Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
1042319
The present invention relates to an apparatus for
converting trees into wood products, and more particularly, to
a continuous process for handling, selecting and fini~hing trees
into construction lumber, chips for pulp and other economic wood
products.
It is well known to cut whole trees, delimb them and
slash them into predetermined lengths at the tree site or nearby
in a woodlands operation before transporting the trees to either
a saw mill or a shipping plant for a paper mill. Such conven-
tional woodlands operations, even though they have been highlymechanized and rendered more efficient of late, are still not
without disadvantages. The labour and machinery required at the
woodlands operation is still relatively expensive. Furthermore,
much waste is left at the woodlands site in terms of branches.
Furthermore, when the trees are slashed at predetermined lengths
at the woodlands site, any selection of length is eliminated
since there is little or no response at the woodlands site to
., ~
i the demands in terms of selective length. Further, the handling
`~ and transport of varied length logs is relatively more difficult.
~'~'
~` 20 In the saw mill operation, it has been found that
-~ much labour is required even in today's highly mechanized saw
- mills, particularly in selecting and sorting areas, and in areas
- of recycling of a particular log for cutting.
As the logs are fed into the saw mill, they vary
considerably in size. These are normally stored and fed through
-~ chipping and sawing apparatus, and some attempts have been made
to sort out the log sizes before chipping by means of manual
scanning and operation of the gate which diverts the logs in at
least two ~ize~, that is, large or small.
Saw mills have been developed whereby a log is cut in
series according to a certain log pattern, and shipping heads
are used for slabbing or for squaring the log before it is cut,
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but the resulting lumber products, and these would seldom be of
the same size from a given log, are then advanced and stored or
accumulated together. Obviously, a further step of resorting,
either mechanically or manually, i9 required to sort out the
various pieces of lumber and stack the lumber according to size
for later packaging and shipping.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a
highly integrated process for handling trees, wherein the trees
are brought directly to the saw mill location whether whole or
trimmed of branches and are handled in a continuous process
using the maximum of mechanical and electronic apparatus and
reducing manpower requirements and increasing the capacity of
output as well as efficiency of the plant.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide
storage banks in series wherein logs entering the saw mill can
be stored according to their size (diameter) after they have
been debarked, and further storage banks are provided after the
sawing operation for selectively storing the lumber so produced
by their size so as to facilitate the handling thereof.
A process in accordance with the present invention
includes the steps of delimbing and debarking the trees, advanc-
ing the so-formed logs past a scanning station, scanning the logs
to determine the respective diameter of the logs, passing the
trees past a plurality of storage banks along a path, diverting
the logs from the path into the respective storage banks classi-
fied according to it~ respective diameter, selectively withdrawing
logs from the log storage banks, predetermining the cutting pat-
tern for the respective logs, 8quaring off the log~, advancing
the squared off logs past a ~awing station, whereby the saws and
chipping heads have been adjusted according to the cutting pat-
tern, advancing the wood products ~o formed simultaneously in
separate path~, edging the boards so formed where necessary,
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diverting the wood products so formed in ~eparate wood products
storage banks according to respective size of the wood product
formed.
An apparatus in accordance with the present invention
includes an integrated system having a delimbing means, debarking
means, conveyor means for advancing the debarked logs 90 formed,
means for scanning the logs to determine the respective diameter
of the logs, a plurality of storage banks extending laterally to
the path of the conveyor, kick-off gates adjacent the conveyor
belt at each storage bank, means for activating a predetermined
kick-off gate according to the information received from the
scanning means so as to throw up logs in accordance with their
respective diameters in separate storage banks, second conveyor
~. means extending parallel to the first conveyor means but at the
.
~:: other end of the storage bank, means for unloading logs from a
- predetermined storage bank onto the second oonveyor means, memory
;-~ means including information regarding a plurality of cutting
~:. patterns, means for determining which cutting pattern is to be
- utilized, chipping means for squaring off the logs ~o formed,
in-line sawing means for successively cutting the log in accor-
dance with the predetermined cutting pattern, a plurality of
parallel conveyor means adjacent each sawing device to advancing
. the wood products so formed at said sawing devices, means for
advancing the logs on the conveyor means towards a plurality of
storage banks extending laterally of the conveyor means, means
for diverting the so-formed wood products in respective storage
- banks according to the size of the wood products so formed.
