CLEARING CONVEYOR FOR SIDEBOARDS

Abstract: In a chain conveyor (10) for transporting sawn timber (23) the sawing machine is followed by a conveyor chain (11) and conveyor flights (12) attached to this. The width of at least one conveyor flight in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor chain is adjustable independently of the other conveyor flights. The conveyor flight may consist of two sections (12a, 12b), separated by a rotating joint (12c). The side guide bars (17) act on the width of the conveyor flight through the guide rollers (14).

Description: Clearing conveyor for sideboards The invention relates generally to chain conveyors. The invention relates especially to timber chain conveyors having adjustable width. Chain conveyors are generally used for instance in sawing machines to transfer sawn timber. FI patent specification 90228 (Rautio, Kauko) describes a prior art chain conveyor having adjustable width, comprising two parallel conveyor chains and conveyor flights attached at regular intervals between these. The prior art design is illustrated in figure 1. Each conveyor flight 2 consists of two longitudinal sections, attached at their outer end to conveyor chain 1 by means of a rotating joint. The innermost ends of the sections are interconnected by means of a rotating joint. The central point of the conveyor flights may be supported by a special guide rail or a guide chain 4. This chain conveyor is said to have the special advantage of an adjustable width, which can be appropriately set by placing the parallel chain guide bars 3 guiding the conveyor chains at the desired mutual distance. It has been observed in practical operation that prior art chain conveyors do not operate as desired in all situations. In clearing conveyors, with which a sawn timber bundle is conducted out of the sawing machine and from which the side boards ought to be guided by cutters or guides to specific board conveyors, the side boards behave irregularly. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a chain conveyor of a new type, which achieves improved controllability of the side boards in clearing conveyors. Another purpose of the invention is to provide a clearing conveyor for side boards which involves reliable operation, a straightforward design and low production costs. The purposes of the invention are achieved by providing the individual conveyor flights with adjustable width. The chain conveyor in accordance with the invention is characterised by the fact that it comprises a conveyor chain and conveyor flights attached to this, the width of at least one conveyor flight being adjustable in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor chain, independently of the other conveyor flights. The chain conveyor in accordance with the invention comprises one single conveyor chain, to which conveyor flights have been attached at regular intervals. The conveyor flight sections are mutually displaceable, so that the distance between the outermost ends of the sections and simultaneously the width of the bearing surface of the chain conveyor are altered at this particular conveyor flight. The mutual movability of the conveyor flight sections can be accomplished by various technical means. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the two sections of the conveyor flight are interconnected by a rotating joint at the conveyor chain, and the conveyor flight sections are separated by a spring, which tends to alter the rotational angle between the sections by its springback factor. At various points of the chain conveyor, lateral guide bars with different width may be provided, which affect the mutual position of the conveyor flight sections, the width of the chain conveyor being thus altered. By altering the conveyor width, one can guide it to displace the movement of the boards included in the sawn timber bundle. The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to preferred embodiments given by way of examples and to the accompanying drawings, in which figure 1 shows a prior art chain conveyor, figure 2 shows a chain conveyor in accordance with the invention, figure 3 shows a number of optional conveyor flights in a chain conveyor in accordance with the invention, figures 4a-4d illustrate a preferred conveyor flight more in detail and figure 5 shows the preferred position of the conveyor flights and the side guide bars in a chain conveyor in accordance with the invention. The above description of the technological background refers to figure 1 , and thus the following description of the invention and its preferred embodiments refers to figures 2 to 5. The same reference numerals are used for corresponding parts in the figures. Figure 2 is a schematic top view of chain conveyor 10, comprising a conveyor chain 1 1 and conveyor flights 12 attached to this. Each of the conveyor flights includes two sections 12a and 12b, connected to each other and to the conveyor chain by rotating joint 12c, whose axis of rotation runs in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in figure 2. The rotating