Stock feeder for woodworking equipment
View Patent ↗A stock feeder for woodworking equipment includes a base, a cross clamp, a horizontal bar unit, a vertical bar unit, a feeding unit, and an electrical unit. The electrical unit has an electrical unit main body and a variable-frequency drive. The electrical unit main body has a first housing, a plurality of heat dissipation grooves provided on the outer periphery of the first housing, and a power fan which is independently mounted on a top portion of the first housing and in communication with the heat dissipation grooves. The variable-frequency drive has a second housing, a variable-frequency circuit sealed in the second housing, and a control panel exposed outside the second housing. The second housing has an outer surface provided with a plurality of heat dissipation slots corresponding in position to and in communication with the heat dissipation grooves of the electrical unit main body.
1. A stock feeder for woodworking equipment, comprising:
a base;
a cross clamp having a horizontal clamping sleeve and a vertical clamping sleeve;
a horizontal bar unit extending through the horizontal clamping sleeve;
a vertical bar unit extending through the vertical clamping sleeve and having a bottom end installed on the base;
a feeding unit pivotally provided at an end of the horizontal bar unit, the feeding unit comprising a unit body and a plurality of feed wheel sets disposed in a bottom portion of the unit body, each said feed wheel set having a main shaft, two axles respectively and pivotally connected to two lateral sides of the main shaft and parallel to the main shaft, two wheels respectively and fixedly provided at front ends of the axles, a plurality of gears fixedly provided on the main shaft and on the axles, and a plurality of transmission elements mounted around the gears; and
an electrical unit for driving the feed wheel sets of the feeding unit to rotate and thereby carry out a feeding operation, the electrical unit having an electrical unit main body and a variable-frequency drive (VFD) provided on a lateral side of the electrical unit main body, the electrical unit main body having a first housing, a plurality of heat dissipating fins and heat dissipation grooves alternately arranged on an outer periphery of the first housing, a power fan independently mounted on a top portion of the first housing, and a fan cover covering the power fan, the power fan being in communication with the heat dissipation grooves, the VFD having a second housing, a variable-frequency circuit sealed in the second housing, and a control panel exposed outside the second housing, the second housing having an outer surface provided with a plurality of alternately arranged heat dissipating ribs and heat dissipation slots, the heat dissipation slots corresponding in position to and being in communication with the heat dissipation grooves of the electrical unit main body.
2. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein the feeding unit further comprises a plurality of elastic elements each mounted around the main shaft of a said feed wheel set, each said elastic element having a front end and a rear end respectively pressing against the two axles respectively and pivotally connected to the two lateral sides of the main shaft of a said feed wheel set.
3. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein the VFD further has a cover closed on and fastened to the second housing, and the control panel is exposed on the cover.
4. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein the variable-frequency circuit of the VFD has an external communication end.
5. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein the feeding unit further comprises a plurality of casings each enclosing a said transmission element of a said feed wheel set.
6. The stock feeder of claim 5 , wherein each said casing is assembled from a first casing portion and a second casing portion engaged with each other.
7. The stock feeder of claim 6 , wherein the first casing portion of each said casing has two through holes and has at least a fastening lug and at least an engaging block at an opening of the first casing portion, and the second casing portion of each said casing has two through holes and has at least an engaging block and at least a fastening lug at an opening of the second casing portion.
8. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein the feeding unit further comprises a protective cover covering both the feed wheel sets and a gear set, the gear set comprising a primary gear, a secondary gear, and a plurality of driving elements, the driving elements being respectively connected to the secondary gear and the gears of the feed wheel sets.
9. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein each said axle of each said feed wheel set has a plurality of outwardly extending axle plates, each said axle plate having an axle hole, each said axle being mounted around a said main shaft through the axle holes of corresponding said axle plates.
10. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein in each said feed wheel set, the axles not only flank the main shaft, but also are below, and hence at a lower height than, the main shaft.
11. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein the transmission elements of each said feed wheel set are transmission chains, each said transmission chain being composed of a plurality of links sequentially linked together.
12. The stock feeder of claim 1 , wherein the driving elements of the gear set are transmission chains.