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Patent 2510808 Summary

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(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 2510808
(54) English Title: TAKE-UP REEL, VENEER REELING APPARATUS, TAPE FEEDING UNIT FOR VENEER ROLL, AND VENEER ROLL, AND VENEER ROLL UNWINDING APPARATUS AND A PRODUCTION METHOD FOR LAMINATED WOOD
(54) French Title: BOBINE D'ENROULEMENT, ENROULEUSE DE PLACAGE, DISPOSITIF DE FOURNITURE DE BANDE A UN ROULEAU DE PLACAGE, DISPOSITIF DE DEROULEMENT DE ROULEAU DE PLACAGE, ET PROCEDE DE FABRICATION DE CONTREPLAQUE
Status: Dead
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • B27D 5/00 (2006.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • OHSHIO, YOUICHI (Japan)
  • OHDAIRA, YASUYUKI (Japan)
  • MIZUNO, AKIHIRO (Japan)
  • NAKAGAWA, SHINICHI (Japan)
  • KOHARA, YASUYUKI (Japan)
  • NARITA, MITSUMASA (Japan)
  • KAWAMORI, HIDEKI (Japan)
  • YAMADA, REIJI (Japan)
  • MURAKAMI, MASANORI (Japan)
  • SUGIYAMA, KAZUMI (Japan)
  • OKADA, TOMOHARU (Japan)
(73) Owners :
  • KABUSHIKIKAISHA TAIHEISEISAKUSHO (Japan)
(71) Applicants :
  • KABUSHIKIKAISHA TAIHEISEISAKUSHO (Japan)
(74) Agent: GOUDREAU GAGE DUBUC
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued:
(22) Filed Date: 2000-01-07
(41) Open to Public Inspection: 2000-08-31
Examination requested: 2005-08-01
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): No

(30) Application Priority Data:
Application No. Country/Territory Date
11-48675 Japan 1999-02-25
11-48677 Japan 1999-02-25
11-146884 Japan 1999-05-26
11-146885 Japan 1999-05-26
11-206400 Japan 1999-07-21
11-206401 Japan 1999-07-21
11-308146 Japan 1999-10-29
11-361544 Japan 1999-12-20
11-361545 Japan 1999-12-20

Abstracts

English Abstract



A take-up reel has a diameter equal to or more than 85
times a thickness of a veneer sheet wound thereon and
equal to or more than 300 mm so as to be of a curvature
of the take-up reel to reduce cracking in parallel to
fiber orientations that occurs in winding a veneer sheet
after drying on a winding surface of the take-up reel. A
veneer reeling apparatus comprises: a take-up reel
disposed in a veneer sheet reeling position in a
rotatable manner; a drive roller disposed on the lower
surface of the take-up reel, transmitting a driving force
with a variable speed; a veneer dryer disposed upstream
from the veneer sheet reeling position; a conveyor
provided between the terminal end of the veneer dryer and
the drive roller in the veneer sheet reeling position;
and a plurality of thread feeding mechanisms disposed at
arbitrary spatial intervals along a length direction of
the take-up reel for a veneer sheet, wherein a continuous
dried veneer sheet or dried veneer sheets whose sizes are
of a constant length or of a length at random are wound
on the take-up reel to form a veneer roll with threads as
guide by a frictional force of the drive roller. Further,
pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets or sets of a pair
of two overlapping veneer sheets and a single veneer
sheet can be wound on the take-up reel in a composite
form.


Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.



CLAIMS

1. A take-up reel whose winding circumferential surface for
a veneer sheet has ventilation passages, in radial direction, in
communication with spaces formed in the interior of the take-up reel and
in whose winding supports for a veneer sheet openings to produce
communication between the spaces are formed, wherein the winding
supports for a veneer sheet are attached in plural number on a reel
shaft along a reel shaft direction thereof.

