Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
144356000 | Including monitoring of operation | 32 |
20080210339 | Automatic floor board classification method and system therefor - A method and a system for classifying a plurality of random length boards of random grade, using a conveyer provided with reading units to read both the length and the grade of each board at a first end of said conveyer; a processor, receiving length and grade data from the reading units; calculating combinations of board lengths and grades and selecting a preferred combination of boards from the combinations; and a distribution section, located at a second end of the conveyer, and operated by the processor according to the preferred combination; the processor being fed with a large number of identified boards, from which to calculate the combinations of board lengths and grades, before they reach the distribution section. | 09-04-2008 |
20080236704 | UTILIZATION OF COLORATION TO IMPROVE THE DETECTION OF "HIT OR MISS" DEFECTS WHEN USING SCANNER EQUIPMENT AND AN AUTOMATED SAW TO REMOVE DEFECTS IN WOOD PIECES - In a wood processing plant, planks are typically split into strips and then passed through an automated cross-cutting saw station to remove defects such as knots, cracks or flash. One defect which also occurs is the hit and miss defect caused by a planer and/or a sander. In order to improve the performance of the cross-cutting saw station, color is applied to the wood prior to being planed and sanded. The cross-cutting saw station is then modified to optically inspect the wood for the presence of color, indicating a hit and miss defect, and to remove the portions of the wood containing color. | 10-02-2008 |
20080283151 | Warp Stable Wood Product And Methods For Detecting The Same - A warp stable wood product and methods for detecting the same are provided. The wood product may be sorted based on its morphology, microstructure, macrostructure, and/or chemical composition properties being substantially symmetric relative to at least one or more cross-sectional centroids of the wood product, thereby imparting warp stability. | 11-20-2008 |
20080302446 | Method For Controlling a Power Source of a Forestry Machine - A method for controlling a power source ( | 12-11-2008 |
20090095376 | VENEER COMPOSER - A veneer composer is provided including a skew correcting station adapted to square at least one edge of a veneer piece to a first or reference side, a clipping station adapted to move in the same direction and at the same material being clipped, and a gap closing station adapted to close the gap between adjacent veneer pieces without causing excessive force between the adjacent edges. | 04-16-2009 |
20100059144 | DETECTION SYSTEM FOR POWER TOOL - A power tool is disclosed. The power tool may comprise a movable blade and a detection system for detecting contact between the blade and an object. The detection system may comprise an excitation plate capacitively coupling the drive signal to the movable blade and a circuit in communication with the excitation plate. The circuit may be configured to generate an in-phase component signal and a quadrature component signal from a blade current signal indicative of the instantaneous current drawn by the movable blade and calculate an energy of the blade current signal considering the in-phase component and the quadrature component. The circuit may be further programmed to compare the energy of the blade current signal to an adaptive trigger threshold to detect contact between the blade and the object based on whether the energy of the blade current signal is greater than the adaptive trigger threshold. The adaptive trigger threshold may be based on a sum of a first plurality of values comprising a fixed direct current (DC) offset, and a mean of the energy of the blade current signal. | 03-11-2010 |
20100065155 | SYSTEM FOR MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF A FOREST MACHINE - A system and a method for monitoring the performance of a subsystem of a forest machine. The method comprises the steps of: collecting data relating to the function of said subsystem or the performing of said function; determining one or more characteristic values to describe the performance continually according to data; and monitoring the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time, wherein, for example, the variation of said one or more characteristic values in time is displayed in the form of a graphic presentation to the user. | 03-18-2010 |
