Patent ID: 11858164
Assignee: MEINAN MACHINERY WORKS, INC.
Field: Machine tools (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  G  Y | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A log feeding apparatus for feeding a log to first and second cutting spindles that are capable of holding the log therebetween at first and second end surfaces of the log in a longitudinal direction of the log, the log feeding apparatus comprising:
a centering unit located upstream of the first and second cutting spindles in a transport direction of the log, the centering unit including first and second centering spindles that are capable of holding the log therebetween at the first and second end surfaces;
a log feeding unit located upstream of the centering unit in the transport direction of the log, the log feeding unit being reciprocally movable between a first receiving position to receive the log and a first delivery position located downstream of said first receiving position in the transport direction to deliver the log to the first and second centering spindles;
a transport unit including first and second clamping arms configured to clamp the log, the transport unit being disposed between the first and second centering spindles and the first and second cutting spindles such that the log is transported from the first and second centering spindles to the first and second cutting spindles;
a drive unit that is connected to the centering unit and causes the centering unit to move reciprocally between a second receiving position where the centering unit receives the log from the log feeding unit and a second delivery position where the first and second centering spindles delivers the log to the first and second clamping arms, the second delivery position being away from the second receiving position by a distance equal to or greater than a maximum diameter of the log in the transport direction; and
a controller configured to, when the first and second centering spindles are holding no log, drive control the log feeding unit toward the first delivery position to feed a new log to the first and second centering spindles regardless of the position of the centering unit,
the controller further configured to, when the first and second centering spindles are holding the log, drive control the log feeding unit toward the first delivery position to feed a new log to the first and second centering spindles after the centering unit has moved a distance equal to or greater than the maximum diameter of the log from the second receiving position downstream in the transport direction of the log.