Automated firewood cutting machine

Abstract

Automated firewood cutting machine. This machine allows for the continuous production of firewood. The machine consists of three parts: Receiving wood up to 1m in length; Continuously cutting the wood into logs 50cm or 33cm long; Log removal.

Description

Title of the invention: Automated firewood cutting machine

[0001] The present invention relates to a machine for cutting firewood to size. The invention relates to an automated machine intended to receive quarters, logs and to cut them into logs of common dimensions usable as fuel.

[0002] This machine is not portable, it is in a workshop for industrial production. This firewood is intended for fuel resellers or delivered to individuals.

[0003] The wood comes from the forest, cut to 1 meter in length in bulk or in bales of 1 stere for easy handling.

[0004] Most wood-burning boilers, stoves and fireplaces are designed to use standardized 50 centimeter logs with a tolerance of 25 millimeters on the length of the log or 33 centimeter long logs for small fireplaces.

[0005] In the current state of the art, circular saws or band saws with a horizontal work surface equipped with stops are normally used. These machines are relatively simple and therefore inexpensive. The operator cuts the pieces of wood one after the other. This operation is dangerous, tedious, painful and unprofitable.

[0006] Other machines are known where the pieces of wood advance one behind the other in the longitudinal direction. The wood is advanced intermittently until it reaches a stop. They are then held by pressers. There, a blade comes by a vertical translational movement, to cut the trunk or the log of wood. The blade then withdraws so that a new log takes the place of the old one. These machines are normally used for cutting relatively long and heavy pieces of wood. These are usually equipped with splitting heads. These machines are rather slow and have a limited hourly production.

[0007] This machine which cuts the quarters of wood into logs of 50 or 33 centimeters in length for heating according to the previous invention will now be described in detail with the diagrams and figures 1 to 8 attached. In addition, we will find numbers indicating the name of each part and their use. Also, other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description given by way of example and accompanied by the drawings to scale.

[0008] Figures 1 to 2 are to the same scale.

[0009] Figures 3, 4 and 5 are on the same scale.

[0010] Figures 6, 7 and 8 are to the same scale. - [Fig. 1] is a general view of the right side of the machine with wood. - [Fig.2] is a general view of the left side of the machine with wood. - [Fig.3] is a general view from the front. - [Fig.4] is a general view from the rear. - [Fig.5] is a sectional view of the axle bearing paths and their training. - [Fig.6] is a detailed view of the axis advancement system. Axes where the jacks are fixed which hold the wood during cutting. - [Fig.7] is a detailed view of the jacks that hold the timber in position back to school. - [Fig.8] is a detailed top view showing the axles with their wheels and the jack supports, all connected by articulated flanges.

[0011] A detailed explanation of how the machine works. The wood is placed by a crane or other lifting device on a motorized platform upstream of the machine. An operator regulates the advancement of the wood from the belt supplying the machine.

[0012] The log falls perpendicularly onto a frame (1) where 7 parallel and horizontal longitudinal chains (5) advance continuously so as to bring the logs into the cutting station.

[0013] The operator adjusts the machine according to the controls: 2 times 50 centimeters long (10A blade with 11 A motor) or 2 times 50 centimeters long with freeing blade (10C blade with 1 IC motor) to make precise cuts along the length of the logs (freeing blade which slides (40) horizontally to reach the desired dimension). The operator can also cut in 3 times 33 centimeters long (10B blade with 11B motor) mounted on a vertical slide.

[0014] The main blade (10A) with its motor (1 IA) operates continuously in all desired cuts.

[0015] The operator adjusts the logs according to a guide (2) so that the cut of the wood is perfectly sized in length. The 7 chains are guided longitudinally for a very straight advance.

[0016] The 7 chains are driven by toothed wheels (3) and motorized by a reduction motor with electronic variator (4). The operator regulates the motor to adapt the speed of advancement of the wood on the machine according to the supply of the motorized platform.

[0017] This motor (4) drives the 7 chains (5) using sprockets (6) and chains (7). Then, once the log is adjusted in length in front of the guide while moving forward, it moves towards the internal part of the machine. There, two parallel rows of telescopic cylinders (8) descend and hold the logs (9) on each side of the blade (10).

[0018] These cylinders are motorized and advance at the same speed as the 7 chains (5). The blades (10A-BC) are of a large diameter to be able to cut logs with a diameter of 28 centimeters. These blades are driven by three electric motors (11A-BC).

[0019] The jacks hold the wood during cutting. These jacks (8) are heavy and equipped, at their end, with a plate (12) with spikes (513) preventing any movement of the wood during sawing. The jacks (8) are very close to each other to make a real carpet in the sawing position (14). The motorized jacks are the main elements of my machine.

