Patent ID: 7370680

Claim:
A lathe for peeling a log, the lathe comprising: a first support wall having a first pair of vertical guides and a second pair of vertical guides and a second support wall having a third pair of vertical guides and a fourth pair of vertical guides, such that the first and third pairs of vertical guides are in a face to face relationship and the second and fourth pairs of vertical guides are in a face to face relationship and the second and fourth pairs of vertical guides are elevated with respect to the first and third pairs of vertical guides, a first trunnion mounted on the first pair of vertical guides and a second trunnion mounted on the third pair of vertical guides and a log peeling assembly with a knife supported by the first trunnion and the second trunnion for movement on the first and third pairs of vertical guides, a structure having back-up powered rollers mounted on the second and fourth pairs of vertical guides for movement thereon, a first frame joined to the first support wall having a first pair of horizontal guides with a first spindle assembly supported on the first pair of horizontal guides and a second frame joined to the second support wall having a second pair of horizontal guides with a second spindle assembly supported on the second pair of horizontal guides, and the first spindle assembly capable of being moved along the first pair of horizontal guides and the second spindle assembly capable of being moved along the second pair of horizontal guides from a first working position to a second working position and wherein in the first working position the first spindle assembly and the second spindle assembly are caused to engage and impart rotation to the log to be peeled and wherein in the second working position the first spindle assembly and the second spindle assembly are for rotating the log, and further wherein in the second working position the log peeling assembly and the back-up powered rollers are for contacting and supporting the log to impart rotation to the log such that the log is peeled when in contact with the knife and further wherein the first and second spindle assemblies are capable of releasing from the log to return to the first working position to engage another log to be peeled while at the same time the log peeling assembly and back-up powered rollers continue to rotate the log against the knife in order to peel the log.