Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
LOG-BUNDLING AND CUTOFF APPARATUS
This invention relates to sawing cutoff
apparatus for cutting into bolts a plurality of logs
held in a bundle by a trough conveyor.
Cutoff saw mechanism of the general type used
in the present invention is shown in Mason US. Patent
3,379,227, issued April 23, 19680 The saw apparatus of
that invention is used for crosscutting a single log or
like elongated workups in a sawmill to crosscut logs
to selected lengths.
A principal object of the invention is to
provide a method and apparatus for cutting into bolts a
plurality of logs held in a bundle by a deep trough
conveyor.
A particular object is to provide such log
bundle cutoff method and apparatus of large capacity
and quick to provide high production
Another object is to provide such log bundle
cutoff method and apparatus requiring a minimum number
of operators.
It is also an object to provide such log
bundle cutoff apparatus which is of rugged construction
so that its various components will not by likely to
break despite the rough usage to which they may be
subjected by operation of the apparatus.
Some of the foregoing objects can be
accomplished by providing cutoff mechanism for cutting
bundled logs into bolts comprising a deep trough
conveyor having a generally flat bottom and opposite
upright sides with a rise at least approximately as
great as the horizontal width of said conveyor for
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receiving a plurality of logs with their lengths
generally in registration to form a log bundle in said
trough conveyor composed of several superposed layers
of logs, and log bundle cutoff means adjacent to and
beyond the discharge end of said deep trough conveyor
and including a frame having two guide columns spaced
apart horizontally a distance greater than the width of
said deep trough conveyor, support means guided for
elevation Al movement by said guide columns, two
circular cutoff saws mounted on said support means in
side by side substantially coplanar relationship with
adjacent portions of their peripheries in overlapping
relationship substantially centrally over said trough
conveyor, and actuating means for moving said support
means downward relative to said frame to effect descent
of said cutoff saws from an upper position in which the
overlapping portions of said saws are higher than the
logs in said trough conveyor, for cutting bolts as the
support means descend first from the logs in the upper
outer corners of the bundle of logs in said deep trough
conveyor and then from logs inward and downward from
such upper outer corners to enable outer bolts to fall
away from the log bundle before inner bolts for freeing
inner bolts from laterally outward restraint on being
severed, to a lower position in which the overlapping
portions of said cutoff saws are lower than the bottom
of said trough conveyor for cutting bolts from the logs
in the lowest layer of the log bundle in said deep
trough conveyor from its outer edges toward its central
portion.
Such objects also can be accomplished by
providing cutoff mechanism for cutting bundled logs
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into bolts comprising a deep trough conveyor for
receiving a plurality of logs with their lengths
generally in registration to form a log bundle in said
trough conveyor, said trough conveyor having conveying
means in its lower portion, log-supporting means above
said conveying means for supporting above said
conveying means logs deposited into said trough
conveyor and for lowering said deposited logs onto said
trough conveyor including pivoted arms having portions
projecting lengthwise into said trough conveyor
transversely thereof and singable between
substantially horizontal positions for receiving logs
and lowered positions for lowering logs supported
thereby onto said conveying means in said trough
conveyor, and log bundle cutoff means adjacent to and
beyond the discharge end of said trough conveyor and
including a frame having two horizontally spaced guide
columns, a carriage having a crosshead and two
generally parallel legs depending from said crosshead
and guided for elevation Al movement by said guide
columns, respectively, two circular cutoff saws
mounted, respectively, on said legs of said carriage
with adjacent portions of their peripheries in
overlapping relationship, and actuating means for
moving said carriage elevation ally relative to said
frame for movement of said cutoff saws between an upper
position in which the overlapping portions of said saws
are higher than the logs in said trough conveyor and a
lower position in which the overlapping portions of
said saws are lower than the bottom of said trough
Jo conveyor
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Such objects also can be accomplished by
providing cutoff mechanism for cutting logs into bolts
comprising a deep trough conveyor for receiving a
plurality of logs with their lengths generally in
registration to form a log bundle in said trough
conveyor, and log bundle cutoff means adjacent to and
beyond the discharge end of said deep trough conveyor
and including a frame having two guide columns spaced
apart horizontally a distance greater than the width of
said deep trough conveyor, a carriage having a
crosshead and two generally parallel legs depending
from said crosshead and guided for elevation Al movement
by said guide columns, respectively, two circular
cutoff saws mounted, respectively, on said legs of said
carriage with adjacent portions of their peripheries in
overlapping relationship, two arms singable mounted on
said carriage legs, respectively, each of said arms
carrying one of said circular cutoff saws, actuating
means for moving said carriage elevation ally relative
to said frame for movement of said cutoff saws between
an upper position in which the overlapping portions of
said saws are higher than the logs in said deep trough
conveyor and a lower position in which the overlapping
portions of said saws are lower than the bottom of said
deep trough conveyor, and means for swinging said arms
relative to said carriage legs for retracting said saws
carried thereby away from each other to be spaced apart
a distance at least substantially as great as the width
of said deep trough conveyor for enabling said carriage
to be raised for moving said saws from their lower position
to their upper position while being held out of registrar
lion with the trough of said deep trough conveyor.