2. A take-up reel according to claim 1, comprising: a
plurality of flanges of the same diameter as one another on the reel
shaft along the reel shaft direction thereof at arbitrary spatial
intervals, circumferential portions of the flanges serving as
the winding circumferential surface.

3. A take-up reel according to claim 1 or 2
comprising: a plurality of flanges of the same diameter as one
another on the reel shaft along the reel shaft direction thereof at
arbitrary spatial intervals; and a shell plate fixed along the
curvature of the circumferences of the flanges, the shell plate
forming the winding circumferential surface on which a veneer sheet
is wound.

4. A take-up reel according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein
pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets after drying are wound on
the take-up reel with threads as guide to form a composite veneer
roll.

5. A take-up reel according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein
pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets and a single veneer sheet, both
after drying, with a pair of two overlapping veneer sheets and a
single veneer sheet as a set, are alternately wound on the take-up
reel with threads as guide to form a composite veneer roll.


Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.



CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
TAKE-UP REEL, VENEER REELING APPARATUS, TAPE FEEDING UNIT FOR
VENEER ROLL, VENEER ROLL UNWINDING APPARATUS AND A PRODUCTION
METHOD FOR LAMINATED WOOD
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a take-up reel on which
a veneer sheet in a damp state as cut by a veneer lathe, or a
veneer sheet that has been dried from the damp state thereof
by a dryer is wound, a veneer reeling apparatus that reels the
veneer sheet , a tape feeding unit that feeds a tape into between
veneer sheets which is reeled into a veneer roll and a veneer
roll unwinding apparatus that automatically unwinds a veneer
sheet from a veneer roll wound on the take-up reel to send the
veneer sheet to a next step and a production method for laminated
wood.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
., wi
It is an object to provide a take-up reel on which a veneer
sheet in a damp state as cut by a veneer lathe, or a veneer sheet
that has been dried from the damp state thereof by a dryer is
wound and a veneer reeling apparatus that winds a veneer sheet
on a take-up reel in a smooth manner while preventing cracks,
rifts or the like in directions of fibers of the veneer sheet
from occurring. It is another object to provide a tape feeding
unit that feeds a tape into between veneer sheets from a tape


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
2
roll and can cut the tape at an arbitrary timing. It is still
another object to provide a veneer roll unwinding apparatus that
automatically unwinds a veneer sheet from a veneer roll wound
on the take-up reel to send the veneer sheet to a next step.
According to findings from experiments conducted by the
present inventors, when a take-up reel (a diameter of 165 mm)
that has been used for reeling a veneer sheet before drying,
that is a veneer sheet as cut from a log, is used for reeling
a veneer sheet after drying with no special consideration, there
have been many of cases where the veneer sheet after drying does
not adapt itself to a small diameter of the take-up reel and
as a curvature of a winding circumferential surface of a take-up
reel is smaller as compared with a thickness of the veneer sheet
to be wound, cracks are easier to occur in parallel to fiber
directions , thereby making it impossible for the veneer sheet
to be wound on the take-up reel . Especially , when there are cracks ,
rifts or the like generated in aveneer sheet after drying, tearing
and breaking occur from such defects . The inventors have acquired
a way to determine a diameter of a take-up reel on which a veneer
sheet after drying is wound in connection with a thickness T
of the- veneer sheet based on the findings from experiments : A
diameter of a take-up reel as a curvature corresponding to a
thickness T of a veneer sheet is given based on a ratio of a
diameter D of a take-up reel/ a thickness T of a veneer sheet
wound thereon and the minimum diameter of a take-up reel is set
to 300 mm. According to the way to determine a diameter of a
take-up reel, a veneer sheet after drying can preferably be wound


