Dyed wood and method for drying and dyeing wood

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method of drying and dyeing wood, the method comprising feeding a green wood having a varying moisture content into an oven and drying the green wood in the oven. The residence time of the biomass in the oven and the temperature of the oven are selected according to a time and temperature profile based on the pre-drying moisture content of the biomass to produce dry surface wood having a moisture content of about 15% or less at the dry surface. The method further includes conveying the dried surface wood to a dyeing chamber and directly dyeing all sides of the dried surface wood after the drying. A system for carrying out the method and a dyed wood product produced according to the method are also contemplated.

Description

Background Technology Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure generally relates to stained wood and related methods for drying and staining wood.

[0003] Description of prior art

[0004] Certain stained wood products and methods for drying and staining wood are known. A specific application of this technology is for drying and staining timber fencing panels. Users can purchase fencing panels from suppliers or stores and install them as part of a fence. Fencing panels available to consumers are typically “green” fencing panels recently felled from trees and often have a moisture content of around 20% to 40%. Therefore, the panels must be dried before applying a stain, preferably with a moisture content of 15% or less for most stains to ensure proper stain absorption and uniformity. One solution to this problem is to install the panels as part of the fence and allow them to dry naturally until the internal moisture content of the panels is suitable for stain application. This method is more suitable for hot and arid environments and can be challenging in areas with high humidity, heavy rainfall or precipitation, or both, that slow down the natural drying process. In some areas, natural drying at the installation location of the fencing panels is only feasible during certain seasons.

[0005] In some cases, fencing boards are transported to hot, arid environments for natural outdoor drying before being stained, stacked, and shipped to consumers as pre-stained boards. However, this process is time-consuming and expensive. Even under ideal conditions, the drying process to reduce the moisture content of raw fencing boards to a level suitable for applying stains can take weeks. Transporting the boards back and forth to hot, arid environments also significantly increases costs. An alternative solution is to kiln-dry the raw fencing boards from their initial moisture content to a preferred 15% or less before staining and shipping to consumers. This process is also time-consuming and expensive, especially when commercially producing fencing boards on a larger scale. For example, typical kiln drying times can be performed in multiple stages, with time intervals of at least 8 to 10 minutes in each stage and rest periods of a few minutes between stages. Special care must be taken to dry the wood at specific temperatures to avoid cracking or burning of the raw fencing boards during the drying process. The aforementioned drawbacks and disadvantages of known techniques apply equally to all types of stained wood, and not just fencing boards. Therefore, current technology is not always suitable for producing pre-stained wood in certain environments, and it would be advantageous to develop stained wood products that overcome the shortcomings of known technologies, as well as methods for drying and staining wood. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure generally relates to a method for drying green wood to reduce the surface moisture content of the wood to a level suitable for the application of a staining agent, followed by immediate application of the staining agent, thereby producing pre-stained wood in less time and at a lower total cost. Once the staining agent is applied, the wood naturally releases any remaining internal moisture through the staining agent over time.

[0007] More specifically, based at least in part on the species of green timber and depending on the season and location of initial felling and the ambient humidity of green timber storage, green timber may initially have a varying moisture content. Time and temperature profiles for drying green timber with varying moisture content can be developed based on these and other factors. In a non-limiting example, based on the above, green timber with a higher initial moisture content can be dried for a longer period and / or at a higher temperature compared to green timber with a lower initial moisture content. According to the time and temperature profiles, the green timber is held in the oven for a period of time and at the oven temperature to produce dried surface wood with a moisture content of approximately 15% or less on the dried surface, suitable for the application of staining agents. In other words, the residence time in the oven and the oven temperature vary based on the initial moisture content of the wood to produce dried surface wood. Drying can be carried out in a single, continuous processing step, where the internal parts of the wood typically have a moisture content of approximately 15% or more after drying. In a non-limiting example, staining agents can be applied to all sides of the board directly after the drying step or shortly after the drying step. This is accomplished by placing the dried surface wood into the staining chamber immediately after it leaves the drying oven. Through this process, the staining agent wets the surface of the board and adheres to it before the dried surface wood can absorb moisture from its interior and from the surrounding air. Over time, even after the wood is installed in its final position, the stained board releases internal moisture.

[0008] In one or more embodiments, a method for drying and staining wood can be summarized as including: feeding green wood with varying moisture content into an oven; drying the green wood in the oven according to a time and temperature profile based on the moisture content of the green wood before drying to produce dried surface wood with a moisture content of about 15% or less at the dried surface; and staining the dried surface wood after drying.

[0009] In this embodiment, the drying of the raw material can be a single, continuous processing step.

[0010] In the embodiments, the time and temperature profiles vary according to one or more of the following: the type of raw material, the ambient humidity in which the raw material is stored, and the moisture content of the raw material before drying when it enters the oven.

[0011] In this embodiment, the moisture content of the dried surface wood is measured at the outermost surface of the dried surface wood.

[0012] In an embodiment, the moisture content at the outermost surface of the dried surface wood is measured using a needle-type instrument resting on the outermost surface of the dried surface wood under its own weight.

[0013] In an embodiment, the internal moisture content of the dried surface wood was greater than about 15% after drying, as measured by a needle instrument inserted at least 0.08 inches into the wood.

[0014] In an embodiment, drying the green material includes: determining the moisture content of the green material before drying based on the humidity content in the exhaust gas from the oven, and adjusting the time and temperature curves based on the humidity content in a closed feedback loop.

[0015] One or more embodiments of a method for drying and staining wood can be summarized as including: drying green wood in an oven, including drying the green wood until the moisture content of the outermost surface of the green wood is about 15% or less, to produce dried surface wood; conveying the dried surface wood directly from the outlet of the oven to a staining chamber; applying a staining agent to all sides of the dried surface wood in the staining chamber to produce stained wood; allowing the staining agent to wet and adhere to the surface by conveying the stained wood on a conveyor while conveying the stained wood along the conveyor for about 30 seconds to about 120 seconds; and bundling the stained wood for transport at the end of the process.

[0016] In one embodiment, applying the dye to the dried surface wood further includes conveying the dried surface wood through the dyeing chamber at a rate sufficient to coat the dried surface wood to a predefined aesthetic quality associated with the product code.

