Patent ID: 7987614

Claim:
A device suitable for supporting a stack of individual lumber pieces in a lumber treatment operation causing the lumber pieces to shrink during the treatment operation, wherein the lumber pieces are arranged in a stack of courses, each course comprising a plurality of the individual lumber pieces positioned edge to edge, the device comprising: a generally horizontal base member adapted to support the stack of courses; a generally upstanding rigid and moveable member adapted to engage at least portions of outer edges on one side of the stack of courses; a generally upstanding rigid reaction member on a second opposite side of the stack of courses; and a horizontally extendible force generating member that engages the moveable member such that the moveable member is loaded with a substantially consistent selected horizontal force relative to and toward the reaction member, the force being applied to urge the movable member toward the reaction member continuously during the lumber treatment operation by extending the force generating member in a horizontal direction as a width of the lumber pieces shrink in order to maintain the substantially consistent selected force adapted to hold the lumber pieces in each course edge to edge continuously during the lumber treatment operation, the force being sufficient to prevent warpage in the lumber pieces during the lumber treatment operation.