The Coe Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Arthur L McGee

Darrell E Pierson

Byron B Brookhyser

Robert A Browning

Lewis M Yock

Robert H Lichtenwalter

Hugh E Schmidt

David W Rudman

A multiple opening panel press is described with a plurality of movable platens which are individually controlled to adjust the spacing between adjacent platens to a predetermined panel width. Position-sensor transducers are employed to produce control signals corresponding to the platen positions which operate control cylinders by associated valves to adjust the platen spacing. The transducers are preferably sonic waveguides which interact with permanent magnets fixed to the movable platens to generate platen position signals which are applied to an automatic control system which includes a computer that produces the control signals.

Panel press with movable platens which are individually controlled with

A log processing method and apparatus are described in which the log is moved laterally through a light scanner by a pair of charger arms to determine the configuration of the log and the best cutting pattern solution for such log by a computer from the scan data. The log is skewed by adjusting the length and angular position of the charger arms to align the central axis of the log with the center of the cutting pattern solution. Then the log is swing by pivoting the charger arms into a transfer position where the log is transferred to an end dogging log carriage. After transfer, the log is rotationally repositioned into the desired cutting position by rotating it about a selected chuck of a plurality of chucks on one end dog with a driven dog blade on the other end dog which is aligned with the centerline of the cutting solution. After repositioning the log is clamped against further rotation by extending additional end dog chucks into engagement with the log. Then the clamped log is conveyed on the carriage through the cutting devices. One of the cutting devices is a bottom chipping head which is vertically adjusted in height by the computer during cutting to produce a curved or straight bottom surface on the log.

Method and apparatus for processing log for sawmill including end

A light scanner for determining the configuration of elongated objects, such as logs or lumber, is described. The object is moved laterally through the scanner past a plurality of laser light sources and a plurality of photo-detector cameras spaced along the object. The coherent laser light beams are parallel to each other and to the lens axis centerline of the cameras for easier alignment and to prevent the laser light spot on the object from moving relative to such axis centerline for objects of different thickness. The cameras have a photo-detector target which may be a linear diode aray CCD semiconductor device for producing scan data signals in response to reflected light beams which are processed by a computer system giving preference to the data produced by the beams in the outer portions of the camera viewing field to determine the thickness of the object at points spaced along the object. Non-coherent polychromatic light is also reflected from the object to the cameras to detect the ends of the object and to determine its length. Reference targets are provided along one side of the object to sense the leading end and the trailing edge of the object as it is moved laterally to block light reflected from or emitted by such targets to the cameras on the opposite side of the object.

Light scanner with interlaced camera fields and parallel light beams

An end dogging sawmill carriage is described, including a pair of front and rear carriage units having dogs which engage the opposite ends of a log and a pair of independent drives for such carriage units. The pair of drives are temporarily connected together by a releasable connector means to maintain the log clamped between the carriage units as such pair of drives share the load and both drive the log through the primary breakdown log cutting apparatus. The releasable connector can by a cylinder actuated cable clamp mounted on the rear carriage unit for clamping the first drive cable of the front carriage unit in response to an electrical control signal applied to a solenoid valve for operating the clamp cylinder. In another embodiment the releasable connector is a solenoid actuated lock which operates a latch member to selectively engage one of a plurality of notches spaced along a notched connecting rod attached between the end of the first cable and the front carriage. A third embodiment of the releasable connector is a solenoid valve actuated brake for engagement with an unnotched connecting rod.