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Others of such objects can be accomplished by
providing conveying mechanism comprising a deep trough
conveyor for receiving a plurality of logs with their
lengths generally in registration to form a log bundle
in said deep trough conveyor, said deep trough conveyor
having conveying means in its lower portion, and
log-supporting means above said conveying means for
supporting above said conveying means logs deposited
into said deep trough conveyor and for lowering such
deposited logs onto said conveying means including
pivoted arms having portions projecting lengthwise into
said trough conveyor transversely thereof and singable
between substantially horizontal positions for
receiving logs and lowered positions for lowering logs
supported thereby onto said conveying means in said
deep trough conveyor.
Others of such objects can be accomplished by
providing a process for cutting bundled logs into bolts
which comprises confining the logs in a generally
rectangular bundle having a rise at least approximately
as great as its width and composed of several
superposed layers of logs, lowering through the log
bundle two circular cutoff saws arranged in
side-by-side substantially coplanar relationship with
adjacent portions of their peripheries in overlapping
relationship substantially centrally over the log
bundle, and moving the saws downward conjointly from a
position higher than the log bundle and thereby cutting
bolts as the saws descend first from the logs in the
upper outer corners of the bundle of logs and then from
logs inward and downward from such upper outer corners
I Jo to enable outer bolts to fall away from the log bundle
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before inner bolts, thereby freeing inner bolts from
laterally outward restraint on being severed, and
continuing to lower the saws conjointly to a lower
position in which the overlapping portions of the saws
are lower than the bottom of the log bundle for cutting
bolts from the logs in the lower layer of the log
bundle from its outer edges toward its central portion.
In drawings which illustrate embodiments of
the invention,
Figure 1 is a top perspective of log-bundling
and cutoff apparatus in accordance with the present
invention,
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus
as seen from the feed end, Figure 3 is a similar view
showing parts in different positions,
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the
apparatus taken on line 4--4 of Figure 2,
Figure 5 is an end elevation of the discharge
end of the apparatus,
Figure 6 is an end elevation of the discharge
end of the apparatus with parts broken away showing a
modified type of cutoff mechanism, and
Figure 7 is a transverse section of the
apparatus near the feed end showing structure
alternative to that shown in Figures 2 and 3.
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The purpose of the apparatus of the present
invention is to assemble a plurality of small logs into
bundles and, while the logs are held in bundled
condition, to cut from such logs batches of bolts itch
can be barked in a drum barker and chipped much more
easily and quickly than long logs to make pulp chips or
hog fuel.
The apparatus includes an elongated deep
log-bundliny trough conveyor 1 shown best in Figure 1
having a length preferably at least twice as great as
the length o-f logs L to be cut, the depth and width of
which may be generally equal, such as approximately six
feet. Logs, which may range from 2 inches (5.08 cm)
in diameter to 20 inches (50.80 cm) in diameter, are
deposited in the feed end portion of the trough
conveyor from a loading deck 2 adjacent to such trough
conveyor feed end More logs can be accommodated on
such deck than required to form a bundle of logs/
enabling enough logs to be accumulated to be dumped
quickly into the trough conveyor to make a bundle of a
height equal to a major portion of the depth of the
trough conveyor.
