Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for on-line testing of the stiffness or strength of panels and especially of wood panels

US5804738A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
6References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 12, 1996
Grant dateSep 8, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 12, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N35/04
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for testing the stiffness or strength of wood panels while the panels are moving along a production line, in which the panels are moved lengthwise through a tester having lower rollers which are situated to support side or end marginal portions only of the panel while central upper rollers contacts a central region of the panel and subjects the panel to longitudinal or lateral bending. The forces corresponding to the bending are measured and used to obtain a measure of the stiffness or strength of the panel. Preferably, both a longitudinal and a lateral tester are provided, and each have two testing stations each applying a different amount of lateral bending, all of these amounts being in the substantially linear portion of the load deflection curve.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.