US3454060A - Chipping log siding machine - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1.969 J. L. WALL CHIPP ING LOG SIDING MACHINE Sheet Filed Nov. 21, 1966 8 8w r o mjomzoo J- JO x Y 625.06 l I I v mw o o l JAMES L. WALL YJuly 8,1 969 -1J.L.WALL 3,454,060

CHIPPING LOG SIDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21,1966 I Sheet 3 of s FIG. 2

M A A A A A A A 6' A Y .A a 'o o o 0 o O 0 o A Y o o o 0 000 V v o 0 0 7 V q 0 V V 7 9 v 1 v v v v v v INVENTOR I JAMES L. WALL July 8, 1969 J. L. WALL CHIPPING LOG SIDING MACHINE Sheet Filed Nov. 21, 1966 INVENTOR JAMES L. WALL FIG 10 July 8, 1969 J. L. WALL 3,454,060

I I SHIPPING LOG SIDING MACHiNE Filed Nov. 21, 1966 I Sheet 4 of 5 Fla. 12

I23 MHIZZ FIG. 20

FIG. 15 I INVENTOR I JAMES L. WALL BY v July 8, 1969 J. L. WALL 3,454,060

CHIPPING LOG SIDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1966 Sheet 5 of 5 JAMES L. WALL X y z 2-; 08

F G. 1a

INVENTORH United States Patent 3,454,060 CHIPPING LOG SIDING MACHINE James L. Wall, Vidalia, Ga., assignor of one-half interest to H. V. and T. G. Thompson Lumber Co., Ailey, Ga., a partnership Filed Nov. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 595,812 Int. Cl. B27c 1/08; B27g 13/00 US. Cl. 144-118 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a chipper for producing cant logs, cross ties and the like and in which the chips formed by the removal of wood from opposite sides of a round log are of a substantially uniform fiber length suitable for paper or board making, and to a board edging chipper.

More particularly, the invention relates to such a chipper which can be adjusted by a very simple operation to vary the fiber length of the chip without adjustment of the chipping blades.

In the making of paper pulp products such as paper and board the nature of the product, the cooking method used, and other variables such as wood species dictate use of a chip of specified fiber length. When a chipper is operated in connection with, say, an independent. sawmill it is especially desirable to be able to produce chips of variable fiber length so as to be able to supply pulping mills of various nature and not be dependent on the needs of a particular mill, since in lumber manufacture, at the present time, a large-proportion of the profit of operations is due to the salability of chips. Being able to supply chips of the usual range of fiber lengths, and hold that length within'acceptable limits, without the need for sawing off slabs, make the invention highly desirable.

An object of the invention is to produce a chipper which will accept a round log, chip off wood from opposite sides of the log to produce a sided log, suitable for being sawed into boards by, say a gang saw, or again be subjected to chipping to produce dimension timber, and which can produce chips of various uniform fiber length without materially altering the chipper.

Another object is to provide a chipper wherein the fiber length can be maintained substantially constant yet can be varied by merely altering the rate of feeding the log to the chipper blades.

Another object is to provide a board edging chipper for making commercially acceptable chips.

Another object is to provide a chipper in which the blades are essentially fiat plates.

Still another object is to provide such a chipper having a dependable log feed. v

These and other objects which will appear in connection with the description have been obtained by me as found by commercial acceptance of a large number of railroad car loads of chips and in connection with a chipper which briefly described, includes a pair of axially opposite rotating sets of chipper blades for engaging "ice on opposite sides of a log, feeding means having spiked rollers between which the log is caused to pass between the sets of blades and stabilizing means below the blade sets to prevent twisting of the log as the latter is being chipped. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of the chipper as a whole with parts removed, the section being taken along the line 1-1 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows of said line;

FIG. 2 is a side view of thechipper;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a conveyor section of the chipper showing a log turner, the section being taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows of said line;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a vaned roller member;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the conveyor section showing a log lifter, the section being taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows of said line;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the lifter;

