Log peeling apparatus

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6776202
  • Patent Number
    6,776,202
  • Date Filed
    Monday, September 16, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, August 17, 2004
    20 years ago
Abstract
A log-peeling machine for removing bark from logs to simulate hand peeled logs. A log is held in position on a pair of movable log support frames, each having multiple adjustable log support and drive roller assemblies. An independent high-speed cutting head is movable along the length of the log removing bark in longitudinal strips by adjustably following the log surface which is raised and lowered and rotated for engagement with the cutting head.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Technical Field




This device relates to bark removing machines that are used to process logs for use in the log structures. The bark must be removed before the logs can be used in the log building industry. Historically, bark was removed by hand by use of a drawknife or by a broad axe when the log was hand honed into support beans and the like.




2. Description of Prior Art




Prior art machines for rapidly removing bark can be found in sawmills, for example, in which large automated debarkers are used to grind and strip the bark from logs prior to milling. Such devices as drum debarkers use a rotating drum with a plurality of internal bark engagement ribs. As the log passes through the drum, they strike the ribs and other logs removing the bark. Other log debarking devices can be seen, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,987,825, 4,036,270, 4,249,585, 4,425,952 and 4,875,511.




In U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,825 a tree bark removing apparatus is disclosed having two rows of oppositely disposed angularly aligned log transportation wheels and a fixed overhead cutting head. The logs are advanced longitudinally and engaged by the rotating tool removing the bark.




U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,270 disclosed a log peeling machine having a rotary peeling drum assembly with in feed and out feed conveyors that engage both the top and bottom surface of the logs directing it for engagement with the rotating bark removing drum.




A log debarking apparatus is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,585 in which a log is rotated in a fixed longitudinal position while a debarking tool is moved along the log in a spiral path.




In U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,952 a log feeding apparatus is shown having a pair of support arms with three log feed assemblies positioned thereon. Each assembly has a rotating drum with a plurality of log engaging spikes on its outer surface.




A bark removing apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. 4,875,511 in which multiple pairs of concave rollers engage oppositely disposed surfaces of the log, removing the bark therefrom.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




A log peeling device which selectively engages a log, removing longitudinal strips of bark. It is advantageous to remove bark in this fashion on logs to be used in log home construction giving the logs a hand peeled look which heretofore was only possible by labor intensive hand debarking. Logs are held in fixed longitudinal position on a vertically adjustable support table and engaged along their longitudinal axis by a movable overhead cutting head. A log chuck selectively rotates the log, repositioning it for the cutting head which has a plurality of blades on a central arbor that engage the presented log surface removing the bark as it is passed over the surface of the log.











DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a partial side elevational view of the log peeling apparatus of the invention;





FIG. 2

is a partial top plan view of

FIG. 1

;





FIG. 3

is a partial side elevational view of the log peeling apparatus of the invention;





FIG. 4

is a partial top plan view of

FIG. 3

;





FIG. 5

is an end elevational view of a log engagement roller assembly with a non-powered version shown in solid lines and a power assembly for driving the rollers shown in broken lines and adjustability of the rollers;





FIG. 6

is an enlarged side elevational view of the drive assembly of the log engagement rollers as seen in

FIG. 5

of the drawings;





FIG. 7

is an end elevational view of a log support portion of the invention showing a log, in broken lines, thereon, ready for processing:





FIG. 8

is an end elevational view of the log-supporting portion of the invention showing the log, in broken lines, positioned on the lift table support beams in load and unload position;





FIG. 9

is an enlarged partial front elevational view of a log engagement chuck;





FIG. 10

is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the log engagement chuck with portions broken away;





FIG. 11

is a top plan view of a cutting head assembly of the device with portions of the cutting head shown in broken lines;





FIG. 12

is a partial side elevational view of the cutting head assembly illustrating the cutting blade and associated interconnected drive elements;





FIG. 13

is an enlarged partial front elevational view with portions broken away of the cutting head adjustment support structure;





FIG. 14

is an enlarged side elevational view of an indexing pin and handle assembly for repositioning the cutting head in relation to the log;





FIG. 15

is an enlarged front elevational view with portions broken away and in section of an angular adjustment assembly for the cutting head support structure;





FIG. 16

is an enlarged top plan view of a cutting blade;





FIG. 17

is an enlarged partial cross-sectional side elevational view of the blade mounting assembly of the cutting head;





FIG. 18

is a side partial elevational view of the cutting head and support mechanism;





FIG. 19

is a partial front elevational view of the cutting head and head support assembly positioned above a log;





FIG. 20

is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the log chuck assembly and associated interconnected drive and support elements;




FIG.