In the process in accordance with one aspect of the
- present invention, the tree lengths having been felled may be
brought directly to a loading deck in load bundles, then passed
in bundles through a tree delimber, and then slashed into selec-
- ted lengths and passed through debarking drums. The branches and
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bark are discharged from the drums and are fed to a heater or
furnace as fuel for the heating plant and boiler requiremènt~.
The trees may have been debarked whole and then in
turn slashed to selective lengths depending on input factors of
demand and tree characteristics. The slashed log~ then pass
through selection areas where relatively small, crooked or other-
wise unacceptable logs can be diverted to a whole chipping unit
for making pulp chips while the other logs are passed on to
further scramblers. Logs may also be selected and diverted if
they are big enough for making veneer. The remaining logs are
diverted selectively according to their diameter and/or length
into a series of storage banks. Each log i9 aligned and passed
through edge chippers for squaring off the logs by passing
~- through a first scanner for providing data to a computer which
adjusts the spacing of the edge chippers and the subsequent band
: ~,
~-~ saw arrangements and to determine the sawing pattern. The log
: -
is squared and sawed in a single in-line operation with diversion
of chip~ to a pulping mill. The lumber products are selectively
stored in lumber collecting banks depending on the size of the
wood product.
In a more specific embodiment of the present invention,
there is provided a transfer mechanism for transferring and
~: centering lumber which includes a carriage adapted to move from
. . ~
a first position to engage an article to be transferred and to
~- a second position on a moving path whereby it centers the
article on the ving path, the carriage including a pair of
scissors-type pivoting arms mounting gripping and centering
..
~; rollers, and means for sliding the carriage from the first posi-
tion to the ~econd po~ltion, and means for operating the arms
to grip the article in the first positlon and to release and
center the article in the second position.
In a further more specific embodiment, there is
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provided emergency discharge means for discharging elongated
articles from an open transfer device wherein the open tran~fer
device includes longitudinal spaced-apart conveyor means for
advancing an elongated article, a reciprocating frame mounted
underneath the transfer mechanism mounting driven conveying
: means, the reciprocating frame adapted to move between a first
position below the level of a transfer conveyor and a second
position where the driven conveying means extends above the plane
of the transfer conveyor so as to engage the elongated articles
and move them laterally from the transfer conveyor.
In a still more specific embodiment of the present
invention, there is provided a storage ~ystem which includes a
` plurality of storage banks extending transverse to the longitudin-
:~:` al direction of the path of travel of the lumber to be stored, a
plurality of conveyor sections, one corresponding to each bank
and extending in the longitudinal direction of the path of the
-` lumber, and means spaced above the storage means, diverting means
including means for lifting or moving a corresponding conveyor
section whereby the oncoming lumber products will be made to
fall into the storage banks under the conveyor section which has
been moved, each conveyor section infeed end being slightly lower
than the outfeed end of the adjacent upstream conveyor, successive
downstream conveyor sections being driven at a slightly lower
speed whereby when the wood products are advanced in close forma-
tion, they are allowed to overlap at the ends thereof with the
upstream piece overlapping the adjacent end of the downstream
piece such that when the lumber product arrives at the discharge
into a bank, it falls in a sub~tantially parallel manner in view
of the weight of the up~tream lumber product overlapped on the
end thereof.
A further feature of the present invention includes a
control sy~tem which includes a first 9canning means at the
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infeed of the logs, input data receiving means for interpreting
the data received from the first 9canning means and for measuring
the logs and for sorting the logs according to size, means
associated with said control system for activating diverting
means relative to the log storage bank whereby the logs are
stored according to size, and diverting means controlled by the
control system based on said data to divert logs to a whole
chipper, second scanning means for scanning the logs as they
~ advance from a selected storage bank, input data receiving means
; 10 for interpreting and controlling the chipper mechanism and saws
: according to a predetermined cut pattern stored in a memory,
means for controlling the board edgers dependent on the input to
said second scanning means, means for adjusting and controlling
the feed of each conveyor section as it advances in the lumber
products stoxage banks, and means for diverting the lumber pro-
~`~ ducts according to the input interpreted to said second scanning
-~ means for selectively storing pieces of lumber in accordance with
~: its size.
