Claims
- 1. A board feeder comprising:
a first conveyor defining a discharge end, said first conveyor conveying boards in edge-to-edge relation and defining a descending path to a board discharging position at said discharge end, a second conveyor defining a board receiving position at a receiving end, said second conveyor conveying boards in spaced relation, said receiving position spaced from end lower than the discharge position of the first conveyor, and a descending slide between the discharge position and receiving position for directing boards from the discharge position toward the receiving position, and a stop provided in the path of the slide that engages the leading edge of a leading board and stops movement of the boards from the first conveyor toward the second conveyor; a movable release member that moves into and out of lifting engagement with a leading edge of a board engaging the stop to lift the board edge over the stop to permit continued sliding movement urged by the following boards and gravity onto the second conveyor; and a control controlling the movement of the release member for spaced positioning of the boards onto the second conveyor.
- 2. A board feeder as defined in claim 1 wherein the release member is a rotating wheel having a periphery, and camming lobes formed on the periphery that sequentially engage a leading edge of a board that is engaging the stop to lift the leading edge over the stop.
- 3. A board feeder as defined in claim 2 wherein the control is provided by the rotating wheel being driven by the second conveyor.
- 4. A board feeder as defined in claim 3 wherein the second conveyor includes spacing lugs, and the lobes of the rotating wheel are arranged on the wheel in relation to the lugs on the second conveyor to produce feeding of the boards between the lugs on the conveyor during operation of the second conveyor.
- 5. A board feeder as defined in claim 1 wherein a hold down mechanism is provided for holding the boards against the slide as the leading board is lifted over the stop.
- 6. A board feed comprising:
a first conveyor defining a discharge end, said first conveyor conveying boards in edge-to-edge relation and defining a descending path to a board discharging position at said discharge end; a second conveyor defining a board receiving position at a receiving end, said conveyor configured to convey boards in a desired spaced relationship; said discharge end of said first conveyor and said receiving end of said second conveyor in overlapped relation whereby boards discharged from said board discharging position are directly discharged onto said board receiving position; a stop member positioned in the path of the boards being conveyed along said descending path that stops movement of the boards whereby the first conveyor urges the movement of the boards against the stop; and a lift member cyclically engaging and lifting each board that engages the stop member to lift a leading edge of the board above the stop to be urged by the first conveyor over the stop and onto the second conveyor to thereby place the boards onto the second conveyor in the desired spaced relationship.
- 7. A board feeder as defined in claim 6 wherein the lift member is a wheel having lobes, said wheel rotated under the stop member with the lobes engaging and lifting the boards over the stop member in sequence.
- 8. A board feeder as defined in claim 6 wherein a board hold down mechanism comprises a pivotal lever that pivots to a position imposed over the boards along the descending path for holding the boards onto the conveyor as the lift mechanism sequentially lifts each board engaging the stop member.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/338,789 filed Jun. 23, 1999.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09338789 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Child |
09732449 |
Dec 2000 |
US |