Abstract: A conveyor for transporting wood slabs and the like comprises a plurality of spaced-apart rails each carrying an endless loop of chain routed around a respective drive sprocket and an idler roller and a plurality of further idler rollers support the upper course of the chain above the upper edges of the rails. Each chain comprises inter-linked oval links, so that the links lie in perpendicular planes, with links lying in vertical planes extending into recesses in the sprockets and idler rollers.

Abstract: An improved assembly for aligning elongate pieces of wood such as cants on a roller conveyor and for rotating them about their lengthwise axes includes a plurality of kicker arms extending radially from a rotatable shaft up between the rollers of the conveyor, so that rotation of the shaft allows the kicker arms to press a cant against a guide plate extending along one side of the conveyor surface. A plurality of pusher arms slidingly mounted on the kicker arms and extendable to engage a lower corner of the cant to rotate the same.

Abstract: Improved "climb-cut" wood sawing machinery, including a top-arbor, single-arbor gang-blade ripping saw, includes means for controlling the disposition of feed-roll drive chain slack to eliminate accidental high-speed ejection of wood pieces. A feed roll motor drives the first of a series of cascaded chain-driven feed rolls, and a slip clutch also driven by the feed motor applies a retarding torque to the last feed roll of the series. In alternative embodiments disclosed, the retarding torque is instead applied by a brake, a separate hydraulic motor or a separate electric motor.

Abstract: A sawmill assembly allows a single operator to selectively control both cutting to length and gang sawing of cants to make pallet stock, eliminating the danger and labor of hand feeding a gang saw, and allowing efficient use of wood by operator selection of gang saw cut direction. A rapidly-acting improved cant turner is disclosed.