Log Accumulator Bucket Swinging Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing accumulators for elongated logs of paper products face limitations in throughput speed due to swinging buckets during the loading process, which can cause damage and reduce efficiency, as they require frequent stopping and starting to align the feed arrangement with the buckets, leading to amplified acceleration and deceleration issues.

Innovation Solution

The accumulator maintains the feed arrangement in a fixed relative position with the bucket for an extended period during loading, using a continuously moving transport system with oscillating guides to prevent swinging, allowing logs to be loaded without stopping the entire system, thus reducing detrimental accelerations and decelerations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the accumulator increases chain speed to increase log throughput, then productivity improves, but bucket swinging is amplified due to increased acceleration and deceleration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelog throughput speedVSAvoidbucket swinging

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system is divided into two independent motion control zones: the loading region where the chain is temporarily stopped to align buckets with the feed arrangement, and the transport region where the chain continues moving at high speed. This segmentation allows high throughput to be maintained while eliminating bucket swinging during loading operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The chain speed is made dynamic rather than constant - it is temporarily stopped only in the loading region while maintaining high speed in the transport region. This dynamic speed adjustment eliminates acceleration-induced bucket swinging during loading while preserving high productivity during transport.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Manufacturing precision

If the system stops and starts frequently to align feed arrangement with buckets, then loading precision improves, but acceleration and deceleration amplify bucket swinging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveloading alignmentVSAvoidbucket swinging

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The accumulator is segmented into a loading region and a transport region. In the loading region, the chain is temporarily stopped to achieve precise alignment between buckets and the feed arrangement. In the transport region, the chain operates at high speed without stopping. This spatial segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing precise loading alignment only where needed while maintaining system stability in the transport region.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The loading region acts as an intermediary zone between the stationary feed arrangement and the high-speed moving buckets. By temporarily stopping the chain in this intermediate region, the system achieves precise loading alignment without subjecting the entire system to frequent acceleration and deceleration cycles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the chain is accelerated to higher speeds to increase throughput, then productivity improves, but the magnitude of acceleration from dead stop to top speed increases bucket swinging

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethroughput speedVSAvoidbucket swinging damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The chain operation is segmented into a stopped loading region and a high-speed transport region. By confining acceleration and deceleration to only the loading region and maintaining constant high speed in the transport region, the system minimizes the frequency and magnitude of acceleration cycles, thereby reducing bucket swinging while maintaining high throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The chain maintains continuous high-speed motion in the transport region, ensuring uninterrupted log accumulation and high productivity. The temporary stopping is confined only to the loading region, minimizing disruption to the overall continuous operation and maintaining high average throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS8490772B2High speed interfolded log accumulator

Publication Date: 2013.07.23 C G BRETTING MFG CO INC

AI summary

A log accumulator comprising a plurality of buckets, a feed arrangement and a transport system and methods are provided. The feed arrangement loads logs onto the buckets. The transport system transports the buckets past the feed arrangement for loading of the buckets. The transport system and the feed arrangement are configured to maintain the feed arrangement in a fixed relative position with one of the buckets for an extended period of time while the feed arrangement loads the one of the buckets. The accumulator may include an unload arrangement that operates to unload logs in substantially the same manner as the feed arrangement.