivot point and pivot pin 42 from a bracket 43 from support member that will provide for the desired opposite motion in arm 32 and roller 30 with respect to the movement of gate member 12. In other words, when the latter is raised above belt means 2 a distance H, as shown in FIG. 2, then linkage means 35, 36, and rocker arm 39 will provide for the pivot arm 32 to in turn be in the lowered position with dead" roller 30 directly onto belt means 2 whereby thin, veneer-type materials can actually be held against the belt and insure a proper frictional con tact therewith for a non-slipping movement of aligned veneer-like pieces to move out from under gate means 12 as it is raised and off the end of the conveyor means 2. Conversely, when gate member 12 is lowered to the belt level, in accordance with the dash lines shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, there is the descending movement for a distance H at the lower end of linkage member 36, and for the corresponding connecting end of rocker arm 39. Thus, at the same time there is a tilting of the latter about center pivot point 42 such that the opposing end of rocker arm 39, at pin 40, will raise a distance H to be in the dash line position to in turn lift the entire pivot arm member 32 about pivot point 33 such that the dead roller 30 can be lifted to its dash line positioning well above the top of conveyor belt 2. This overall operation insures that the roller means 30 is out of the way to permit the movement of veneer pieces up to and against the inner surface of gate member 12 during the holding of an alignment period. Following the lifting of gate member 12, there will be the immediate dropping of roller 30 onto the top of the veneer pieces to insure the desired rapid quick movement of such pieces along with the rate of the belt movement.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, there is shown the use of an elongated transverse stiffener tube 44 which extends from clamping form of support means 45 on an angle member 46 to an opposing side of the automatic gate unit where there is a similar opposite hand support arrangement. The stiffener tube 44 is of particular advantage in providing support for a transverse deflector plate 47 that similarly extends across the entire width of conveyor belt means 2 to be coextensive with the gate member 12. Also the clamp supports 46 for tube 44 provide rotative adjustability for such tube As heretofore noted, a deflector plate such as plate member 47 can be of specific utility in precluding the leading end of a veneer-type strip from curling or bending upwardly and passing over the gate member 112. In other words, where wood veneer pieces are moving on a conveyor belt following discharge from a dryer unit, there may be some bowing or curling to a portion of a veneer piece which might permit such piece to contact the roller means 30 or slip up and over the gate member 12. Typically, the lower edge portion of deflector portion 47 will be spaced a short distance above belt means 2 such that it will hold down and guide the leading edges of the veneer pieces up to and against the gate means 12. A deflector plate such as 47 may be mounted in the automatic gate unit in various manners; however, as shown by the present drawing, such deflector member may be mounted along the full length of the tube means 44 and have an angular positioning from the latter with spaced stiffener rib means 48 connecting between lower portions of tube 44 and the top surface of plate 47.

In FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawing, there is also indicated the use of a square tubular form pivot member 49 which connects between the top of the gate member 12 and the top portion of stiffener tube 44, with the latter connection being made by support lugs 50 and pin means 51. Pivot arm member 49 is indicated as being welded or otherwise fixibly attached to angle member 28 which in turn is coextensive along the top of gate member 12 whereby the latter is held in a general vertical alignment by rotation around pivot pin 51 on the top of transverse stiffener tube 44. Of course, as heretofore noted in connection with other support portions of the unit, there will be a corresponding pivot arm member 49 at the other side of the automatic gate unit. The relatively long pivot arms 49 which are provided at each end of the gate member 12, together with the lifting means as provided by pneumatic cylinders 10 and piston rod members 25 at each end of the unit, will result in a non-binding, pivoting support arrangement to accommodate the up and down motion for gate member 12 while at the same time insuring that the latter travels through a substantially vertical path in making the timed lifting and lowering operations.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the arts of providing linkage mechanisms that various types of lift means may be provided to raise a gate member upwardly and downwardly responsive to an electrically timed switching operation and that the power operation may be provided through means other than electrical solenoid valves and pneumatic cylinders; however, the present embodiment does provide means for effecting a quick response to signals from varying means such as a timing unit at the feed end of a dryer oven. Also, as hereinbefore briefly noted, there may be electrical motor driven raising and lowering means, such as gearing, rack and pinion, or crank arm means, etc., that may well effect the desired raising and lowering operation. However, in the present improved combined and integrated automatic gate unit, which incorporates the use of dead roller means operating in reverse motion with respect to the raising and lowering of the gate means, there is the desired rapid and positive movement of thin veneer-like pieces when the gate member is being lifted. Still further, there is incorporated in the present unit an improved transverse deflector means which will operate in combination with the raising and lowering gate and roller means such that thin sheet-like materials will be precluded from curling and bending or otherwise lifting from the conveyor means to become entangled with the gate means or pass thereover. Although the automatic gate use is of particular advantage with thin wood veneers from a drying oven, it is again to be noted that such type of gate unit may well be used in connection with other processing units to provide for the temporary holding and alignment of side-by-side movement of pieces and then subsequently effect the rapid uniform discharge of such pieces from the conveyor means to a next conveyor or to a work station.

