Apparatus for effecting superior sanding

Claim 2

A belt type sanding machinE wherein a rotating contact drum presses an endless abrasive belt against a surface of elongated workpieces fed substantially lengthwise through the machine so that the work performing engagement between the belt and said surface of the workpieces takes place along a narrow zone parallel with the drum axis and extending transversely across each workpiece, said machine being characterized by: A. conveyor means for feeding workpieces to and through the machine; and B. means for effecting such relative disposition of the abrasive belt and the workpieces that the narrow zone of work performing engagement between the abrasive belt and said surface of the workpieces extends obliquely across each elongated workpiece at an angle of not more than substantially 75*.

Claim 3

The sanding machine of claim 1, wherein the conveyor means feeds the workpieces along a path at right angles to the contact drum axis, and wherein said means for effecting said relative disposition of the abrasive belt and the workpieces comprises a guide fence associated with the conveyor means and against which the workpieces are placed preparatory to being fed into the machine.

Claim 4

The sanding machine of claim 1, wherein the oblique disposition of the narrow zone of work performing engagement between the abrasive belt and the workpieces is obtained by having the axis of the contact drum set at said oblique angle to the path along which the conveyor means feeds the workpieces.

Claim 5

A belt type sanding machine for sizing and finishing workpieces, said machine having upper and lower sanding heads each of which has an endless abrasive belt traveling at high speed and a contact drum over which the abrasive belt is trained and by which the belt is held against the adjacent surface of workpieces fed through the machine, said heads being so positioned relative to one another that the axes of their contact drums are parallel and spaced apart a distance determined by the desired finished thickness of the workpieces being handled, so that rough sawn boards and lumber generally will be sized and have the opposite sides thereof finished in one pass through the machine, said machine being characterized by: A. conveyor means for feeding work to and through the machine along a straight path at right angles to the parallel axes of the contact drums; and B. guide means at the entrance to the machine, with which the workpieces are engaged preparatory to their entry into the machine and by which such workpieces are positioned with their longitudinal side edges displaced substantially not less than 15* from the straight path along which they are fed to and through the machine by the conveyor means.

Claim 6

A belt type sanding machine for sizing and finishing workpieces, said machine having upper and lower sanding heads each of which has an endless abrasive belt traveling at high speed and a contact drum over which the abrasive belt is trained and by which the belt is held against the adjacent surface of workpieces fed through the machine, said heads being so positioned relative to one another that the axes of their contact drums are parallel and spaced apart a distance determined by the desired finished thickness of the workpieces being handled, so that rough sawn boards and lumber generally will be sized and have the opposite sides thereof finished in one pass through the machine, said machine being characterized by: A. conveyor means for feeding work to and through the machine along a straight path at right angles to the parallel axes of the contact drums; and B. guide means at the entrance to the machine, with which the workpieces are engaged preparatory to their entry into the machine and by which such workpieces are positioned with their longitudinal side edges displaced substantially not less than 15* from the straight path along which they are fed to and through the machine by the conveyor means.

Claim 7

The sanding machine of claim 4, further characterized by: A. gate means adjacent to the entrance into the machine to hold back workpieces placed on the conveyor means; and B. means for quickly moving said gate means to an inoperative position allowing workpieces on the conveyor means to advance to the machine.

Claim 8

The sanding machine of claim 4, wherein the conveyor means includes an endless conveyor belt in front of the entrance to the machine, wherein said guide means comprises a fence above the top stretch of the conveyor belt, mounted in fixed position at an angle of not less than fifteen degrees to the conveyor belt, said machine being further characterized by: a gate across the conveyor belt to hold one or more boards placed on the conveyor belt from being advanced thereby to the sanding heads of the machine until the gate is opened, so that a number of boards can be arranged in side-by-side abutting relationship on the conveyor belt with one of them against the fence, and means for opening the gate to release all of the boards for movement by the conveyor belt.