Patent Grant
10112316
Composite wood products, such as oriented strand board (OSB), oriented strand lumber (OSL), or laminated strand lumber (LSL), among others, are formed using wood strands that are bonded together.
The composite wood product forming process generally involves stranding or flaking a log into wood strands of a particular size or shape, treating the wood strands (e.g., drying the strands or mixing the strands with an adhesive or resin), aligning or otherwise distributing the wood strands to form a layered mat of strands, and pressing the mat under heat and pressure, in the presence of moisture, for a particular period of time.
Many variables contribute to differences among composite, strand-based wood products. Some variables include the type of wood used for the strands, the size or shape of the strands, the uniformity or density of the composite products, or the bonding process used to form the composite products.
Some composite, strand-based wood products are defined by ASTM International standards. For example, under ASTM D5456-11a, LSL is comprised of wood strands having a least dimension of 0.10 inches (2.54 mm) or less, and an average length that is a minimum of 150 times that least dimension. Under ASTM D5456-11a, OSL is comprised of wood strands having a least dimension of 0.10 inches (2.54 mm) or less, and an average length that is a minimum of 75 times that least dimension. In other words, LSL is generally comprised of strands having a length-to-thickness ratio of about 150:1, and OSL is generally comprised of strands having a length-to-thickness ratio of about 75:1. LSL and OSL can be used for applications such as studs or millwork components, among others.
The properties of a formed, strand-based wood product can depend on the above-mentioned variables, among others. For example, a formed product's modulus of elasticity (a measure of material stiffness or rigidity) or modulus of rupture (a measure of bending a material can withstand without breaking) can be a function of strand length and stand alignment, among other variables. In some products, a higher modulus of elasticity can correspond to longer strands that are better aligned than in a product using similar length strands that are more poorly or irregularly aligned.
Various systems can be used to orient wood strands. These systems are generally optimized to align strands in a common direction, to uniformly distribute strands across a mat area of the system, and to operate at an economical throughput.
Some orienter systems use rotating disks, mounted on multiple shafts, disposed under a supply of wood strands. Strands fall from the supply onto the disks while the disks are rotating, and the strands become aligned as they descend between the disks. The aligned strands form a mat below the disks, such as on a moving conveyor. Barnes, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,460, entitled “Short Strand Orienter,” describes an orienter with multiple decks of rotating disks, and the multiple decks have different inter-disk spacings. For example, an inter-disk spacing on an upper deck of disks can be wider than an inter-disk spacing on a lower deck of disks. Similarly, Knudson, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,256, entitled “System for Improving Wood Strand Orientation in a Wood Strand Orienter using Rotating Orienting Fingers,” describes an orienter with “pre-orienting” shafts positioned above orienter discs.
Other orienter systems use vanes, or parallel plates, disposed under a supply of wood strands. Strands fall from the supply onto the plates and become aligned as they descend between the plates. Etzold, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,201, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Orienting Wood Strands into Parallelism,” describes adjacent plates that reciprocate in opposite directions relative to each other to encourage strands into a common orientation.
Barnes et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,236, entitled “Vane Orienter with Wipers,” describes partition walls that define passages, and wipers disposed in the passages to wipe strands that may otherwise plug the orienter.
The present inventors have recognized, among other things, that a problem to be solved can include improving orienter system throughput in the alignment of short strands while maintaining or improving strand alignment and producing a mat having substantially uniform density. The present subject matter can provide a solution to this problem, such as by using an apparatus having multiple rotating discs, or agitation members, and a stationary vane set. The multiple agitation members can be axially-spaced along multiple rotatable shafts, and the shafts can be disposed above or coincident with a top edge of the stationary vane set. The vane set can have multiple partitions, and spacing between adjacent partitions can be greater on a lower, mat-side of the vane set than on an upper, rotatable shaft-side of the vane set. In an example, the apparatus can be used to produce either OSB or OSL, such as without modification of any feature of the apparatus.
