US 3,934,630 AGranted

Method and apparatus for producing rough cut lumber

OwnerRoy R. Cockleinventor

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Abstract

A method for producing rough cut lumber from small diameter poles of varying size at the pole harvest site including the steps of removing the bark from the pole, cutting longitudinal notches spaced around the periphery of the pole aligning and supporting the pole on rails disposed in these notches, shaping the pole with rotary cutting heads to form a rectangular beam while additionally supporting the pole by means of guides associated with each of the cutterheads. Portable apparatus for producing rough cut lumber from a small diameter wood pole at the harvest site including rotary debarking knives, kerf cutting saws, support rails adapted to run in kerfs spaced around the periphery of the pole, cutterheads adapted to form the pole into rough cut lumber of rectangular cross section, each cutterhead having a planar support associated therewith. All of said wood forming tools and supports mounted on a frame and aligned along the path of travel of the pole to be processed through the apparatus, and all of said tools and supports, as well as the pole conveying means being simultaneously adjustable to process poles of varying diameter.

Claims13

Dependent claims

Apparatus for producing lumber for a log comprising:

a. a frame assembly having a log infeed end and a lumber outfeed end with a linear travel path therebetween to be traversed by the longitudinal center axis of a log being formed into lumber,
b. a pair of opposed top and bottom rotary particle-forming cutter heads adapted to form parallel planar top and bottom surfaces on a log, said cutter heads having a common direction of rotation thereby exerting a lateral force on the log directed toward one lateral side of the travel path,
c. an infeed kerf cutter arranged to form a bottom longitudinal kerf in the portion of the log to be cut away by said bottom cutter head,
d. a bottom guide rail adjacent said kerf cutter and adapted to slide in said kerf,
e. a pair of opposed side rotary particle-forming cutter heads located between said kerf cutter and said top and bottom cutter heads and adapted to form parallel planar surfaces along the lateral sides of the log whereby said pairs of cutter heads can collectively form a cant of rectangular cross-section, said side cutter heads having a common direction of rotation,
f. side guide means located on said one lateral side of the travel path so as to resist said lateral force component by contacting the respective lateral surface of the cant at a location adjacent the top and bottom cutter heads,
g. bottom guide means located on the outfeed side of said bottom cutter head and adjacent thereto for contacting the bottom surface of the cant,
h. first adjusting means on the frame assembly for moving said kerf cutter, bottom rail, bottom guide means and bottom cutter head vertically as a first unit selected amounts, and for simultaneously moving a second unit comprising said top cutter head, oppositely to the movement of said first unit at the same vertical distance from said travel path as the first unit,
i. second adjusting means on the frame assembly for horizontally moving as a third unit said side guide means and the respective side cutter head, and for simultaneously moving a fourth unit comprising the other side cutter head oppositely to the movement of said third unit the same distance from said travel path as the third unit, and
j. infeed and outfeed conveyor means carried by said frame assembly for moving a log along said travel path.

7 more elements

Apparatus for producing rough cut lumber from a log comprising, a frame assembly having a log infeed end and a rough cut lumber outfeed end with a linear travel path therebetween to be traversed by the longitudinal center axis of a log being formed into lumber,

a bottom guide-kerf cutting saw beneath said path and a pair of coplanar side guide-kerf cutting saws at opposite sides of said path with all three of said saws arranged coplanar to said path and arranged to cut guide-kerfs along the bottom and opposite horizontal sides of a log conveyed along said path,
bottom and side infeed guide rails adjacent respective of said guide-kerf saws and adapted to slide in the kerfs cut thereby,
a pair of opposed upper and lower particle-forming cutter heads and a pair of opposed side particle-forming cutter heads adjacent said infeed rails and adapted to shape said log into a planar-surface cant of rectangular cross-section as the log is conveyed lengthwise,
a bottom guide adjacent the outfeed side of the lower cutter head and adapted to guide the bottom planar surface of such a cant,
first adjusting means on the frame assembly for moving said bottom saw, bottom rail, lower cutter-head and bottom guide surface vertically as a first unit selected amounted and for moving a second unit, including said upper cutter head, oppositvely to the movement of said first unit the same distance from said travel path,
second adjusting means on the frame assembly for horizontally moving as a third unit the saw, guide rail, and cutter head at one side in selected horizontal amounts and for moving a fourth unit comprising the saw, guide rail, and cutter head at the outer side oppositely to the movement of said third unit the same distance from said travel path, whereby said travel path is always located midway between said first and second units and midway between said third and fourth units,
and infeed and outfeed conveyor means carried by said front assembly for moving a log with its longitudinal center axis traversing said travel path.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 05/539,930Filed 9 Jan 1975 · continuation
Priority: 16 Apr 1973
Granted: 27 Jan 1976
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

B27B 1/00
Methods for subdividing trunks or logs essentially involving sawing
B27C 1/08
Machines for producing flat surfaces, e.g. by rotary cutters; Equipment therefor: machines for working several sides of work simultaneously
B27L 11/007
Manufacture of wood shavings, chips, powder, or the like ; Tools therefor: combined with manufacturing a workpiece
B27B
Saws for wood or similar material