Abstract: The object of the application is a detachable cutting head for an apparatus for feeding filter segments provided with a drum conveyor having flutes for crosswise movement of filter rods, provided with circular knives situated in knife units mounted in the housing of the head, characterized in that it comprises a housing of the head (8) provided with a reference surface (23) for positioning in the apparatus for feeding filter segments; seatings (20, 21) for positioning the knife units (10) and lead-out channels (25), knife units (10) with circular knives (6), whereas the positioning seatings (20, 21) are situated so that the circular knives (6) do not overlap. Furthermore, the object of the application is a drive apparatus of a cutting head and a method of coupling a cutting head.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including: a first aligner to push lateral edges of a sheet inward across a width direction of the sheet conveyed from an upstream side for alignment of the sheet, the width direction being orthogonal to a moving direction of the sheet; a second aligner to abut a front edge of the sheet conveyed from the upstream side for a predetermined period of time for alignment of the sheet; a first aligner driver to drive the first aligner; a second aligner driver to drive the second aligner; and a controller to control operations of the first aligner driver and the second aligner driver, wherein the controller activates or inactivates the first aligner driver and the second aligner driver depending on a predetermined parameter on the conveyed sheet.

Abstract: In a method of slicing products, in particular food products, a plurality of products are supplied next to one another along a product support to a cutting plane in which a cutting blade moves, in particular in a rotating and/or revolving manner. The products are initially offset relative to one another in a stepped manner in the product supply direction via the product conveyors in that, starting from a first product, the further products up to the respective outermost product, which are arranged next to one another at at least one side, are set back by a respective amount against the product supply direction, and indeed further than the respective preceding product. The products offset in a stepped manner with respect to one another are traveled to light barriers at a defined speed. The positions of the product starts are detected with respect to the cutting plane via the light barriers.

Abstract: The object of the application is a detachable cutting head for an apparatus for feeding filter segments provided with a drum conveyor having flutes for crosswise movement of filter rods, provided with circular knives situated in knife units mounted in the housing of the head, characterized in that it comprises a housing of the head (8) provided with a reference surface (23) for positioning in the apparatus for feeding filter segments; seatings (20, 21) for positioning the knife units (10) and lead-out channels (25), knife units (10) with circular knives (6), whereas the positioning seatings (20, 21) are situated so that the circular knives (6) do not overlap. Furthermore, the object of the application is a drive apparatus of a cutting head and a method of coupling a cutting head.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus cuts the edge portions of a cover sheet covering a rectangular substrate. This cutting apparatus includes a holding unit, a head unit, a first moving unit, and a second moving unit. The holding unit holds the rectangular substrate by chucking one surface of the rectangular substrate. The head unit includes a cutting unit which cuts an edge portion of the cover sheet and a pivot unit which makes the cutting unit pivot to change a cutting direction. The first moving unit moves the head unit in a first direction parallel to one side of the rectangular substrate. The second moving unit moves the holding unit in a second direction perpendicular to the one side of the rectangular substrate, and moves the holding unit across a transfer position of the rectangular substrate and a cutting operation region which are continuous in the second direction.

Abstract: An auto-centering apparatus and method of auto-centering and dividing a cheese loaf into equal cheese portions is disclosed wherein the cheese loaf is loaded on to a bottom conveyor that centers the cheese along the cutting harp centerline and equally divides the cheese loaf to provide substantially equally sized cheese portions.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus that allows to accelerate a punching process while executing a sheet ejection offset certainly. A conveying unit conveys a sheet. A first moving unit moves the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit in a width direction that crosses a conveying direction of the sheet. A punching unit punches a hole in the sheet. A second moving unit moves the punching unit in the width direction. A control unit controls the first moving unit so as to change positions of sheets ejected to a sheet stack unit in the width direction by turns for every sheet bundle sorted. The control unit controls the second moving unit and the punching unit so as to execute a punching operation by the punching unit while moving the punching unit in synchronization with the movement of the sheet by the first moving unit.

Abstract: Sensors of the longitudinal edges and/or the width of hot roll metal strip are located immediately ahead of the trimming blades and are used to transversely adjust the trimming heads and/or the centerline position for the strip so that in subsequent trimming operations, the trim widths are identical at both sides. The cutting heads can be positioned in indentations at junctions between the successive segments of the strip.

