Abstract: A system for improving wood strand orientation in a wood strand orienter having a plurality of orienter disks. The system includes a plurality of axially-spaced, parallel pre-orienting shafts positioned in a second plane above and substantially parallel to the orienter disks, each one of the pre-orienting shafts having a plurality of wheels mounted thereon. Each of the wheels has a hub and a plurality of outwardly-extending finger members. When the pre-orienting shafts are positioned over the disks, each one of the finger members passes, in turn, through a portion of the volume defined between the two adjacent orienter disks the wheel sits between. This permits bridged wood strands to be turned and straightened, reducing the “% overs”, the percentage of strands bridging the orienter disks and carried across the top of the orienter without falling through the orienter.

Abstract: A device for positioning separately supplied elongate meat products, comprises two driven endless aligning conveyors running with the transport 5 paths substantially parallel to each other, which transport paths together form a support for the meat products for transporting such that, at the position where the transport paths are mutually adjacent, they are in a lower position than when at a greater mutual distance. This structure also relates to a method for positioning separately supplied elongate meat products.

Abstract: An improved orienting disk is provided for better wood strand alignment in wood strand orienter machinery. The disk has a plurality of fin-like teeth projecting upwardly from the periphery of a generally circular plate. In a preferred embodiment each of the teeth has a straight leading edge facing the direction of rotation of the disk, and a curve trailing edge. Most preferably, the disk has six such teeth, each separated from another by 60° about the periphery of the disk.

Abstract: An apparatus for longitudinally orienting elongated particles, such as wood strands for forming orienting strand board panels, includes a pre-orienting unit with vertically arranged orienting elements, such as discs of a disc roll, a final orienting unit below the pre-orienting unit, and a forming belt below the final orienting unit. The final orienting unit includes plural sheetmetal chutes that are spaced successively along the transport direction of the forming belt and that each include plural side-by-side trough-shaped orienting channels that slope at a slope angle toward the forming belt along the transport direction. The non-oriented wood strands supplied to the pre-orienting unit are pre-oriented by falling through passages thereof, and the pre-oriented strands are then further longitudinally oriented as they slide longitudinally along the orienting channels, from which they slide without free-falling onto the forming belt. In an alternative embodiment, the pre-orienting unit can be omitted.

Abstract: A system can re-orient a series of objects, such as containers, including pouches, from a first orientation that is one of several possible orientations, to a pre-selected second orientation. The system includes an orientation apparatus that can move a series of objects from their first orientation to the pre-selected second orientation by a movement sequence. The system includes a sensor system, such as a vision system, for detecting which of said several orientations is the first orientation. The orientation apparatus responds to a signal from said sensor, and performs a pre-determined movement sequence based on the detected first orientation.

Abstract: A system and method reorients flat articles in a serial stream, by receiving a horizontally moving, serial input stream of substantially vertically oriented flat articles each having a downwardly oriented primary edge, laterally diverting the flat articles in the serial input stream alternately between a pair of separate paths, impeding horizontal movement of each flat article in each separate path, accelerating each flat article with impeded horizontal movement in the direction of its primary edge, and delivering substantially horizontally oriented flat articles from each separate path.

Abstract: Machine for orienting containers of the type comprising a cylindrical structure (1), a support ring (3) integral with said cylindrical structure (1) and provided with at least an interruption (3a) for offloading the containers themselves, a rotating cylinder (4) and a fixed conical structure (5), internal and coaxial to said cylindrical structure (1). The machine further comprises a plurality of elevators (6) and a plurality of arms (9) having an extremity (9b) operatively connected to a fixed cam (11) positioned inferiorly to said conical structure (5) to command the raising and lowering of the arms themselves, wherein said fixed cam (11) comprises, for each interruption (3a) of said support ring (3), at least two portions (11a) defining the upwards run of an elevator (6), said portions (11a) being positioned upstream of said interruption (3a) according to the direction of rotation of the rotating cylinder (4).

Abstract: The invention relates to a safety arrangement in a package turning device. The package turning device is of the type which turns selected packages which are conveyed on a conveyor path through the package turning device. The package turning device essentially comprises a piston and cylinder assembly whose piston rod is disposed to move parallel with the conveyor path, a turning member and a gripping member. The safety arrangement includes an anchorage disposed on the piston rod of the piston and cylinder assembly, and a bracket. The bracket is disposed to support the turning member and the gripping member. The anchorage and the bracket are united in spring-biased fashion and enclose between them a cavity. An incoming air conduit and an outgoing air conduit are connected to the cavity. A pressure guard is disposed on the outgoing air conduit. The cavity is closed in the normal operation of the package turning device.