(FIG. 7 shows a spiked feed roll of a mill section of the chipper;

-FIG. 8 is a plan of chipper blade;

FIG. 9 shows a holder for the blade, in section;

FIG. 10 is a rear view of the holder as shown mounted on a rotatable disc;

FIG. 11 is a side view of a portion of the disc and holder thereon;

FIG. 12 is an end view of a movable platform or carriage for the disc and base for the platform;

FIG. 13 is a plan showing two platforms with discs and lever means for setting the discs a selected distance apart;

FIG. 14 is a face view of a guide wheel for the log;

FIG. 15 is an end view of the guide wheel of FIG. 14;

FIGS. 19 and 20 show details of transport rolls in the moved;

FIG. 17 shows the edger of FIG. 16 in plan;

FIG. 18 is a detail showing a divided bed plate and spiked wheel thereunder in the edge and FIGS. 19 and 20 show details of transport rolls in the edger.

The example shown in the drawing and hereinafter described is my preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the chipper as a whole may be best described as comprising a mill section 10 for the close feed and cutting and a conveyor section 11 for the previously debarked logs destined for the mill section. Operations are under control of a console 12 near the input of the mill section and manipulated by an operator.

The debarked logs are delivered to the conveyor section 11 which comprises an elongated frame-like base 14 on which are transversely mounted for rotation a serial plurality of radially vaned roller-like members 15a, 15b, all connected to turn at the same speed as by chains and sprockets 16 and 17 respectively and driven by a drive chain 18 from a motor 19 preferably through a speed reducer, the motor being under the control of the operator at the console. Preferably the member 15a, next to the milling section, has vanes of reduced radial length.

The vanes such as 20 (FIG. 3) are all provided with large V notches 21 so that the series of vaned members function as a trough in which the leg may lie. Since many logs are imperfect, all the uppermost vanes often do not all engage the log at all times with the consequence that when the vanes per member are eight, as shown, the logs are advanced with alternate lifting and lowering to a slight degree. Preferably, the vanes of all the rotating members should be in phase.

Since all logs are not straight, it is necessary that each crooked log be turned or rolled within the trough of the conveyor to give the proper lie of the logs sides so that the chipping blades remove substantially only the wood interferring with the normal maximum production of good cuts by the subsequent acting gang saw. To get this lie, an elevatable turner 22 normally well below the log in the trough is used. The turner, shown in more detail in FIG. 3, includes a wheel 23 having teeth or spikes 24 forwardly pitched in ratchet fashion and mounted on a rocker arm 25 and rotated as by chain 26 and sprockets from a suitable source of motive power 27. Preferably the wheel 23 rotates continuously and for turning action the rocker arm 25 is elevated by a pneumatic cylinder 28 under the control of the operator at the console. The wheel 23 is to one side of the bottom of the V notches so that when rocker arm 25 is elevated or swung upwardly about its pivot point, the opposite side of the vane at the notch prevents substantial lateral motion of the log as the rotating spiked wheel 23 engages on the leg, and so the log is turned essentially only axially.

The desired lie of the log is not always determined by its crooks. Knots on the log may at times interfere with the feeding of the log to the chipping knives, as may cat faces and turpentine faces also. However my mill section has been found to function well under these adverse log irregularities.

As will be described later, the mill section receives the log on an axially fixed spiked roller toward which a similar roller is downwardly urged. In order to insure that the log is properly lined up to enter between the spiked rollers a lifting and centering device 29 is provided at the forward end of the frame 14.

