Patent ID: 8413791

Claim:
An apparatus for positioning a lumber piece comprising: a continuous track loop having an in-feed end and an out-feed end; a plurality of paddles spacedly disposed along the length of the continuous track loop, at least one paddle slideably mounted along a bearing way coupled to the track loop so that the paddle is laterally displaceable across a width of the track loop, and wherein the paddle comprises a lumber surface for contacting a surface of the lumber piece and stopping the lumber piece in a desired position perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the track loop during use; a paddle locking mechanism constructed to lock the paddle in a desired position on the bearing way; a paddle moving device constructed to place the paddle in a desired position where the paddle is locked in position on the bearing way by the paddle locking mechanism; a paddle position sensor constructed to measure the position of the locked paddle; a track moving device constructed to move at least the out-feed end of the track in a lateral direction; and a controller connected to the paddle position sensor and track moving device, the controller constructed to compare a measured position of the locked paddle to the desired position of the paddle and if the measured position of the paddle is other than the desired position the controller is constructed to activate the track moving device to move at least the out-feed end of the track so that the paddle is placed in the desired position.