Log sawing apparatus

Apparatus for sawing a log into one or more timbers having rectangular cross sections, comprising:

• a sawing station;
• a frame at the sawing station;
• a saw carriage mounted on the frame for reciprocating movement along a longitudinal path past the sawing station;
• a saw mounted on the carriage for movement therewith with the saw being aligned to saw a log lengthwise in a prescribed sawing plane;
• a first log aligning means at an orientation station for receiving a log and adjusting the orientation of the log to align the log with respect to a first alignment plane with the first alignment plane extending through the log ends defining a first log reference plane;
• a log loading means for transferring the aligned log from the orientation station to the sawing station and positioning the log at the sawing station with the first log reference plane parallel with the prescribed sawing plane to enable the saw to initially cut the log parallel with the first log reference plane;
• a log holding means at the sawing station for releasably gripping and holding the aligned log stationary while the log is being cut;
• a second log aligning means at the sawing station for subsequently adjusting the orientation of the log to further align the log with respect to a second alignment plane that is normal to the prescribed sawing plane with the second alignment plane extending through the log ends defining a second log reference plane that is normal to the first log reference plane;
• log rotating means at the sawing station for rotating the log 90.degree. when the log holding means releases the log to position the log with the second log reference plane parallel to the prescribed sawing plane to enable the saw to subsequently cut the log parallel with the second log reference plane normal to the second cut;
• lateral positioning means operatively connected to the log holding means for selectively moving the held log laterally with respect to the longitudinal path to enable the saw to cut the log at selected distances from one of the log reference planes;
• and
• drive means operatively connected to the saw carriage for moving the carriage back and forth along the longitudinal to sequentially saw the log into one or more timbers having a rectangular cross section.