Patent ID: 6038954
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: B23D,B27B,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A portable bandsaw sawmill apparatus comprising:a base extending generally horizontally and having a length, said base including a plurality of beams forming the periphery of said base, wherein at least two of the beams extend longitudinally along the length of the base, said base including cross braces extending between and connected to the longitudinally extending beams;a plurality of wheels mounted to said base, at least a portion of each wheel being disposed below said base for transporting said bandsaw sawmill apparatus;a plurality of posts, each post mounted on said base and extending generally vertically therefrom;an overhead track frame fixedly supported by said posts at a fixed distance above said base, said track frame including a pair of longitudinally extending support rails each supporting a track, the tracks extending generally horizontally along the length of said base, and the track frame further including cross braces extending between and connected to said support rails;a carriage assembly movably mounted on said tracks to move along the length of said base;a cutting assembly disposed between said base and said overhead track frame, said cutting assembly including:a saw frame,a pair of blade support wheels mounted on said saw frame and horizontally spaced from one another,a bandsaw blade mounted on said support wheels, said bandsaw blade including a cutting portion extending generally horizontally between said wheels, wherein said cutting portion extends in a direction generally transverse to the length of said base, andbandsaw drive means for driving one of said support wheels to move said bandsaw blade;a raising and lowering assembly for raising and lowering said cutting assembly with respect to said base, said raising and lowering assembly including:a cross member mounted on said carriage assembly,at least two vertically extending tube assemblies, wherein said tube assemblies each include a pair of telescoping tubes, a first tube of each of said pairs of telescoping tubes being mounted to said cross member and extending downwardly therefrom and a second tube of each of said pairs of telescoping tubes being connected to said cutting assembly, anda means for extending and retracting said pairs of telescoping tubes;wherein said carriage assembly includes a carriage frame, a plurality of vertically oriented rollers mounted on said carriage frame and contacting a top surface of a respective one of said tracks, and a plurality of horizontally oriented rollers mounted on said carriage frame and contacting a side surface of a respective one of said tracks;wherein said means for extending and retracting said pairs of telescoping tubes includes a screw mechanism connected to each of said second tubes, a sprocket connected to each of said screw mechanisms, a chain operably connected to each of said sprockets, and a motor having a drive sprocket driving said chain to turn said sprockets to extend and retract said pairs of telescoping tubes;wherein said bandsaw drive means includes a driven pulley connected to said one support wheel, and a motor mounted to said saw frame and having a drive pulley, wherein said drive pulley is connected to said driven pulley by an endless driving member;whereby said cutting assembly is movable horizontally along the length of said base to cut through a workpiece supported on said base, and movable vertically to cut workpieces of different thicknesses.