The lifting and centering device comprises a plate 30 mounted forwardly offset on and swingable upwardly about a transverse shaft 31 on the frame 14 by a pneumatic cylinder 32 operating through an arm 33. The plate is mounted on the shaft by bars 34 welded to the lower edge of the plate and is reinforced on the bars by diagonal bracing. The plate 30 is provided with a medial V-notch 35 preferably deeper than those in the roller-like members, though of course not so much as to leave the plate too weak. This notch 35 provides camming guide margins 36 so that when the plate is swung upwardly by the cylinder 32 it will laterally move the forward end of the log to the correct position for the mill section. Moreover, the lower spiked roller of the mill section feed is slightly higher than the effective height of the trough of the conveyor and by lifting up of the forward end of the log and letting that end down onto the spiked roller the log may then be considered to be more or less supported only by the rearmost of the vaned roller members engaging the log so that the log assumes a lateral position that will insure proper chipping on both sides of the log when the log is crooked.

The mill section comprises a framework 37 just ahead of the conveyor section carrying lower transverse spiked feed rolls 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d on which the log.

travels through the mill. These rolls are all run at the same peripheral and substantially constant speed and are powered through a chain and sprocket system, generally designated 39, by a motor 40 having a variable speed reducer. The spikes 41 of all the rolls as shown for roll 38a in FIG. 7, are preferably peripherally staggered to provide close spacing and they project approximately inch from bases inch in diameter at the surface of the rolls.

The weight of the log is by no means sufficient to hold a round log in position for being chipped while on the lower rolls. To urge the logs onto the lower rolls, idling upper rolls 42a, 42b, 42c and 42d mounted on vertically reciprocatory mounting means such as yokes 43 in suitable guide means 44 are urged downwardly by pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders 44 under control at the console. When yellow pine logs of from 10 inches to 4 about twenty in diameter are chipped the total force exerted by each of the upper rolls, particularly by rolls, 42a and 42b is about 1800 lbs., of which about 300 lbs. is dead weight and 1500 lbs. by each cylinder. The upper rolls are like that shown in FIG. 7.

As the log passes over the last mentioned rolls it approaches the revolving blade sets 45, carried preferably on substantially axially alined peripherally beveled discs 46 selectively spaced but at the same distance from the line at the middle of the feed rolls 38a and 38b, 38c and 38d. The blades for both sets, to the right and left, are all alike and essentially fiat; a satisfactory form designated 47 is shown in FIG. 8. In practice, a blade of /8 inch thickness, 8 inches overall length provided with single beveled 30 long edge at 48 with side and corner 43 single beveled edges at 49 and 50 has proved satisfactory. Each blade edge 48 of the blade sets lies substantially in a radial plane and in that plane each edge makes an angle of about 54 with the axis of the discs.

The details of obtaining the nearly 54 angle are set forth below in connection with clamps or holders for the blades.

In practice, the bevel of the blades faces out from axis of the discs and is nearly in an axial cone concentric with the discs but with the heel clearing.

The blades 47 are mounted on the discs 46 by means of bracket clamps or holders 50 as shown in FIG. 9. The holder comprises an elongated seat part 51 of substantially Z cross section secured on the bevel of the discs as by welding at 52 and at 53 where a front flange 53a is secured on the disc. The seat part 51 is shown bearing a counter knife 54, though it may be omitted. Above the counter knife is the blade 47 held on the seat part by a topping bar 55 and bolts 56 passing through the seat part and bar 55. Adjuating screws 57 passing through the back flange 58 adjust the edge portion of the blades, both kinds of blades being provided with U slots 59 admitting the bolts 56.

The disc 46 is provided with cut-outs 60a where necessary to provide access to the inner of the bolts 56. A

mounting block 60 welded to an end of the seat piece 51 and to a face of the disc and a brace 61 welded to the other end of the piece 51 and to the opposite face of the disc reinforce the mounting of the blade holder.

While various methods may be used to mount the holders on the discs to give the 54 angle, when the bevel of the discs is about 49 and the holder 50 is turned 26 in the plane of the blade and there is a 32 /2 layback angle between the plane of the blade and the face of the disc a good fit of the holder on the disc is accomplished.

