The invention encompasses apparatus for rendering coplanar the end surfaces of all the pieces of timber in a stack of lumber by placing the stack in near vertical position while subjected to slight lateral constraints, and then dropping (or its equivalent) the stack end-wise to a foundation to produce a vertically effective impact upon the stack sufficient to cause the various timbers to move longitudinally relative to each other against the friction between the timbers, thereby to move the lower ends of all the timbers into a common plane. The stack is then returned to a horizontal position in such a manner that the timbers do not move longitudinally relative to each other.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 704,196, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,776 issued Aug. 31, 1971 filed Nov. 8, 1967 as a division of Ser. No. 609,973 filed Dec. 6, 1966, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,985 issued Apr. 9, 1968 which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 401,594 filed Oct. 5, 1964, now abandoned.
Apparatus for discharge handling metal sheets from a rack consists of a pair of tiltable tables, plan dimensioned to telescope inside the rack when the latter is lowered over the tables; each table has a vertically disposed stop and a vertically positioned member slidable towards the stop. A pull down for the rack ensures that the sheets which are supported by spaced apart pins are lowered sufficiently below the tables to free the sheets from the pins at which time the slidable members move each to their respective stop to pack the sheets. The tables are then tilted until the stops are horizontal and the slidable members retract after which the packs are moved off the tables on to adjacent loading stations.
A machine and process is described for squaring sheets stacked in a bundle supported along a plane. The bundle includes a leading bundle end, a trailing bundle end and opposed bundle sides. The machine includes a frame with a leading end stop mounted by a stop actuator mounting to position the leading end stop across the plane to engage the leading end of the bundle. A trailing end tamper is mounted to a trailing end actuator on the frame for movement to engage and urge the bundle against the leading end stop and align the sheets along the leading and trailing ends of the bundle. A pair of side plates are mounted by a side plate actuator assembly for movement to (a) engage and align sheets along the bundle sides and (b) position the bundle at a prescribed position on the plane.
