Abstract: A lumber sorter is provided for sorting aligned, side-by-side pieces of lumber. The sorter includes: (1) apparatus for driving fewer than all of the pieces along a first path of travel, while driving the remaining pieces along a second path of travel, the second path being vertically divergent with respect to the first path; and (2) laterally extending support apparatus for receiving and supporting the pieces which are driven along the first path of travel. The invention may alternatively be defined as a lumber edging picker conveyor adapted to receive boards and adjacent edgings from a lumber edger having a plurality of edger saws.

Abstract: A horizontal hydraulic bar stock shear is disclosed having three spaced bolsters which are clamped toward each other by four tie rods. A piston and cylinder actuator is located on one side of a central bolster and a die set assembly is mounted on the other side of the center bolster. A pair of mounting yokes are provided adjacent to the associated bolsters and the die set elements are clamped at their ends against such yokes. The end-clamped elements include a pair of side plates which laterally locate the dies. A manually removable cover assembly closes the upper side of the dies and the dies are supported on spaced rails which provide openings through which debris can fall out of the die assembly.

Abstract: A car on tracks behind the knives of a shear machine, has a section for receiving product cuttings when the car occupies one position on the tracks, and means are provided for receiving scrap cuttings when the car is moved to another position, the car being capable of additional movement on the tracks to a position to the rear of the machine for convenient disposal of cuttings carried by it. Work support carried by the car, supports work prior to shearing and, when possessed of magnetic qualities, will magnetically grip the work and enable adjustment thereof for shearing, by movement of the car. In lieu of magnet work supports, roller supports may be provided, and such roller supports may be power driven.

Abstract: A tree harvester comprising a mobile frame having a carriage with limb-stripping knives thereon which encircle the tree alternatively in snug or loosely-engaging relation, tree clamping means above the bed of the frame and saw means movably mounted on the clamping means for movement therewith and, in addition, between retracted position and lowered tree-sawing position. Selective rotary log-ejecting means is mounted adjacent the saw to eject the severed tree sections to either side, as desired. The limb-stripping knives progress the stripped portion of the tree beyond the saw and clamping means when in snug position, and strip the limbs off the tree when in loosely-engaging relation as the carriage moves away from the clamping means and saw.

Abstract: A sawing machine having a first and a second saw with cutting planes generally perpendicular to each other includes a mechanism for conveying cut planar workpieces from one saw to the other. The mechanism includes a plurality of rows of rollers located adjacent each other and spaced apart with a grate mechanism having grate elements extending between the rows of rollers being movable to transport cut workpieces from a support table of the first saw to the roller rows. A gap formed between the work table of the first saw and the roller rows enables trim waste to fall from the support table, and the grate mechanism is pivotally mounted for reciprocal movement between the support table and the roller rows during which it bridges the gap therebetween.

Abstract: A cutter assembly for automatically splitting wood discs to produce wood chunks of an appropriate size for outdoor cooking is disclosed. The wood discs are sheared into wedge portions by a knife assembly which is reciprocated by a crank assembly which converts the rotary motion of a power shaft to reciprocating motion of a yoke coupled to the knife assembly. Wedge segments of the wooden discs are forcefully discharged into a rotary hopper by the action of a wedge cutting portion of the knife assembly which includes a deflection face which is forwardly inclined with respect to the plane of motion of the cutting edge of the knife.

Abstract: An allocating means for sorting or allocating of side boards individually immediately after sawing of logs into a main yield and an number of side boards. The allocating means comprises a longitudinal conveyor (10) for the main yield and movable support rolls (11, 12) for the side boards. Below the support rolls there are disposed stops (16, 17) for the side boards and in level with the stops there are disposed arresting means in the form of suction plates (18, 19) adapted to first hold one side board of each pair whereas the other one of that pair is permitted to fall into a compartment of a cross-conveyor, and then to free also that second side board of the pair so that it falls into a further compartment of the cross-conveyor for individual transport to a place for further handling.

Abstract: In continuously blanking a coiled metal sheet, an operator rapidly detects parts of welded connection of a metal sheet without any manual touch of the metal sheet, removes the parts of welded connection and restarts the apparatus for blanking the metal sheet.

Abstract: A bar end dropper for forging machines or the like is disclosed which automatically operates to reject blanks cut from the end of the piece of stock which are of unsatisfactory length and to adjust the feed when necessary to ensure that the ends of pieces of stock being fed into the machine are a sufficient distance from the shear plane of the cutter to ensure a clean cutting operation. As sequential pieces of stock are fed to the machine, they are positioned in the measuring position and the measuring carriage moves in to position a sensor a distance from the shear plane determined by the length of the stock. This automatically positions the sensor.

Abstract: A device is provided for detection of metal in a moved strand of a highly viscous material such as a mass of chewing gum. A guide trough for the strand is provided, above which an electronic metal detector is disposed, whereby a drop knife is disposed above the guide trough, and a swing valve opens into the floor of the guide trough.

Abstract: Apparatus for subdividing a web of exposed and developed photographic paper into discrete prints has advancing rolls which move the web lengthwise in stepwise fashion to place successive frame lines into register with a severing device which is thereupon actuated to sever the web in order to separate the foremost print. Such print comes to rest on the wings of two turnable depositing devices which flank the path for the prints downstream of the severing device and are thereupon operated to rotate the wings in opposite directions so as to allow the print thereon to descend onto a composite stacking platform therebelow. The depositing devices have rotary hubs or plate-like orienting members which align the print on the wings with the prints of the stack therebelow.

