Method and apparatus for handling elongated articles, such as pieces of timber

A method and apparatus for handling elongated articles, such as elongated pieces of timber of different types, includes a plurality of compartments for receiving the articles of the different types with each compartment receiving only one type of article. A plurality of inclined partitions define the several compartments between themselves with each partition having an upper surface down which elongated articles received in a compartment can slide. An upper conveyor conveys the articles past top open ends of the compartments while suitable selecting structure selects articles from the upper conveyor to deflect articles of a given type therefrom into a given compartment. A releasable holding structure adjacent at the bottom end of the plurality of partitions holds the articles deposited in the compartments to prevent the articles from sliding out of lower open ends of the compartments, with the articles deposited in each compartment forming therein a single layer on the upper slide surface of a partition. A lower conveyor extends across bottom open ends of the several compartments and the releasable holding structure can be actuated by suitable controls to release a layer of articles from a given compartment to slide down a partition onto the lower conveyor, the latter delivering the articles in the form of a single layer to a device such as a timber packaging device which requires the articles to be delivered thereto in the form of a single layer, so that in this way the latter device can receive the articles directly from the lower conveyor onto which the articles are deposited from the compartments only in the form of a single layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for handling 
elongated articles such as elongated pieces of timber, particularly pieces 
of timber of different types. 
With known methods and apparatus for handling articles of the above type, 
the articles are separated according to quality and/or size, such as 
length, and in accordance with this separation articles of a given type 
are delivered to a given compartment. Thus a relatively large number of 
consecutive sorting compartments are arranged for respectively receiving 
articles, and the articles generally are simply dropped from an upper 
conveyor into a particular compartment which is intended to receive 
articles of a given type, these compartments being arranged, for example, 
in groups according to which all of the compartments in a given group 
receive articles of a given type. When a given quantity of articles has 
been collected in a given compartment or group of compartments, this 
quantity of articles is delivered, primarily by gravity, out of the 
compartments onto a conveyor situated beneath the compartments to be 
transported by the conveyor to a location where the articles are further 
handled, as, for example by being packaged. 
In the case where there are at least two consecutive sorting compartments 
belonging to a given group for receiving a given type of article, the 
opening of these sorting compartments and the emptying thereof is carried 
out according to a given program which may be preset to give a certain 
starting command according to which the compartments of the given group 
are successively opened in a given sequence for locating the articles in a 
desired manner on the lower conveyor to be delivered thereby to a device 
such as a packaging device. Preferably that compartment of a given group 
which is nearest to the discharge end of the lower conveyor is first 
opened to release the articles therefrom, and then the next compartment is 
opened, and so on. 
One of the important requirements of methods and apparatus for handling 
articles such as timber is that the method and apparatus be capable of 
handling the articles in such a way that they are not damaged. For example 
in the case of elongated pieces of timber, it is important that they be 
handled in such a way that the corners thereof are not damaged. In this 
respect the above application provides a notable improvement over prior 
art methods and apparatus, particularly due to the fact that it is 
possible with the above patent application to utilize relatively small 
sorting compartments capable of being opened and emptied according to a 
given program in such a way that damage to the timber pieces can be 
decreased to a considerable extent from what has been heretofore 
encountered. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and 
apparatus which will further develop the concepts disclosed in the above 
patent application and which will widen the range of application thereof. 
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and 
apparatus according to which articles of the above type can be handled in 
such a way that damage thereto, particularly damage to the corners of 
pieces of timber, can be markedly decreased as compared to prior art 
methods and apparatus. 
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method 
and apparatus capable of assuring that the articles delivered from the 
compartments onto a lower conveyor form on the latter only a single layer 
of the articles so that when the articles are delivered from the lower 
conveyor to a device, such as a packaging device, which requires the 
articles to be received by the device in the form of a single layer, such 
articles can be delivered directly from the lower conveyor to the device 
without requiring the use of an intervening mechanism for seperating the 
articles into a single layer prior to delivery to the device which 
requires the articles to be received thereby in the form of a single 
layer. Thus, if the articles are delivered from the compartments onto the 
lower conveyor in a form according to which several layers of articles are 
formed one above the other on the lower conveyor, then when the device for 
receiving the articles from the lower conveyor requires the articles to be 
received in the form of a single layer, it is necessary first to separate 
the articles discharging from the lower conveyor in such a way that they 
will form a single layer prior to being received by the device for further 
treating the articles, such as a packaging device. 