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
3
on a take-up reel having a diameter equal to or more than 85
times a thickness of a veneer sheet and equal to or more than
300 mm.
According to a take-up reel of the invention, a weight
of the take-up reel can be reduced and a burden of driving power
can be decreased in transportation of a take-up reel , reeling
a veneer sheet , storage of a veneer roll in a veneer roll stock
area of a reeling deck and so on. Further, a veneer sheet on
a winding circumferential surface of the take-up reel has
ventilation passages , in radial direction, in communication with
spaces formed in the interior of the take-up reel and openings
are formed in winding supports for a veneer sheet fixed on a
reel shaft to produce communication between the spaces along
the reel shaf t direction . With such a structure , since the winding
circumferential surface of a veneer sheet of the take-up reel
and the spaces formed in the interior of the take-up reel
communicate with the air outside the take-up reel, ventilation
is ensured. Therefore, hot air, moisture and so on included in
the veneer sheet after drying is released through many of openings
into the outside air and thereby, an equilibrium moisture content
of each wound veneer sheet can be accelerated to reach in the
storage.
In the take-up reel, flanges disposed at a spatial interval
of a length corresponding to a winding width of a veneer sheet
are used as winding supports for the veneer sheet and the veneer
sheet is wound on the take-up reel to form a veneer roll. In
such a situation, air in spaces between the flanges are released


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
4
into the outside air through openings formed in the flanges and
finally openings of the flanges at both outermost sides of the
take-up reel. Therefore, hot air, moisture and so on, included
in a veneer sheet after drying, wound on the take-up reel are
released from spaces between the flanges into the outside air
through openings formed in the flanges and finally openings of
the flanges at both outermost sides of the take-up reel, while
fresh air in the outside air flows into the interior of the take-up
reel through the openings of the flanges at both outermost sides
of the take-up reel.
A veneer sheet after drying is wound on the take-up reel
as a pair of two overlapping veneer sheets with threads as guide
to form a composite veneer roll. The composite veneer roll is
prepared for combination of a face veneer sheet and a substrate
veneer sheet for use in a multi-ply laminated wood and two veneer
sheets are superimposed on each other while fiber orientations
of the respective sheets are aligned to be the same as each other.
The two overlapping veneer sheets are composed of those of
different kinds or preferably composed of a face sheet and a
substrate sheet , wherein the face and substrate sheets are each
selected from various kinds thereof . Further, since face and
substrate sheets are almost of the same in grade, two face sheets
of the same kind or two substrate sheets of the same kind are
sometimes combined to form two overlapping veneer sheets.
Further, pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets and single
veneer sheets, both after drying, with a pair of overlapping
veneer sheets and a single veneer sheet as a set , are alternately


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
wound on the take-up reel with threads as guide to form a composite
veneer roll. The composite veneer roll is prepared for use in
five-ply laminated wood, and a pair of two overlapping veneer
sheets and a single veneer sheet, both of the same fiber
orientation, are combined as a set. The three veneer sheets
composing the set can be constituted of those of different kinds
from one another or preferably constituted of a face sheet, a
substrate sheet and a central core sheet, wherein the face,
substrate and central core sheets are each selected from various
kinds thereof . Face and substrate sheets in an overlapping state
as pairs and single central core sheets are alternately wound
on a take-up reel. Further, since face and substrate sheets are
almost the same in grade, two face sheets of the same kind or
two substrate sheets of the same kind are sometimes combined
to form two overlapping veneer sheets.
A veneer reeling apparatus of the invention comprises:
a take-up reel installed in a veneer reeling position in a
rotatable manner; a drive roller that is disposed below the
take-up reel and which transmits a driving force at a variable
speed; a veneer dryer installed upstream from the veneer reeling
position; a connection conveyor installed between the terminal
end of the veneer dryer and the drive roller in the veneer reeling
position; and a plurality of thread feeding mechanisms arranged
at arbitrary spatial intervals in the length direction of the
take-up reel, wherein a continuous veneer sheet that has been
dried in a veneer dryer can be wound on the take-up reel with
threads in plural rows arranged in the length direction of the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
6
take-up reel as guide.
Further, a veneer reeling apparatus of the invention
comprises : a take-up reel installed at a veneer reeling position
in a rotatable manner; a drive roller that is disposed below
the take-up reel and which transmits a driving force at a variable
speed; a veneer dryer installed upstream from the veneer reeling
position; a direction change-over conveyor installed between
the terminal end of the veneer dryer and the drive roller in
the veneer reeling position; and a plurality of thread feeding
mechanisms arranged at arbitrary spatial intervals in the length
direction of the take-up reel, wherein a non-continuous veneer
sheet that has been dried in a veneer dryer can be wound on the
take-up reel with threads in plural rows arranged in the length
direction of the take-up reel as guide.
A winding guide member comprises: for example, endless
bands in plural number of rows that each extend over three pulleys
disposed at least at three points including a base end section,
a middle section and a distal end section. Each endless band
is connected to the distal end of a transport conveyor that
transports a veneer sheet at a pulley in the base end section.
Further, when the pulleys in the distal end section are swung
in a direction toward a take-up reel by a following action means ,
the endless bands get into press contact to part of the
circumferential surface of the take-up reel along the curvature
thereof .
It should be appreciated that while each endless band is
of a belt-like shape that extends over pulleys in the base end


