Continuous recirculating members of each conveyor apparatus support the log for longitudinal travel along its major axis coaxial with the projected horizontal axis of the peeler drum for uniform presentation of each log to and removal from the drum regardless of changing log diameters. Each conveying apparatus engages the log on opposite sides of a peeler drum assembly to constitute an infeed and an outfeed for said assembly. The infeed and outfeed apparatuses impart longitudinal movement to the non-rotating log being peeled for travel along a fixed axis to move the log concentrically through a peeling drum. The present invention is embodied within a machine for removal of bark and a minimum amount of the cambium layer from a log for shaping purposes in the manufacture of a pole. A still further drawback to known peeling machines is their log size limitation rendering them unusable for the manufacture of longer, larger diameter poles ranging up to 120 feet in length and up to 36 inches in diameter. A further drawback to existing peeling machines is their degree of accuracy as excessive removal of the underlying sap wood layer will result in costly discard or lower classification of the log. As log diameters and lengths increase the dynamic problems become even more significant. Accordingly, in an effort to mitigate dynamic problems resulting from log rotation, rotational speed of the log is necessarily slow resulting in a slow peeling operation. A number of peeling machines require the log to be rotated during travel resulting in an orbiting log axis at the log ends and erratic peeling. Most often peeling rings or drums are shifted up or down to receive logs of varying sizes.

To the extent the prior art is known, existing arrangements for moving a log past a peeling instrumentality do not provide for precise linear travel of the log along a fixed axis. The present invention is embodied within a machine for removing bark and that portion of the cambium layer necessary to properly shape the pole being made.

Log peeling machine