Method and apparatus for processing log for sawmill including end dogging carriage which rotationally repositions log to cutting position determined by computer after non-rotational scanning

A log processing apparatus for a sawmill, comprising:

• a carriage system for conveying a log through log cutting devices;
• a first end dog device connected to said carriage system for engaging one end of the log;
• a second end dog device connected to said carriage system for the other end of the log to clamp the log between said dog devices;
• rotational drive means for rotating at least one of said first and second end dog devices into different angular positions to reposition the log after it is clamped between said dog devices into a cutting position before it is conveyed through the cutting devices;
• and
• where only the first end dog is connected to the rotational drive means, and the second end dog is provided with a plurality of laterally spaced idler chucks which are selectively moved into engagement with the other end of the log to cause the log to rotate about one selected chuck during the repositioning of the log into its cutting position and to prevent further rotation of the log from said cutting position by engagement of the log with at least two chucks.

A method of processing logs for a sawmill, comprising the steps of:

• scanning the log with a scanner to produce scan data for determining the configuration of said log;
• processing the scan data with a computer to determine a cutting solution for cutting that log into boards;
• transferring the log from the scanner to a log carriage for conveying the log through log cutting devices;
• rotating the log while its opposite ends are engaged by first and second end dogs of said carriage to reposition the log into a cutting position for cutting the log in said optimum cutting solution;
• and
• conveying the log in said cutting position through said cutting devices.

An end dog apparatus for a log carriage, comprising:

• a first end dog device including a rotatable dog member;
• a drive mechanism for rotating the rotatable dog member to rotate a log engaged at one end by said dog member into different angular positions;
• and
• a second end dog device including at least one chuck member for engaging the other end of the log to enable said log to rotate about the axis of said one chuck member.