Such deck has parallel chains 3 extending
transversely of the length of the trough for moving
logs from the deck into the trough. Logs can be
deposited onto the deck 2 by any suitable mechanism
such as a log-loading crane 4 having a grapple 5 on the
end of its boom that may be large enough to grab
several logs at once. Such crane can pick up logs from
piles in a storage yard and swing them onto the portion
of deck 2 remote from the trough conveyor in generally
parallel relationship with their lengths substantially
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in reglstr~tion. The chains 3 cooperate to transport
logs transversely of their lengths across the deck 2 to
dump them successively into the trough conveyor 1.
Alternatively, the log-loadiny crane can be located to
deposit logs directly into the trough conveyor, but
such loading procedure would take longer than loading a
bundle of logs from the deck 2 into the trough conveyor.
As shown in Figure 2, the trough conveyor 1
includes opposite upright sides 6 and 7 that have sufficient
vertical widths, such as six feet, at least substantially
as great as the conveyor width, to form a deep log-bundling
trough conveyor Such conveyor can accommodate a log
bundle composed of several superposed layers. The
conveying means in the bottom of the trough conveyor 1
preferably is of the live-roller type including rollers
I, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. Alternatively, the
conveying means may be rows of parallel chains or chains
carrying flights that support and transport the logs.
Because of the considerable depth of such
conveyor, it is possible that dumping logs prom the
deck 2 onto the conveying means in the bottom o-E the
trough conveyor might injure such conveying means,
particularly if the conveying means were subjected to
repeated impacts of logs dropped from the deck.
Consequently, it is desirable to provide log-supporting
means in the trough conveyor located above the conveying
means in the bottom of the trough conveyor to support
logs above such conveying means initially and to lower
them comparatively gently onto the conveying means.
The log-supporting and lowering mechanism
shown in Figures 2 and 3 includes arms 9 extending
transversely of the trough conveyor, as shown in Figure
2, ennui in their upper log receiving position. Such
arms are singable supported by a pivot or shaft 10
mounted on the side 7 of the trough conveyor, as Sheehan
in Figures 2 and JO The arms can be swung between the
generally horizontal position shown in Figure 2 and the
lowered upright position shoreline in Figure 3 by
fluid operated preferably pneumatic, jacks 11
connected to an actuating projection 12 of the arm 9
projecting outwardly from the pivot 10 by the pivot 13.
The end of the jack 11 remote from the actuating
projection 12 of the arm is connected by a pivot 14 to
a bracket 15 mounted on -the side of the trough conveyor
base 16.
The log-supporting means includes several
supporting arms 9 spaced lengthwise of the trough
conveyor 1, as shown in Figure I. Each of such arms is
located between adjacent rollers 8 o-f the live-roller
conveyor so that it can spiny from the upper
log-supporting position shown in Figure 2 downward to
the depending upright position shown in Figure 3 about
its pivot 10. Swinging of the several arms 9 can be
coordinated by making the arm pivots 10 in the form of
a shaft 17 rigidly connecting the arms for conjoint
swinging. In such case, only one or perhaps two fluid
jack actuators 11 are provided so that the swinging of
one arm will effect swinging of all the arms
conjointly
With the arms 9 in the raised position shown
in Figure I the deck chains 3 can be driven to
transport the logs L to and over the edge of the deck
adjacent to the trough conveyor 1 so that they will
drop down onto the raised arms. As the bunch of logs
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on the arms 9 increases, the pneumatic jack actuator 11
can be extended -to swing the arms 9 downward. The logs
on the arms will then first roll or slide Jo the tips
of the arts and lodge against the trough conveyor side
6. As the arms are swung farther, the logs are laid
onto the rolls 8 of the roll conveyor first adjacent to
the trough side 6 and then continuing toward the trough
side 7 until the desired size of log bundle has been
accumulated in the trough conveyor and confined by its
sides, as shown in Figure 3 and Figure 5 r The height
of such log bundle should be equal to a major portion
of the trough conveyor depth.
