	US 11,858,759 B2
	Stick laying apparatus and stick distributing unit for laying a plurality of spacer sticks over a board layer
Jean-Michel St-Pierre, St-Félicien (CA); and Isabelle St-Pierre, St-Félicien (CA)
Assigned to 9374-4399 Québec Inc., St-Félicien (CA)
Filed by 9374-4399 Québec Inc., St-Félicien (CA)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/661,477.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/265,220, filed on Dec. 10, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0183026 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 57/26 (2006.01); B65G 57/18 (2006.01)

CPC B65G 57/26 (2013.01) [B65G 57/18 (2013.01)]

17 Claims

1. A stick distributing unit for use in a stick laying apparatus for laying a plurality of spacer sticks over a board layer, comprising:

a frame defining a stick-receiving area adapted to receive the plurality of spacer sticks in a vertical stack, the stick-receiving area having an open bottom end;

a hold-and-release mechanism configured to dispense one-by-one each stick of the vertical stack from the open bottom end of the stick-receiving area, the hold-and-release mechanism comprising:

at least one lower holding member, operable between a lower holding position, where the at least one lower holding member is adapted to hold a bottommost stick of the vertical stack, and a lower release position, where the at least one lower holding member is adapted to release the bottommost stick;

at least one upper holding member, operable between an upper holding position, where the at least one upper holding member is adapted to hold a penultimate stick of the vertical stack, and an upper release position, where the at least one upper holding member is adapted to release the penultimate stick; and

a controller configured to provide control signals operating a stick dispensing routine comprising the steps of:

a) setting the at least one lower holding member in the lower holding position and the at least one upper holding member in the upper release position to support the vertical stack from the bottommost stick in the stick-receiving area;

b) setting the at least one upper holding member to the upper holding position to support the vertical stack from the penultimate stick in the stick-receiving area, and setting the at least one lower holding member to the lower release position, thereby releasing the bottommost stick to fall through the open bottom end of the stick-receiving area; and

c) cyclically repeating steps a) and b);

a stick-laying mechanism configured to receive the bottommost stick upon release by the at least one lower holding member and laying the same over the board layer,

wherein the hold-and-release mechanism is further configured to knock on the penultimate stick between steps b) and c), and

wherein the stick dispensing routine operated by the controller comprises quickly releasing and re-engaging the at least one upper holding member with the penultimate stick, thereby creating the knock on the penultimate stick.