Price Industries Limited

Donald V Woodham

John P Price

Apparatus request for debarking logs comprising a generally horizontal rotary drum debarker having an inlet end, power drive device for continuously rotating the drum of the debarker generally about a horizontal axis, generally horizontal main conveyor element for conveying groups of tree length logs toward the drum, the main conveyor element having a discharge end below the axis of rotation of the drum, drive apparatus for continuously driving the main conveyor element, and auxiliary feed mechanism below the axis of rotation of the drum and between the discharge end of the main conveyor element and the inlet end of the drum for assisting the movement of groups of logs fed by the main conveyor element into the inlet end of the drum. The questions raised in reexamination request No. 90/003,655, filed Dec. 7, 1994, 90/003,826 filed May 8, 1995, and 90/004,552 filed Feb. 12, 1997 have been considered and the results thereof are reflected in this reissue patent which constitutes the reexamination certificate required by 35 U.S.C. 307 as provided in 37 CFR 1.570(e).

Method and apparatus for debarking logs

Apparatus for debarking logs comprising a generally horizontal rotary drum debarker having an inlet end, power drive device for continuously rotating the drum of the debarker generally about a horizontal axis, generally horizontal main conveyor element for conveying groups of tree length logs toward the drum, the main conveyor element having a discharge end below the axis of rotation of the drum, drive apparatus for continuously driving the main conveyor element, and auxiliary feed mechanism below the axis of rotation of the drum and between the discharge end of the main conveyor element and the inlet end of the drum for assisting the movement of groups of logs fed by the main conveyor element into the inlet end of the drum.

A rotating drum debarker is provided which includes a conveyor chute to feed logs to the drum. The drum includes lifters and reinforcing rings. The improvement in drum design is obtained where the reinforcing ring at the inlet and/or outlet of the drum has an inside diameter greater than the free inside diameter of the drum.

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Monticello, AR, United States of America

Donald V Woodham