The angle of inclination of the blade edge to the disc axis can be varied, but the steep angles limit the effective length of the blades.

Since logs are crooked and irregular so that the blade of one disc must work more than those of the other, there is a tendency especially when chipping near one end of the log, for the log to become twisted, even though the log is held by spiked rolls 38a and 38b or 380 and 38d and their respective upper companion rolls To overcome this tendency to be twisted, the log rides on fore and aft spiked wheels 62a and 62b axially parallel with the discs, and in the plane of the mid-line of the feed rolls. The spikes 0f the wheels project about as those of the four rolls 38 abcd to a common horizontal plane. The wheels project upwardly into the space between the discs and both wheels are inner slightly from the vertical-motion path of the outer ends of the blades 47.

With this construction a relatively small log will usually reach the wheel 62a slightly before the blades begin to chip one side of the log with an urging of the log down onto the spiked wheel. By the time the subsequent blades hit the log with more of their edge length working, the forward end of the log is secured in its proper path and tendency of its twisting is no problem.

Large logs are not as likely to become twisted, due to their greater strength, in their distance between the roll 38b and the blades, but they will have more tendency to turn between the feed rolls due to more wood being removed and/or the discs being more widely separated, and hence the spiked wheels are still desirable.

At the trailing end of the log the spiked wheels 62a and 62b are of special benefit because of the greater distance from the cutting blades to the roll 38c. Crooks, knots and the like, while being chipped, consequently are more likely to twist the log in the absence of the spiked wheels. The presence of wheel 62a, which is only slightly forward of zone of vertical cutting insures that the log is held against twisting. Furthermore the discs themselves offer no guiding effect since the inner end of the cutting edge is inner from the plane of the disc.

Moreover, in practice there is considerable likelihood that the trailing end of the log will not be cut symmetrically if crooks are presents. While the vaned rollers of the conveyor tend to give a good average position before the log is delivered to the mill section, none the less the forward end of the log is the one which is maneuvered to enter on roll 38a and this means that the trailing end must be somewhat free to follow the course originally determined for the log.

The discs 46 are carried on shafts 63 suitably mounted in bearings 64 powered by substantially constant speed motors 65, preferably through a reduction gear or speed reducer (not shown), all mounted on frame-like platforms 66:: and 66b on opposite sides of the center line of the mill section. The platforms 66a and 66b have each a pair of under-track movable or supporting rollers 68 suitably spaced on a base 69 transverse to the elongated framework 37. This enables movement of the platforms, and discs, toward each other according to diameter of the log to be chipped. Having the rails ride on rollers, rather than rollers on rails, eliminates trouble due to chips lying on the rails and so permits a manual movement of the two platforms simultaneously by using a mechanical advantage of about 2 or 3 in a system of levers, Retaining flange 70 overhanging the sides of the platform from an angle piece 71 mounted on the base prevent the platform from tilting.

The lever system for moving the platforms 66a and 66b is shown in FIG. 13 wherein a horizontal hand lever 72 is pivotally mounted at 73 on the base 69 and is used to move the platform 66a through a pivoted connecting link 74a. An extension 75- of the lever 72 is connected by a tie rod 76 to similarly operative lever 77 to move the platform 66b by a like amount through link 74b. A removable pin 78 passing through the lever 72 to engage in holes 79 in a fixed sector piece 80 holds the platforms and bladed discs 46 in selective fixed position. With discs about two feet in diameter, the distance between them may be varied by two inch increments by about twenty inches.

The spiked idle wheels 62a and 62b are preferably more of the nature of toothed double beveled discs as shown in FIG. 14. This enables each tooth 81 to function with a well backed-up ax-like edge to penetrate into the log parallel with the grain and hold the log in desired position.