~aving thus generally described the nature of the
invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying draw-
ings, showing by way of illustration, a preferred embodiment
thereof, and in which:
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the various steps
of a continuous process:
; Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly diagrammatic, of
an embodiment of a woodroom and debarking
portions of the system;
Figure 3 is a top plan view of the first scanner and
the log storage bank;
Figure 4 is a top plan view, partly diagrammatic, of
the chipping and sawing room;
Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the wood
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products storage bank;
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a detail of the appara-
tus shown in Figure 5,
Figure 7 is a detail top plan view of the apparatus
shown in Figure 6,
Figure 8 is an elevational view of a further aspect
of the apparatus shown in Figure 5;
~` Figure 9 is an elevational view showing a detail of the: apparatus shown in Figure 4;
Figure 10 is an elevational view similar to Figure 9
showing the apparatus in a different operating
- position;
Figure 11, which is on the same sheet as Figure 2, is a
. top plan view of the details shown in Figures
9 and 10,
Figure 12 is an elevation of a further detail of the
apparatus shown in Figure 4; and
Figure 13, which is on the same sheet as Figure 1,
illustrates a further embodiment of the wood-
room and debarking stations of the process.
Referring now to the drawing~, and particularly to
. Figure 1, there is shown an integrated processing mill for con-
:~ verting trees T into wood products, such as construction lumber
L and other useful wood products. An embodiment of the inte-
grated processing mill includes a woodroom 10 for receiving the
- trees, a debarking station 12 for removing the remaining bark
from the tree~ which have been delimbed, and a scanner 14 for
measuring the log~ 50 formed and for classifying the logs accord-
ing to size for storage in the selective log storage banks 16.
A further scanner 18 may be provided for again measuring the
logs from the storage bank to predetermine the cutting pattern
for the chipping and sawing room 20. Various wood products are
~0423~9
then individually advanced to the lumber products storage bank,
and from the storage banks the classified sorted lumber products
can be withdrawn for kiln drying or for shipping.
Figure 2 shows an embodiment of a woodroom 10 which
includes a loading station 24 which shows bundle conveying means
25 adapted to receive complete loads of trees dumped onto the
loading station 24. This bundle may represent a complete truck
load of cut trees which still have their branches. The bundles
of trees are advanced towards the delimbing station 26.
The delimbing station typically includes three later-
ally extending screw-type cutting means: preferably each
individual cutting means floats independently and at least one
would have its screw spirals in an opposite direction. The
bundles are dumped into the delimbing station, and the limbs are
cut or broken by means of the screw cutting means.
A plurality of screw-type conveying means 28 pick up
the delimbed trees one by one from the delimber station 26 and
advance them towards a conveying and slashing table 30. The
table 30 includes conveying chains 32 with upstanding abutment
= 20 devices for advancing the trees which are now shorn of any
: `
branches. The trees are passed over a series of driven rollers
which are meant to align the trees in axes normal to the forward
path of the tree and then the trees are passed over slashing
saws 32 which cut the tree length into predetermined log lengths.
The logs are then passed, if necessary, through a de-
icing chamber 36 which might include a water bath and then are
fed into the debarking drum 12. Feed rollers 38 engage the
debarked logs as they come out the debarking drum and advance
the logs onto a conveying table 40 with chains.
The conveyor 40 advances the logs which extend later-
ally along a longitudinal path to the belt conveyor 42 illus-
trated in Figure 3.
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Each log, as it advances on the conveyor 42, passes
the scanner 14. The scanner 14 measures the ~ize and bowing of
the log advancing on the conveyor 42, and the data i8 fed into
the computer. The scanner also obtains information as to whether
the log is advancing with its small end or with its larger end
first. If the log is advancing with its larger end downstream,
this should be reversed because it is preferable that the logs
enter the saw mill room 20 with its small end first. Accordingly,
a signal will be sent to the piston and cylinder 48 of the kick-
out gate 46 thereby knocking the logs onto the transfer conveyor
50 which feeds the logs one by one onto the belt conveyor 52.
The conveyor 52 will advance the logs to be turned to a reversing
chute 54 which will feed the log, after it has been reversed, onto
the transfer conveyor 56. The transfer conveyor and unscrambler
56 will advance the so-turned logs back onto the conveyor 42 with
its small end downstream. Other information picked up by the
scanner 14 and fed to the computer includes length and taper
:
dimensions.
;~ If the logs advancing on the conveyor 42 are determined
to be of a diameter which is too small for conversion into lumber
or other useful wood products or if it is considered otherwise
unsuitable by the computer, such an instruction signal will be
~- sent to the cylinder and piston 60 of the kick-out gate 58 to
activate the gate to divert the logs onto the transfer conveyor
62. The transfer conveyor 62 will advance the logs so diverted
through a chipping head which is adapted to convert the complete
log into chips suitable for paper manufacture or chipboard manu-
facture or other uses.