Abstract: An adjustable unit for the unscrambling and lined up delivery of empty containers (A) has a plurality of compartments (6) connected to a first rotary structure (7) to receive containers (A) in a lying position. The compartments (6) have an open bottom delimited by arrangements (11 and 12) for supporting the open end (A1) of the container (A) in the vicinity of the leading and trailing sides. A plurality of discharge chutes (8) associated with each structure (7) below each compartment (6) receives the containers (A) as they fall, and to thus transfer them in an upright position and in a lined up arrangement onto another equipment. A supporting stationary floor (9) is interposed between the compartments (6) and said chutes (8), with a discharge gap (10) for supporting the open end (A1) of the container (A) in the vicinity of said leading side of the compartment (6).

Abstract: In a method for automated grouping of objects, the objects are randomly placed onto a conveyor belt and transported in a steady conveying flow to a grouping device. A recognition device determines a location and a position of the objects transported on the conveyor belt before reaching the grouping device and communicates the location and the position of the objects to a control unit. The control unit evaluates the random ordered state of the objects on the conveyor belt based on the location and the position of the objects. The control unit determines, based on the evaluation result of the evaluating step, sorting positions on the conveyor belt. The handling device groups, taking into account the belt speed, the objects in a group on each one of the determined sorting positions on the conveyor belt. The groups of objects are then further transported on the conveyor belt.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing misalignment of articles, such as lightweight packets of snack food, conveyed on a conveyor. A conveyor conveys articles in a conveying direction along a predetermined conveying path. The conveyed articles have a desired direction of alignment relative to the conveying direction and are conveyed so that a misaligned article tends to project laterally from the conveying path. An aligning device includes at least one projection traveling cyclically adjacent to the conveying path so as to contact a conveyed, misaligned article and thereby rotate the conveyed, misaligned article to reduce misalignment.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for aligning and depositing elongate particles covered with at least one bonding agent on a continuously moving support so as to form a non-woven fabric for the subsequent production of boards. Said device comprises a dosing hopper, a unit for transferring the particles to an orientation unit consisting of several rollers having several compartments, said rollers being arranged at a distance from each other on a horizontal surface and at right angles to the direction of displacement of the continuously moving support. The alignment faces of the rollers, whose surfaces define the compartments and are embodied in an airtight manner, are configured in such a way that, at least in the area of their free ends, they are curved and/or bent against the direction of displacement of the continuously moving support.

Abstract: Apparatus for aligning and orienting generally elongate objects of irregular shape and variable dimensions such as wood residue. The apparatus includes a plurality of spaced, rollers to transport the objects in a direction of transport from an inlet zone through a sorting zone to an outlet zone by rotation of the rollers. There are a plurality of aligning walls extending over the rollers parallel to the direction of transport from the outlet zone toward the inlet zone. There are also eccentric vanes mounted to some of the rollers to rotate with the rollers to move through the objects on the rollers. Objects introduced into the inlet zone in a generally random, entangled collection are aligned and oriented in the direction of transport into generally, parallel, stacked relationship at the outlet zone by movement over the rollers between the aligning walls subject to the action of the eccentric vanes.

Abstract: A component feeder is provided in which damage to chip components is minimized, being capable of efficiently discharging chip components aligned in a line. A bulk case is attached on the top portion of an outer storage housing capable of being supplied by a large number of chip components. Chip components are supplied from the outer storage housing to an inner housing of a component-storage housing via a supplying path. A predetermined number of the chip components in the inner housing is fed at a time to the outer housing via a communicating path in accordance with rotation of a rotary drum so as to be dropped into an aligning groove and aligned by a lug member of the rotary drum. The number of components in the outer housing is reduced, resulting in high efficiency of aligning and reduced damage to components. The chip components slide down on the aligning groove to be discharged to a discharge path, via the gate, aligned in a line.

Abstract: A laned conveyor apparatus includes an infeed roller and an outfeed roller rotatably mounted to a frame in spaced apart relation for movably supporting a flexible product-carrying belt that forms a closed loop about the rollers to define a conveying region having a length and a width. A plurality of elastic separating bands are removably positioned around the rollers and the product-carrying belt and spaced apart at intervals along the width of the conveying region to form lanes along the length of the conveying region. The separating bands contact an outer surface of the product-carrying belt to form a frictional interface with the product-carrying belt that causes the separating bands to move in coordination with movement of the product-carrying belt. A guide mechanism mounted to the frame includes multiple guide features spaced apart at intervals along the width of the conveying region for guiding the separating bands so that the lanes are accurately and precisely positioned in relation to the frame.

