Seneca Sawmill Company

Edward H Komori

Ralph Wijesinghe

Mark L Carter

Joseph Gerard LaChapelle

The invention provides a bandmill having an endless loop of bandsaw blade which is automatically strained to a desired tension, and automatically driven at an accurate location or tracking position. The bandmill runs on a pair of spaced co-planar wheels, which are forced longitudinally apart to apply strain to the bandsaw. Actual saw strain is automatically detected by a force transducer within the strain mechanism, and the actual saw strain is automatically compared electronically with a desired saw strain. A servo-controller automatically adjusts distance between the wheels to vary force therebetween so that actual saw strain is varied to approach the desired saw strain. Also, actual tracking of the saw blade relative to the wheels is automatically sensed by sensors located adjacent the edge of the saw blade. The actual tracking of the saw blade is compared electronically relative to a desired tracking position, and tilt of a tiltable wheel is automatically adjusted so that actual tracking of the saw on the wheels is varied to approach the desired tracking position. Alternatively, a visual display of actual tracking accuracy can be obtained, so as to permit manual adjustment of the tiltable wheel to correct inaccurate tracking.

Automatic bandmill strain and saw tracking method and apparatus

A bandmill has first and second wheels and an endless saw blade trained about the wheels. The wheels are mounted to rotate about respective axes which lie in a common plane, but the first wheel is adjustable in position relative to the second wheel with respect to both its distance from the second wheel and its orientation relative to the second wheel. A tensioning mechanism is effective to force the first wheel away from the second wheel, while maintaining the axes of rotation of the two wheels substantially parallel, in response to a signal which is provided by a load cell and represents the tension in the saw blade. A wheel tilt mechanism is effective to adjust the angular position of the first wheel relative to the second wheel in response to a signal indicating the path followed by the saw blade, for maintaining the blade on a proper path.

Growing community of inventors

Surrey, Canada

Edward H Komori