The present inventors have recognized, among other things, that a problem to be solved can include manufacturing an engineered wood product having properties similar to LSL using shorter wood strands than are typically used for LSL products. The present subject matter can help provide a solution to this problem, such as by achieving better alignment and more uniform distribution of shorter strands (e.g., corresponding to more uniform density) than can be achieved by other means. The present subject matter can include a system for orienting strands (e.g., wood strands), including multiple rotatable shafts that extend perpendicular to a travel direction of a mat of aligned strands. Each shaft can include axially spaced agitation members that extend radially away from the shaft, such as in a direction parallel to the travel direction. A vane set can be positioned vertically below the shafts or below a portion of the agitation members. The vane set can include multiple partitions that define inter-partition spacings that are substantially parallel to the travel direction. In an example, an inter-partition spacing of the vane set can be greater along a bottom portion of adjacent partitions than along a top portion of the same adjacent partitions. In an example, an upper edge thickness of a partition can be greater than a lower edge thickness of the same partition.
This overview is intended to provide an overview of subject matter of the present patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the invention. The detailed description is included to provide further information about the present patent application.
In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed in the present document.
In an example, the infeed portion 310 can include a metering bin 311. The metering bin 311 can hold bulk, unaligned wood strands, and the metering bin 311 can be configured to supply unaligned wood strands to the downstream aligner portion 320. The infeed portion 310 can include a chute 312, coupled to the metering bin 311, configured to direct unaligned strands toward a distribution roll 313. The distribution roll 313 can be configured to receive unaligned strands via the chute 312, and uniformly meter and distribute the unaligned strands into the aligner portion 320. The distribution roll 313 can include a shaft with multiple, radially-extending members disposed substantially along the length of the shaft of the distribution roll 313. The distribution roll 313 can be operated at various rates, such as to achieve various degrees of dispersion of wood strands across a width and length of the infeed portion 310 and the aligner portion 320. In some examples, multiple distribution rolls 313 can be used.
In an example, the aligner portion 320 can include an agitation member portion 326 and a vane set 325. The agitation member portion 326 can be configured to agitate or distribute strands received from the infeed portion 310. The vane set 325 can be configured to align the strands and guide the strands down toward the mat. The agitation member portion 326 can include multiple agitation roll assemblies 321A, 321B, . . . 321G. Although the example of
The multiple agitation roll assemblies 321A, 321B, . . . 321G, can have respective rotatable shafts 323A, 323B, . . . 323G, that can be oriented parallel to one another. Each of the rotatable shafts 323A, 323B, . . . 323G, can be spaced apart in a plane (e.g., in a plane perpendicular to the page in the side view of
An agitation roll assembly (e.g., any of the agitation roll assemblies 321A, 321B, . . . 321G) can include axially-spaced agitation members disposed along a portion of a length of the assembly. The agitation members can extend radially away from the shafts of their respective agitation roll assemblies. In an example, the first agitation roll assembly 321A can include at least a first agitation member 3001 axially spaced along the shaft 323A from a second agitation member (not shown in
In an example, an axial spacing between adjacent agitation members of an agitation roll assembly (e.g., between the first agitation member 3001 and the second agitation member of the first agitation roll assembly 321A) can be greater than a width W of the strand 102. In an example, a spacing between adjacent ones of the parallel rotatable shafts 323A, 323B, etc. can be greater than a length L of the strand 102.
Referring now to the vane set 325, the vane set 325 can include multiple spaced apart, parallel, and substantially vertical partitions. The partitions can define inter-partition chutes, or spaced openings, that can be configured to be wider than a width W of a strand to be processed by the vane set 325. In an example, the partitions can extend substantially along a length of the orienter system 300. For example, a first partition 325A is a substantially flat partition plate that extends along a length of the orienter system 300. Other views of the multiple partitions and chutes are presented in subsequent figures, such as in
Referring now to a portion of the orienter system 300 where the agitation member portion 326 meets the vane set 325, at least a portion of the agitation member portion 326 can be disposed substantially vertically above the vane set 325. In an example, one or more agitation members in the agitation member portion 326 can be substantially aligned with at least one inter-partition chute of the vane set. In an example, at least a portion of an agitation member can intermittently or continuously extend into an inter-partition chute, such as during operation of the orienter system 300.