I have found the chipper or siderto function well with a feed rate of 96- ft./min. when the discs carrying six blades each rotate at 310 r.p.m. This gives a uniform chip fiber length of inch, provided of course that the blades are uniformly spaced and set. Shorter chip lengths can be obtained by increasing the ratio of feed rate to the speed of the revolving blades. This can be most easily done by decreasing the output speed of motor 40 having the variable speed reducer or, of course, by changing sprockets for the chaining 39.

In operation, a log is placed on the conveyor section and the operator of the console 12 raises the idle rollers 42a and 42b. The log is turned by the turner 22 until it lies in a good positon, say a log with a single crook is turned to lie in a substantially horizontal plane. If the log has a pronounced crook it may be necessary to move the platforms and blade sets inwardly by the lever 72 so as to chip off much of the log on one side at its ends and on the other side in its mid portion. The motor 19 is started to convey the log to the feed roll 38a. If necessary the forward end of the log is raised by the lifter 29. This raising may necessitate intermittent acting by the turner 22 to keep the log in place until the log reaches the roll 38a.

As soon as possible the operator lowers rolls 42a and then 42b to fix the course of the log. As the log reaches the revolving blades, the first wood removed is essentially from the zone of the horizontal diameter of the log. Almost simultaneously the log end reaches the idler spiked wheel 62a and then 62b to steady the end portion where the chipping usually exerts a torsional force on the log. The wheels 62a and 62b perform a special function too in preventing lateral slip or turning of the log when more wood is being removed from one side than the other at an end portion. This slip is due to the approximately 45 inward inclination of the blades. The action can be visualized readily by assuming the blades to be stationary but with the log leading end engaging on the blades and being fed. The log end will tend to cam off from one set of blades toward the other and follow a line half way between the two sets of blades, which of course will not result in parallel flat sides on a cant log if the unchipped log is crooked. Much the same effect is obtained whether the blades are revolving or not, for the feed is against an angled blade and the maximum camming effect is when the blades are moving almost vertically downwardly and cutting nearly square across the grain of the log and the blades, exert their maximum resistance to the feed. To express the action in another way, if the log were unrestrained laterally, the log would tend to shift from side to side so that equal amounts of wood would be chipped from both sides if the log were crooked and otherwise uniform, But logs are not always straight and the purpose in making cant logs is to get them into form with flat sides regardless of irregularities.

Although the rolls, fore and aft the blades, such as 38:: and 38b in practice are on about three foot centers, it would appear that no log would ever tend to become displaced with the weight on each of the rolls more than 1800 lbs. However, especially when the log has two turpentine faces which are hard and comparatively slick and extend more than half Way around the log, the axlike teeth of the wheel 62a can enter the log with the grain as the full force of the blades bears down on the log substantially immediately above.

As the cant log passes on the rolls 38c and 38d, the spiked or toothed wheels 62a, 62b hold the log against twisting and lateral movement after the trailing end of the log has left the roll 38b, and as pointed out above the blades work at a greater distance from the roll 380 because of the diameter of the revolving blade sets. The resulting oppositely faced log can then be sent to a gang saw to be cut into boards or it can be chipped on the two round sides to produce large dimension timber.

The present chipper is especially adapted to handle simple S curved logs when the log lies in a vertical plane and the forward end of the log is higher than the midportion. When the log is fed in this manner the lifting and centering device centers the forward end of the log more or less exactly. This means that the resulting cant log is still crooked but has two parallel faces, Such a :log, especially if it is small, can be made easily handled in the gang saw subsequently because it will have a flat top and bottom. The crook is then cut out by the gang saw in the usual manner to produce slabs which may be used in a conventional manner, for example by feeding to an anvil chipper, or subsequent cutting into, picket material.

In running the round log through the chipper in the manner described next above, the crook may be so great that the trailing end of the log passes over the roll 38a without fully engaging it, However, the idling spiked wheels 62a and 62b do engage the log to hold the log at the chipping zone.