20100236664 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLED DEBARKING OF WOOD - An apparatus for determining one or more optimal operating parameters for debarking wood is provided. The apparatus has a scraper and an actuator configured to adjust the position of the scraper toward a sample portion of the wood to scrape a surface of the sample portion of the wood with a scraping force. The apparatus also has a force sensor operatively associated with the scraper for detecting the scraping force. A light source impinges light on a scraped surface of the sample portion. A light detector detects a light image defined by light from the light source reflected by the scraped surface. A controller is operatively associated with the force sensor and the light detector. The controller has processing means to determine the one or more optimal operating parameters based on signals relating to the scraping force and signals relating to the light image. The one or more optimal operating parameters are relevant to debarking wood proximal to the sample portion. | 09-23-2010 |
20110061768 | Brake mechanism for power equipment - Woodworking machines are disclosed having cutting tools adapted to cut workpieces. The machines include a detection system adapted to detect one or more dangerous conditions between a person and the cutting tool. The machines also include a brake mechanism having one or more braking components adapted to engage and stop the cutting tool in response to the detection of a dangerous condition. | 03-17-2011 |
20110120593 | Method for Optimizing Stem Merchandizing - The present disclosure relates to methods for reducing warp potential of lumber derived from a raw material, such as a log or stem are provided. In some embodiments, the methods involve examining the log or stem for shrinkage properties and/or properties of spiral grain. The location of the shrinkage properties and/or properties of spiral grain may be used to determine how the log is oriented relative to a cutting device. In some embodiments, these characteristics may determine what cutting pattern is selected for creating the lumber or how a stem is bucked. | 05-26-2011 |
20130340892 | METHOD OF ESTIMATING TIMBER STIFFNESS PROFILES - A method and apparatus for maximising value when breaking down a tree stem, log, cant, flitch or slab to sawn timber which includes determining an acoustic velocity value and determining density profile information across the width of the stem, log, cant or slab. The density profile information determined includes a position of minimum density in the stem, log, cant or slab. This enables the prediction of a stiffness profile across the stem, log, cant or slab from the acoustic velocity and the density profile information across the stem, log, cant or slab. The stiffness profile and the position of minimum density in the stem, log, cant or slab can be used to generate a sawing pattern for cutting the stem, log, cant or slab. The sawing pattern is offset by the position of the minimum density for a more useful yield of sawn timber. | 12-26-2013 |
20140209213 | CUTTING TOOL CONTROL BASED ON LOG POSITION - Embodiments of techniques and systems for control of cutting tools for logs on a conveyor are described herein. A preferred position may be determined for a log on a conveyor, such as, for example a chain conveyor. The preferred position may be determined based on a scan of the log prior to the log being placed on the conveyor. After the log is placed on the conveyor an initial portion of the log may be scanned by a second scan and the initial portion may be compared to a corresponding portion of the preferred position for the log. Differences may be determined between the scanned portion and the corresponding portion of the preferred position. One or more cutting tools may then be controlled, such as in position and/or orientation, to adjust for the determined differences. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. | 07-31-2014 |
20140251499 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF MANAGING CHIPPING AND SAWING EQUIPMENT - At least one image device proximate a second conveyor is disposed a predetermined distance in front of chip heads. The at least one image device can image a log and capture the actual log position on a sharp chain before its being engaged by chip heads. A computing device is coupled to the at least one image device to receive data including the actual log position information. The computing device compares the actual log position to a preferred log position solution so as to check whether a log deviates from its expected position. If any position deviation exists, the computing device may send instructions to adjust the positions of the chip heads and saws to ensure that a log is correctly positioned relative to the chip heads and saws, whereby correcting log position errors and eliminating transport accuracy losses. | 09-11-2014 |
20150047744 | WOOD-WORKING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF - A wood-working machine, which contains at least one processing unit, a workpiece support having at least one front support area arranged in front of the processing unit in the feeding direction of a workpiece and one rear support area arranged behind the processing unit in the feeding direction of the workpiece, and a transporting device, which has a front transporting unit arranged on the front support area and a rear transporting unit arranged on the rear support area for moving and positioning the workpiece lying on the workpiece support in a first linear axis (X axis), wherein the front and rear transporting units includes at least one transporting roller that can be placed against the top side of the workpiece, and wherein a measuring system, which is integrated into the front or rear support area and has a measuring belt or measuring chain pressed against the bottom side of the workpiece for detecting the motion of the workpiece in the first linear axis, is associated with each transporting unit. | 02-19-2015 |
