System and method for bucking a stem
AssigneeGriffin Lumber Company
InventorsJesse Slade Griffin, William Henry Griffin, Jeremy Joseph Griffin, Charlie Julian Griffin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided is a method for bucking a stem that utilizes the combination of moving sensor and a fixed sensor. The fixed sensor measures a location of a first end of the stem travelling on a conveyor to determine a travel distance the first end has moved past the fixed sensor. The movable sensor measures a location of a second end of the stem to determine a sensor distance between the fixed sensor and the movable sensor. The length of the stem is determined by adding the travel distance to the sensor distance.
Claims9
A method for bucking a stem into logs comprising:
- conveying a stem in a first direction on a conveyor, the stem having a first end and a second end;
- determining when the first end passes a fixed sensor constructed to sense the first end of the stem passing by the fixed sensor while travelling on the conveyor, the fixed sensor is connected to a computer;
- after the first end is sensed by the fixed sensor, moving a movable sensor towards the second end and when the movable sensor senses a location of the second end the movable sensor stops moving, the movable sensor is connected to the computer;
- determining by the computer a travel distance the first end has travelled past the fixed sensor when the movable sensor senses the location of the second end;
- determining by the computer a sensor distance between the fixed sensor and the movable sensor when the movable sensor senses the location of the second end;
- adding by the computer the travel distance to the sensor distance to calculate a length of the stem;
- determining by the computer a buck location on the stem based on the length of the stem;
- and
- bucking the stem at the buck location to produce a log.
A method for bucking a stem into logs comprising:
- providing a conveyor constructed for conveying a stem in a first direction, the stem having a first end and a second end;
- providing a fixed sensor configured to sense when the first end of the stem passes by the fixed sensor while travelling on the conveyor;
- providing a movable sensor configured to move in the first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction as the conveyor moves to determine a location of the second end of the stem travelling on the conveyor;
- providing a computer connected to the movable sensor and the fixed sensor;
- conveying the stem in a first direction on the conveyor;
- determining by the computer when the first end passes the fixed sensor while travelling on the conveyor;
- moving the movable sensor towards the second end and the movable sensor sensing the location of the second end;
- the computer determining a travel distance the first end has travelled past the fixed sensor when the movable sensor senses the location of the second end;
- the computer determining a sensor distance between the fixed sensor and the movable sensor when the movable sensor senses the location of the second end;
- the computer adding the travel distance to the sensor distance to calculate a length of the stem;
- and
- the computer determining a buck location on the stem based on the length of the stem.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.