Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
8~i
1~205
APPARA~S FOR SPREAD~P~G GLUE-C~ED PARTI~L~E5 IN
~HE PROW~TION O~ PRESS~D BO~D
~PECIFICATION
ou~ pre~e~t inYention rela~ o an apparatus ~or
'ch~ spreadin~ o~ glue-ooated part~c:los, ~.~. wood ohips,
sawdust, c~311ulos~ fiber3 or partioles or the like, in the
p~du~tion o~ pressed boa~d, for exa~pl~, par~ial~ boax~d~
M~9Le~
In the produc:tion t:~ p~e~sed boa~d, e.g. partiale
~oard, it is oomm~n to the coat the partic~l~s, especially
wood chip~ or saw dust, with a ~lu~ or adheslva whlah aan
be thermally a~tiva~able and whlch ~an b~nd th~ pa~ticl~s
tog~th~r when a las!e~: o~ the particle~ is oompressed in a
~5 partie~le-~oaxd pr~. Presse-~ of ~hls~ type ~an ~nclude
platan ~ esse~ whi~h a~e c:apable of heating ~nd aompre~s~ng
the layer wlth or without a tray ~or:ming ~h~ l~ye~
support. Tll~ layer may be u~ivide~ into mats pr~or to
compressis~n.
2~ata,~8~
1820~
In all of these 8yStfam5, ~ 3 ne~ecsary to ~pre~d
th~3 ylue-coa~ed parti~ in a l~ye~ oal ~ tran~port
su:cface, e.g. ~ continuous belt, tray or th~ l~k~.
Fo~ the spr~adlnc3 o~ tho glue-coat~d pa~tlcles~
sp~a~inc3 a~aratus is provldecl ~long the parti~lfl ~oard
~abrication line arld ~a~ aompri~ a ~preadable ma~lal
bun~e~ and b6~low this spreadal~ nate~ bun~r a
æpreadin~ h~ad~ ~he ~preada~le mate~ial bu~er can b~
foxmed with a meterirl~ ~elt havin~ a dia~harg~ Qnd ~om
which the spreadable material i~ dischar~e~ downward~y and
tbe spre~dlng head may hav~ a roller 6p~ea~1ng uni~ fed by
a d~livery de~ce. The roller ~preadirlg unlt is genQrally
provided with pitl rolla or roll~ other~rise provlded wi~h
protuberances to ef~ect di~ribution o~ the spr~dable
mat~rial over a wide area above the recelvlng su~ac~.
~n ~ne~al suc:h prior art deYi~e~ thrsw the
spre~dable raaterial at the metQrlng belt dire~tly on~ e
delivery devlce o~ the xo~l~r ~pr~ading un~t. The roller
~preadin~ unit can w~rlc wi~h an a~ ~preading ~yst~m ~hl~h
~o can also apply to th~ present inYention ~nd i~ dQsc:ri~ed,
ampl~, in Ger~nan Pa~nt Doaumen~ D}~ 25 35 461.
When t,h~ wood chips or parti~les are coa~ed qri~ a
bina~r, tl~ conventional 6y~ems enooun~r pro~lem~,
BinC~! depending upon the ~ype and ~truoture oP the
25 paxtlale~, various ~orm~ o~ clumps or aggreg~tes can
develop. In gener~ hi6 ~pe of ~glo~eration ~
2(~ar8~;6
1~20~
~e~erred to in the a~t ~a ball ~orma~l~n. ~ ~lump~ ~r
balls, i.e. agglomera~e~ o~ glue-aoa~ed partl~le~ can pa~
into ~he sp~ead mat~ and can ~ rim~ntally af:eect the
quality o~ the ~brioat~d particle board. Indeed, lt can
result ln re~e~ts, ~spealally when the clumps or b~ ar~
visible ~t the ~ur~ac~ o~ the ~inishe~ parti~l~ bo~rd.