Abstract: A system for laser microperforated fresh produce trays for use in modifying or controlling the flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide into and/out of a fresh produce container, where the microperforations are specifically tailored such as by size, location and number for the specific produce. The packaging system tailors microperforated trays for particular produce to optimally preserve the produce, using a method of making registered microperforations on the trays using at least some of the following: a conveyor, a thickness measuring devise, a sensor mechanism, and a laser system including optics.

Abstract: A building unit for constructing a multi-layered, finite length structure, and a method of building such a structure is disclosed. Rolls of stock material are stored in cartridge stations adjacent to a build table. Mounted on the build table and capable of traveling the length of the build table is a build shuttle. The stock material is moved onto the build shuttle and as the shuttle travels the length of the table, the material is dispensed and laid onto the table. The shear assembly on the build shuttle cuts the material to a specified length. In this manner, a plurality of layers are laid onto the table until a structure containing a desired number of layers is achieved.

Abstract: A conveyor device for miter-box saws which is arranged for movement horizontally perpendicular in relation to the direction of conveyance in order to be able to avoid any possible swivelling of the miter-box saw. The horizontal travel of the conveyor device takes place in part and in a swivelling direction due to the swivelling motion of the saw itself.

Abstract: Previous methods of bucksawing logs slow the throughput of a sawmill in that the conveyor line is stopped while a given log is bucksawed to length. The present invention provides a method for bucksawing a log which improves the throughput speed. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for bucksawing a log comprising the steps of a) advancing the log endwise along a tilted infeed conveyor; b) positioning the log on a tilted feed roll above the level of an outfeed conveyor while advancing the log; c) measuring the advance of the log while on the tilted feed roll; d) stopping the log at the desired length; e) sawing the log to produce a forward log segment; f) moving the forward log segment onto a tilted outfeed conveyor while advancing the remaining log segments. The present invention further provides a method and apparatus for bucksawing a log comprising utilizing a second multi-positional cut-off saw in the bucksawing station.

Abstract: An apparatus for positioning lumber pieces for end trimming, by means of a succession of gates mounted on traveling chains set at a converging angle with the even end line of uniformly spaced lumber pieces carried transversely on parallel chains towards a multiple saw trimmer. The positioning is accomplished by any one gate pushing against the end of a lumber piece and then retracting when the lumber piece has reached the appropriate position for cutting by stationary trimming saws. The positioning process and the saw selection for each cut are scanner/computer controlled.

Abstract: A board positioning device selectively positions in a lateral direction in a generally horizontal plane a board translating in a longitudinal direction in the horizontal plane, wherein the board is aligned along its length in the lateral direction. The device includes a stepped fence, which may be selectively positionable, lying generally in the horizontal plane. A fence positioner cylinder may selectively position the stepped fence in the lateral direction in the horizontal plane so as to position one step of a plurality of steps on the fence to correspond to a desired transition path so as to position the end of the board at a board optimizing position as determined by an optimizer, whereby the board may be laterally, selectively positioned into an optimized position relative to trimmer saws located downstream from the stepped fence in the longitudinal direction when the board is urged laterally against the stepped fence by ending rolls.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for cutting circuit board panels utilizing an in-line cutting mechanism. As the panel is transported into the cutting mechanism, adjustable rails are moved into position to properly guide the panel into the cutting head. The actual cutting operation is performed by transporting the panel between an upper cutting disk blade and a lower cutting disk blade. The distance between these two blades is adjustable and permits precision cutting of the panel with minimal stress to the circuit board and its components.

Abstract: The saw trimmer is used for trimming lumber pieces. The saw trimmer comprises a conveyor for longitudinally moving lumber pieces across the saw trimmer. The lumber pieces are transversely disposed on the conveyor with reference to the longitudinal direction. A plurality of adjacent drop saw assemblies are located above the conveyor. Each drop saw assembly comprises a circular saw blade parallel to the longitudinal direction, a corresponding hydraulic motor and an actuated positioning system for selectively raising and lowering the saw blade. Each lumber piece is held during the trimming thereof by a retaining assembly comprising a plurality of spaced-apart and parallel elongated rails positioned above the conveyor and extending longitudinally. These rails engage the upper surface of the lumber pieces. A plurality of rolls are positioned under a corresponding rail with an upper edge emerging above the conveyor and are driven into rotation. These rolls engage the bottom surface of the lumber pieces.

Abstract: An auto-splice device includes a cutting conveyer on which a sheet is cut to produce a fabric, a vacuum take-out unit for taking the fabric from the cutting conveyer onto a take-out conveyer, and a splice mechanism for splicing the fabric to another fabric on the take-out conveyer. A sheet end position measuring unit controls the location at which the fabric is held by the vacuum take-out unit.

