US 6,230,602 B1Granted

Resaw for cutting multiple boards simultaneously

OwnerEdward L. Bakerinventor

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Abstract

A resaw includes a frame having at least one head. The head includes a horizontal mounting beam with four wheels operatively mounted to the mounting beam. The wheels comprise an inner pair of wheels and an outer pair of wheels. The centers of the inner wheels are vertically offset from the center of the outer wheels. A band blade is mounted about the four wheels to define a first blade portion and a second blade portion which are spaced from each other. A single head can simultaneously make two slices in a cant to cut two or more boards from the cant. The inner and outer wheels can be moved as a unit relative to the path of travel of a cant and the inner wheels can be moved relative to the outer wheels to enable adjustment of the thickness of the boards cut from the cant. In variations, the resaw can have two heads, and each head can have one, two, or more band blades. With a two head resaw, four slices can simultaneously be made in the cant. Where each head of the two head resaw has two band blades, eight slices can simultaneously be cut in the cant.

A resaw for substantially simultaneously making four or more slices in a cant to cut four or more boards from the cant in a single pass through the resaw;

the resaw having a frame, two heads mounted to said frame, and an inlet and outlet defining a path of travel of the cant through the resaw;
each said head including;
a mounting beam extending perpendicularly to said path of travel;
said mounting beam being mounted to said frame to be movable perpendicularly to the path of travel;
a first outer wheel, a second outer wheel, a first inner wheel and a second inner wheel operatively mounted to said mounting beam;
the inner wheels having centers offset from centers of the outer wheels along a plane perpendicular to the path of travel, and a centerline extends through the centers of the inner wheels;
said inner wheels being movable relative to said outer wheels to adjust the relative positions thereof;
and
a band blade comprising a first blade portion and a second blade portion;
said blade portions being substantially parallel to each other in a plane perpendicular to the path of travel of the cant;
the band blade being threaded about the wheels such that the first blade portion moves in a first direction and the second blade portion moves in a second opposite direction, and such that said blade portions are disposed on the same side of said centerline;
said first and second blade portions being driven generally perpendicularly across said path of travel of the cant;
whereby the movement of said inner wheels relative to said outer wheels alters the distance between said blade first portion and said blade second portion;
said heads being mounted to said frame such that the first blade portions of the band blade of each head are proximate each other;
at least one of said heads being movable relative to the other of said heads to selectively adjust the distance between the band blades;
whereby the distance between the cuts made by the band blade first portions can be selectively altered.

13 more elements

Abstract

Claims12