Furthermore it is an object of the present invention to provide a method 
and apparatus of the above type which are relatively simple and 
inexpensive while at the same time operating reliably to achieve the 
desired results. 
Thus, it is an specific object of the present invention to provide a method 
and apparatus according to which the pieces of timber can be caused to 
form a continuous organized single layer or mat upon the lower conveyor, 
so that special dispersing pockets or other structure corresponding 
thereto are no longer required subsequent to the lower conveyor in order 
to separate the articles to form a single layer therefrom. Instead the 
sawed pieces of timber may be conveyed directly from the lower conveyor to 
the packaging apparatus. 
In order to achieve the above objects as well as others which will become 
apparent, the invention is mainly characterized in that sorting 
compartments which receive the timber pieces from an upper conveyor have 
inclined sliding planes on each of which a single layer of articles in the 
form of a timber mat is assembled. 
According to the invention the articles are dropped from an upper conveyor 
into a series of compartments according to the particular type of article, 
and these compartments are defined by a plurality of partition means which 
are inclined so as to have upper sliding surfaces forming the above slide 
planes. As the articles drop into a given compartment they become 
assembled on such a sliding plane formed by the upper surface of the 
partition means, and in this way a single layer of the articles is formed 
on each partition means. A releasable holding means can be operated 
according to a given control system for releasably holding a layer of 
articles on each partition means until the layer assumes a given size, and 
then the entire layer can be released to slide down the partition means on 
to a lower conveyor which delivers the articles in the form of a single 
layer directly to a device such as a packaging device.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to FIG. 1 it will be seen that the timber-sorting 
installation illustrated therein includes an upper conveyor means 10 
composed of elongated endless chains or belts guided around suitable 
sprockets or pulleys with these chains or belts carrying the substantially 
L-shaped members 11 which are adapted to receive and carry the elongated 
articles which in the illustrated example are in the form of elongated 
pieces of timber d. These timber pieces d are delivered in a suitably 
dosed or metered manner from a supply conveyor 12 to the upper conveyor 
means 10. Thus the operation of the conveyor means 10 and the conveyor 
means 12 is carried out in such a way that these conveyors have with 
respect to each other a suitably timed relation according to which as each 
timber piece d reaches the right discharge end of the conveyor 12, as 
viewed in FIG. 1, each timber piece d will be deposited onto two or more 
transversely aligned L-shaped members 11. Thus it will be understood that 
behind each of the members 11 shown in FIG. 1 there is at least one 
additional member 11 spaced therefrom, these members 11 travelling through 
spaces defined between the chains or belts of the conveyor 12 as well as 
through spaces between the spockets or pulleys on which these chains or 
belts are guided, and the speed of the conveyor 12 has with respect to the 
speed of the conveyor 10 a relationship according to which each piece d 
will be reliably deposited upon a least a pair of transversely aligned 
members 11. Thus FIG. 1 shows an elongated timber piece e which has just 
been received from the conveyor 12 and which is being conveyed to the 
right by the lower run of the conveyor means 10, in the direction of the 
arrow A, previously delivered timber pieces f also being shown in FIG. 1 
as they travel across the upper open ends of a series of compartments of 
the invention. 
These compartments 21 take the form of spaces defined between a plurality 
of parallel inclined partition means. Thus FIG. 1 illustrates a plurality 
of partition means 14A.sub.1, 14A.sub.2, 14A.sub.3, which define between 
themselves compartments 21 of a group A of compartments. The next 
following partition means 14B.sub.1, 14B.sub.2, 14B.sub.3, define between 
themselves three compartments 21 forming the group B. In the same way the 
next plurality of partition means 14C.sub.1, 14C.sub.2, 14C.sub.3, forms 
the group C of compartments 21, and the following partition means 
14D.sub.1, 14D.sub.2, 14D.sub.3, forms the group D of compartments. If 
desired this arrangement can be extended to form any desired number of 
compartments and any desired arrangement of groups of compartments. 
As is shown schematically in FIG. 3, the structure includes a pair of 
opposed parallel upright walls 23 which fixedly carries rods 22 extending 
horizontally between the walls 23, and these rods 22 pass through suitable 
openings in a number of bars, FIG. 3 illustrating one group of bars 
forming the partition means 14B.sub.3, the next group of bars forming the 
partition means 14C.sub.1, and the following group of bars forming the 
partition means 14C.sub.2. In this way it is possible to provide the 
several partition means illustrated in FIG. 1 all extending parallel to 
each other and all being inclined in the same direction with the several 
partition means being spaced equidistantly from each other. 
