Abstract: A method and apparatus of manufacturing glued laminated wood such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) are disclosed. The glued laminated wood is made of a number of wood sheets such as veneer sheets which are laminated together by a hot press with a thermosetting adhesive into a continuous length of multiple-layered board of the glued laminated wood wherein wood sheets in each layer of the multiple-layered board are arranged in a staggered relation in the lengthwise direction of the board to wood sheets in an adjacent layer. The hot press has a pair of heating plates arranged substantially in facing relation to each other and an auxiliary heating plate disposed adjacent to one end of each heating plate. The auxiliary heating plate is adapted to press part of wood sheet which extends out beyond the above end of the heating plate.

Abstract: A method of inspecting a broad article by using a plurality of line sensor cameras, more specifically a method of combining image data from such plural sensor cameras is disclosed. The line sensor cameras are disposed relative to the inspection surface of the broad article such that the sensor cameras have their own inspection ranges and also share in common a range which is overlapped by parts of the inspection ranges of the sensor cameras. A laser beam is projected to the overlapped range so that a line marking appears across the center of the overlapped range. The image data from any two adjacent line sensor cameras are combined through calculation in such a way that portions of data of images grabbed by the two adjacent sensor cameras are excluded on the basis of the line marking so that the inspection ranges of the two adjacent cameras cover complementarily the entire inspection range.

Abstract: This invention provides joining methods of single veneer piece and a joining apparatus, which can produce more efficient, and effective joining process than the conventional method and apparatus produce. In the process of carrying a single veneer piece (T) in the orthogonal direction against the joining edge (Te) on the conveyor, the joining edges of the preceding and succeeding single veneer pieces come close together, the adhesive material (Sd) is supplied to the clearance between the joining edges, and then the adhesion enhancing action is supplied to the said adhesive material (Sd) to join each single veneer piece (T) successively. The adhesion enhancing action can be applied within the adhesion enhancing section as indicated by lines (Z1) and (Z2), provided on the farther side from the edge approaching position (U) via an adhesion enhancing component (6) to move back and forth at any time while the single veneer piece (T) is being carried or such a motion is halted.

Abstract: A method of stacking a veneer sheet carried by a conveyer onto a pile of similar veneer sheets is disclosed. Veneer sheet is separated from the conveyer thereby to allow the sheet to drop from the conveyer toward the pile. The veneer sheet being dropped is restrained by an elongated flexible member which is lowered substantially simultaneously with the above separation and at such a speed that the flexible member is brought into frictional engagement with the veneer sheet at at least one side thereof which extends in substantially perpendicular relation to the length of the elongated flexible member. The flexible member is lowered until it is bent in pressing engagement with the veneer sheet then dropped onto the pile at the above side thereof. An apparatus for performing the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of manufacturing glued laminated wood such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) are disclosed. The glued laminated wood is made of a number of wood sheets such as veneer sheets which are laminated together by a hot press with a thermosetting adhesive into a continuous length of multiple-layered board of the glued laminated wood wherein wood sheets in each layer of the multiple-layered board are arranged in a staggered relation in the lengthwise direction of the board to wood sheets in an adjacent layer. The hot press has a pair of heating plates arranged substantially in facing relation to each other and an auxiliary heating plate disposed adjacent to one end of each heating plate. The auxiliary heating plate is adapted to press part of wood sheet which extends out beyond the above end of the heating plate.

