Splitter profiler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11628586-B2
Application number	US-201916414710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2019
Priority date	May 16, 2018
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

In various embodiments, a splitter profiler apparatus may include at least one profiler head and at least one circular saw mounted to a common arbor. The circular saw may be mounted to a saw arm, and the saw arm may be coupled with an actuator that is selectively operable to move the circular saw along the arbor. The circular saw may be used in a profiling position, in which the circular saw and profiler head are in close proximity, such that the profiler head and circular saw function collectively to form a sideboard edge with a sawn finish. The circular saw may also be used in a splitting position, in which the circular saw is at a distance from the profiler, to divide the sideboard into narrower sideboards before the sideboards are sawn from the primary workpiece. Corresponding methods and systems are also described herein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A splitter profiler module, comprising:
a frame;
an arbor rotatably coupled with the frame;
a first profiler arm assembly mounted to the arbor, wherein the first profiler arm assembly is configured to transmit rotational motion of the arbor to a first profiler head;
a second profiler arm assembly mounted to the arbor and configured to transmit rotational motion of the arbor to a second profiler head; and
a first saw arm assembly mounted to the arbor and configured to transmit rotational motion of the arbor to a first circular saw blade, wherein the first saw arm assembly includes a saw arm and a sleeve assembly, and the sleeve assembly includes a first portion with a center annulus configured to slideably engage the arbor and a second portion fixedly connected to the saw arm, and the first portion is disposed at least partially through the second portion, wherein the first saw arm assembly is disposed between the first profiler arm assembly and the second profiler arm assembly and selectively axially moveable along the arbor.

2. The splitter profiler module of claim 1 , wherein the first portion includes a bearing housing, a bushing, or a sleeve bearing, and the second portion includes a roller bearing.

3. The splitter profiler module of claim 2 , wherein the first portion has a flange with a plurality of through-holes for coupling the circular saw blade to the flange.

4. The splitter profiler module of claim 1 , further including a carriage coupled to the saw arm and a guide member coupled to the frame, wherein the guide member is oriented substantially parallel to the arbor and the carriage is configured to movably engage the guide member.

5. The splitter profiler module of claim 1 , wherein the first profiler arm assembly includes a profiler arm, and wherein the splitter profiler module further includes first and second actuator assemblies coupled to the frame and operatively coupled with the first profiler arm and the saw arm, respectively.

6. The splitter profiler module of claim 5 , wherein the profiler arm or the saw arm includes an aperture therethrough, and a portion of one of said actuator assemblies is disposed through said aperture.

7. The splitter profiler module of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the actuator assemblies includes a linear actuator and a shaft connected to an output end of the linear actuator.

8. The splitter profiler module of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the first saw arm assembly is configured to nest at least partially within or next to a first portion of the first profiler arm assembly, or the first portion of the profiler arm assembly is configured to nest at least partially within or next to the first portion of the saw arm assembly.

9. The splitter profiler module of claim 1 , wherein the first profiler arm assembly includes a first profiler arm, and wherein the saw arm is configured to nest at least partially within or next to the first profiler arm, or the first profiler arm is configured to nest at least partially within or next to the saw arm.

10. The splitter profiler module of claim 1 , wherein the first profiler arm assembly includes a first profiler arm, the second profiler arm assembly includes a second profiler arm, and the saw arm is between the profiler arms.

11. The splitter profiler module of claim 10 , further including one or more guide members coupled to the frame and oriented substantially parallel to the arbor, wherein the saw arm assembly and the profiler arm assemblies are movably coupled to the one or more guide members.

12. The splitter profiler module of claim 11 , wherein the splitter profiler module further includes an actuator assembly mounted to the frame, the actuator assembly includes a first actuator operatively coupled with the first profiler arm assembly, a second actuator operatively coupled with the saw arm assembly, and a third actuator operatively coupled with the second profiler arm assembly, and the actuator assembly is operable to move the saw arm assembly and the profiler arm assemblies along the arbor and the guide member.

13. The splitter profiler module of claim 1 , further including the first profiler head, the second profiler head, and the first circular saw blade.

14. A method of obtaining coplanar sideboards from a first side of a primary workpiece, wherein the primary workpiece is a log or a cant, each of the sideboards has opposing first and second faces and opposing first and second longitudinal edges, and the first faces are coplanar, the method including:
using a splitter profiler module as recited in claim 13 to remove material from the primary workpiece with the first profiler head and the second profiler head along respective cutting paths to form respective outer longitudinal edges of two of the sideboards along the first side of the primary workpiece
and to cut the primary workpiece longitudinally between the cutting paths with the first circular saw blade to form an inner longitudinal edge of at least one of the sideboards, such that the inner longitudinal edge is formed at substantially the same time as the outer longitudinal edges.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the primary workpiece is a log, the method further includes cutting the log to form a flat face along the first side, and the first faces of the sideboards are respective portions of the flat face.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the primary workpiece is a cant with a flat face along the first side, and the first faces of the sideboards are respective portions of the flat face.

17. The method of claim 14 , further including using one or more cutting devices located downstream of the arbor to cut the primary workpiece longitudinally, along a cutting plane that is parallel to the first face, to thereby form the second faces and sever the sideboards from a remaining portion of the primary workpiece.

Assignees

• Usnr Llc

Inventors

• Blomquist Christopher W
• Whitaker Benjamin Owen

Classifications

• B27B5/34 Primary

  Devices for securing a plurality of circular saw blades on a single saw spindle; Equipment for adjusting the mutual distance {(arrangements for adjusting the mutual distances of circular saw machines for lengthwise sawing of trunks B27B7/04)} · CPC title

• B27B33/20

  Edge trimming saw blades or tools combined with means to disintegrate waste · CPC title

• B27B33/08

  Circular saw blades · CPC title

• B27B5/063

  Sawing travelling workpieces · CPC title

• B27B31/006

  with chains or belts · CPC title