Patent ID: 8245742
Filing Date: 2012-08-21
Classification: B27F,B27M

Abstract:
1. A system for continuous fabrication of glulams, comprising: a finger-jointing unit providing wood pieces of a target length; and a beam forming unit; wherein the wood pieces of the target length produced by said finger-jointing unit are directly processed by said beam forming unit into glulams; wherein said finger-jointing unit comprises a joint machining station, a joint insertion station and a sizing station, said sizing station leading to said beam forming unit, said beam forming unit comprising an adhesive distribution system for application of adhesive on surfaces of joint-ended pieces of wood delivered from the finger-jointing unit, a stacking beam system for assembling the adhesive-covered joint-ended pieces of wood into a pre-determined lay-up pattern, and an oven for adhesive hardening; and wherein the wood pieces of the target length produced by said finger-jointing unit are surfaced, at a rate between about 100 feet and 600 feet per minute, and cut at a rate of up to about 400 feet per minute at said sizing station.