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
7
section and the distal end section in an endless manner, diameters
of the pulleys in the base end and distal end sections are not
equal to each other but the pulleys in the base end section are
large in diameter as compared with the pulleys in the distal
end section. Therefore, when the endless bands are pressed on
the lower portion of the circumferential surface of the take-up
reel , there arises a spatial margin corresponding to a difference
between diameters of both pulleys in the base end and distal
end sections, which makes the endless bands press the
circumferential surface of the take-up reel over a surface area
extending in the reel shaft direction with a width in the lower
portion thereof. With such press on the surface area, more of
a frictional force can be produced between the endless bands
and the lower portion of the circumferential surface of the
take-up reel due to increase in contact area, enabling winding
of the veneer sheet on the take-up reel in a stable manner. Pairs
of support arms are bent in the middle region thereof with the
distal end thereof displaced toward the take-up reel, as a
diameter of a veneer roll increases with progress in winding
operation, the following inconveniences are avoided: such as
those that the upper tracks of the endless bands get into contact
and interfere with the support arms, between a lower surface
and an upper surface, or the endless bands cease circulation,
ensuring winding of a veneer sheet on a take-up reel.
Further, when a winding guide member is in a press contact
state in conformity with the curvature of part of the
circumferential surface of the take-up reel, rotary pulleys


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
8
provided maintains the winding guide member in a firmly
stretching condition under a constant tension by pushing or
pulling the endless bands constituting the winding guide member
under a pressure while guaranteeing a circulation force of the
winding guide member so as to be rotatable all time. Therefore,
the winding guide member can run along the curvature of the take-up
reel while imparting almost the same frictional force on a veneer
sheet, which enables a stable winding operation.
Especially, it is also possible that the rotary pulleys
are individually provided on the endless bands in plural row
constituting the winding guide member so as to individually
adjust pushing or pulling the endless bands under a pressure
while ensuring its circulation force . When firm stretching means
are independently provided for the respective endless bands in
such a way, it is possible that the endless bands of the winding
guide member can individually be maintained in a firm stretching
state in the same degree and thereby, a veneer sheet can receive
almost the same frictional force at any points on a take-up reel
along the shaft direction thereof even if there arise a deflection
caused by self weight in the take-up reel or a thickness of a
veneer sheet fluctuates in the course of winding operation, for
example.
According to a tape feeding unit of the invention, a tape
roll is blocked on its movement and controlled on its position
in a tape feeding direction by forward movement stopper members
on transport means and a tape unwinding from the tape roll that
is under such control can be inserted into between veneer sheets