Abstract: An auto-splice device includes a cutting conveyer on which a sheet is cut to produce a fabric, a vacuum take-out unit for taking the fabric from the cutting conveyer onto a take-out conveyer, and a splice mechanism for splicing the fabric to another fabric on the take-out conveyer. A sheet end position measuring unit controls the location at which the fabric is held by the vacuum take-out unit.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for cutting oversized vegetable products or the like, such as potatoes in the course of producing french fry strips, to obtain a controlled product length distribution. The system includes a conveyor for transporting the products in single file to a length sensor station for detecting the length of each product, and then to a cutting station for cutting each overlong product at one of a plurality of different positions as a function of the detected product length. Such length-responsive cutting provides significant control over the distribution of product lengths, while minimizing or eliminating the presence of products which are too long or short.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, an apparatus and sheets of materials for producing marked security threads as are used to increase the protection of documents and papers of value against forgery. The inventive method is for processing, in particular cutting, security threads out of sheets of material in register, the sheets of material being fed to the processing units in exact alignment. The feed principal is based onguiding the sheet of material on at least one edge of the sheet,determining the position relative to one of the edges of the sheet,producing a signal from the determination of position, andpositioning the feeding device relative to the processing unit so that the sheet of material runs into the latter in a predetermined position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method, an apparatus and sheets of materials for producing marked security threads as are used to increase the protection of documents and parers of value against forgery. The inventive method is for processing, in particular cutting, security threads out of sheets of material in register, the sheets of material being fed to the processing units in exact alignment. The feed principal is based on guiding the sheet of material on at least one edge of the sheet, determining the position relative to one of the edges of the sheet, producing a signal form the determination of position, and positioning the feeding device relative to the processing unit so that the sheet of material runs into the latter in a predetermined position.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for feeding panels to a panel cutting saw for conveying a stack of panels to a panel cutting saw so that the edges of the panels in the stack are aligned with respect to the cutting plane of the saw. An elevator platform supports a stack of panels. A panel conveyer transfers one or more panels at a time over a transfer platform to a panel feed platform. A repositionable barrier may be positioned between the saw and the panel feed platform. An alignment device aligns the panels of the stack against the barrier to produce a stack with at least one side in which the edges of the panels are aligned, prior to feeding of the stack into the panel cutting saw.

Abstract: An ending apparatus for positioning elongate objects comprising, in combination, object singulating equipment for separating a plurality of elongate objects in an inlet area into single objects while moving the objects in a first direction to an outlet area, and object support rollers intermediate the inlet and outlet area for supporting a separated, single elongate object. The object support rollers are adapted to move the elongate object in a second direction toward a reference surface independently of the object's movement in the first direction on the singulating device. The reference surface stops movement of the elongate object to establish a pre-determined position for the elongate object. Establishing the position of the object permits more efficient handling during further processing.

Abstract: There is disclosed saw mill apparatus for cutting root end defects from lumber pieces and cutting such pieces to desired sizes including a generally conventional scanner for recording detailed contour data for each piece as it is moved by a plurality of chain belt conveyors transverse to its longitudinal dimension; the scanner is followed by a root end trim saw unit extending over the root end edge of such conveyors including a motor driven rotating circular saw blade articulated to move down into or up out of the path of lumber pieces and also slidably mounted to be moved over a range of about 24 inches in one half inch increments thereby to cut away a defective portion of a lumber piece identified by the scanner and a conventional mill computer; following the end trimming saw unit is an even ending apparatus with generally conventional ending rolls to transport lumber pieces lengthwise as necessary to butt the root end against a guide fence.

Abstract: A food-slicing guide device for guiding a knife in slicing portions of food comprises a platform and a bail. A pair of opposing slots spaced along the lateral edges of the platform are adapted to align the bail either perpendicularly to the platform while using the device as a food-slicing guide, or longitudinally with the platform when storing or transporting the device. The slots are adapted to permit either side or either end of the platform to be used for slicing purposes, thereby permitting the abrasion caused by contact between a slicing utensil and the platform to be distributed at various times at different areas, thus reducing the abrasion effects and extending the useful life of the device. The bail is constructed of resilient material and the interacting corners of the slots are eased whereby the bail readily snaps into slicing position. For storage, the bail pivotally rotates to a resting position in a pair of V-shaped grooves along the edges of the platform.

