Abstract: An improved system for clamping and retaining a cutting knife in position in an apparatus for processing wood. The apparatus includes a support surface, a cutting knife, an associated holding location on the support surface to receive the cutting knife, and a clamp member having a clamping surface to engage and hold the at least one cutting knife in the associated holding location. The improvement involves mounting the clamp member to the support surface at a pivot joint for pivotal movement of the clamp member with respect to the support surface. The clamp member has a clamping surface that extends on one side of the pivot joint and a lever arm extending on the other side of the pivot joint. An actuating member is provided to apply a force to the lever arm so that a clamping force is applied to the cutting knife through the clamping surface according to the principle of a first order lever. The pivoting clamping arrangement provides secure and reliable clamping of the cutting knives.

Abstract: A waferizing apparatus having a rotatable disc. There are knife carriers mounted on the disc with spaced openings between the carriers. Openings in the disc correspond to the openings in the carrier and there is a knife associated with each opening. A knife clamp is bolted to the carrier to clamp each knife in position. Each knife clamp is urged resiliently inwardly against the carrier to clamp each knife in position in the apparatus. An expandable device can expand to separate the clamp and the carrier to permit removal of each knife.