Other

Usnr/kockums Cancar Company

Coe Newnes/mcgehee Inc.

Mcgehee Development Company LLC

Cae Inc.

Usnr/lockums Cancar Company

Coe Newnes/mcgemee Ulc

Mcgehee Equipment Company

Ronald W McGehee

Rory Matthew Mitchell

Jeffrey T Burns

Patrick W Doyle

Russell R Kennedy

Brian T Stroud

Patrick M Conry

Christopher Raybon

Levi Anderson Pollard, V

Shawn Joseph Guibergia

Joseph William Kneer

Patrick Doyle

An optimizing planer infeed system for feeding an array of workpieces downstream to a planer includes an apparatus for setting the size of the gaps between successive linearly aligned workpieces so that each gap between successive workpieces provides enough time for at least one of movable cutting elements in the planer and movable guiding elements to be moved to their optimized position corresponding to the next successive workpiece.

Optimizing planer infeed system and method

A wood product assembly includes a cutter subassembly and a skewing assembly. A cutter positioning body is movable by a slewing assembly along a slewing axis. A spindle housing is mounted to the cutter positioning body for pivotal movement about a pivot axis. A spindle, to which a cutter, such as a sawblade or chipper head, is affixed, is mounted to the spindle housing for rotation about a spindle rotation axis by a cutter driver. The skewing assembly is coupled to the spindle housing to position the spindle rotation axis to a selected angular orientation to position the cutter at a selected skew angle. In some examples the cutter driver comprises a drive source fixedly secured to a frame and an extendable length universal-joint driveline assembly.

Edge trimming and board ripping apparatus and method

A wood product assembly includes a cutter and skewing assemblies. A cutter positioning body is movable by the slewing assembly along a slewing axis. A spindle housing is mounted to the cutter positioning body for pivotal movement about a pivot axis. A spindle, to which a cutter, such as a sawblade or chipper head, is affixed, is mounted to the spindle housing for rotation about a spindle rotation axis by a drive assembly. The drive assembly includes a fixed position drive motor and a drive shaft assembly. The drive shaft assembly comprises a hollow drive shaft sleeve and a drive shaft. The drive shaft sleeve extends at least part way through the drive motor and is rotatable by the drive motor. An end of the drive shaft is slidably housed within and rotated by the drive shaft sleeve. The skewing assembly is coupled to the spindle housing to position the spindle rotation axis to a selected angular orientation to position the cutter at a selected skew angle.

An optimizing planermill system includes a control system and a workpiece feed path for feeding an array of workpieces linearly downstream to an optimizing planer. The gap size between successive workpieces is set so that each gap provides enough time for relative movement of at least one of movable cutting elements in the planer and movable guiding elements so as to obtain relative movement between the cutting elements and the workpiece being next fed in for optimized positioning.

Optimized planermill system and method

An optimizing planer system includes a control system; a workpiece feed path; and, an optimizing planer. The optimizing planer is operably coupled to the control system. The optimizing planer is located along the workpiece feed path and has an entrance, for receipt of a rough workpiece, and an exit, for discharge of an at least partially finished workpiece. The optimizing planer includes a cutting element. A workpiece interrogator is situated along the workpiece feed path, upstream of the entrance. The interrogator is operably coupled to the control system so to provide the control system with workpiece property information for each workpiece entering the optimizing planer. The control system provides the optimizing planer with control information based upon the workpiece property information for each workpiece. The optimizing planer is constructed to move at least one of the workpiece and the cutting element as the workpiece passes through the optimizing planer according to the control information for each workpiece.

Optimizing planer system and method

A sawguide assembly includes a plurality of sets of sawguides, the sawguides within each set positioned adjacent to one another to create an array of laterally-abutting sawguides. Corresponding sawguide biasing assemblies bias the sawguides in each set against one another. The arrays are supported for independent movement along a lateral path generally parallel to the axis of the arbor. Lateral drivers are used to move each array in unison along the lateral path but independent of the other arrays. A sawguide array skewing assembly couples the sawguides of each array to one another so that the sawguides can be pivoted in unison about their respective pivot axes by a corresponding skewing driver.

Active sawguide assembly and method

A sawguide assembly includes a set of sawguides positioned adjacent to one another to create an array of laterally-abutting sawguides. A sawguide biasing assembly biases the sawguides against one another. The array is supported for movement along a lateral path generally parallel to the axis of the arbor. A lateral driver is used to move the entire array in unison along the lateral path. A sawguide array skewing assembly couples the sawguides to one another so that the sawguides can be pivoted in unison about their respective pivot axes by a skewing driver.

A log processor and log processing method scans a log (L) at a first station ( ) so that the longitudinal centerline ( ) and a sawing scheme for the log can be automatically determined by a controller ( ). The log is oriented at a second station ( ) so that the longitudinal centerline is oriented with respect to a vertical plane passing through the feed line. The position of the log is automatically adjusted at third and fourth stations ( ) so that the saw blade path ( ) through the log is generally parallel to the feed line as the log passes a log exit ( ) and through a saw ( ). The sawing scheme can include variable tapering sawing from split taper sawing to full taper sawing. Differential steering chain assemblies ( ) may be used at the fourth station and may each include continuous loop, log-engaging chains ( ) which engage the log above and below the log. Log chipping, profiling heads ( ) may be used on either side of the feed line, such as at a fifth station. The log is preferably stabilized at the log exit.

Log processor and method

An improved saw assembly (30) includes a rotatable arbor (74) on which two or more saw blades (75) are mounted. The driving interface (96, 98) between the saw blades and the arbor permits the axis of rotation of the saw blades to be collinear with the arbor axis (90) or skewed a few degrees (94) in either direction. A saw blade positioning assembly (72) includes pairs of guide arms (84) which engage the sides (88) of the saw blades to position each saw blade at the proper location along the arbor and at the proper skew angle. The guide arms are moved in unison so that the axial position and the skew angle of each of the saw blades can be changed in unison before and during sawing operations.

Apparatus for detecting dimensional information of a workpiece such as a canted log is used to control a gang saw mounted on a pivot axis to cut the log into substantially even thickness boards while moving the log past the cutting device and pivoting the gang saw to accommodate curvature in the log.

Growing community of inventors

Ukiah, CA, United States of America

Ronald W McGehee