Abstract: An apparatus for the program controlled longitudinal and transverse cutting of workpiece plates. A longitudinal cutting saw and a transverse cutting saw are arranged with an intermediate workpiece transport table in-between. Arranged on the intermediate workpiece support table is a lifting device for collecting and lifting end strips cut from workpiece plates by the longitudinal saw above the plane of transport of the cut plate sections, as the cut plate sections are transported onto the transverse saw.

Abstract: An automated multiple rip sawing apparatus is disclosed, wherein the boards are inspected at an inspection station to identify the lateral boundaries of the maximum usable clear area of each board. Each board is then delivered to an elongated saw feeding table which includes a transversely movable guide fence, and the board is then fed through a multiple rip saw having blades of differing separations, to thereby form a plurality of separate wood components. The transverse movement of the fence is automatically adjusted by a computer control, which includes the stored value of the boundaries of the maximum clear area of the board, and so that the board is ripped into the number and size of wood components which achieves a maximum yield from each board. Also, the saw feeding table includes a fixed support frame, and guide means for supporting the transverse movement of the fence while maintaining a high degree of accuracy in its alignment with respect to the fixed support frame.

Abstract: A sawing machine having rollers which laterally guide a log and feed it upon a transporting chain between and under rollers to sawblades of the saw machine, such as circular saws or a band saw. Above the log there in a staying chain which stays the log by means of staying spikes acting on the log's surface. The feed chain below the log carries supporting members which support the log at a plurality of points and maintain its unchanged position relative to the sawblades, and are particularly useful for sawing crooked logs to avoid uneven and unaesthetic saw cuts.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting a veneer piece into equal sections includes a main conveyer for feeding the veneer piece in a direction transverse to the wood fibers thereof and a cutter disposed in the main conveyer for cutting the veneer piece along the feeding direction thereof. A straightening unit is provided at the upstream position of the cutter for controlling the orientation of the veneer piece on the main conveyor in such a manner that the fibers precisely extend along the transverse direction of the main conveyer, the unit including a plurality of retractable stoppers capable of projecting from the main conveyer to stop the veneer piece for a predetermined time. A multiple conveyer system extends from the downstream end of the main conveyer to transport the sections of the cut veneer pieces to a single feeder at different timings, the feeder conveying the sections to an apparatus for forming seam plates.

Abstract: A feed lever and a lateral stop with individual guide members spaced apart and arranged in slot-shaped grooves of the metal feed table supported so that they can be raised and lowered on a support. The guide members are each equipped with a guide body possessing a lateral stop in the form of a roller. These rollers come up against the edge to be guided of the sheet metal plate. A guide and clamping device is located alongside of each roller. The apparatus allows sheet metal plates to be accommodated, spaced apart from one another in several stacks, these sheet metal plates being cut at different locations on the cutting knife.

Abstract: An elongated strip of sheet material is transported over a frame and along a transversely movable carriage on which upper and lower circular rotary cutting knives are mounted to slit the strip longitudinally into a desired portion to be processed immediately and a remnant portion for later use. The free edge of the desired portion is urged against a longitudinal guide, adjustably secured to the carriage, for adjusting the width of the desired portion. The strip is urged against the guide by a vertical crab wheel, locatable against the strip, and disposed at a slight acute angle to the longitudinal direction of the strip. The carriage and the guide are freely movable in a transverse direction to accommodate non-linearities in the strip.

Abstract: The machine includes a feed-in station and a drilling station. The feed-in station comprises a carriage for advancing the glass sheets to be drilled. The carriage has a plurality of rollers, at least some of which are driving rollers, the rollers being effective to impart a forward movement to the glass sheet and are provided with a shroud with helical pattern ridges for combining this forward movement with an approaching movement of the glass sheet towards a reference element and an abutment member connected to the frame of the feed-in station and a gripper assembly for carrying said glass sheet towards an adjustable drilling position.

Abstract: Machine intended for cutting out transversely, along a straight or broken, oblique or right-angled cutting line, a band material adapted to be fed parallel to its length.This machine has in combination, a device to unwind the band at constant linear speed from a reel and a second device to, firstly, advance the unwound band at constant linear speed from a fixed plane support which extends at least from the second device into proximity of the cutting system, and secondly, permit an edge of the band to be applied against a lateral edge guide. Use of this machine includes cutting of pieces from flexible compound material.