angle between the sections of the conveyor flight are marked with α at the central conveyor flight. The extent of the rotating angle is totally independent of the extent of the corresponding rotating angle in the remaining conveyor flights, and thus the chain conveyor shown in figure 2 does not have standard width, but instead, its width may vary at each conveyor flight. The rotating angle between the sections of the conveyor flight can be acted on by various means, depending on the technical implementation of the conveyor flight. Figure 3 is a schematic view of various optional conveyor flights. Option 3a is an adjustable conveyor flight, in which the rotating angle between sections 12a and 12b can be set as desired and locked by means of a clamping screw 13. Such a solution is suitable for chain conveyors which should have a given standard width during operation, however, with the width being adjustable whenever necessaiy. In addition to or instead of clamping screw 13, a cotter bolt or any method known per se for interlocking two mutually movable bodies into a given mutual position may be used. Option 3b is a freely adaptable conveyor flight which does not as such include any mechanism to restrict the rotation of sections 12a and 12b. Nevertheless, the lower surface of both sections is provided with a guide roller 14 and on both sides of the conveyor chain guide grooves 15 are provided, in which guide rollers 14 run when the chain conveyor is operating. When the distance of guide groove 15 from conveyor chain 1 1 changes, guide roller 14 mmiing in the guide groove curves round a section of the conveyor flight relative to rotating joint 12. Guide grooves 15 may be located symmetrically or asymmetrically relative to conveyor chain 1 1, conveyor flight sections 12a and 12b rotating accordingly, either symmetrically or asymmetrically. Option 3 c represents a conveyor flight, in which a pressure spring 16 is provided between sections 12a and 12b. The same kind of guide rollers 14 as in option 3b are provided on the lower surface of the sections. Pressure spring 16 tends to press the sections apart, i.e. it tends to enlarge the rotating angle between these. On both sides of conveyor chain 1 1 external side guide bars 17 are provided, against which the guide rollers are pressed under the effect of pressure spring 16. The distance of the side guide bar from conveyor chain 1 1 affects the rotating angle in the same way as does the distance of guide groove 15 in option 3b, however, pressure spring 16 makes the inner edge of the guide groove superfluous. In option 3d, the pressure spring has been replaced with a draw-spring 18, the situation being otherwise the same as in option 3c, with the difference that the rotating angle is not regulated by external side guide bars 17, but by internal side guide bars 19. As more complex conveyor options we may cite the adjustment of the rotating angle according to the tensile stress of the conveyor chain or an electromagnetic conveyor flight, in which the rotating angle is set by a small-sized electromagnetic actuator provided in each conveyor flight. A rotating joint is not the only feasible means for adjusting the width of the conveyor flight. Option 3e represents a conveyor flight, in which sections 12a and 12b are mounted so as to be able to slide in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor chain direction. In this option as well, pressure spring 16 tends to press the sections apart and guide rollers 14 underneath them are pressed against external side guide bars 17, so that the mutual distance between the side guide bars determines the width of the bearing surface. The guide grooves or the side guide bars, which through the guide rollers set the width of the conveyor flights, may be either stationaiy or movable. In the latter case, the chain conveyor may comprise for instance hydraulic cylinders or other means known per se for altering the position of the side guide bars, the side guide rollers being adjustable even during the operation of the conveyor. Movable side guide bars may consist of several sections, whose positions can be altered independently of each other. Figures 4a to 4d illustrate more in detail a conveyor flight, whose design and operation has been confirmed to be advantageous, attached to conveyor chain 1 1. Bottom plate 20 has been fixed to loop 1 1a of the conveyor chain by welding. Rotating sections 12a and 12b of the conveyor flight have been fixed to bottom plate 20 by means of a bolt 21 and a bushing 22. Sections 12a and 12b are separated by a pressure spring 16 and guide rollers 14 are provided at the ends of sections 12a and 12b, under the conveyor flight. The outermost ends of sections 12a and 12b have bevelled upper surfaces, so that, if a sawn timber bundle 23 on top of the conveyor flight has a width relative to the conveyor fligth width such that its outermost boards 23a and 23b will be placed on bevels 24a and 24b, the outermost boards 23a and 23b tend to be directed downwards and outwards as indicated by arrows 25a and 25b. Besides