US3856061A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of cutting lumber to random or specified clear lengths
Assignee: Edward Hines Lumber Co
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Filing: 1973-01-08
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Granted: 1974-12-24
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Expires: 1993-01-08
Abstract
Abstract A piece of lumber is fed flat to the infeed end of a marking station, tilted on edge and driven endwise into the marking station where defects in the piece are detected and marked with a retroreflective material. The marked piece moves to a defectcutting station where it is driven endwise past a pair of defectcutting saws until a marked defect is sensed between the saws to stop movement of the piece and actuate the saws to remove the defective section. The clear piece downstream of the saws is measured and, if longer than a minimum length range, diverted to a cut-to-length saw station. If within the minimum length range, it is diverted to a ''''core block'''' sort. If shorter than the minimum range, it is diverted to junk. The piece upstream of the saws is measured and diverted in the same manner as the downstream piece except that upstream pieces longer than the minimum length range resume travel past the defect saws. Longlength sensors at the defect station determine if a piece contains any one of several specified defect-free long lengths and if so, set a stop downstream of the defect saws corresponding to the longest specified clear length sensed and then actuate only one of the defect saws to cut the piece to such length when the piece reaches the set stop. Such piece is then diverted directly to a sorting station. Random length clear pieces transferred to the cut-to-length station are pressed against a series of depressible stop-sensors determining various specified lengths, driven endwise over the stop-sensors past a length saw until one of the stop-sensors is released, then driven in reverse against the released stop. The length saw then strokes to cut the piece to specified length, after which the piece is sorted according to length as determined by the released stop-sensor.
Inventors
- 👤 T Miles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 14:46
CPC Classifications
B; B07; B07C; B07C5/00; B07C5/04; B07C5/12; B07C5/14; B27; B27B; B27B27/00; B27B27/10; B27B5/00; B27B5/16; B27B5/18; B27G; B27G1/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/04; Y10T83/0524; Y10T83/162; Y10T83/166; Y10T83/465; Y10T83/4766; Y10T83/478; Y10T83/525; Y10T83/541; Y10T83/543
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
The method of clear-cutting preformed lumber of specified width and thickness dimensions to specified or random lengths comprising the steps: cutting defects from a piece of lumber at a first defect-cutting station by sensing the defect, severing said piece on opposite sides of each said defect in response to the defect sensing to remove defect-containing sections from said piece and to thereby form a clear piece of lumber of random length extending downstream of said station, transferring the resulting clear random-length piece from said defect-cutting station to a cut-to-length station, sensing the longest one of several predetermined specified lengths in said random-length clear piece at said cut-to-length station, and cutting said piece to the longest specified length sensed in response to the longest-length sensing at said cut-to-length station to thereby form a finished clear piece of lumber of specified length.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
140 words
The method of clear-cutting preformed lumber of specified width and thickness dimensions to specified or random lengths comprising the steps: cutting defects from a piece of lumber at a first defect-cutting station by sensing the defect, severing said piece on opposite sides of each said defect in response to the defect sensing to remove defect-containing sections from said piece and to thereby form a clear piece of lumber of random length extending downstream of said station, transferring the resulting clear random-length piece from said defect-cutting station to a cut-to-length station, sensing the longest one of several predetermined specified lengths in said random-length clear piece at said cut-to-length station, and cutting said piece to the longest specified length sensed in response to the longest-length sensing at said cut-to-length station to thereby form a finished clear piece of lumber of specified length.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 inluding diverting clear pieces shorter than a predetermined minimum clear length from said defect-cutting station to a collection point bypassing said cut-to-length station.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein each said defect is removed from said piece by severing said piece on opposite sides of said defect simultaneously using a pair of defect-cutting saws spaced closely apart along the length of said piece.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
94 words
The method of claim 1 wherein defects are removed from a piece at said defect-cutting station by moving said piece endwise in one direction past a pair of defect-cutting saws until a defect is sensed between said saws and then stopping said piece and then moving said saws simultaneously against said piece in response to said defect sensing to cut the defective section therefrom, and then repeating the aforesaid sequence for each successive defect along the length of said piece until all defects are removed therefrom to produce a series of random-length clear pieces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 4 including measuring the clear lengths in each piece at the defect-cutting station and sorting according to length directly from said defect-cutting station those clear lengths cut which are less than a predetermined minimum length and transferring only clear lengths exceeding said predetermined minimum length to said cut-to-length station.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
