Shake resaw machine

Shake resaw apparatus for converting a generally rectilinear wooden blank into a pair of oppositely tapered shingles, each having a tip end and a butt end, comprising:

• a. a support table hingedly disposed for cooperative engagement with saw means for lateral movement with respect to a longitudinal feed axis along which a wooden blank progresses during a resaw sequence through said saw means, including a first tip-cutting stage, an intermediate diagonal-cutting stage, and a second tip-cutting stage;
• b. table control cam means for moving said support table at a predetermined rate in a lateral path relative to said feed axis during said resaw sequence, including a cam member secured to a drive shaft for coincident rotation therewith and a cooperative cam follower including linkage means in operative engagement with said support table;
• c. first and second blank guide means having variable lateral stiffness, one of each disposed on either side of said feed axis forwardly proximate a saw blade location thereon, for cooperatively routing said blank along a variable, predetermined resaw path, each of said guide means including first and second transverse arrays of guide fingers having proximal and distal ends disposed for lateral pivotal movement about a pivot point intermediate the length thereof, roller means at the distal end of said fingers for contacting said blank, variable biasing means at the proximal ends of said fingers for tensioning said fingers and biasing same for movement in a direction counter to said resaw path, and stop means disposed intermediate said pivot point and said proximal end for limiting pivotal movement of said fingers in a direction counter to said resaw path;
• d. first guide control cam means for regulating the lateral stiffness of said first blank guide means during said resaw sequence, permitting lateral deflection thereof during said first tip-cutting stage and establishing guiding-effective stiffness to provide a generally rigid guiding surface for said blank during the remainder of said sequence, comprising a first guide control cam secured for coincident rotation with said drive shaft and cooperative first cam follower and linkage members, wherein said first linkage member is in operative communication with said variable biasing means for said first guide control means, whereby rotation of said first guide control cam tensions said variable biasing means during said intermediate diagonal-cutting stage and said second tip-cutting stage to provide a generally rigid guiding surface for said blank;
• and,
• e. a second guide control cam means for regulating the lateral stiffness of said second blank guide means during said resaw sequence, permitting lateral deflection thereof during said second tip-cutting stage and establishing guiding-effective stiffness to provide a generally rigid guiding surface for said blank during the remainder of said sequence, comprising a second guide control cam secured for coincident rotation with said drive shaft and cooperative second cam follower and linkage members, wherein said second linkage member is in operative communication with said variable biasing means for said second guide control means, whereby rotation of said second guide control cam tensions said variable biasing means during said first tip-cutting stage and said intermediate diagonal-cutting stage to provide a generally rigid guiding surface for said blank.