Method and apparatus for feeding an edger
AssigneeSalem Equipment, Inc.
InventorsRory Matthew MITCHELL, Allison Nicole MITCHELL
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An edger feeding apparatus and method of placing flitches in position to be fed into an edger with minimal spacing between successive flitches and with flitches oriented and the edger adjusted so as to yield a maximum value of lumber from each flitch. The edger feeding apparatus may include a scanning system for creating and storing a digital three-dimensional model of each flitch. The apparatus and method may also include a control computer and its use for determining the optimum position for feeding each flitch into the edger to produce the most valuable yield of lumber from the flitch.
Claims20
An edger feeder system for feeding a flitch into an edger, comprising:
- (a) a flitch scanner and carriage assembly arranged to move a plurality of elongate flitches serially and in a transverse, lateral, direction relative to a length of each of the flitches, toward a transfer ready position at a delivery end of the flitch scanner and carriage assembly;
- (b) a scanner system located adjacent the flitch scanner and carriage assembly and arranged to measure each of the plurality of flitches at a plurality of locations on each of the flitches;
- (c) a control computer arranged to receive data from the scanner system and to provide control signals to the flitch scanner and carriage assembly;
- (d) an edger infeed mechanism arranged to engage and carry a respective one of the flitches into the edger, in a longitudinal direction with respect to the respective one of the flitches;
- (e) a charger assembly arranged to transfer each of the plurality of flitches in turn from the transfer ready position on the flitch scanner and transfer assembly to the edger infeed mechanism, the charger assembly including;
- (i) a lower charger mechanism located adjacent the delivery end of the flitch scanner and carriage assembly, arranged to carry each of the flitches in turn in a lateral direction as directed by the control computer, from the transfer ready position to an edger ready position spaced upwardly apart from the edger infeed mechanism;
- and
- (ii) a flitch-lowering mechanism arranged to support a respective one of the plurality of flitches in the edger ready position for a length of time established by the control computer and thereafter to lower the respective one of the plurality of flitches from the edger ready position onto the edger infeed mechanism.
A method of feeding a flitch into an edger, comprising:
- (a) placing a flitch having a length and a width onto on a flitch scanner and carriage assembly;
- (b) moving the flitch laterally toward an edger infeed mechanism;
- (c) scanning the flitch while the flitch remains on the flitch scanner and carriage assembly, and thereby obtaining data concerning the shape and size of the flitch;
- (d) producing a three-dimensional digital model of the flitch in a computer on the basis of the data obtained by scanning the flitch;
- (e) moving the flitch laterally from the scanner and carriage assembly to an edger ready position a predetermined distance above the edger infeed mechanism;
- (f) retaining the flitch in the edger ready position for a predetermined time;
- (g) lowering the flitch onto the edger infeed mechanism at the end of the predetermined time;
- and
- (h) carrying the flitch on the edger infeed mechanism in a direction parallel with the length of the flitch, and thereby feeding a leading end of the flitch into the edger and into engagement by the edger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.