21


.is an end elevational view of the chuck drive assembly illustrated in

FIG. 20

;





FIG. 22

is a graphic representation of the adjustable angles achieved by the cutting head assembly for engagement with the log in both solid and broken lines;





FIG. 23

is an enlarged partial cross-section of a shot pin support assembly;





FIG. 24

is a partial front elevational view of a material support post and associated shot pin assembly with a log support beam engaged thereon;





FIG. 25

is a side elevational view of the support post illustrated in

FIG. 24

;





FIG. 26

is a graphic top plane representation of the log support lift tables with an irregular log positioned thereon; and





FIG. 27

is a graphic side elevational representation of the log lift tables showing an irregular log representation thereon in solid and broken lines.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Referring to

FIGS. 1-5

of the drawings, a log peeling apparatus


10


can be seen having a rectangular main base support frame


11


. A pair of elongated longitudinally aligned lift tables


12


and


13


are positioned within the main base support frame


11


. Each of the lift tables


12


and


13


is generally rectangular having oppositely disposed parallel side frames


14


and


15


and interconnecting oppositely disposed end frames


16


and


17


. An operator support walkway


18


extends along the length of the main base support frame


11


outwardly from an interconnecting the respective lift tables


12


and


13


as best seen in

FIGS. 2 and 4

of the drawings.




Each of the lift tables


12


and


13


has a pair of oppositely disposed powered scissor lift assemblies


19


and


20


engageable thereunder inwardly of the table's respective end frames


16


and


17


. The scissor lifts


19


and


20


have a base


21


and an upper engagement frame


22


interconnected by pairs of cross-pivoted support arms


23


and


24


. A pair of hydraulic piston and cylinder assemblies


25


and


26


are engaged on a cross beam


27


for vertical activation of the upper engagement support frame


22


best seen in

FIG. 7

of the drawings.




The lift tables


12


and


13


each have a plurality of longitudinally spaced material engagement beams


27


extending transversely thereacross as seen in

FIGS. 1-3

of the drawings. Each of the material engagement beams


27


is held in removable position across the upper surface


28


of the respective side frames


14


and


15


by a spaced upstanding guide frame


29


secured to the side frames


14


and


15


as best seen in

FIG. 7

of the drawings. Each of the material engagement beams


27


has a corresponding pair of oppositely disposed beam engagement guide posts


30


having a slotted upper position


31


for registering alignment with the ends of the corresponding material engagement beams


27


when the respective lift tables


12


and


13


are in lowered position.




Each of the guide posts


30


have a shot pin assembly


32


, best seen in

FIGS. 23-25

of the drawings in which a pneumatic cylinder


33


is enclosed within a cylinder guard


34


attached to a pin housing


35


. A shot pin


36


has a beam registration area at


37


of reduced diameter and is secured to an activation rod


38


of the cylinder


33


. The slotted upper portion


31


of the guide post


30


has aligned apertures A within and a tubular shot pin receiving extension


39


A for registration of the shot pin


36


when extended during activation as indicated by the arrow PA and in

FIG. 24

of the drawings. With the shot pin


36


extended within the guide post


30


, the material engagement beams


27


are held thereon as the respective lift tables


12


and


13


are lowered, as illustrated in

FIG. 8

of the drawings. Additionally, it will be evident that with the shot pin


36


retracted, the material engagement beams


27


will remain on the respective lift tables


12


and


13


to a lower guide engagement position illustrated in

FIG. 7

of the drawings.




