US3810501A

US3810501A - Post domer

Info

Publication number: US3810501A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Horel
Original assignee: Domtar Inc
Current assignee: Domtar Inc
Priority date: 1972-03-20
Filing date: 1972-08-28
Publication date: 1974-05-14
Anticipated expiration: 1991-05-14
Also published as: CA911861A

Abstract

An apparatus for automatically forming a curved dome on a post by individually, automatically feeding logs into a doming station, rotating and axially advancing the logs in the doming station to a contoured cutting head and then ejecting the log from the doming station after the doming operation has been completed.

Description

States Patent 1191 POST DOMER Thomas Horel, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Assignee: Domtar Limited, Montreal, Canada Filed: Aug. 28, 1972 Appl. No.: 284,034

Foreign Application Priority Data Inventor:

Mar 21), 1972 U.S. Cl 144/30, 144/242 R, 144/246 R, 83/715, 83/719, 83/731 Int. Cl B27m 3/00 Field of Search 144/30, 150, 153, 242,

144/246 R, 246 A, 246 B, 246 E, 208 F; 83/707, 708, 714, 715, 719, 731, 732

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Bouma 144/39 Canada 137,587

[451 May 14,1974

2,945,523 7/1960 Jenkins 144/208 F 3,451,450 6/1969 Morey ct =11. 144/2011 F 3,403,710 10/1968 Garrison 144/30 3,111,971 10/1963 Spencer 1. 144/311 3,073,362 1/1963 Bourdon 144/242 R Primary Exumi/zer-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant E.\'am1'ner-W. D. Bray Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cecil A. Rowley 57 ABSTRACT An apparatus for automatically forming a curved dome on a post by individually, automatically feeding logs into a doming station, rotating and axially advancing the logs in the doming station to a contoured cutting head and then ejecting the log from the doming station after the doming operation has been completed.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAY M L974 SHEET 3 [IF 3 POST DOMIER FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to post domer, more specifically, the present invention relates to a device for automatically forming a rounded top on a fence post or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART In the commercial manufacture of fence posts, no satisfactory system of forming a rounded dome of the post is available. Equipment has been provided for pointing the post to facilitate driving them into the ground and for camphering the top of the post to aid in preventing splintering when it is driven into the ground. In all these prior devices a considerable amount of manual handling was necessary which significantly contributes to the cost of the product Thus, the main object of the present invention is to provide a machine to facilitate automatic doming of posts while requiring little manual labour. I

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for forming a curved dome on the top of fence posts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Broadly, the present invention comprises means to deliver posts to a doming station, a cutter in said doming station, means to rotate and axially advance said post toward said cutter whereby said cutter forms a domed surface on one end of said post and means to eject said post from said'doming station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further features, objects and advantages will be evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view with parts omitted illustrating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view with parts omitted illustrating the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a isometric view of the guide and front positioning plate for radially positioning different diameter logs;

FIG. 4 is a schematic isometric view of the post controlling mechanism for cradling and ejecting the post;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view with parts omitted illustrating the operation of the front ejection bar; and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating the operation of the rear ejection bar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a device comprising an infeed conveyor 12 which axially advances discrete logs and deposits them against abutment ,15 on an inclined platform 14. Logs slide down the inclined platform 14 and are individually picked up by a chain conveyor 16 which in the illustrated arrangement is composed ofa pair of spaced

chains

18 and 20 having a plurality of flights 22 connected thereto. These

chains

18 and 20 travel around

sprocket wheels

24 and 26 one of which is driven in the direction of the arrow 28 so that the left hand reach of the conveyor 16 moves the posts upwardly as shown.

A positioning plate 30 is provided at the front end of the machine. This plate 30 has an inclined section 32 which cams the posts rearwardly and a substantially straight section 34 which permits the posts to move in a direction perpendicular to their longitudinal axes into the doming station 36 whereby the end of each post is properly positioned as it enters the station 36.

