Abstract: A sawing apparatus comprises a base structure including bed rolls defining a horizontal bed plane for supporting a workpiece, a saw arbor carrying at least one saw for rotation about the central axis of the saw arbor, and a carriage supporting the saw arbor so that its central axis extends horizontally above the bed plane. A drive mechanism selectively raises and lowers the carriage relative to the base structure.

Abstract: In an automatic sawmill, logs are first sawn horizontally into pieces that are respectively deposited flat side down on a bed plate and conveyed through multiple, close spaced horizontal bandsaws located above the bed plate. Sawn cants are positioned by clamps to have their waney edges removed by a flying saw after clamp retraction.

Abstract: A sawmill apparatus includes first and second carriages for supporting first and second logging dogs therebeneath, with the second carriage being movable upon the first whereby to engage the ends of a log between the dogs. The carriages support the dogs at the end of steel baldes which are moved in a vertical direction by a combination of air cylinders and ball screws to provide the desired positioning of the log in a vertical direction. As the carriages urge the log between the blades of a bandsaw, rubber tired wheels are raised against the underside of the log for supporting cants or boards sawn therefrom and preventing splitting at the finally sawn edge.

Abstract: A sawmill apparatus includes first and second carriages for supporting first and second logging dogs therebeneath, with the second carriage being movable upon the first whereby to engage the ends of a log between the dogs. The carriages support the dogs at the end of steel blades which are moved in a vertical direction by a combination of air cylinders and ball screws to provide accurate positioning of the log at a predetermined distance above a lower saw guide and at a predetermined distance above an outfeed conveyor. Side braces are mounted on each carriage and extend downwardly on each side of the blades carrying the log engaging dogs, the side braces supporting bearing members disposed in slidable relation to the blades for maintaining alignment thereof in the direction of carriage movement.

Abstract: A cant or plank is moved forwardly on a conveyor system, where its irregular leading lateral edge is measured by a plurality of fixed scanners. In response to measurement of the cant, conveyor movement is altered for orienting the cant relative to a fixed saw line to be executed by a movable saw. The cant is held or clamped in stationary position while the saw is moved on a carriage relative thereto, resulting in severing of the undesired irregular forward edge. The sawn edge is employed as a reference as the cant is then moved forwardly on a conveyor system, where the measurements obtained from the scanners may be further utilized in cutting the cant into desired widths.

Abstract: A board separator apparatus for separating boards from groups of boards is described. The separator apparatus includes an input conveyor for feeding the groups of boards in a vertical position longitudinally into a transfer box, which is pivoted to transfer the boards onto an elevator member in the separation means. The elevator member lowers each group of boards into a separation position where they are held by a pressure plate against separator arms. The separator arms are moved outward into three different separator positions, thereby selectively causing three boards in a group to be moved one at a time off of the elevator into a separated condition. The separated boards slide down a ramp from the elevator member onto an output conveyor which transports the boards laterally away from the separator in a horizontal position. The boards are fed onto the output conveyor with the wane side of the boards facing up when such boards are cants cut from the side of a round log.