Lumber stack marking machine and methods of applying markings to lumber stacks

A lumber stack marking machine comprising:

• a frame;
• an arm assembly connected to the frame;
• an actuator assembly connected to the frame and operatively connected to the arm assembly to move the arm assembly;
• a marking applicator assembly connected to the arm assembly and comprising:
• a carriage guide;
• a carriage movably connected to the carriage guide;
• a lumber stack engager;
• a spray head arm attached to the carriage;
• and a spray head connected to the spray head arm;
• and
• a controller operatively connected to the actuator assembly and configured to:
• control the actuator assembly to move the arm assembly and the marking applicator assembly from a rest position to a marking position adjacent a lumber stack, wherein the lumber stack comprises a first row of a first plurality of pieces of lumber, a second row of a second plurality of pieces of lumber, a third row of a third plurality of pieces of lumber, and a fourth row of a fourth plurality of pieces of lumber, wherein the first row is above the second row, the second row is above the third row, and the third row is above the fourth row;
• control the spray head to apply a first marking of a vertical marking set to one of the pieces of lumber of the first row and one of the pieces of lumber of the second row;
• control the actuator assembly to move the marking applicator assembly downward;
• and
• control the spray head to apply a second marking of the vertical marking set to one of the pieces of lumber of the third row and one of the pieces of lumber of the fourth row.