Interlocking system for waney lumber

Abstract

A hollow core composite wood product comprising four elongated pieces of lumber, at least two of which are waney pieces of lumber. The elongated pieces are profiled to remove both longitudinally extending edges on one side thereof such that each of said elongated pieces has longitudinally extending indented portions on one side. The indented portions are shaped so as to be complementary to and engageable with the indented portions of adjacent pieces. The pieces are positioned adjacent to one another such that the indented portions are engaged with one another and the pieces together define a longitudinally extending cavity in the center of the hollow core composite wood product. The indented portions of said first pieces are bonded to the indented portions of said second pieces by an adhesive. The indented portions are shaped such that adjacent pieces fit into a self-aligning, interlocking engagement, preventing lateral movement of the pieces relative to one another. This enables the hollow core composite product to be pressed in a conventional one-dimensional press.

Description

FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to composite wood products, such as beams, headers, corbels and posts, manufactured from waney lumber. BACKGROUND [0002] The term “waney lumber” refers to boards or pieces of wood that, instead of being cut square, show the original curve of the log from which they are cut. Due to the curvature and irregular shape of waney lumber it is difficult to use in the manufacture of wood products As a result, waney lumber is relatively cheap and underutilized. Products and processes using waney lumber generally result in little added value and a great deal of waste. [0003] Many composite lumber products are made by simply gluing pieces of lumber together. For example, elongated wood pieces can be glued and pressed together to make laminate beams, usually of rectangular cross section. Placing one wood piece over another constitutes a lamination process, which results in a maximum of wood fiber per cross-sectional area and hence a maximum cost per uni...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The indented portions of the elongated pieces of lumber are shaped such that adjacent pieces fit into a self-aligning, interlocking engagement to form a hollow-core composite product, such as a beam, post or header. The engagement of the indented portions of the first pieces with the indented portions of the second pieces prevents lateral movement of the first and second pieces relative to one another. In other words, movement of the first and second pieces relative to one another in a direction along an axis substantially perpendicular to a longitudinally extending axis of the hollow core composite product and substantially parallel to the second sides of the first pieces is prevented when force is applied to the second sides of the first pieces in a direction substantially perpendicular to the second sides of the first pieces and toward a center of the hollow core composite wood product. This enables the hollow core composite product to be pressed in a one-dimensional press having no guide or pressing mechanism in a second dimension. A conventional one-dimensional press is proven technology requiring less capital and a lower level of complexity, thereby reducing the overall manufacturing cost of the composite products. At the same time it permits the fabrication of sophisticated glue-up patterns all in one gluing step—e.g. compression and tension members (e.g. high rated MSR lumber or LVL (laminated veneer lumber)) can be added for higher strength.

[0017] Finally, the lengths of waney and square-edged lumber used to construct the hollow core composite products of the present invention may be finger-jointed to achieve any desired length. Therefore the finished hollow core composite products are available in long lengths to allow customers to chop for builder specific requirements.

Problems solved by technology

Waney lumber is difficult if not impossible to incorporate into composite wood products due to its curved and irregular shape.

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