Band sawmill

A sawmill for cutting planks from logs, including an elongated main frame, a portion of which comprises a cradle or bunk to support a log horizontally for cutting, a saw-supporting sub-frame mounted on said main frame for reciprocatory horizontal movement along a substantial portion of its length including the said cradle portion, an endless band saw mounted on said subframe for movement therewith toward the rear end of the main frame in its cutting travel and toward the front end thereof in its return travel, an operator controlled drive mechanism for placing the bandsaw in operation and for reciprocating the subframe and including mechanism for loading a log in the cradle, and means for incrementally advancing the log into the path of the cutting travel of the saw at a right angle, the mechanism for loading a log in the cradle comprising two sets of forks arranged to pivot about a horizontal axis extending parallel to the main frame and generally transversely opposite the cradle, the sets being disposed at an angle to each other from the pivot axis, and the sets being arranged to pivot from a first position where one set may receive a log and lift it as the sets pivot toward a second position wherein the log rolls off said first set and then off the other set of forks into the cradle, a rollcase carried by the sub-frame and projecting toward the front end of the main frame and positioned with respect to the saw to receive a plank cut from a cradled log and to carry it forward to a mill operator near the front end of the main frame.

A sawmill for cutting planks from logs, including an elongated main frame, a portion of which comprises a cradle or bunk to support a log horizontally for cutting, a saw-supporting sub-frame mounted on said main frame for reciprocatory horizontal movement along a substantial portion of its length including the said cradle portion, an endless band saw mounted on said subframe for movement therewith toward the rear end of the main frame in its cutting travel and toward the front end thereof in its return travel, an operator controlled drive mechanism for placing the bandsaw in operation and for reciprocating the subframe and including mechanism for loading a log in the cradle, and means for incrementally advancing the log into the path of the cutting travel of the saw at a right angle, the mechanism for loading a log in the cradle comprising two sets of forks arranged to pivot about a horizontal axis extending parallel to the main frame and generally transversely opposite the cradle, the sets being disposed at an angle to each other from the pivot axis, and the sets being arranged to pivot from a first position where one set may receive a log and lift it as the sets pivot toward a second position wherein the log rolls off said first set and then off the other set of forks into the cradle, said band saw being mounted on the sub-frame with its active cutting portion inclined at an acute angle to vertical from an apex below the cradled log whereby to define the plane of cut at said angle to vertical.