US 4,397,343 AGranted

Log scanning in veneer lathe to determine optimum yield axis

AssigneeThe Coe Manufacturing Company

InventorFred W. Fields

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Abstract

Apparatus is disclosed for scanning a log with light or other electromagnetic radiation while such log is rotated by the spindles of a veneer lathe to determine its optimum yield axis and for positioning the log with positioning arms to align such optimum yield axis with the lathe spindle axis. The scanning means detects light reflected from the log or light transmitted past the side of a log to determine its optimum yield axis. The positioning arms are mounted on support arms having a horizontal sliding pivot at one end thereof to provide vertical and horizontal adjustment of the positioning arms in response to positioning motors. The positioning motors move the positioning arms to align the optimum yield axis of the log with the lathe spindle axis and are controlled by the output of a computer which determines the optimum yield axis.

Claims21

Dependent claims

Veneer lathe log scanning and positioning apparatus, comprising:

lathe spindle means for engaging the opposite ends of a log and for rotating said log about a spindle axis;
lathe knife means for peeling a sheet of wood veneer from said log as it is rotated by said spindle means about said spindle axis when said knife means is moved into engagement with the side of said log;
scanning means for scanning said log with electromagnetic radiation as said log is rotated by said spindle means about said spindle axis to determine the optimum yield axis of said log for the optimum production of veneer;
positioning means for engaging said log after scanning and for adjusting the position of said log after disengaging the spindle means to an aligned position where its optimum yield axis is aligned with the spindle axis;
control means for causing said spindle means to engage said log prior to and during scanning, for causing said spindle means to disengage from said log after it is engaged by said positioning means, and for causing said spindle means to engage said log in said aligned position;
and carriage means for moving said knife means into engagement with the side of said log in said aligned position.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.