Abstract
A debarking machine for removing the bark from a log includes a flail assembly having a flail shaft that is mounted for rotation about a flail shaft axis. A plurality of flail chains are provided, each of which has a fixed end that is attached to the flail shaft and a free end. The debarking machine is adapted to move a log to be debarked in a processing direction that is generally perpendicular to the flail shaft axis. A flail housing encloses a portion of the flail assembly and is configured and arranged to locate the flail shaft at any of a plurality of alternative vertical positions with respect to the log being moved in the processing direction.
Claims
1. A debarking machine for removing the bark from a log, said debarking machine including: (a) a flail assembly comprising: (i) a flail shaft that is mounted for rotation about a flail shaft axis; (ii) a plurality of flail chains, each of which has a fixed end that is attached to the flail shaft and a free end; (b) means for moving the log in a processing direction that is generally perpendicular to the flail shaft axis; (c) a flail housing that encloses a portion of the flail assembly, which flail housing: (i) is adapted to locate the flail shaft at any of a plurality of alternative vertical positions with respect to the log being moved in the processing direction; (ii) has a pivot end that is pivotally attached to the frame of the debarking machine and a free end; (d) wherein said debarking machine further includes a linear actuator that is mounted between the flail housing and the frame of the machine, said linear actuator being adapted to generate a linearly directed force that counterbalances at least a part of the weight of the flail housing; (e) wherein said debarking machine further includes a support stop that is adjustably mounted to the frame of the machine near the free end of the flail housing and adapted to prevent the free end of the flail housing from falling below a preselected vertical position with respect to the log being moved in the processing direction.
2. A debarking machine for removing the bark from a log, said debarking machine comprising: (a) a flail assembly comprising: (i) a flail shaft that is mounted for rotation about a flail shaft axis; (ii) a plurality of flail chains, each of which has a fixed end that is attached to the flail shaft and a free end; (b) means for moving the log in a processing direction that is generally perpendicular to the flail shaft axis; (c) a flail housing that encloses a portion of the flail assembly, said flail housing: (i) including a pair of flail housing sidewalls; (ii) having a pivot end that is pivotally attached to the frame of the debarking machine; (iii) having a free end; (d) a pair of mounting brackets, each of which is adapted to: (i) receive an end of the flail shaft; (ii) be attached to a flail housing sidewall opposite the other mounting bracket in a plurality of alternative vertical positions with respect to the log being moved in the processing direction; (e) a linear actuator that is mounted between the flail housing and the frame of the machine, said linear actuator being adapted to generate a linearly directed force that counterbalances at least a part of the weight of the flail housing; (f) a support stop that is adjustably mounted to the frame of the machine near the free end of the flail housing and adapted to prevent the free end of the flail housing from falling below any of a plurality of preselected alternative vertical positions with respect to the log being moved in the processing direction.
3. The debarking machine of claim 2 wherein the flail housing: (a) comprises a support structure for the flail assembly; (b) cooperates with the linear actuator and the support stop to locate the flail shaft at any of a plurality of preselected alternative vertical positions with respect to the log being moved in the processing direction without the support structure for the flail assembly making contact with the log being processed.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in section, of a combination debarking and log chipping machine that may be equipped with the flail assembly and support structure of the invention.
(2) FIG. 2 is a side view of the flail housing for one of the flail assemblies of the combination debarking and log chipping machine shown in FIG. 1, which illustrates two alternative vertical positions for the shaft of the flail assembly according to the invention.
(3) FIG. 3 is a side view of a portion of a flail housing and a flail assembly of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the operation of a flail assembly having chains of a first length that is mounted in an upper position in the flail housing in connection with the debarking of a log of a first size.
(4) FIG. 4 is a side view of a portion of a flail housing and a flail assembly of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the operation of a flail assembly having chains of a second length that is shorter than the first length, which flail assembly is mounted in the upper position in the flail housing, in connection with the debarking of a log of the first size.
(5) FIG. 5 is a side view of a portion of a flail housing and a flail assembly of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the operation of a flail assembly having chains of the first length that is mounted in the upper position in the flail housing in connection with the debarking of a log of a second size that has a smaller diameter than that shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
(6) FIG. 6 is a side view of a portion of a flail housing and a flail assembly of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the operation of a flail assembly having chains of the second length that is mounted in the upper position in the flail housing in connection with the debarking of a log of the second size.
