Patents by Inventor Issaku Okamura

Issaku Okamura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7946321
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of holding a veneer sheet which has been dried to a moisture content lower than the fiber saturation point and also heated to a temperature higher than an ambient temperature of an environment where the veneer sheet is held. The veneer sheet is bent in such way that at least a part of the veneer sheet in the longitudinal section thereof along the grain direction is curved and the same veneer sheet in any transverse section thereof perpendicular to the grain direction is substantially straight. The veneer sheet held bent is held for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Meinan Machinery Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Makoto Isobe, Issaku Okamura, Hiroshige Oda, Akihito Hamaguchi, Noriyuki Honda
  • Publication number: 20080264520
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of holding a veneer sheet which has been dried to a moisture content lower than the fiber saturation point and also heated to a temperature higher than an ambient temperature of an environment where the veneer sheet is held. The veneer sheet is bent in such way that at least a part of the veneer sheet in the longitudinal section thereof along the grain direction is curved and the same veneer sheet in any transverse section thereof perpendicular to the grain direction is substantially straight. The veneer sheet held bent is held for a predetermined period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: MEINAN MACHINERY WORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Makoto Isobe, Issaku Okamura, Hiroshige Oda, Akihito Hamaguchi, Noriyuki Honda
  • Patent number: 7401632
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Meinan Machinery Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Makoto Isobe, Issaku Okamura, Hiroshige Oda, Akihito Hamaguchi, Noriyuki Honda
  • Patent number: 7160414
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Meinan Machinery Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Makoto Isobe, Issaku Okamura, Hiroshige Oda, Akihito Hamaguchi, Noriyuki Honda
  • Publication number: 20060027319
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: MEINAN MACHINERY WORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Makoto Isobe, Issaku Okamura, Hiroshige Oda, Akihito Hamaguchi, Noriyuki Honda
  • Patent number: 6878230
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Meinan Machinery Works, Inc.
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Makoto Isobe, Issaku Okamura, Hiroshige Oda, Akihito Hamaguchi, Noriyuki Honda
  • Publication number: 20050056366
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Publication date: March 17, 2005
    Applicant: MEINAN MACHINERY WORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Makoto Isobe, Issaku Okamura, Hiroshige Oda, Akihito Hamaguchi, Noriyuki Honda
  • Publication number: 20040060634
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: MEINAN MACHINERY WORKS, INC.
    Inventors: Yukio Abe, Makoto Isobe, Issaku Okamura, Hiroshige Oda, Akihito Hamaguchi, Noriyuki Honda