Referring now to the receiving portion 330 of the orienter system 300, the receiving portion 330 can include a mat 350 of substantially aligned strands. The mat 350 can be formed atop a moving conveyor 335. In an example, a travel direction of the conveyor 335 and mat 350 is indicated by the arrow 360. In an example, the travel direction indicates a machine direction of the orienter system 300. That is, the machine direction illustrates generally a flow of the strands from the metering bin 311, through the aligner portion 320, to the mat 350, and toward other downstream processes (e.g., heating and/or pressing to form a composite product).
A spacer element can be disposed between adjacent partitions, such as to provide or maintain a specified distance between adjacent partitions. For example, a first spacer 411 can be disposed between the first partition 401 and the adjacent second partition 402, a second spacer 412 can be disposed between the second partition 402 and the adjacent third partition 403, and so on. Spacer elements can be disposed at one or more locations along the vane set 325. In the example of
As shown in the example of
In an example, the multiple agitation members corresponding to a particular one of the agitation roll assemblies can be aligned with and/or disposed in different chutes in the vane set 325. For example, with respect to the first agitation roll assembly 321A, the first agitation member 3001 can be disposed between the first and second partitions 401 and 402, a second agitation member 3002 can be disposed between third and fourth partitions 403 and 404, a third agitation member 3003 can be disposed between fifth and sixth partitions 405 and 406, and so on. In this manner, adjacent agitation members of a particular agitation roll assembly can correspond to about every other chute along the length of the assembly's shaft.
In an example, at least one of the agitation roll assemblies can include an alignment feature configured to align one or more agitation roll assemblies with the vane set 325. In the example of
In the example of
In the example of
In the example of
Other configurations can be used as well. For example, two or more of the agitation roll assemblies can be disposed at different heights above the upper edge 3251 of the vane set 325. In an example, the agitation roll assemblies can be disposed along a common slope, such as corresponding to or opposing the machine direction of the orienter system 300. That is, an agitation roll assembly disposed near the rear of the orienter system 300 (e.g., near the metering bin 311) can be disposed a first height above the vane set 325, and an agitation roll assembly disposed near the front of the orienter system 300 can be disposed a second greater or lesser height above the vane set 325. Alternatively, or additionally, one or more of the partitions of the vane set 325 can have different vertical heights.
In an example, the distance from a bottom edge of the vane set 325 to a receiving surface of the moving conveyor 335 can be adjustable. This distance can be a critical variable in improving the alignment of strands processed by the orienter system 300. Two or more partitions of the vane set 325 can have bottom edges that are differently spaced from the receiving surface of the moving conveyor 335. In some examples, one or more partitions of the vane set 325 can have bottom edges that are sloped along the machine direction of the orienter system 300. For example, a slope of the one or more partitions of the vane set 325 can correspond to increasing mat height below the vane set 325.
In an example, each pair of commonly-aligned agitation members along a particular agitation roll assembly can be spaced apart approximately equally. For example, the spacing between the first and third agitation members 3001 and 3003 of the first agitation roll assembly 321A can be about the same as the spacing between the third and fifth agitation members 3003 and 3005 (distance D5), which can be about the same as the spacing between the fifth and seventh agitation members 3005 and 3007, and so on. In an example, commonly-aligned agitation members along other agitation roll assemblies can be similarly spaced. For example, the spacing between the second and fourth agitation members 3102 and 3104 of the second agitation roll assembly 321B can be about the same as the spacing between the sixth and eighth agitation members 3106 and 3108 (distance D6). In some examples, commonly-aligned agitation members of different agitation roll assemblies can be similarly spaced. For example, the distances D5 and D6 can be about the same.
In the example of
Various agitation member spacers and vane spacers can be disposed along a shaft of an agitation roll assembly.