[0017] In an embodiment, drying the green material includes drying it in an oven according to a time-temperature profile that achieves sufficient surface moisture content to allow for wetting and adsorption of dyes.

[0018] The method may further include, prior to drying the raw material: loading large blocks of raw material onto an inclined table; unifying the large blocks of raw material into individual blocks and loading the individual blocks onto a second conveyor; and using the second conveyor to transport the individual blocks from the inclined table to the inlet of the oven.

[0019] In one embodiment, applying the dye to the dried surface wood includes removing excess dye from the dried surface wood downstream of any nozzle or manifold within the dyeing chamber.

[0020] In an embodiment, the moisture content of the outermost surface of the dried surface wood is measured using a needle-type instrument placed on the outermost surface of the dried surface wood under its own weight.

[0021] In one embodiment, drying of the raw wood in an oven includes, as measured by a needle instrument inserted 0.08 inches into the raw wood and the dried surface wood respectively, the raw wood and the dried surface wood having an internal moisture content of at least about 15% before and after drying.

[0022] One or more embodiments of a wood product can be summarized as including: a wood block having an inner portion and an outer portion surrounding the inner portion, the outer portion having an outermost surface; and a staining agent layer on the outermost surface of the outer portion of the wood block, wherein when the staining agent is applied, the inner portion has an initial moisture content greater than about 15%, and the outermost surface has a moisture content less than about 15%, and wherein the staining agent layer is at least semi-permeable and configured to release moisture from the inner portion over time to reduce the moisture content of the inner portion from the initial moisture content to a final moisture content of about 15% or less. That is, even after staining, the stained board is able to release moisture over time to reduce the internal moisture content to a final moisture content of about 15% or less.

[0023] In one embodiment, the wood block has a boundary located approximately 0.08 inches from the outermost surface of the wood block between the inner and outer portions.

[0024] In this embodiment, the initial and final moisture content of the interior of the wood block were measured using a needle instrument inserted approximately 0.08 inches into the wood block.

[0025] In one embodiment, the moisture content of the outermost surface is measured using a needle-type instrument resting against the outermost surface of the wood block under its own weight.

[0026] In an embodiment, the dye layer is configured to be adsorbed onto the dried surface wood before it separates from the interior of the board and absorbs water from the surrounding air.

[0027] In this embodiment, the timber blocks are fence panels, fence posts, or fence railings.

[0028] Other features and advantages of this disclosure are provided in more detail below. Attached Figure Description

[0029] This disclosure will be more fully understood by referring to the following figures, wherein, unless otherwise stated, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout. The figures do not depict every aspect of the teachings disclosed herein and do not limit the scope of the claims.

[0030] Figure 1This is an isometric view of one or more embodiments of a system for drying and staining wood according to the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Isometric views of the system's feeding subsystem and drying oven.

[0032] Figure 3 Output from the drying oven and input to Figure 1 Isometric view of the staining chamber of the system.

[0033] Figure 4 It is the wood coming out of the dyeing room to Figure 1 An enlarged isometric view of the system's delivery subsystem.

[0034] Figures 5A to 5C This is a schematic diagram of a needle instrument for measuring the moisture content of wood according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of a controller and various devices connected thereto, the controller being adapted to perform embodiments of a system carrying out at least some of the techniques described in this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Those skilled in the art will understand that this disclosure is illustrative only and not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art with the aid of this disclosure.

[0037] Each of the features and teachings disclosed herein may be used alone or in combination with other features and teachings to provide apparatus, systems, and methods for drying and staining wood, and wood products produced by such apparatus, systems, and methods. Representative examples of utilizing many of these additional features and teachings, whether individually or in combination, are described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. This detailed description is intended only to teach those skilled in the art further details for practicing the aspects of this teaching and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims. Therefore, combinations of features disclosed in the detailed description may not be necessary for practicing the teachings in the broadest sense, but are merely taught to describe particularly representative examples.

[0038] Furthermore, the various features of the representative examples and dependent claims may be combined in a non-specific and explicit manner to provide additional useful embodiments of this teaching. It is also explicitly stated that, for the purposes of the original disclosure and to limit the claimed subject matter, all value ranges or indications of the entity group disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity. It is also explicitly stated that the dimensions and shapes of the components shown in the figures are designed to aid in understanding how to practice this teaching, but are not intended to limit the dimensions and shapes shown in the examples of some embodiments. In some embodiments, the dimensions and shapes of the components shown in the figures are drawn entirely to scale and are intended to limit the dimensions and shapes of the components.

[0039] While this disclosure continues to describe certain non-limiting examples of drying and staining wood that may be particularly advantageous for the production of fence components such as fence panels, fence posts, and fence railings, it should be understood that the concepts of this disclosure are equally applicable to any type of stained wood and are not limited to fence components. Furthermore, the concepts of this disclosure can be implemented outside the field of drying and staining wood, such as for other processes and systems involving the drying of materials or substrates and the application of coatings (such as paints, adhesives, etc.) to substrates. While preheating the substrate before applying a coating to prevent blistering, cracking, impact, flash rust, etc., is known and common, as will now be described, the technique described herein regarding the use of a heated oven solely for surface drying of green wood for use in fences and then immediately applying a stain has not been previously performed.

[0040] from Figure 1The document begins by showing a system 100 for drying and staining wood, suitable for implementing the methods described herein. System 100 includes a structural frame 102 supporting a platform 104 above a floor or ground surface 106 in a warehouse, building, or other interior space. In embodiments, the platform 104 is omitted, and the system 100 may be directly supported on the floor or ground surface 106 with or without the structural frame 102. System 100 typically includes a feeding subsystem 108, an oven 110, a staining chamber 112, and a conveying system 114 arranged in sequence. Each of the feeding subsystem 108, oven 110, staining chamber 112, and conveying subsystem 114 is at least partially positioned on or supported by the structural frame 102 and / or the platform 104. For example, the feeding subsystem 108, oven 110, and staining chamber 112 may be positioned on the platform 104 and supported by the structural frame 102 above the floor 106. The conveying subsystem 114 may extend from platform 112 to floor 106. Other configurations may be used in addition to the specific configuration shown herein. Platform 104 may be positioned directly on the floor or vertically spaced from floor 106 by a selected distance, such as between one foot and twelve feet, or more or less, including all intermediate values ​​as non-limiting examples. Positioning platform 104 above floor 106 allows for additional operations beneath platform 104 and / or allows for the storage of materials beneath platform 104, such as dye storage tank 107. The elevated platform 104 also improves safety by preventing unintentional contact between workers or equipment and components of system 100.

