Abstract: An adjustable clamping and spreading bar clamp or bench vice includes a fixed jaw and a movable jaw opposing the fixed jaw, where the fixed jaw and the movable jaw each include two jaw pads facing in opposite directions. The movable jaw connects at one end to a slide bar, which is movable to bring the movable jaw toward and away from the fixed jaw, the movable jaw includes means to releasably engages the slide bar and advances the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw or moves the movable jaw away from the fixed jaw for spreading or jacking. A two-way drive means is operational by a trigger handle grip. Also included is a pair of mechanical detent switches, which are rotated approximately ¼ revolution, to either change the direction of the movable jaw, or release the clamp after either clamping or spreading.

Abstract: A wing knife holder for a chipping head includes a plinth for releasable mounting of the knife holder to the chipping head hub, a cantilevered member mounted on the plinth, the cantilevered wing inclined rearwardly and radially outwardly, from an inner end of the member support on the plinth to a cantilevered outer end of the member opposite the inner end. The leading edge of the member is forwardly swept in the direction of rotation of the chipping head from the inner end to the outer end so as to advance the outer end ahead of the inner end. A chip flow passage is formed in the plinth, radially inwardly of the leading edge between the hub and the leading edge. The chip flow passage slopes from an inner opening adjacent the peripheral edge of the hub rearwardly and radially inwardly toward the axis of rotation of the chipping head.

Abstract: A lug loader includes a first shaft rotatably mounted transversely across a board flow path, wherein a board in the board flow path is aligned transversely across the board flow path. The board translates in a downstream direction on a board infeed transfer from an upstream position. A board supporting structure such as a disc is rigidly mounted to the first shaft so as to rotate with rotation of the first shaft. The board supporting structure has a shoe mounting surface extending generally orthogonally from the first shaft. The board supporting structure also has a radially outer-most rim, radially outer-most relative to the first shaft. The rim is generally circular and generally circumferentially contiguous so as to form a board supporting surface around the rim. An elongate shoe has first and second ends. A board supporting heel is mounted on the shoe. The shoe is pivotally mounted at the first end of the shoe to the shoe mounting surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically placing lengths of poly sheet from a roll of poly sheet onto the second-from-the-top tier of a lumber package includes a poly roll holder, and a plurality of grip clamps. The grip clamps may have rubber pads for improved friction when gripping the POLY sheet. The gripping clamps are mounted on a carriage which is in turn mounted on a trolley. The trolley is selectively translated back and forth over an exposed tier in a stack of lumber. The gripping clamps grasp the free end of the poly sheet so that the ploy sheet is drawn over the exposed tier as the trolley is translated.

Abstract: An active edger includes an actively positionable gangsaw or a first end saw mounted on an arbor mounted within a stationary saw box. The gangsaw or first end saw is actively positionable relative to the saw box. In a second embodiment, the gangsaw or first end saw is mounted on an arbor in fixed translational and skewing relation relative to, and within, an actively positionable saw box. The actively positionable gangsaw is selectively actively laterally translatable and selectively actively rotatable so as to skew the gangsaw relative to the saw box. In both embodiments, the saw box receives a workpiece, longitudinally conveyed in a downstream direction, longitudinally into the gangsaw or first end saw from an upstream position.

Abstract: A tier forming and handling device for forming and handling sequential tiers of lumber from a flow of elongate boards translated on a first conveyor in a first flow direction, wherein the boards are aligned along their length generally perpendicularly to the first flow direction, having a mat forming mechanism for collecting, by selectively actuable hook stops, the flow of elongate boards against the hook stops so as to form a mat of lumber having a downstream end adjacent the hook stops and an upstream end whereagainst the flow of elongate boards may continue to collect into abutting adjacent array; a mat separator for separating, along the first conveyor, at a selectively adjustable separation location, a tier of lumber from the downstream end of the mat of lumber; and, a variable speed tier accelerator for conveying and selectively variably accelerating the tier of lumber, once separated along the first conveyor, from the first conveyor to a hoist stacker, wherein the selectively adjustable separation loca

Abstract: An edging and curve-sawing saw has a selectively skewable sawbox, skewable to a workpiece infeed path so as to receive workpieces translated longitudinally along the infeed path and into the sawbox. The sawbox rotatably supports a saw arbor. A plurality of saw blades are slidingly mounted on the saw arbor in a parallel laterally spaced array. The saw blade array spacing is selectively adjustable device mounted to the sawbox. The array is slide on the arbor relative to the sawbox according to an optimized profile.

Abstract: A lug loader singulates elongate workpieces from a lugged infeed transfer onto a lugged outfeed transfer. A disc is rotatable mounted between the infeed and outfeed transfers. Pivotable heels are mounted around the periphery of the disc. The heels are elongate and mounted so that they may be pivoted to extend outwardly from the periphery of the disc. When so extended the heels lift workpieces waiting on the infeed transfer and carry the workpieces over the disc as the disc rotates so as to release the workpieces onto the outfeed transfer. Each heel has a cam follower which travels along the lower cam surface of a selectively pivotable stop arm. When the stop arm is pivoted inwardly relative to the disc, the lower cam surface forces rotation of the heels into their outwardly extended position. Flow of workpieces is stopped when the stop arm is pivoted outwardly relative to the disc so as to remove the cam surface from the path of the cam followers.

Abstract: An apparatus for sequenced or simultaneous feeding of a plurality of flitches to a board edger includes a sequencing conveyor for sequenced feeding of flitches in a horizontal first direction, the flitches oriented in a horizontal second direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, the flitches fed sequentially into first or second adjacent parallel holding locations, a selectively actuable transfer device for selective transfer of a first fitch in the first direction from either of the first or second adjacent parallel holding locations onto a first edger feeder, and a second edger feeder parallel and adjacent to the first edger feeder, the first and second parallel adjacent edger feeders for selective sequential or simultaneous feeding into an edger according to a feed controller for (i) controlling the sequential or simultaneous feeding of the first flitch on the first edger feeder, and (ii) controlling the sequential or simultaneous feeding of a second flitch transferred from the first or se

Abstract: A vacuum assisted stick placer for (a) retrieving a spacing stick from a J-hook on a J-hook stick conveyor, whereon a first broad side of the stick is supported on the J-hook, and (b) placing the stick onto a top surface of a stack of lumber has a selectively actuable vacuum gripping device for (a) selectively applying a vacuum to the first broad side of the stick whereby the stick may be adhered to the vacuum gripping device when the vacuum gripping device is in a stick retrieving position snug beneath the first broad side of the stick supported in the J-hook, and (b) selectively removing the vacuum from the first broad side of the stick whereby the stick may be released from the vacuum gripping device, when the vacuum gripping device is in a stick placing position substantially opposed to the stick retrieving position and proximate the top surface of the stack of lumber, a first translation device for rotatably translating the vacuum gripping device in an arcuate path and a second translation device for sub