I claim as my invention:

1. Automatic gate means for collecting and aligning a plurality of side-by-side pieces of sheet material prior to transferring such pieces from accompanying conveyor means to a next stage of handling and thereby improve the efficiency of such handling, with such gate means comprising in combination:

a. a liftable, elongated gate member suitable for extending over and across the width of said conveyor means;

b. power-operated retractable lift means connective with said gate member;

c. deflector-plate guide means for sheet-type materials mounted ahead of said gate member to preclude such materials passing over the latter; and,

d. timing means connective with said retractable lift means, whereby resulting aligned pieces of the sheet-type materials at the gate member will be intermittently discharged therefrom by the conveyor means.

2. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that a liftable transverse roller is pivotally supported above said conveyor means with pivot means and linkage means that are connective with said poweroperated retractable lift means for said gate member and such linkage means provides movement of the roller in a direction opposite to that of the gate member.

3. The automatic gate means of claim 2 still further characterized in that such linkage means between the retractable lift means and the roller means includes a pivot rocker arm linkage member whereby the lifting of the gate member and the one end of the rocker member will provide a descending movement for support means connective to said transverse roller means while conversely the power-operated downward movement for the gate member provides upward movement of the support means to the roller member and the lifting of the latter from above the conveyor means.

4. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that said deflector-plate guide means is connected to a coextensive transverse stiffener member which is adjustably mounted, whereby there can be angular adjustment in the positioning of said guide means.

5. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that said power-operated retractable lift means comprises pneumatic cylinder means, with at least one cylinder being provided adjacent each end of the liftable gate member.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said timing means connecting with said retractable lift means to operate said gate member is interconnected with timing for feeding means for said sheet material reaching said conveyor means, with such feeding means providing for the batch charge of side-by-side pieces reaching said conveyor means and said automatic gate means.

7. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that support means on each side thereof provide for a clamping attachment to rail type guide means which may extend along each side of said conveyor means whereby there is adjustable positioning for said gate means along the length of said conveyor means.

8. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that said gate member has spaced lower projections that are positioned thereon with respect to spaced belts providing said conveyor means, whereby stop means will project below the overall level of the conveyor and preclude passage of any sheet material under a lowered gate member.

Claims (8)

1. Automatic gate means for collecting and aligning a plurality of side-by-side pieces of sheet material prior to transferring such pieces from accompanying conveyor means to a next stage of handling and thereby improve the efficiency of such handling, with such gate means comprising in combination: a. a liftable, elongated gate member suitable for extending over and across the width of said conveyor means; b. power-operated retractable lift means connective with said gate member; c. deflector-plate guide means for sheet-type materials mounted ahead of said gate member to preclude such materials passing over the latter; and, d. timing means connective with said retractable lift means, whereby resulting aligned pieces of the sheet-type materials at the gate member will be intermittently discharged therefrom by the conveyor means.

2. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that a liftable transverse rOller is pivotally supported above said conveyor means with pivot means and linkage means that are connective with said power-operated retractable lift means for said gate member and such linkage means provides movement of the roller in a direction opposite to that of the gate member.

3. The automatic gate means of claim 2 still further characterized in that such linkage means between the retractable lift means and the roller means includes a pivot rocker arm linkage member whereby the lifting of the gate member and the one end of the rocker member will provide a descending movement for support means connective to said transverse roller means while conversely the power-operated downward movement for the gate member provides upward movement of the support means to the roller member and the lifting of the latter from above the conveyor means.

4. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that said deflector-plate guide means is connected to a coextensive transverse stiffener member which is adjustably mounted, whereby there can be angular adjustment in the positioning of said guide means.

5. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that said power-operated retractable lift means comprises pneumatic cylinder means, with at least one cylinder being provided adjacent each end of the liftable gate member.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further characterized in that said timing means connecting with said retractable lift means to operate said gate member is interconnected with timing for feeding means for said sheet material reaching said conveyor means, with such feeding means providing for the batch charge of side-by-side pieces reaching said conveyor means and said automatic gate means.

7. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that support means on each side thereof provide for a clamping attachment to rail type guide means which may extend along each side of said conveyor means whereby there is adjustable positioning for said gate means along the length of said conveyor means.

8. The automatic gate means of claim 1 further characterized in that said gate member has spaced lower projections that are positioned thereon with respect to spaced belts providing said conveyor means, whereby stop means will project below the overall level of the conveyor and preclude passage of any sheet material under a lowered gate member.

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