Board inverter for use in lumber processing machine
First Claim
1. A board inverter for use in association with a lumber conveyor, said conveyor having board transport means adapted to transport boards at regular intervals along said conveyor in a lateral orientation, said inverter comprising a rotatable hub mountable to said conveyor and having an array of regularly-spaced arms extending radially outwardly from said hub and extending at least partly above said conveyor when said inverter is mounted thereto and said arms are oriented upwardly, each of said arms having a base adjacent said hub, said arms each including board retainer means adapted to sequentially receive said boards from said board transport means, to releasably retain said boards as said arm rotates about said hub, and redeposit said board on said conveyor in an inverted position following said rotation, said inverter being adapted to be continuously rotatably driven by the sequential engagement of said boards with said board retainer means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rotary board inverter is provided for use in a conveyor for a lumber processing machine, with the motive force to invert the boards being provided by the forward motion of the boards themselves as they are transported along the conveyor. The device comprises a rotatable hub with regularly spaced, co-planar arms radiating outwardly from the hub. Each of the arms incorporates a board retainer adapted to sequentially receive boards from the board transporter of the conveyor; to releasably retain a board as the arm rotates about the hub; and to redeposit the now-inverted board on the conveyor downstream of the inverter. Rotation of the device is driven by the forward movement of the boards as they sequentially engage the inverter. The inverter is particularly adapted for use in a conveyor having an array of evenly spaced, longitudinally-displaceable lugs extending upwardly from the conveyor to transport the boards along the conveyor. The lugs are adapted to continue driving the board forwardly even as it is being elevated from the table by the rotation of the inverter. The invention further comprises a conveyor having an inverter mounted to its frame.
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Citations
13 Claims
- 1. A board inverter for use in association with a lumber conveyor, said conveyor having board transport means adapted to transport boards at regular intervals along said conveyor in a lateral orientation, said inverter comprising a rotatable hub mountable to said conveyor and having an array of regularly-spaced arms extending radially outwardly from said hub and extending at least partly above said conveyor when said inverter is mounted thereto and said arms are oriented upwardly, each of said arms having a base adjacent said hub, said arms each including board retainer means adapted to sequentially receive said boards from said board transport means, to releasably retain said boards as said arm rotates about said hub, and redeposit said board on said conveyor in an inverted position following said rotation, said inverter being adapted to be continuously rotatably driven by the sequential engagement of said boards with said board retainer means.
- 7. A lumber conveyor for the transport of boards in a lateral orientation along said conveyor, said conveyor comprising an elongate transport table having upstream and downstream ends and a board inverter positioned partway between said upstream and downstream ends, said conveyor including an array of regularly-spaced longitudinally-displaceable board engagement lugs extending upwardly from said table and drive means to displace said lugs along said table from said upstream end to said downstream end, said lugs each having a forward face adapted to contact said boards as they are transported along said table from said upstream to said downstream ends, said forward face having a generally plow-shaped profile adapted to push a board engaged thereby forwardly and upwardly when said board contacts said board inverter, said board inverter comprising a rotatable hub mountable to said conveyor with an array of arms extending radially outwardly from said hub and extending at least partly above said table when oriented upwardly, each of said arms having a base adjacent said hub, said arms each including board retainer means adapted to sequentially receive said boards from said board transport means, to releasably retain said boards as said arm rotates about said hub, and to redeposit said board on said conveyor in an inverted position following said rotation, said board retainer means having a regular circumferential spacing relative to each other, equal to the linear spacing between said lugs, said inverter being adapted to be rotatably driven by the sequential engagement of said boards with said board retainer means.
Specification