Flow Press Joining Wood Workpieces with Elastic Conveyors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing machines for front joining and sticking of oblong wood workpieces with toothed joints face limitations in handling unevenness, curvature, and deviations in dimensions, leading to high friction and energy losses, resulting in inefficient operation and thermal issues.
Innovation Solution
A machine with a flow press and adjustable conveying line, featuring elastic rotary elements and adjustable side chain units, allows for continuous and efficient joining and sticking of wood workpieces with toothed front joints, minimizing interactive friction and energy loss by using entrance and exit conveyors with their own drives and elastic couplings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a stroke operation machine is used for front joining and sticking, then the machine can join workpieces with toothed joints, but the operating capacity is limited and cannot handle curved or dimensionally deviated workpieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by replacing the static stroke operation with a continuous flow pressing system. The workpieces move continuously through the pressing zone between upper and lower pressing surfaces, allowing the machine to adapt to curved and dimensionally varying workpieces while maintaining high operating capacity. The pressing surfaces can accommodate dimensional variations without requiring intermittent stopping and repositioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by establishing an uninterrupted flow pressing process. Workpieces are continuously fed through the pressing zone and joined without intermittent stopping. This continuous operation eliminates the cycle-based limitations of stroke machines, enabling both high productivity and the ability to handle non-uniform workpiece geometries.
2Productivity
If a flow pressing mode is used with sliding jaws on a base, then workpieces can be pressed continuously, but friction increases causing thermal losses and reduced workpiece motion speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the sliding mechanical contact system with a rolling contact system. Instead of pressing jaws sliding on a base, the workpieces are pressed between moving pressing surfaces that minimize frictional contact. This substitution reduces the mechanical friction that causes thermal losses while maintaining continuous pressing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs pneumatic or hydraulic pressing mechanisms to apply the necessary pressing force without direct mechanical sliding contact. The pressing surfaces can be actuated by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, allowing continuous pressing with minimal friction and associated thermal energy losses.
3Productivity
If pressing jaws are placed on a sliding base, then continuous pressing is possible, but the workpiece motion speed decreases due to high friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the sliding mechanical contact system with a rolling or minimal-contact pressing system. The pressing surfaces move with the workpieces rather than requiring the workpieces to slide over a stationary base, thereby maintaining high workpiece motion speed while enabling continuous pressing.
4Power
If high driving energy is used to overcome friction in flow pressing, then efficient work can be achieved, but thermal losses increase and additional cooling is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces high-friction mechanical sliding contact with a low-friction pressing system. By using moving pressing surfaces or pneumatic/hydraulic actuation instead of sliding jaws, the system achieves efficient pressing with minimal frictional heat generation, eliminating or reducing the need for additional cooling mechanisms.
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
Enables uninterrupted and efficient joining and sticking of wood workpieces with minimal energy loss and friction, even with deviations in dimensions and curvature, by optimizing the conveying line and flow press design to reduce thermal losses and improve operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a flow press with elastically constructed rotary elements
Implementation Method 2
Weakness of this known mode is in high or highly increased respectively friction between the workpiece, jaw and sliding base
Data Source
AI summary
Machine for front joining and sticking of oblong wood workpieces by toothed front joints and referential procedure consists of the flow press and entrance conveying line, and solves the problem of simple and quality front joining and sticking of workpieces, which travel through them fast and fluently in a consecutive row, irrespective of possible yet allowed curvature and dimensional deviation. This is enabled by the construction of entrance conveyors and exit conveyors of the conveying line, equipped with mechanisms for adjustment of side chain units, and with elastic couplings, whereby inside the side chain units the elastic insertions are placed, and inside pressing conveyors other elastic insertions are placed. Joints among individual entrance conveyors, among individual exit conveyors, and among conveyors are likewise elastic constructions by means of adjustable screws placed between fixed cantilevers, and between tension cantilevers. It is further enabled by the construction of entrance units and exit units in the flow press, or by the construction of pushing wheel pairs inside them, and which are simultaneously driven by the central driving coupling. For this purpose, each wheel pair is equipped with a pair of flexible cranks, the cylinder for pressure adjustment, the cylinder for position adjustment, the mechanism for interactive distance adjustment. Pushing wheel pairs also have the cylinder for the horizontal shift regulation and the shift-meter with which the force meter is connected, and which is placed at the end of the last pushing wheel pair.