Patent ID: 7395916
Filing Date: 2008-07-08
Classification: B27D,B27G,B27M,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A rotary transfer mechanism for transferring individual four-sided wood pieces from an infeed station to a crowding station, and for presenting the individual wood pieces to an adhesive application station to form a panel, the rotary transfer mechanism comprising: a rotatable shaft; a drive mechanism operably connected to the rotatable shaft; and a gripper assembly including at least one gripper attached to the rotatable shaft, the rotatable shaft being rotatable between a first position, wherein the gripper is positioned to grip one of the wood pieces from the infeed station, and a second position, wherein the gripper is positioned to present the wood piece to the adhesive application station for adhesive application, wherein the gripper comprises a pair of fingers configured to engage respective first and second opposing surfaces of the wood piece and a stop configured to engage a third surface of the wood piece transverse to the first and second surfaces such that the gripper is capable of gripping wood pieces having fourth surfaces at different distances from the third surfaces, and wherein the gripper assembly further comprises a pair of cylinders each configured to actuate a respective one of the pair of fingers to open and close the fingers.