DEVICE FOR SORTING TRUNKS

Abstract

A device for sorting trunks (1), in particular logs, comprises a conveyor device (3), which has carriers (2), and ejectors (4), which are arranged along the conveyor device (3), for a controlled discharge from the conveyor device (3) into log magazines (5) according to signals from a superordinate controller (6). A common rotary drive (9) is connected with each set of at least two ejector pairs (8), which are drivingly connected together by means of an axle (7). The rotary drive (9) is a torque motor, the rotor (10) of which is rigidly connected directly to the axle (7) and the stator (11) of which is rotationally fixed relative to the conveyor device (3).

Claims

1. A device for sorting trunks, said device comprising a conveyor device having carriers and ejectors arranged along the conveyor device and providing a controlled discharge of the trunks from the conveyor device into log magazines responsive to signals from a superordinate controller; at least two pairs of the electors each being operatively associated with a common rotary drive, the pairs of ejectors being drive-connected to one another by an axle; wherein the rotary drive is a torque motor having a rotor that is directly rigidly connected to the axle and a stator that is supported in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the conveyor device; wherein the electors associated with the rotary drive are supported on the conveyor device; wherein the axle has two opposite ends, and the torque motor is fixedly connected to the conveyor device at one of the ends of the axle, and a bearing block is fixedly connected to the conveyor device at the other end of the axle; and wherein the rotor of the torque motor is flanged directly to a undiminished torsional cross-section of the axle on a drive side of said rotor; and wherein the rotor has a motor-side bearing supporting the rotor and the axle, said motor-side bearing having a journal bearing supported between a journal fixedly connected to the housing and a bearing receptacle on an inner circumference side of the rotor.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a rotation angle sensor measuring a rotation angle between the rotor and the stator is associated with the torque motor and determines a rotation position of the rotor.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein an interior of the housing of the torque motor is filled with an electrically insulating fluid providing lubrication and heat dissipation.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the housing has cooling fins cooling the torque motor.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor device comprises a horizontal I-beam with a connecting web connecting two belts and a conveyor chain carrying the carriers, and wherein the conveyor chain has a forward run and a return run of arranged above the rotary drive.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the forward run and return run of the conveyor chain are guided in a space spanned by the belts, and wherein the forward run is guided on one side of the connecting web in a forward run space and the return run is guided on the other side of the connecting web in a return run space.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein the forward run space is provided laterally of the conveyor chain with guide rails for profiles forming the carriers.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the return run space is closed off with a sliding guide for the carriers supported between the belts.

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. The device according to claim 2, wherein an interior of the housing of the torque motor is filled with an electrically insulating fluid providing lubrication and heat dissipation.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the housing has cooling fins cooling the torque motor.

13. The device according to claim 2, wherein the conveyor device comprises a horizontal I-beam with a connecting web connecting two belts and a conveyor chain-carrying the carriers, and wherein the conveyor chain has a forward run and a return run arranged above the rotary drive.

14. The device according to claim 3, wherein the conveyor device comprises a horizontal I-beam with a connecting web connecting two belts and a conveyor chain-carrying the carriers, and wherein the conveyor chain has a forward run and a return run arranged above the rotary drive.

15. The device according to claim 4, wherein the conveyor device comprises a horizontal I-beam with a connecting web connecting two belts and a conveyor chain-carrying the carriers, and wherein the conveyor chain has a forward run and a return run arranged above the rotary drive.

16. The device according to claim 5, wherein the conveyor device comprises a horizontal I-beam with a connecting web connecting two belts and a conveyor chain-carrying the carriers, and wherein the conveyor chain has a forward run and a return run arranged above the rotary drive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In the drawing, the subject matter of the invention is shown by way of example, wherein:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows an oblique view of a conveyor section of a device according to the invention,

[0022] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged part of the conveyor device from FIG. 1 in oblique view with the discharge guides removed,

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a device according to the invention in cross-section, and

[0024] FIG. 4 shows the device in longitudinal section according to line IV-IV from FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The device according to the invention for sorting trunks 1, in particular round logs, has, among other things, a conveyor device 3 having carriers 2 and ejectors 4 arranged along the conveyor device 3 for the targeted discharge of trunks 1 from the conveyor device 3 into log magazines 5. The discharge into the log magazines 5 takes place in dependence on signals of a superordinate controller 6, wherein a common rotary drive 9 belongs to each of at least two ejector pairs 8, which are drive-connected with one another by means of an axle 7.