In either mode of operation the operator must make sure that the rolls 42a and 42b, especially the latter, are lifted from the log prior to the time the trailing end of the log leaves the rolls lest the great force on the idler rolls squeezing down on the square end of the log shove the log forward with sudden impact against the blade sets and damage the blades or break their mounting on the discs.

Blade life is good and due to the shape of the blade the latter is easily whetted.

Also at times it may be desirable for the operator to reduce the pressure on or lift one of the rolls 42a or 4212 or even one of roll 42c or 42d to allow a protrusion from the log, such an enlargement due to disease which is often known as a cat face, to pass between mating rolls. Usually a cat face extends no more than about a foot as a serious hump on the length of the log so that when drive rolls 38a and 38b are spaced about three feet apart, one or other of the latter rolls (with the feeding action of the trough 11 aiding to some extent) can provide necessary feed to the blade sets. Even when one of the rolls 42a or 4212 is lifted both drive rolls 38a and 38b can exert driving action if the shape of the log permits. Much of the same action can occur at the tail end of the shipper a does at the feed end.

The fundamental action of the blades can be applied to an edger for boards that have been cut in the gang saw. Heretofore, all chipping edgers for making pulpwood chips that I am aware of have proved to be unsatisfactory because, especially when encountering knots at the edge, such edgers produce too much splitting in, and knocking out knots from, the board margin. This splitting is due to the employment of blades similar to planer edge knives, for cutting deeper than knives of a planer in order to make a thick chip. Furthermore it is difficult to prevent feathering and fuzzing of the chip with the known edging chipper even when the most advantageous grades of wood are being edged.

In such an edger as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 and generally similar to the mill section of FIGS. 1 and 2, the major differences in construction being the addition of a divided bed plate to support the board at the feeding end and the use of less drastic pressures on the feed or transport rolls which do not mar the sawn boards and the positioning of the idle spiked wheels at edges of the intended edged board B. The edger is designed to run at higher linear speed than the log chipper since it does not need to remove as much wood as does the log chipper in general use.

The edger includes a pair of preferably coaxial cutting heads 100 comprising beveled discs 101 mounted for being driven at constant speed, which may be in a manner similar to that described of FIG. 1 and carrying blades which may be identical to those shown in FIG. 8 and similarly inclined to the axis of the discs. The inclination of the blades and irregularities in the edges of the non-edged board tend to cause the board to move laterally between the heads as is true of logs in the log chipper. But the spiked wheels 62a and 62b in the log chipper would mar the underface of the board in the edge although they were satisfactory in the log chipper because there they engage on the curved faces of the cant. In the edger the spiked wheels .103 are carried on bed-plate halves 104a and 1041) movable with axial movement of the cutting heads 100 and 101 for example by securing the bed plate halves to carriages 105 for the heads by connectors 107. The carriages 105 are adjusted to suitable positions on transverse rails 106 according to the width of the intended edged board and the spiked wheels 103 are substantially coplanar with or slightly inner of the innermost ends of the blades of the respective cutting heads. The spikes or teeth 108 project only slightly above the plane of the bed plates, say, about inch, depending on the nature of the wood. Not only does the engagement of the spikes 108 in the wood prevent lateral sliding of the board but the engagement results, when the wheels 103 are slightly inner from the cutting heads, the spikes providing marking pricks in the board to provide guide lines for consequent fine sawing or planing of the edged board.

The wheels 103 are mounted under the respective bed plates by a stub shaft 109 in a bearing 110 under the respective bed plates so as to move laterally with the bed plate and preferably with vertical adjustment means 111 to vary the height of spike projection.

The bed plate halves are provided with inwardly open recess notches 112, to receive the wheels 103, and diagonally terminating ends 113 preferably just clearin the path of the cutter blades, as do the peripheries of wheels 103. In this manner maximum support is given the board at the cutting heads. By having the bed plates and path of the board Well below the axis of the heads but above the lowest sweep of the blades, upper spikes on the wheels can be close to the blade path.