figures 4a to 4d, figure 5 illustrates the operation of a conveyor flight of a chain conveyor in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention and how the boards in a sawn timber bundle are guided in a chain conveyor of the invention. As sawn timber bundle 23 leaves the sawing machine transported by the chain conveyor, the cylindrical drive wheels 26a and 26b support the sawn timber bundle in the lateral direction. In addition, in this step, pressure spring 16 in each conveyor flight presses the rotating angle between sections 12a and 12b of the conveyor flight, enlarging it to such an extent that the outermost boards 23a and 23b in the sawn timber bundle 23 (figure 4c) are not supported merely by bevels 24a and 24b. As guide rollers 14 on the lower surface of the conveyor flight touch side guide bars 17, sections 23a and 23b of the conveyor flight rotate closer to each other, resulting in the outermost boards 23a and 23b in the sawn timber bundle 23 being guided away from the central goods 23 c and dropping, guided by bevels 24a and 24b and also the inclined guide surfaces 27a and 27b, onto board conveyors (not illustrated in the figure) provided on the sides of the chain conveyor. Reference numeral 28 indicates a hydraulic cylinder and an associated level system for altering the position of side guide bars 17. The chain conveyor of the invention yields excellent controllability of side boards. Since the position of the conveyor flights can be adjusted symmetrically or asymmetiically, the chain conveyor of the invention allows side boards on different sides of the sawn timber bundle to be controlled even independently of each other. The chain conveyor of the invention preferably comprises one single conveyor chain, thus yielding an appreciable decrease in production costs compared to solutions comprising two or more chains; besides the chain, toothed wheels and other special parts required to contiol the movement of the conveyor chain are avoided in the production. If the chain conveyor of the invention is made very wide, this allows the outermost ends of the conveyor flights to be supported by means of supporting rails or chains mounted under these. In other respects as well, people skilled in the art can easily modify the invention within the limits of ordinary know- how without departing from the scope of protection of the accompanying claims. Thus, for instance, all the conveyor flights of the chain conveyor do not have to correspond to the invention, on the condition that adequate controllability is achieved by providing a horizontally adjustable conveyor flight of the invention say, as every second conveyor flight.

Claims: Claims 1. A chain conveyor (10) for transporting sawn timber (23) after a sawing machine, characterized in that it comprises a conveyor chain (1 1) and conveyor flights (12) attached to this, the width of at least one conveyor flight in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor chain being adjustable independently of the other conveyor flights. 2. A chain conveyor as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the adjustable conveyor flight comprises two sections (12a, 12b) and a rotating joint (12c) between these and the conveyor chain. 3. A chain conveyor as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the adjustable conveyor flight comprises a spring ( 16, 18) between said two sections tending to alter the mutual position of the sections. 4. A chain conveyor as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the outermost ends (24a, 24b) of the adjustable conveyor flight have bevels (24a, 24b) for guiding the outermost parts (23a, 23b) of multipart goods to be transported apart from the innermost parts. 5. A chain conveyor as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one side guide bar (15, 17, 19) at a given point for altering the width of the adjustable conveyor flight at the side guide bar. 6. A chain conveyor as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the adjustable conveyor flight comprises at least one guide roller ( 14) for transmitting a mechanical action between the suide guide bar (15, 17, 19) and the conveyor flight (12). 7. A chain conveyor as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, in order to unload sawn timber from the sawing machine and to separate side boards from the central goods, it comprises - side guide bars (17) for reducing the width of the conveyor flights and - inclined guide surfaces (27a, 27b) for guiding the side boards from their position on the conveyor flights downwards and outwards. 8. A chain conveyor as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that said inclined guide surfaces (27a, 27b) are made in one piece with said side guide bars (17). 9. A chain conveyor as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a mechanism (28) for altering the distance between said side guide bars.

Inventors: SUNTIO OSSI, SUNTIO, OSSI
Applicants: HEINOLAN SAHAKONEET OY, SUNTIO OSSI, SUNTIO, OSSI
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65G19
IPC codes: B27B31, B65G19