Patent Publication Number: US-6336484-B1

Title: Method for handling and processing short wood planks

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to methods for processing solid wood planks, and more specifically to a method for handling and processing short planks and the preparation surrounding the seasoning process in the kiln dryer thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The handling of solid wood planks for commercial use is a method where the steps are traditionally well known to anyone skilled in the art. A standard fashion will require to lath the pieces, to store them temporarily (until a sufficient number is done to permit the next step to go forward), to season many planks of a standard length in a kiln dryer, then to machine and trim each individual planks before optionally decorating the planks with various moldings using a molder (spindle molding-machine). 
     Machining and trimming the planks after the seasoning process is long and costly, especially considering that the planks have already been lathed. But they are necessary steps because when the planks are previously disposed in the kiln dryer, they are not assembled, but just laid one beside the other. This leaves each plank an individual unit, each of them surrounded by air pockets. Those air pockets leave the extremities of each plank subject to the consequences of the seasoning process, which is the end grain checking of short wood components (twisting of and deformations at the loosen extremities of the pieces of wood that will have to be cut away and wasted). Hence, no process that will minimize end grain checking on a plurality of pieces of short wood planks is presently in place. Also, no process that will eliminate the machining and trimming steps after the kiln drying operation in the handling of planks is presently available. 
     Furthermore, these necessary machining and trimming steps, following a previous lathing step, all create more wood shavings (after the kiln drying operation), and in the end eliminate and waste an overall even larger volume when short wood planks are considered. No method minimizing the wasted wood volume in the manufacturing process of short planks is presently available; especially when most of that waste of woods presently occurs after the wood became expensive due to handling and more specifically due to the kiln drying step. 
     Basically, we are looking for a method that avoids useless kiln drying of wood not having the minimum required quality (by trimming the planks beforehand), that will produce green wood shavings rather than the standard wood shavings following a kiln-drying operation, and that will finally enable the reutilization of the green shavings such as in the production of chipboard panels. The volume of short planks used during kiln drying could therefore be increased and the volume of defaulting wood planks after kiln drying be reduced. 
     Finally, no prior art or method yet encourages the producers to assemble short planks during a variety of steps of the preparation of the final product. Hence, no method facilitating the handling of short plank-stocks by easily assembling them is currently used. In the same sense, no molder presently allows for automatic loading of short wood planks of varying lengths, therefore a mean allowing for such an improvement is also sought after. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a method for handling and processing short wood planks of the character described which obviates the above noted disadvantages. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing short wood planks that minimizes wasted wood shavings on a volume of given planks after the expensive kiln drying step and that allows for recycling of green wood shavings. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing short wood planks that minimizes end grain checking of short wood components during kiln drying. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing short wood planks that avoids unnecessary kiln drying of wood planks not having the required quality, thus gaining kiln space for more appropriate wood planks. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing short wood planks that optionally eliminates the steps of post-drying machining and trimming, eliminates overall costs, and saves production time in the handling of wood planks. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for processing short wood planks that facilitates the carrying, storing and handling of wood planks by assembling them together so as to have a final plank that is of a standard plank length, such as required for automatic loading into the molder. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a method for processing solid short wood planks comprising the following steps: 
     a) trimming said planks to a same width, said planks having two short sides along said width; 
     b) providing an attachment means to said short sides to firmly and releasably secure two adjacent planks together along their respective short sides; 
     c) assembling a plurality of said planks next to each other using said attachment means to form a row that generally appropriately fits a standard kiln dryer; 
     d) aligning a plurality of said rows, all of a same length, side by side to form a board that generally appropriately fits said kiln dryer, respective adjacent extremities of said rows being jointly and sealably supported by a respective edge support; 
     e) proceeding to a standard seasoning of said assembled board in said kiln dryer; and 
     f) pulling apart said planks from said assembled row by disassembling said attachment means. 
