Abstract: An endogging apparatus uses twin reciprocally moving carriage pair, each pair having respective axially spaced dogs. One of the carriage pairs grasps the log from a log charger by applying axial faces to end faces of the logs with its dogs and transports the log to and through breakdown elements. The second carriage pair moves from the location of the breakdown elements to the charger to grasp a second log with its dog. The dogs on the carriage pairs are offset and retractable to allow passage of the carriage pairs when one carriage pair is transporting a log through the breakdown elements with extended dogs and the second carriage pair is returning unloaded to the charger with retracted dogs. The carriage pairs are mounted on rails with bearing assemblies which cooperate with the rails to resist twisting faces on the carriages generated as a reaction to axial faces applied by the logs.

Abstract: A first conveyor moves cants to a delivery position adjacent to a second conveyor whose axis of movement is transverse to that of the first conveyor. A cant movement and aligning mechanism, which includes an overhead support that supports at least two positioning heads for movement in a direction transverse to the axis of movement of the second conveyor, moves the cant onto the second conveyor. The positioning heads are moved between a position beyond the trailing edge of a cant located at the delivery position and a position overlying the second conveyor. Each of the positioning heads includes a pusher pin and a hold-down pin mounted such that the longitudinal axis of the pusher and hold-down pins are vertically oriented and such that the pusher pin lies beyond the trailing edge of a cant located at the delivery position and the hold-down pin lies in a position between the pusher pin and the second conveyor.

Abstract: Cants from logs are conveyed transversely to their length to measure the cant thickness and position of the upper surface by passing under a thickness detector that directs the vertical positioning of a plurality of linearly spaced proximity edge sensors. The cant passing a sensor causes a series of pulses related to the conveyor speed to be introduced into a computer to measure the width of the cant at each of the sensor positions. The computer determines the alignment of the linear axis of the cant to yield the maximum board volume and directs the positioning of the cant relative to edging saws and transfer of the cant to a longitudinal conveyor for feed into the edging saws.The apparatus employed comprises a frame supporting a conveyor having its travel transverse to the length of the cant to be transported and a plurality of upper and lower proximity edge sensors linearly spaced parallel to the length of the cant.