Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090095377 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING LUMBER IN A SAWMILL - At least one geometric characteristic for each of a number of pieces of lumber is determined. Each of the pieces of lumber may then be logically associated with at least one of a log or a cant from which the piece of lumber was sawn. | 04-16-2009 |
20090095378 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING A SAW BLADE DURING SAWING - A light source is used to illuminate a sawn portion of a piece of wood and exposed surfaces of the saw blade on both sides of the sawn portion. The sawn portion and the exposed surfaces of the saw blade are then imaged substantially concurrently using a single image generator. At least one geometric characteristic of the sawn portion and at least one geometric characteristic of the saw blade are determined based on the imaging. | 04-16-2009 |
20090095379 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GANGSAW MANAGEMENT - The geometric characteristics for a plurality of boards that have been completely sawn by a gangsaw are determined. A sawn surface of one of the plurality of boards is then logically associated with one of the plurality of saw blades in the gangsaw. | 04-16-2009 |
20090255607 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING LUMBER IN A SAWMILL - At least one geometric characteristic for each of a number of pieces of lumber is determined. Each of the pieces of lumber may then be logically associated with at least one of a log or a cant from which the piece of lumber was sawn. | 10-15-2009 |
20120227866 | MACHINE VISION BASED SAWMILL AUDIT SYSTEM - Sawmill auditing and control apparatus and methods employ information from one or more scan zones and/or controllers (e.g., PLCs). Boards may be logically associated with mill equipment which produced the boards, allowing defects or imperfections to be tied to certain equipment. For example, boards may be associated with a primary breakdown machine or a gangsaw, or with a pair of cutters (e.g., saws, chip heads). Such allows auditing of mill operations to identify improperly functioning machinery or out of tolerance conditions, to correct such, and/or provide notification. | 09-13-2012 |
20120262725 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRACKING LUMBER IN A SAWMILL - At least one geometric characteristic for each of a number of pieces of lumber is determined. Each of the pieces of lumber may then be logically associated with at least one of a log or a cant from which the piece of lumber was sawn. | 10-18-2012 |
20130199672 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUDITING OPTIMIZERS TRACKING LUMBER IN A SAWMILL - An audit system and method audits operation of an optimizer system in a mill, for example auditing operation of a cant optimizer which optimizes sawing patterns. The audit system may be completely independent of the optimizer. For example, the audit system may acquire information (e.g., optically) indicative of a geometry of boards downstream from a piece of equipment such as a gangsaw. The audit system may computationally reconstruct a cant from which the boards were sawn, determine an outside dimension indicative of wane, and simulate alternative sawing patterns, determining a theoretical amount of recovery that would have resulted from each and comparing such to actual recovery from the log or cant. Alternative sawing patterns may take into account various wane rules and comparison may take into account current demand and/or prices for dimensional lumber. | 08-08-2013 |
20140238546 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF ORIENTING A CANT IN LUMBER MILLS - Processing of a cant may include determining a rotational orientation about a longitudinal axis of the cant that optimizes a recovery from the cant from subsequent sawing operations. Such may include optimizing a width of a board that will be produced dependent on the particular rotational longitudinal orientation. Such may include determining a surface area of a board which would be produced, a thickness of a board that would be produced, and/or a volume of a board that would be produced. Such may include accounting for any premium associated with various width categories in which a board that would be produced would fit. Such may account for any premium associated with grade or quality of a board that would be produced. A corresponding signal may provide information to a human operator and/or automated machinery to orient the cant in an optimized orientation. | 08-28-2014 |
20140251499 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS OF MANAGING CHIPPING AND SAWING EQUIPMENT - At least one image device proximate a second conveyor is disposed a predetermined distance in front of chip heads. The at least one image device can image a log and capture the actual log position on a sharp chain before its being engaged by chip heads. A computing device is coupled to the at least one image device to receive data including the actual log position information. The computing device compares the actual log position to a preferred log position solution so as to check whether a log deviates from its expected position. If any position deviation exists, the computing device may send instructions to adjust the positions of the chip heads and saws to ensure that a log is correctly positioned relative to the chip heads and saws, whereby correcting log position errors and eliminating transport accuracy losses. | 09-11-2014 |