CLASS-A FIRE-PROTECTED FINGER-JOINTED LUMBER PRODUCTS, AND METHODS OF AND AUTOMATED FACTORY FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

1 . A method of producing Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber from an automated factory having a production line with a plurality of stages, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a reservoir tank containing a supply of clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid that is supplied to a dipping tank deployed in a CFIC liquid dip-coating stage installed between (i) a lumber planing/dimensioning stage supplied by a finger-jointing stage, and (ii) an automated stacking, packaging, and wrapping stage installed at the end of said production line;

(b) loading untreated short-length lumber into a controlled-drying stage so to produce suitably dried short-length lumber for supply to said finger-jointing stage;

(c) supplying dried short-length lumber to said finger-jointing stage for producing pieces of extended-length finger-jointed lumber;

(d) transporting produced pieces of extended-length finger-jointed lumber into said planing/dimensioning stage, so that the finger-jointed lumber is planed/dimensioned into pieces of dimensioned finger-jointed lumber;

(e) automatically transporting and submerging the dimensioned finger-jointed lumber pieces through said dipping tank for sufficient coating in CFIC liquid, while being transported by a transport mechanism; and

(f) automatically removing the wet dip-coated pieces of dimensioned finger-jointed lumber from said dipping tank, and stacking, packing and wrapping the dip-coated pieces together and said automated stacking, packaging, and wrapping stage so as to produce a packaged bundle of Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber.

2 . The method of claim 1 , which further comprises:

(g) painting the ends of each packaged bundle of Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber, using a paint containing clean fire-inhibited chemicals (CFIC), and applying trademarks to said packaged bundle of Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber.

3 . An automated lumber production factory comprising:

a production line supporting a finger-jointing stage, a planing and dimensioning stage, a clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) dip-coating stage, and a stacking, packaging and wrapping stage, arranged in the named order;

wherein said production line supports an automated production process including the steps of:

(a) fabricating finger-jointed lumber pieces at said finger-jointing stage;

(b) planing and dimensioning said finger-jointed lumber pieces at said planing and dimensioning stage;

(c) after being planed and dimensioned, automatically conveying said finger-jointed lumber pieces from said planing and dimensioning stage to said CFIC dip-coating stage;

(d) dip-coating said finger-jointed lumber pieces in a supply of clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid contained in a dipping tank maintained at said CFIC dip-coating stage, so as to produce Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber pieces in a high-speed manner; and

(e) stacking, packaging and wrapping a bundle of said Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber pieces.

4 . The automated lumber production factory of claim 3 , wherein each said finger-jointed lumber piece is a finger-jointed lumber stud, and each said bundle of Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber pieces is a bundle of Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber studs for use in wood-framed building construction.

5 . An automated lumber factory system for fabricating Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber products along a production line, said automated lumber factory system comprising:

a finger-jointing stage for fabricating finger-jointed lumber pieces from shorter-length lumber pieces;

a planing and dimensioning stage for continuously planing and dimensioning said finger-jointed lumber pieces;

a CFIC dip-coating stage for dip-coating said finger-jointed lumber pieces in a supply of clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid contained in a dipping tank maintained at said CFIC dip-coating stage, so as to produce Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber pieces in a high-speed manner;

a stacking, packaging and wrapping stage for automatically stacking, packaging and wrapping a bundle of said Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber pieces; and

a conveying subsystem for automatically conveying said finger-jointed lumber pieces (i) from said planing and dimensioning stage to said CFIC dip-coating stage, (ii) through said CFIC dip-coating stage, and (iii) from said CFIC dip-coating stage to said stacking, packaging, and wrapping stage.

6 . The automated lumber factory system of claim 5 , wherein said conveying subsystem comprises several sets of chain-driven transport rails, spaced apart and extending from said planing and dimensioning stage towards said dipping tank, and then running inside and along the bottom of said dipping tank, and then running out of said dipping tank, towards said stacking, packing and wrapping stage.