It is preferred that the inner surfaces of
the trough conveyor sides 6 and 7 converge upward so as
to prevent any vertical component of the weight of the
logs being transmitted to the trough conveyor sides.
Such upward convergence of the trough conveyor sides
will tend to reduce friction of the logs with the
trough sides.
As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 4, it is
preferred that the extent of deck 2 lengthwise of the
trough conveyor be at least approximately as great as
the length of the logs to be deposited in the trough
conveyor, which may be as much as sixty feet (18.28
meters). The trough conveyor then includes a section 18
shown in Figure 4 which may have a chain or belt type of
conveying means 19 in its bottom for transporting the logs
through such section to the discharge end 20 of the trough
conveyor. The section 18 of the trough conveyor between
the deck 2 and the discharge end of the conveyor should
also be of a length such that one bundle of logs can be
transported through the section 18 of the trough
conveyor and moved out of its discharge end while the
next bundle of logs is being accumulated in the section
of the trough conveyor alongside the deck 2 without
interference with the previously accumulated bundle of
logs being moved through the conveyor section 18. Such
section should be at least approximately one quarter as
long as the logs.
A cutoff sawing rig is located adjacent to
the discharge end 20 of the trough conveyor including
10 two cooperating twin circular cutoff saws 21 and 22.
The saw 21 is carried by an arbor 23 journal Ed in a
bearing 24 mounted on the inner side of a leg 25
depending downwardly from the crosshead 26 of the
cutoff saw carriage. The saw 22 is carried by an arbor
27 mounted in a bearing 28 carried by the inner side of
a second leg 29 depending from the crosshead 26 of the
cutoff saw carriage.
The legs 25 and 29 are substantially parallel
and are disposed alongside with the columns 30 and 31,
20 respectively, of a carriage-mounting frame. The upper
ends of such columns are connected by a crossbeam 32 to
form a guide frame for the vertically reciprocable saw
carriage. The columns 30 and 31 are spaced apart by the
crossbeam 32 so that they are located on opposite sides
of trough conveyor 1 and the carriage arms 25 and 29
are spaced apart by the crosshead 26 a distance such
that the adjacent portions of the peripheries of the
saws 21 and 22 will overlap slightly substantially
centrally over the trough conveyor, as shown in figures
5 and 6. The saw arbors 23 and 27 are spaced apart
farther than the width of the trough conveyor 1.
Consequently, the inner lower quarter sectors of the
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saws cooperate to span the width of the trough conveyor
so that they can cooperatively effect a continuous cut
through the bundle of logs L. As shown in Figure 5,
such saws can be offset elevation ally to a sufficient
extent, the left saw as seen in Figure 5 being higher
than the right saw, so that the adjacent portions of
the peripheries of the saws can be disposed in
overlapping relationship while the saws -themselves are
coplanar.
The cutoff saw carriage can be reciprocated
relative to the carriage-guiding frame by a fluid
pressure jack 33 located alongside the column 30 and
reacting from the crossbeam 32 to a pivot 34 connecting
such jack to the carriage leg 25. Similarly, a fluid
pressure jack 35 is located alongside upright carriage
leg 29 and reacts between the frame crossbeam 32 and a
pivot 36 connecting the lower end ox such jack to the
carriage leg 29. By extending jacks 33 and 35
simultaneously, the carriage can be moved downward from
the solid line position shown in Figure 5 where the
saws 21 and 22 are above the trough conveyor 1 to the
lowered position shown in broken lines where the
overlapping portions of the saw peripheries are located
below the trough conveyor.