In an appara~.us for th~ ~preading o~ glue ~oa~d
par~iclefi in the produation o~ par~lc:le board (~nan
~atent ~ocument 27 35 S10), the air 6pr~adlng p~rabolia
lo path o~ thR materi~l ha a c~ lny trough d.i~po~d
therein ~nd positioned to catoh ~h~ h~aYier ~c~cion o~ l:he
materials spread oul; by the air . ~ream. T3-is trou~h i~
pro~rided with a conveyor bel~ and i~ inten~ed ~o aolleqt
the }~alls of a~glomerated material which are generally
heavler than ~he glu~-coated p~rti~les them~elvesO
Thi~ system al~o ha~ ~rawb~ck~ ~inc~ the n~ture o~
the way in ~rhi ::h th~a partic~e~ ars ~p~ead make~ i~
impossible to ensure that all o~ the l~all~ w~ ll be
coll~ed in the receiving ~ough. Thu3 whlle t~ e~rlier
sy~tem operate~ ~ a ball ~epara~o~, the ball separation
~equires improvem~nt, espec~ally when th~ ~preading
material ~up~ rates may v~ry ~i~nificantly.
If, for example, with widely varylng sp~eadins~
ma~e~ial ~upply rates, ~he. ~ir ~low~ ~or ~preadin~ ~he
pa~tiales ar~ a~usted to ~axi~ize 2~e r~mov~l o~ th~ ball~
form the c:urtain of pax~icle~ de~end~ng uporl the reaeiving
suxface, the quality o~ Q ~pre~dlng or ~istr~butlon ls
detrim~ntally a~ected.
~''L1~66
~8~05
~t i~, there~ore, th~ prinaip~l ob~ c o~ ~h~
pre~ent ~nvention to pro~ide ~ appar~tu~ ~or ~preading
ma~e~ial o~ the type ~Q~rib~d ~o th~t, ~or ex~ple ~or th~
~a~ri~ation o~ parti~l~ board of dif~er~nt thlcknesses wi~h
di~erent type~ of particle~ ~nd widely var~ring ~pread~ble
mat~rial ~upply rat~s, ~liabl~ ball ~epA~tion ~an be
effec:ted without detr~men~ to ths quali~y o~ th~ spxeading
process .
Ano~her object of th~ invention i~ to pr~ride an
improved apparatus ~or ~he spreadlng of glue-coated
pa~tlc~ es wh~r~by draw~aaX~ of ~a~lter ~ys~em~ avoid~d~
Still another ob~2ct o~ the invention i~ to pr~v~d~
a~ apparatu~ ~apable o~ reli~bl~ r~moval o~ agglomerate~ or
ball~ Q~ ~lue-coated par~icle~ ~or~ a ~pread~bl~ m~teri~l
w~hout detriment to th~ ~preading un~o~ y ~nd th~
re~ultin~ product.
umm~y~ ~e ~t~ven~ion
The~e obj~ots are atta~ned, in aoo~rdance with ~h~
~0 px~n~ in~ention 1~y providing beltweeT~ ~e di~aharge end o~
the me~e~ln~ ~on~eyor or belt of the bunker and th~
deliver~,r de~e oP tha spreading head, ~ b~ll tep~r~tor
whlch ~ompri~es a d~sk grat~ ~omposed oi~ a plurality of
;6
18Z05
disk sh~ft6 whi~h ~re dr~Rn ~nd ~pac~d apa~ ~rsm onQ
ano~her, the sha~ts ha~ring lntl3rdig~tating di~ks. B~low ~n
inlet ~ide o~ th~ g~ate, a tran~orl~ ~el~ i pruvlded ~o~
carrying the spreadable material to ~h~ d~llv~ry dev~e ~d
at the outlet end of th~ grate ~ ball catcher or c:olle~to~
i~ p~vidad~ According to ~h~ ~n~r~ntlon, th~ ~pacing o~
th~ di~ks oi~ the di6~c q~at~ is ~maller than th~ diameter~
o~ ~he ball~ to be r~m~ved ~rom the ~p~e~dable material And
the speed Of ~ shafts o~ the g~ate i~ ~elected wit~
respe~t to the guan~ity of ~h~ ~preadable ma~eri 1 re~eived
~rom the meter~ng ~alt t~ be capa~ p~ing ~hl~
~uantity while ~he e~g~ o~ the di k ~r~ forned with
entralnment ~eeth dimensioned and ~onf i~ur~d with respe~
ko the diam~tex~ o~ th~ ball~ to cast ~h~ ~alls ~nto th~
collector or ~a~ahex.
