Abstract: The veneer tenderizer includes upper and lower tenderizer rollers (12, 14) with the veneer sheet (10) being fed with the grain oriented parallel with the rollers (12, 14). Each roller (12, 14) comprises a plurality of successive, set-apart cutter blades (16) with each blade having a plurality of cutter teeth (18) evenly spaced around the periphery thereof. The cutter blades (16) on each roller are arranged such that the cutter teeth (18) on each successive cutter blade (16) are angularly offset relative to the cutter teeth or adjacent cutter blades. The rollers (12, 14) are positioned such that the cutter blades (16) mounted on the lower roller (14) are interleaved with the cutter blades (16) on the upper roller (12).

Abstract: The system includes a veneer lathe, a conveyor or apron (50) onto which the veneer from the lathe is initially directed, followed by a combination of an anvil roller (54) and a rotating clipper knife (62), which in turn is followed by a trash gate (72). The speed and rotation of the knife (62) is controlled such that the veneer material produced by operation of the lathe is first cut upon recognition of the start of random veneer and then again upon the recognition of the start of ribbon veneer. The trash gate (72) is controlled synchronously with the operation of the knife (62) such that the trash gate (72) is open up to the point in time where the veneer trash is cut from the remainder of the veneer material, at which point the trash gate (72) is closed.