Reversing automatic feed wheel assembly for wood chipper

• US 6,814,320 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bandit Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tramor Incorporated
• Inventors: Morey, Thomas J., Gula, Roderick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/155,048
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 241/34, 241/35, 241/36, 241/92
• US Class Current: 241/34
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 3/002 for comminuting plant waste comminuting by cutting implements in general B02C18/00
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 18/2283 using rollers B02C18/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B02C 25/00 Control arrangements specially adapted for crushing or disintegrating

Abstract

A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly for wood chipper includes an infeed assembly and a rotatable cutting assembly spaced from the infeed assembly. The reversing automatic feed wheel assembly also includes at least one feed wheel disposed between the infeed assembly and the cutting assembly to feed wood material to the cutting assembly. The reversing automatic feed wheel assembly further includes a control system operatively connected to the at least one feed wheel to automatically reverse/stop/restart the infeed of the wood material including a sensor to sense pressure or reduced speed in the wood chipper as a result of an excessive load placed on either one of the cutting assembly and the at least one feed wheel.

Claims

1. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly for a wood chipper comprising:

an infeed assembly;

a rotatable cutting assembly spaced from said infeed assembly;

at least one feed wheel disposed between said infeed assembly and said cutting assembly to feed wood material to said cutting assembly; and

a control system operatively connected to said at least one feed wheel including a reversing auto feed block, a reversing valve connected to said auto feed block, and an electronic controller connected to said reversing valve to automatically actuate said reversing valve and including a fluid pressure sensor to sense fluid pressure to said at least one feed wheel, said electronic controller receiving an input signal from said sensor of the fluid pressure reaching a first predetermined level as a result of an excessive load placed on either one of said cutting assembly and said at least one feed wheel and activating said reversing valve thereby causing said reversing auto feed block to reverse the fluid path to said at least one feed wheel to automatically stop and reverse said at least one feed wheel and receiving another input signal from said sensor of the fluid pressure reaching a second predetermined level that is less than the first predetermined level and activating said reversing valve thereby causing said reversing auto feed block to reverse the fluid path to said at least one feed wheel to automatically restart said at least one feed wheel.

2. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control system includes at least one motor connected to said at least one feed wheel to rotate said at least one feed wheel.

3. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said control system includes a supply line and a return line connected to said at least one motor.

4. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said sensor is a pressure switch operatively connected to either one of said supply line and said return line.

5. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said auto feed block is operatively connected to said supply line and said return line and said reversing valve is operatively connected to said auto feed block to control a direction of fluid flow through said supply line and said return line.

6. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control system includes a feed valve fluidly connected to said auto feed block to feed fluid thereto.

7. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said controller includes an input device for inputting a time period for reversing said at least one feed wheel.

8. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said controller includes an input device for inputting a distance for reversing said at least one feed wheel.

9. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly for a wood chipper comprising:

an infeed assembly;

a rotatable cutting assembly spaced from said infeed assembly;

a plurality of feed wheels to feed wood material to said cutting assembly; and

a control system operatively connected to said feed wheels and including a reversing auto feed block, a reversing valve connected to said auto feed block, and an electronic controller connected to said reversing valve to automatically actuate said reversing valve and a fluid pressure sensor communicating with said controller to sense fluid pressure to said feed wheels, said electronic controller receiving an input signal from said sensor of the fluid pressure reaching a first predetermined level of an excessive load placed on said cutting assembly and activating said reversing valve thereby causing said reversing auto feed block to reverse the fluid path to said feed wheels to automatically stop and reverse said feed wheels and receiving another input signal from said sensor of the fluid pressure reaching a second predetermined level that is less than the first predetermined level and activating said reversing valve thereby causing said reversing auto feed block to reverse the fluid path to said feed wheels to automatically restart said feed wheels.

10. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said feed wheels comprise at least a first feed wheel and a second feed wheel.

11. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said control system includes a first motor connected to said first feed wheel and a second motor connected to said second feed wheel.

12. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said control system includes a first supply line and a first return line connected to said first motor and a second supply line and a second return line connected to said second motor.

13. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 12 including a flow divider connected to said first supply line and said second supply line.

14. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said auto feed block connected to said first return line and said second return line.

15. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 14 including a third supply line interconnecting said auto feed block and said flow divider.

16. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said control system includes a fourth supply line connected to said auto feed block to supply fluid to said auto feed block.

17. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said reversing valve is operatively connected to said auto feed block to control a direction of fluid flow through said first supply line and said second supply line and said first return line and said second return line.

18. A reversing automatic feed wheel assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said sensor is a pressure switch operatively connected to either one of said first supply line and said first return line and said second supply line and said second return line.

19. A wood chipper comprising:

an infeed assembly;

a rotatable cutting assembly spaced from said infeed assembly;

a rotatable and stationary first feed wheel and a rotatable and movable second feed wheel movable relative to said first feed wheel to feed wood material to said cutting assembly; and

a control system operatively connected to said first feed wheel and said second feed wheel including a reversing auto feed block, a reversing valve connected to said auto feed block, and an electronic controller connected to said reversing valve to automatically actuate said reversing valve and a fluid pressure sensor communicating with said controller to sense fluid pressure to said first feed wheel and said second feed wheel, said electronic controller receiving an input signal from said sensor of the fluid pressure reaching a first predetermined level of an excessive load placed on said cutting assembly and activating said reversing valve thereby causing said reversing auto feed block to reverse the fluid path to said first feed wheel and said second feed wheel to automatically stop and reverse said first feed wheel and said second feed wheel and receiving another input signal from said sensor of the fluid pressure reaching a second predetermined level that is less than the first predetermined level and activating said reversing valve thereby causing said reversing auto feed block to reverse the fluid path to said first feed wheel and said second feed wheel to automatically restart said first feed wheel and said second feed wheel.