Board stacking apparatus

摘要

A board stacking apparatus having one or more movable supports having at least two arms each, a rear stopper and a power assembly operatively connected to the movable support to move the same according to a layer stacking routine. The layer stacking routine includes positioning the movable support at a receiving position, maintaining the movable support in the receiving position while the boards are dispensed thereon, and moving the movable support in a rearward direction. The board stacking apparatus further comprises abutment components located proximate to and slightly below a board dispensing mechanism of the apparatus to support the receiving end of corresponding arms when in the receiving position.

主权项

1. A board stacking apparatus for stacking a plurality of board layers into a stack supported by a stack holder, the stack having a front edge and a rear edge, each of the board layers being formed of a finite number of boards dispensed in a side-by-side configuration by a board dispensing mechanism adjacent the front edge of the stack, the board stacking apparatus comprising:
a movable support having at least two arms sized to span a length of the stack between the rear and front edges thereof, each of the at least two arms having a receiving end; a rear stopper extending vertically in line with the rear edge of the stack; an abutment component associated with each of the at least two arms of the movable support, each abutment component being located proximate to and below the board dispensing mechanism and comprising a support member engageable with the receiving end of the associated arm and movable between an upper configuration and a lower configuration; a power assembly operatively connected to the movable support and the abutment components to move the movable support according to a layer stacking routine for stacking a corresponding one of the board layers onto the stack holder, the layer stacking routine comprising:
a) positioning the abutment components in the upper configuration and the movable support at a receiving position wherein the at least two arms extend across and immediately above the stack and the receiving end thereof extend proximate and evenly levelled with the board dispensing mechanism and are supported by the support member of the associated abutment component;b) maintaining the movable support in the receiving position while the board dispensing mechanism dispenses the boards of the corresponding one of the board layers thereon, until a first dispensed board of the board layer engages the rear stopper; andc) moving the support member of the abutment components in the lower configuration and moving the movable support in a rearward direction to slide the movable support from under the board layer, thereby dropping the board layer onto the stack.