The board is transported through the edger by opposed pairs of rollers 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, and 121. The upper rollers 114, 116, 118 and 120 are preferably about lbs. each and are swingable toward and from their lower mates with stops, not shown, being provided to prevent act-ual contact of the mates since each of the rollers 114 through 120 has radial flutes 122 provided with serrations 123. These serrated flutes engage on the board surfaces sufficiently deep to provide feeding of the boards to the cutter heads but do not penetrate so far as to leave a marred surface when the edged board is subsequently planed in a conventional manner.

Rollers 114, 115, 116, 118 and 120 are powered and rotate at predetermined linear speed in relation to the linear speed of blades 102 so as to give uniform fiber length of the chips. Spiked wheels 103 are idlers and are mounted so as to prevent motion in their axial direction relative to the bed plates so as to prevent lateral movement of the board between the cutter heads 100 as the board passes therebetween. In the mills section, the wheels 62a and 62b may be mounted in fixed position relative to the frame 17.

In both the log chipper and the board edgers, blade sets are spaced from the log or board so that normally the midportion of the blades are the first blade parts to engage the wood with the inner point of blade coming out last. Each blade follows essentially the same orbited path as the one peripherally ahead of it, and at the same time interval with the preceding one. Fore and aft feed rollers move the log or board respectively at constant linear speed whether or not the blade is cutting substantially across the grain in a downward movement or more along with the grain.

While dimensions of the log chipper discs 41) are not critical, a disc of about two feet in diameter with effective cutting edges of the blades extending about four inches more so that the sweep of the blade sets extends to a circle of nearly three feet in diameter is generally satisfactory. With logs under two feet in diameter most of the chipping takes place when the blades are moving in an are below the axis of the discs.

It is to 'be understood that the lower rollers 38a, 38b, 38c and 38d as well as the spiked wheels 62a and 62b of the chipper rotate in fixed location and that the guides 44' do not interfere with the travel of the log but do limit the axial movement of the rollers 42a, 42b, 42c, and 42d to essentially vertical movement. This gives a substantially horizontal planar fixed path intended for travel of the bottom of the log, though due to irregularities in the log the bottom of the log may, at portions of the latter, not conform to intended path. The axis of the discs 46 and orbiting blades is maintained fixed relative to the axes of the spiked wheels 62a and 62b as well as the axes of rollers 38a, 38b, 38c and 38d and hence to the planar path mentioned next above.

Similarly in the edger of FIGS. 16 and 17 the lower rollers 115, 117, 119, 121 are understood to revolve in a fixed location while the cutter heads 100 and 101 and spiked wheels 103 are essentially movable only to selected positions along their respective axes of rotation.

The invention claimed is:

1. A log chipping machine for producinga cant log having a pair of substantially opposite facmg parallel flat chipped surfaces comprising a pair of substantially symmetrical coaxial rotary cutting heads each having peripherally uniformly spaced chipping blades thereon for engaging on substantially opposite sides of a log to produce said faces as the log travels between the ,heads, the innermost portions of the blades of the heads terminating respectively in two substantially parallel spaced planes, at least two peripherally synchronlzed power log transport rollers, at least one being ahead of and at least another being to the rear of the cutter heads and axially parallel therewith and held against movement in their axial directions, at least one of the rollers being for engagement with a portion of the log between said planes when the blades of the head engage the log, a tangent substantially common to the rollers being within the sweep of the blades, pressure rollers mating with the respective transport rollers for urging the log agalnst the latter, each of said transport and pressure rollers being provided with radially projecting spikes to penetrate into said log portions between the faces so that the log is prevented from being turned about its general axis and moved laterally when one of the cutter heads encounters more work in chipping the log than does the other head, and a fluid pressure means for each pressure roller for moving the pressure rollers toward and away from the transport rollers, means for controlling the fluid pressure means, the axis of the cutter heads and all said rollers being horizontal and the pressure rollers being above the transport rollers, and a spiked idler wheel about midway between said planes on a fixed axis between the two transport rollers and axially parallel therewith, the spikes of the wheel projecting upwardly to about the same level as do the spikes of the transport rollers, the spiked wheel being so situated that when the cutter heads cut in the same general sense near the bottom of the log as the direction of transport of the log that the log will reach the spiked wheel at approximately the same time the log reaches the path of the blades so that cutter heads tend to force down the leading end of the log on said wheel the latter being constrained against movement in the axial direction so that the wheel with its spikes in log will hold the underside of the log against lateral movement.

