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US 4,457,350 AGranted
Lumber planing machine
OwnerJohn S. Finnilainventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lumber planing machine with mechanisms in several embodiments whereby equal thickness planing cuts are very accurately taken from the top and bottom surfaces of sawed lumber with capability of planing at a high rate of speed while automatically adjusting for variation in lumber thickness, and while maintaining a high level of accuracy in the planed lumber dimensions, and yet returning to former methods of specific planing cuts on the bottom surface under special circumstances.
Claims32
A method of planing sawed lumber to automatically plane equal thicknesses of wood from both the top and bottom of the lumber and to plane sides of the lumber to produce a planed board of a specified cross sectional size, in so doing keeping the removed planed waste wood to a minimum amount, comprising the steps of:
- (a) positioning a powered top planing cutter at a selectable planing height and at a location ahead of a bottom planing cutter to plane lumber to a preselected thickness;
- (b) positioning a powered bottom planing cutter at a fixed planing height and at a location beyond the powered top planing cutter to plane lumber to the preselected thickness;
- (c) positioning a pair of spaced side planing cutters at a selectable distance apart to plane lumber to a preselected width and at a location beyond the powered bottom planing cutter;
- (d) positioning a first top platen at a height adjustable location ahead of the powered top planing cutter and locating the top platen to guide an oncoming board of sawed lumber to the powered top planing cutter for a specified minimum selected depth of a planing cut;
- (e) positioning a first bottom platen at a height adjustable location ahead of the powered top planing cutter and at a location immediately below the first top platen for a specified minimum selected depth of a planing cut to be undertaken by the powered bottom planing cutter equalling the specified minimum selected depth of a planing cut to be undertaken by the powered top planing cutter;
- (f) operating the powered top and bottom planing cutters and the side planing cutters;
- (g) feeding a board of oncoming sawed lumber between the first top and first bottom platens;
- (h) sensing any upward movement of the first top platen caused by the entering end of the oncoming board of sawed lumber;
- (i) adjusting immediately the relative positions of the first top platen and first bottom platen so each platen is equally moved to center the oncoming board of sawed lumber between the planing cut depths of the respective powered top and bottom planing cutters thereby preparing for the equal planing cuts of the same depth of wood from the respective top and bottom of the board of lumber;
- and
- (j) feeding the sawed lumber respectively past the operating powered top, bottom and side cutters, thereby planing the same depth of wood from the respective top and bottom of the board of lumber and planing wood from both sides of the board of lumber to produce a planed board of lumber of the preselected cross sectional size.
8 more elements
A machine for planing the upper and lower surfaces of a pre-sawn board longitudinally advanced through said machine, comprising:
- (a) a frame having front and rear ends;
- (b) rearwardly disposed lower cutterhead means connected to said frame and adapted for planing on a first pre-selected plane said lower surface of said advancing board;
- (c) forwardly disposed upper displaceable cutterhead means connected to said frame and adapted for planing on a second pre-selected plane said upper surface of said advancing board;
- (d) said upper cutterhead means being displaceable for planing said board to a pre-selected thickness, said pre-selected thickness determined by a distance separating said first and second planes;
- (e) roller means disposed on said frame at generally said front end for longitudinally advancing a board to said rear end between said upper and lower cutterhead means;
- (f) upper displaceable platen means associated with said upper cutterhead means and connected to said frame intermediate said upper cutterhead means and said front end and including means mounted on said frame adapting said upper platen means to be displaced by said advancing board;
- (g) lower displaceable platen means operatively connected to and cooperating with said upper platen means;
- (h) said upper and lower platen means being interconnected by means for causing separation of said platens by said advancing board a distance equal to said board thickness;
- and,
- (i) whereby, displacement of said upper platen means causes oppositely directed associated displacement of said lower platen means and cooperating associated displacement of said upper platen means and whereby said distance separating said platens is maintained constant by said board so that said advancing board is aligned by said platens so that said upper and said lower cutterhead means plane said board on said first and second planes for thereby planing equal thicknesses from said upper and lower board surfaces so that said planed board has said pre-selected thickness.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.