Abstract: In a device for aligning objects, particularly sausages (1), which are fed for instance to a packaging device (7), at least two elements (14, 15) moving opposite each other are arranged approximately parallel to each other. They leave between them a space (16, 17) through which the objects (1) can drop.

Abstract: The orienting device of the present invention will properly orient a closure which is transferred from a hopper to be applied to a container in connection with a form, fill and seal packaging machine. The present invention will also maintain the orientation on an anvil as the anvil moves the closure from the orienting device to a container through exertion of a vacuum on the closure. The present invention also discloses a specific closure for use with an overall orienting closure system. The orienting device will have at least two channels which maintain the closure as the closure is oriented into a desired position.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of positioning ICs and an IC handler utilizing the method in which a vertical mechanism is not provided in a positioning mechanism. In the IC handler, a positioning wall piece encloses a table, it has two pairs of inner faces, each pair of which are facing each other, lower portions S of each pair are formed into vertical faces and mutually separated with a distance corresponding to outermost edges of the IC, upper portions T of each pair are formed into slope faces whose distance is gradually made longer in an upward direction. An elastic member elastically supports the positioning wall piece, which is capable of moving vertically.

Abstract: A product aligning system specially adapted for receiving and aligning product items in bulk quantity, includes a hopper for receiving masses of product items in bulk and including a hopper conveyor extending across the bottom of the hopper, a hopper nose conveyor for receiving product items conveyed by the hopper conveyor and extending outwardly from the hopper, and a scale conveyor for receiving items from the hopper nose conveyor. The hopper nose conveyor and scale conveyor each include powered rakes positioned above the item supporting surfaces of those conveyors such that substantially only a single layer of items passes therebeneath. The hopper nose and scale conveyors each include load sensing apparatus which detects an accumulation of product items on those conveyors and signals a computer control which slows the speeds of the hopper and hopper nose conveyors sufficiently to allow the accumulation of products to reduce.

Abstract: A rod feeder assembly composed of elongated tubular members arranged in vical courses and disposed in a box, the tubular members being flush at their downstream end and provided with a loading section at the upstream or the opposite end. The tubular members are of the same length in the same course but are shorter in the upper courses. The method for automatically feeding rods into a matrix includes the steps of randomly disposing the rods on the loading sections of the tubular members, aligning and positioning the rods in the tubular members by vibrating the tubular members in an inclined disposition, and transferring the rods from the rod feeder assembly to the matrix.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting the presence of pit fragments as small as 2 mm.sup.2 in pitted peach halves. Pitted peach halves are agitated into a cup-up position, are conveyed to a position adjacent an inspection zone and are launched airborne into the inspection zone. Each peach half in the inspection zone is illuminated by a pair of quartz halogen lights and the diffusely reflected light is separated into first and second beams. The first and second beams are filtered to extract a first relatively wide wavelength band centered at 600 nm and a second relatively wide wavelength band centered at 750 nm. Preferably, each wavelength band is approximately 70 nm. Each of the wavelength bands enters a separate line scan camera for acquiring image signals from each wavelength band. The signals from both cameras are combined and enhanced to determine the presence or absence of fragments.

Abstract: Strand lay-up system produces a layered strand lay-up from separate feed bins and then deposits incremental lengths of the so formed layered lay-up over discrete selected area to form a more homogenous lay-up.

Abstract: A strand orienter formed by a plurality of substantially planar parallel partition walls further includes a plurality of shafts extending substantially perpendicular to the partition walls, each mounting wipers in the passages in position to wipe strands that may tend to plug the orienter from the passages and off the upper edges of the partition walls over substantially the full length of these upper edges and thereby prevent plugging of the orienter.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for manufacturing a composite wood product from split and disrupted pieces of a raw material such as cedar, willow or bamboo. The composite may be employed as a thick plate of wood, pillar wood, beam wood and the like used for furniture, buildings, and structural objects. The composite is formed by roughly splitting and disrupting a fibrous raw material lengthwise. The roughly split and disrupted material is then finely split and disrupted, and then dried. A single layer is formed by laterally arranging and adhering the finely split and disrupted wood pieces. The single layers are then formed into a pile and heated and pressure tightened.

