Patents Examined by W. Donald Bray
  • Chopping machine
    Patent number: 6390160
    Abstract: The chopping machine includes a crosscutting device for cutting the timber, a feeder for feeding the timber in its longitudinal direction to the crosscutting device and a splitting apparatus operated by a splitting cylinder for splitting a cut block of timber. The feeder includes two elongated supporting surfaces forming a substantially horizontal trough open in the upward direction, into which the timber to be treated can be placed. One of the supporting surfaces is connected to a power device for moving the supporting surface back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the trough, and the supporting surfaces are provided with directional holding elements arranged in the longitudinal direction of the trough to prevent the timber from moving in relation to the surface away from the crosscutting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Inventor: Tarmo Pitkäniemi
  • Sheet processor that adjusts a punching operation position based on a detected sheet edge and associated image forming apparatus
    Patent number: 6386080
    Abstract: A sheet processor has a sheet transportation path, a punching unit for performing a punching operation on the sheets, the punching unit including a punch slide having a punch mechanism thereon, a moving device for moving the punch slide between a sheet punching operation position and a punch slide home position, the movement occurring in a direction transverse to the sheet transportation direction, and a detector for detecting completion of the punching operation by the punching unit. When the detector detects the completion of the punching operation, the moving device moves the punching unit to the punch slide home position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Okamoto, Chikara Sato, Norifumi Miyake, Yasuo Fukazu, Mitsushige Murata, Masatoshi Yaginuma, Tsuyoshi Moriyama
  • Affordable firewood splitting kit
    Patent number: 6386249
    Abstract: The invention is a man-portable firewood splitter and is affordable for personal use. It uses an off-the-shelf hydraulic car jack, an off-the-shelf firewood splitting wedge, and a platform that is configured so that it combines the other two units to provide a firewood splitting function. The components are physically unattached and can be used for other requirements. The platform is somewhat like to a bed with side rails. It consists of two end plates, a bottom, and two side rails. It is structured to withstand the maximum force of the hydraulic jack. To assemble the system, the jack is horizontally placed on the bottom of the platform with the jack base butted against one of the end plates and oriented so that the jack handle is vertical. The blunt end of the splitting wedge is horizontally placed against the ram of the jack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Inventor: Milford R. Murphy
  • Helical knife assembly
    Patent number: 6386250
    Abstract: A helical knife assembly has a plurality of blade holders. Each blade holder has two opposite step flanges, a blind hole, and a threaded groove communicating with the blind hole. A positioning block has a slant recess and two apertures. An oblong blade has two positioning holes. A pressing block has a bevel and an inner threaded hole. A hollow double end bolt has a first outer thread and a second outer thread. The positioning block is inserted in the respective blade holder. The oblong blade is disposed on the positioning block. The first outer thread of the hollow double end bolt is inserted in the threaded grooves The second outer thread of the hollow double end bolt engages with the inner threaded hole of the pressing block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Inventor: Hsing-Chao Liu
  • Method for manufacturing a box, provided with a lid, from a thin tree trunk or a branch
    Patent number: 6382279
    Abstract: A cylindrical hollow blank 1 is separated longitudinally from inside an elongate block of wood by axial boring, the blank is dried and its outer and inner surfaces finished, eg by milling, turning and sanding, and a bottom piece (2, FIG. 2) and, if required, a lid (3, FIG. 2) are then added to form a container. A plurality of cylindrical blanks of different diameters may be produced from a single block. Two concentric core bits of different diameters may be used to bore a blank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Inventor: Juhani Väisänen
  • Dual post harvesting head
    Patent number: 6382274
    Abstract: A tree harvesting head is disclosed. An embodiment includes an elongate frame, a first support device, a second grapple arm, a second support device, and a base portion. The first support device includes a first grapple arm. The second support device includes a collector mechanism. The base portion includes a cutting device and a guard assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventor: Keith Hicks
  • Wood planing machine
    Patent number: 6382278
    Abstract: A wood planning machine includes a rotatable cutting member mounted to a machine frame and driven by a motor. A drive transmission member transmits the rotating force of the cutting member to a drive shaft to operate a blowing member when the motor is actuated. A shaving collecting member is disposed above and in the vicinity of the cutting member for collecting wood shavings during a wood planing operation. The shaving collecting member is further turnable relative to the machine frame between open and closed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Inventors: Juei-Seng Liao, Pei-Lieh Chiang
  • Stump grinding wheel and cutting assemblies therefor
    Patent number: 6382277
    Abstract: A stump grinding tool includes a rotary cutting wheel having a pair of side surfaces and an outer peripheral surface. Cutting assemblies are mounted on the cutting wheel, each cutting assembly including first and second pockets disposed on respective side surfaces of the wheel. Each pocket includes a leading through-hole and a trailing through-hole aligned with respective leading end trailing through-holes of the other pocket for receiving a pair of cutting teeth. Each tooth extends through aligned through-holes of the pocket and cutting wheel in mutually opposite directions, wherein cutting elements of the teeth are disposed adjacent respective ones of the side surfaces. Each tooth is fixed by a nut threaded thereon such that each tooth and associated nut functions to clamp both of the first and second pockets against the respective side-surfaces of the cutting wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Sandvik Rock Tools, Inc.
