Abstract: An improved orienting disk is provided for better wood strand alignment in wood strand orienter machinery. The disk has a plurality of fin-like teeth projecting upwardly from the periphery of a generally circular plate. In a preferred embodiment each of the teeth has a straight leading edge facing the direction of rotation of the disk, and a curve trailing edge. Most preferably, the disk has six such teeth, each separated from another by 60° about the periphery of the disk.

Abstract: A system for improving wood strand orientation in a wood strand orienter having a plurality of orienter disks. The system includes a plurality of axially-spaced, parallel pre-orienting shafts positioned in a second plane above and substantially parallel to the orienter disks, each one of the pre-orienting shafts having a plurality of wheels mounted thereon. Each of the wheels has a hub and a plurality of outwardly-extending finger members. When the pre-orienting shafts are positioned over the disks, each one of the finger members passes, in turn, through a portion of the volume defined between the two adjacent orienter disks the wheel sits between. This permits bridged wood strands to be turned and straightened, reducing the “% overs”, the percentage of strands bridging the orienter disks and carried across the top of the orienter without falling through the orienter.

Abstract: A system for improving wood strand orientation in a wood strand orienter having a plurality of orienter disks. The system includes a plurality of axially-spaced, parallel pre-orienting shafts positioned in a second plane above and substantially parallel to the orienter disks, each one of the pre-orienting shafts having a plurality of wheels mounted thereon. Each of the wheels has a hub and a plurality of outwardly-extending finger members. When the pre-orienting shafts are positioned over the disks, each one of the finger members passes, in turn, through a portion of the volume defined between the two adjacent orienter disks the wheel sits between. This permits bridged wood strands to be turned and straightened, reducing the “% overs”, the percentage of strands bridging the orienter disks and carried across the top of the orienter without falling through the orienter.

Abstract: An improved orienting disk is provided for better wood strand alignment in wood strand orienter machinery. The disk has a plurality of fin-like teeth projecting upwardly from the periphery of a generally circular plate. In a preferred embodiment each of the teeth has a straight leading edge facing the direction of rotation of the disk, and a curve trailing edge. Most preferably, the disk has six such teeth, each separated from another by 60° about the periphery of the disk.

Abstract: A vane typed orienter is formed by a plurality of spaced parallel shafts having radial extending axially spaced disks mounted thereon. Passages are formed between the disks and adjacent disks on adjacent shafts define sides of such passages. A vane element is provided to complete the wall formed by a pair of adjacent disks forming one wall of a passage and at least substantially fills the lower gap formed between the peripheries of the adjacent disks forming the one wall.

Abstract: A strand preorienter is formed by a plurality of spaced parallel preorienter shafts each having a plurality of preorienter discs mounted thereon in axially spaced relationship. The preorienter discs on adjacent shafts overlap and form preorienter partition walls which defined opposite sides of preorienter passages through which the strands fall onto an orienter having orienter passages that align the strands as required. The preorienter passages are significantly wider than the orienter passages and have their outlets positioned immediately above the orienter.

Abstract: A ribbed particleboard (waferboard) product having substantially uniform density throughout is provided by forming a mat of wood particles and superimposing on the mat, ribs of such wood particles and then pressing the mat and ribs simultaneously to consolidate the product and provide the ribbed panel having one side substantially planar and the other side ribbed.

Abstract: A composite wood panel of improved edge swell characteristics is provided by applying stabilizing additive to the exposed surface of a layup of wood particles (wafers) from which the panel is to be formed by consolidation as the layup is being produced. The additive is applied only in selected areas one adjacent each side edge of the layup so that the resultant product has in effect stabilizing additive through the thickness of the resultant panel at each side edge. Preferably the additive will be applied as stripes at spaced depths through the layup and these stripes will extend inwardly from each side edge a distance sufficient to stabilize the panel against edge swelling. The preferred additive is an isocyanate type resin adhesive.

Abstract: A method of making a borate treated wood particle board by applying an adhesive resin and a particulate borate treating agent (anhydrous borax or zinc borate) in a dry form to the wood particles to produce treated wood particles (wafers). The treated wood particles are formed into a mat and consolidated under heat and pressure to distribute the resin in the wood before the viscosity of the resin is effected by contact with a sufficient amount of borate to significantly impair penetration of the resin into the wood.

Abstract: A system for clipping veneer, peeled with curved side edges one longer than the other, into discrete full and partial panels each defined by a longer and shorter curved side edge and a leading and trailing edge, wherein the angle of the clipping knife to the direction of travel of the veneer is adjusted during passage of the peeled veneer to clip the veneer into full panels having their leading and trailing edges substantially parallel and partial panels each having its trailing edge at an acute angle to its leading edge and flowing from its shorter curve side to its longer curve side to tend to equalize the accumulated lengths of the curved side edges of the peeled veneer.

Abstract: A composite wood product, such as waferboard, is treated during manufacture with preservative chemicals to improve resistance to decay and insect organisms. The process avoids having to treat a finished product and is not limited to only surface protection. Molten slack wax is first applied to wood particles having a moisture content not greater than about 10%, the wax coated wood particles are then sprayed with an ammoniacal copper arsenate solution having a concentration of at least about 11% followed by blending with adhesive resin and forming a composite wood product.

Abstract: An apparatus for laying a mat of wood strands, particularly long strands, in the process of producing a composite product such as waferboard is disclosed. In the past it has not been possible to lay long wafers in an oriented mat except by hand. The present invention provides a means for forming a pile of wood strands of substantially uniform depth, a plurality of spike rolls located at one side of the pile of wood strands to pull the wood strands out of the pile and form a uniform curtain of falling strands and a conveyor to force the pile of wood strands against the spike rolls. Beneath the spike rolls are a pair of counter-rotating spreader rolls spaced apart to receive the curtain of strands and having spikes to distribute the strands in an even mat beneath. A horizontal adjustment is provided to position the spreader rolls beneath the curtain and vary the distance between the rolls.