Pivot Hook Limiter for Lumber Sorter Rotation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lumber sorters experience improper functioning due to undesirable excess rotation of hooks, which affects the transfer of board lumber between conveyors.
Innovation Solution
A pivot hook limiter is introduced, comprising first and second contact elements that engage the walls of a raceway to limit the rotation of hooks to specific orientations, preventing excessive rotation and ensuring proper functioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hooks are allowed to rotate freely on the belt, then the sorting conveyor can accommodate variations in lumber positioning, but excessive rotation causes improper functioning and reduces sorting accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the rotational parameter of the hooks by introducing a limiter that constrains the rotation angle to a specific range (between 0 and 90 degrees). This parameter change allows hooks to rotate sufficiently to accommodate lumber positioning variations while preventing excessive rotation that would compromise sorting accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a limiter as an intermediary component between the hook and the belt. This limiter mediates the rotation of the hook by providing mechanical constraints through contact elements that engage with the raceway walls, thereby controlling the rotation angle without interfering with the hook's ability to perform its primary function.
2Manufacturing precision
If hooks are constrained to fixed orientations, then sorting precision is maintained, but the system loses flexibility in handling different lumber configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by allowing hooks to rotate within a controlled range rather than being fixed at a single orientation. The limiter enables dynamic adjustment of hook orientation within 0-90 degrees, providing flexibility for different lumber configurations while maintaining sorting precision through the defined rotational constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the orientation parameter of hooks from a fixed value to a variable parameter within a specific range. The limiter facilitates this parameter change by allowing rotation up to 90 degrees while preventing excessive rotation, thereby maintaining both precision and adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If the raceway walls are positioned far from the hook pivot, then hook rotation is minimally constrained, but the limiter structure becomes more complex and occupies more space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses contact elements as intermediaries between the hook and the raceway walls. These contact elements engage with the walls to limit rotation without requiring the walls to be positioned extremely close to the pivot, thereby reducing structural complexity while maintaining operational freedom within acceptable limits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the rotation-limiting function from the raceway walls themselves and implements it through separate contact elements. This extraction allows the walls to be positioned at optimal distances while the contact elements provide the necessary rotational constraints, simplifying the overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A lumber sorter using a conveyor system with hooks that pick up, move and drop lumber. The lumber sorter includes limiters attached to the hooks that restrict the rotation of the hooks while the limiters are running in raceways. The limiters restrict the rotation of the hooks between a first and second orientation through the use of opposing contact points that contact with opposing walls of the raceways. The limiters maintain the hooks in a substantially vertical position while they carry lumber, but permit the hooks to be pivoted to drop the lumber at a designated position. The use of limiters having first and second contact points allows for the pivot direction and degree of rotation to be configurable and predetermined by the position and placement of the contact points.