More ~peci~lcally, an ~ppara~u~ for spread~ng ~
spreadahle ~naterial consi. ~lng o~ glue-aoated parti~ or
th~ produ~ti~rl o~ par ~cl~ bo~rd can oomp~l~e~
a spreadable-ma~erial J3u~ker :includi~g a meterlng
20 bel~ hav~ng a di~harge end ~02~ di~char~ing the ~prea~abl~
ma~erlal downwardl~,r;
a ball separat~r below th~ di~harge ~nd ~nd
lnter~epting th~ material, ~P-parat~ng l~all~ ~ tlle
~preadabla materi~l ~Erom the ~alanc~ o~ the ~preada~l~
25 mate~ial intercepted by ~he ball ~ep~rator and dis~har57~ n~
the balance o~ the ~preeàable materi~l down~rardly, the ball
~eparat~ including:
a~ S _
Z0~66
18205
a di~k ~rate ~orm~d with ~n array o~ rotatable
disk sh~f~, each o~ the di~ hapt~ ~avlng ~ mul tipliqity
o~ ~paced ap~rt di~ks thQreon lntexdigita~ed wlth ~is~s o~
a neighboring dist~ ~h~Pt,
means ~or ~oJca~ing ~he distc ~;hR~ts ~ r~t~t~
th~ disks and advan~ ~he b~lln ~rom ~n up~tream ~ide
the grate at whiah the spreadable m~t~r~al ~rom the
met~ring belt i~ inter~epted ~o ~ di~oh~rg~ end o~ the
grat~ at w~ich tha ball~ ar~ ca~t oi~ from the s~rate, the
balarl~e o~ tAe spreadable mat~ri~l pass.~ng ~ownwardly
b~ween the dis~,
the disk~ having ~pacings 1~8 than the
diameter~ ~ the b~
a transport 10elt below at le~6t th~ llp~tr~am
~i~e ~or colle~ting the ~preadable mat~x;l~l pa~ ~ng
downw~:rdly between the d~sks and d~ rering the ~alan¢e oi~
the spreadable materi~l ~o a dis~harg~ end o~ ~he trarl~port
belt, and
~all collector poslt~ on~d proximal to th~
di~ha.rsle end o~ the grate ~or catching th~ b~ a~t o~
Irom th~ . grate,
1~0~
~he di~k~ ~ing formed with entr~inln~ te~kh
de~ermined by the ball diameters and adapted to engage the balls
and the ~haft~; b~ing i~o~atabl1a ~t a speed in a ~p~eA r~
de~ermined by the Sruantity of ~pr~ada~l~ mat~rl~l ~o be
deli~vered ~o ~he lay~r ar,d su~tlaient ~o ~row the ~all~
tn~o the c:olleotor:
a ~pr~adabl~-matorial di~tx~butor b~low th~ l~all
~;eparator Phr distributing the balan~e o~ the ~pL~eadabls
m~terlal ~n a l~yer.
~0 Pre~e~a~ly thQ dell~ery d~ p~ovided at an end
o~ the b~ eparator. How~ver, in another o~odlment of
the inventi~n, on~ sect~on o~ ~he disX S~xate ~an be
p~ovlded with a small paaing ~ the disks and ~nother
~ection with ~ wide~ ~pac~ng o~ ~he d~Sk~. In thi~
emb~diment ea~h sec~ion has a r~pectiY~ tran~por~ b~lt
di~po~ed therebelow ~or carry~ng ~he ~pre~da~le ~aterlal to
the delivery de~ which o~n be lo~ated below a zon~
th~ di~ gxate between the two sectlons.
~ccording to a ~eature oP th~ lnventio~ th~ ha~ts
2Q o~ t~e two 6ections can be drl~en indep~nden~ly ~rom ona
another and ~t di~ferent rotary ~pe~d~.
W~ h~ve ~o~nd tha~ this appar~tus pro~des reliable
ball ~e~aration even ~here th~ ~olume~ of the ~preadabl~
material passing by the device per u~ t~me must vary wid~lyO
~dvantageo~sly ~or large r~nge~ the d~k gra~e can
comprise a.~e.t o~ disk ~hafts with disXs o~ erent
inter-dlsk spacin~ and~or aif~ren~ entra~ning te2~h
confl~uration~ and dimen6ions .
