Collection of lumber pieces from spaced stacks

Apparatus for collecting elongate lumber pieces comprising;

• a vehicle for moving in a working direction across the ground between stacks on the ground of the lumber to be collected;
• a transport conveyer mounted on the vehicle for conveying the lumber pieces from the stack on the ground to a transport container;
• and a picking assembly for lifting the lumber pieces from the ground onto the conveyer, the picking assembly comprising;
• a conveyer table having a conveyer section thereon for transporting the lumber pieces from a forward feed end of the conveyor table adjacent the ground to a rear discharge end of the conveyer section;
• means mounting the conveyer table for movement of the forward end vertically up and down for adjustment of a height of the forward end;
• means mounting the conveyer table for movement of the forward end horizontally side to side for adjustment of a distance of the forward end relative to the vehicle;
• a single feed conveyer on one side only of the forward end at one end of the picker roller for moving lumber pieces contacting the feed conveyer rearwardly toward the conveyer section;
• the feed conveyer having a conveyer surface defined by one run of an endless belt carried on a pair of vertical drive rollers;
• and a single pusher plate on the other side only of the forward end opposite to the feed conveyer for pushing the lumber pieces toward the single feed conveyer, the pusher plate being pivotally mounted on the conveyer table for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis such that a forward end of the pusher member moves generally horizontally toward the feed conveyer for co-operation therewith to tend to turn an end of an elongate lumber piece engaging the feed conveyer rearwardly onto the conveyer section.