The drive mechanism for rotating saw 21 is
mounted on the carriage leg 25 and includes an electric
motor 37 driving a belt 38 to turn a comparatively
large pulley 39. This pulley turns a smaller
concentric pulley 40 to drive belt 41 connected to a
sprocket concentric with the saw arbor 23. The belt
38, pulleys 39 and 40 and belt 41 constitute a speed
reduction drive between the electric motor 37 and the
saw 21 so that such saw is rotated clockwise as seen in
Figure 5 at a speed perhaps one-quarter as great as the
speed of the motor. Saw 22 is driven in a similar
manner by an electric motor I mounted on the carriage
leg 29 and connected by a belt 43 to a comparatively
large pulley 44 that, in turn, drives a smaller
concentric pulley 45. This pulley drives a belt 4b
which, in turn, drives a pulley connected to saw 22
which is concentric with the saw arbor 27. Again, belt
43, pulleys 44 and 45 and belt 46 constitute speed
reduction mechanism so that the saw 22 will be rotated
counterclockwise as seen in Figure 5 much slower than
motor 42, such as approximately one-quarter as fast.
After a bundle of logs has been accumulated
in the trough conveyor 1 alongside the deck 2, as shown
in Figure 3, the rollers 8 are powered to move the log
bundle through the trough conveyor into the conveyor
section 18. Chains 3 on deck 2 may then immediately be
powered to move the logs from the deck 2 with the arms
9 in raised position for accumulating the next bundle
of logs in the trough conveyor. The conveying chains
19 are powered to move the log bundle in trough
conveyor section 18 intermittently for projecting
portions of the log bundle in cantilever fashion beyond
the discharge end 20 of the conveyor to be cut off.
When a desired length of the log bundle projects past
the cutoff saws 21 and 22, such as four feet (1.2
meters) to twenty feet (6~0 meters), the conveyor 18 is
stopped and the saw carriage is moved downward from the
solid line position shown in Figure 5 to the broken
line for cutting a batch of bolts off the ends of the
logs in the bundle and the carriage is raised again.
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As apparent from Figure 5, when the saws are
lowered the lower peripheries first contact the outer
edges of the log bundle to sever bolts from the upper
outer components of the log bundle. Because the saws
21 and 22 are rotating in opposite directions as shown
in Figure 5, their lower peripheries are moving away
from each other so that any friction with severed bolt
ends will push the severed bolts laterally outward to
fall free.
As the bolts are cut first from the laterally
outer portions of the log bundle and then
progressively inward and downward, the severed bolts
fall laterally off the sides to afford room for the
next laterally inner bolts to be free If bolts were
cut from the central logs first they would be confined
by the laterally outward uncut logs instead of falling
away and would increase the friction on the saws.
After each batch of bolts has been severed
from the log bundle ends the chain conveyor 19 can
be activated to move the log bundle through the
trough conveyor another increment beyond the twin
cutoff saws so that the such saws can be lowered again
to cut the next batch of bolts from the log bundle.
This procedure is continued until the entire bundle of
logs has been cut into bolts.
Bolts cut from the projecting ends of logs in
a bundle, as indicated in Figure 4, drop into a flume F
by which they can be transported to chipping mechanism
or to a storage area for later chipping. The operation
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should be timed so that the rollers in the section of
the -trough conveyor alongside deck 2 will move a bundle
of logs accumulated ion the trough conveyor phyla in-to a
position in conveyor section I by the time almost the
entire next previous log bundle has been cut into
bolts.
