Automatic transfer table for a woodworking machine

Abstract

The invention is an automatic, unmanned, powered, variable speed transfer table for a finger joint machine which receives a controlled supply of blocks from a lineal block feeder The slat chain is composed of two chain loops, connected at regular, equal intervals by slats. The slat chain pushes blocks over an even ending conveyor which aligns them to the inside of one of the chains and then over a moisture detecting system. Blocks containing unacceptable moisture fall through a gap in the working table while blocks with acceptable moisture are pushed by the slats over a door covering the gap and onto an outfeed table. The slats are synchronized to the lugs on the finger joint machine's lug chain and deposit correctly aligned and orientated blocks precisely on the lug chain. The slat chain then rotates upward and loops back over the working table and then down, under the infeed conveyor to re-emerge at the even ending conveyor. Inventor Stibbard; James S. Citizenship Canadian Address Box 2387, High Prairie, Alberta, Canada TOG 1E0 Telephone 780-523-3182 Email stibbard@telusplanet.net Assignee Stibbard; James S. (High Prairie, Alberta)

I claim:  
     
         1 . An automatic transfer table for a finger joint machine to receive blocks in coherent order and to align the said blocks against a fence, to detect the moisture content of the said blocks and to reject any said blocks having an unacceptable moisture content and to dispense the said blocks with acceptable moisture content to a woodworking machine at controlled, precise intervals throughout the said woodworking machine's operating speed range and comprising: 
 a powered slat chain comprised of two endless, same length, powered chains exactly spaced apart and connected by a plurality of slats located at regular, equal intervals on the said chains;    a slat chain head shaft assembly, comprising a rotatable shaft and a plurality of drive sprockets, bearings and a driven sprocket, which causes the said slat chain to move within the invention;    a plurality of slat chain idler assemblies, comprising shafts, idler sprockets and shaft collars, which support and guide the said slat chain within the invention;    a support structure, to which the said slat chain head shaft assembly and the said slat chain idler assemblies are attached, comprising an infeed end and an outfeed end and a plurality of columns, including height adjusting means located on the foot plates of the said columns, a working table attached to the said columns and an upper horizontal frame attached to the said columns;    an even ending conveyor, supported by the working table, which receives the said blocks from an independent supply conveyor and carries the said blocks towards one of the said spaced apart chains and which is located adjacent to the infeed end of the apparatus and lies transversely within the said lower horizontal frame and between the said spaced apart chains and which may be driven by an electric motor through a gearbox, sheave and belt means;    the said working table further comprised of a plate extending the width of the invention and from the said even ending conveyor to an outfeed plate and further comprising an unacceptable block moisture drop out gap;    a plurality of slat chain wear strips supporting the said slat chains and running longitudinally beneath the said spaced apart chains from the infeed end of the working table to the outfeed end of the said outfeed plate adjacent to the sides of the said working table;    one or more moisture detecting means, located adjacent to the outfeed side of the said even ending conveyor, which detect the moisture content of the said blocks;    a door, located on the outfeed side and adjacent to the said moisture detecting means, which closes the said unacceptable block moisture drop out gap thereby allowing the said slats to push the said blocks containing acceptable moisture across the said unacceptable block moisture drop out gap and onto the outfeed plate;    a slat sensing means, adjacent to and transversely in line with the said moisture detecting means, which enables the said moisture detecting means, if no slat is above the said moisture detecting means;    a pressure cylinder means, attached to the said door and the said working table, which is operated by a solenoid valve means and causes the said door to open and close;    a slat sensing means, located in the said working table, which is enabled by the said moisture detecting means and, if it detects a said slat, activates the said solenoid valve means, thereby causing the said pressure cylinder to operate and open the said door to allow said blocks containing unacceptable moisture to fall through;    a slat sensing means, located in the said working table, which is enabled by the former said slat sensing means and, if it detects a said slat, activates the said solenoid valve means, thereby causing the said pressure cylinder to operate and close the said door;    an over height sensing means, located adjacent to the outfeed side of the said door, which causes the said slat chain to stop, if it senses any object protruding above the said blocks;    the said outfeed plate comprising a plate, extending the width of the said working table and from the outfeed side of the said door to the outfeed end of the invention and adjusted, by the said height adjusting means, to lie superior to the said finger joint machine's lug chain or said finger joint machine's slat chain which permits the said slats to push the said blocks over and off the said outfeed plate onto the said finger joint machine's lug chain or said finger joint machine's slat chain;    a plurality of slots cut in the said outfeed plate, if a finger joint lug chain is employed by the said finger joint machine, to accommodate the passage of the said finger joint lug chain's lugs through the said outfeed plate;    a plurality of chain carriers, located on the said upper frame, which support the said slat chain;    a plurality of slat chain wear strips attached longitudinally to the upper face of the said chain carriers and supporting the said slat chain.