Pairs of work piece support roller assemblies are adjustably positioned within the respective lift tables


12


and


13


. A first roller assembly pair


39


is positioned adjacent one end of the respective lift tables


12


and


13


and have a fixed roller


40


and a three-position adjustable roller


41


. The fixed roller


40


is rotatably mounted on a pair of upstanding mounting brackets


42


, as best seen in

FIG. 5

of the drawings. The adjustable roller


41


has a pivoted pair of mounting brackets


43


selectively secured between apertured support plates


44


by repositioning engagement pin


45


.




It will be evident from the above description that by removing the engagement pin


45


and repositioning the apertured mounting brackets


43


and re-engagement of the pin


45


that the roller


41


can be adjustably positioned as illustrated in broken lines in

FIG. 5

of the drawings.




The respective roller assembly


39


on each of the lift tables is power driven by respective drive sprocket and drive chain assembly


46


interconnecting both rollers


40


and


41


to a gear reduction box


47


and drive motor


48


via a coupling


49


as seen in

FIG. 6

of the drawings.




The respective powered roller assemblies


39


are repositionable adjacent the respective end frames


16


and


17


of the lift tables in accordance with use requirements which will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter. A second roller assembly pair


50


has fixed and adjustable roller supports corresponding to the first roller assembly, but is not power driven as hereinbefore described. The roller assemblies


50


are repositionable respectively anywhere along the respective lift tables longitudinal length


12


and


13


to be configured to a given log length, as noted above.




Referring now to

FIGS. 3

,


4


,


9


,


10


,


20


and


21


of the drawings, a log engagement and rotating chuck assembly


51


can be seen positioned at one end of the main support base frame


11


.




The log engagement chuck assembly


51


has an annular material engagement plate


53


positioned within and supported by a pair of annular frame bands


54


and


54


B. Multiple power engagement jaw assemblies


56


are secured about the first frame band


54


. Each of the power jaw assemblies


56


has a pivoted contour material arm


57


with an engagement jaw end


57


A within an interconnected activation piston and cylinder assembly


58


which extends from the secondary support frame assembly


54


B.




In operation, the lift tables


12


and


13


are lowered to their lowest position wherein the multiple material engagement beams


27


are held within the corresponding beam engagement guide post pairs on the extended shot pins


36


as hereinbefore described as seen in

FIG. 8

of the drawings. A log L to be processed is positioned on the respective material handling beams


27


and up against the engagement plate


53


of the log engagement chuck assembly


51


. Upon activation of the respective piston and cylinder assemblies


58


, the material engagement jaw assemblies


56


are pivotally advanced for engagement by the jaw end


57


A with the log L as best seen in

FIG. 11

of the drawings.




A drive shaft


52


extends from the log chuck assembly


51


having universal couplings


52


A and


52


B to a rotary union


59


on the end of a power support shaft assembly


60


. A drive motor


61


and interlinking drive chain


62


selectively rotates the chuck assembly


51


and engaged log L thereon.




Referring now specifically to

FIGS. 3

, and


20


of the drawings, an adjustable chuck head support stand


63


can be seen wherein pairs of support rollers


64


and


65


are positioned on a sliding alignment frame


66


. A powered scissor lift frame assembly


67


extends from the main base support frame


11


having a roller assembly


68


engageable by the alignment frame


66


which can be raised and lowered thereby as best seen in

FIG. 20

of the drawings. The respective support roller pairs


64


and


65


are of unequal vertical height to registerably engage the respective annular frame support bands


54


A and


54


B which are of dissimilar dimensions.




In operation, the log chuck assembly


51


is engaged and supported for vertical adjustment by the support stand


63


so as to be positioned with the log L to be processed which can vary in its end position on the respective lift table


13


when in raised log receiving and removing position as hereinbefore described. Once the log L has been engaged by the chuck assembly


51


, the support stand assembly


63


is lowered freeing the chuck


51


for operation. Correspondingly, the lift tables


12


and


13


are raised so that the log L is engaged by the hereinbefore-described drive and idle roller assemblies


39


and


50


respectively.




