Wood Chipper In-feed Cylindrical Anvil and Laminated Flywheel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wood chippers, especially gravity-fed models, face inefficiencies in cutting wood pieces, as trailing pieces are not effectively pulled into the flywheel for further chipping, and the machining process for thick flywheels is costly and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical anvil is positioned between the in-feed bin outlet and the flywheel, allowing wood material to be cut partially through, leaving trailing pieces connected, which can then be pulled into the flywheel for continuous chipping. Additionally, the flywheel is constructed from laminated steel plates, each less than ⅜ inch thick, to facilitate quicker and less expensive laser cutting and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rectangular non-rotatable flat square edge anvil is used to shear wood material clean off, then cutting effectiveness is improved, but trailing wood material is released from the inward pull of the rotating flywheel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a cylindrical anvil instead of a rectangular flat anvil. The curved surface of the cylindrical anvil allows the flywheel knives to cut wood material partially through while maintaining contact, enabling the trailing pieces to remain connected and be pulled into the flywheel for continuous chipping, thus resolving the contradiction between cutting effectiveness and continuous processing capability
2Manufacturing precision
If a thick flywheel is used for effective chipping, then cutting effectiveness is improved, but the machining process becomes costly and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the thick flywheel into multiple laminated steel plates, each less than ⅜ inch thick. This segmentation allows each plate to be easily laser cut with clean edges, avoiding the costly and time-consuming machining of thick solid steel, while the laminated assembly provides the necessary overall thickness for effective chipping
3Ease of operation
If in-feed rollers are used to advance wood material, then feeding effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the in-feed rollers from the system and replaces them with a cylindrical anvil that works in conjunction with the flywheel knives. This extraction of the roller component simplifies the device while maintaining the ability to effectively advance and cut wood material through the partial cutting action that leaves trailing pieces connected
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cylindrical anvil enhances the chipping process by continuously pulling wood material into the flywheel, improving efficiency without the need for in-feed rollers. The laminated flywheel construction reduces production costs and time, while maintaining the necessary thickness for effective chipping.
Implementation Method 1
the trailing pieces can be successively pulled into the flywheel for more effective chipping
Implementation Method 2
the flywheel is constructed from laminated steel plates, each less than ⅜ inch thick
Data Source
AI summary
A wood chipper which includes a chamber having a flywheel and which includes a wood in-feed system. The in-feed system includes a bin inclined for gravity-feeding wood product to the chamber and a cylindrical anvil disposed between an outlet of the bin and the flywheel. The flywheel includes a plurality of plates laminated together with fasteners. First and second ones of the plates have aligned first and second openings respectively for passage of chips. The second opening has a tab which extends from an edge thereof partially into the first opening. A knife is attached to the tab and supports a blade outwardly of the first plate and thus outwardly of the flywheel. A system is provided for providing water mist onto wood product only as it is being fed down the in-feed bin.