2. A chipping machine as claimed in claim 1, said at least two transport rollers being in pairs ahead of and to the rear of the cutter heads so that when a log with an upwardly extending portion is encountered by a pressure roller, that roller may be lifted while another pressure roller may still engage on the log to urge the latter against its mating transport roller until said extending portion passes the lifted roller.

3. A chipping machine as claimed in claim 1, and selectively controlled conveyor means for advancing a log to a transport roller in the general direction the log is to take upon said transport rollers, and means for turning the log on the conveyor means about the axis of the log to give a desirable lie thereto.

4. A chipping machine as claimed in claim 1, and a selectively controlled generally trough-shaped conveyor for feeding a log to a transport roller in the general direction of travel of the log upon the transport rollers, and a member having a V notch between the tail of the conveyor and the first encountered transport roller and movable upwardly from below the path of the log on the conveyor to engage the leading end of the log to substantially determine the zone of first encounter along the length of the first encountered transport roller.

5. A chipping machine as claimed in claim 1, and at least one additional spiked wheel substantially like the first mentioned wheel for engaging the bottom of the lug on portions thereof that have passed the first wheel to aid in guiding and supporting the log.

6. A log chipping machine for producing a cant log having a pair of substantially oppositely facing parallel flat chipped surfaces comprising a pair of substantially symmetrical coaxial rotary cutter heads each having peripherally uniformly spaced chipping blades thereon for engaging on substantially opposite sides of a log to produce said faces as the log travels between the heads, the innermost portions of the blade of the hands terminating respectively in two substantially parallel spaced planes, at least two peripherally synchronized power log transport rollers, at least one being ahead of and at least another being to the rear of the cutter heads and axially parallel therewith and held against movement in their axial directions, at least one of the rollers being for engagement with a portion of the log between said planes when the blades of the head engage the log, a tangent substantially common to the rollers being within the sweep of the blades, pressure rollers mating with the respective transport rollers for urging the log against the latter, each of said transport and pressure rolles being provided with radially projecting spikes to penetrate into said log portions between the faces so that the log is prevented from being turned about its general and axis and moved laterally when one of the cutter heads encounters more work in chipping the log than does the other head, and a fluid pressure means for each pressure rollers for moving the pressure roller toward and away from the transport rollers, means for controlling the fluid pressure means, each blade of the two cutter heads being of substantially identical shape and in the form of fiat plate beveled to a straight edge running the major length of the blade, said edge lying substantially in a radial plane of the cutter heads and inclined to the axis thereof at an angle between 30 and and said blade having ends and corners beveled to form two side edges perpendicular to the said straight edge and corner edges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,360,024 12/1967 Traben 144-176 1,615,530 1/1927 White l44-181 1,696,502 12/1928 Peterson 144-114 1,938,108 12/1933 Morris 144-116 2,388,799 11/ 1945 Payzer et al. 144-176 2,591,751 4/1952 Whitlock 144-218 2,902,069 9/1959 Gentry 144-3 2,949,946 8/1960 Johnson 144-219 2,966,182 12/1960 Andrus et al 144-162 3,190,326 6/ 1965 Standal 144-162 3,244,207 4/ 1966 Kasser et al. 144-323 3,323,565 6/1967 Pease 144-117 GERALD A. DOST, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 144-176, 219, 323

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