An overhead frame assembly


69


, best seen in

FIGS. 1 and 3

of the drawings is formed from a pair of metal trusses


69


A and


69


B extending between and supported by upstanding end post and beam frames


70


and


71


that extend from respective ends of the main support base frame


11


.




The trusses


69


A and


69


B are interconnected in spaced parallel relation to one another by multiple bracing bars


72


. A pair of overhead guide support channels


73


are suspended from respective bottom cords


74


of the trusses


69


, best seen in

FIGS. 19 and 20

of the drawings.




Referring now to

FIGS. 11 and 12

of the drawings, a cutter head assembly


75


can be seen having a main housing


76


shown in broken lines with a rotary blade assembly


77


within. The blade assembly


77


has a contoured circular blade support arbor


78


with an upstanding annular perimeter edge flange


79


thereon. A central support frame


80


extends from the support arbor


78


and is secured to a drive shaft


81


having multiple support bearings and drive pulleys


82


and is supported by an interior housing frame element


83


, as best seen in

FIG. 12

of the drawings.




The blade arbor


78


has pairs of oppositely disposed annularly spaced blade engagement slots S therein. A blade mounting assembly


84


has an elongated angularly inclined base mounting plate


85


and is secured by welding W to the support arbor


78


within the respective blade opening slots S as best seen in

FIG. 17

of the drawings. A rectangular cutting blade


86


can be seen having a chiseled cutting edge


87


and a pair of mounting slots


88


extending inwardly from an edge


89


opposite said cutting edge


87


. The cutting blade


86


is aligned on the base plate


85


with a corresponding apertured base retaining clamp plate


90


positioned thereover through which is engaged by a pair of respective threaded fasteners F which are correspondingly registerably secured within a pair of aligned longitudinally spaced threaded apertures


91


within the base plate


85


.




It will be seen that the multiple cutting edges


87


of the corresponding blades


86


will extend from the respective slots S for selective engagement with the log L during use.




The blade arbor


78


is driven by a motor


92


mounted within the cutting head housing


76


by corresponding interengaging drive belt


93


as will be well understood by those skilled in the art.




The main housing


76


has a contoured front portion


94


with a central elongated upstanding enclosure


95


thereon covering the hereinbefore-described blade drive mechanism.




Referring now to

FIGS. 18 and 19

of the drawings, the cutting head assembly


75


is movably positioned along the support channels


73


by an adjustable support assembly


96


having a U-shaped suspension bracket


97


extending from the cutting head assembly


75


being pivotally secured thereto by pivot bearings


98


positioned on either side of the housing


76


, as best seen in

FIGS. 19 and 20

of the drawings. An adjustable mounting frame


99


extends from and is secured to the suspension bracket


97


providing multiple repositioning of the cutting head


75


as will be discussed in greater detail hereinafter.




The adjustable mounting frame


99


has a transverse oriented slide assembly


100


with a pair of oppositely disposed guide tracks


101


with wheeled slide carriages


102


registerable within that allows for the transverse movement of the cutting head assembly


75


as indicated by the arrow in

FIG. 18

of the drawings. The guide tracks


101


are in turn suspended from secondary wheeled carriages


103


A within the respective overhead support channels


73


.




The U-shaped suspension bracket


97


has a longitudinal angular adjustment feature defined by a pair of oppositely disposed angular height adjustment assemblies


103


. Each of the adjustment assemblies


103


as seen in

FIG. 15

of the drawings has an internally threaded rod


104


that is registerable within a traveling mounting block


105


fixed within a tubular extension


106


telescopically extensible from within the main suspension bracket support portions


106


A. The threaded rod


104


is rotated by a manual adjustment wheel


107


with an associated locking pin


108


which when advanced prevents the rod


104


from rotating. The angular height adjustment assemblies


103


are independently adjustable and thus impart up to a five degree horizontal angular inclination to the cutting head assembly


75


in relation to the adjustable mounting frame


99


as indicated by arrows in

FIG. 19

of the drawings.