    Inventors: James Paumier, Kenneth Monyak
  • Wood planing machine with a bed locking unit which is actuated by a lever
    Patent number: 6382275
    Abstract: A planing machine includes a support bed disposed movably along two pairs of vertical slots which are formed through two side walls of a machine body. A-bed-raising rod unit is operably associated with the bed in such a manner that rotation of the rod unit results in movement of the bed within the machine body. Two horizontally spaced apart and interconnected locking rods extend through the bed and the slots in the side walls, and have left and right threaded ends of opposite thread directions. The threaded ends of the locking rods are exposed from the slots in the side walls. Left and right nut units are disposed outside of the machine body, are mounted threadedly on the threaded ends of the locking rods in such a manner that rotation of the locking rods result in axial movement of said left and right nut units toward or away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Inventors: Juei-Seng Liao, Pei-Lieh Chiang
  • Router table adapter base plate
    Patent number: 6382276
    Abstract: The invention relates to a slotless router base plate used for mounting routers by a majority of manufacturers to a router table. A router is attached to a baseplate, and then this router-baseplate assembly is attached to a router table. Numerous hole grouping patterns are provided to accommodate various routers, eliminating the need for users of the baseplate to create holes for specific router models themselves. Slots in the router baseplate are avoided to provide for greater strength and stability in the mounting. An alternative embodiment includes providing a labeling for the hole groups. The router baseplate may be round, but alternative shapes are provided, including providing the hole pattern directly in the router table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Wolfcraft, Inc.
    Inventors: David R. Daniels, Edmund Apolinski
  • Cutter head
    Patent number: 6378578
    Abstract: Cutter head for wood working machines comprising a carrier with at least one receptacle for detachably receiving a cutter unit and a means for adjusting the flight circle of a cutting edge of the cutter unit, wherein in order to facilitate such a cutter head in view of the manufacture and installation thereof and to improve the resharpening ability of the cutter unit, the adjusting means comprises at least one spacer arranged between the cutting edge and the receptacle in an exchangeable manner and defining the distance between the cutting edge and a bearing surface of the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: Stehle GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Herbert Thomas
  • Arch cutting jig apparatus
    Patent number: 6378580
    Abstract: A jig apparatus that allows one to cut arches in a work piece quickly and efficiently. It is comprised of a bar that has sliding adjustable clamps that secure a cable which go around pulleys on a router or other cutting device that when the cable is pulled taut, creates a path for the router or other cutting device to follow while it cuts thus cutting an arch into the work piece. Prior to this apparatus one would have to cut this arch with a template which had been previously tooled. This jig apparatus creates a template and cut all in one step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Inventor: Peter Lovett
  • Joint forming method and apparatus
    Patent number: 6378579
    Abstract: A finger joint architecture method and formation apparatus are disclosed, the finger joint architecture characterized by an array of interspersed projections and cavities formed at an end face of a first wood product. The projections are spaced from one another in both first and second dimensions defining the end face and are formed by the cavities which are bored through the end face. A mating array of projections and cavities is formed at an end of another wood product to be secured to the first wood product. The projections and cavities thus formed are preferably tapered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: ReConnX, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon X. Giltner
  • Portable fixture for woodworking tools
    Patent number: 6374878
    Abstract: A multipurpose, portable fixture for hand held woodworking power tools is described. The portable fixture of the present invention allows for controlled multidirectional operations with the woodworking tools on a workpiece. The woodworking tool may be tipped, rotated and linearly displace through multiple planes, thereby allowing complex operations on the workpiece. A variety of woodworking tools may be mounted to the portable fixture of the present invention to perform a variety of operations on the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Inventors: Patrick J. Mastley, Ronald K. Westby
  • Bar saw feller buncher and method of felling trees
    Patent number: 6374877
    Abstract: A bar saw felling head clamps a tree between harvesting and reaction arms during cutting and after the cut sweeps the tree rearwardly with the harvesting arm into an accumulation pocket where an accumulating arm holds it and any already cut trees. The bar saw cuts from a cocked position normal to the machine direction to a home position which is perpendicular to the cocked position, where the bar saw is housed in a protective box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Timberjack Inc.