End dogging sawmill carriage with independent drives releasably

A veneer lathe charger apparatus is disclosed for scanning a rotating log with light to determine its optimum yield axis and adjusting the charger spindles through a greater range necessary for large diameter logs to position such axis at a predetermined transfer position. The log is rough centered with its longitudinal axis at a scanning position by rough centering arms which are released prior to scanning. After scanning the log is moved from its scanning position to align such optimum yield axis with a predetermined transfer position axis where it is engaged by a transfer clamp means for movement to a lathe axis position without reclamping by such centering arms. A spindle support and adjustment means is provided for adjusting the charger spindles to move the optimum yield axis of the log to the transfer position axis. A control means enables directionally limited adjustment of the charger spindles a greater distance away from the transfer clamp means than toward such clamp means. The control means causes the charger spindle means to rotate the log into a different rotational position after scanning in order to enable to spindle support and adjustment means to move the log through its greatest adjustment in a direction other than towards the clamp means. This directionally limited adjustment of the scanning spindles enables the transfer clamp means to clear the spindles when such transfer means moves from the lathe position to the transfer position prior to engagement of the log and to engage the ends of the log while the charger spindles are still engaged, thereby eliminating any need to reclamp the side of the log with the rough centering arms.

Lathe charger having directionally limited adjustment of scanning

A veneer lathe log peeling apparatus and method of producing wood veneer are disclosed employing a powered back-up roll for adding torque to and preventing deflection of log cores of small diameter. The powered roll and an idler roll are positioned in contact with the side of the log in spaced relationship so that the resultant force vector of the cutting forces produced by the lathe knife and the nose bar is directed between the idler roll and the powered roll. The angular and radial positions of the idler roll and the power roll relative to each other and with respect to the axis of rotation of the log are independently adjusted by an automatic control means, in response to decreases in the diameter of the log being peeled. The automatic control means preferably includes separate servo means for adjusting the positions of the powered roll and the idler roll and the speed of the powered roll in response to output control signals of a microprocessor computer having input signals corresponding to the diameter of the log, the speed of rotation of the log and the veneer thickness. Preferably the idler roll is positioned on the opposite side of the log from the knife means and the powered roll is positioned above such knife means. Therefore, the additional torque applied to the log by the power roll automatically increases when the log core tends to deflect thereby self-compensating to prevent such deflection.

Veneer lathe apparatus and method using independently adjustable powered

A veneer lathe charger apparatus is described having an improved charger spindle positioning system which is less vulnerable to damage, is of simpler construction and is of faster operation. The charger spindle positioning system includes spindle support and adjustment means for moving the spindles both horizontally and vertically by linear movement in one direction of linear positioning means at the opposite ends of the log. The linear positioning means are located above the log so as not to be damaged by a falling log. Each linear positioning means includes a pair of cylinders whose piston rods are pivotally attached to a spindle support plate on opposite sides of the spindle. A log support and centering means receives logs at a pick up position and transports such logs to a scan position after rough centering and clamping the logs with their longitudinal axis in such a scan position. The charger spindles engage the log in the scan position and rotate the log while it is scanned with a light beam to determine the optimum yield axis of the log for the greatest production of wood veneer. The charger spindles are then moved automatically by the linear positioners to move the log from the scan position until its optimum axis is aligned with a transfer position located at a predetermined position relative to the lathe axis. Transfer arms engage the log to move the log from the transfer position to the lathe where the optimum axis of the log is in alignment with the lathe spindle axis.

Veneer lathe charger having improved positioning for charger spindles

A log centering apparatus and method are described employing an optical log scanner for determining the longitudinal axis of the log for optimum wood product production by transmitting light to detectors through the space between the side of such log and reference edge members. The detectors each include a linear array of photosensitive diodes which are electronically scanned to take a reading. Before scanning, rough centering arms clamp the log and its opposite ends are engaged by rotation spindles. The log may be rotated intermittently or continuously during scanning to measure at different angles the distance between the reference edge and the surface of the log at a plurality of points spaced longitudinally along the log. These distance signals are fed to an electronic computer to compute the optimum yield axis of such log. The spindles on which the log is rotated are moved horizontally and vertically after determination of its optimum axis, to reposition the log until such optimum axis is in alignment with a reference axis, spaced a predetermined distance from a work axis, such as the lathe of a veneer lathe. The preferred embodiment of the invention is a veneer lathe charger. After repositioning the log in alignment with the reference axis, such log is reclamped and held while the spindles are removed so that the ends of the logs can be engaged by pivoted pendulum-like transfer arms which transfer the log from such reference axis to alignment with the lathe axis.

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Lake Oswego, OR, United States of America

Arthur L McGee