Thomas J Hahn

US Patent:

49457977, Aug 7, 1990

Filed:

May 6, 1988

Appl. No.:

7/191101

Inventors:

Thomas W. Hahn - Lenoir NC

Assignee:

Buss Automation, Inc. - Lenoir NC

International Classification:

B27B 500
B27B 2700

US Classification:

83 755

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.