The posts are fed from the conveyor 16 onto spaced supporting plates, from supporting plate 38 and rear supporting plate 40 (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 3). The plate 38 is most clearly shown in FIG. 3 and is composed of two plates 38A and 388. These plates are slidably mounted on the frame of the machine by pin 42 fixed on the frame 58 of the machine and received in a slot 44 in the plate 38B at one end and by a suitable support bar 39 forming part of the frame at the opposite end of plate 388. A support roller 46 is rotably mounted on the plate 388 bya pin 48. The upper surface 50 of the plate 38A supports one end of a post while the upper surface 52 of the plate 40 supports the opposite end of the post (see FIGS. 2 and 4).

A swinging arm 54 ispivotably mounted on the frame 58 adjacent the front end of the machine via a pin 56. This arm 54 rotatably mounts a pair of rolls 60 and 62 which preferably are a pair of pneumatic tires such as those conventionally used on automobiles. One of these rolls, in particular the roll closest the pivot point 56 as indicated at 62 of FIG. 1, is driven through chain drive 64 from motor 66 through drive shaft 68 to which the roller is fixed. A sprocket 70 substantially the same diameter as the roller 62 is also fixed to the shaft 68 and drives a chain 72 which is trained about an idler sprocket 74 rotatably mounted on the arm 54 in the direction of the arrow 73. This chain 72 engages the top of the poles or posts supported by the

plates

38 and 40 and functions as a conveyor to advance them toward the doming station 36 and due to the wedging action as the post rotates, to simultaneously lift the arm 54 with the rollers 62 and 60 mounted thereon thereby permitting the post to move into the station 36 (see FIG. 1).

The log is supported in the station 36 at the front on plate 38 and roller 46 and at the rear on a pair of rear bottom support rolls and 82. These rolls, similar to the rools 60 and 62, are pneumatic tires. It will be noted that the

rolls

80 and 82 are all oriented at an angle relative to the axis of the pole to be domed which is parallel to the rotational axis of the cutter head 84 (see FIG. 2). The rolls 60 and 62 are canted substantially in the same manner as the

rolls

80 and 82.

The cutter head 84 is fixed to a shaft 86 that is rotatably mounted on the frame 58 of the machine by bearings or the like 88, and is driven by any suitable means such as a conventional electric motor. The contour on the cutting head 84 or the cutter knives are curved to form a dome shape on the top of the log substantially as illustrated at 90 in FIG. 2. The cutter or doming head 84 need not necessarily have the shape of the cutters illustrated, but could for example simply be a conical head.

The cradle and ejection mechanism is schematically illustrated in FIG. 4. This mechanism is formed by a front cradling and ejection mechanism 94 mounted on plate 92 fixed to the frame 58 and a read cradling and ejection mechanism 96 mounted on plate 40. The

mechanism

94 and 96 are interconnected by a rod 98 so that both actuate simultaneously.

The front ejection mechanism comprises an arm 100 having a curved cradle section 102 and terminating in a free end providing an ejection section 104. The arm 100 is pivotably mounted on the plate 92 via pivot pih 106. A link 108 is pivotably connected to the arm 100 by a pin 110 and connects the arm 100 to one arm 112 of a bell crank lever 114 via a pin 116. The bell crank lever 114 is fixed to the shaft 98 and rotates therewith. The other arm 118 of the bell crank 114 is connected via an adjustable connecting rod 120 to one arm 122 of a bell crank tripping lever 124. This tripping lever 1.24 is pivotably mounted on the opposite side of plate 92 relative to the arm 100 by pivot pin 126. The free end 128 of the other arm 130 of the tripping lever 124 is positioned above the upper surface of the plate 92 in a position to be engaged by a post as it is moved along the upper surface 50 of the plate 38A via the chain 72, as will be described in move detail hereinbelow.

As above indicated the mechanism 94 is connected to the mechanism 96 by a shaft 98. Fixed to the shaft 98 is a lever 132 which is pivotably connected by pin 134 to a lever 136 which in turn is pivotably connected to a rear arm 138 via pivot pin connection 140. The rear arm 138 has a stepped cradling section 142 with an ejection section 144 positioned adjacent its free end. The opposite end of the lever 138 is pivotably mounted on the plate 40 via pivot pin 150.