Although it iR not shown in Figure 3, a further trans-
fer conveyor with associated kick-out gate can be provided for
diverting very large logs which might be ~uitable for the manu-
facture of veneer.
If the logs are considered to be of a size suitable for
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the wood products process, they advance along conveyor 42 toward~
the storage banks 64. A number of storage bank~ from one to an
indefinite number can be provided, and the computer will be pro-
grammed to classify the logs depending on the information
received from the scanner 14. The kick-out gates 70a, 70b...70x,
70y will be instructed by a signal from the computer as a log
advances to divert the log into a transfer conveyor representing
the storage bank according to the diameter of the log. Each
kick-out gate 70a, 70b...70x, 70y includes a piston and cylinder
arrangement 72a, 72b which will be activated by a signal from
the computer. The storage banks 64a, 64b...64x, 64y include a
regular transfer conveyor for advancing the logs with their axes
extending laterally to the advancing feed path whereby the logs
can be stored, and an unscrambler 68a, 68b...68x, 68y is respec-
tively provided at the end of each storage bank 64 for feeding
the classified logs one by one onto a conveyor 74 as instructed
by the computer. As a given size of log is being withdrawn from
the storage bank 64 by means of the unscrambler 68, the logs will
pass through a second scanner 76 which will confirm to the com-
puter the size of the log and the computer will predetermine acut pattern which is programmed in the memory, and signals will
be provided to the various chipping and sawing equipment, which
will be described further, according to the cut pattern selected.
The cut pattern is determined by market demand, economic recovery,
log diameter, length, taper, and diameter compensation in case of
log bowing.
As the log advances along conveyor 74, as shown in
Figure 3, it will approach a chipper canter 78 which will provide
two flattened faces to the log, and the log will then advance
onto a flipping table 80 such that the flat faces are the top
and bottom of the log. The log may advance into the sawing room
20 as shown in Figure 4, and a log chipper edger 82 will square
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off the remaining faces of the log~ being advanced.
A twin band saw 84 may be provided downstream of the
chipper 82 to cut off the first two pieces of lumber from the
squared off logs according to the predetermined cut pattern.
These pieces may be boards of predetermined size, and they are
then diverted onto transfer tables 88 and 90 by means of the
splitter table 86. As the boards advance in opposite directions
along tables 88 and 90 which include chain conveyors, they may
be gripped by respective gripping and centering devices 100
which will be described in more detail, and fed onto the advance
table of the edge chippers 102 and 104 respectively.
Each board L, which is squared off at its edges by the
edge chippers 102 and 104, is advanced along respective belt
conveyors 106 and 108 towards the wood products storage bank 22.
The logs are received through different combinations of chipping
h~ads and/or saws which might be band saws or circular saws
which are spaced in,accordance with the cut pattern selected by
the computer.
~; A typical band saw is also located at 110, and two
further boards may be produced and then diverted onto the trans-
fer chain conveyor tables 114 and 116, and again the gripping
and centering devices 100 move the respective boards L and they
will be advanced through the respective edge chippers 126 and 128
and finally on the conveyors 130 and 132 towards the storage
banks 22.
Finally, a multi-saw device 134 may be provided for
finishing the cutting of the logs to boards L, and a splitter 136
will divert two further boards L onto conveyors 138 and 140 while
the remaining board can advance along the conveyor 142 towards
the storage banks 22.
Figure 5 illustrates a typical number of storage banks
144 which are similar to the log storage banks 64 in that they
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are made up of a chain conveyor table which 910wly advances the
wood products towards the unscramblers 148.
The speeds of the conveyors 106 - 142 and the conveyors
in storage banks 144a...144z may be controlled by the computer.
Each conveyor 106, 108, 130, 132, 138, 140 and 142 i9 made up,
over the storage banks 144, of individual independently supported
or suspended conveyor sections. A typical conveyor 108 is shown
in more detail in Figures 6 and 7 wherein each con~eyor section
108w, 108x, 108y, 108z can be driven by a variable speed motor
~` 10 such that each downstream successive conveyor section moves at a
slightly slower speed than the upstream section, and the infeed
end of each conveyor section 108w, 108x, 108y and 108z is
-~` slightly lower than the outfeed end of the upstream conveyor
section such that the boards, when they are advancing in close
order, overlap each other at the ends thereof. If the same size
board L is advanced on the conveyor 108, a section 108y over the
storage bank 144~ is raised so as to allow the boards L to fall
~`- onto the storage bank 144y. Since the boards are overlapped as
` ~ shown in Figure 6, the board L being discharged will tend to
remain horizontal until close to the full length of the board
~ -.
i~ over the conveyor table of the storage bank 144y such that the
board will fall parallel onto the conveyor. Chutes 147 may also
be utilized to direct the boards onto the conveyor.
