Patent ID: 8807326

Claim:
A log singulator comprising: a base; first, second and third barriers supported by the base, the first barrier and the second barrier form a peak, the third barrier and the second barrier form a valley, the first barrier having a height at least twice the thickness of logs being fed to the singulator from an in-feed, the first, second and third barriers having a length of at least the length of logs being fed to the singulator during use; a plurality of lifting devices having first, second and third arms extending in a radial direction from a central axis, the lifting devices being mounted on a shaft, the lifting devices being spaced apart along the length of the three barriers and disposed within the barriers, the first and second barriers having openings constructed and arranged to allow the arms to extend therethrough, and the lifting devices being rotatable between a starting position and a finishing position; the first arm being constructed and arranged so that in the starting position the first arm is retracted within the first barrier and a log can move into a starting position against a bottom of the first barrier, and when the lifting device is rotated from the starting position to the finishing position the first arm extends from the first barrier and the log is lifted by a top surface of the first arm up the first barrier and then over the peak so the log then travels down a first portion of the second barrier, and a side surface of the first arm extending from the first barrier blocks other logs from contacting the first barrier; the second arm being constructed and arranged such that in the finishing position the second arm extends from the second barrier and the log pushed over the peak by the first arm is held in a position of the first portion of the second barrier by a top surface of the second arm and in the starting position the second arm is retracted into the second barrier allowing the log to travel down a second portion of the second barrier; the third arm being constructed and arranged so that in the starting position the third arm extends from the second barrier and the log traveling from the first portion of the second barrier is held in the position of a second portion of the second barrier by a top surface of the third arm and when the lifting device rotates from the starting position to the finishing position the third arm retracts into the second barrier and the log held in the position of the second portion is allowed to drop into the valley, and when the third arm moves from the finishing position to the starting position the log in the valley is moved by a back side of the third arm from the valley up and over the third barrier; and a drive system connected to the shaft constructed and arranged to rotate the shaft and lifting devices between the starting and finishing positions.