Adjustable hold-down shoe assembly, planer mill trimmer having the assembly mounted thereon, and method of using the assembly to hold down lumber during end cutting by a planer mill trimmer
An adjustable hold-down shoe assembly having an assembly body, a plurality of hold-down shoes movably mounted to the assembly body, a bias device that biases the plurality of hold-down shoes in a direction away from the lumber bias surface, a body mount, and a lifting/lowering mechanism movably connecting the assembly body to the body mount that moves the assembly body in relation to the body mount and in a first direction towards the lumber bias surface and in a second direction away from the lumber bias surface. A planermill trimmer having the adjustable hold-down shoe assembly mounted thereon and a method of end trimming lumber using the planermill trimmer.
1. An adjustable hold-down shoe assembly comprising:
an assembly body;
a plurality of hold-down shoes movably mounted to the assembly body, each hold-down shoe is elongated and has an angled lumber surface configured to slide against lumber, and each hold-down shoe has a lumber bias surface configured to slide against the lumber and bias the lumber in a direction away from the lumber bias surface;
a bias device configured to bias the plurality of hold-down shoes in a direction away from the lumber bias surface;
a body mount; and
a lifting/lowering mechanism movably connecting the assembly body to the body mount and is configured to move the assembly body in relation to the body mount and in a first direction towards the lumber bias surface and in a second direction away from the lumber bias surface.
2. The adjustable hold-down shoe assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting/lowering mechanism comprises a lifting/lowering gear having gear teeth that is mounted on a gear drive shaft driven by a lifting/lowering motor, and a lifting/lowering toothed plate having plate teeth, and the plate teeth engaging the gear teeth.
3. The adjustable hold-down shoe assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the lifting/lowering gear and the gear drive shaft are on the body mount and the lifting/lowering toothed plate is connected to the assembly body.
4. The adjustable hold-down shoe assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the bias device comprises an air bag connected to the body mount, an air pressure in the air bag determines an amount of the bias, and each hold-down shoe has an associated air bag.
5. The adjustable hold-down shoe assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the hold-down shoes are pivotably mounted to the assembly body.
6. The adjustable hold-down shoe assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising an anti-kick-back stop configured to allow movement of the lumber in a first direction from the angled lumber surface to the lumber bias surface and not allow movement of the lumber in a second direction from the lumber bias surface to the angled lumber surface.
7. The adjustable hold-down shoe assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the anti-kick-back stop is movable in the first direction and the second direction.
8. The adjustable hold-down shoe assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an angle between the angled lumber surface and the lumber bias surface is between 1-25°.
9. A planermill trimmer comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey lumber in a first direction;
a trimmer, wherein the trimmer includes a frame and a saw mounted to the frame and disposed above the conveyor, and the saw is configured to end cut the lumber on the conveyor;
an adjustable hold-down shoe assembly comprising:
an assembly body;
a plurality of elongated hold-down shoes movably mounted to the assembly body, each hold-down shoe having an angled lumber surface configured to slide against the lumber, and each hold-down shoe having a lumber bias surface configured to slide against the lumber and bias the lumber in a direction away from the lumber bias surface and towards the conveyor;
a bias device configured to bias the plurality of elongated hold-down shoes in a direction away from the lumber bias surface and towards the conveyor;
a body mount connected to the trimmer; and
a lifting/lowering mechanism movably connecting the assembly body to the body mount and is configured to move the assembly body in relation to the body mount and in a first direction away from the conveyor and in a second direction towards the conveyor.
10. The planermill trimmer according to claim 9 , wherein the lifting/lowering mechanism comprises a lifting/lowering gear having gear teeth that is mounted on a gear drive shaft driven by a lifting/lowering motor, and a lifting/lowering toothed plate having plate teeth, and the plate teeth engaging the gear teeth.
11. The planermill trimmer according to claim 10 , wherein the lifting/lowering gear and the gear drive shaft are on the body mount and the lifting/lowering toothed plate is connected to the assembly body.
12. The planermill trimmer according to claim 9 , wherein the bias device comprises an air bag connected to the body mount, an air pressure in the air bag determines an amount of the bias, and each hold-down shoe has an associated air bag.
13. The planermill trimmer according to claim 9 , wherein the hold-down shoes are pivotably mounted to the assembly body.
14. The planermill trimmer according to claim 9 , further comprising an anti-kick-back stop configured to allow movement of the lumber in a first direction from the angled lumber surface to the lumber bias surface and not allow movement of the lumber in a second direction from the lumber bias surface to the angled lumber surface.
15. The planermill trimmer according to claim 14 , wherein the anti-kick-back stop is movable in the first direction and the second direction.
16. The planermill trimmer according to claim 9 , wherein an angle between the angled lumber surface and the lumber bias surface is between 1-25°.