Machine for conveying lumber or logs of wood

A machine for conveying logs of wood, each log of wood having a width falling within a given range, the machine comprising:

• a frame having two opposites sides, a front and a back, the logs being conveyed in a conveying direction from the front towards the back of the frame;
• at least two parallel conveying shafts rotatably mounted on the frame, and being substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction, each shaft having an axis of rotation;
• rotating means for rotating each shaft about said axis of rotation at a desired speed in a direction corresponding to the conveying direction;
• at least two toothed circular plates mounted on each shaft, each plate having a radius and extending in a plane crossing the axis of rotation of the shafts, the plates of a shaft being offset with respect to the plates of an adjacent shaft, each tooth of each plate being spaced apart from an adjacent tooth by a distance which corresponds substantially to the range of diameter of the logs and defining a space therebetween for receiving at least a portion of a log, the teeth of the plates mounted on a same shaft being aligned;
• a tray overlying the conveying shafts and having slots therein receiving the toothed plates so that said plates project upwardly through said slots;
• and
• a plurality of obstructing members mounted on the tray and protruding between the plates of two adjacent conveying shafts in order to block an additional log of wood transferred together with a first log of wood from the plates of a conveying shaft to the plates of an adjacent downstream conveying shaft from being conveyed with the first log of wood piece;
• wherein each shaft is spaced from an adjacent shaft by a distance at least equal to the radius of a toothed plate.

A machine for conveying lumber, each lumber having a width falling within a given range, the machine comprising:

• a frame having two opposite sides, a font and a back, the lumber being conveyed in an conveying direction from the front towards the back of the frame;
• at least two parallel conveying shafts rotatably mounted on the frame, and being substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction, each shaft having an axis of rotation;
• rotating means for rotating each shaft about said axis or rotation at a desired speed in a direction corresponding to the conveying direction;
• at least two toothed circular plates mounted on each shaft, each plate having a radius and extending in a plane crossing the axis of rotation of the shafts, the plates of a shaft being offset with respect to the plates of an adjacent shaft, each tooth of each plate being spaced apart from an adjacent tooth by a distance which corresponds substantially to the range of diameter of the lumber and defining a space therebetween for receiving at least a portion of a lumber, the teeth of the plates mounted on a same shaft being aligned;
• a tray overlying the conveying shafts and having slots therein receiving the toothed plates so that said plates project upwardly through said slots;
• and
• a plurality of obstructing members mounted on the tray and protruding between the plates of two adjacent conveying shafts in order to block an additional lumber transferred together with a first lumber from the plates of a conveying shaft to the plates of an adjacent downstream conveying shaft from being conveyed with the first lumber;
• wherein each shaft is spaced from an adjacent shaft by a distance at least to the radius of a toothed plate.

A machine for conveying logs of wood, each log of wood having a width falling within a given range, the machine comprising;

• a frame having two opposite sides, a front and a back, the lumber being conveyed in a conveying direction from the front towards the back of the frame;
• a plurality parallel conveying shafts rotatably mounted on the frame, and being substantially perpendicular to the conveying direction, each shaft having an axis of rotation, said plurality of shafts comprising at least two upstream conveying shafts and at least two downstream conveying shafts, the upstream conveying shafts lying in a first plane inclined with respect the horizontal, the downstream conveying shafts lying in a second plane inclined with respect to the horizontal, the second plane being parallel and spaced from the first plane so that the logs are conveyed upwardly by the upstream conveying shafts, and are then dropped onto the downstream conveying shafts which convey said logs upwardly;
• a log receiving area between the upstream conveying shafts and the downstream conveying shafts for receiving and holding the logs conveyed by the upstream conveying shafts prior to the logs being conveyed by the downstream shafts;
• rotating means for rotating each shaft about said axis of rotation at a desired speed in a direction corresponding to the conveying direction;
• and
• at least two toothed circular plates mounted on each shaft, each plate having a radius and extending in a plane crossing the axis of rotation of the shafts, the plates of a shaft being offset with respect to the plates of an adjacent shaft, each tooth of each plate being spaced apart from an adjacent tooth by a distance which corresponds substantially to the range of diameter of the log of wood and defining a space therebetween for receiving at least a portion of a log of wood, the teeth of the plates mounted on a same shaft being aligned;
• wherein each shaft is spaced from an adjacent shaft by a distance at least equal to the radius of a toothed plate;
• and
• wherein the downstream conveying shafts are driven in rotation at a speed higher than a given speed of rotation of the upstream conveying shafts.