(7) FIG. 7 is a side view of a portion of a flail housing and a flail assembly of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the operation of a flail assembly having chains of the second length that is mounted in a lower position in the flail housing in connection with the debarking of a log of the first size.
(8) FIG. 8 is a side view of a portion of a flail housing and a flail assembly of a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing the operation of a flail assembly with chains of the second length that is mounted in the lower position in the flail housing in connection with the debarking of a log of the second size.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
(9) As shown in FIG. 1, machine 10 is a combination debarking machine and log chipping machine that is adapted to process a log such as log 12. The log is carried through the machine in processing direction D.sub.1 by contact with a plurality of rotating feed rolls. Upper feed roll assemblies 14 and 16 are pivotally mounted on the frame 13 of the machine above the log and are adapted to rotate feed rolls 15 and 17 respectively in a clockwise direction (as shown in FIG. 1). Lower feed rolls 18 and 20 are mounted below the log and are adapted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction (as shown in FIG. 1). Upper feed roll 15 and lower feed roll 18 cooperate to move log 12 into contact with flail assemblies 21, 22 and 23. Each of the flail assemblies includes a shaft 24 to which are attached a plurality of flail chains 25. Each shaft 24 is driven by a motor or other known means so as to rotate about an axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the plane of the page of FIG. 1. Such axis of rotation is generally perpendicular to the processing direction and generally parallel to the surface on which machine 10 is placed for operation. Each flail chain has a fixed end 26 that is attached to a shaft and a free end 27. Each flail chain is of a length that defines an arc of rotation A.sub.R of the free end 27 of the flail chain 25. Rotation of the flail shafts causes the flail chains to flail the bark from the log. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the shaft of first upper flail assembly 21 rotates in a clockwise direction, while the shafts of lower flail assembly 22 and second upper flail assembly 23 rotate in a counterclockwise direction, when viewed from the perspective of FIG. 1. Upper flail assemblies 21 and 23 are rotatably mounted in flail housings 28 and 29 respectively, and the flail housings 28 and 29 are pivotally mounted to the frame of machine 10.
(10) Much of the bark that is removed by the flail assemblies falls into bark removal conveyor 30 for removal from the machine. Upper feed roll 17 helps to advance the flailed log into chipper disk 42, which rotates in a clockwise direction (as shown in FIG. 1) to reduce the log to chips that pass out of the machine through chute 44.
(11) FIG. 2 is a detailed view of upper flail assembly 23 showing sidewall 46 (which is not shown in FIG. 1) of flail housing 29. In this embodiment of the invention, shaft 24 of flail assembly 23 is mounted to the flail housing by a pair of mounting brackets, including mounting bracket 48 that is attached to sidewall 46 and an identical bracket (not shown) that is attached to a sidewall (also not shown, but a mirror image of sidewall 46) on the other side of flail housing 29 (from the perspective of FIG. 2). A plurality of fastener holes 50 are provided through sidewall 46 and adapted to be aligned with similarly spaced holes in mounting bracket 48 for placement of cooperating fasteners to locate mounting bracket 48 in an upper position (indicated by solid lines in FIG. 2, which corresponds to position S.sub.1 shown in FIGS. 3-6) or a lower position (indicated by dashed lines, which corresponds to position S.sub.2 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8) with respect to the sidewall of the flail housing. Similarly spaced holes are provided in the sidewall on the other side of flail housing 29 (from the perspective of FIG. 2) for similar placement of a mounting bracket for the opposite end of shaft 24 in an upper position corresponding to S.sub.1 or a lower position corresponding to S.sub.2. It is contemplated within the scope of the invention that suitable holes or other means may be provided to locate the mounting brackets (and thus, shaft 24) in more than two alternative vertical positions with respect to the log being moved in the processing direction through machine 10. In this embodiment of the invention, flail assembly 23 is adjustably mounted within flail housing 29 in such a manner that the vertical distance between shaft 24 of the flail assembly and the log being moved in the processing direction can be changed by moving the mounting brackets, including mounting bracket 48, between their alternative fixation positions. This embodiment of the invention thus contemplates providing for the shaft of a flail assembly to be located in a plurality of alternative vertical positions with respect to the sidewalls of the flail housing.