Abstract: An orienter is formed by a plurality of decks including a upper deck, a bottom deck and at least one intermediate deck stacked one above the other, substantially vertically extending passages are defined in each of the decks, the width of the passages of the bottom deck is preselected to a width Y.sub.B sufficiently small to ensure the orientation of the strands to the desired mean orientation and relative to a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the width have passages measured. The width of the passages above the lower deck are made progressively larger in accordance with the following formula: 2.sup.n-1 Y.sub.B where n is the number of decks above the mat and Y.sub.B is the width of the passages through the bottom deck. The side passages in all the decks are substantially aligned vertically, with both the passages in the top deck bisected in two equal passages in the deck immediately therebelow.

Abstract: A vane typed orienter is formed by a plurality of spaced parallel shafts having radial extending axially spaced disks mounted thereon. Passages are formed between the disks and adjacent disks on adjacent shafts define sides of such passages. A vane element is provided to complete the wall formed by a pair of adjacent disks forming one wall of a passage and at least substantially fills the lower gap formed between the peripheries of the adjacent disks forming the one wall.

Abstract: The parcel (2) during the conveying with a conveyor (30) is drawn in on the back (7) by angular profiles (16,17) guided in sloping movement paths and which accelerate the parcel (2) accompanied by the alignment of the rotated position and/or its transverse position, transfer same to a stationary surface area (11) and engage same with a stop (12). The angular profiles (16,17) and the stop (12) then form a sliding shaft from which the aligned parcel (2) with a lifting table (32) can be ejected e.g. into a packing station.

Abstract: A machine for aligning lumber received from a previous processing station into an orientation suited for a subsequent processing station. The machine has an infeed conveyor for receiving lumber from a previous processing station. Large rotating drums are positioned in the infeed conveyor adjacent to carriers of the infeed conveyor with a portion of the drum periphery extending above the infeed conveyor. An angled conveyor having multiple carriers, such as belts, is mounted strategic to the infeed conveyor and drums with the second conveyor extending upwardly at an angle to the infeed conveyor and drums. The drums are rotated such that the peripheral velocity of the drums is greater than the carriers of the infeed and angled conveyor. The drums elevate (lift) and accelerate the lumber from the infeed conveyor onto the angled conveyor.

Abstract: A strand preorienter is formed by a plurality of spaced parallel preorienter shafts each having a plurality of preorienter discs mounted thereon in axially spaced relationship. The preorienter discs on adjacent shafts overlap and form preorienter partition walls which defined opposite sides of preorienter passages through which the strands fall onto an orienter having orienter passages that align the strands as required. The preorienter passages are significantly wider than the orienter passages and have their outlets positioned immediately above the orienter.

Abstract: A method for producing relative motion on multiple articles by providing a tray with cavities, locating each article in a separate cavity and banking all articles against a similar cavity wall without tilting the tray, movement of the articles being generated by placing the tray between a horizontal vibration device and at least one cooperating bumper, the vibrations having an amplitude decreasing with time according to a predetermined decay envelope.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is disclosed for conveying The products, for example confectionery products such as bars of chocolate, etc., possibly already contained in individual wrappers, are advanced with one of their principal axes substantially perpendicular to the direction in which they are transported. The apparatus comprises a pair of conveyor formations, such as endless belts, which can be made to travel at different speeds so as to achieve a condition in which the principal axes of the products are exactly perpendicular to the direction of advance at the output of the device.

Abstract: A process for continuously forming a product having elongated members at least about one foot long which are oriented, compressed and bonded is provided, the process comprising depositing elongated members on a moving carrier with an orientation that is substantially parallel to the direction of movement of said carrier, said members being deposited on said carrier over a length of carrier that is at least as long as about one and one-half times the length of the elongated members and is at least as long as about 30 times the final thickness of the compressed, composite product.

Abstract: A conveyor system for automatically orienting a majority of tobacco leaves received thereby in a lengthwise direction so that their stems are substantilly parallel to a final direction of conveyance. Tobacco leaves to be oriented are delivered by means of a high speed belt to a pneumatic processing apparatus in the form of a rotary screen assembly. The rotary screen assembly includes a broad perforated or open meshed screen which is driven in a downward and preferably vertical direction at its front side. The rotary screen is mounted adjacent and operatively coupled to a device for generating an air current through the screen such that the air holds articles to be oriented on the front side of the screen while being conveyed thereby. A take-off conveyor is mounted vertically below the rotary screen for receiving articles therefrom.