The example of
The example of
In an example, the roll assembly-end vane spacer 730 can be used to maintain alignment of the agitation roll assembly 721A while improving the rigidity and stability of the first partition 701. In an example, the roll assembly-end vane spacer 730 can be configured to matingly engage with a partition cutout, such as the cutout 4021A in the example of
Referring again to
or other feature can be used to secure an agitation member spacer to an agitation roll assembly shaft.
In an example, an agitation member spacer or a roll assembly-end vane spacer can include one or more picks. A pick can be an agitation feature that protrudes from or extends away from the spacer. In an example, the first agitation member spacer 731 can include a pick 741. When the orienter system 300 is in use, the pick 741 can prevent strands from nesting between agitation members on the agitation member spacers. In some examples, the length of the pick 741 can be approximately the same as the shortest distance between an agitation member edge and the agitation roll assembly shaft. A pick can be made from a rigid material (e.g., metal, wood, etc.) or from a flexible material (e.g., rubber, silicone, etc.).
In an example, an agitation member spacer can include multiple picks, such as shown in the examples of the second agitation member spacer 732 and the third agitation member spacer 733. The second agitation member spacer 732 includes two picks 751 and 752 that extend away from the second agitation member spacer 732, such as in opposite directions. The third agitation member spacer 733 includes several sets of picks (e.g., picks 761, 762, and 763 disposed between the sixth partition 706 and the third agitation member 7013; picks 764, 765, and 766 disposed between the sixth and seventh partitions 706 and 707; and picks 767, 768, and 769 disposed between the seventh partition 707 and the fourth agitation member 7014). The sets of picks can be variously distributed about the third agitation member spacer 733, such as 120 degrees apart. More or fewer picks can be used.
The example of
The example of
In an example, a half-width picker spacer can be disposed on an agitation roll shaft adjacent an agitation member, such as between the agitation member and an adjacent vane partition. In the example of
In an example, the first half-width picker spacer 770 can be used to maintain alignment of the agitation roll assembly 721B while improving or maintaining the rigidity and stability of the second partition 702. For example, as shown in
As shown, the multi-spacer 780 includes a first spacer portion 7051, a second spacer portion 7052, a third spacer portion 7053, a fourth spacer portion 7054, and a fifth spacer portion 7055. The first, third, and fifth spacer portions 7051, 7053, and 7055 can be substantially similar, such as having substantially the same outer diameter, and defining grooves between the first and third spacer portions 7051 and 7053, and between the third and fifth spacer portions 7053 and 7055. The depth of the grooves is determined by the outer diameter of the interposing second and fourth spacer portions 7052 and 7054, respectively. In this manner, multi-spacer 780 can be aligned with the fourth partition 704 using the groove corresponding to the second spacer portion 7052, and can be aligned with the fifth partition 705 using the groove corresponding to the fourth spacer portion 7054. The multi-spacer 780 can have a through-hole along its axis having an inner diameter that is slightly larger than an outer diameter of the shaft 723B such that the spacer can be disposed on the shaft 723B. A set screw or other feature can be used to secure the spacer to the shaft. In an example, the multi-spacer 780 can include one or more picks that can be configured to extend in various directions away from an axis of the spacer. The example of
Various agitation member configurations can be used.
The present inventors have recognized, among other things, that a variable affecting strand orientation and distribution in an orienter system using agitation members can be agitation member surface area. For example, adjacent agitation members with greater surface area can provide a longer guide channel for falling strands than is provided by agitation members with lesser surface area. Thus, agitation members with greater surface area can provide better alignment in some examples. The present inventors have further recognized that another variable can include an amount of strand agitation, or turbulence, provided by the agitation members. In some examples, agitation members that provide more agitation of the strands can produce a mat that has improved uniformity, such as in terms of strand distribution or density. In an example, an agitation member having a substantially square shape (see, e.g.,
Some agitation members can have additional features to further agitate strands and/or to prevent strands from plugging or stacking in the orienter system 300.
