Usnr, LLC

U.S. Natural Resources, Inc.

The Coe Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Aki J Anttila

Cameron Dean Mierau

Richard Ichiro Komori

Embodiments provide systems, apparatuses, and method for determining the Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) of a wood workpiece based on the travel time and/or velocity of an impact-induced acoustic stress wave. A housing may be configured to reduce extraneous acoustic waves and/or contaminants near an acoustic transducer to thereby reduce errors in the detection/identification of the acoustic stress wave. A computer system may be programmed to determine the MOE of the workpiece based on the travel time and/or velocity of multiple acoustic stress waves induced by corresponding impacts at respective locations along the end of the workpiece as the workpiece travels in a first direction. Corresponding methods and an induction system for rapidly and repeatedly striking the end of the workpiece are also described herein.

Acoustic evaluation of wood properties

A lumber feeding mechanism for feeding lumber pieces laterally on a supply conveyor after scanning them with a light scanner to determine a reference axis for the optimum yield of boards. The lumber pieces are fed by dogs from a start position to a feed position in alignment with a feed conveyor which feeds such pieces longitudinally through a lumber edger with adjustable cutting saws. The feeding mechanism includes alternating sets of first and second dogs which are pivoted between a raised position for engagement with the rear edges of the lumber pieces to push such pieces from the start position to the feed position and a retracted position to enable the dogs to be returned to the start position passing on opposite sides or on the same side of the piece. Electrical actuation motors or fluid cylinder actuation motors with rotating output gears are used to pivot the dogs in response to a control signal produced by an electrical control system. The dogs are moved between the start position and the feed position along guides by drive cylinders and the lumber pieces are engaged by air stop cylinders as the pieces are moved toward the feed position to accurately position such pieces at the feed position where they are engaged by hold-down rolls and fed by the feed conveyor through the lumber edger.

Dual alternating transverse feeding mechanism for lumber edgers

An infeed system that orients a log for a processing unit. A flight conveyor, a log turner and a sharp chain are in an overlapping arraignment. The flight conveyor conveys a log past a scanner which inputs scan data into a computer which determines the profile and orientation on the flight conveyor. The computer determines the desired orientation of the log for the processing unit. The log turner is arranged to rotate and skew the log to the desired orientation. The log is then transferred to the sharp chain conveyor. The overlapping arrangement of the flight conveyor, log turner and sharp chain maintains full control of the log at all times. The sharp chain conveys the log past a second scanner which inputs the scan data to the computer to determine the actual orientation of the log on the sharp chain. The infeed system may also be provided with a shift and lift mechanism for further controlling the log position relative to the processing unit.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Aki J Anttila