Abstract: A machine for destemming cherries has a base frame and a fruit transport frame. The fruit is moved over the transport frame on an endless belt. A stem wiper blade is rotated just above the surface of the fruit. A source of rapid horizontal motion is provided for the transport frame to cause the fruit to rotate so that the stems will be erected into the path of the blade during the passage of the fruit beneath the blade whereby the blade can detach the stems from the fruit. The transport frame is mounted on motion absorbing supports which also convert the circular movement of the motion source into ellipsoidal motion with the greater axis parallel to the direction of travel of the belt.

Abstract: A conveyor system which receives products in random order at its infeed end and delivers product in a serial aligned order at its outlet end. The conveyor system comprises first and second endless belt conveyors which are longitudinally aligned and positioned such that the product exiting the first conveyor is received on the second conveyor. The first conveyor is of a greater width than the second and at the location where they meet is a third endless belt conveyor moving in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal flow direction of the other two. The machine that feeds products to the first conveyor is set at a desired product flow rate in terms of products-per-minute and the speed of the first conveyor is set to handle that capacity. The second belt is driven at a speed equal to or greater than the product-per-minute rate times the product length.

Abstract: A process for continuously forming a product having elongated members at least about one foot long which are oriented, compressed and bonded is provided, the process comprising depositing elongated members on a moving carrier with an orientation that is substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the carrier, the members being deposited on the carrier over a length of carrier that is at least as long as about one and one-half times the length of the elongated members and is at least as long as about 30 times the final thickness of the compressed, composite product.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for separating material by length into first and second fractions containing, respectively, material longer than a specified length and material shorter than a specified length. The apparatus includes a plurality of generally parallel shafts having disks attached thereto. The disks are spaced on the shafts a distance approximately equal to one-half the specified length. Shaft diameters and shaft spacings are selected to cause material in the first fraction to remain supported by the shafts and to flow along the shaft surfaces from one shaft to the next adjacent downstream shaft, while material in the second fraction tilts and falls downwardly between adjacent shafts.

Abstract: An orienting and sorting device for elongate objects includes a first conveyor surface having a plurality of parallel channel-like sections into which the objects are mechanically aligned. The first conveyor surface is divided into a plurality of transverse sections, each section being separated by a greater distance therebetween for sorting the oriented objects by size. The sorted objects are further stacked in a bin for removal from the work area.

Abstract: An automated inspection system for identifying objects by their geometrical shapes includes an orientation device wherein objects are conveyed one-by-one at constant velocity to abut at least one stationary member which urges the objects to an orientation common to other conveyed objects. After objects reach a stable common orientation, an inspection device is operated to detect waves which interact with the conveyed objects against the stationary background.

Abstract: In connection with a feeding conveyor for feeding articles laterally onto a sorter conveyor is mounted a retractable V-shaped stop for the articles as conveyed on the feeding conveyor, whereby these articles are temporarily stopped and concurrently centered towards the top point of the V-stop. Hereby it is achieved that the remaining article transfer distance is well defined such that the transfer of the article to the sorter conveyor, upon retraction of the V-stop, may take place in a well defined manner. When the respective edges or sides of the V-stop are orientated parallelly with and orthogonally to the moving direction of the sorter conveyor, it is achieved, additionally, that a rectangular article as fed to the feeding conveyor with any arbitrary orientation, will be orientated so as to take up a minimum space on the sorter conveyor, whereby the capacity of the latter may kept at a maximum.

Abstract: In a procedure for the longitudinal orientation of chips, particularly during the manufacturing of OSB boards, spaced apart discs are located on rotating shafts sequentially one after the other. The discs are positioned above a forming belt that receives the chips after they are oriented by the discs. The discs are located on each of the shafts, and these discs together with the longitudinal side walls of an enclosure for the discs, function to longitudinally orient the wood chips to the point of deposit upon the forming belt.

Abstract: A device for the orientation of chips into a preferred direction during production of particleboard includes parallel vertical guide surfaces arranged at a distance from one another and horizontal parallel rotating shafts arranged at a distance from one another above the guide surfaces. Each shaft has spacer rings and pin plates that collectively provide pin roller arrangements for the orientation of chips in a preferred direction as the shafts rotate. Chips are discharged without congestion between the guide surfaces and without damage to the pins of the pin rollers. Free passage is also possible for chips to be oriented in the production of OSB boards.