(12) The shaft for either an upper or a lower flail assembly may be adjustably mounted in a flail housing or a mounting assembly for a flail assembly that permits vertical positioning of the shaft at a plurality of alternative vertical positions, so that flail chains that are damaged or otherwise shortened may continue to be used, or if for other reasons it is desirable to adjust the vertical location of the shaft of the flail assembly. This allows the operator of a debarking machine to position the shaft of the flail assembly in a suitable position that will allow for efficient debarking operation of logs of any suitable size, using flail chains of any suitable length, without running the risk that the flail chains will damage other components of the debarking machine. Furthermore, the invention provides a flail housing which comprises a support structure for the flail assembly and is adapted to locate the flail assembly in alternative vertical positions without requiring contact between any portion of the support structure for the flail assembly and the log being processed.
(13) In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flail housing has a pivot end which is pivotally mounted to the frame of the debarking machine and a free end. In this embodiment of the invention, a support stop that is attached to the frame of the debarking machine is provided to prevent the free end of the flail housing from falling or drifting below a predetermined vertical position as the flail assembly floats with respect to the log being processed, which position may be vertically adjusted depending on operating conditions. Thus, each of FIGS. 3-8 illustrates a portion of a flail assembly and flail housing for a debarking machine or a combination debarking and chipping machine that may be similar to machine 10, except that processing direction D.sub.2 shown in FIGS. 3-8 is oriented 180 from that of processing direction D.sub.1 of machine 10 shown in FIG. 1, and the flail housing is pivotally mounted so as to pivot about pivot axis P with respect to the frame of the machine.
(14) As shown in FIGS. 3-6, shaft 50 is mounted with respect to the frame of the machine in upper position S.sub.1. Similarly, shaft 50 in FIGS. 7 and 8 is mounted with respect to the frame in lower position S.sub.2. S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 are two of a plurality of alternative vertical positions that may be selected for locating shaft 50 with respect to the frame of the debarking machine. At both positions S.sub.1 and S.sub.2, shaft 50 is adapted for rotation about an axis that is perpendicular to the plane of the page on which the view is shown. Shaft 50 is also located in flail housing 52 that is attached to the machine frame so as to pivot about pivot axis P in FIGS. 3-8 under the influence of linear actuator 66. Support stop 54 is adjustably mounted to the machine housing near free end 56 of flail housing 52 to prevent the free end from falling below any of a plurality of preselected vertical positions, wherein said vertical position is determined by the size of the log being processed, the length of the flail chains in the flail assembly and the vertical location of the flail shaft in the flail housing, in order to prevent the flail chains from damaging other components of the machine.
(15) FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate embodiments of the invention for processing of log 58 of relatively large diameter with the flail shaft mounted at the upper position S.sub.1 in the flail housing, using flail chains of a first length (FIG. 3) and a second, shorter length (FIG. 4). FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate embodiments of the invention for processing of log 60 of relatively small diameter with the flail shaft mounted at the upper position S.sub.1 in the flail housing, using flail chains of the first length (FIG. 5) and the second length (FIG. 6). FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the invention for processing of log 70 of relatively large diameter with the flail shaft mounted at the lower position S.sub.2 in the flail housing, using flail chains of the second length, and FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the invention for processing of log 72 of relatively small diameter with the flail shaft mounted at the lower position S.sub.2 in the flail housing, using flail chains of the second length.
(16) As shown in FIG. 3, six flail chains 62 of a first length, each of which is comprised of ten chain links 64, are attached to shaft 50, which is mounted for rotation with respect to flail housing 52 and the frame of the machine at upper vertical position S.sub.1. Linear actuator 66 is mounted between flail housing 52 and the machine frame to generate a linearly directed force of a magnitude that counterbalances at least a portion of the weight of the flail housing. Since the log being processed is of a relatively large diameter, the flail shaft is mounted at upper position S.sub.1, and the flail chains 62 are of the first length, adjustable support stop 54 is located at an intermediate position in order to prevent the flail chains from damaging other components of the machine as the flail assembly floats with respect to the surface of the log being processed.