[0041] Each component of system 100, namely the feeding subsystem 108, the oven 110, the staining chamber 112, and the conveying subsystem 114, will be described in more detail below. In summary, green timber 116 is supplied to the feeding subsystem 108, such as by a forklift 118 or other machinery. System 100 may also utilize additional equipment (such as a tractor, crane, or forklift 118) for moving bundles of timber to various locations, but these are not shown to avoid obscuring the concepts of this disclosure. In some cases, with operator assistance, the feeding subsystem 108 conveys the green timber 116 to the oven 110. The oven 110 is configured to dry the green timber 116 according to a time and temperature profile to produce dried surface timber with reduced moisture content on the outer surface in a single, continuous processing step. The dried surface timber is then fed directly to the staining chamber 112, which applies staining agents to all sides of the dried surface timber. The stained wood leaves the staining chamber 112 and passes through a conveying subsystem 114, which allows the staining agent to wet and adhere to the wood. At the end of the conveying subsystem 114, the pre-stained wood can be packaged or bundled for transport.

[0042] Figure 2Further details are provided regarding the feeding subsystem 108 and oven 110 of system 100. The feeding subsystem 108 includes a tilting table 120 in communication with conveyor 122. The tilting table 120 may be a hydraulically and / or electrically actuated assembly for lifting and rotating the raw material 116 from a location below platform 104 (such as at floor 106 or above floor 106 where it is accessible by forklift 118) and raising the raw material 116 to a position aligned with conveyor 122 and above platform 104. In embodiments, the tilting table 120 may include a rotating arm 124A rotatable relative to a horizontal plane and a lifting arm 124B translatably or movable along a linear path defined by the rotating arm 124A, allowing the raw material 116 to move in at least two degrees of freedom. In some instances, the tilting table 120 may be only a linear or rotary actuator. Once the raw material 116 is aligned with the end of conveyor 122 via the tilting table 120, as Figure 2 In this process, operator 126 can single out large blocks of green timber 116 on tilt table 120 into individual blocks of green timber 116 on conveyor 122. The single-out process can be done manually by one or more operators separating the timber into individual blocks spaced apart from each other, or in some instances it can be automated, such as using a pick-and-place machine or other similar mechanical device. Conveyor 122 can be a chain or belt conveyor or other possibilities, and is generally operable to move the single-out green timber 116 from tilt table 120 to inlet 128 of oven 110.

[0043] Oven 110 may include a conveyor 130, which may be another conveyor connected to conveyor 122 of feed subsystem 108 for conveying raw material 116 from inlet 128 through oven 110 to outlet 132 in a single, continuous step. Conveyor 130 may be driven by a drive system including, but not shown, motors, gears, belts, sprockets, chains, etc. Furthermore, conveyor 130 may have a selectable and controllable conveying speed to vary the residence time of raw material 116 in oven 110. In other words, the residence time of raw material 116 in oven 110 can be selected and varied by adjusting the speed of conveyor 130. Oven 110 may include one or more exhaust vents 134 and a housing 136. Housing 136 may correspond to the space inside oven 110 and... Figure 2 Heating element 138 is schematically shown in dashed lines. Heating element 138 can be any commercially available heating element 138 now known or developed in the future, including but not limited to burners (i.e., for propane or natural gas) and electric heating elements. Heating element 138 can operate independently to output heat, or can be used in combination with a convection fan to heat and circulate hot air within oven 110. Exhaust vent 134 can be fluidly connected to an external area outside the building to discharge exhaust gases and other byproducts from the heating operation within oven 110.

[0044] In some embodiments, the oven 110 includes user-actuable physical controls, such as buttons, switches, etc., for operating the oven 110 and controlling various processing parameters, such as the speed of the conveyor 130 and the temperature output by the heating element 138. Alternatively, the oven 110 may be associated with a controller 140, which provides instructions for operating the oven 110 and controlling the processing parameters. (Reference) Figure 6 The controller 140 is described in further detail. At least one of the exhaust vents 134 (such as the exhaust vent 134 located closest to the inlet 128 of the oven 110) may include or be associated with one or more humidity sensors 142, which measure the humidity content of the exhaust gas passing through the exhaust vent 134. In an embodiment, each exhaust vent 134 includes a corresponding at least one humidity sensor 142. The humidity content of the exhaust gas may be related to the moisture content of the green material 116 (i.e., the higher the moisture content, the higher the humidity output in the exhaust gas and detected by the sensor 142), such that, via the controller 140, the oven 110 may adjust the time and temperature profile of the green material 116 through the oven 110 in a closed control loop, at least in part, based on the humidity content determined by the humidity sensor 142 in the exhaust gas. Green wood 116 is dried in an oven according to a selected or determined time and temperature profile based on the pre-drying moisture content of the green wood to produce dried surface wood with a moisture content of less than about 15% at the dried surface and thus suitable for staining. In a preferred embodiment, this moisture content is about 12%. If the surface moisture content of the wood is high, the staining agent may not spread and adhere sufficiently to the surface, which can lead to uniformity problems, pigment flocculation, and desiccation. This may prevent the finished product from meeting product codes or other specifications set in the industry. The time and temperature profile is selected to form a dried surface on the wood suitable for staining, but not to completely dry the wood, meaning that after drying, the dried surface has a lower moisture content compared to the interior of the wood, as explained further below. The inventors have recognized that the wood only needs to be dried to a moisture content of less than 15% to a depth in the range of 0.01 inches to 0.06 inches. A needle instrument resting under its own weight will not penetrate the surface more than 0.06 inches and will generally penetrate in the range of 0.01 inches to 0.05 inches. The drying surface has a depth of 0.06 inches, sufficient to allow the staining agent to be evenly wetted and adsorbed onto the substrate. Compared to known systems, this arrangement allows for higher throughput and lower cost for drying wood.