Abstract: A method of cutting a wood block for production of veneer by a rotary veneer lathe is disclosed. The veneer lathe includes a knife carriage which has a veneer knife mounted therein and having a cutting edge, a number of rotatable peripheral drive wheels disposed at a spaced interval in parallel relation to the cutting edge of the veneer knife and each having on the circumferential periphery a number of tooth-like projections pierceable into the wood block adjacent to the cutting edge of the veneer knife for driving the wood block from the periphery thereof for rotation about its axis, and a guide member disposed adjacent to the drive wheel for guiding veneer peeled from the wood block.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing glued laminated wood such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is disclosed. The glued laminated wood is made of a number of wood sheets such as veneer sheets which are laminated together by a hot press with a thermosetting adhesive into a continuous length of multiple-layered board wherein the end joints of the wood sheets are disposed in a staggered array. There is provided an initial base material having an end which is shaped in the form of a flight of steps including a series of alternate horizontal surface having a lengthwise dimension smaller than the length of the wood sheet and a vertical surface having a height corresponding to the wood sheet thickness, and the glued laminated wood board is formed extending from the end of such initial base material. The hot press includes a pair of heat plates each having an effective pressing area capable of covering the entire surface of the wood sheet.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus of wood pressing usable in manufacturing glued laminated wood such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) using a number of wood veneer sheets are disclosed. A hot press used for wood pressing includes a pair of heating plates which are disposed one above the other and have pressing surfaces facing each other. The paired heating plates are both movable toward and away from each other. In operation, firstly one of the heating plates is moved toward the other heating plate to a position where the pressing surface of the one heating plate is spaced from a surface to which a veneer sheet is to be glued by a distance corresponding to the thickness of the veneer sheet. Then, the other heating plate is moved toward the one heating plate until a desired pressure is produced pressing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for centering a log allow a optimum yield axis and a maximum radius of rotation of the log to be calculated more accurately than conventionally possible. The angle of rotation of a log M is detected by a rotation angle detector 6 that is engaged with a preliminary axis c about which the log M is rotated. A contour of the log for calculating the optimum yield axis of the log and a contour for calculating the maximum radius of rotation of the log are measured separately. The contour for calculating the optimum yield axis is measured in a fixed-point manner by measuring the log at a plurality of certain measurement points with beam reflection scanners 8 disposed at appropriate intervals along the axis of the log M.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of registering two sheets, such as wood veneer sheets, are disclosed. According to the method, firstly two sheets are assembled together by laying one sheet on top of the other sheet in an overlapped relation to each other wherein one end of the upper sheet is positioned outward of one end of the lower sheet. Then, the two sheets thus assembled are moved by a conveyer in the above overlapped relation in such an orientation that the above ends are moved as the leading ends. For registration of the sheets, there is provided a stop device having a stop surface extending perpendicularly to the direction in which the sheets are moved by the conveyer. On the way of movement of the sheets, firstly the upper sheet is stopped by the stop surface with the leading end thereof aligned against the stop surface, and subsequently the lower sheet is stopped by the stop surface with the leading end thereof aligned against the same stop surface.

Abstract: A peeler block is formed previously on its opposite end faces with markings the centers of which define an optimum axis about which the block should be rotated for achieving maximum yield in peeling veneer from the block in a rotary veneer lathe. An apparatus is disclosed herein which is designed to detecting such markings at two different detecting stations and finally positioning the block such that its optimum axis is set parallel to the axes of spindles of a rotary veneer lathe is disclosed. At the first station, the markings are detected by a first pair of image sensors such as CCD cameras having lenses with a short focal length hence wide-angle viewing capability.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing glued laminated wood such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is disclosed. The glued laminated wood is made of a number of wood sheets such as veneer sheets which are laminated together by a hot press with a thermosetting adhesive into a continuous length of multiple-layered board wherein the end joints of the wood sheets are disposed in a staggered array. There is provided an initial base material having an end which is shaped in the form of a flight of steps including a series of alternate horizontal surface having a lengthwise dimension smaller than the length of the wood sheet and a vertical surface having a height corresponding to the wood sheet thickness, and the glued laminated wood board is formed extending from the end of such initial base material. The hot press includes a pair of heat plates each having an effective pressing area capable of covering the entire surface of the wood sheet.

Abstract: A method for locating and conveying a veneer sheet includes: causing a downstream end of a veneer sheet conveyed by a travelling conveying member to abut against a blocking member to correct the attitude of the veneer sheet in such a state that a downstream end of the veneer sheet is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the veneer sheet; and after moving the conveying member in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction until one side end of the veneer sheet perpendicular to the conveying direction reaches a predetermined position and stopping the conveying member, moving the blocking member to a position where the blocking member does not abut against the veneer sheet. Accordingly, attitude correction of a veneer sheet and locating thereof in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction can be performed effectively.

Abstract: A peripherally driven veneer lathe employs a knife with an improved shape which increases the deflection resistance of the cutting edge and improves its cutting ability. A cutting edge (7c) is positioned on the flank side a predetermined distance (H) away from a point (X) of intersection of an extended plane of a cutting face (7a) and that of a flank (7b) of a knife (7) toward the downstream of the rotation of a log. The cutting face immediately following the cutting edge (7c) is formed as a connecting curved surface (7d) coinciding with a concentric arc distanced from the trajectory (G) of rotation of piercing projections (4a) of a peripheral-drive member (4) with a predetermined gap (S). Preferably, the angle (&agr;) formed by a line (D) tangent to the connecting curved surface (7d) at the cutting edge and the flank (7b) is roughly equal to the sharpness angle (&bgr;: 18° to 25°) of the conventional knife.

