Automatic sawmill apparatus
AssigneeSeneca Sawmill Company, Inc.
InventorsAaron U. Jones, Francis E. Allen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cant or plank is moved forwardly on a conveyor system, where its irregular leading lateral edge is measured by a plurality of fixed scanners. In response to measurement of the cant, conveyor movement is altered for orienting the cant relative to a fixed saw line to be executed by a movable saw. The cant is held or clamped in stationary position while the saw is moved on a carriage relative thereto, resulting in severing of the undesired irregular forward edge. The sawn edge is employed as a reference as the cant is then moved forwardly on a conveyor system, where the measurements obtained from the scanners may be further utilized in cutting the cant into desired widths.
Claims22
Apparatus for processing cants sawn from logs and characterized by a longitudinal dimension acquired lengthways from a said log and a width dimension acquired crossways of said log and having at least one irregular lateral edge, said apparatus comprising:
- means for detecting irregularities along the lateral edge of said cant,
- means for relatively positioning said cant and a saw line in response to said detection so that said saw line is disposed along said irregular lateral edge and intersects the same at a plane substantially inward from irregularities of said lateral edge,
- a power saw adapted for cutting said lateral edge,
- and means for moving said power saw longitudinally of said cant along said saw line while said cant is in a stationary position for sawing a straight lateral edge along said cant to remove said irregularities.
Apparatus for processing cants sawn from logs characterized by a longitudinal dimension acquired lengthways from a said log and width dimension acquired crossways of said log and having at least one irregular lateral edge, said apparatus comprising:
- means for moving the cant laterally with said irregular edge leading,
- means positioned along the direction of movement of said cant for detecting irregularities in the forward lateral edge thereof,
- said means for moving being responsive to said detection for angularly moving said cant, discontinuing forward movement of said cant and holding said cant in a stationary position intersecting a saw line disposed along the said irregular edge of said cant substantially tangent along selected inner irregularities thereof,
- a power saw adapted for cutting said lateral edge,
- and means for moving said saw longitudinally of said cant along said saw line while said cant is in a stationary position for substantially removing irregularities on the said lateral edge of said cant.
An apparatus for processing cants sawn from logs and characterized by a longitudinal dimension acquired lengthways from a said log and a width dimension acquired crossways of said log and having at least one irregular lateral edge, comprising:
- first conveyor means for receiving said cants and propelling the same lengthways toward a stop for even ending said cants,
- second conveyor means for individually receiving said cants for moving said cants laterally with a said irregular lateral edge in leading position,
- a plurality of pin stops located along said second conveyor means wherein said pin stops are spaced farther apart along said second conveyor means than the width of said cants and hold said cants against forward movement as said second conveyor means tends to move said cants, said pin stops being operable for lowering and allowing said cants to pass one at a time to positions between the next pairs of pin stops,
- third conveyor means for individually receiving said cants from said second conveyor means, said third conveyor means being controlled for positioning movement,
- a plurality of scanners located adjacent said third conveyor means and responsive to the forward irregular lateral edge of said cants as said cants move on said third conveyor means relative to said scanners, said third conveyor means being responsive to said scanners for positioning a cant relative to a saw line for intersecting a said cant substantially within irregularities on the lateral edge thereof,
- clamping means for holding a said cant after positioning thereof by said third conveyor means,
- and a saw movable across the path of said third conveyor means at the forward edge of said third conveyor means for sawing a said cant along said saw line while said cant is held by said clamping means, substantially to remove the irregularities from the forward edge of said cant.
Apparatus for processing cants sawn from logs characterized by a longitudinal dimension acquired lengthways from a said log and a width dimension acquired crossways of said log and having at least one irregular lateral edge, said apparatus comprising:
- a conveyor system for receiving and moving a plurality of cants with irregular edges leading, said conveyor system including means for receiving and spacing said cants along said conveyor system for substantially simultaneous movement in spaced relation to one another,
- means positioned along the direction of movement of said cants adjacent said conveyor system for detecting irregularities in the forward lateral edge of each said cant,
- said conveyor system including conveyor means for moving said cants relative to said means for detecting irregularities and being responsive to detection of irregularities for angularly moving each said cant to a stationary position intersecting a saw line disposed along the irregular lateral edge of each said cant substantially within irregularities thereof,
- a power saw adapted for cutting said lateral edge of each said cant,
- and means for moving said power saw longitudinally of each cant along said saw line while a said cant is in a stationary position for substantially removing irregularities on the said lateral edge of said cant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.