Abstract: A combination gang saw and edger system cuts both cants and flitches into boards. Cants and flitches are fed singly, lengthwise into the system on an infeed conveyor. On the conveyor, the cant or flitch is scanned to produce a lengthwise cross-sectional profile. An optimizer determines whether the profile is for a cant or flitch and determines how the piece will be cut. A controller responsive to the optimizer directs the positioning of a first and second set of saws on a pivotably mounted saw arbor to cut either a cant or flitch, respectively. The boards cut from the cant or flitch are fed outfed from the system. The system can cut cants with longitudinal curvature and can cut cants or flitches that are placed at an angle to the length of the infeed conveyor.

Abstract: A combination gang saw and edger system cuts both cants and flitches into boards. Cants and flitches are fed singly, lengthwise into the system on an infeed conveyor. On the conveyor, the cant or flitch is scanned to produce a lengthwise cross-sectional profile. An optimizer determines whether the profile is for a cant or flitch and determines how the piece will be cut. A controller responsive to the optimizer directs the positioning of a first and second set of saws on a pivotably mounted saw arbor to cut either a cant or flitch, respectively. The boards cut from the cant or flitch are fed outfed from the system. The system can cut cants with longitudinal curvature and can cut cants or flitches that are placed at an angle to the length of the infeed conveyor.

Abstract: Chipping heads are mounted for lateral movement in one dimension in a gang saw module which is itself moveable translationally in the first dimension and angularly in a second dimension, for skewing relative to an in-feed direction of a curved cant. The chipping heads are mounted on an in-feed side of the gang saw assembly. Stationary drive motors are mounted directly above the chipping heads, supported by a tower that is independent of the gang saw module. Vertical drive lines with U-joints drivingly connect the drive motors to the chipping heads while permitting the chipping heads to be moved normal to the axes of rotation of the drive motors. The motors are centered above the chipping heads, with their vertical drive axes midway between lateral endpoints in each dimension of the range of travel of the chipping heads. Motor spacing above the chipping heads and the drive line lengths are sufficient to accommodate that range of lateral travel.