In Figure 8, there is illustrated a typical storage
bank 144. The accumulator 148, when activated, will advance the
boards, all of the same size, from the bank 144 into the board
trimmer 152. As shown in Figure 5, the board trimmer 152 is
adapted to travel on the tracks 150, and the left-overs from the
trimming will fall on the conveyor 154 while the lumber which
;~ 30 may be too ~hort will fall on conveyor 156. Finally, the sticker-
stacker apparatus 158 is provided on adjacent tracks 150 in line
~- with the trimmer for receiving the boards and stacking them for
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kiln drylng. 104Z319
Figures 9, 10 and 11 illustrate a so-called emergency
conveying means 120. In Figure 4, there i~ shown emergency con-
veying means 92 and 94, 118 and 120 under each transfer conveyor
88, 90, 114 and 116 respectively. The details shown in Figures
9, 10 and 11 are of a typical conveyor 120. The conveyor 120
will include platform 160 which is normally in the position
shown in Figure 10 mounted on legs 162 adapted to pivot about
pivot joints 166 while the table is mounted by pivot joints 164.
A piston 167 is connected to the legs 162, and when actuated by
the cylinder 168, the platform 160 will be raised such that the
conveyor rollers 172 will protrude above the chain conveyor
table 116. At least one of the rollers 172 is driven by driving
belt 174 connected to a motor 170. The rollers 172 are typically
conically shaped such as shown in Figure 11 so that the boards
. . .
~-~ advancing on the table 116 can be engaged by the rollers 172 and
advanced into the emergency storage bank 124. These emergency
conveyors 92, 94, 118 and 120, are operated when there is a jam-
up along the iine, which might be caused by mechanical failure
or otherwise, so as to prevent a more serious jamming of the
lumber products advancing along the line. Such conveyors could
be inserted in the in-line conveying systems, but the rollers
would have a spiral rib in order to divert the lumber sideways.
In Figure 12 there is illustrated a gripping device
for gripping the wood products L advancing on a typical transfer
table 116. The gripping device 100 includes a carriage!176
~`~ mounted on a piston 178 actuated by a cylinder 180. A piston 182
activates a pair of arms 184 and 186 pivoted about axi~ 192
connected to link~ 194 and 196 by mean~ of piVotQ 198 and 200.
~he cylinder 182 actuates the link~ 194 and 196 to either open or
- clo e the gripper arms 184 and 186. The gripper arms 184 and 186
also mount rollers 188 and 190. When the carriage is in the
.
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position shown in dotted lines, the cylinder 182 is activated
in order that the rollers 188 and 190 grip a board being
advanced along the conveyor 116. Then, the cylinder 180 i9
activated to move the carriage so that it is central of the
conveying means for the board edger, as shown in full lines.
The cylinder 182 is then activated to open the gripper means
and clear the board as the carriage i~ moved back to the position
shown in dotted lines. The cylinder closing the gripping arms
is provided with pressure compensating means since the width
of the boards will vary as well as the taper thereof.
- Figure 13 shows another embodiment of the woodroom and
- debarking means. In this case, the full length trees are dropped
on the loading platform 202 and advanced to a de-icing chamber
204 in which a water bath or spray is provided. me trees are
then advanced to a conveyor 206, fed at a high speed by conveyor
roller~ 208 into a double axially aligned drum 210 and 212. The
accelerated speed can reach 700 feet per minute. The drums 210
and 212 may be made of more than one drum section rotating at
different speeds. The first drum section which will be fully
~- 20 closed includes the normal debarking ribs on the inside whichcan be ~omewhat adapted for the particular type of debranching
that must be done in this stage. The branches would be discharged
-- through the flared discharge port 214 between the drums. The
second stage illustrated at 212 would be a first debarking stage
;~ on a drum, and the bark would be discharged through a similar
~` flared discharge port 216 at the end thereof. More than one
.~ ~
debarking drum could be provided depending on the length of the
- tree.
The bark and branches would be collected on conveyor
30 belts and conveyed through a proce~sing unit for preparation into
fuel, for instance.
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