Automated lumber retrieval and delivery

A lumber handling method involving the use of lumber, a board picker movable horizontally along a board retrieval direction to and from a delivered position, a plurality of lumber supports movable horizontally in a lateral direction traversing the board retrieval direction, a material handling vehicle and a board receiving area, the lumber handling method comprising:

• defining a work area;
• defining a service area laterally offset to the work area;
• segregating the lumber by board size to create a plurality of lumber stacks that are distinguishable by board size;
• loading the plurality of lumber stacks on the plurality of lumber supports such that each lumber support of the plurality of lumber supports holds one of the plurality of lumber stacks;
• defining a plurality of shuttle paths extending in the lateral direction between the work area and the service area, the plurality of shuttle paths corresponding to the plurality of lumber supports;
• via the plurality of shuttle paths, selectively translating the plurality of lumber supports individually between the work area and the service area;
• the board picker repeatedly translating in the board retrieval direction over the work area, thereby transporting a plurality of boards individually from the plurality of lumber stacks in the work area to the delivered position;
• and
• the material handling vehicle replenishing a chosen lumber support of the plurality of lumber supports by:
• a) moving one lumber support of the plurality of lumber supports from the work area to the service area, wherein the one lumber support travels along one shuttle path of the plurality of shuttle paths;
• b) the material handling vehicle traveling in the board retrieval direction to deliver an additional set of boards to the chosen lumber support, wherein the chosen lumber support is in one of the work area and the service area;
• and
• c) moving the one lumber support of the plurality of lumber supports from the service area back to the work area, wherein the one lumber support travels along the one shuttle path.

A lumber handling method comprising:

• placing a board on a lumber support such that an upward facing surface of the board is tilted at an incline;
• driving a piercing tool in a downward direction through the upward facing surface of the board such that the piercing tool penetrates the board to become fastened thereto;
• raising the piercing tool with the board fastened thereto, thereby lifting the board from the lumber support while the board hangs suspended from the piercing tool;
• while the board hangs from the piercing tool, moving the piercing tool and the board in translation from above the lumber support to a delivery position;
• and
• extracting the piercing tool from the board, thereby releasing the board at the delivery position.

A lumber handling method involving the use of lumber, a board picker movable horizontally along a board retrieval direction to and from a delivered position, a plurality of separate lumber supports, and a multi-size lumber support, the board picker comprising a piercing tool, the lumber handling method comprising:

• defining a work area;
• segregating the lumber by board size to create a plurality of lumber stacks that are distinguishable by board size, wherein board length and board width are two characteristics of board size;
• loading the plurality of lumber stacks on the plurality of separate lumber supports such that each separate lumber support of the plurality of separate lumber supports holds one of the plurality of lumber stacks of a given board size;
• storing a supplemental plurality of boards in the multi-size lumber support disposed in the work area, the supplemental plurality of boards having an assortment of board sizes that differ from that of the lumber on the plurality of separate lumber supports;
• generating a board request for a set of boards of various sizes, wherein the set of boards of various sizes includes a supplemental board from the multi-size lumber support and at least one board from the plurality of boards stacked on the plurality of separate lumber supports;
• the board picker repeatedly translating in the board retrieval direction over the work area;
• the board picker driving the piercing tool into the at least one board from the plurality of boards stacked on the plurality of separate lumber supports;
• suspending from the piercing tool, the at least one board from the plurality of boards stacked on the plurality of separate lumber supports;
• the piercing tool releasing at the delivered position, the at least one board from the plurality of boards stacked on the plurality of separate lumber supports;
• the board picker driving the piercing tool into the supplemental board that is in the multi-size lumber support;
• suspending the supplemental board from the piercing tool;
• and
• the piercing tool releasing the supplemental board at the delivered position.