Patent ID: 7131527

Claim:
Apparatus for moving pieces of lumber along an inclined path from a group of such pieces at a first in-feed location and delivering them at a second out-feed location normally one stick at a time with said second location being disposed at a higher elevation than said first location, said apparatus comprising: a rigid support structure; first and second rigid frame assemblies; and means mounting said frame assemblies on said support structure for movement relative thereto and one another along predetermined inclined paths, said first and second rigid assemblies each having a plurality of plates mounted thereon, said plates being spaced apart from one another on their respective rigid frames and disposed such that the plates on one frame assembly are interleaved with the plates on the other frame assembly, said plates on the respective frame assemblies having a leading edge angularly disposed relative to said inclined path and wherein the leading edge of plates in proximity of the in-feed location are of greater thickness than that of plates located downstream therefrom in a direction toward the out-feed location.