20150144226 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING WOODEN BILLET, WOODEN BASEBALL BAT AND BILLIARD/SNOOKER CUES - A process for manufacturing wooden billets, baseball bats and billiard/snooker cues is disclosed. The process comprises softening the hardwoods and willow, which are typically North American Hardwoods and English and Kashmir willow having moisture content between 30-70%, by steaming, and then compressing the softened hardwoods and willow by longitudinal compression processes along the length to cause the axial fibres to cross-link. The process aims at providing wooden billets, baseball bats and snooker cues having uniform performance standardization, improvement in durability, strength, acceptability, anti-breakage and flexibility. | 05-28-2015 |
144357000 | By means which determines dimension of work | 17 |
20080314478 | EDGER WITH STAGGERED SAWS - Embodiments of the present invention provide a wood processing machine adapted to cut wood workpieces along multiple optimized cutting paths. In various embodiments, the wood processing machine includes a first saw assembly and a second saw assembly that is disposed down stream from the first saw assembly. The first saw assembly is adapted to cut the workpiece along the first optimized cutting path and the second saw assembly is adapted to cut the workpiece along the second optimized cutting path. | 12-25-2008 |
20090095377 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING LUMBER IN A SAWMILL - At least one geometric characteristic for each of a number of pieces of lumber is determined. Each of the pieces of lumber may then be logically associated with at least one of a log or a cant from which the piece of lumber was sawn. | 04-16-2009 |
20090095378 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING A SAW BLADE DURING SAWING - A light source is used to illuminate a sawn portion of a piece of wood and exposed surfaces of the saw blade on both sides of the sawn portion. The sawn portion and the exposed surfaces of the saw blade are then imaged substantially concurrently using a single image generator. At least one geometric characteristic of the sawn portion and at least one geometric characteristic of the saw blade are determined based on the imaging. | 04-16-2009 |
20090095379 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GANGSAW MANAGEMENT - The geometric characteristics for a plurality of boards that have been completely sawn by a gangsaw are determined. A sawn surface of one of the plurality of boards is then logically associated with one of the plurality of saw blades in the gangsaw. | 04-16-2009 |
20090211665 | Sawing apparatus and method for using a sawing apparatus - A sawing apparatus ( | 08-27-2009 |
20090223600 | AUTOMATED FLOOR BOARD TEXTURING CELL AND METHOD - An automated floor board texturing cell includes a programmable robot that stores, or has access to, a plurality of patterns. The robot automatically selects a stored pattern for at least one of the floor boards introduced into the cell. The robot textures the floor boards to exhibit the selected pattern. The robot may select a pattern for a batch of floor boards or for each individual floor board. Pattern selection can be random or based on stored information such as a production schedule. | 09-10-2009 |
20090255607 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING LUMBER IN A SAWMILL - At least one geometric characteristic for each of a number of pieces of lumber is determined. Each of the pieces of lumber may then be logically associated with at least one of a log or a cant from which the piece of lumber was sawn. | 10-15-2009 |
20100078096 | METHOD FOR SHAVING THE INSIDE OF BARRELS - The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for shaving the inside of barrels. In particular, the present invention relates to reconditioning used wine barrels by shaving the inside surface to a predetermined depth, ready for re-crozering, toasting, and re-use. Conventional shaving methods typically involve routing the internal surface by hand, but this technique is problematic in that it is a very slow process, the quality of the wood is often adversely affected, and there is no way of ensuring that the surface will be shaved to the same depth across the entire surface. Therefore, the resultant internal dimensions of the barrel are not reflective, relatively, of the original barrel surface. The apparatus of the present invention includes a scanning means adapted to scan the internal dimensions of the barrel, and a cutting means adapted to shave the internal surface to a predetermined depth relative to the scanned internal dimensions. | 04-01-2010 |
