Cutting – With means to monitor and control operation – Including means to correct the sensed operation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-16
2001-08-28
Bray, W Donald (Department: 3725)
Cutting
With means to monitor and control operation
Including means to correct the sensed operation
C083S102000, C083S109000, C083S368000, C083S371000, C083S425400, C083S508300, C083S104000, C144S242100, C144S379000, C144S357000, C209S518000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279441
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to log processing systems for cutting full length logs into a number of lengths and cleared of waste sections to suit further processing to maximize yield.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Log processing systems have been developed to cut full length logs (stems) such as to discard unwanted shapes and other waste longitudinal increments and at the same time divide the remainder of the log into a number of lengths suitable for further saw milling programmed to achieve a maximum yield. Most of these systems are based on the concept of longitudinally advancing a log on a conveyor having a gap for operation of a cutoff saw, and using a number of incrementally spaced log stops located downstream of the gap to set the lengths to be cut responsive to a programmed extension and retraction of the stops. This requires that the conveyor be stopped for each cut, and hence is inherently a relatively slow procedure. There are some systems which are more sophisticated, but none are known to applicant that will consistently achieve more than about 15 cuts/minute although there is a need for a faster cutting system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims to provide an improved log processing system capable of handling for example, six log stems/min. up to 25 meters long, and cutting them in five places to produce an average of six random lengths including rejects (waste). To this end a log handling tipple system was developed to function in conjunction with multiple linear moving saw carriages allowing a non-incremental cutting operation. The cutting is performed by circular saws which are swing-mounted on the carriages and operate simultaneously. The tipple system is fed with logs from an indexing loader such as a log ladder, and the logs are held down during cutting by log clamps mounted on the saw carriages. Dimension cut stems and waste pieces are discharged by the tipple system onto longitudinal conveyors on opposite sides.
The tipple system comprises a row of tipple units each having a pair of arms or wings (tipples) pivoted on a common axis to swing at opposite sides of a longitudinal support between upwardly sloped and downwardly sloped positions. The tipples are controlled to selectively occupy log support, log discharge, waste discharge, and saw cut positions in concert with operation of the loader, positioning of the saw carriages, and operation of the saws and log clamps on the carriages. When a tipple unit is in the saw cut position, a saw can cut completely through the log at the tipple position without engaging the unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1802514 (1931-04-01), Johnson
patent: 4040459 (1977-08-01), Bush, Jr. et al.
patent: 4170911 (1979-10-01), Ayers et al.
patent: 4294149 (1981-10-01), Olsson
patent: 4468993 (1984-09-01), McCown et al.
patent: 6032564 (2000-03-01), Bowlin
Bray W Donald
Nicholson Manufacturing Company
Seed IP Law Group PLLC
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