Abstract: A peripherally driven veneer lathe employs a knife with an improved shape which increases the deflection resistance of the cutting edge and improves its cutting ability. A cutting edge (7c) is positioned on the flank side a predetermined distance (H) away from a point (X) of intersection of an extended plane of a cutting face (7a) and that of a flank (7b) of a knife (7) toward the downstream of the rotation of a log. The cutting face immediately following the cutting edge (7c) is formed as a connecting curved surface (7d) coinciding with a concentric arc distanced from the trajectory (G) of rotation of piercing projections (4a) of a peripheral-drive member (4) with a predetermined gap (S). Preferably, the angle (&agr;) formed by a line (D) tangent to the connecting curved surface (7d) at the cutting edge and the flank (7b) is roughly equal to the sharpness angle (&bgr;: 18° to 25°) of the conventional knife.

Abstract: A veneer lathe that can provide a veneer produced by cutting out a log, which is substantially free from surface scratches, and thus can be used as a surface sheet for plywood. A roller bar drives a log while pushing its peripheral surface on the upstream side of a knife fixed to a knife carriage for cutting the rotating log in a log rotating direction. The roller bar 3 has a large number of grooves defined in a peripheral surface thereof. The shape of the grooves 5a in a section crossing the shaft centerline of the roller bar 3 is set so that an angle between a tangent at a corner portion 3e constituted by a line 3d of an outer periphery of the roller bar 3 and a line 3b extending outward from an upstream side face of the grooves 5a is 130 to 160 degrees.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of registering two sheets, such as wood veneer sheets, are disclosed. According to the method, firstly two sheets are assembled together by laying one sheet on top of the other sheet in an overlapped relation to each other wherein one end of the upper sheet is positioned outward of one end of the lower sheet. Then, the two sheets thus assembled are moved by a conveyer in the above overlapped relation in such an orientation that the above ends are moved as the leading ends. For registration of the sheets, there is provided a stop device having a stop surface extending perpendicularly to the direction in which the sheets are moved by the conveyer. On the way of movement of the sheets, firstly the upper sheet is stopped by the stop surface with the leading end thereof aligned against the stop surface, and subsequently the lower sheet is stopped by the stop surface with the leading end thereof aligned against the same stop surface.

Abstract: This invention provides joining methods of single veneer piece and a joining apparatus, which can produce more efficient, and effective joining process than the conventional method and apparatus produce. In the process of carrying a single veneer piece (T) in the orthogonal direction against the joining edge (Te) on the conveyor, the joining edges of the preceding and succeeding single veneer pieces come close together, the adhesive material (Sd) is supplied to the clearance between the joining edges, and then the adhesion enhancing action is supplied to the said adhesive material (Sd) to join each single veneer piece (T) successively. The adhesion enhancing action can be applied within the adhesion enhancing section as indicated by lines (Z1) and (Z2), provided on the farther side from the edge approaching position (U) via an adhesion enhancing component (6) to move back and forth at any time while the single veneer piece (T) is being carried or such a motion is halted.

Abstract: A method for locating and conveying a veneer sheet includes: causing a downstream end of a veneer sheet conveyed by a travelling conveying member to abut against a blocking member to correct the attitude of the veneer sheet in such a state that a downstream end of the veneer sheet is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the veneer sheet; and after moving the conveying member in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction until one side end of the veneer sheet perpendicular to the conveying direction reaches a predetermined position and stopping the conveying member, moving the blocking member to a position where the blocking member does not abut against the veneer sheet. Accordingly, attitude correction of a veneer sheet and locating thereof in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction can be performed effectively.

Abstract: A veneer lathe that can provide a veneer produced by cutting out a log, which is substantially free from surface scratches, and thus can be used as a surface sheet for plywood. A roller bar drives a log while pushing its peripheral surface on the upstream side of a knife fixed to a knife carriage for cutting the rotating log in a log rotating direction. The roller bar 3 has a large number of grooves defined in a peripheral surface thereof. The shape of the grooves 5a in a section crossing the shaft centerline of the roller bar 3 is set so that an angle between a tangent at a corner portion 3e constituted by a line 3d of an outer periphery of the roller bar 3 and a line 3b extending outward from an upstream side face of the grooves 5a is 130 to 160 degrees.