[0045] According to the concept of this disclosure, the drying of green wood 116 in oven 110 depends primarily on time and temperature, which means how long the wood 116 is held in oven 110 and the temperature within oven 110. The temperature within oven 110 can be selected from 350°C. o degrees and 500 degrees Fahrenheit o Temperatures within the range of (“F”) and including end values, or more or less, including all intermediate values, and the raw material 116 can be transferred from inlet 128 through oven 110 to outlet 132 in a time between 30 seconds and 240 seconds, including end values, or more or less, and including all intermediate values. At 280 o Up to 450 o Temperatures within the specified range are preferred, and care should be taken to keep them below temperatures below which the wood might ignite and thus catch fire. Because the green wood 116 is preferably heated for a fairly short time (i.e., preferably less than 2 minutes), there is less concern about the wood cracking, warping, ignition, or burning. As described herein, the aforementioned time and temperature generally correspond to sufficient time and temperature to reduce the surface moisture content of the wood 116, thus making the dried surface wood suitable for application of staining agents after drying in oven 110. The aforementioned drying time and temperature do not constitute complete drying of the wood 116, meaning that after drying, the internal parts of the wood may have a moisture content greater than approximately 15%.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the feed subsystem 108 and the oven 110 can generally be arranged in the longitudinal direction indicated by arrow 144, meaning that the feed subsystem 108 and the oven 110 are aligned with each other along the common direction 144. (Turn) Figure 3 The dried surface wood is output to another conveyor 146 communicating with the oven 110 and the staining chamber 112. This other conveyor 146 and the staining chamber 112 are aligned with each other laterally in the transverse direction 144, as indicated by arrow 148. In this embodiment, the lateral direction 148 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 144, meaning the dried surface wood rotates approximately 90 degrees after the oven 110 for further processing in the staining chamber 112. The conveying subsystem 114 is also positioned parallel to the oven 110 and the feeding subsystem 108 along the longitudinal direction 144. Therefore, the system 100 has an overall "U" shape or layout that helps save space and allows the system 100 to be installed in a smaller building. The staining chamber 112 is configured to apply stain to all sides of the dried surface wood. Figure 3As shown, the dried surface wood can be conveyed directly from the outlet 132 of the oven 110 to the staining chamber 112 via conveyor 146. The dried surface wood may remain on another conveyor 146 for a short time, such as, in some non-limiting examples, between 5 to 10 seconds or less and up to 90 to 180 seconds including extreme values, resulting in a low time interval between the dried surface wood and the staining chamber 112.

[0047] In operation, the dried surface wood 150 enters the staining chamber 112 via inlet 152 and is transported laterally 148 by a suitable conveyor. Figure 3 The wood is conveyed through the dyeing chamber 112. The conveyor can be a roller system, pallet, belt, or other suitable conveyor system that contacts the wood on one or more sides. The conveying speed through the dyeing chamber 112 can be selected, and in some embodiments, can be controlled by a controller 140. Figure 1 The dried surface wood 150 is supported underneath by suitable supports that also allow for staining. A conveyor moves the dried surface wood 150 through the staining chamber 112 and applies dye from the staining agent storage tank 107. Figure 1 The dye is a semi-permeable dye available in a variety of colors, allowing residual internal moisture in the wood 150 to be released naturally from the wood over time. In an embodiment, the dried surface wood 150 is conveyed through the dyeing chamber 112 at a rate sufficient to coat the dried surface wood to a predefined aesthetic quality associated with the product code. This means that a dye color or type is applied in a selected number of coatings or layers at a selected conveying speed through the dyeing chamber 112 to produce an aesthetic quality consistent with the finished product according to the product code. The dyeing of the dried surface wood 150 produces dyed wood 174, which exits the dyeing chamber 112 at an outlet 154.

[0048] The staining chamber 112 can be any acceptable staining chamber capable of applying an appropriate amount of staining agent evenly to all sides (top, bottom, left, and right) of the wood in a clean manner (many of which are known in the art). Thus, the staining chamber 112 is shown as a general staining chamber in which dry surface wood 150 enters and appropriately stained wood 174 exits.

[0049] like Figure 4As shown, the dyed wood 174 is provided to a landing area of ​​the conveying subsystem 114 located at the outlet 154 of the dyeing chamber 112. The conveying subsystem 114 extends parallel to the oven 110 along a longitudinal direction 144. Therefore, the dyed wood 174 can travel perpendicular to the direction of travel through the dyeing chamber 112 along the conveying subsystem 114. In an embodiment, the system 100 includes a backstop 176 with an adjustable position to prevent dyed wood 174 of varying lengths from leaving the landing area and falling from the platform 104. After dyeing at the dyeing chamber 112, the dyed wood 174 is conveyed along the conveying subsystem 114. The conveying subsystem 114 can be implemented as a series of sharp chains with pointed tips to minimize the contact area and avoid marking the dyed wood 174 after application, or it can be implemented as some other conveyor device. The conveying subsystem 114 provides residence time to allow the dye to wet and adhere to the surface, and allows some cooling if the dye is applied at elevated temperatures. In an embodiment, the conveying subsystem 114 extends from the platform 104 to the ground surface 106 and is therefore arranged at an angle to the horizontal plane (i.e., between 0 and 90 degrees, excluding extreme values ​​and including all intermediate values), the angle depending on the height of the platform 104 and the length of the conveying subsystem 114. In a non-limiting example, the height of the platform 104 may be approximately 10 feet, and the length of the conveying subsystem 114 may be selected in conjunction with the conveying speed of the sharp chain such that the drying time (i.e., the length of time it takes for the dyed wood 174 to move from the landing area to the bottom of the conveying subsystem 114) is in the range of approximately 30 seconds to approximately 120 seconds, including all intermediate values. Time greater than 30 seconds is generally preferred, and longer times, for example, 45 to 90 seconds, have been found advantageous. During cooling along the conveying subsystem 114, the dye continues to wet and adhere to the wood on the drying surface. The carrier of the dye evaporates over time (this can take one or more months to complete), but because the raw material undergoes surface drying before dyeing, the final appearance of the board remains consistent throughout the evaporation process. This process can depend at least in part on time and temperature, as well as the characteristics of the conveying subsystem 114 chosen to provide sufficient time for the dye to spread and adhere to the substrate (i.e., length, conveying speed, etc.). At the end of the conveying subsystem 114 is a grading chain 178 that allows the operator 126 to pull and bundle the dyed boards 180 for transport.

