Wooden truss manufacturing system and method

Apparatus for cutting wooden members used to assemble a plurality of wooden trusses, each of said plurality of wooden trusses including at least first and second chords and a plurality of web members for extending between the at least first and second chords, said plurality of web members including at least one web member formed from wood of a first type and including at least one web member formed from wood of a second type, said apparatus comprising in combination:

• a) a control computer having a processor and a memory for storing a control program, the control computer including an input interface for receiving a batch list selected by an operator, the batch list identifying each web member included in each of the plurality of wooden trusses, the control computer generating a plurality of control signals;
• b) a first conveyor for transporting wooden members therealong;
• c) a first infeed chute in which wooden members of the first type are stored, the first infeed chute receiving control signals from the control computer to automatically transfer wooden members of the first type to the first conveyor;
• d) a second infeed chute in which wooden members of the second type are stored, the second infeed chute receiving control signals from the control computer to automatically transfer wooden members of the second type to the first conveyor;
• e) a finger-jointer having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the finger jointer receiving wooden members transported by the first conveyor, the finger-jointer serving to join wooden members received thereby end-to-end, the finger-jointer discharging a continuous length of joined wood at its outlet;
• f) a first saw for cutting the continuous length of joined wood discharged from the outlet of the finger-jointer into lengths of wooden members, the first saw receiving control signals from the control computer for determining the lengths of wooden members cut from the continuous length of joined wood discharged from the outlet of the finger-jointer;
• g) a second saw for receiving wooden members cut by the first saw, and cutting the received wooden members into two or more web member blanks in response to control signals received from the control computer, each web member blank having ends generally perpendicular to the length of each web member blank;
• h) a third saw for receiving the web member blanks cut by the second saw, the third saw being responsive to control signals received from the control computer for cutting angles on the ends of the web member blanks to produce finished web members used to assemble the plurality of wooden trusses;
• whereby the control computer executes the control program to analyze the batch list selected by the operator and causes the first infeed chute to automatically transfer wooden members of the first type to the first conveyor in an amount sufficient to produce all web members formed from wood of the first type required by the batch list, and then causes the second infeed chute to automatically transfer wooden members of the second type to the first conveyor in an amount sufficient to produce all web members formed from wood of the second type required by the batch list.

A method of cutting wooden members used to assemble a plurality of wooden trusses, each of said plurality of wooden trusses including at least first and second chords and a plurality of web members for extending between the at least first and second chords, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a control computer having a processor and a memory for storing a control program, the control computer including an input interface for receiving a batch list selected by an operator, the batch list identifying each web member included in each of the plurality of wooden trusses, the control computer generating a plurality of control signals;
• b) providing a first conveyor for transporting wooden members therealong;
• c) providing at least one infeed chute in which wooden members are stored, the at least one infeed chute receiving control signals from the control computer to automatically transfer wooden members to the first conveyor;
• d) scanning wooden members being conveyed by the first conveyor to detect defects located adjacent an end of each such wooden member;
• e) trimming defects detected in step d) with a defect saw;
• f) providing a finger-jointer having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the finger jointer receiving wooden members transported by the first conveyor, the finger-jointer serving to join wooden members received thereby end-to-end, the finger-jointer discharging a continuous length of joined wood at its outlet;
• g) conveying the continuous length of joined wood discharged from the outlet of the finger-jointer to a first saw for cutting the continuous length of joined wood discharged from the outlet of the finger-jointer into lengths of wooden members, the first saw receiving control signals from the control computer for determining the lengths of wooden members cut from the continuous length of joined wood discharged from the outlet of the finger-jointer;
• h) conveying wooden members cut by the first saw in step g) to a second saw for cutting each such wooden member into two or more web member blanks in response to control signals received from the control computer, each web member blank having ends generally perpendicular to the length of each web member blank;
• i) conveying each web member blank to a third saw for cutting angles on the ends of the web member blanks in response to control signals received from the control computer, the third saw producing finished web members used to assemble the plurality of wooden trusses;
• whereby the control computer executes the control program to analyze the batch list selected by the operator and causes the at least one infeed chute to automatically transfer wooden members to the first conveyor in an amount required by the batch list.

Apparatus for cutting wooden members used to assemble a plurality of wooden trusses, each of said plurality of wooden trusses including at least first and second chords and a plurality of web members for extending between the at least first and second chords, said apparatus comprising in combination:

• a) a control computer having a processor and a memory for storing a control program, the control computer including an input interface for receiving a batch list selected by an operator, the batch list identifying each web member included in each of the plurality of wooden trusses, the control computer generating a plurality of control signals;
• b) a first conveyor for transporting wooden members therealong;
• c) at least one infeed chute in which wooden members are stored, the first infeed chute receiving control signals from the control computer to automatically transfer wooden members to the first conveyor;
• d) a scanner associated with the first conveyor for scanning wooden members being conveyed by the first conveyor to detect defects located adjacent an end of each such wooden member;
• e) a defect saw associated with the first conveyor for trimming defects detected by the scanner;
• f) a finger-jointer having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet of the finger jointer receiving wooden members transported by the first conveyor, the finger-jointer serving to join wooden members received thereby end-to-end, the finger-jointer discharging a continuous length of joined wood at its outlet;
• g) a first saw for cutting the continuous length of joined wood discharged from the outlet of the finger-jointer into lengths of wooden members, the first saw receiving control signals from the control computer for determining the lengths of wooden members cut from the continuous length of joined wood discharged from the outlet of the finger-jointer;
• h) a second saw for receiving wooden members cut by the first saw, and cutting the received wooden members into two or more web member blanks in response to control signals received from the control computer, each web member blank having ends generally perpendicular to the length of each web member blank;
• i) a third saw for receiving the web member blanks cut by the second saw, the third saw being responsive to control signals received from the control computer for cutting angles on the ends of the web member blanks to produce finished web members used to assemble the plurality of wooden trusses;
• whereby the control computer executes the control program to analyze the batch list selected by the operator and causes the at least one infeed chute to automatically transfer wooden members to the first conveyor in an amount required by the batch list.