[0026] The rotary drive 9 is a torque motor whose rotor 10 is rigidly connected directly to the axle 7 and whose stator 11 is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner with respect to the conveyor device 3. In particular, the rotor 10 is shrunk directly onto an axle stub of the axle 7 without play, i.e. rigidly and directly, and is mounted in a housing 13 which accommodates the stator 11. This eliminates all possible sources of inaccuracy and creates a highly dynamic and accurate system that meets the requirements of precise, repeatable discharge and enables high-speed sorting, while its simplicity also ensures a long service life and low maintenance coupled with trouble-free operation.

[0027] To determine the rotor position, the torque motor is equipped with a rotation angle sensor 12 which measures the angle of rotation between the rotor 10 and the stator 11. The interior of a housing 13 of the torque motor is filled with a fluid, in particular a transformer oil, for lubrication and temperature control. In addition, the housing 13 is equipped with cooling fins 14 for cooling.

[0028] To determine a trunk position on the conveyor device 3, at least one position sensor S indicated in the drawing is associated with the conveyor device 3, which is to be positioned at a suitable location. Usually, such a position sensor S, for example a light barrier, will be provided in the area of the beginning of the conveyor device in front of the discharge zones.

[0029] The conveyor device 3 comprises a horizontal I-beam 15 with a connecting web 17 connecting two belts 16 and a conveyor chain 18 carrying the carriers 2, wherein the forward run 19 and return run 20 of the conveyor chain 18 are arranged above the rotary drive 9.

[0030] The forward run 19 and the return run 20 of the conveyor chain 18 are guided in a space spanned by the belts 16, wherein the forward run 19 is guided on one side in a forward run space 21 and the return run 20 is guided on the other side of the connecting web 17 in a return run space 22. The forward run space 21 is equipped at the side of the conveyor chain 18 with guide rails for the profiles 23 forming the carriers 2. The guide rails are angle profiles attached at one end to a belt and at the other end to the web. The return run space 22 is closed off by a sliding guide 24 for the carriers 2 arranged between the belts 16. The sliding guide 24 is formed by a ridge-like sheet metal profile which is attached to the edges of the belts and projects into the return run space 22.

[0031] The ejectors 4 are mounted with the rotary drive 9 on the conveyor device 3, in the exemplary embodiment on the I-beam 15, wherein the torque motor is attached to the conveyor device 3 at one end of the axle 7 and a bearing block 25, in which the axle 7 is mounted, is attached at the other end of the axle 7. The torque motor and the axle 7 thus form an assembly which jointly absorbs transverse forces and is mounted at one end in the housing 13 and at the other end in the bearing block 25. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the rotor 10 of the torque motor is flanged directly to the undiminished torsional cross-section of the axle 7 on the drive side, so that there is no weakening of the rotary drive due to cross-section reduction in the drive train. The bearing arrangement on the motor side of the rotor 10 and thus of the axle 7 is provided by a journal bearing 26, which is arranged between a journal 27 fixed to the housing and a bearing receptacle 28 on the rotor inner circumference side of the rotor 10.

[0032] The trunks are measured by a log preparation system upstream of the device according to the invention, which is not shown in the drawing, and the log magazine 5 in which a trunk 1 is to be deposited is determined as a function of the measurement results. Thus, a discharge address is determined for each trunk.

[0033] In addition, the discharge time is calculated to an accuracy of 1/1000s depending on the conveying speed or path position of the trunks, thus ensuring functionally correct and repeatable discharge into the respective log magazine 5. The exact discharge is ensured by the ejector 4 and the rotary drive 9 of the invention, which executes an exact pivoting movement at the right time, with the right speed and the right size (approx. 45° pivoting movement) and is then shifted back to the zero position within a permitted time window.