2~4~36~
18205
Of cours~ i~ is po&~lbll~, in aa~ordan~e ~ith th~
ln~rention 'co repl~ce the di6k Ish~ nd th~ di~k~ th~reo~
with other ~haPt~ and dl~ wi~th di~er~nt ~pac:ing~ ~n~/or
entraining too~h dlmen~ions ~nd con~iguratl~n~ tor
~if~erent th~ough put~ o~ glu~-coated partlcles or
dir~erent p~icles~ Withln wide ranges In ~$th~r ca~e,
howev~, e~ecti~re ba~l separatio~ can be ~f~ect~ad without
reduation in the ~ali~y o~ the ~preading proa~s 2~nd th~
produc~s pxo~uced. Dis~C gra~es, the~nsel~res ar~ descxlbed,
lo in United Sta~e~ Patent 4,037,1~3 ~ut ~s ~a~ as w~ A~e
aWarB suah dis~c grat~s have r~ot hi~her~o been integrated in
an appa~atu~ o~ ~he ~pe de~cr~ed to ~nsure reliabl~ ball
6epaxation~
We believe that tha uni~ue result~ oht~ined wl~h
the ir~ventlon a~ a ¢hax~teris~ic o~ a oombined ~:ef~at o~
th~ spaalng o~ khe dls3c ~ the dlsk grat~ ~nd ~he
propelling e~e~t of tX~e entraining ~eeth. ~h~ bulX ~ the
~preadable material can thus pa~s t~lrough ~e disX çlrate
and is uniforml~ dispos~d on the ~r~n~por~ b~lt wl~lle t~e
~o clumps or balls (a~glomer~t~s) ara ~rans~rr~d ~long the
grate ~o ~he di~aharg~ ~nd thereoP wh2r~ they ~re ~ung
into the aatall~. Since the ~peed o~ the çlra~e ~haf~ ~an
~e ad~usted, l~rge variation~ in the ~u~nti~y o~ xp~dable
material thal~ pass th~ough th~ grate can ~a ~usta~ d
wi~hout inte~fer~nce of 1;he ~all~ alony th~ gra~e ~nd ~heir
sep~ra'cion fx~om khe balance oP t~Q qp~eadable m~t~ri~l.
~?~4486
182~S
:
The a}: ove ~n~ o~her o~ Ct8 ~ :eal:ura~ aa~d ad~ant~g~
o~ my in~ntion will ~ me morR rea~lly apparent ~ro~ ~he
~ollow~ng descrip~$on, xe~erence be~ing mad~ to the
aa~ompanying hi~hly dia~rammatic ~rawing in whiG~:
FIG. 1 i~ a diagram o~ an apparatus ac:c:ording to tl~e
inYentlon;
FIG . 1~ is ~ d~t~il o~ th~ c~n~gu~ation of the
dis~cs:
~IG. 1~ i~ a plan ~flew o~ ~ po~tion o~ the dt~c
~rate ~howing these di~1~s; ~nd
FIG. 2 i~ ~ view ~imilar to ~. 1 o another
embodimen~ o~ the in~rention.
Bas~o to the ~pparatu~ o~ FIGS. 1 ~nd 2 ar~ a
spread~1~le mater~al bun1ter 1 and a ~p~ading ha~d 2 . The
spr~adable ma~erial bunker com~ri~e~ a met~ring belt 3 with
~ d~h~xge end 4. The ~:preading h~ad 2 i~ ~o~ed a~ a
roll~r sp~ead~ ng ~nit an~ compri~es a d~liYery ~e~rl¢~ 5
20 rec~ivin~ ~he ~preadabl~ mater~al ~rom above and d~spo~ing
~he spreadab.l~ material on the roller ~pread~n5r unlt,
~ s s~n in ~IG~ 1, the bun~er 1 can oomprlse an
arra~ o~ rel~ng di~k~ or roller~ 6. ~rhe dir~ction o~
~eed o~ the ~preadable material ln~o th~ bunXer is
2 5 represented at 7 .
;~044~66
~8205
B~tween th~ di~haxge end and th~ ~eli~rery uni~ 5,
accordin~ to ~he invention, a ball ~eparator 8 io
provided~ The ball ~ep~rator i8 ln th~ ~orm o~ a ~
~ra'ce who~e inlet ~ide 1R d~ ~pvsed b~low a21d rec~ive~ ~he
~pxeadable materi~l ~rom the disch~rge end 4 o~ th~ belt
3.