    Inventor: Allan J. Wildey
  • Carpentry coping machine
    Patent number: 6374879
    Abstract: A coping machine for making miter cuts on baseboard or crown molding stock includes a work platform supported on vertically movable spring assemblies. Stock to be cut is positioned on the work platform. A rotating cutting knife is disposed adjacent a rear edge of the work platform. Operation of a single lever mechanism functions to move the platform in a downward vertical direction so that the stock may be cut by the rotating cutting knife. The spring assemblies automatically return the platform to its original position when the single lever is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Inventor: Brett Lukehart
  • Log siding planer shaper
    Patent number: 6371176
    Abstract: This invention relates to a planing machine that can plane and shape a workpiece to replicate a hand-hewn log for use in siding, paneling and other similar type building needs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2002
    Inventors: Milton E. Burr, Jon H. Gillette, Laverne M. Watters
  • Adjustable bit for forming a workpiece
    Patent number: 6367524
    Abstract: An adjustable bit for cutting tongues or grooves in a wooden workpiece that includes first and second cutter members adjustably mounted on a drive shaft, a plurality of spacer elements selectively mountable on the drive shaft to vary the axial spacing between the cutter members. At least some of the spacer elements preferably having varying thicknesses, and a ball bearing pilot member may be one of the spacer members. The cutter members may be formed for cutting a groove in the workpiece, or formed to cut a tongue in the workpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Freud TMM, Inc.
    Inventor: James Mitchell Brewer
  • Cutting tool device for wood planing machine
    Patent number: 6367523
    Abstract: A cutting tool device for a wood planing machine includes a driving shaft having a cylindrical portion and a plurality of insert receiving channels. Each of the channels includes a knife seat wall surface and an abutment wall surface, which confine an accommodating cavity therebetween. The knife seat wall surface has left and right end edges respectively having left and right secant points at a respective junction with an outer wall surface of the cylindrical portion. The left secant point lags behind the right secant point in a counterclockwise operating direction. A planing knife is disposed to abut against the knife seat wall surface. A tightening insert member is inserted into the accommodating cavity, and has front and rear wall surfaces respectively abutting against the planing knife and the abutment wall surface to thereby clamp the planing knife firmly in the respective channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Inventor: Teng-Fu Hu
  • Lubrication system for a wood cutting machine
    Patent number: 6363981
    Abstract: In the operation of wood cutting machines such as delimbing machines which use chain saw cutting devices, it is common to either position the lubricating oil reservoir above the chain saw cutting device to create a gravity-fed system or couple a pump apparatus to the chain saw cutting device. Both arrangements may limit the flexibility of placement of the components comprising the lubrication system. The present invention provides a lubrication system for a wood cutting machine in which a receptacle receives lubricating fluid from the reservoir by use of a source of supply pressure within the receptacle. A source of discharge pressure operates on the receptacle to transport the lubrication fluid to the cutting chain device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffry A. Butler, Robert H. Holmes, III, Charles H. Menke