Amplidyne-controlled log carriage drive

HIGH PRODUCTION rates demanded by modern sawmills necessitate having a log carriage drive capable of moving the log-supporting carriage back and forth past the saw at an extremely rapid rate — in many mills this rate will be as high as 15 round trips per minute, when cutting a 16-foot log. For years the only prime mover which would meet these high production rates was steam, using the so-called “shotgun” drive or “twin-engine” drive. However, the recently developed amplidyne-controlled electric drive is now a serious competitor of the steam drive wherever high production, ease of control, and efficiency are demanded.