Referring now to

FIGS. 13

,


15


and


19


of the drawings, the cutting head


75


is pivoted on an arcuate axis indicated by arrow PA by support frame extensions


109


that are pivotally positioned on a pair of bearing block assemblies


110


within the slide assembly. This will allow for arcuate readjustment of the cutting head U-shaped suspension bracket


97


so as to help conform to the log engagement inclinations when necessary as illustrated in

FIG. 22

of the drawings.




The cutting head housing


76


accordingly is spring biased by a pair of springs


111


,


111


A and


111


B from the adjustable support assembly


96


as best seen in

FIG. 19

of the drawings.




It will be evident from the above description that the cutting head assembly


75


can be moved in multiple horizontal, longitudinal and arcuate planes along the overhead head support trusses as well as transversely for and aft as indicated by the directional arrows as noted in

FIGS. 18 and 19

of the drawings.




Referring now to

FIGS. 13

,


14


, and


19


of the drawings, an indexing locking pin assembly


113


is shown utilized to incrementally position and lock the cutting head assembly


75


in its transverse movement across the support head surface frame as noted above. The locking pin assembly


113


has a U-shaped mounting bracket


114


with a spring urged pin


115


which is arranged for registration within a multiply apertured indexing bracket


116


thereabove. A handle assembly


117


is used both to unlock the pin


115


and move the head assembly along the hereinbefore-described guide tracks


101


and then lock the cutting head assembly in its new position indicated by the actuation arrows in

FIG. 19

of the drawings.




In operation, as noted above, the log L is positioned onto the elevated material support beams


27


as seen in

FIG. 8

of the drawings. Multiple extensible safety stakes


118


have been telescopically extended from tubular stakeholders


119


adjacent some of said respective guideposts


30


.




The end of the log L is then engaged against the chuck assembly


51


and held by the multiple power jaws


56


extending there from. The lift tables


12


and


13


are raised to engage the log L with respective roller assemblies


39


and


50


, and the chuck support stand


63


is lowered and the multiple material cross beams


27


are held in their respective beam fittings


29


. The shot pins


36


are retracted from the guideposts


30


as seen in broken lines in

FIG. 7

of the drawings. This allows the lift tables to be selectively raised and lowered to maintain log engagement with the cutting head


75


which is in turn adjustable in multiple horizontal and angular defined planes as set forth hereinbefore.




Referring now to

FIGS. 19 and 22

of the drawings, the cutting head


75


can be seen to be engaging the log L with multiple cutting blades spinning at high speed while being moved longitudinally along the overhead support channels


73


. The cutting head


75


can be repositioned in multiple vertical and horizontal planes as hereinbefore described so as to follow the varying contours of the log L removing longitudinal strips of bark indicated at


120


in

FIG. 19

of the drawings. As noted, the log L can be raised and lowered by the lift tables


12


and


13


to maintain contact with the cutting head


75


and be incrementally rotated by the activation of the chuck assembly


51


or power rollers


39


to reposition a new section of the log L to be stripped by the cutting head


75


.




The operator, not shown, can control both the position of the log L vertically and rotatably and the cutting head


75


from multiple controls


121


and


122


positioned on the cutting blade housing and on oppositely disposed extending handles


123


that extend outwardly from the housing


76


on support arms


124


, a safety screen


124


A and flexible flap


125


extend between the support arms


124


.




The log-peeling machine


10


can accommodate a variety of log sizes, both in diameter and length. The log engagement rollers


29


and


50


, as described, can be adjusted in both longitudinal spaced relation to one another within each assembly to accommodate larger or smaller diameter logs as illustrated generally in solid and broken lines in

FIG. 5

of the drawings.




The length of the log L and longitudinal bow LB, if any, can be generally accommodated by the relative positioning of the roller assemblies


29


and


50


on the respective lift tables


12


and


13


and their associated orientation therewith as graphically illustrated in

FIGS. 26 and 27

of the drawings.




In

FIG. 26

of the drawings, a top graphic illustration is shown in which the two lift tables


12


and


13


have a log L positioned thereon with a longitudinal bow LB along its length. This illustrates the nature of repositioning the respective roller assemblies and the fact that the machine will accommodate for a variety of angularly disposed log lengths within.





