Woodworking – Process – Securing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-31
2001-08-28
Bray, W. Donald (Department: 3725)
Woodworking
Process
Securing
C144S091000, C144S329000, C144S330000, C144S335000, C144S346000, C144S352000, C144S367000, C156S304100, C156S304500, C052S749100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279629
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD: The subject invention is in the field of harvesting and milling trees, particularly the smaller diameter trees such as those harvested in the process of thinning trees on tree farms. The supply of wood is diminishing while the need for it is increasing and therefore it has become economically feasible and more important to use the smaller trees and to use them as efficiently as possible in terms of using as much of the tree as feasible while improving the quality of the end product called lumber.
In conventional milling of the smaller diameter trees, the trunks are cut into logs having lengths of 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 24 feet, depending on the diameters of the tapered trunks at their bases. The logs are then sawed to produce rough sawn lumber and there is considerable wastage, particularly when the end product is geometrically perfect rough sawn lumber. Significant reduction of wastage and end product improvement are achieved using techniques disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,723, issued to the inventor of the subject invention. These techniques involve sawing the logs so that they have two parallel flat sides or a basically rectangular or square cross section shape with radiused corners called wanes. These logs are then sawn in half lengthwise and the halves reassembled with the outer surfaces that are parallel to the saw-cut glued together. The reassembled logs are then sawed in half lengthwise again with the cut perpendicular to the outer surfaces, yielding two boards flat on three sides and having an indentation in the center of the fourth side. This product has high quality because the wood originally at the center of the log is at its exterior where its superior strength is most effective. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,723 explains in considerable detail the fabrication of a variety of wooden structural units made from this product. In the procedures disclosed in patent ′723 harvested logs are used in their harvested condition and lengths. This incurs some wastage because, since the trees are tapered and the product is not, the material removed in eliminating the taper is wasted.
The simultaneous increasing need for wood and decreasing supply make it important to further increase the efficiency of producing, from smaller diameter trees, the wood products described above by decreasing wastage and further improving the quality of the end products. Accordingly, the objective of the subject invention is to provide a method for more efficient use of smaller diameter trees, decreasing wastage and further improving quality of the end products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention is a method for more efficient use of smaller diameter trees, i.e. trees having diameters in a range of 3 inches to 12 inches, some of the uses being based on techniques disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,723. Wastage is reduced and product quality is improved by the subject method.
In executing the method described below, fallen trees are cut into segments and the cuts are made at points at which the diameters of the tree are suitable to production, with minimal wastage, of wooden structural units which have specific cross sectional dimensions and similar grain patterns and structure; i.e. similar cross sectional conditions. For purposes of this disclosure these points are called cutting points.
Starting with felled trees, the basic method comprises the steps of:
1. Cutting felled trees at cutting points into a plurality of segments which, naturally, are tapered, each segment having a length, a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, the length being in a range of random lengths such that the larger end diameter is in a range of 0.2 to 2.0 inches larger than the smaller end diameter, with 0.2 inch preferred;
2. selecting, from the plurality of segments cut from one or more trees, a plurality of groups of segments which have smaller end diameters different in a range of 0.0 to 2.0 inches with 0.0 preferred;
3. joining segments from each group end-to-end to form reconstituted logs of optimum lengths for processing into wooden structural units;
A first modification of the basic method comprises the steps of:
1. Cutting felled trees transversely to remove defective portions such as knots, split portions and warped portions;
2. cutting the remaining portions at cutting points into segments which are, naturally, tapered, each segment having a length, a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, the length being in a range of random lengths such that the larger diameter end is in a range of 0.2 to 2.0 inches larger than the smaller diameter end;
3. selecting, from the plurality of segments cut from the remaining portion of one or more trees, a plurality of groups of segments which have smaller end diameters different in a range of 0.0 to 2.0 inches with 0.0 preferred;
4. joining segments from each group end-to-end to form reconstituted logs of optimum lengths for processing into wooden structural units.
A second modification of the basic method comprises the steps of:
1. Cutting felled trees at cutting points into a plurality of segments which, naturally, are tapered, each segment having a length, a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, the length being in a range of random lengths such that the larger end diameter is in a range of 0.2 to 2.0 inches larger than the smaller end diameter, with 0.2 inch preferred;
2. processing the segments with processing varying from minimal trimming to cutting lengthwise into a plurality of pieces, each of the pieces having specific cross sectional conditions;
3. selecting, from the plurality of segments and pieces cut from one or more trees, a plurality of groups of segments and pieces which have closely similar cross sectional conditions;
4. joining segments and pieces from each group end-to-end to form wooden structural units.
For purposes of this disclosure the term “minimal trimming” means cutting, from the surfaces of trees and segments, irregularities such as knots and small branch stubs which could interfere with the handling of a tree or segment. Also, the wording “cross sectional condition” refers to the shape, dimensions and grain structure of the cross section of a tree, segment or piece of a segment. Dimensional similarity means dimensions equal to 2.0 inches different.
A third modification of the basic method comprises the steps of:
1. cutting felled trees transversely to remove defective portions such as knots, split portions and warped portions;
2. cutting the remaining portions at cutting points into a plurality of segments which are, naturally, tapered, each segment having a length, a larger diameter end and a smaller diameter end, the length being in a range of random lengths such that the larger diameter end is in a range of 0.2 to 2.0 inches larger than the smaller diameter end;
3. selecting, from the plurality of segments cut from the remaining portions of one or more trees, a plurality of groups of segments which have smaller end diameters different in a range of 0.0 to 2.0 inches with 0.0 preferred;
4. processing the segments with processing varying from minimal trimming to cutting lengthwise into a plurality of pieces, each of the pieces having specific cross sectional conditions;
5. joining segments from each group end-to-end to form wooden structural units.
The subject basic method and its modifications may be practiced with or without kiln drying of the logs. If kiln drying is done, it is preferably done after the trees have been cut into segments. The energy required to kiln dry the segments is significantly less than that required for kiln drying the full trees, thus enhancing the economic viability of the method. The economic viability is further enhanced because (1) the method allows using virtually all of the length of each tree, rather than discarding portions removed to provide logs of specific lengths, and (2) trees purchased with random lengths are less expensive than trees of specified lengths and the subject method allows economical use of trees of unspecified lengths.
Bray W. Donald
Jenny Robert W.
LandOfFree
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