8exleath the up tream ~ide of the ball ~epar~tor 8, a
transpoxt belt 12 extends ~FIG. 1) for aarrying o~ th~
balance of the spreadsbl~ material, ~o. the jp~eadabl~
1~ m~t2ri21 wh~h passes ~et~een the diAk~ o~ ~he gr~
~che disahRrge edg~ or ~ide OL~ ~hq ball 6epa~a~0r, a ~all
her or collec:tor g is provided. The ball cat:cher i~ $n
tl~e ~orm o~ a ~rc~lgh ~xom which the ~ollec~e~ b~ can be
r~moved by mean~ not ~hown.
~he de~very unlt S o~ the spre~dlng hQ~d 2 i~
lo~ated below ~he ball ~eparator 8.
In the e~bodim~n~ ~hown the spreading head i~
so-a~lled 6y~unetrical roller spread~ng head, ~he ~y~et~
axi~ being r~presented ~y the ~rrow lo~ Th~ &pre~dlng
ma~exial 20 ls ~olleated upon ~ recei~ g ~ur~a~e 21 which
~nay be a b~lt moving ln the di~ec~ion o~ ~e arrow 22.
~ 10 --
~o~
lR20S
~he ~rr~ngemOEnt i~ ~o c:or~tructed that the di~C
~pac~.ng, i . e. the ~pac~ng ~etw~sn ~he disl~ 11 ( eel FIG.
~'B) iB ~malle~ th~n th~ diamete~ o~ th~ ball~ to b~
~eparated. The ball sqparato~ 8 oan h~e lt~ ~haft~
::oupl~d to a dri~e ~ ~FIG. 1) ~o that th~ ~ha~ts oan ~e
driven with ~p2ed~ rylng o~er a pred.etermined ~peed ~angR
w~ich can double be~twean m~niu~ ~p~ed and ~naximu~ ~poed,
:eor example ~ th~ ~peed belnq ~elected in ~cco~dar~o~ with
the ~rolume c~ ~he spreadabl¢ mater~ ~1 to be forme~ into a
layer per unit ~ime~
As can be seen ~rom ~lGS . lA and 1~3 ~h~ d~k3 can
have entraining fingers ~ which, at the ~peed~ o the
xe~pec~i~e ~aft ca~ aas'c ~he ball-~ in~o ~e ~a'cche~
The ~n~rainin~ f~ng~rs 13 can h~e lengthc eg~ o
approximately the dia~ete~ o~ a bal~L z~d prei~erably not
smaller th~n the diamete~. Th~ ~oth helght or d~pth
~hould at lea~t, thexe~ore, egual the ~ ter o~ th~
l~r~e~t of the ~alls or a~glomerates ~o be ~a~t o~. In
the embod~ment o~ ~IG. 1, the ~llve~r unit 5 L~ loaa~ed
at ~h~ end o~ the ball ~epara~ wher~as ln ~h~
embo~imen~ o FI~. 2, whl~h shows only ~he lowe~ ~art o~
~che app~ratus the ball ~ep~rator ~ has a dl~k gr~4~ tlon
~ with a 6mall spaoing ~f th~ d~k~ 11 and a ~ c grat~
~e~tion ~ with ~ wider spacing of the dis1c~ 11.
~g~866
18205
In th~ region be~we~ ~h~ two 6e~tion~ ~ And ~, ~he
delivery unit 5 i~ disposed. Bel~w eaoh o~ the sectlon~
and ~ a re~peotive transporé belt i~ provided ~0 ~ee~ th~
passed ~atarial to th~ delivery Uni~ 5. ~he shafts o~ the
sections a and k are ~riVen ~i~h di~erent ro~y ~p~eds
ind~penqently ~rom one a~other by thQ 6epara~e drl~es D
and D~. As in the embodime.nt of Fig. 1, the'deli,very unit
can comprise a pair of pivotal flaps 5a' and 5b dir'ecting
the spreadable materi-al onto a pair of disk'shafts 5c and'Sd
having interdigitating disks and depositing,,in turn, th.e'
material sy.~metrically on diverging arrays'of disk sh:afts 2a
and 2b, also with interdigitating disks.
la ~