20100200118 | LOG TRANSPORT SYSTEM - A system for lineally transporting logs, lugs therefore, and an associated method are provided. The system includes first and second tracks connected to a frame to provide continuous track surfaces. Lugs having support surfaces that correspond to the track surfaces are configured to be driven longitudinally along the tracks by a continuous conveyor belt. | 08-12-2010 |
20100206436 | Method and Apparatus for Turning a Log for Processing in a Sawmill - A log on a surface of a translatable carriage against head blocks of the carriage is turned by rolling the log on the surface of the translatable carriage after releasing the log from engagement by reciprocating dogs that are carried by the head blocks and before advancing the translatable carriage toward a saw. The turning of the log on the surface is accomplished by engaging the log by a reciprocating dog that is carried by a pivoting arm at a location away from the engagement of the log by the reciprocating dogs that are carried by the head blocks. After turning of the log on the surface of the translatable carriage, the log is pushed along the surface of the translatable carriage back toward the head blocks by pushing against the log by spaced-apart double-acting cylinders that are mounted on non-translatable stands respectively. | 08-19-2010 |
20110088816 | DETERMINATION OF THICKNESS OF A TREE TRUNK - Method and device for the determination of a thickness of a cross-section (S) of a tree trunk ( | 04-21-2011 |
20110168296 | METHOD FOR OPTIMIZING LUMBER DERIVED FROM A LOG - In some embodiments, the disclosure includes method for optimizing lumber derived from a log. The method may include the steps of debarking the log and cutting the log to provide a plurality of boards. The plurality of boards are then scanned to determine knot properties and/or warp stability for each of the plurality of boards and a lumber upgrade process is selected based on the knot properties and/or warp stability. Finally, one or more of the plurality of boards are planed after being subjected to the lumber upgrade process. | 07-14-2011 |
20110284131 | MANUFACTURING OF TONGUE AND GROOVE PROFILES ON HARDWOOD FLOORBOARDS - The undersurface ( | 11-24-2011 |
20120227866 | MACHINE VISION BASED SAWMILL AUDIT SYSTEM - Sawmill auditing and control apparatus and methods employ information from one or more scan zones and/or controllers (e.g., PLCs). Boards may be logically associated with mill equipment which produced the boards, allowing defects or imperfections to be tied to certain equipment. For example, boards may be associated with a primary breakdown machine or a gangsaw, or with a pair of cutters (e.g., saws, chip heads). Such allows auditing of mill operations to identify improperly functioning machinery or out of tolerance conditions, to correct such, and/or provide notification. | 09-13-2012 |
20130199672 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUDITING OPTIMIZERS TRACKING LUMBER IN A SAWMILL - An audit system and method audits operation of an optimizer system in a mill, for example auditing operation of a cant optimizer which optimizes sawing patterns. The audit system may be completely independent of the optimizer. For example, the audit system may acquire information (e.g., optically) indicative of a geometry of boards downstream from a piece of equipment such as a gangsaw. The audit system may computationally reconstruct a cant from which the boards were sawn, determine an outside dimension indicative of wane, and simulate alternative sawing patterns, determining a theoretical amount of recovery that would have resulted from each and comparing such to actual recovery from the log or cant. Alternative sawing patterns may take into account various wane rules and comparison may take into account current demand and/or prices for dimensional lumber. | 08-08-2013 |
20140238546 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF ORIENTING A CANT IN LUMBER MILLS - Processing of a cant may include determining a rotational orientation about a longitudinal axis of the cant that optimizes a recovery from the cant from subsequent sawing operations. Such may include optimizing a width of a board that will be produced dependent on the particular rotational longitudinal orientation. Such may include determining a surface area of a board which would be produced, a thickness of a board that would be produced, and/or a volume of a board that would be produced. Such may include accounting for any premium associated with various width categories in which a board that would be produced would fit. Such may account for any premium associated with grade or quality of a board that would be produced. A corresponding signal may provide information to a human operator and/or automated machinery to orient the cant in an optimized orientation. | 08-28-2014 |
20160250771 | WORKPIECE POSITIONING SYSTEM | 09-01-2016 |