Method and apparatus for the variable position feeding of a gang saw

A method for feeding a workpiece into a gang saw sawblade cluster comprising the steps of

• (a) sequencing a workpiece onto a longitudinal drive means,
• (b) selectively longitudinally translating the workpiece from the longitudinal drive means into a gang saw sawblade cluster,
• (c) selectively positioning, by means of a selective positioning means, said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• (d) coordinating, during said step of selectively longitudinally translating said workpiece on said longitudinal drive means into said gang saw sawblade cluster, said selective longitudinal translation of said workpiece by said longitudinal drive means and said selective positioning of said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster according to an optimizing algorithm, wherein said optimizing algorithm operates on data, from a scanner, unique to said workpiece for generating a unique cutting solution for said workpiece,
• wherein the step of selectively positioning said longitudinal drive means comprises selectively raising and lowering said longitudinal drive means, by means of optimizing elevation means, so as to preset an optimized feed elevation of said workpiece, relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster.

A device for feeding a workpiece into a gang saw sawblade cluster comprising

• longitudinal drive means for selectively longitudinally translating a workpiece, which has been sequenced onto said longitudinal drive means, into a gang saw sawblade cluster,
• selective positioning means for selectively positioning said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein said selective positioning means includes an elevation means for selectively raising and lowering said longitudinal drive means, so as to preset a feed elevation of said workpiece, relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein said selective positioning means further includes a lateral translation means for selectively laterally translating said longitudinal drive means.

A device for feeding a workpiece into a gang saw sawblade cluster comprising

• longitudinal drive means for selectively longitudinally translating a workpiece, which has been sequenced onto said longitudinal drive means, into a gang saw sawblade cluster,
• selective positioning means for selectively positioning said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein said selective positioning means includes an elevation means for selectively raising and lowering said longitudinal drive means, so as to preset a feed elevation of said workpiece, relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein said selective positioning means further includes an active lateral translation means for actively selectively laterally translating said longitudinal drive means, so as to preset a starting feed position of said workpiece corresponding to a selected zone of said gang saw sawblade cluster and so as to actively position said workpiece, as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein said selective longitudinal translation of said workpiece by said longitudinal drive means and said selective positioning of said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster by said selective positioning means is selectively coordinated, by co-ordinating means, according to an optimizing algorithm, operating on scanned data corresponding to said workpiece, for generating a unique cutting solution for said workpiece.

A method for feeding a workpiece into a gang saw sawblade cluster comprising the steps of

• (a) sequencing a workpiece onto a longitudinal drive means,
• (b) selectively longitudinally translating the workpiece from the longitudinal drive means into a gang saw sawblade cluster,
• (c) selectively positioning, by means of a selective positioning means, said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein the step of selectively positioning said longitudinal drive means comprises selectively raising and lowering said longitudinal drive means, by means of elevation means, so as to preset a feed elevation of said workpiece, relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein the step of selectively positioning said longitudinal drive means comprises selectively laterally translating, by means of lateral translation means, said longitudinal drive means, so as to preset a starting feed position of said workpiece corresponding to a selected zone of said gang saw sawblade cluster and so as to actively position said workpiece, as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster.

A method for feeding a workpiece into a gang saw sawblade cluster comprising the steps of

• (a) sequencing a workpiece onto a longitudinal drive means,
• (b) selectively longitudinally translating the workpiece from the longitudinal drive means into a gang saw sawblade cluster,
• (c) selectively positioning, by means of a selective positioning means, said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein the step of selectively positioning said longitudinal drive means comprises selectively raising and lowering said longitudinal drive means, by means of elevation means, so as to preset a feed elevation of said workpiece, relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein the step of selectively positioning said longitudinal drive means comprises selectively laterally translating said longitudinal drive means by means of lateral translation means, so as to preset a starting feed position of said workpiece corresponding to a selected zone of said gang saw sawblade cluster and so as to actively position said workpiece, as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece into said gang saw sawblade cluster.

A device for feeding a workpiece into a gang saw sawblade cluster comprising

• longitudinal drive means for selectively longitudinally translating a workpiece, which has been sequenced onto said longitudinal drive means, into a gang saw sawblade cluster,
• selective positioning means for selectively positioning said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein said selective positioning means further includes an active lateral translation means for actively selectively laterally translating said longitudinal drive means, so as to preset a starting feed position of said workpiece corresponding to a selected zone of said gang saw sawblade cluster and so as to actively position said workpiece, as said longitudinal drive means translates said workpiece longitudinally into said gang saw sawblade cluster,
• wherein said selective longitudinal translation of said workpiece by said longitudinal drive means and said selective positioning of said longitudinal drive means relative to said gang saw sawblade cluster by said selective positioning means is selectively coordinated, by coordinating means, according to an optimizing algorithm, operating on scanned data corresponding to said workpiece, for generating a unique cutting solution for said workpiece.