Thus it will be seen that the several partition means have upper ends all 
situated at the same elevation and spaced from each other to define upper 
open ends for the compartments 21, while the several partition means also 
have lower ends located at the same elevation and defining between 
themselves open lower ends of the several compartments 21. Moreover, the 
upper ends of the several partition means are displaced horizontally with 
respect to the lower ends thereof so that the several partition means are 
inclined with respect to a vertical plane, as illustrated in FIG. 1. 
The several aligned bars which form each partition means terminate in upper 
surfaces which are situated in a common plane, forming a slide plane 
having an inclination which is such that timber pieces on this slide plane 
are capable of sliding freely as a result of gravitational forces 
downwardly along the particular slide plane formed by the upper surface of 
each partition means. 
In order to cause particular pieces of timber of a given type to be 
received in a given compartment, each partition means has operatively 
connected to its upper end a selecting means 13 in the form of two or more 
rods having the configuration illustrated in the drawings and pivotally 
connected to the top ends of two or more bars which form a partition 
means. These rods which form a selecting means 13 for a given compartment 
are interconnected by a transverse bar which in turn is pivotally 
connected to the piston rod of a fluid-pressure piston-and-cylinder means 
15 pivotally supported by a suitable bracket fixed to a partition means as 
shown for the partition means 14B.sub.3 and 14C.sub.1 of FIG. 2. The 
several selecting means 13 are capable of being turned between their lower 
rest positions 13a and upper selecting positions 13b illustrated in the 
drawings. For this purpose a suitable control means C is operatively 
connected with the several fluid-pressure means 15 in the manner shown 
schematically in FIG. 2. Thus, the pieces of timber d will be sorted 
according to size, for example, this size being detected for example, by 
suitable photosensitive means such as a photoelectric means or the like, 
and this latter means will actuate the control means C to cause a given 
selecting means 13 to be turned from its lower rest position 13a to its 
upper deflecting position 13b when a given piece of timber f of a given 
type has arrived at a compartment to which it is to be delivered. Thus 
FIG. 1 shows a pair of selecting means 13 in their upper positions 13b to 
deflect a pair of timber pieces f onto the pair of partition means 
14B.sub.2 and 14B.sub.3. In the same way FIG. 2 shows the timber piece g 
after it has been deflected and while it is sliding down on the partition 
means 14B.sub.3, and the right selecting means 13 of FIG. 2 is shown in 
dotted lines in its upper position and in solid lines in its lower 
position with the right means 13 of FIG. 2 in its dotted line position 
being about to engage the timber piece f to deflect the latter onto the 
partition means 14C.sub.1 indicated in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 also indicates the 
angle of inclination .alpha. of the several parallel partition means which 
will assure downward sliding movement by gravity of the several pieces of 
timber which rest on the upper slide planes formed by the several 
partition means. 
It will be understood that the several rods which form each selecting means 
13 move up into spaces between the L-shaped members 11 which continuously 
travel in the direction of the arrow A across the upper open ends of the 
several compartments. After a given piece of timber has been deflected 
into a given compartment the selecting means 13 which has brought about 
this deflection returns to its rest position 13a where it is situated out 
of the line of travel of the timber pieces. 
Thus with the arrangement of the invention the groups of compartments A-D 
each include a successive series of three compartments in the illustrated 
example. Moreover, each partition means has operatively connected thereto 
a releasable holding means 16 which serves to releasably hold a layer of 
elongated articles in a particular compartment until a command is given to 
release the layer. 
Thus, the releasable holding means 16 operatively connected to each 
partition means is also in the form of a series of rods these rods of 
being L-shaped configuration and being pivotally carried by the bars which 
form each partition means in a manner shown schematically in FIGS. 1 and 
2. The several rods of each releasable holding means 16 are interconnected 
by a transverse member which is connected by a suitable lever to the 
piston of a fluid-pressure cylinder-and-piston means 17 also controlled by 
the control means C according to a predetermined program. The releasable 
holding means 16 operatively connected to the partition means 14B.sub.3 in 
FIG. 2 is shown in solid lines at the position 16a which is the operative 
releasable holding position where the holding means 16 holds a layer of 
timber pieces such as the layer B.sub.3 on the partition means 14B.sub.3. 
