USRE38118EExpiredUtility

Lath for lumber stacking

Assignee: BREEZE DRIED INCPriority: Aug 23, 1995Filed: Nov 2, 2000Granted: May 13, 2003

Est. expiryAug 23, 2015(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:David Townsend

B27F 5/02B27C 5/00B65G 57/005B65G 1/14B27G 13/04B27F 1/02B27G 13/14F26B 25/185

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Claims

Abstract

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.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

I claim:

1. An improved separator for separating lumber in a stack up of a plurality of courses of lumber, said separator having:
a length, a height, and a width, the length being substantially longer than the width and spanning across one or more pieces of lumber in a course, and the height being sufficient to separate a pair of courses in the stack for air circulation therebetween;
a plurality of grooves extending transverse to the length of the separator; and
a plurality of ridges, with each ridge formed between a successive pair of grooves and presenting a peak to reduce contact of the separator with one or more pieces of lumber in a course; the ridges having a height sufficient to permit air circulation within each groove defined between successive pairs of ridges.

2. An improved separator of claim 1 in which the grooves and ridges run at an angle between 20° and 90° to the length of the separator.

3. An improved separator according to claim 1 wherein said separator is generally H-shaped in transverse, cross-section taken across the width of the separator.

4. An improved separator according to claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of ridges has a substantially solid cross-section.

5. An improved separator of claim 1 wherein said ridges present a curved profile.

6. An improved separator of claim 1 wherein said ridges present a triangular profile.

7. An improved separator of claim 1 wherein said ridges present a trapezoid profile.

8. An improved separator of claim 1 wherein said separator is manufactured from wood.

9. An improved separator for separating lumber in a stack made up of a plurality of courses of lumber, said separator having:
a length, a height, and a width, the length being substantially longer than the width and spanning across one or more pieces of lumber in a course, the height being sufficient to separate a pair of courses in the stack for air circulation therebetween;
a plurality of first grooves extending transverse to the length of the separator in one direction; and
a plurality of second grooves extending transverse to both the length of the separator and the first grooves;
said plurality of first grooves and said plurality of second grooves forming a plurality of protrusions for contacting one or more pieces of lumber in a course, the protrusions having a height sufficient to permit air circulation within said grooves.

10. In combination, a stack made up of a plurality of courses of lumber and a separator separating a spaced apart pair of said courses, said separator having:
a length, a height, and a width, the length being substantially longer than the width and spanning across one or more pieces of lumber in one of said courses, the height being sufficient to separate said spaced apart pair of said courses in the stack for air circulation therebetween;
a plurality of grooves extending transverse to the length of the separator; and
a plurality of ridges, with each ridge formed between a successive pair of grooves and presenting a peak to reduce contact of the separator with one or more pieces of lumber in a course, the ridges having a height sufficient to permit air circulation within each groove defined between successive pairs of ridges.

11. The combination of claim 10 in which the grooves and ridges run at an angle between 20° and 90° to the length of the separator.

12. The combination of claim 10 wherein said separator is generally H-shaped in transverse cross-section taken across the width of the separator.

13. The combination of claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of ridges has a substantially solid cross-section.

14. The combination of claim 10 wherein said ridges present a curved profile.

15. The combination of claim 10 wherein said ridges present a triangular profile.

16. The combination of claim 10 wherein said ridges present a trapezoid profile.

17. The combination of claim 10 wherein said separator is manufactured from wood.

18. In combination, a stack made up of a plurality of courses of lumber and a separator separating a spaced apart pair of said courses, said separator having:
a length, a height, and a width, the length being substantially longer than the height being sufficient to separate said spaced apart pair of said courses in the stack for air circulation therebetween;
a plurality of first grooves extending transverse to the length of the separator in one direction; and
a plurality of second grooves extending transverse to both the length of the separation and the first grooves;
said plurality of first grooves and said plurality of second grooves forming a plurality of protrusions for contacting one or more pieces of lumber in said one of said courses, the protrusions having a height sufficient to permit air circulation within said grooves.

19. An improved separator for separating lumber in a stack of a plurality of courses of lumber, said separator comprising:

a length, a height, and a width, the length being substantially longer than the width and spanning across one or more pieces of lumber in a course, and the height being sufficient to separate a pair of courses in the stack for air circulation therebetween;

a plurality of grooves extending transverse to the length of the separator; and

a plurality of ridges with each ridge formed between a successive pair of grooves, each of said ridges having a top portion area and a corresponding bottom portion area, said top portion area defining a contact area between the separator and one or more pieces of lumber to be arranged in contact with said separator,

wherein said top portion area of each of said ridges is configured to be narrower than the corresponding bottom portion area and

wherein each of said ridges is also configured with said top portion area of said separator disposed a sufficient height above said bottom portion area to permit air circulation within each groove defined between pairs of ridges.

20. The improved separator of claim 19 , wherein the width of at least some of said ridges is substantially less than the width of at least some of said grooves.

21. The improved separator of claim 20 , wherein said grooves and said ridges run at an angle between 20 and 90 degrees to the length of the separator.

22. The improved separator of claim 20 , wherein said separator is generally H- shaped in transverse cross - section taken across the width of the separator.

23. The improved separator of claim 20 , wherein each of said plurality of ridges has a substantially solid cross- section.

24. The improved separator of claim 20 , wherein said ridges present a curved profile.

25. The improved separator of claim 20 , wherein said ridges present a triangular profile.

26. The improved separator of claim 20 , wherein said ridges present a trapezoidal profile.

27. The improved separator of claim 20 , wherein said ridges are configured as protrusions, extending outwardly from said grooves.

28. The improved separator of claim 20 , wherein said separator is manufactured from wood.

29. In combination, a stack made up of a plurality of courses of lumber and a separator separating a spaced apart pair of said courses, said separator comprising:

a length, a height, and a width, the length being substantially longer than the width and spanning across one or more pieces of lumber in one of said courses, the height being sufficient to separate said spaced apart pair of said courses in the stack for air circulation therebetween;

a plurality of grooves extending transverse to the length of the separator; and

wherein said top portion area of each of said ridges is configured to be narrower than the corresponding bottom portion area and

30. The combination of claim 29 , wherein said grooves and said ridges run at an angle between 20 and 90 degrees to the length of the separator.

31. The combination of claim 30 , wherein said separator is generally H- shaped in transverse cross - section taken across the width of the separator.

32. The combination of claim 29 , wherein each of said plurality of ridges has a substantially solid cross- section.

33. The combination of claim 29 , wherein said ridges present a curved profile.

34. The combination of claim 29 , wherein said ridges present a triangular profile.

35. The combination of claim 29 , wherein said ridges present a trapezoid profile.

36. The combination of claim 29 , wherein said ridges are configured as protrusions, extending outwardly from said grooves.

37. The combination of claim 29 , wherein said separator is manufactured from wood.

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