A system and a method are described for the intermediate storage of differently cut boards for a wooden structure, in particular a truss, with several compartments arranged laterally adjacent to one another. The compartments are each configured for receiving a set of boards for such a wooden structure, wherein a set is to be understood as the entirety of cut boards which are required for such a wooden structure. A feeding device fills the cut boards into the individual compartments and stacks them over one another therein. The compartments can be opened respectively at their underside, in order to remove the set of boards. A discharge device transports away the set of boards removed from the respective compartment.

A board turner assembly may include an endless chain, first and second groups of turning arms pivotably coupled with the endless chain and disposed along opposite sides thereof, an upper guide with an inclined surface, an actuator selectively operable to move the upper guide between a resting position and an extended position, and one or more endless belts. The turning arms may be spaced apart at regular intervals that are offset on one side of the chain relative to the other. The groups of turning arms may be operated in an alternating fashion to turn selected boards to a desired orientation (e.g., wane side up). Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

The present disclosure provides embodiments of tilt hoists and lumber unstacking systems with a rotation table, a tier alignment system, or both. The rotation table may include a base and a tilt frame supported on the base. The tier alignment system may include an alignment beam and an actuator operable to raise and lower one end of the alignment beam relative to the opposite end to thereby adjust the lateral slope of the spill edge. Optionally, a control system may include distance sensors to detect tiers of lumber as they approach the spill edge and a computer system configured to determine a difference between the lateral slope of the tier and the lateral slope of the spill edge. The computer system may also be configured to automatically adjust the slope of the spill edge to match the slope of the tier before the tier is spilled over the spill edge.

A board stacking system for stacking board layers into a stack, and associated method are provided. The board stacking system includes a board stacking apparatus adapted to arrange board layers into the stack. The board stacking apparatus having a stack holder comprising an adjustable stacking area for supporting the stack, the stacking area having a length defined between a front edge and a back edge. The board stacking apparatus further having one or more stacking arms operable to receive board layers from a board dispensing mechanism and sequentially arrange the board layers onto the forming stack. The board stacking system further includes a scanner positioned and configured for measuring a width of the board layers and transfer the information to the stack holder to allow adjustment of the length of the stacking area to substantially correspond to the width of the previously measured board layer.

A board turner assembly may include an endless chain, first and second groups of turning arms pivotably coupled with the endless chain and disposed along opposite sides thereof, an upper guide with an inclined surface, an actuator selectively operable to move the upper guide between a resting position and an extended position, and one or more endless belts. The turning arms may be spaced apart at regular intervals that are offset on one side of the chain relative to the other. The groups of turning arms may be operated in an alternating fashion to turn selected boards to a desired orientation (e.g., wane side up). Corresponding methods and systems are also described.

A veneer sheet feed device for multistage veneer sheet dryer is provided between an auto feeder including a carry-in conveyor and a roll dryer (veneer sheet dryer). The veneer sheet feed device is provided with a guide member and a feed conveyor for feeding a veneer sheet carried in from the carry-in conveyor to each conveyance unit of the roll dryer in this order from a conveyance up stream side. The veneer sheet feed device further provided with a pivot mechanism that allows a starting end of the guide member belonging to the conveyance stage immediately above the conveyance stage in which the veneer sheet is carried this time from the carry-in conveyor to pivot to a portion above a horizontal position of a roller shaft located at a terminal end of this guide member.

A stick handling apparatus for handling ice cream sticks, said apparatus comprising a magazine arranged to hold ice cream sticks, a conveyor band arranged to retrieve ice cream sticks from the magazine, a stacker unit arranged to retrieve ice cream sticks from the conveyor band and to stack the ice cream sticks one after the other, a stick placing unit arranged to receive the ice cream sticks from the stacker unit for positioning the ice cream sticks inside a piece of ice cream mass, and a printer unit configured to print information on the ice cream sticks while the ice cream sticks are conveyed by the conveyor band.

An automated lumber handling system laser-scans the top profile of multiple stacks of lumber, each of which contain boards of a unique size. Based on the scanned profiles, the system determines the order in which individual boards from a chosen stack should be transferred to a saw. The saw cuts the boards to size and in proper sequence to facilitate orderly assembly of roof trusses or prefabricated walls. Some example systems lift individual boards by driving two screws, or some other piercing tool, down into the upward facing surface of the board. A track mounted cantilever, holding the screws and a laser unit, translates over the lumber stacks to retrieve and deliver individual boards and, while doing so, the laser repeatedly scans the stacked lumber profiles on-the-fly to continuously update the profiles. The open cantilever design facilitates replenishing the stacks of lumber.

Embodiments provide an electric lug loader system. An electric lug loader may include a shaft assembly rotatably mounted to a frame that extends across a flow path. The shaft assembly may have shafts arranged radially around, and parallel to, the rotational axis of the shaft assembly, clamp members arranged along each of the shafts, support members arranged radially around the rotational axis and across the flow path, and electric drives coupled to the shafts. Conveyors may be coupled with the frame and spaced apart across the flow path upstream and/or downstream of the shaft assembly. Additional drives may be coupled with the shaft assembly and the conveyors. A controller may be configured to synchronize the drives to engage successive workpieces between the clamp members and the support members and deposit the workpieces onto a lugged conveyor. Other embodiments provide related methods and systems.

Embodiments provide systems, methods and apparatuses for positioning boards and other wood pieces in preparation for sawing/trimming. In embodiments, a continuous track loop conveys board stops slideably mounted to board stop guides positioned perpendicular to the direction of flow. A horizontal frame member provides a series of positioning guides through which a cam follower coupled to a board stop is diverted, thus adjusting the position of board stops in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow without the use of braking devices or other added sources of mass, friction or vibration.