[0050] Figures 5A to 5CThis is a schematic diagram of a needle-type instrument 182 for measuring the moisture content of wood according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Wood is generally known to have different properties based on a variety of factors. For example, the green timber 116 described herein may have an initial surface moisture content and internal moisture content that vary at least based on the species of green timber 116 and the ambient humidity of the air in which the green timber 116 is stored. Ambient humidity may depend at least in part on the location and season in which the timber is stored after its felling and the environment in which the source tree was felled. Therefore, the initial surface moisture content and internal moisture content of green timber 116 may vary from 20% to 40% or more or less, and in any case, may be greater than about 15%. Reference Figure 5A The moisture content (i.e., surface moisture content) of the outermost surface of the wood (such as green wood 116) can be measured using a needle gauge 182 resting against the outermost surface of the green wood 116 under its own weight. The needle gauge 182 can be a commercially available needle gauge, typically weighing less than one pound (16 ounces) and more commonly less than half a pound (8 ounces), such that when the tip 186 of the needle gauge 182 rests against the surface of the wood 116 under the weight of the needle gauge 182, the test tip 186 of the needle gauge 182 will not substantially penetrate the green wood 116. Under its own weight, the needle depth may range from 0.01 inches to 0.06 inches, and will generally be less than 0.05 inches. The depth is chosen to be sufficient to allow the dye to adequately wet and adhere to the substrate, and is less than approximately 15% of the dry surface of the wood. Higher surface moisture content may interfere with the wetting and adsorption of the dye.

[0051] After drying the green wood 116 to produce dried surface wood 150, such as Figure 5B In this embodiment, the dried surface timber 150 includes an inner portion 184A surrounded by an outer portion 184B. The outer portion 184B can also be described as a dried surface layer 184B having an outermost dried surface 184C surrounding all sides of the inner portion 184A. In an embodiment, the outer portion 184B or the dried surface layer 184B has a thickness or depth of approximately less than 0.08 inches penetrating into the dried surface timber 150. The moisture content of the dried surface 184C can again be measured by a needle gauge 182 resting against the outermost surface 184C under its own weight. In some embodiments, the moisture content of the dried surface 184C may be approximately 15% or less after drying the green timber 116. Figure 5CThe internal moisture content of wood (such as green wood 116 or dried surface wood 150) can be measured by inserting the test tip 186 of a needle instrument 182 into the wood 116, 150, preferably to a depth of about 0.08 inches or at least 0.08 inches. At this depth, the tip 186 extends beyond the interface between the outer portion 184B or the dried surface layer 184B and the inner portion 184A, which may be located at a depth of less than about 0.08 inches into the wood 116, 150, to measure the moisture content of the inner portion 184A. In some embodiments, after drying, the moisture content of the inner portion 184B may be higher than the moisture content of the dried surface 184C, such as about 15% or more. Therefore, the wood described herein may have an internal moisture content of at least 15% before and after drying.

[0052] Figure 6 This is a block diagram of controller 140. Controller 140 may be adapted to perform or otherwise carry out at least some of the embodiments or techniques described herein with respect to system 100.

[0053] Controller 140 includes processor 188, such as a microprocessor, digital signal processor, programmable gate array (PGA), or application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Controller 140 includes one or more non-transitory storage media, such as read-only memory (ROM) 190A, random access memory (RAM) 190B, flash memory (not shown), or other physical computer-readable or processor-readable storage media that communicate with processor 188. The non-transitory storage media may store instructions and / or data, such as an operating system (OS) and / or applications, typically used by processor 188 and controller 140. Instructions executed by processor 140 execute executable logic to perform the functions of various embodiments or techniques of the apparatus and systems described herein.

[0054] Controller 140 may include a user interface 192 to allow workers or other users to operate system 100 as described herein or otherwise provide input to the system regarding the operating state or conditions of system 100. User interface 192 may include a plurality of user-actuable controls, such as toggle switches, keypads or keyboards, joysticks, or other physical actuators operable to turn system 100 on and off and / or set various operating parameters of system 100 (such as total throughput, temperature in oven 110, and others described herein). In some embodiments, user interface 192 may include a display, such as a touch panel display. A touch panel display (e.g., an LCD or LED with a touch-sensitive overlay) may provide both an input and output interface for workers or other users. The touch panel display may present a graphical user interface with a variety of user-selectable icons, menus, checkboxes, dialog boxes, and other components and elements that can be selected by the end user to set the operating state or conditions of system 100. User interface 192 may also include one or more auditory transducers, such as one or more speakers and / or microphones. This allows audible alarm notifications or signals to be provided to workers or other users through manual interaction with user interface 192. This may additionally or alternatively allow workers or other users to provide audible commands or instructions. User interface 192 may include additional components and / or components different from those shown or described, and / or some components may be omitted.

[0055] Controller 140 includes a communication subsystem 194, which may include one or more communication modules or components that facilitate communication with various components of one or more external devices, such as personal computing devices, mobile devices, servers, or others. Communication subsystem 194 may provide wireless or wired communication to one or more external devices and may include wireless receivers, wireless transmitters, and / or wireless transceivers to provide wireless signal paths to various remote components or systems of one or more paired devices. Communication subsystem 194 may include, for example, components enabling short-range wireless communication (e.g., via Bluetooth®, BLE (“Bluetooth® Low Energy”), Near Field Communication (NFC), or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) components and protocols) or longer-range wireless communication (e.g., via wireless LAN, Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN), satellite, or cellular networks) and may include one or more modems or one or more Ethernet or other types of communication cards or components for doing so. Communication subsystem 194 may include one or more bridges or routers suitable for handling network traffic including Switched Packet Type Communication Protocol (TCP / IP), Ethernet, or other networking protocols.