As described above in the discussion of
The example 1100 illustrates generally how adjacent agitation members on a shaft can be oriented in a staggered or alternating fashion. The example 1100 includes agitation members 11001, 11002, 11003, and 11004, disposed along a length of an agitation roll shaft 1123. In this example, the agitation members 11001, 11002, 11003, and 11004, correspond to the shape of the agitation member 810 illustrated in
In the example of
In an example, central axes of the inter-partition chutes (e.g., vertical axes centered within the chutes) can be substantially equally spaced apart and parallel. In some examples, the inter-partition chutes can have sidewalls that are substantially parallel and vertical along their heights. In some example, inter-partition chutes can have sidewalls that are not parallel along their heights. For example, some inter-partition chutes can be wider or narrower at a top edge of the chutes than at a corresponding bottom edge. For example, the second inter-partition chute 1112 can have a width D12A at its top edge and a width D12B at its bottom edge. In an example, the width D12A can be less than the width D12B such that the second inter-partition chute can be substantially funnel shaped, such as having a wider opening at the bottom of the chute than at the top of the chute. In an example, the width D12A can be greater than the width D12B such that the second inter-partition chute can be substantially funnel shaped, such as with a narrower opening at the bottom of the chute than at the top of the chute. In some examples, all of the inter-partition chutes can be similarly sized and shaped. That is, each of the inter-partition chutes (e.g., each of inter-partition chutes 1111, 1112, 1113, and 1114) can be similarly funnel shaped. In some examples, some of the inter-partition chutes can be substantially funnel shaped with a wider opening near the top edge of the chutes, and some of the inter-partition chutes can be substantially funnel shaped with a wider opening near the bottom edge of the chutes. In the example of
In an example, the vane set 325 can include partitions that are fixed, or stationary, relative to the agitation member portion 326. In an example, the vane set 325 can include one or more partitions that are movable relative to the agitation member portion 326. For example, the first partition 1101 can be movable, such as parallel and/or orthogonal to a machine direction. In an example, alternating ones of the partitions of the vane set 325 can be movable relative to the agitation member portion 326.
In the example of
The example partition wall cross sections illustrated in
In the example 901 of
The body portion 920 of the example partition cross sections can be tapered substantially along the length of the body portion 920 (see, e.g., first and fourth examples 901 and 904), or along only a portion of the length of the body portion 920 (see, e.g., second and third examples 902 and 903). In the second and third examples 902 and 903, the body portions 920 can include tapered portions and non-tapered, or substantially parallel, portions.
The lower edge portions 930 of the partition cross sections can be substantially pointed or otherwise terminated. For example, the first, second, and fourth examples 901, 902, and 904, include lower edge portions 930 that are substantially pointed, such that the lower edge portion 930 is narrower than the upper edge portion 910. That is, the width D9A of an upper portion of a partition is greater than the width D9B of a lower portion of the partition. In the third example 903, the lower edge portion 930 is non-pointed, and the lower edge portion 930 is narrower than the upper edge portion 910. Various other combinations or shapes of the upper edge portion 910, body portion 920, and lower edge portion 930, can be used as well.
Various methods can be used to form a composite product using an orienter system, such as the orienter system 300 of
At 1410, elongate strands can be dispersed into an orienter system, such as using the infeed portion 310 of the orienter system 300 illustrated in
At 1420, the elongate strands dispersed into the orienter system (e.g., at 1410) can be agitated. The strands can be passively agitated, such as by falling from the distribution roll 313 toward the receiving portion 330. The strands can be actively agitated, such as using one or more agitation members in the agitation member portion 326, and/or using the vane set 325. At 1430, the elongate strands can be oriented. For example, the agitation of the strands, at 1420, can encourage the strands to commonly align, or orient, at 1430, such as by passing strands between agitation members in the agitation member portion 326 or between parallel partitions in the vane set 325. In an example, the agitation members in the agitation member portion 326 can be configured to rotate to actively encourage strands to fall between adjacent agitation members and/or between vane chutes below the agitation members. Various example configurations of the agitation member portion 326 and the vane set 325 are described above in the discussion of
At 1440, oriented or aligned elongate strands can be received. For example, the oriented strands can be received on the moving conveyor 335 to form a mat 350. The mat 350 can include multiple layers of strands. In some examples, the mat 350 includes layers of strands that are differently oriented. For example, a first layer of strands can be oriented in a direction of travel of the mat along the moving conveyor 335, and a second layer of strands atop the first layer can be oriented in a direction orthogonal to the direction of travel of the mat.
