Log processing apparatus and method

A method for removing material from the exterior surface of a log, comprising the steps of:

• supporting said log in a log-receiving cradle defined between the surface of an elongate cylindrical drum and the peripheries of a plurality of toothed rollers positioned closely adjacent to the surface of said drum, said drum including a plurality of cutters arrayed along the length of said drum and extending outwardly therefrom;
• rotating said elongate cylindrical drum about its longitudinal axis in a first direction such that said cutters engage said log and remove material therefrom;
• and
• rotating said log by rotating said plurality of toothed rollers.

An apparatus for debarking, rounding, sizing, and chipping logs comprising:

• a horizontally disposed cylindrical drum including a plurality of cutters arrayed along the length of said elongate cylindrical drum and extending outwardly from the surface thereof;
• means for rotating said elongate cylindrical drum about its longitudinal axis;
• and
• means engaging the circumferential surface of a log for guiding said log against said elongate cylindrical drum along essentially the entire length of said log comprising:
• a first plurality of toothed rollers rotatable about an axis extending along the longitudinal axis of said elongate cylindrical drum and below the horizontal plane of said drum axis;
• a second plurality of toothed rollers rotatable about a movable axis extending about said longitudinal axis of said elongate cylindrical drum at a greater distance therefrom than the axis of said first plurality of toothed rollers;
• means for rotating said first and second rollers in synchronization so as to cause a log engaging said rollers to rotate in a direction opposite to the rotation of said elongate cylindrical drum at a speed slower than said elongate cylindrical drum;
• and
• means for selectively moving said second plurality of toothed rollers from an upper position generally equal to or higher than said drum to a lower position generally lower than said drum.