[0056] Controller 140 further includes a power interface manager 196 that manages the power supply from power source 198 to various components of controller 140 and system 100. Power interface manager 196 is coupled to processor 188 and power source 198. Alternatively, in some embodiments, power interface manager 196 may be integrated into processor 188. Power source 198 may include an external power supply, a rechargeable or replaceable battery power supply, and others. In some embodiments, power interface manager 196 may include a power converter, rectifier, bus, gate, circuitry, etc. In particular, power interface manager 196 may control, limit, and / or constrain the power supply from power source 198 based on various operating states of system 100, as described in more detail below.

[0057] In some embodiments or implementations, instructions and / or data stored on non-transitory storage media (such as, for example, ROM 190A, RAM 190B, and flash memory (not shown)) typically usable by processor 188 and controller 140 include or provide an application programming interface (“API”) that provides programmable access to one or more functions of controller 140. For example, such an API can provide a programming interface to control one or more operational characteristics of system 100. In this way, the API can facilitate the development of third-party software, such as various user interfaces and control systems for other devices, plug-ins and adapters, etc., to facilitate the interactivity and customization of the operation of system 100.

[0058] In embodiments, components or modules of the controller 140 and other devices within the system 100 described herein are implemented using standard programming techniques. For example, the logic performing the functions of the various embodiments or techniques described herein may be implemented as a “native” executable file running on the controller 140 (e.g., microprocessor 188), along with one or more static or dynamic libraries. In other embodiments, the various functions of the controller 140 may be implemented as instructions processed by a virtual machine, which is executed as its instructions by one or more programs stored on ROM 190A and / or RAM 190B. Generally, a range of programming languages ​​known in the art can be used to implement such example embodiments, including representative implementations of various programming language paradigms, including but not limited to object-oriented (e.g., Java, C++, C#, Visual Basic.NET, Smalltalk, etc.), functional (e.g., ML, Lisp, Scheme, etc.), procedural (e.g., C, Pascal, Ada, Modula, etc.), scripting languages ​​(e.g., Perl, Ruby, Python, JavaScript, VBScript, etc.) or declarative (e.g., SQL, Prolog, etc.).

[0059] In a software or firmware implementation, instructions stored in memory, when executed, configure one or more processors of controller 140 (such as microprocessor 188) to perform the functions of controller 140. These instructions cause microprocessor 188 or some other processor, such as an I / O controller / processor, to process and act on information received from one or more sensors or other external devices to provide the functions and techniques of system 100 described herein.

[0060] The embodiments or implementations described above may also utilize well-known or other synchronous or asynchronous client-server computing technologies. However, various components may also be implemented using more monolithic programming techniques, such as being implemented as an executable running on a single microprocessor, or alternatively using a variety of structured techniques known in the art, including but not limited to multiprogramming, multithreading, client-server, or peer-to-peer (e.g., Bluetooth®, NFC or RFID wireless technologies, mesh networks, etc.) running on one or more computer systems, each having one or more central processing units (CPUs) or other processors. Some embodiments may execute simultaneously and asynchronously and communicate using messaging technologies. Furthermore, other functions may be implemented and / or performed by each component / module and in different orders and by different components / modules, but still achieve the functionality of controller 140.

[0061] Additionally, the programming interface for the data stored on controller 140 and the functions provided by that controller can be obtained through standard mechanisms, such as C, C++, C#, and Java APIs; libraries for accessing files, databases, or other data repositories; scripting languages; or web servers, FTP servers, or other types of servers that provide access to the stored data. The data stored and utilized by controller 140 and the entire system 100 can be implemented as one or more database systems, file systems, or any other technology for storing such information, or any combination thereof, including implementations using distributed computing technologies.

[0062] Different configurations and locations of programs and data are envisioned for use with the techniques described herein. Various distributed computing techniques are suitable for implementing the illustrated embodiments in a distributed manner, including but not limited to TCP / IP sockets, RPC, RMI, HTTP, and web services (XML-RPC, JAX-RPC, SOAP, etc.). Other variations are possible.

[0063] Furthermore, in some embodiments or implementations, some or all components of controller 140 and components or other means of system 100 may be implemented or provided in other ways, such as at least in part in firmware and / or hardware, including but not limited to one or more application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), standard integrated circuits, controllers (e.g., by executing appropriate instructions, and including microcontrollers and / or embedded controllers), field-programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”), complex programmable logic devices (“CPLDs”), etc. Some or all of the system components and / or data structures may also be stored as content (e.g., as executable files or other machine-readable software instructions or structured data) on a computer-readable medium (e.g., as a hard disk; memory; computer network, cellular wireless network or other data transmission medium; or a portable media item, such as a DVD or flash memory device, that can be read by an appropriate drive or via an appropriate connection) to enable or configure the computer-readable medium and / or one or more associated computing systems or means to perform or otherwise use or provide the content for at least some of the techniques described. In some non-limiting instances, the technology of the controller 140 described herein may be implemented using control software and / or control logic such as from Contrologix in combination with control hardware such as from Allen Bradley.

[0064] In this embodiment, the controller 140 communicates at least with the conveyor 122 of the feed subsystem 108, the transport device 130 of the oven 110, the heating element 138 of the oven 110, another conveyor 146 between the oven 110 and the dyeing chamber 112, the dyeing chamber 112, and a humidity sensor 142 associated with at least one of the exhaust vents 134. A non-transitory storage medium (such as at least ROM 190A and / or RAM 190B) may store instructions that, when executed by the processor 188, control the conveying speeds of the conveyors 122, 146, and transport device 130, as well as the throughput through the dyeing chamber 112. The conveying speeds may be adjustable and selectable to generally vary the throughput through the system 100 and the throughput of various aspects of the system 100. For example, since the throughput through oven 110 via transport device 130 is independent of the throughput through dyeing chamber 112, the transport speed of transport device 130 can be selected to be different from the transport speed through dyeing chamber 112 via appropriate transport system of the input via user interface 192 and the corresponding instructions stored in storage medium and executed by processor 188.