Abstract: Articles are dropped under the interior of a drum at its lowermost part, carried by partition walls of the drum to the uppermost part, and permitted to fall onto a further transport device. The drum has separation walls equally spaced from each other along the length of the drum, to form a number of rows of compartments which each can receive a single article and align the article in a preferred orientation. Each partition wall is formed as an angle profile, and each compartment includes an ejector engaging the angle profile. When the respective angle profile is at the highest point of drum rotation, the ejectors of the compartments associated with that profile are all moved away from the angle profile so that articles present in those compartments are ejected and fall onto the further transport device.

Abstract: A machine for labeling containers which are oriented vertically and have a bottom surface provided with a transverse jam recess that is at least partially radial to the longitudinal axis of the container. The machine includes a labeler and a work table moveable relative to the labeler. A plurality of plates are each mounted on the table for rotation about vertical axis and each plate includes a container supporting surface. A holder is disposed above each plate for vertical movement relative thereto. A counter jam is mounted on each rotary plate for movement between a first position below the container supporting surface and a second position in which a portion of the counter jam extends above the container supporting surface for cooperating with the jam recess of a container positioned on the support surface. At least three rollers are mounted on each rotary plate to support the container for rotational movement about its longitudinal axis relative to the rotary plate.

Abstract: A walking beam conveyor 28 feeds potatoes in a direction F to a cutting station where they are cut along planes 41 and 42 into four pieces. The conveyor 28 is pocketed and the pockets are configurated so that they cause each potato on the one hand to become oriented with its larger dimension generally at right-angles to the feeding direction F, and on the other hand to move to a central position transversely of the conveyor 28. Thus, each potato is in a predetermined position when it arrives at the cutting station, so that the four pieces into which it is cut are roughly of equal size.

Abstract: A plurality of elongated articles such as french fried potato strips are aligned with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel and packaged in such aligned condition by the apparatus and method of the invention. The articles are prealigned by a vibrating conveyor having longitudinal partitions dividing it into four tracks, so that the longitudinal axes of such articles are substantially parallel to their direction of travel which forms acute angle of about 45.degree. with the front wall of an alignment container into which the articles are fed. The alignment container is vibrated at a different frequency than the vibrating conveyor in order to settle and to further align the elongated articles with their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to the front wall of such container.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a loosely felted mat of elongated wood flakes, the wood flakes being aligned in parallel relation and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mat. The apparatus includes a former for depositing wood flakes on a support surface in a uniformly dispersed, loosely felted relation, and a plurality of vertically oriented baffles positioned below the former and in mutually parallel alignment. The baffles are reciprocated in the direction of the mat to cause flakes lying across the baffles to fall between the baffles and to be aligned with the longitudinal direction of the mat.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming an elongated continuous mat of elongated wood flakes mixed with a binder and adapted to be compressed to form a densified composite wood product for continuously depositing wood flakes on that supporting surface and for aligning the elongated wood flakes being deposited in mutually parallel relation and in alignment with the direction of movement of the supporting surface. A hopper for containing wood flakes deposits wood flakes into the upper end of a fan-shaped flake loader comprised of a plurality of channels positioned in side-by-side relation and sloping downwardly from the hopper to a supporting surface. The channels are generally V-shaped in cross-section and converge toward their lower ends such that the wood flakes deposited in the upper ends of the channels become aligned in mutually parallel relation as the flakes slide down the channels and are deposited on the supporting surface.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for forming a continuous loosely felted mat of wood flakes, the wood flakes being elongated and being aligned in mutually parallel relation and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the mat. The apparatus includes a conveyor having an upper surface adapted to support a mat of wood flakes and formers for continuously depositing wood flakes on the conveyor as it moves under the former. Also included are continuous lengths of baffle material positioned between the formers and the conveyor, and oriented so as to define parallel adjacent vertical planes, the planes being parallel to the direction of movement of the upper surface. The lengths of baffle material are positioned in closely spaced side-by-side relation and move with the upper surface beneath the formers as the loosely felted mat is formed and are adapted to cause the flakes to become aligned and to be held in alignment during formation of the mat.

Abstract: Apparatus is described for forming a loosely felted mat of elongated wood flakes, the wood flakes being aligned in parallel relation and parallel to the longitudinal direction of the mat. The apparatus includes a former for depositing wood flakes on a support surface in a uniformly dispersed, loosely felted relation, and a plurality of vertically oriented baffles positioned below the former and in mutually parallel alignment. The baffles include a first set and a second set with respective ones of the second set of baffles being positioned between respective ones of the baffles of the first set. The baffles of the second set are reciprocated in the direction of the mat to cause flakes lying across the baffles to be aligned with the longitudinal direction of the mat.