At 1450, a composite can be formed using the received strands. For example, where wood strands of a particular size are oriented using the orienter system 300, OSB or OSL can be formed at 1450 by heating and pressing a portion of the mat, such as to bond the strands together.
The example 1400 can be machine or computer-implemented, at least in part. For example, a control circuit can be provided to control one or more of the strand dispersion (e.g., at 1410), the strand agitation (e.g., at 1420), the strand orientation (e.g., at 1430), the strand receiving (e.g., at 1440), and the composite forming (e.g., at 1450). In an example, at 1410, the distribution roll 313 and/or the metering bin 311 can be controlled by a control signal issued by the control circuit, such as to control a rate at which the distribution roll 313 rotates. The control circuit can similarly be used to control one or more of the agitation roll assemblies or one or more agitation members disposed thereon, or to control a rate of the moving conveyor 335.
Example 1 can include subject matter such as a system for orienting elongate wood strands that can include or use a plurality of rotatable shafts that extend substantially perpendicular to a travel direction of a mat of the elongate wood strands, each rotatable shaft including axially spaced agitation members that extend radially away from the shaft, wherein the agitation members extend radially away from the shaft in a direction substantially parallel to the travel direction during at least a portion of the rotational travel of the shaft, and a vane set positioned vertically below a portion of at least one of the agitation members during at least a portion of the rotational travel of the shaft, and the vane set including substantially parallel partitions with openings therebetween. In Example 1, each partition of the vane set can have a length that is substantially parallel to the travel direction. In Example 1, at least one partition of the vane set can optionally have an upper edge thickness that is different than a lower edge thickness of the same partition.
Example 2 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 1, to optionally include a portion of at least one of the agitation members positioned vertically above the vane set during at least a portion of the rotational travel of the shaft.
Example 3 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 or 2 to optionally include each of the axially spaced agitation members aligned with a vane set opening.
Example 4 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 3, to optionally include each of the axially spaced agitation members on a first one of the plurality of rotatable shafts aligned with a different vane set opening.
Example 5 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 3, to optionally include an agitation member width, measured perpendicular to the travel direction, that is less than a width of its corresponding aligned vane set opening, also measured perpendicular to the travel direction, such that at least a portion of the agitation member can be disposed in the vane set opening.
Example 6 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 5 to optionally include the plurality of rotatable shafts to be coplanar with and spaced apart along the travel direction of the mat of the elongate wood strands.
Example 7 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 6, to optionally include a first shaft and a second shaft, wherein the axially spaced agitation members on the first shaft are offset from the axially spaced agitation members on the second shaft.
Example 8 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 7 to optionally include a first agitation member that extends radially away from the shaft in a first direction, and a second agitation member that extends radially away from the shaft in a different second direction.
Example 9 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 8 to optionally include a conveyor, operable in the travel direction, positioned vertically below the vane set.
Example 10 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 9 to optionally include substantially parallel partitions that are substantially evenly spaced along a length of the plurality of rotatable shafts.
Example 11 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 10 to optionally include a partition wherein the upper edge thickness of the partition is greater than about 3/16 inch and the lower edge thickness of the partition is less than about 3/16 inch.
Example 12 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 11 to optionally include each of the substantially planar partitions having an upper edge thickness that is greater than a corresponding lower edge thickness such that an opening width between opposing faces of adjacent partitions is greater along a bottom portion of the adjacent partitions than along a top portion of the same adjacent partitions.
Example 13 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 12 to optionally include a vane set with a partition having a rounded upper edge.
Example 14 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 13 to optionally include at least one agitation member that extends radially away from a shaft by a first distance, and wherein at least one of the substantially parallel partitions vertically extends a second distance that is greater than or equal to the first distance.
