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(11) | EP 1 354 678 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Separating mechanism in an apparatus for the gluing of wood blocks |
| (57) A separating mechanism in a gluing apparatus for the gluing of elongated wood blocks
(1), said gluing apparatus comprising an adhesive application unit for the application
of adhesive at least to one of the surfaces (1a, 1b) to be glued and a pressing mechanism
(11, 12) for pressing together the surfaces to be glued, and said separating mechanism
comprising a frame part and separating elements for keeping the wood blocks (1) clear
of each other before the pressing. The separating mechanism of the invention comprises
a vertical frame part (3) provided with supporters (4) functioning as separating elements,
arranged one above the other at least on one side of the frame part, on which supporters
the wood blocks can be arranged, and which frame part can be moved in vertical and
horizontal directions by an operating mechanism, and a stopper arrangement for stopping
the wood blocks (1) and arranging them so that the surfaces to be glued are set against
each other in order to be pressed together. |
[0001] The present invention relates to a separating mechanism as defined in the preamble of claim 1 in a gluing apparatus for the gluing of elongated wood blocks, said apparatus comprising a unit for the application of adhesive and a pressing mechanism for pressing the wood blocks together.
[0002] For example in gluing apparatus used in the manufacture of glued timber beams, adhesive is applied by means of glue application device to one of the two surfaces to be placed against each other, whereupon the pieces to be glued together are subjected to compression in a pressing device and held under compression until the adhesive has dried sufficiently. The drying times are relatively long, and due to the long drying times, relatively large pressing devices are needed.
[0003] Patent specification Fl 97959 discloses an apparatus for joining wood blocks, such as glued laminated beams and laminated logs, wherein adhesive is applied to one surface of the wood blocks and the wood blocks are moved in a horizontal plane and heated from the opposite side by means of an IR radiator placed above them, whereupon the wood blocks are stacked so that the glued surface and the heated surface of adjacent blocks are placed against each other and pressed together by a pressing device. Adhesive is applied only to the block forming the lower surface while the block forming the upper surface is only heated. The wood blocks between these are treated in both ways.
[0004] In the apparatus disclosed in the specification in question, planed blocks carried on a longitudinal conveyor through a glue application device are turned by means of a manipulator so that the glued surface faces downwards and then placed on a transverse conveyor, which supports it on nodules to avoid soiling the glue. The block is transferred transversely under the IR radiator, whereby the surface of the adhesive layer is heated to a desired temperature. After this, the block is turned and placed on a comb conveyor which supports it on combs functioning as separating elements, leaving an air gap between the blocks to prevent reaction of the adhesive. The blocks carried by the comb conveyor are set one upon the other and, when the stack thus formed has reach the desired size, it is moved to the pressing device either by means of manipulators one at a time or as a bundle.
[0005] The adhesive may also consist of a twin-component glue having a resin component and a hardening component, in which case the resin component and the hardening component are applied separately, the blocks being joined together in a pressing device by heating. In this case, the resin component is applied to one of the surfaces and the hardening component to the other, as described e.g. in published patent application Fl 57969.
[0006] The object of the present invention is to achieve a new type of separating mechanism that allows more efficient gluing together of wood blocks. The separating mechanism of the invention comprises a vertical frame part provided with supporters placed one above the other, upon which the wood blocks are arranged one above the other spaced from each other. In addition, the apparatus comprises a stopper arrangement, by means of which the wood blocks are stopped so that they will fall one upon the other before being glued together in a pressing device or before it, and an actuator, by means of which the frame part can be raised/lowered and moved into the pressing device.
[0007] In an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises a pusher, by means of which the wood blocks are pushed onto the supporters.
[0008] In another embodiment of the invention, the pusher and its stopping piece are provided with a projection and a notch corresponding to each other to allow shaped compregnated wood blocks to be produced.
[0009] The features of the separating mechanism of the invention are presented in detail in the claims below.
[0010] The solution of the invention provides many advantages. The separating mechanism makes it possible to reduce the joining time as the wood blocks can be placed one above the other on supporters and dropped onto one another relatively quickly. In addition, the apparatus is simple and occupies relatively little space due to its upright structure. If the stopping arrangement is disposed before the pressing device, the dimensions of the pressing device can be reduced because a complete bundle can be fed into the mouth of the pressing device.
[0011] In the following, the invention will be described in detail by the aid of an example with reference to the attached drawing, wherein
Fig. 1 presents a separating mechanism according to the invention,
Fig. 2 presents a second separating mechanism according to the invention,
Fig. 3 presents a third separating mechanism according to the invention, and
Fig. 4 presents an embodiment of the pusher and its stopping device, which makes it possible to produce shaped pieces.
[0012] The separating mechanism of the invention is used to produce e.g. laminated logs from laminae. The planed laminae 1 are conveyed on a longitudinal conveyor 2 into an IR radiation heater, where both joint surfaces 1a, 1b of the laminae are heated. After that, the laminae 1 are passed into a glue applicator, where adhesive is applied to one 1a of the joint surfaces. Next, the laminae are stacked and pressed together in a vertical pressing device to form a laminated log.
[0013] Before the pressing device, the laminae 1 are arranged in the separating mechanism, which maintains an air gap between the laminae 1 to prevent premature reaction of the adhesive.