A pair of

weights

152 and 154 are fixed to the shaft 98 and extend laterally therefrom. These weights bias the shaft 98 in a counter-clockwise direction to force the

arms

100 and 138 into their cradling position as will be described hereinbelow.

The

plates

40 and 92 have inclined

sections

210 and 208 respectively down which a processed post slides and is stopped by the abutment 212 (see FIG. 4) mounted at the ends of the

plates

40 and 92.

Having now described the main elements of the present invention, the operation of the device will now be described.

A post 200 has its axial advance stopped by the abutment on the surface 14 and slides down the surface 14 into a position to be picked by one of the slights 22 on the conveyor 16. End 202 of the post 200 engages the face of flight 32 as the post is elevated by the conveyor 16 which wedges the post 200 axially rearward of the machine to properly align the end 202 into proper position relative to the domer head 90.

After the end 202 has been properly positioned the conveyor 16 deposits the log 200 onto the upper surfaces 50 and 5 2 of the

plates

38A and 40 and into engagement with the lower flight of the chain 72. This chain 72 advances the post 200 and wedges it between the surface 50 and the chain 72 with the movement of the chain 72 rotating the log 200 deeper into the wedge. thereby liftingtthe arm 54 by pivoting it about pivot point 56 clearing the way for the post to enter the doming station 36. As can be seen, the arm 54 will swing as indicated by the arrow 55 as the log 200 is advanced toward the doming station 36 (see FIG. 1).

The plate 388 is manually adjusted in accordance with the diameter of the log or post to be processed to position the supporting wheel 46 in proper position. This wheel 46 provides a positive stop against which the log or post being processed rests when depressed by the wheels 60 and 62.

As the post 200 moves into the station 36, it engages the free end 128 of the tripping lever 124 which actuates the

mechanisms

94 and 96 and rejects the previously processed post. The

weights

52 and 54 rotate the shaft 98 to lift the

arms

100 and 138 to the position shown in FIG. 4 which is the cradling position into which the incoming log or post 200 is fed. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the post 200 rests in the cradling

sections

102 and 142 and is temporarily supported there by the

weights

52 and 54. In this position, the pole 200 has cleared the upper surface 50 of the plate 38A and the upper edges of the

plates

40 and 92 so that it may move down to properly position the longitudinal axis of the post relative to the cutter head 90. The log 200 is forced down to this position by the weight of the arm 54 with the various mechanisms thereon transmitted by the rollers 60 and 62 engaging the upper surface of the log. The post 200 is supported at the front end on plate 38B and roller 46 and at the opposite end by the rolls and 82. The position of the roller 46 governs the position of the post relative to the cutting head 84, but it is not contemplated that the position of the roll 46 will be adjusted for each post. The position of the roller 46 is adjusted to obtain the best results over a range of normal sizes of post to be processed and may be readjusted for special small or large post runs.

Thus, with the post 200 positioned in the doming station 36, the roll 60 and 62 bear against the upper surface and the roll 62 positively rotates to in turn rotate the post 200. The canting of the rolls 60 and 62 in the manner illustrated for the

rolls

80 and 82 in FIG. 2 causes the post 200 to advance axially as it is rotated. This rotation and axial advance of the post 200 moves it into the cutter head 84 which is rotating at high speed and is provided with a plurality of curved contoured knives that engage and progressively cut the desired curved contour to dome the end 202.

As a post 200 is being domed by the doming head a further post 200 is elevated by the conveyor 16 in the manner described hereinabove. The flights 22 are so positioned and the rate of movement of the conveyor 16 correlated with that of the chain conveyor 72 and the roll 62 which forms a rotating and axial advancing mechanism for the log that the next post begins to elevate the arm 54 after doming of the post in station 36 has been completed.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the ejection ofthe domed log 200 from the doming station 36 will be described. As the next post to be processed is advanced by the conveyor 72, it as above described elevates the arm 54 which releases the pressure of the rolls 60 and 62 on the post 200 in the station 36 and permits the