FIG. 27

illustrates a graphic side elevational view showing how the log can be rotated on its longitudinal axis even when having a certain degree of longitudinal bend LB therein as shown in both solid and broken lines.




Given that the log L can be rotated by the chuck assembly


51


and also by the power rollers


50


it will be advisable in some situations to unchuck the log L after the majority of bark has been removed and simply rotate the log L by the associated power rollers


50


and the finish the bark removal to the end of the logs.




Since there are two lift tables


12


and


13


and associated powered and non-powered roller assemblies


29


and


50


respectively associated with each table a second cutting head and chuck assembly, (not shown), may be added so that two independent log peeling operations can be undertaken simultaneously within the confines of the length of the tables relative to the length of the logs as will be evident to those skilled in the art.




A main control and power source panel (not shown) is positioned within the main base support frame adjacent in this example to the primary chuck assembly


51


. Power lines PL extend outwardly therefrom to the movable cutting head assembly


75


on a plurality of side guided clips


125


that extend from one of the guide channels as hereinbefore described.




It will be evident from the above description that by the nature of the orientation of the scissor lifts


18


and


19


at the respective end of each of the lift tables


12


and


13


that the tables can be lifted in tandem together at the same rate independently or alternately from end to end within a given range so that an angular inclination of each lift table can be imparted.




In the loading and unloading of a log for processing on the log peeling device


10


of the invention, multiple pairs of safety stakes, as noted, are used initially on one side of the respective lift tables


12


and


13


as the log L is loaded thereon and repositioned for engagement with the log chuck


51


, if required. The second set of stakes on the opposite side of the lift tables


12


and


13


are then inserted as a safety precaution to prevent the log L from rolling off the machine and onto the operator.




The log processing sequence then follows in which, as noted, the lift tables


12


and


13


are elevated so that the log is engaged by the respective powered and non-powered roller assemblies


39


and


50


lifting the log from the support beams


27


which are then engaged by the brackets on the lift tables and held in spaced relation to the log.




The shot pins


36


are then retracted from the plurality of oppositely disposed pairs of guide posts as hereinbefore described and the lift tables


12


and


13


can then be lowered and raised as required with respective material support beams


27


traveling at their lower most position freely within the guide slots


31


of the guide posts


30


allowing for the proper repositioning of the log L in relation to the overhead cutting head assembly


75


as it is moved longitudinally along the surface of the log as hereinbefore described.




It will thus be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.



Claims
  • 1. A log peeling apparatus comprising an elongated rigid base support frame, a lift table within said base support frame, multiple log engagement rollers on respective upstanding support brackets one of which is pivotally adjustable on said lift table, a log chuck at one end of said base support frame for engaging with and rotating a log about its longitudinal axis, said log chuck having a central plate within a support frame, multiple jaws on said central plate, a cutting head assembly having an arbor disk with a plurality of cutting blades extending therefrom within a housing for removing bark from the log in sequential longitudinal strips, said cutting blades adjustably positioned on a blade base support, a rotating plate overlying said blade secured to said base support, a cutting head support carriage having a U-shaped suspension bracket slidably positioned within overhead guide support channels extending from an overhead frame on said base support frame for moving the cutting head in longitudinal and transverse horizontal planes relative to said log, a plurality of log support means selectively positioned on said lift tables from a first non-log engagement position on said table to a second log engagement position in spaced relation to said lift tables, oppositely disposed beam engagement guide and support posts extending from said base support frame, slot pins in said beam engagement guides and said support posts registerable with respective beams when in said first non-log engagement position on said tables and in said second log engagement position in spaced relation to said tables, one of said log engagement rollers are rotatably driven.
  • 2. The log peeling apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said lift tables comprise, an elongated rectangular frame having scissor lift assemblies engageable within said lift tables and said base support frame.
  • 3. The log peeling apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said selective log supporting means on said lift tables comprises, a plurality of longitudinally spaced material engagement beams extending transversely there across, beam engagement brackets on said lift tables.
  • 4. The log peeling apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said central plate of said log chuck is rotated by motor means in communication therewith.
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3176734 Broadbent Apr 1965 A
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