[0020] The jacks slide in a support (15) composed of 8 rollers (16) which manage the raising or lowering of the jacks. The supports (15), for their part, are mounted on axes (17) and articulated thanks to flanges (18) which secure the axes together.

[0021] The axles are guided horizontally by rollers (19) and laterally by two pairs of rollers (20). The axles (17) are provided at each of their ends with rollers (19) which roll in a U-shaped guide track (21). The rolling track (21) has an elliptical shape ([Fig.5]).

[0022] The advancement of the jack supports is done with the axes (17) driven by 2 parallel chains (25) mounted with pads (22) which fit into the axes (17). The two pad chains are motorized by an electronically variable reduction motor (24). It then drives the two rows of stabilizing jacks at the same speed as the 7 chains (5).

[0023] The jacks descend onto the wood, block it and move forward so that the wood is cut. Once the wood is cut into two 50cm pieces or three 33cm pieces, these pieces fall onto a discharge belt (33) to be stored or delivered.

[0024] The jacks enter the machine, the jacks are held in the closed position by two guides (26). One guide per each row of jacks. These guides hold the rods of the jacks up to the vertical of the first log (9). There, the rods are released above the wood. They then clamp and hold the log during cutting and then perform another rotary cycle.

[0025] The entire internal part of the machine is protected by casings (28), brushes (32 and 29). The lower part is equipped with three sawdust collection hoppers (30).

[0026] The machine comprises a set of brushes (29) for cleaning the cylinders throughout the movements of the cylinders during the cutting of the wood. A blade protection casing (28) is mounted with brushes (32) thus protecting the machine from dust and sawdust during cutting and a casing assembly (30) for collecting the sawdust and suctions (31). The logs, once cut in two or three, are evacuated using a motorized conveyor belt.

Claims

Claims

1. Automated machine for cutting wooden logs into pieces of 50cm or 33cm in length, comprising: - A motorized receiving station with 7 parallel and longitudinal chains driven by an electric motor, - A loading station characterized by a multitude of motorized stabilizing jacks which advance longitudinally at the same speed as the 7 chains, and which allow the wood to be held on each side of the blade during cutting, - Three circular blades (10A-BC) of large diameter for sawing the log and driven by three electric motors (11A-BC) Said machine allowing the following three types of cutting: - In the 1st case, the cutting is carried out transversely thanks to a circular blade (10A), dividing the wooden log into 2 pieces of 50cm in length. - In the second case, the cuts are made transversely using two circular blades (10A and 10C).Blade 10C makes a clearance cut and blade 10A divides the log into two 50cm long pieces. - In the 3rd case, the cuts are made transversely using two circular blades (10A and 10B). Blade 10B cuts a 33cm long log and blade 10A divides the remainder into two 33cm long pieces, the adjustment being provided such that the logs of wood arrive successively one after the other so as to ensure continuous cutting of the wood.

2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by a receiving station consisting of a platform on which the wood in quarters, bales or bulk is stored.

3. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by a drive track defined by 7 motorized (4) chains (5) mounted on a chassis (1), guided longitudinally with linear advancement.

4. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by three circular blades (10A-BC) of large diameter for sawing the log and driven by three electric motors (11A-BC). The motor 1 IC (freezing) is mounted on a slide (40) and its blade (10C) can move horizontally at the request of the operator to make a freeing cut if necessary. The motor 1 IB (motor for 33cm cuts) is mounted on a vertical slide (50) with its blade (10B) and can rise at the request of the operator to make cuts in 33cm length. The motor 10A and the blade 11A do not move.

5. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the jacks are telescopic with at their end, plates (12) where metal points (13) are welded.

6. Machine according to claim 5, characterized by two rows of jacks (8) arranged parallel to each other, motorized, stabilizing the wood and making it advance on each side of the blade.

7. Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that each group of jacks is mounted on two axes (17) with rollers (19) at their ends, connected together by articulated flanges (18). The whole rotating elliptically (Fig. 5).

8. Machine according to claim 6, characterized in that each group of stabilizing jacks is combined upstream with a guide (26) suitable for maintaining them in a high position until they are level with the wood (9 and 27). At this moment, the jacks descend and stabilize the log.

9. Machine according to claim 6, characterized by a synchronized longitudinal advancement of the 7 chains (5) and the 2 rows of stabilizing jacks (8). This advancement is achieved by two identical motors (24 and 4) which are reduction motors with electronic regulation for precise advancement.

10. Machine according to claim 1, characterized by a set of brushes (29) for cleaning the cylinders throughout the movements of the cylinders when cutting the wood.