[0065] Non-transitory storage media (such as at least ROM 190A and / or RAM 190B) may store additional instructions, which, when executed by processor 188, control the time and temperature profiles of the oven 110 based on information, data, and / or signals received from humidity sensor 142. More specifically, humidity sensor 142 may provide controller 140 with information, data, and / or signals corresponding to a determined humidity level in at least one exhaust port 134 of oven 110. Controller 140 may receive such information, data, and / or signals and compare such information, data, and / or signals with a database of time and temperature profiles for different detected humidity concentrations to determine whether to execute additional instructions to adjust the residence time of wood in oven 110 (i.e., the conveying speed of conveyor 130) and / or the temperature of oven 110 (i.e., the fuel and / or electricity supplied to heating element 138) in a closed feedback loop.

[0066] In a non-limiting example, oven 110 may initially operate at a temperature of 350℉, wherein a conveyor transports raw material 116 through oven 110 for 100 seconds based on a time-temperature profile of a first humidity detected by humidity sensor 142. If the humidity change detected by humidity sensor 142 exceeds a defined error threshold (such as a humidity change exceeding 2%) and many other possibilities, controller 140 may execute instructions to compare a second, different humidity with a database of time-temperature profiles and select a new time-temperature profile corresponding to the second humidity. Controller 140 then executes further instructions to change the conveying speed of conveyor 130 and / or change the temperature in oven 110 in a closed feedback loop based on the second time-temperature profile. The second time-temperature profile may be, for example, a temperature of 400℉ and a time of 90 seconds through oven 110, or a temperature change only of 400℉, wherein the time through oven 110 remains the same 100 seconds. The time and temperature profiles described herein may generally correspond to any selected values ​​within the range provided herein, including passage times through oven 110 between 30 and 240 seconds at temperatures ranging from 350℉ to 450℉ to 500℉. The time and temperature profiles may be developed, at least in part, based on known or experimental data to achieve sufficient surface moisture content of the dried surface wood 150 after drying, thereby allowing the staining agent to be wetted and adsorbed onto the surface, taking into account the different species of green wood 116, ambient humidity, and moisture content before drying. In embodiments, sufficient surface moisture content corresponds to 184°C on the outermost surface of the dried surface wood 150. Figure 5B The moisture content is approximately 15% or less at that location.

[0067] In embodiments, the humidity sensor 142 is optionally supplemented or replaced by a scanning device 143, which (such as a line scan device) is positioned near the inlet 128 of the oven 110 and includes an infrared or near-infrared emitter and / or sensor for determining the moisture content of the green material 116 entering the oven 110 and providing that moisture content to the controller 140 in a closed feedback loop of the type described above. In other words, information, data, and / or signals from the humidity sensor 142 may be supplemented or optionally replaced by information, data, and / or signals from the scanning device 143 to provide the closed feedback loop described above in some embodiments.

[0068] This paper envisions many other variations, including, but not limited to, using temperatures higher than those described above for shorter or longer time periods, and using the temperatures mentioned above for shorter or longer time periods. As noted above, the initial surface moisture content can be determined by a needle gauge 182 or any other known accurate and acceptable technique. Time and temperature profiles can then be selected for wood with varying moisture content to produce dried surface wood 150 with a suitable surface moisture content for staining or approximately 15%.

[0069] It should also be understood that the above description of system 100 includes related methods. Non-limiting examples of the methods may include drying green timber 116 in an oven 110 according to a time and temperature profile until the moisture content of the outermost surface of the green timber 116 is about 15% or less, to produce dried surface wood 150. The method further includes conveying the dried surface wood 150 from outlet 132 of the oven 110 and directly to a staining chamber 112 via conveyor 146. The staining chamber 112 applies a staining agent to all sides of the dried surface wood 150 to produce stained wood 174. The stained wood 174 is conveyed for a period of time along a conveying subsystem 114, which may be a conveyor, the period of time being variable but preferably between about 30 seconds and 120 seconds. After the conveying period, the stained wood 180 may be bundled by operator 126 for transport. The method also includes changing the characteristics of the oven 110 (i.e., at least the conveying speed of the conveyor 130 and the temperature in the oven 110 via the heating element 138) in a closed feedback loop to dry wood with varying initial moisture content based on information received from the humidity sensor 142 and / or the scanning device 143 and others.

[0070] Therefore, the concepts of this disclosure provide systems, apparatus, and methods for drying and staining wood, and stained wood produced by such systems, apparatus, and methods, which can be produced at a lower total cost compared to using known technologies. The concepts of this disclosure generally consider drying wood for only a relatively short time to form a dry surface layer, which reduces drying time compared to known technologies but allows for the application of staining agents to the dry surface layer and their spread and adsorption onto the substrate. Residual moisture in the wood is released from the board over time, even after the end user has installed the pre-stained wood in its final location. The feedback control loop described herein helps to modify the characteristics of the oven to produce consistent results for wood with varying initial moisture contents.

[0071] In the foregoing description, certain specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the various embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with this technology have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0072] Certain words and phrases used in this specification are set forth below. Throughout this document, including in the claims, unless otherwise stated, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural designations. Any feature and element described herein may be singular. For example "Shell" can refer to a shell. The terms "including" and "containing" and their derivatives mean, but are not limited to, those included. Expressions of "associated with" and "related to" and their derivatives can mean: including, being included in, interconnected with, containing, contained within, connected to or connected with, linked to or connected with, communicable with, cooperating with, interleaved, juxtaposed, proximate, bound to or bound with, having, possessing the characteristics of, etc. Other definitions of certain words and phrases are provided throughout this disclosure.

[0073] Using ordinal numbers such as first, second, third, etc. does not necessarily imply a sequential order, but can simply distinguish multiple instances of an action or similar structure or material.

