Log scanning system
AssigneeU.S. Natural Resources, Inc.
InventorsWilliam E. Bolton, Jeffrey D. Ballance, Dale E. Campbell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A log stem scanning system for a bucking operation. The bucking operation includes a log deck with logs delivered laterally onto a log stem holder and from the holder onto the conveyor chain for conveying the log stems in sequence through the bucking saw. The log stem holder constitutes a component of a scanning station. An overhead support has a carriage that is guided along the holder. Scanners carried by the carriage obtain dimensional data of the vertical and lateral diameters of the log stems at selected cross sections and a laser beam transmitter on the carriage transmits the data to a stationary computer mounted at one or both ends of the scanning station.
Claims9
A log stem scanning system comprising;
- an overhead carriage support including a carriage guide extended along the length of the overhead carriage support from end to end thereof, a scanning carriage mounted to and movable on the carriage guide along the length of the overhead carriage support, control means for controllably moving the carriage from end to end relative to the overhead carriage support, scanning means mounted to the carriage for on-the-fly scanning of selected cross sections at the top, bottom and sides of a log stem held in place under the overhead carriage support, log stem supporting means for supporting a log stem in place under the overhead carriage support and along the path of the scanning means carried by the carriage and while supporting the log exposing the top, bottom and sides of the log to the scanning means, a computer means for analyzing scan data developed by said scanning means, and transmission means for transmitting scan data from the scanning means, and said computer means for receiving the transmitted data and for computing therefrom the desired segments to be cut from the log stem.
A system for scanning log stems being conveyed from a log stem holding area to a bucking station comprising;
- stop-and-loaders for lateral transfer of a log from a log stem holding area,
- a log stem conveyor means for conveying log stems longitudinally through a log bucking station including a bucking saw and computer-controlled log stops that cooperatively stop the log stem at a desired position relative to the bucking saw for sequential segmenting of the log stem,
- said conveyor means selectively positioned relative to the stop-and-loader whereby the log stems are laterally conveyed from the log stem holding area toward said conveyor means for depositing of the log stems sequentially from the log stem holding area onto the conveyor means, and the improvement that comprises;
- a log stem scanning station interjected between the log deck and conveyor means, said scanning station including a log stem supporting means for receiving a log stem from said log deck, holding the log in place and transferring the log stem onto the conveyor means, control means for controlling the receiving, holding and transferring functions of said log stem supporting means,
- said scanning station further including an overhead carriage support extending along the length of the log stem supporting means and over a log stem supported thereon, a scanning carriage supported on said overhead carriage support for guided movement along the support and along a log stem supported on said log stem supporting means, and scanning means carried by said scanning carriage for determining dimensions of the log stem at selected cross sections, and
- said scanning station further including computer means and data transmitting means for receiving and transmitting data from said scanning means to said computer means, said computer means adapted to compute an optimum cutting pattern for the log stem and from the computation the desired segmentation thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.