Abstract: Apparatus is disclosed and claimed herein for cutting logs into predetermined lengths with primary use in a hardwood veneer plant. A log conveyor is provided, preferably in two sections, with a cutting station located therebetween. The cutting station is equipped with a pivotally operated chain saw or circular saw which cuts the logs as desired. A log clamp means is provided immediately adjacent the cutting station to engage the log on two sides, preferably top and bottom, with the diameter of the log being irrelevant within wide ranges. When a log is first clamped, the cutting saw passes to square off the forward end of same. Located downstream of the cutting station are a plurality of individually operated log stops that are located in the path of travel of the log moving along the conveyor. A particular stop, depending upon the length of log cut desired, is actuated to move into the path of log travel.

Abstract: A car on tracks behind the knives of a shear machine, has a section for receiving product cuttings when the car occupies one position on the tracks, and means are provided for receiving scrap cuttings when said car is moved to another position, the car being capable of additional movement on said tracks to a position to the rear of the machine for convenient disposal of cuttings carried by it. Work support means carried by the car, supports work prior to shearing and, when possessed of magnetic qualities, will magnetically grip the work and enable adjustment thereof for shearing, by movement of the car. In lieu of magnet work supports, roller supports may be provided, and such roller supports may be power driven.

Abstract: The strip handling apparatus for use in conjunction with a scroll shear having a double set of cutting edges includes first, second and third chute assemblies mounted to the scroll shear and adapted to direct the cut strips of material onto a scroll shear piler having a stacker box. The first chute assembly includes a turn-over mechanism which rotates and turns over the cut strip material passing over the double set of cutting edges onto the scroll shear piler for stacking in the stacking box. The second chute assembly is adapted to direct the cut strip material falling between and through the double set of dies to the scroll shear piler and the third chute assembly is adapted to direct the butt-strip materials falling on the infeed side of the scroll shear to the scroll shear piler.

Abstract: A transfer machine for cutting rolled sheet metal comprises a sheet loading arrangement, a feed mechanism for moving a sheet to the blades of guillotine shears, an arrangement for sorting and stacking cut-off blanks, and a program control system. The sheet loading arrangement comprises a receiving table which is fixedly mounted and located on the axis of the transfer machine, and a four-member linkwork with a sheet grip. The linkwork is constructed so as to provide for transferring a sheet from a stack onto the table of the feed mechanism along the axis of the machine, the sheet remaining parallel to the table of the feed mechanism during the transfer. Fitted on the table of the feed mechanism is a sensor responsive to the passage of the rearward sheet edge. This sensor provides for measuring the dimensions of blanks from the rearward sheet edge on the reverse stroke of the feed mechanism.

Abstract: The length of segments cut from steel blooms that can be conveniently removed from a pass line in which a sizing gauge is positioned in close aligned relation to the pass line is increased by mounting the sizing gauge on a movable carriage. Support rollers forming a bloom receptacle are positioned on the carriage adjacent the sizing gauge and means are provided to move the carriage to each of two positions whereby either the sizing gauge or the receptacle is aligned with the bloom pass line.

Abstract: Sawing apparatus, such as a pulpwood slasher, has an upwardly inclined, log-supporting deck provided with means to carry logs of a predetermined maximum length from the lower to the upper end thereof with the logs transversely of the deck. The deck is substantially in the form of a right triangle and its side that corresponds to the hypotenuse thereof has a series of circular saws spaced equally from each other and the ends of that side so that each log, as it is carried by the conveying means, is brought successively into engagement with the saws. The saws have a lead such that when a cut is completed, a wanted length drops onto a takeaway conveyor as it is cut free and the proximate end of the remainder of that log clears that saw as it is conveyed thereby. The takeaway conveyor extends diagonally of the path of logs and the conveying means supporting the log on both sides of each saw while it is being cut.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for removing nuclear fuel from a clad fuel element. The fuel element is power driven past laser beams which simultaneously cut the cladding lengthwise into at least two longitudinal pieces. The axially cut lengths of cladding are then separated, causing the nuclear fuel contained therein to drop into a receptacle for later disposition. The cut lengths of cladding comprise nuclear waste which is disposed of in a suitable manner.

Abstract: A control system is disclosed for a hot forging machine which is supplied with lengths of stock. The system provides automatic rejection of workpieces cut from the rearward end of one length of stock and the forward end of a subsequent length of stock. The system includes a sensor which laterally deflects the rearward end of a length of stock as such rearward end approaches a control point to produce a signal to reset the system. As the forward end of the subsequent length of stock passes the control point, a second signal is generated to actuate the stock movement measuring system. Stock movement is measured by a measuring roller which engages and is turned by the stock as it moves toward the cutter. The rotation of the measuring roller drives a pulse generator which supplies a signal to a counter.

Abstract: An iron piece shearing machine which comprises in combination an iron strip supply source from which at least one continuous length of iron web or strip is payed out, a pair of upper and lower feed rollers positioned midway of the passage of said iron strip extending from said supply source and having a nip defined therebetween, a pair of upper and lower spaced stationary blades positioned downstream of said feed rollers in the passage of the iron strip and having an iron strip guide clearance defined therebetween, and a high speed rotary shearing cutter assembly positioned adjacent to the distal ends of said stationary blades to shear small pieces having a small square cross-section area off the remaining portion of said iron strip in cooperation with the stationary blades.