[0074] Throughout this specification, claims, and drawings, unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, the following terms shall have the meaning explicitly associated herein. The term “this document” refers to the specification, claims, and drawings relating to this application. The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in another embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in other embodiments,” and their other derivatives refer to one or more features, structures, functions, limitations, or characteristics of this disclosure and are not limited to the same or different embodiments unless the context clearly specifies otherwise. As used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator and is equivalent to the phrases “A or B, or both” or “A or B or C, or any combination thereof,” and lists with additional elements are treated similarly. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for reliance on additional features, functions, aspects, or limitations not described, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0075] Generally, unless otherwise stated, the materials used to manufacture the present invention and / or its components may be selected individually or in any combination from suitable materials, such as composite materials, ceramics, metals, various polymers (e.g., thermoplastics, elastomers, plastic compounds), catalysts, and ammonia compounds, etc.

[0076] For purposes of explanation, the foregoing description uses specific terminology and formulas to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details are not required to practice the invention. Embodiments have been selected and described to best explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments and their practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to utilize the disclosed embodiments, as well as various embodiments with various modifications suitable for the intended particular use. Therefore, the foregoing disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the foregoing teachings.

[0077] The terms “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” “left,” “right,” and other similar derivatives take on their common meanings as indicators of direction or position, such as, for example, gravity causing an object to fall, and left referring to the westward direction when facing north in a basic orientation scheme. These terms do not limit the possible orientations explicitly disclosed, implied, or inherently disclosed in this disclosure, and any aspect of an embodiment of this disclosure may be arranged in any orientation unless the context clearly specifies otherwise.

[0078] Unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, relative terms such as “approximately,” “substantially,” and other derivatives, when used to describe values, quantities, quantities, or dimensions, are generally interpreted to include common error ranges or manufacturing tolerances, and typically refer to values, quantities, quantities, or dimensions within ±3% of the specified values, quantities, quantities, or dimensions. It should also be understood that any specific dimensions of components or features provided herein are for illustrative purposes only with reference to the various embodiments described herein, and therefore, unless the context clearly specifies otherwise, dimensions larger or smaller than the stated dimensions are expressly contemplated in this disclosure.

[0079] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 506,008, filed June 2, 2023, with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the entire contents and disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0080] The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide other embodiments. In view of the detailed description above, these and other changes can be made to the embodiments. Generally, the terminology used in the following claims should not be construed as limiting the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification and claims, but should be construed as encompassing all possible embodiments and the full scope of equivalents obtained under the ownership of these claims. Therefore, the claims are not limited to this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for drying and staining wood, comprising: Raw materials with a moisture content that varies by more than 20% are fed into the drying oven; The green material is dried in the oven according to a time and temperature profile based on the surface moisture content of the green material before drying, to produce dried surface wood with a surface moisture content of less than about 15%. as well as The dried wood surface is stained immediately after drying.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drying of the green material is a single, continuous processing step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the time and temperature curves vary according to one or more of the following: the type of green material, the ambient humidity in which the green material is stored, and the moisture content of the green material before drying when it enters the oven.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the moisture content of the dried surface wood is measured at the outermost surface of the dried surface wood.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the moisture content at the outermost surface of the dried surface wood is measured using a needle instrument resting on the outermost surface of the dried surface wood under its own weight.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal moisture content of the dried surface wood is greater than about 15% after drying, as measured by a needle instrument inserted at least 0.08 inches into the wood.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the drying of the green material comprises: The moisture content of the raw material before drying is determined based on the humidity content in the exhaust gas of the oven, and the time and temperature curves are adjusted based on the humidity content in a closed feedback loop.

8. A method for drying and staining wood, comprising: Drying raw materials in an oven, including drying the raw materials until the moisture content of the outermost surface of the raw materials is about 15% or less, to produce dried surface wood; The dried surface wood is conveyed directly from the outlet of the oven into the dyeing chamber; In the dyeing chamber, a dye is applied to all sides of the dried surface wood to produce dyed wood; The stained wood is exposed to ambient air on a first conveyor for a selected residence time, while being conveyed along the first conveyor, the residence time being in the range of approximately 30 seconds to approximately 120 seconds; and The stained timber is bundled up for transport after the conveying process.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein applying the staining agent to the dried surface wood comprises: The dried surface wood is conveyed through the staining chamber at a rate sufficient to coat the dried surface wood to a predefined aesthetic quality associated with the product code.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the drying of the green material comprises drying the green material in the oven according to a time and temperature profile that achieves sufficient surface moisture content to allow the dye to be wetted and adsorbed onto the surface.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising, prior to the drying of the green material: Load large pieces of raw material onto the inclined platform; The large blocks of green material are individually processed into individual green material blocks, and these individual green material blocks are loaded onto a second conveyor; and The individual raw material blocks are transported from the tilting table to the entrance of the oven using the second conveyor.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein applying the dye to the dried surface wood comprises removing excess dye from the dried surface wood in the dyeing chamber.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the moisture content of the outermost surface of the dried surface wood is measured using a needle instrument resting on the outermost surface of the dried surface wood under its own weight.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the drying of the green material in the oven comprises, as measured by a needle instrument inserted 0.08 inches into the green material and the dried surface wood respectively, the green material and the dried surface wood having an internal moisture content of at least about 15% before and after the drying.

15. A wood product comprising: A block of wood having an inner portion and an outer portion surrounding the inner portion, the outer portion having an outermost surface; as well as The staining layer on the outermost surface of the outer portion of the wood block. When the dye is applied, the inner portion has an initial moisture content greater than approximately 15%, and the outermost surface has a moisture content less than approximately 15%. The dye layer is semi-permeable and configured to release moisture from the inner portion over time to reduce the moisture content of the inner portion from the initial moisture content to a final total moisture content of about 15% or less.

16. The wood product of claim 15, wherein the wood block has a boundary between the inner portion and the outer portion located at approximately 0.08 inches from the outermost surface of the wood block.

17. The wood product of claim 15, wherein the initial moisture content and the final moisture content of the internal portion of the wood block are measured using a needle instrument inserted approximately 0.08 inches into the wood block.

18. The wood product of claim 15, wherein the moisture content of the outermost surface is measured using a needle-type instrument resting against the outermost surface of the wood block under its own weight.

19. The wood product of claim 15, wherein the staining layer is configured to spread and adhere to the dried surface wood before the dried surface wood absorbs moisture from both the interior of the board and the surrounding air.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the timber block is a fence panel, fence post, or fence railing.

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