Patent ID: 8342102

Claim:
A method of drying lumber in a continuous kiln having at least three chambers arranged serially from one end of the kiln to the opposite end with the ends being open to allow the passage of a load mover and a load of lumber supported on a carriage, the kiln having a floor and a pair of parallel rails mounted on the floor and extending along a path that extends from outside the kiln through the chambers, the load mover including a housing having a wall with which at least a portion of the load is engageable during transport sequentially through the chambers of the kiln, the housing having wheels that, in use, engage and ride on the rails, the kiln having a track extending parallel to the rails and through the kiln, the track being mounted on the floor, the load mover having mounted thereon a variable speed electric motor and gearing constructed for transferring the output of the motor to a transport gear which is rotatably mounted on the housing of the load mover and which engages the track so that rotation of the transport gear will effect movement of the load mover on the rails, and the wall having a substantially vertical portion to engage the load supported on the carriage which rides on the rails where the vertical portion is positioned to be moved against the load to enhance the stability of the load during transport along the rails, the method comprising: providing the load of lumber on the carriage; and using the electric motor to drive the transport gear engaging the track to move the load mover which pushes the load of lumber on the carriage through the kiln to produce dried lumber.