The accumulation of a log bundle in trough
conveyor 1 alongside deck 2 may be accomplished more
quickly than a log bundle can be cut into bolts by the
cutoff rig shown in Figure 5 because of the time
required both to lower the saw carriage and to raise
the saw carriage between each feeding operation of
conveyor 19. The cutoff operation can be expedited by
utilizing the modified twin circular saw cutoff rig
shown in Figure 6. In this instance, the bearing 24'
for the arbor 23 of saw 21 is mounted on an arm 47
having one end carried by and singable relative to the
pivot mounting 4B which also mounts pulleys 39 and
I This arm can be swung between the upper solid line
position shown in Figure 6 and the lower downwardly and
outwardly swung position shown in broken lines in that
figure by a fluid pressure jack 49 connecter to a
bracket 50 on the arm 47 by a pivot 51. The opposite
end of the jack is connected by a pivot 52 to the
crosshead 26 of the saw carriage
Similarly, the bearing I for saw 22 is
mounted on the swinging end of arm 53 which is mounted
on the pivot 54 for pulleys 44 and 45. Arm 53 can be
swung between the upper position shown in solid lines
in Figure 6 and the lower downwardly and outwardly
swung position shown in broken lines in that figure by
extension of a fluid pressure jack 55. The lower end
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of this jack is connected to a bracket 56 mounted on
arm 53 by a pivot 57. The upper end of the jack is
connected by a pivot I to the crosshead 26 of -the
carriage.
With the modified mechanism shown in Figure
6, the jacks 49 and 55 may be retracted to hold the
circular saws 21 and 22 in positions with the adjacent
portions of their peripheries overlapping so that, when
the carriage is moved downward by jacks 33 and 35, the
saws will cut a batch of bolts from the log bundle.
When the saws have been moved downward sufficiently far
to complete the cut with their overlapping peripheral
portions below the trough conveyor, the jacks 49 and 55
can be extended to swing arms 47 and 53 downward and
outward to spread the saws 21 and 22 apart a distance
at least substantially as great as the width of the
trough conveyor. The conveying mechanism 19 may then
be energized immediately to move the log bundle in the
trough conveyor forward another increment equal to the
length of the next batch of bolts to be cut while the
carriage is being raised by contraction of jacks 33 and
35. When the saws have been moved upward to an
elevation such that they can be swung inward without
interfering with the log bundle, the jacks 49 and 55
can be contracted to swing the saws inward and upward
again into the solid line positions shown in Figure 6
preparatory to lowering the saw carriage again to cut
of the next batch of bolts from the log bundle.
Figure 7 shows log-supporting and lowering
mechanism of a Kyle different from that shown in
Figures 2 and 3. This mechanism can be used either
with a live-roller type of conveyor in the bottom of
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the trough conveyor 1 or with a chain type or flight
type of conveyor 8' shown in Figure 7, because in this
instance the log-receiviny arms 9' are always located
above the conveyor. us shown in Figure 7 r such arms
are mounted on pivots 10' supported from wall 6 of the
conveyor remote prom the deck 2 and can swing about
such pivots between the upper full line position Sheehan
in Figure 7 and a lower position parallel to the wall
6.
In their upper positions, the arms 9' are
inclined somewhat downwardly toward the wall 7 so that
logs L deposited on them from the deck 2 will roll from
them into the bottom corner of the trough conveyor
closer to wall JO Additional logs will then fill into
the portion of the trough conveyor bottom farther from
wall 7 as the arms 9' swing farther downward to their
lower upright position The logs will thus be
distributed in a pile substantially evenly across the
width of the conveyor.
The arms 9' are supported and controlled by
actuators in the form of upright fluid pressure jacks
11', arranged alongside the trough conveyor wall 6 and
having their upper ends connected to actuating
projections 12l of the arms projecting outwardly from
the pivots 10'. The end portion of such an actuating
projection 12' is connected to the upper end of a jack
11 by pivot 13' and the lower end of such jack is
connected by a pivot 14' to a bracket 15' mounted on
the frame 16 of the trough conveyor. Swinging of the
arms may be controlled by an operator operating the
jacks 11', or such jacks can be of the pneumatic type
or the actuators can he of the spring type to enable
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the weight of logs on the arms 9' to swing the arms
downward progressively in response to the weight of the
logs received by the arms compressing air in the -jack
cylinder or stressing the sprint, at Least until the
arms have been swung downward into positions
approaching the lowered upright positions. To swing the
arms fully into their lowered upright positions, fluid
under pressure could be supplied to the cylinders of the
jacks. If desired, the arms 9, shown in Figures 2 and
3, could be operated in a similar manner by being
capable of being lowered automatically in response to
the weight of the logs deposited onto such arms.