     Preferably, the step d) includes aligning a plurality of said rows along with solid long wood planks, all of said length, side by side to form said board, respective adjacent extremities of said rows and long planks being jointly and sealably supported by a respective edge support. 
     Preferably, the step d) further includes stacking of a plurality of said boards with a plurality of spacers in between each adjacent boards, all of said boards being of a same size that generally appropriately fits said kiln dryer. 
     Preferably, the method further includes the steps e′) of planing down the four longest sides of each of said row and e″) of decorating said planks with various moldings using a molder. 
     Preferably, the method further comprises step g) of decorating said planks with various moldings using a spindle molding-machine. 
     Preferably, the step b) of providing an attachment means is machining a tongue-and-groove joint on respective corresponding short sides of said adjacent short planks. 
     Preferably, the tongue-and-groove joint is of a generally lightly swollen squared-like cross-section shape to allow for a smooth tight easy assembling and a smooth easy disassembling of said adjacent short planks. 
     Preferably, the spacers are substantially elongated in shape and positioned transverse to said rows, generally parallel to and spaced apart in between said edge supports. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the annexed drawings, like reference characters indicate like elements throughout. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of rows of assembled short planks positioned side by side to form a board for insertion into a kiln dryer; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view taken along line  2  of FIG. 1 showing two planks assembled at their respective short sides with a tongue-and-groove joint; 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the two planks disassembled; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view taken along line  4  of FIG. 1 showing an edge support at the extremity of a row of planks; and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a plurality of boards stacked on top of each other with spacers in between adjacent boards of assembled planks of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention refers to a method for manufacturing of short solid wood planks  22 , of preferably six (6) inches or more in length, that is efficient by substantially reducing the amount of waste. 
     In a first step of manufacturing the short planks  22 , the latter are trimmed to proper dimensions, all of a same width. The short planks  22  have two short sides  24  along their width. Then the short planks  22  are provided on their short sides  24  with an attachment means  26 , preferably a tongue-and-groove joint  28 , that provides a firm and releasable assembling between adjacent short planks  22 . A plurality of short planks  22  are then assembled next to each other via the tongue-and-groove joints  28  so as to form rows  30  of short planks. A plurality of rows  30  are then aligned side by side to form a board  32  that generally appropriately fits a kiln dryer&#39;s section. Respective adjacent extremities of the rows  30  are jointly and preferably sealably supported by a respective edge support  40  that preferably prevent end grain checking (deformation) of the extremities. Then a standard seasoning (drying) of the board  32  in the kiln may proceed. 
     Subsequently, the short planks  22  of the board  32  are pulled apart each other by disassembling, the tongue-and-groove joints  28 . Also, the rows  30  of short plank  22  could be placed side by side along with standard long wooden planks  34 . In order to enhance the use of the kiln dryer, a plurality of boards  32  may be stacked on top of each other with spacers  36  in between two adjacent boards so as to leave an air gap therebetween for proper uniform drying. The spacers  36  are preferably substantially elongated in shape and positioned transverse to the rows  30 , generally parallel to and spaced apart in between the edge supports  40 . 
     Preferably, the short planks  22  are then being finished with various moldings using a molder. 
     Alternatively, the short planks  22  can be planed down on the row&#39;s  30  longest four sides and finished with various moldings while still being assembled in a row  30  since at this date no molder can automatically be loaded with short planks  22 , as opposed with standard plank  34  length or with the short planks  22  if the short planks  22  are still assembled in their respective rows  30 . 
     The above method is explained in details below with reference to FIGS. 1 to  5 . 
     Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a board assembly  20  of a plurality of short solid wood planks  22  assembled together so as to form a plurality of rows  30  of standard length of preferably fourteen (14) feet to fit a standard kiln dryers section (not shown). The short planks  22  are all of a same width with different lengths. The fitting requirement in the dryer will be well understood by anyone skilled in the art. The seasoning (drying) process in which the kiln dryer is used is an expensive one, hence an operator of the kiln dryer wants to maximize its use by aligning as much planks  22  as possible inside the dryer before starting the operation. 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 show how two short planks  22  can be assembled together. An attachment means  26  to firmly and releasably assemble two adjacent short sides  24 , each one of the adjacent short sides  24  coming from one of two respective short planks  22 , is provided. Machining a tongue-and-groove joint  28  on the adjacent short sides  24  of said respective short planks  22  more specifically provides the attachment means  26 . Each tongue-and-groove joint  28  is of a lightly swollen squared-like cross-section shape  38 , allowing for a firm and smooth tight easy assembling of the two adjacent short sides  24  generally before the seasoning step in the kiln dryer and an easy disassembling of the two adjacent short sides  24  generally after the seasoning in the kiln dryer. As stated previously, the step to disassemble the two adjacent short sides  24  could be alternatively done after a planing down operation and finishing operation, both following the seasoning of the planks  22 . Arrows A 1  of FIG. 2 show how to assemble the short planks  22  and arrows A 2  of FIG. 3 show how to disassemble the short planks  22  together. 
     In the handling of solid wood planks, shorter planks  22  are a problem even if they often provide the best quality of wood such as when they come from the rapidly changing diameter of the base of the trunk of a tree for example. The problem is brought by the fact that when seasoned in the kiln dryer, the free extremities of planks are subjected to end grain checking of the short wood components (a damaging twist and other deformations). This is even more so the case for shorter planks  22  resulting in wasting significant amount of wood after drying. The method explained above of firmly assembling the short planks  22  together eliminates any air gap therebetween when they are assembled in rows  30  for seasoning in the dryer. Many assembled rows  30  of short planks  22  with tongue-and-groove joints  28  at their adjacent short sides  24  are effectively of length essentially equal to that of a standard long wooden plank  34  and could be aligned side by side along with some of them, as it may be convenient. The respective extremities of the rows  30  and/or long planks  34  are jointly and preferably sealably supported by a respective edge support  40  that clamps all the adjacent extremities together using preferably two spring clips  42  non-damaging for the planks  22 , as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     The standards steps of machining and trimming the planks  22  and  24  after the seasoning step in the kiln dryer therefore become obsolete and unnecessary. As it can be understood by anyone skilled in the art, this produces strong timesaving opportunities, and avoids also the waste of high quality wood by as much as 20% to 40% depending on the type of wood and the size of the short planks. This is mostly economical especially considering the added value given to the wood after such an expensive process as the seasoning in a kiln dryer. Furthermore, since the short planks  22  are, in the case of this process, trimmed before the seasoning step in the kiln dryer, the resulting wood shavings are a green wood, and can be very economically retransformed or recycled such as in a chipboard panels manufacturing operation. 
     As it will be readily understood by anyone skilled in the art, the above-mentioned process will, during the seasoning operation in the kiln dryer, increase the volume of good quality planks  22  inside the dryer since the short planks  22  have been releasably joined, reducing the air gap therebetween, and since the planks  22  have been trimmed beforehand. This will therefore improve the output of the kiln and the productivity of the company. 
     FIG. 5 shows that to stack many boards  32  of aligned rows  30  of assembled planks  22  before the planks  22 ,  34  are actually seasoned in a kiln dryer can still be performed as it is usually done using elongated spacers  36  positioned in between adjacent boards  32 , transverse to the rows  30  and generally parallel to and spaced apart in between the edge supports  40 . After the seasoning has been completed, the standard optional steps of planing down the four longest sides of the rows  30  and decorating the planks  22  and  34  with moldings using a molder can proceed (not shown here) while keeping the short planks  22  assembled in rows  30  or after having disassembled the short planks  22 . 
     Although an embodiment has been described herein with some particularity and details, many modifications and variations of the preferred embodiment is possible without deviating from the scope of the present invention.