7 . A lumber dip-coating stage for installation and operation between a planing and dimensioning stage and a stacking, packaging and wrapping stage deployed along a production line in a factory producing Class-A fire-protected lumber, said lumber dip-coating stage comprising:

a supply tank containing a volume of clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid for use in dip-coating finger-jointed lumber pieces so as to produce Class-A fire-protected finger-jointed lumber pieces;

a dipping reservoir having a width dimension to accommodate the width of finger-jointed lumber pieces transported through said dipping reservoir while being fully immersed and submerged in CFIC liquid contained in said dipping reservoir, so as to coat said finger-jointed lumber pieces during transport through said dipping reservoir;

a conveyor subsystem supporting several sets of chain-driven transport rails, extending from said planing and dimensioning stage towards said dipping reservoir, and then running inside and along said dipping reservoir, and then running out thereof towards said stacking, packing and wrapping stage;

a level sensor for sensing the level of CFIC liquid in the dipping reservoir during production line operation;

a liquid pump for pumping CFIC liquid from said supply tank into said dipping reservoir in response to level sensing by said level sensor, so to maintain the liquid level in said dipping reservoir during production line operation; and

a controller for controlling said conveyor subsystem and said liquid pump during production line operation.

8 . The lumber dip-coating stage of claim 7 , which further includes liquid heaters, circulation pumps and controls for (i) maintaining the temperature of CFIC liquid solution in said dipping reservoir, and (ii) while controlling the circulation of CFIC liquid around submerged pieces of finger-jointed lumber being transported through said dipping reservoir.

9 . The lumber dip-coating stage of claim 8 , wherein said controller is programmed to control one or more CFIC liquid dip-coating parameters selected from the group consisting of (i) the temperature of CFIC liquid contained in said dipping reservoir, (ii) the level of fluid above finger-jointed lumber pieces being transported through said dipping reservoir in a submerged manner, and (iii) speed of lumber moving through said dipping reservoir, so as to control the degree of absorption of CFIC liquid within the surface fibers of said finger-jointed lumber pieces while being rapidly transported through said dipping reservoir, and allows for the rapid formation of a surface coating, or surface barrier, on the surface of each piece of CFIC liquid dipped lumber.

10 . The lumber dip-coating stage of claim 7 , wherein said stacking, packaging and wrapping stage comprises equipment for automatically receiving CFIC-coated finger-jointed lumber pieces while still dripping and wet from CFIC liquid dipping operations, and stacking a predetermined number of CFIC-coated finger-jointed lumber pieces into a lumber package, and then wrapping the package of CFIC-coated finger-jointed lumber pieces with a sheet of wrapping material that covers at least the top portion and half way down each side of said lumber package, and then banding the wrapped lumber package with banding.

11 . A method of producing packaged bundles of Class-A fire-protected lumber for use in wood-framed building construction, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a dipping tank in a lumber factory, wherein said dipping tank contains a water-based clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFPC) liquid at a depth sufficient to cover pieces of raw lumber while being treated during dip-coating operations;

(b) loading a bundle of untreated raw lumber into said lumber factory for Class-A fire-protection treatment;

(c) drying the raw untreated lumber in said bundle to an adequate moisture content;

(d) submerging dried raw untreated lumber pieces into said dipping tank, piece by piece, to coat all surfaces of the lumber pieces in CFIC liquid, and then removing the dip-coated lumber pieces from said dipping tank so to as to produce pieces of Class-A fire-protected lumber with a CFIC liquid coating; and

(e) wet stacking, packaging and wrapping the Class-A fire-protected lumber pieces into a packaged bundle, while the Class-A fire-protected lumber pieces are still wet with CFIC liquid coating.

12 . The method of claim 11 , which further comprises:

(f) painting the edges of said packaged bundle of Class-A fire-protected lumber with a Class-A fire-protection paint containing CFIC material.