Abstract: Engineered structural wood products particularly useful in critical applications such as joists, headers, and beams where longer lengths, greater widths, and higher and predictable stress ratings may be required and to a method for making the wood products. Most logs by nature are radially anisotropic, having wood of higher density and stiffness in their outer portion adjacent the bark than is found in the inner portion. The logs are machined to segregate the denser, stiffer outer wood. A first generally rectangular component is formed from the less dense inner wood. Second generally rectangular components are formed from the stiffer outer wood. Second components are adhesively bonded to at least one edge of the first component, more usually to opposite edges. The stiffer wood is thus specifically placed where it will contribute most effectively to the properties of the product.

Abstract: The invention comprises engineered structural wood products particularly useful in critical applications such as joists, headers, and beams where longer lengths, greater widths, and higher and predictable stress ratings may be required. The invention is also directed to a method for making the wood products. Most logs by nature are radially anisotropic, having wood of higher density and stiffness in their outer portion adjacent the bark than is found in the inner portion. The logs are machined to segregate the denser, stiffer outer wood. A first generally rectangular component is formed from the less dense inner wood. Second generally rectangular components are formed from the stiffer outer wood. Second components are adhesively bonded to at least one edge of the first component, more usually to opposite edges. The stiffer wood is thus specifically placed where it will contribute most effectively to the properties of the product.

Abstract: Pet pads contain insecticide and have at least one layer comprising a mixture of thermoplastic and other fibers. This latter layer may be thermobonded together and then densified along at least a section of the eventual peripheral edge margin of a pet pad to be formed from the material. By including insecticide in the mixture prior to thermobonding, the insecticide is fixed in the pad during thermobonding. Thermoplastic material-containing cover sheets may also be secured to the core and densified along the periphery of the pad. The entire eventual peripheral edge margin of the pet pad is typically densified. The densified edge acts as a partial liquid barrier and also helps retain the insecticide in the pad, especially if the insecticide is not fixed by thermobonding.

Abstract: A landscape timber building module is constructed preferably from a solid piece of wood with a predetermined length and width. At least two flat opposed, substantially parallel surfaces, have a plurality of uniformly spaced holes extending therethrough. Each end of the module is curved with a radius extending from approximately the centerline of the second hole inwardly from the end. The individual modules are then used, preferably after being treated with a preservative compound, as building elements to form composite landscaping structures. Individual modules are interconnected by the use of pin connectors inserted through aligned holes in the modules.

Abstract: The present invention is the combination of a linebar and saw assembly for sawing cants or logs having various amounts of sweep in order to maximize the yield. The linebar is conformable between a straight line and a line which approximates an arc of a circle. Both ends of the linebar are positioned relative to the saw so that one end is essentially adjacent to the center of the saw. Both ends of the linebar always remain on the line defined by the linebar when it is in straight line position. A tangent to the end of the linebar adjacent to the saw is always parallel to the plane defined by the saw. The saw is skewable about the point of intersection of the end of the linebar with a line drawn from the centerline of and normal to the plane of the saw. A mechanism for bending the linebar and skewing the saw completes the invention. Using this invention the linebar can be configured into an arc which approximates the sweep curvature of a cant or log being sawn.

Abstract: The present invention comprises the combination of an elongated curved linebar with at least one saw. This arrangement enables "sawing-around-the-curve" so that increased recovery can be obtained from cants or logs having significant amounts of sweep. The linebar is positioned so that a tangent at the end adjacent to the saw is parallel to the plane of the saw. The linebar is preferably curved so that it approximates the average curvature of the cants or logs being fed to the saw. An auxilliary straight line bar, which is normally out of contact with an incoming cant, may alternatively be moved into position when the incoming cant is relatively straight sided.

Abstract: A crowding lug transfer conveyor system has an infeed and an outfeed end with a primary conveyor surface serving to a convey pieces therebetween. A plurality of lugs, each slideably mounted on a lug chain, are held at the infeed end and then released ahead of an incoming piece. An upstanding member on the lug is above the plane of the primary surface and the lug body is below the plane. A predetermined body length establishes the spacing and crowding distance at the outfeed end. Escapement mechanisms serve to release individual lugs on command both at the infeed and outfeed ends. At the outfeed end a plurality of lugs and pieces may be accumulated and spaced with the pieces then being metered in a singulated controlled manner. Caliper blocks in the lugs serve to grasp the lug chain when a lug is released with the lug chain continuously passing through the caliper blocks when the lug is being held in place awaiting release.

Abstract: The present invention is a linebar assembly for guiding a cant or log into a saw. It comprises a flexible linebar which can be bent from a straight-line configuration to one approximating a circular arc having a minimum radius of about 30 m. The linebar can be configured into a circular arc which approximates the curvature of a cant or a log having sweep as great as about 100 mm in 5 m of length. The cant is fed into the saw along a circular path to achieve significantly higher lumber recovery. Extended tests have shown that this recovery will be 20-30% greater than that obtained using conventional straight-line sawing methods without any reduction in grade recovery.

Abstract: An edging system for machining the opposed rough edges of a workpiece into a parallelogram having the optimum angle of cut has an upstream sensing station to detect the maximum available width in order to remove the least amount of material. At the edging station a pair of laterally adjustable opposed cutter heads are mounted on a rotatable frame so as to have both the lateral distance between cutter heads and the angle the cutter heads make with respect to the top and bottom surfaces of the workpieces variable. Suitable conveying surfaces transport the workpiece into, through, and away from the edging station.