The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 12, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 25, 1997
George Dimion, Salmon Arm, CA;
Wayne Webber, Salmon Arm, CA;
Robert Hart, Salmon Arm, CA;
William R Newnes, Salmon Arm, CA;
Steven W Michell, Salmon Arm, CA;
CAE Electronics Ltd. CAE Electronique Ltee, St. Laurent, CA;
Abstract
A tier forming and handling device for forming and handling sequential tiers of lumber from a flow of elongate boards translated on a first conveyor in a first flow direction, wherein the boards are aligned along their length generally perpendicularly to the first flow direction, having a mat forming mechanism for collecting, by selectively actuable hook stops, the flow of elongate boards against the hook stops so as to form a mat of lumber having a downstream end adjacent the hook stops and an upstream end whereagainst the flow of elongate boards may continue to collect into abutting adjacent array; a mat separator for separating, along the first conveyor, at a selectively adjustable separation location, a tier of lumber from the downstream end of the mat of lumber; and, a variable speed tier accelerator for conveying and selectively variably accelerating the tier of lumber, once separated along the first conveyor, from the first conveyor to a hoist stacker, wherein the selectively adjustable separation location is selectively adjustable along the first conveyor so as to selectively adjust a first dimension of the tier parallel to the first direction.