초록 ▼

The present invention relates to an apparatus and processing method for drying lumber, for example two-by-four studs in an environment in a kiln in a manner to avoid warping, including crook, bow, cup and twist. The lumber pieces are stacked in a normal manner with stickers for providing air flow be

The present invention relates to an apparatus and processing method for drying lumber, for example two-by-four studs in an environment in a kiln in a manner to avoid warping, including crook, bow, cup and twist. The lumber pieces are stacked in a normal manner with stickers for providing air flow between courses of the lumber pieces, and the stack is dried while a horizontal force is provided to the respective courses of lumber in the stack to hold the individual pieces of lumber in edge to edge contact throughout the drying, equalizing, conditioning and cooling process for first drying of lumber, redrying of lumber or in a treatment process for removing warp from previously dried lumber. A vertical force comprising a weight or other force generating device can be also applied to the stack of lumber to augment the overall reduction in warpage if so evidenced.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A device suitable for supporting a stack of individual lumber pieces in a lumber treatment operation causing the lumber pieces to shrink during the treatment operation, wherein the lumber pieces are arranged in a stack of courses, each course comprising a plurality of the indi

What is claimed is: 1. A device suitable for supporting a stack of individual lumber pieces in a lumber treatment operation causing the lumber pieces to shrink during the treatment operation, wherein the lumber pieces are arranged in a stack of courses, each course comprising a plurality of the individual lumber pieces positioned edge to edge, the device comprising:a generally horizontal base member adapted to support the stack of courses;a generally upstanding rigid and moveable member adapted to engage at least portions of outer edges on one side of the stack of courses;a generally upstanding rigid reaction member on a second opposite side of the stack of courses; anda horizontally extendible force generating member that engages the moveable member such that the moveable member is loaded with a substantially consistent selected horizontal force relative to and toward the reaction member, the force being applied to urge the movable member toward the reaction member continuously during the lumber treatment operation by extending the force generating member in a horizontal direction as a width of the lumber pieces shrink in order to maintain the substantially consistent selected force adapted to hold the lumber pieces in each course edge to edge continuously during the lumber treatment operation, the force being sufficient to prevent warpage in the lumber pieces during the lumber treatment operation.