Apparatus for peeling logs

Apparatus for peeling logs (5) comprising:

• a cutting station (3) wherein a cutting device (6) is present configured to perform, in use, a spiral cut of the log (5) while the log (5) is rotated about a first rotation axis (7);
• a loading station (2) at which, in use, the apparatus receives each log (5) to be peeled;
• and
• a device (4) for transferring logs (5) from the loading station (2) to the cutting station (3);
• wherein:
• the cutting station (3), the loading station (2) and the transfer device (4), in use, interact with each other to position the log (5) in the cutting station (3);
• the loading station (2) includes an axial rotation device (10) configured to rotate the log (5) about a second rotation axis (11);
• the loading station (2) comprises a radiographic examination device (19), comprising an x-ray emission unit (20) and an x-ray detection unit (21), which is configured to generate, in use, radiographic scans of the log (5);
• the apparatus further comprises an electronic unit that is connected to the radiographic examination device (19) to command its activation and receive digital-format data from it relating to each radiographic scan generated by it, as well as to the axial rotation device (10) of the log (5) to control its operation;
• the electronic unit is programmed to use said digital-format data to control a transfer of the log (5) from the loading station (2) to the cutting station (3) and/or to control the operation of the cutting station (3);
• and
• the electronic unit is further programmed to use said digital-format data to determine a position of an optimised rotation axis of the log (5) placed in the loading station (2) and to control, in use, the interaction of the cutting station (3), the loading station (2) and the transfer device (4) to control the transfer of the log (5) from the loading station (2) to the cutting station (3) and to position the log (5) in the cutting station (3) by having the first rotation axis (7) coincide with the optimised rotation axis;
• and wherein the electronic unit is further programmed to:
• use the radiographic scan data to generate a fingerprint of the log (5);
• compare the fingerprint of the log (5) against a plurality of stored fingerprints of known logs (5) for which an optimised rotation axis to be used for cutting has been previously determined, to identify a match between the log (5) and a known log (5);
• and
• based on the match identified, identify a current position of the previously determined optimised rotation axis relative to the log (5) placed in the loading station (2).

Apparatus for peeling logs (5) comprising:

• a cutting station (3) wherein a cutting device (6) is present configured to perform, in use, a spiral cut of the log (5) while the log (5) is rotated about a first rotation axis (7);
• a loading station (2) at which, in use, the apparatus receives each log (5) to be peeled;
• and
• a device (4) for transferring logs (5) from the loading station (2) to the cutting station (3);
• wherein:
• the cutting station (3), the loading station (2) and the transfer device (4), in use, interact with each other to position the log (5) in the cutting station (3);
• the loading station (2) includes an axial rotation device (10) configured to rotate the log (5) about a second rotation axis (11);
• the loading station (2) comprises a radiographic examination device (19), comprising an x-ray emission unit (20) and an x-ray detection unit (21), which is configured to generate, in use, radiographic scans of the log (5);
• the apparatus further comprises an electronic unit that is connected to the radiographic examination device (19) to command its activation and receive digital-format data from it relating to each radiographic scan generated by it, as well as to the axial rotation device (10) of the log (5) to control its operation;
• the electronic unit is programmed to use said digital-format data to identify optimised peeling parameters to be used for cutting the log (5) placed in the loading station (2) and to control the cutting station (3), the loading station (2) and/or the transfer device (4) based on the peeling parameters thus identified;
• and wherein the electronic unit is further programmed to:
• use the radiographic scan data to generate a fingerprint of the log (5);
• compare the fingerprint of the log (5) against a plurality of stored fingerprints of known logs (5) for which optimised peeling parameters to be used for cutting have been previously determined, to identify a match between the log (5) and a known log (5);
• and
• based on the match identified, identify the optimised peeling parameters for the log (5) placed in the loading station (2) within the optimised peeling parameters stored in relation to the known log (5) for which the match was identified.