89 words
The method of claim 4 including measuring the clear length in a piece at said defect-cutting station and when a piece contains a clear length exceeding a specified long clear length, positioning said piece with respect to one of said defect-cutting saws to enable cutting said specified long clear length and then actuating only said one defect-cutting saw in response to said positioning to sever said specified long clear length from the piece, and then diverting said specified long clear length to a collection point bypassing said cut-to-length station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 4 including detecting the defects in a piece at an inspection station upstream from said defect-cutting station, marking said defects with a sensitive material and then sensing said material at said defect-cutting station and using said sensing to position said defect between said defect-cutting saws and to actuate said saws.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method according to claim 8 including sorting according to specified-length pieces cut to specified clear lengths at said cut-to-length station by using the specified length Sensings at said cut-to-length station to determine the sorting station to which each piece is directed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method of claim 4 including sliding a clear cut random-length piece from said defect-cutting station sideways and downwardly by gravity to said cut-to-length station to a position wherein one end of each random-length piece is in approximate alignment with the cutting plane of a cut-to-length saw at said cut-to-length station.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
129 words
The method of claim 4 including transferring a random-length clear piece from said defect-cutting station to a position at said cut-to-length station wherein one end of the piece is in approximate alignment with the cutting plane of a cut-to-length means at said station, then pressing said random-length piece sideways against a series of aligned depressible stop-sensors referenced to said cutting plane in a manner determining specified lengths of lumber, then driving said random-length piece endwise over said depressed stops toward said cutting plane until one of said stops is released, then driving said piece endwise in the reverse direction against said released stop, then moving said cut-to-length means across said piece in said cutting plane to cut said piece to a specified length as determined by said released stop.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
109 words
The method of claim 1 including tilting each piece on edge, and moving it endwise through a marking station upstream of said defect-cutting station in a manner so that a width dimension of said piece is visible to a defect detector alongside the marking station, detecting and marking defects along each piece with a retroreflective material at the marking station, then moving the marked piece endwise from said marking station to said defect-cutting station, sensing each retroreflective marking at said defect-cutting station and using such sensing to position each defect between a pair of defect-cutting saws and to actuate said saws to remove each defective section from said piece.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
121 words
The method of cutting lumber to random or specified clear lengths comprising the steps: detecting and marking defects in a piece of lumber with a sensitive material at a first station, sensing said marked defects at a second station as said defects are positioned between a pair of defect-cutting means and using said defect sensings to activate said cutting means to sever defective sections from said piece, then transferring resulting clear random-length pieces greater than a predetermined minimum clear length to a third station, at said third station sensing the longest one of several specified clear lengths in a random-length clear piece and cutting said random-length clear piece to the longest specified clear length sensed in response to the length sensing.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
121 words
The method of cutting lumber to random or specified clear lengths comprising the steps: detecting and marking defects in a piece of lumber with a sensitive material at a first station, sensing said marked defects at a second station as said defects are positioned between a pair of defect-cutting means and using said defect sensings to activate said cutting means to sever defective sections from said piece, then transferring resulting clear random-length pieces greater than a predetermined minimum clear length to a third station, at said third station sensing the longest one of several specified clear lengths in a random-length clear piece and cutting said random-length clear piece to the longest specified clear length sensed in response to the length sensing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 13 including sorting pieces from said third station according to length as determined by length sensings at said third station.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-12-23 | 1978-06-24 | 1978-12-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-12-23 | 1982-06-24 | 1982-12-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-12-23 | 1986-06-24 | 1986-12-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |