Patent Agent Examination 2010 - Paper A - (4 of 6)
2010 Patent Agent Exam - Paper A
(PDF - 1 MB - 26 pages)
Previous | 2010 Patent Agent Exam | Next
US Patent no.: X,XXX,666
HYDRAULIC BARKING MACHINE
This invention relates to log barking machines in which jets of fluid are radially directed against the log to remove the bark and it comprises a machine in which establishment and maintenance of optimum conditions for efficient use of the jets throughout the debarking operation is provided for by appropriate adjustment of the machine to suit the size and shape of the log being debarked.
Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section.
Referring to Fig. 1, numeral 5 designates a nozzle-supporting ring through which a log 6 is passed by conveyor rolls 7 or other suitable log conveying means. The log is debarked during its travel through ring 5 by high pressure jets of fluid directed against the surface of the log by radial nozzles 8 which are arranged around the path travelled by the log and are slidably supported by ring 5.
It will also be understood that, while the described radial direction of the jets against the surface of the log being debarked is preferred, the nozzles 8 may be arranged so that the jets are directed tangentially against the surface of the log.
Nozzles 8 are automatically positioned at a predetermined distance from log 6 by a nozzle-adjusting mechanism operating in response to a log sensing mechanism disposed upstream ring 5 and configured to automatically monitor the size of the log 6 travelling through the ring 5. Accordingly, variations in log size are automatically communicated to the nozzle-adjusting mechanism to induce appropriate adjustment thereof and thereby improve debarking efficiency. It will be understood that mechanically or otherwise implemented log sensing mechanisms, readily known in the art, may be considered in operating the nozzle-adjusting mechanism described herein.
As seen in Figure 1, the nozzle adjusting mechanism includes bell-cranks 97 intermediately pivoted to brackets 98 mounted on the outer peripheral portion of ring 5. Arm 99 of each bell-crank 97 is pivotally connected to the outer end portion of one of the nozzles 8. The remaining arms 100 of bell-cranks 97 are interconnected by link 101 to provide for simultaneous operation of said bell-cranks by two main operating links 102.
The nozzles 8 may be of any suitable design. They extend radially through ring 5 and slide in suitable guide openings 104 so that their delivery ends are always pointed toward the axis of the ring. Their outer ends are connected by flexible pipes 105 to water supply conduit 106 to which water is delivered under suitable pressure from a pumping system or other source.
The nozzles 8 are shown lying in a common plane but they may be staggered so that each nozzle is offset in the axial direction of the ring with reference to the next adjacent nozzle. With proper spacing the staggered arrangement of the nozzles enable the entire circumference of the log to be covered by the jets without interference of the jets with each other.
Fig 1