(17) FIG. 4 illustrates a configuration of the flail assembly that may be employed when one or more chain links on the free end of one or more flail chains are damaged, broken or lost in operation of the flail assembly, or if it is desirable for another reason to replace flail chains 62 with shorter flail chains. As shown therein, six flail chains 68 of a second length which is less than the first length of flail chains 62, are attached to shaft 50, which is mounted for rotation with respect to the flail housing and the frame of the machine at upper vertical position S.sub.1. Each of flail chains 68 is comprised of eight chain links 64. Linear actuator 66, mounted between flail housing 52 and the machine frame, generates a linearly directed force of a magnitude that counterbalances at least a portion of the weight of the flail housing. Since the log being processed is of a relatively large diameter, the flail shaft is mounted at upper position S.sub.1, and the flail chains 68 are of the second length, adjustable support stop 54 is located at a lower position in order to prevent the flail chains from damaging other components of the machine as the flail assembly floats with respect to the surface of the log being processed.
(18) As shown in FIG. 5, six flail chains 62 of the first length, each of which is comprised of ten chain links 64, are attached to shaft 50, which is mounted for rotation with respect to the housing and the frame of the debarking machine at upper vertical position S.sub.1. Linear actuator 66 is mounted between flail housing 52 and the machine frame. In this embodiment of the invention, linear actuator 66 generates a linearly directed force of a magnitude that counterbalances at least a portion of the weight of the flail housing. Since the log being processed is of a relatively small diameter, the flail shaft is mounted at upper position S.sub.1, and the flail chains 62 are of the first length, adjustable support stop 54 is located at an intermediate position in order to prevent the flail chains from damaging other components of the machine as the flail assembly floats with respect to the surface of the log being processed.
(19) FIG. 6 illustrates a configuration of the flail assembly for use in connection with a log of smaller relative diameter when one or more chain links on the free end of one or more flail chains are damaged, broken or lost in operation of the flail assembly, or if it is desirable for another reason to replace flail chains 62 with shorter flail chains. As shown therein, six flail chains 68 of the second length which is less than the first length of flail chains 62, are attached to shaft 50, which is mounted for rotation with respect to the flail housing and the frame of the machine at upper vertical position S.sub.1. Each of flail chains 68 is comprised of eight chain links 64. Linear actuator 66, mounted between flail housing 52 and the machine frame, generates a linearly directed force of a magnitude that counterbalances at least a portion of the weight of the flail housing. Since the log being processed is of a relatively small diameter, the flail shaft is mounted at upper position S.sub.1, and the flail chains 68 are of the second length, adjustable support stop 54 is located at a lower position in order to prevent the flail chains from damaging other components of the machine as the flail assembly floats with respect to the surface of the log being processed.
(20) FIG. 7 illustrates a configuration of the flail assembly in which six flail chains 68 of the second length, each of which is comprised of eight chain links 64, are attached to shaft 50, which is mounted for rotation with respect to the housing at lower vertical position S.sub.2. Linear actuator 66 is mounted between flail housing 52 and the machine frame to generate a linearly directed force that counterbalances at least a portion of the weight of the flail housing. Since the log being processed is of a relatively large diameter, the flail shaft is mounted at lower position S.sub.2, and the flail chains 68 are of the second length, adjustable support stop 54 is located at a lower position in order to prevent the flail chains from damaging other components of the machine as the flail assembly floats with respect to the surface of the log being processed.
(21) FIG. 8 illustrates a configuration of the flail assembly for use in connection with a log of smaller relative diameter. As shown therein, six flail chains 68, each of which is comprised of eight chain links 64, are attached to shaft 50, with is mounted for rotation with respect to the flail housing and the frame of the debarking machine at lower vertical position S.sub.2. Linear actuator 66, mounted between flail housing 52 and the machine frame, generates a linearly directed force that counterbalances at least a part of the weight of the flail housing. Since the log being processed is of a relatively small diameter, the flail shaft is mounted at lower position S.sub.2, and the flail chains 68 are of the second length, adjustable support stop 54 is located at a lower position in order to prevent the flail chains from damaging other components of the machine as the flail assembly floats with respect to the surface of the log being processed.
(22) The configuration of components shown in the drawings may also be employed with flail chains having lengths that are different from the first and second lengths described herein. Various flail assembly mounting configurations and/or the use of flail chains of different lengths may be employed to change the vertical location of the shaft of a flail assembly so that when the damaged chain links on the flail chains are removed, or shorter flail chains are substituted, the shortened free ends of the flail chains will extend as far or nearly as far as the free ends of the original (or undamaged) flail chains, or otherwise as far as is desired.
(23) Although this description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of the presently preferred embodiments thereof, as well as the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the invention. The invention, as described and claimed herein, is susceptible to various modifications and adaptations, as would be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention relates.
