Precut processing of logs by cutting partially through a workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9993933-B2
Application number	US-201615087056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A precut module with one or more profiling heads and/or circular saws may be provided upstream of a saw module. The precut module may be used to implement a portion of a cut that would otherwise be made by the saw module, thereby reducing the depth of cut required at the saw module. In some embodiments, profiling heads may be used to profile a block that is wider than a desired side board. The block may be cut from the workpiece and sent to the edger. This may provide the same or better wood volume recovery and/or throughput speed than profiling the side board or cutting the side board from a flitch. In some embodiments, cut patterns for the precut module and other machine centers may be calculated and/or selected based on a desired depth of cut at the saw module, desired throughput speed, wood volume recovery, and/or other parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing a workpiece to obtain a desired cut product, wherein the workpiece is a log or a cant, and the desired cut product is a side board that has opposite faces, opposite longitudinal sides, and opposite ends, the method comprising:
using one or more first cutting members of a precut module to cut the workpiece longitudinally along a first plane, such that the cut extends only partially through the thickness of the workpiece within the first plane;
using one or more saws of a first saw module positioned downstream of the precut module to cut the workpiece longitudinally along the first plane to thereby sever an intermediate cut product from a remaining portion of the workpiece, such that the precut module and the first saw module make corresponding first and second portions of a through-cut through the workpiece along the first plane, wherein the intermediate cut product has a width that is greater than the width of the desired cut product; and
using an edger positioned downstream of the first saw module to cut the intermediate cut product longitudinally into at least a first piece and a waste piece, wherein the waste piece includes at least a portion of a longitudinal side of the intermediate cut product, and wherein the first piece corresponds to the desired cut product,
wherein the one or more first cutting members is one or more circular saws or profiling heads, and
wherein the method further includes determining a desired depth of cut for the first saw module based at least on a desired throughput speed through the first saw module, and determining the first portion or the second portion of the through-cut based at least on said desired depth of cut, wherein the second portion of the through-cut is less than or equal to the desired depth of cut.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first cutting members is one or more circular saws.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precut module includes a profiler, the one or more first cutting members is one or more profiling heads of the profiler, and the intermediate workpiece is a block.

4. The method of claim 3 , further including determining or selecting a cut solution for the workpiece, wherein the cut solution defines the desired cut product.

5. The method of claim 4 , further including calculating, based at least on the cut solution, a first cut pattern configured to be implemented by the profiler, wherein the first cut pattern defines the longitudinal sides of the block.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a second cut pattern configured to be implemented by the profiler or the edger, wherein the second cut pattern defines the longitudinal sides of the desired cut product;
determining a first difference, if any, in wood volume recovery for the first cut pattern relative to the second cut pattern;
determining a second difference, if any, in throughput for the second cut pattern relative to the first cut pattern;
comparing a value of the first difference to a value of the second difference; and
sending the first cut pattern to the profiler based on said comparing.

7. The method of claim 5 , further including calculating an increase in wood volume recovery or a decrease, if any, in throughput speed through the first saw module for the first cut pattern relative to the second cut pattern.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the cut solution further defines a second desired cut product, and wherein the precut module further includes a second profiler, the method further comprising determining a second cut pattern configured for implementation by the second profiler, wherein the second cut pattern defines the longitudinal sides of the second desired cut product or the longitudinal sides of a second block that is wider than the second desired cut product.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first saw module includes one or more saws, the desired depth of cut is a desired depth of cut for the one or more saws, and calculating the first cut pattern includes comparing a total depth of the through-cut to the desired depth of cut.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including calculating a second cut pattern configured for implementation by the first saw module, wherein the first cut pattern defines the first portion of the through-cut and the second cut pattern defines the second portion of the through-cut, and the second portion has a depth that is less than or substantially equal to the desired depth of cut for the one or more saws.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more profiling heads includes at least a first and a second profiling head, the first portion of the through-cut includes opposite ends of the through-cut, and the second portion of the through-cut is between said opposite ends of the through-cut.

12. The method of claim 1 , further including:
using one or more second cutting members of the precut module to cut the workpiece longitudinally along a second plane, such that the cut made by the one or more second cutting members extends only partially through the thickness of the workpiece within the second plane;
using another one or more saws of the first saw module to cut the workpiece along the second plane to thereby sever a second intermediate cut product from the remaining portion of the workpiece; and
using the edger to cut the second intermediate cut product longitudinally into at least a second side board and one or more additional pieces.

13. The method of claim 12 ,
wherein the one or more first cutting members and the one or more second cutting members are profiling heads and the intermediate cut products are blocks, or
wherein the first one or more cutting members and the second one or more cutting members are circular saws and the intermediate cut products are flitches, or
wherein the first one or more cutting members are profiling heads and the first intermediate cut product is a block, and the second one or more cutting members are circular saws and the second intermediate cut product is a flitch.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first cutting members is a first pair of profiling heads, the intermediate cut product is a block, and the precut module further includes a second pair of profiling heads, the method further including:
using the second pair of profiling heads to form a profile of a second desired cut product along the workpiece, wherein the second desired cut product is a second side board; and
severing the second desired cut product from the remaining portion of the workpiece.

15. A system for processing a workpiece to obtain a desired cut product, wherein the workpiece is a log or a cant, and the desired cut product is a side board that has opposite faces, opposite longitudinal sides, and opposite ends, the system comprising:
a precut module having one or more first cutting members;
a first saw module downstream of the precut module;
a second saw module downstream of the first saw module; and
a computer system operatively coupled with the precut module, the computer system having a processor, a memory operatively coupled with the processor, and one or more programmable logic controllers (PLCs) operatively coupled with the processor and the precut module, the first saw module, and the second saw module, wherein the computer system is programmed with instructions operable, upon execution by the processor, to
cause the one or more first cutting members of the precut module to cut the workpiece longitudinally along a first plane, such that the cut extends only partially through the thickness of the workpiece wit

Assignees

• Usnr Llc

Inventors

• Blomquist Christopher W

Classifications

• G05B2219/36515

  As function of material or pattern direction, nerves of wood for optimal cutting · CPC title

• B26D5/005 Primary

  Computer numerical control means · CPC title

• B27B1/002

  by cross-cutting (saw benches with non-feedable circular saw blades for cross-cutting laterally fed workpieces B27B5/228; cross-cutting reciprocating saws with power drive B27B11/00) · CPC title

• B26D11/00

  Combinations of several similar cutting apparatus · CPC title

• G05B2219/45229

  Woodworking · CPC title