Thus as long as the releasable holding means 16 is in its holding position 
16a as shown in solid lines at the partition means 14B.sub.3 in FIG. 2, 
the several timber pieces g which are deposited on the partition means 
14B.sub.3 will slide down the latter to engage the preceeding timber piece 
which has been deposited thereon, thus forming the layer B.sub.3. The 
first piece of timber which is received by a given compartment will slide 
down the slide plane thereof to be engaged by the releasable holding 
means, and the successive pieces of timber deposited in a particular 
compartment will slide automatically by gravity down the inclined slide 
plane thereof to form in this way a layer of timber pieces on a given 
slide plane. Thus in FIG. 1 there is illustrated a completed layer b.sub.1 
of timber pieces on the partition means 14B.sub.1 while other layers of 
timber pieces are shown in the process of being formed on other partition 
means. It will be noted that in accordance with the invention in each 
compartment the several pieces of timber collected therein form only a 
single layer or mat of timber pieces of the same type. 
When a completed layer of timber pieces is to be released for moving out of 
a given compartment to the lower open end thereof, a command is 
transmitted from the control means C, according to a given program, for 
actuating the fluid-pressure means 17 so as to turn the releasable holding 
means 16 from the holding position 16a to the release position 16b shown 
in dotted and solid lines in FIG. 2, and now the holding means 16 will be 
retracted away from the particular layer which is free to slide down on 
the inclined slide plane onto a lower conveyor means 20 the upper run of 
which moves to the left, as shown by the arrow B in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus, 
the several releasable holding means 16 of the several compartments are 
arranged to be releasable for bringing about emptying of a given group of 
compartments upon a command derived according to a preset program from the 
control means C. 
The program or control means C shown schematically in FIG. 2 thus governs 
the operation of the releasable holding means 16 and the selecting means 
13. This control means can take any known form, for example a known 
electronic and/or pneumatic form, utilizing designs known in themselves in 
the prior art. 
Thus, as is shown in FIG. 2, the right selecting means 13 has been turned 
from the solid to the dotted line position to deflect the timber piece f 
so that it will slide down the upper surface of the partition means 
14C.sub.1. Of course immediately thereafter the selecting means 13 is 
returned to the position 13a. The timber piece g is shown sliding down the 
partition means 14B.sub.3, and this sliding will continue until this piece 
encounters the previously delivered pieces of the mat B.sub.3. This mat is 
of course maintained stationary by the left releasable holding means 16 
shown in FIG. 2. Of course when this releasable holding means is turned to 
the dotted line position 16b then the mat or single layer of timber pieces 
will be free to slide down the inclined slide plane onto the conveyor 20. 
It will be noted that FIG. 2 shows at the partition means 14C.sub.1 a 
previously completed layer or mat C.sub.1 which is in the process of being 
received by the lower conveyor means 20. The releasable holding means 16 
connected to the partition means 14C.sub.1 is shown in its released 
position and is about to be turned back to its holding position 16a so as 
to stop the downward sliding movement of the next piece of timber which is 
just about to be deflected onto the partition means 14C.sub.1. As is shown 
in FIG. 2 the released single layer C.sub.1 of timber pieces forms a 
corresponding single layer on the conveyor means 20, and inclination of 
the several partition means is such that when the layers of timber thereon 
slide onto the conveyor 20, they move toward the left discharge and 
thereof as viewed in FIG. 1. Thus FIG. 2 shows part of a single-layer mat 
h of timber derived from the layer C.sub.1 and already on the conveyor 20 
being conveyed in the direction of the arrow B toward the discharge end of 
the conveyor 20. The arrangement is such that the layer from a given 
partition means forms a continuous layer on the conveyor 20. 