weights

52 and 54 to begin lifting the post 200. The post 200 eventuallyy engages the free end 128 of the bell crank lever 124 and rotates this lever about its pivot 126 thereby moving the connecting rod 120 in the direction of the arrow 12] to rotate the bell crank lever 114 and thus the shaft 98 in a counterclockwise direction. This movement is facilitated by the

weights

152 and 154 and moves the arm in an upward direction so that the ejecting section 104 contacts the post 200 from beneath and forces same out of the doming station 36 and onto the inclined section 208 of the plate 92. At the same time, the opposite end of the post 200 is being lifted by the ejecting section 148 of the arm 138 since rotation of the shaft 98 rotates the arm 132 and through the link 136 pivots the arms 130 about its pivot point 150. This movement of the

ejecting section

104 and 132 forces the freeend of the post out of the doming station 36 and onto the incline section 210 of the plate 40. The post then slides down the section 209 and 210 into contact with the abutment 212 and is then picked by any convenient means.

As the incoming post is forced downward in the doming station 36 by the arm 54 it pivots the

arms

100 and 138 about their respective pivot points 106 and 150 and moves out of the cradling

sections

102 and 142 into a position overlying the

ejection sections

104 and 148 of the

arms

100 and 138 respectively (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

The movement of a post through the machine is clearly indicated by the

arrows

220 and 230 in FIG. 2.

doming station, said means to rotate and axially advance including an arm, a pair of rolls on said arm, means to drive one of said rolls, said rolls being canted at an angle to the longitudinal axis of a post in said doming station, means to mount said arm for movement to and from an operating position wherein said rolls contact with said post in said doming station and said one of said rolls rotates said post to helically advance said post.

2. A post domer as defined in claim 1 wherein said doming station includes means to rotatably support a post being domed, said means to rotatably support includes a pair of supporting rolls adapted to contact the undersurface of a post said supporting rolls being canted at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the post in the doming station substantially equal to the angle on which said pair of rolls are canted.

3. A post domer as defined in claim 2 wherein said pair of rolls and said pair of supporting rolls are pneu matic tires.

4. A post domer as defined in claim 2 wherein means to deliver the posts to said doming station comprises a chain conveyor mounted on said arm, said chain conveyor engaging the upper surface of a post being delivered to said doming station and wedging said post against a supporting surface said chain conveyor contacting and moving said logs toward said doming station, said movement of said post toward said doming station lifting said chain conveyor and thus said arm to permit said post being delivered to enter said doming station beneath said driven roll.

5. A post domer as defined in claim 2, wherein said ejection mechanism comprises a pair of spaced arms, means biasing said arms to ejection position and means for tripping said ejection mechanism to swing said arms to eject a post from said doming station.

' 6. A post domer as defined in claim 4 wherein said ejection mechanism comprises a pair of spaced arms, means biasing said arms to ejection position and means for tripping said ejection mechanism to swing said arms to eject a post from said doming station.

7. A post domer as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for tripping is actuated by said post being delivered when said arm is lifted to permit said post being delivered to enter said doming station.

8. A post domer as defined in claim 1 wherein said cutter head rotates on an axis substantially parallel to and spaced from the longitudinal axis of said post.

9. A post domer as defined in claim 2 wherein said cutter head rotates on an axis substantially parallel to and spaced from the longitudinal axis of said post.

Claims

1. A post domer comprising a doming station, a cutter head rotatably mounted in said doming station, means to deliver individual posts to said doming station, means to rotate and axially advance said post toward said cutter head in said doming station whereby said cutter head cuts a domed surface on one end of said post and means to eject the dome post from said doming station, said means to rotate and axially advance including an arm, a pair of rolls on said arm, means to drive one of said rolls, said rolls being canted at an angle to the longitudinal axis of a post in said doming station, means to mount said arm for movement to and from an operating position wherein said rolls contact with said post in said doming station and said one of said rolls rotates said post to helically advance said post.

3. A post domer as defined in claim 2 wherein said pair of rolls and said pair of supporting rolls are pneumatic tires.

6. A post domer as defined in claim 4 wherein said ejection mechanism comprises a pair of spaced arms, means biasing said arms to ejection position and means for tripping said ejection mechanism to swing said arms to eject a post from said doming station.