Abstract: Logs which have previously been de-limbed are placed onto and removed from a loading deck one at a time and delivered to an aligning trough or mechanism where one end of all logs are moved to a common point. The logs are then conveyed one at a time by a feed conveyor in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the logs and presented to a sawing mechanism where each log is sawed simultaneously into a plurality of shorter firewood pieces. The sawing mechanism includes a plurality of circular saws spaced longitudinally along a common axis which is, in turn, spaced above the level of the feed conveyor and extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the logs. Each saw is individually mounted for ease of removal and adjustment. A spring device urges the log downwardly, while lugs on the feed conveyor at the same time urge the log forwardly through the sawing mechanism.

Abstract: While conveyed along a deck plate of the apparatus, a smoked ham is conveyed toward a side of the deck plate to have an outer end of an ear of smoked ham casing sandwiched by a sandwiching conveyer, a shoulder of the smoked ham is then pushed by a first guide portion of a guide so that a ligating fitting of the smoked ham casing may be pulled out of a base of the ear, in succession thereto is extended a gap between the ligating fitting and the shoulder by a second guide portion of the guide, and thereafter the base of the ear is cut off by a cutter which occupies a position relative to that of the guide. Therefore, the ear of the smoked ham casing can be accurately cut off at a predetermined position.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for cutting lumber into any desired length. The cutting is carried out so that the piece of lumber is transported longitudinally, by means of a transverse conveyor, against a stop in either of two counter-check chains, which stop is connected to a carriage. The carriage can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the piece of lumber along guides by means of a servocylinder, and the position of the carriage can be suitably adjusted with respect to a circular saw next to it.

Abstract: Apparatus for trimming the lateral marginal portions of successive stacks of sheets of multiple unit width and for subdividing the trimmed stacks into stacks of unit width has an advancing unit which moves the stacks stepwise in a direction at right angles to their width, a trimming station where the marginal portions of successive stacks are trimmed, and two or more severing stations which are disposed one after the other, as considered in the direction of advancement of the stacks, and at each of which the width of the stacks is reduced by one unit width as a result of separation of discrete stacks of unit width therefrom. The stacks at the severing stations are moved sideways by the width of a stack of unit width prior to a separating step. The mechanisms at the severing stations employ knives which are aligned with one another, as considered in the direction of advancement of stacks, and are accessible at the outer sides of the respective severing stations.

Abstract: A front feed system that includes powered rollers for feeding sheet metal into the front of a shear. In one embodiment, the system uses ball transfer apparatus for facilitating feeding the sheet metal at various angles to the shear blade as desired by the operator. The transfer apparatus may then be lowered to rest the oriented sheet metal on the rollers for delivery to the shear. In a second embodiment, a turntable is positioned proximate the shear to further facilitate final orientation of the sheet material to be sheared. In a third embodiment, the sheet metal is automatically forced against a squaring arm on the shear to assure cuts perpendicular to the edge of the sheet metal, whether the sheet is positioned on the ball transfer apparatus or on the rollers through inclination of portions of the conveyor and/or the ball transfer apparatus.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning lumber, especially blocks from which the first pair of cants is removed, comprising a conveyor for transferring the blocks in longitudinal direction, a measuring station and a microprocessor or equivalent. Before feeding the blocks into a saw mill, they have to be aligned correctly in order to ascertain a maximum amount of wood products. In conventional apparatuses for aligning blocks, the alignment is performed on the unsawed surfaces of the block. In practice this leads to errors. In the present invention the errors can be eliminated by arranging the aligning members to comprise one or several short conveyors located in connection to the conveyor. The short conveyor can be shifted transversally both below and above the level of the conveyor, and it can be given a horizontal adjusting movement impulse according to the adjusting values received from the calculating unit.

Abstract: An improved positioning and feed system for cants or boards has the capability for skewing and offsetting at a pre-positioning station with respect to the saws of a sawing machine. At a pre-positioning station, at least one visible line is directed to and impinges upon an incoming piece. An operator, through the use linear positioners and a first set of movable pins, pre-positions the individual piece with respect to the reference line, skewing and offsetting it as necessary. Once the orientation is selected, a downstream second set of pins which assume the same position as the first set will be moved upwardly. The first set of pins will be retracted, allowing a conveyor table to convey the piece to the pre-positioned second set of pins. With the piece in its pre-priented position, the conveyor table is then moved vertically downward allowing the piece to lie atop a longitudinal infeed conveyor. Additional pins may be utilized according to the particular type of incoming cant or board.

