Lath for lumber stacking
Inactive Publication Date: 2003-05-13
BREEZE DRIED
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- Application Information
AI Technical Summary
Benefits of technology
The improved separator of this invention comprises a separator having a length to span across one or more pieces of lumber in a course and a height to separate the courses sufficiently for air circulation between the courses and having a plurality of grooves traversing the length of the separator to permit air circulation within the grooves. Since the grooves run across a short width of a separator rather than along its length, air circulation through the grooves is much improved over the prior art long groove separators. The grooves may run perpendicularly to the length of the separator or, diagonally, at an angle to the length. The spacing between grooves is not critical although close spacing reduces the contact area between grooves. In a preferred embodiment, the grooves are spaced to present sharp peaks between them thus minimizing the contact area with the lumber. In a preferred embodiment, grooves are cut with sharp peaks spaced about 3 / 4 of an inch and at a 60.degree. angle to the long axis of the separator. Similar grooves are cut in the top and the bottom surfaces of the separator to touch the boards in the lumber stack. In another embodiment, grooves are cut at a 60.degree. angle to the longitudinal axles of the separator in one direction and then cut again in an opposite direction to provide intersecting grooves. The ridges between the first run of grooves are cut by the traversing set of second grooves resulting in diamond shaped protrusions which further reduce the amount of surface area in contact with the lumber and provides for additional circulation. It will be appreciated that separator size, groove spacing and contact area should be sufficient to support the weight of the stack without denting the lumber to render it unmerchantable, but this aspect of design is within the skill of the art and will not be discussed in detail in this specification. It is similar to the design of a bed of nails that supports a heavy body with a delicate surface on sharp points on the principle that many points will support the weight of the body with little pressure on each point.
Manufacture of such separators is relatively easy. Since the grooves run transversely to the length of the separator there is no difficulty aligning the narrow separator to a tool during manufacture. Close tolerances are not necessary nor are multiple tools required. The separators may be cut in an ordinary plane fitted with a serrated blade that forms grooves and peaks as separators are passed sideways through the plane. The angle at which the separators pass through the plane determines the angle of the grooves to the long axis of the separator. The angle is not critical nor is consistency of the angle between separators, thus it is unnecessary to maintain close tolerances in the feeding process. The manufacture also has the advantage that it can be used to clean and renew old dirty separators for reuse as improved separators of this invention. Thus it is not necessary for a lumber mill to discard its inventory of separators to use this invention.
Problems solved by technology
It is also understood that staining may result from the fact that air cannot penetrate to the board surface covered by a separator to dry the wood and mould or spores grow in the residual moisture.
It renders lumber unmerchantable for certain end uses and sometimes is the cause of costly claims to mills from customers.
It is a significant problem in the lumber industry, particularly with light coloured woods.
One disadvantage of this design is that a lengthwise groove does not facilitate circulation of air through the groove.
End to end circulation along the long length of a separator through a small cross section groove is inefficient.
Another disadvantage is that equipment for manufacturing plastic separators is foreign to a lumber mill so a mill would need to buy prefabricated plastic separators from a remote factory.
Manufacturing costs, transportation costs, availability, maintaining separator inventory at a mill and other factors augured against use of plastic separators and they did not replace the more common and readily available wooden separators.
The "H" separator reduces contact area and utilizes the wood resources of a mill but suffers the same disadvantage of poor air circulation along the long narrow grooves.
Further, manufacturing many separators may require many tools or many runs through the same tools.
Method used
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FIG. 1 illustrates a stack 1 comprising boards 2 laid in courses upon separators (laths) 3. The stack 1 is supported upon separators (blocks) 4. Other similarly constructed stacks may be placed upon stack 1 to create a larger stack, tens of feet high. The stack 1 is constructed for the purpose of air drying the boards or maintaining a dry condition. The lath separators 3 and the block separators 4 shown in FIG. 1 have diagonal grooves and ridges to reduce the amount of the separator in contact with the boards and to provide easy access for air circulation.
FIG. 2 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the improved separator 3 of this invention having diagonal ridges 5 on its top surface and similar diagonal ridges 6 on its bottom surface. There is no specific angle at which the ridges 5 or 6 must cross the length of the separator 3 in order to be effective for the purposes of this invention. The ridges 5 may run at a different angle to the ridges 6 and it is not critical to this inven...
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This invention relates to an improved separator, commonly referred to as a "lath", "stick", "sticker", or "crosser", that is used in the lumber industry to separate pieces of lumber in a stack or bundle. The separator features, in one embodiment, a plurality of grooves extending transverse to the length of the separator to permit air circulation within the grooves, and a plurality of ridges between the grooves to support the pieces of lumber. In another embodiment, a second plurality of grooves extending transverse to the length of the separator and the first groove to form a cross-hatching of grooves to permit air circulation within the grooves, and a plurality of protrusions to support the pieces of lumber over the grooves.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates a device that is commonly referred to as a "lath", "stick", "sticker", or "crosser" (referred to here as a "separator") that is used in the lumber industry to separate pieces of lumber in a stack, bundle or lift or the like (hereafter referred to as a "stack"). More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement in such a lath to augment air circulation within a lumber stack and to reduce staining of lumber.In the lumber industry timber is cut into boards or lumber which are usually stacked in a shed or kiln to dry before shipping. Stacking may also be used to maintain lumber during shipping or storage. The boards in a stack are usually separated by separators running transversely to the length of the boards. An individual stack is often built up to a height of about 5 feet with the boards laid in a spaced and parallel relationship in courses, course upon course, with separators laid between the courses across the boards. Indi...
Claims
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Login to View More IPC IPC(8): B65G1/14B65G57/00F26B25/06F26B25/18B27C5/00B27F1/02B27F5/02B27G13/04B27G13/14
CPCB27C5/00B27F1/02B27F5/02B27G13/04B27G13/14B65G1/14B65G57/005F26B25/185
InventorTOWNSEND, DAVID M.
OwnerBREEZE DRIED