Abstract: Apparatus for handling biscuits comprises a pair of identical devices for separating and holding back advanced supplies of the biscuits, which are arranged in rows, in contiguous, upright relationship, within laterally-spaced supply channels. The rows of biscuits are converted into a single row by a chute which is periodically movable sideways, to a position at the outlet end of one of the channels while the biscuit supply in the other channel is held back by a separating member comprising a "finger" movable towards and upwardly away from the path of the advanced supply of biscuits by a piston and cylinder assembly operable so that, only upward movement of a separating member takes place as positive motion, whereas the downward movement of the member is such that it is free, pausing in its movement if necessary, to make entry into the supply in a yieldable manner.

Abstract: Fast-dump feeding apparatus includes a hopper having an associated vertical feed chute. The hopper is formed with an openable door at its lower end and the feed chute is bottomed by a shutter. Both door and shutter may be opened to permit rapid evacuation of the hopper and chute. A pusher having a path across the top of the shutter is adapted to push individual fastener parts through a side opening in the chute immediately above the shutter. The pusher includes a pneumatic channel terminating at the front of the pusher to direct a blast of air toward the individual part to assist in moving it away from the chute.

Abstract: A separating unit for book blocks processed in a book binding system and fed at a first travelling speed from a folding or glueing machine in two parallel horizontal stacks in which the blocks are fed one-by-one in an upright position on a first conveying means, comprises second conveying means cooperating with the latter and travelling at a higher speed, a stack support bridging the transfer area between the first and second conveying means and guiding the randomly separated book blocks on the second conveying means. In order to uniformly space apart the separated book blocks, a timing switch is provided at the end portion of the second conveying means and is controlled by two light barriers which during the passage of the leading book blocks arrest the successive book blocks and release the same upon the passage of the leading block past the first light barrier.

Abstract: In a fastener-attaching apparatus equipped with a feeder for selectively delivering two different component pieces of fasteners from two separate feed hoppers to an attaching point, the improvement in the feeder which comprises a pair of tracks having a pair of vertically parallel fastener-guiding T-grooves which extend from the delivery openings of the two feed hoppers and terminate in vertically juxtaposed fastener discharge outlets, a shifting mechanism for selectively closing and opening the T-grooves of the tracks, a guide having a guide groove provided at right angles to the T-grooves and extending to the fastener-attaching point, with the fastener discharge outlets open in the guide groove, a fastener limiter slide located opposite to the discharge outlets and urged by a spring slidably and partly into the guide groove, the limiter slide having separate fastener-piece-receiving recesses corresponding, respectively, to the upper and lower discharge outlets, and a pusher bar slidable in the guide groove

Abstract: Front register lays for a sheet-fed rotary printing press are disclosed. Each front register lay includes one or a plurality of front register lay fingers secured to a rotatable shaft. The sheets to be registered are conveyed along a feed metal sheet into engagement with a registering surface of each lay finger. This registering surface is disposed generally vertically and perpendicular to the direction of sheet travel during registry of the sheet against the registering surface of the lay fingers. After the sheet has been registered, the register lay fingers are rotated out of engagement with the sheet so that the sheet can proceed to the rotary printing press.

Abstract: A heated metal plate drying system for drying either green veneer or partially dried veneer can have a plurality of modular hot presses mounted on a frame. At a loading station, individual sheets of veneer to be dried or redried are fed into a hot press, and at an unloading station the dried veneer sheets are unloaded from the system. Within each individual modular hot press, a direct contact drying process occurs that functions to reduce the moisture content of a veneer sheet down to the desired uniform level such as within a range of from 1 to 10%. The drying process accepts veneer of different species, thickness, and beginning moisture contents and the controlled process variables include contact time, temperature and pressure.Each individual modular press can be multi-opening and has the ability to open and close on command. Specially designed heated metal plates are part of each press and each plate has substantially parallel grooves on at least one surface.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed and claimed herein for cutting logs into predetermined lengths with primary use in a hardwood veneer plant. A log conveyor is provided, preferably in two sections, with a cutting station located therebetween. The cutting station is equipped with a pivotally operated chain saw or circular saw which cuts the logs as desired. A log clamp means is provided immediately adjacent the cutting station to engage the log on two sides, preferably top and bottom, with the diameter of the log being irrelevant within wide ranges. When a log is first clamped, the cutting saw passes to square off the forward end of same. Located downstream of the cutting station are a plurality of individually operated log stops that are located in the path of travel of the log moving along the conveyor. A particular stop, depending upon the length of log cut desired, is actuated to move into the path of log travel.

Abstract: An improved fully mechanized sawmill is provided which is composed of structurally independent modules which are removably mounted on a platform composed of a plurality of side-by-side longerons supported horizontally on files of spaced-apart vertical piers and columns. The longerons provide horizontal stress support for the platform along the files of piers and columns perpendicularly to the cutting axis of the sawmill, and the modules mounted thereon provide horizontal stress support for the platform along the ranks of the piers and columns parallel to the cutting axis. In addition, improved mechanisms and techniques are provided for handling and selecting the sawlogs to be cut, for selecting and distributing the pieces cut therefrom according to shape and utility, and for stacking and handling the distributed pieces at preselected locations according to shape and utility.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for handling bundles of sheets and having a pivotal pallet holder which receives the pallet and bundles of sheets in a prone position and which tips them to an upstanding position and onto a conveyor adjacent the holder. The upstanding bundles of sheets are then directed along the conveyor and to selected ones of a plurality of branch conveyors leading to a signature feeder or the like.

Abstract: An apparatus for routing logs to various locations in a sawmill. The logs are conveyed in end-to-end relation on a conveyor and pass beneath a rotatable log kicker unit having a series of radially extending arms which, when rotated, will kick the log laterally to either side of the conveyor for delivery to sawing operations. Located at the downstream end of the log kicker unit is a movable gate disposed to be engaged by the end of the log as it is moved laterally by the log kicker to align the laterally discharged logs. By moving the gate out of the conveying path, the log can be conveyed through the log kicker unit to a third delivery location.