Abstract: There is disclosed an envelope processing machine in the form of an improved envelope cutter apparatus adapted to sever one edge of envelopes in one by one relationship. The apparatus includes a supply hopper for retaining the envelopes to be processed, cutting means for severing one edge of the envelopes, means for removing envelopes in one by one relationship from the supply hopper and for transmitting the removed envelopes to the cutting means, and means for orienting the envelopes in respect to the cutting means. The orienting means includes a plurality of angularly disposed feed belts operable upon the envelope and an abutment member against which an envelope is engaged in its movement to the cutting means.

Abstract: A machine for making wood moldings includes an endless feed belt extending downstream from the upper face cutter head for holding short lengths of wood pieces securely between the working stretch of the feed belt and the underlying bed plate and delivering it through side and lower face cutter heads. An air plenum container overlies and bears against the working stretch of the feed belt to provide uniform feed pressure to the wood throughout the length of the working stretch and delivers air under pressure through a multiplicity of holes in the plenum container to the confronting side of the working stretch of the belt for minimizing friction between the belt and container. Short lengths of wood pieces are delivered in spaced-apart relationship to the upper face cutter head between an elongated side feed belt and an elongated air fence.

Abstract: A conveyor for separating and aligning glass sheets moving along a sheet movement path includes a plurality of cylindrical rolls skewed relative to the movement path to displace the advancing sheets toward a side of the conveyor. At the side of the conveyor the sheets are aligned by an endless belt rotating through a path parallel to the sheet movement path. Each successive roll in the direction of sheet advancement has increasing peripheral surface rotational speed to separate the advancing sheets.

Abstract: In an envelope edge slitter having a base, apparatus for feeding the envelopes one-by-one from the bottom of a stack at an input station to slitter blades in which an endless elastic belt extending around an eccentric pulley has an upper reach disposed in a slot n the base at the input station. The eccentricity of the pulley alternately brings the belt into and out of engagement with the lowermost envelope in the stack while the elasticity of the belt, the eccentricity of the pulley and the speed with which the belt is driven are such as to produce a whipping action of the upper reach of the belt which ensures that adjacent envelopes of the stack are separated and are fed one-by-one to the slitter blades.

Abstract: Apparatus for sawing of curved-form timber feeds the log past a band saw such that the cut follows the curved form of the log. Spaced guides function to guide the log in a curved-form path through the saw. The guides are displaceable in a direction transversely to the feeding direction of the log depending on the curved form of the log. The guides may comprise guide rollers provided on each side of the log to be forced to the sides of the log.

Abstract: Food patties are severed from logs and fed into magazines. A plurality of logs may be processed simultaneously; and the severed patties may be simultaneously fed in columns into one or more magazines. Under certain conditions columns of patties are moved through a transition means to separate same prior to entering the magazines. Thereafter successive magazines are moved to a position where the patties are sequentially deposited from the magazines onto a divider web and conveyor.

Abstract: Precision guide means for accurately directing lumber to and/or receiving cut lengths from saws. The guide means is mounted for selective movement by setworks back and forth across a path along which the lumber moves. A closed hydraulic system includes piston-cylinder units with a unit near each of opposite ends of the guide means. One end of each cylinder unit is fixed against movement and the opposite end thereof is connected to the adjacent end of the guide means, and pipe means interconnects these cylinder units so that when the guide means is moved, hydraulic fluid is transferred from an end of one of the units to an opposite end of another unit to ensure that both ends of the guide means move exactly the same distance. The guide means can be a linebar and a tailbar interconnected by the hydraulic system so that they are moved in unison exactly the same distance by the setworks. The guide means can be or include a relatively long splitter.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for trimming and grading lumber during transport thereof along a conveyor through a trimming device in which the lumber is cut at both root and top ends; said method comprising, arranging the lumber transverse a conveyor, initially cutting at the root end, directing the remanent transversely of the conveyor to a stop positioned to intercept the top end thereof and located less than one multiple of a length module unit, directing the remanent in the return transverse direction to one of a plurality of finger members, each located one length module from the other in a row transverse the conveyor, making the first top end cut, turning the remanent about its axis for inspection of all sides thereof and directing the remanent to a second cutter for a final top end cut determined by the number of length module units desired, the selection of length being controlled by adjustable stop means.

Abstract: A sawmill assembly allows a single operator to selectively control both cutting to length and gang sawing of cants to make pallet stock, eliminating the danger and labor of hand feeding a gang saw, and allowing efficient use of wood by operator selection of gang saw cut direction. A rapidly-acting improved cant turner is disclosed.