[0014] The separating mechanism presented in Fig. 1 comprises a vertical main beam 3 and, arranged on one side of it, horizontal comb-like supporters placed one above the other, consisting of round bars 4 or equivalent placed at certain distances. The frame 3 can be raised/lowered and moved in a horizontal plane by means of its actuating mechanism.
[0015] The apparatus works as follows: Each lamina 1 brought by the longitudinal conveyor 2 to a position alongside the separating mechanism is pushed by means of pushers 5 disposed consecutively and provided with a pushing element 6 at their ends onto the supporter 4 currently located at the level of the longitudinal conveyor 2. Once a sufficient number of laminae have been thus loaded, the frame 3 with the supporters 4 is moved to a position next to a stopping device (not shown) comprised in the pressing device, which stops the laminae 1 while the frame part continues moving, thus causing the laminae to fall down one upon the other to be pressed together.
[0016] In the apparatus presented in Fig. 2, the conveyor 2 and the supporters 4 are aligned with each other. In this case, to move the laminae from the conveyor onto the supporters, the conveyor, which is disposed before the separating mechanism, pushes the lamina 1 onto the supporter 4 next to it, whereupon the supporters are raised so that the next lamina will be moved onto the next supporter below, and so on, until a sufficient number of laminae have been arranged on the supporters for the pressing operation.
[0017] The apparatus presented in Fig. 3h as supporters 4 arranged on either side of the frame part 3, in which case the separating mechanism can be used even with pressing devices comprising two pressing units placed side by side. In this case, the frame part is moved laterally (arrow) as necessary, depending on which one of the pressing units is being loaded with laminae.
[0018] Fig. 4 presents an embodiment in which the stopping devices consist of pushers 5 and their back stops 7. The pushers 5 have a vertical pushing bar 8. The back stop 7 is likewise a vertical bar. After the laminae 1 have been stacked one above the other on the supporters 4, the pushers 5 are moved between the bars to push the laminae 1 against the back stops 7, the wood blocks being thereby stopped between the pushers 5 and the back stops 7 while the frame part 3 is moved further past the pressing device. After that, the pressure between the pushers 5 and the back stops 7 is reduced, allowing the laminae 1 to fall down one upon the other to form a bundle 13 on a support 12, ready to be pressed by means of the top ram 10 of the pressing device.
[0019] The apparatus presented in Fig. 4 can also be used to create shaped products, such as thresholds or the like. In this case, the push bar 8 of the pusher 5 has a projection 9 at about the middle of it and similarly the back stop 7 has a corresponding notch 11 at the desired position, so that the bundle 13 piled on the support 12 has a staggering where one of the laminae 1 may be laid deeper than the others to produce a desired shape as illustrated in Fig. 4.
[0020] The bundles 13 may be piled onto the support 12 either in the pressing device or alternatively before the pressing device. If the bundles 13 are assembled before the pressing device, then the support 12 extends outside the pressing device as seen from the supply direction at least through a distance required by the length of the wood blocks.
1. Separating mechanism in a gluing apparatus for the gluing of elongated wood blocks
(1), said gluing apparatus comprising an adhesive application unit for the application
of adhesive at least to one of the surfaces (1a, 1b) to be glued and a pressing mechanism
(11, 12) for pressing together the surfaces to be glued, and
said separating mechanism comprising a frame part and separating elements for keeping the wood blocks (1) clear of each other before the pressing,
characterized in that the separating mechanism comprises:
said separating mechanism comprising a frame part and separating elements for keeping the wood blocks (1) clear of each other before the pressing,
characterized in that the separating mechanism comprises:
a vertical frame part (3) provided with supporters (4) functioning as separating elements, arranged one above the other at least on one side of the frame part, on which supporters the wood blocks can be arranged, and which frame part can be moved in vertical and horizontal directions by an operating mechanism, and
a stopper arrangement for stopping the wood blocks (1) and arranging them so that the surfaces to be glued are set against each other in order to be pressed together.
2. Separating mechanism according to claim 1 in a gluing apparatus provided with a conveyor
(2) for conveying the wood blocks, characterized in that the mechanism comprises a pusher system (5) for pushing wood blocks from the conveyor
onto the supporters.
3. Mechanism according to claim 1 provided with a conveyor (2) for conveying the wood
blocks, characterized in that the conveyor and the supporters are placed next to each other when wood blocks are
being arranged from the conveyor onto the supporters, allowing the wood blocks to
be transferred to the supporters by means of the conveyor.
4. Separating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that supporters (4) are arranged on either side of the frame part.
5. Separating mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the stopper arrangement, each pusher part (5) comprises a vertical bar-like pusher
element (8) and that a back stop (7) is provided in connection with each pusher, against
which back stop the pusher presses the wood blocks to stop them and to arrange them
so that the surfaces to be glued are set against each other.
6. Separating mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, to allow shaped products to be glued, the pusher part (8) has at least one projection/notch
(9) and its back stop at least one corresponding notch/projection (11).
7. Separating mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the separating mechanism comprises a planar support (12), on which the wood blocks
are arranged as a bundle (13) for the pressing operation.
8. Separating mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that the planar support (12) is fitted at least partly outside the pressing mechanism
as seen from the supply direction so that the wood blocks are arranged as a bundle
(13) for the pressing operation before the pressing mechanism.