U-SHAPED BOARD UNSCRAMBLER

• US 20160297620A1
• Filed: 04/13/2016
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbotech International
• Original Assignee: Carbotech International
• Inventors: FRCHETTE, Denis
• Granted Patent: US 9,701,485 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 15/44 for impelling the loads
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 19/225 for article conveyors, e.g. for container conveyors B65G19/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2201/0282 Wooden articles, e.g. logs, trunks or planks
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1471 Movement in one direction, substantially outwards
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/1492 the articles being fed from a feeding conveyor

Abstract

A board unscrambler for sorting a plurality of boards comprises a frame having an entrance and an exit. The frame comprises a U-shaped accumulator near the entrance and an upwardly substantially longitudinal slope connecting the U-shaped accumulator portion to the exit. The board unscrambler further comprises a powered conveyor which substantially adopts the shape of the frame, comprising driving chains and a plurality of spaced apart catches mounted on the driving chains for mating with and displacing the boards along the frame from the U-shaped accumulator portion toward the exit. Accordingly, the board unscrambler features accumulation capability, thereby increasing efficiency and regulating performance.

Claims

1. A board unscrambler adapted for unscrambling boards comprising:

a frame having an entrance and an exit for the boards, the frame comprising;

a U-shaped accumulator portion in which the boards accumulate after the entrance; and

an upward slope portion between the U-shaped accumulator portion and the exit; and

a powered conveyor comprising catches for carrying forward the boards along the frame from the U-shaped accumulator portion through the upward slope portion toward the exit;

wherein boards which are not directly or indirectly carried forward by the catches will fall back in the U-shaped accumulator portion thereby resulting in an unscrambling of the boards which are carried forward.

2. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the upward slope portion is substantially longitudinal.

3. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the upward slope portion comprises a curved portion.

4. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the upward slope portion is a direct and immediate continuation of the U-shaped accumulator portion.

5. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the upward slope portion forms part of and is integrated with the U-shaped accumulator portion.

6. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the catches have a substantial longitudinal shape having a longitudinal direction which is substantially parallel to the boards.

7. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the powered conveyor comprises driving chains to which the catches are mounted wherein the driving chains are parallel to each other and in a direction which is perpendicular to the entrance and the exit wherein the entrance and the exit extends laterally and are substantially parallel to each other.

8. The board unscrambler of claim 7, wherein the catches mounted on respective ones of the driving chains are horizontally aligned.

9. The board unscrambler of claim 7, wherein the catches have a substantial longitudinal shape having a longitudinal direction which is substantially parallel to the boards and the catches are mounted across more two or more driving chains.

10. The board unscrambler of claim 7, wherein the powered conveyor further comprises a drive shaft and geared wheels which are spaced apart on the drive shaft, and wherein the driving chains ride on the geared wheels.

11. The board unscrambler of claim 10, wherein the frame comprises a rail along which the driving chains travel.

12. The board unscrambler of claim 11, further comprising a motor driving the powered conveyor.

13. The board unscrambler of claim 12, wherein the motor driving the powered conveyor is connected to the drive shaft thereby driving the geared wheels.

14. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the U-shaped accumulator portion has a radius of curvature R of about between between 0.1 meters and 3 meters.

15. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the entrance is at a first elevation, and the exit is at a second elevation, and wherein the second elevation is greater than the first elevation.

16. The board unscrambler of claim 1, wherein the upward slope portion defines an angle of about between 40°

and 80°

relative to the horizontal.

17. The board unscrambler of claim 1, further comprising sensors for monitoring boards on the powered conveyor.

18. A method of unscrambling boards comprising:

providing boards perpendicularly to a forward direction of movement of the boards;

accumulating boards in a U-shaped accumulator; and

a conveyor catching at least some boards for carrying them forward on an upward slope still perpendicularly to a forward direction of movement of the boards;

wherein boards which are not directly or indirectly carried forward by the catches will fall back from the upward slope or remain in the U-shaped accumulator thereby resulting in an unscrambling of the boards which are carried forward.

19. A board unscrambler adapted for unscrambling boards comprising:

a U-shaped accumulator in which the boards accumulate after entering the board unscrambler;

an upward slope after the U-shaped accumulator; and

a powered conveyor comprising catches for carrying forward the boards from the U-shaped accumulator through the upward slope;

wherein boards which are not directly or indirectly carried forward by the catches will fall back from the upward slope or remain in the U-shaped accumulator thereby resulting in an unscrambling of the boards which are carried forward.