Patent ID: 8141603

Claim:
A cant cutting apparatus comprising: an inspection station having a computer; a pivotable chipping station; a cutting device; a cant positioning device comprising a pivotable guide arm and an actuator for pivoting the pivotable guide arm, said cant positioning device being located upstream of said cutting device; and an in-feed conveyor for receiving a cant having a top, a bottom and opposing sides from a supply and passing the cant through said inspection station for determining the cant's curvature and through said pivotable chipping station for chipping the opposing sides of the cant to parallel faces and to said cant positioning device for adjusting an angle at which an end of said cant is positioned and fed relative to said cutting device and through said cutting device for cutting the cant into a plurality of boards, the conveyor being constructed to contact the bottom of the cant, said pivotable guide arm being pivotably mounted to a side bar on the conveyor to allow pivotal movement about a vertical pivot axis, said pivotable guide arm being constructed and arranged to contact one of the opposing sides of said cant to adjust the angle at which an end of said cant is positioned and fed relative to said cutting device, wherein said computer controls said actuator of said cant positioning device.