As is indicated in FIG. 1, the upper sliding planes formed by the pair of 
partition means 14A.sub.1 and 14A.sub.2 are still empty while the slide 
plane formed by the upper surface of the partition means 14A.sub.3 is 
being filled to form the single layer a.sub.3 of timber on the partition 
means 14A.sub.3. In the group of compartments B, the slide planes of the 
partition means 14B.sub.1 and 14B.sub.2 are already filled to capacity and 
the layer of timber on the partition means 14B.sub.3 is in the process of 
being completed. This layer B.sub.3 is shown in FIG. 2. The group of 
compartments C has already been filled and is in the process of being 
discharged. It will be noted in this connection that the first compartment 
of the group C is in the process of being discharged in the position of 
the part shown in FIG. 1, the layer c.sub.1 of timber pieces being shown 
partly on the conveyor 20 and partly sliding down the partition means 
14C.sub.1. According to a further feature of the invention when a given 
group of compartments is to be emptied the sequence of operation derived 
from the program is such that first that compartment of the given group 
which is nearest to the discharge end of the conveyor means 20 will be 
discharged, and then the next compartment, and so on. Thus when the layer 
c.sub.1 has been discharged from the partition means 14C.sub.1 to a given 
extent, the releasable holding means connected to the partition means 
14C.sub.2 will be actuated to release the layer c.sub.2, the timing being 
such that the first timber piece of the layer c.sub.2 will become situated 
directly behind the last timber piece of the layer c.sub.1. In this way on 
the conveyor means 20 there will be formed a continuous uninterrupted 
layer of timber pieces of a given type derived from a series of 
compartments of a given group in the sequence set forth above. In a 
similar manner the releasable holding means 16 operatively connected to 
the partition means 14C.sub.3 will be actuated automatically to discharge 
the layer c.sub.3 at an appropriate time which will cause the first or 
lower timber piece of the layer c.sub.3 to become situated behind the last 
timber piece of the layer c.sub.2, directly next thereto to form in this 
way a continuous layer on the upper run of the conveyor means. In the 
position of the part shown in FIG. 1 the several partition means 
14D.sub.1, 14D.sub.2, and 14D.sub.3 are in the process of having the 
single layers d.sub.1, d.sub.2, and d.sub.3 of timber pieces respectively 
formed thereon. 
According to a further feature of the invention each partition means 
includes a lower freely swingable flap 18 which is situated just below the 
releasable holding means 16 for guiding the timber pieces directly onto 
the conveyor. Each guide flap 18 may be in the form of a single elongated 
sheet of material or in the form of separate bars pivotally connected 
separately to the several bars which form each partition means. The guide 
flaps 18 are pivotally connected to the lower ends of the several 
partition means by way of pivots 19 the construction of which is such that 
each guide flap 18 can freely turn upwardly to the position 18a shown in 
FIG. 2 while falling by gravity back down to the position 18b in which it 
remains by reason of the construction of the hinge 19. Thus the hinges 19 
have a construction permitting each guide flap means 18 to turn freely in 
an upward direction by limiting the downward swinging movement thereof to 
an extent such that the lower end of each guide flap means 18 is situated 
just above the upper run of the conveyor means 20. Thus, by way of these 
guide flaps 18 each layer of timber is capable of sliding smoothly onto 
the upper run of the conveyor 20. At the same time, as a given layer of 
timber is conveyed by the conveyor 20, any guide flaps in the path of 
movement of such a layer can easily be swung up by the layer of timber 
itself to the upper position 18a as shown in FIG. 2, so that these guide 
flaps do not interfere with the movement of the layers of timber towards 
the discharge end of the lower conveyor means 20. Thus since the guide 
flaps 18 are freely turnable in an upward direction, the timber mat h on 
the upper end of the conveyor 20 is able to pass forwardly beneath the 
several compartments to the discharge end of the conveyor means 20. 
The several sliding planes formed by the upper surfaces of the bars which 
form the several partition means of course have a relatively low 
coefficient of friction with respect to the timber pieces. For this 
purpose the several bars of each partition means may be suitably coated 
particularly at their upper surfaces with a plastic material which is 
relatively slippery so that the friction retarding the downward sliding 
movement of the timber pieces is reduced to be as low as possible. As a 
result of this feature it is possible to make the angle of inclination 
.alpha. of the sliding planes relatively small. 
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates at the left discharge end of the lower 
conveyor means 20 a timber packaging means 30. This timber packaging means 
30 requires the timber pieces to be delivered thereto in the form of a 
single layer. Thus, with the structure of the invention because the 
several layers of timber will be delivered from the compartments in the 
form of a single layer h on the upper run of the conveyor means 20, such a 
single layer of timber can be delivered directly from the discharge end of 
the conveyor means 20 to the timber packaging means 30 without requiring 
any intervening structure for receiving timber pieces from the conveyor 20 
and forming from these received timber pieces a single layer to be 
delivered to the packaging means 30. 
Of course the invention is not to be narrowly confined to the details 
described above and given by way of example only. Such details may of 
course vary within the scope of the inventive concept defined by the 
claims which follow.