Example 15 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 14 to optionally include at least two agitation members that are differently sized or shaped.
Example 16 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1 through 15 to optionally include at least two agitation members that are substantially identically sized and shaped.
Example 17 can include or use subject matter such as a method that can include dispersing elongate strands about an infeed portion of an orienter, agitating the elongate strands using a mixing portion of the orienter, including passing the elongate strands through multiple substantially parallel agitation members axially disposed along a rotatable shaft, which is positioned vertically offset from the infeed portion of the orienter, and orienting the elongate strands, including passing the elongate strands through multiple elongate chutes arranged parallel to a travel direction of the orienter and vertically offset from the multiple agitation members, wherein passing the elongate strands through the multiple elongate chutes comprises passing the elongate strands through multiple elongate chutes that are narrower on an upper, agitation member-side than on a lower side.
Example 18 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 17, to optionally include receiving, on a movable conveyor, the elongate strands from the multiple elongate chutes, and producing an oriented strand wood product by bonding the received elongate strands using heat and pressure.
Example 19 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 17 or 18, to optionally include passing the elongate strands through agitation members axially disposed along multiple rotatable shafts, which are coplanar and positioned vertically above the multiple elongate chutes.
Example 20 can include, or can optionally be combined with the subject matter of Example 19, to optionally include using agitation members on a first rotatable shaft and agitation members on a second rotatable shaft, wherein the agitation members on the second rotatable shaft are offset from the agitation members on the first rotatable shaft.
Example 21 can include subject matter such as a wood strand orientation apparatus that can include or use an infeed portion configured to receive multiple wood strands and including a distribution roll, the distribution roll configured to disperse the wood strands across a width of the infeed portion, an aligner portion including multiple parallel rotatable shafts, which are spaced apart in a plane and have multiple axially-spaced agitation members, and a vane set including multiple spaced apart and substantially vertical partitions, which define inter-partition chutes having a narrower upper width than lower width, and a strand receiving portion including a conveyor, positioned vertically below the vane set, movable in a travel direction that is substantially parallel to a length of the partitions.
Each of the above non-limiting examples can stand on its own, or can be combined in various permutations or combinations with one or more of the other examples.
The above detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as “examples.” Such examples can include elements in addition to those shown or described. However, the present inventors also contemplate examples in which only those elements shown or described are provided. Moreover, the present inventors also contemplate examples using any combination or permutation of those elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof), or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown or described herein.
In this document, the terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one, independent of any other instances or usages of “at least one” or “one or more.” In this document, the term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, such that “A or B” includes “A but not B,” “B but not A,” and “A and B,” unless otherwise indicated. In this document, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.
Method examples described herein can be machine or computer-implemented at least in part. Some examples can include a computer-readable medium or machine-readable medium encoded with instructions operable to configure an electronic device to perform methods as described in the above examples. An implementation of such methods can include code, such as microcode, assembly language code, a higher-level language code, or the like. Such code can include computer readable instructions for performing various methods. The code may form portions of computer program products. Further, in an example, the code can be tangibly stored on one or more volatile, non-transitory, or non-volatile tangible computer-readable media, such as during execution or at other times. Examples of these tangible computer-readable media can include, but are not limited to, hard disks, removable magnetic disks, removable optical disks (e.g., compact disks and digital video disks), magnetic cassettes, memory cards or sticks, random access memories (RAMS), read only memories (ROMs), and the like.
The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. For example, the above-described examples (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. Other embodiments can be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.72(b), to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Also, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim. Rather, inventive subject matter may lie in less than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description as examples or embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that such embodiments can be combined with each other in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
This application is a U.S. National Stage Filing under 35 U.S.C. 371 from International Application PCT/CA2014/000025, filed on Jan. 17, 2014, and published as WO 2014/110663 on Jul. 24, 2014, and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/754,418, filed Jan. 18, 2013, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/CA2014/000025 | 1/17/2014 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2014/110663 | 7/24/2014 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150360387 A1 | Dec 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61754418 | Jan 2013 | US |
