Apparatus and method for removing board edge waste strips in a ripsawing operation

In a ripsawing operation in which an incoming board is fed lengthwise along a longitudinal direction into a ripsaw and is sawn to produce one or more usable boards and in which opposite edges of the incoming board are removed to become two waste strips, the usable board(s) and the waste strips being carried away from the ripsaw atop an outfeed conveyor that conveys the usable board(s) and the waste strips in the longitudinal direction,

• an apparatus for removing the waste strips and diverting the waste strips along paths different from that of the usable board(s), the apparatus comprising:
• a first air-blasting unit comprising one or more first air nozzles;
• a second air-blasting unit comprising one or more second air nozzles;
• and
• a positioning mechanism that positions the first and second air-blasting units generally above the outfeed conveyor, the positioning mechanism comprising a linear movement mechanism operable for independently adjusting the positions of the first and second air-blasting units with respect to a lateral direction that is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction, such that air from the first air nozzle(s) impinges on one of the waste strips to move the waste strip laterally and away from one side of the usable board(s), and air from the second air nozzle(s) impinges on the other waste strip to move the waste strip laterally and away from the other side of the usable board(s).

An arrangement comprising:

• a ripsaw operable to receive an incoming board fed lengthwise along a longitudinal direction into the ripsaw and to saw the board into one or more usable boards and to separate opposite edges of the incoming board, which become two waste strips;
• an outfeed conveyor adjacent a discharge side of the ripsaw for receiving the usable board(s) and the waste strips atop the outfeed conveyor and carrying the usable board(s) and the waste strips in the longitudinal direction away from the ripsaw;
• and
• an apparatus for removing the waste strips and diverting the waste strips along paths different from that of the usable board(s), the apparatus comprising:
• a first air-blasting unit comprising one or more first air nozzles;
• a second air-blasting unit comprising one or more second air nozzles;
• and
• a positioning mechanism that positions the first and second air-blasting units generally above the outfeed conveyor, the positioning mechanism comprising a linear movement mechanism operable for independently adjusting the positions of the first and second air-blasting units with respect to a lateral direction that is generally transverse to the longitudinal direction, such that air from the first air nozzle(s) impinges on one of the waste strips to move the waste strip laterally and away from one side of the usable board(s), and air from the second air nozzle(s) impinges on the other waste strip to move the waste strip laterally and away from the other side of the usable board(s).