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
9
that is wound on the take-up reel to form a tape roll. When a
veneer sheet is wound on a take-up reel to form a veneer roll
in synchronism with a speed at which the veneer sheet is cut
from a log by a veneer lathe , the tape can be put in a firm stretching
state between the tape roll and the veneer roll . A cutting section
of a tape cutting tool is in a sliding contact with the surface
of the tape in unwinding and feeding rotation of the tape roll
can be stopped at a position where movement of the tape roll
is blocked.
Further, a tape feeding unit for a veneer roll which feeds
a tape into between veneer sheets that is wound on a take-up
reel can comprises:
a vacuum chuck conveyor that guides the tape into between veneer
sheets from a feed source;
a tape rack that is provided to a tape feed source, which has
a plurality of tape housing rooms not only arranged in a movable
manner in a direction almost at a right angle to a tape feed
direction of the vacuum-chuck conveyor, but also respectively
separated by partition members preventing falling of a tape roll
to either of both sides and respectively having tape rolls
accommodated therein that are each produced by winding a tape
on a core; which is intermittently moved a distance equal to
a pitch at which the tape housing rooms are arranged such that
each of the tape housing rooms are sequentially located on a
transport route of the vacuum-chuck conveyor; and which is
operated such that when a tape housing room arrives on the
transport route, it is possible that a tape is unwound from a


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
1~
tape roll through the front side thereof that is opened while
a tape roll is rotatably supported and simultaneously prevented
from falling to either of both sides by partition members;
a forward movement stopper member that is disposed in an adjacent
manner to the tape rack downstream therefrom on the transport
route of the vacuum-chuck conveyor, which stops a tape roll,
after a tape housing room of the tape rack comes to be located
on the transport route of the vacuum-chuck conveyor, and a tape
roll in the tape housing room then moves forward by an extreme
extent at which the tape roll does not disengage from partition
members, and which controls a position of the tape roll such
that the tape is unwound from the tape roll at a place where
the tape roll has been stopped while being rotated by the vacuum
conveyor;
a tape cutting tool that protrudes from the distal end of the
transport means; and
a tape roll rotation stop device that ceases rotation of the
tape at a position upstream from the forward movement stopper
member.
In such a way, with use of a tape rack, not only is falling
of a tape roll to either of both sides prevented from occurring,
but the next tape roll can be fed by moving the tape rack over
a distance corresponding to a predetermined pitch of partition
members when unwinding the preceding tape roll is completed.
In this case, a forward movement stopper member can be provided
separately and independently from the tape rack, for example,
with a position thereof being fixed.


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
11
A forward movement stopper member may be one that allows
unwinding of a tape roll in a sliding contact with the tape roll
while preventing forward movement of the tape roll, but a stopper
of a idling roller type is preferably used since the stopper
is in a rolling contact with the tape roll and thereby, resistance
therebetween of relative movement is minimized. Further, two
idling roller stoppers can be used instead of a single idling
roller stopper: for example one that is used to be in contact
with a tape roll of a large diameter and the other that is used
to be in contact with a tape roll of a small diameter.
Further, when winding of a veneer sheet is interrupted
or terminated, rotation of a tape roll is ceased by pressing
one side of the tape roll in a direction intersecting a direction
of tape unwinding from the other side thereof. In this case,
as means for stopping rotation of a tape roll , there are provided
a receiving member that receives the one side surface of the
tape roll and which is erected from a frame of a vacuum-chuck
conveyor constituting of the transport means on one side thereof
as viewed in a direction intersecting the tape unwinding
direction at a position upstream from the forward movement
stopper member and a press member connected to a cylinder mounted
to the frame, wherein the press member is press-movable to the
other side surface of the tape roll. Further, when winding of
a veneer sheet is interrupted or terminated, rotation of a tape
roll is ceased by pressing the press member to the receiving
member while being in contact with the other side surface of
the tape roll.


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
12
A cutting tool for cutting a tape protrudes from the distal
end of the transport means , and not only has a cutting section
extending in a direction intersecting the tape feed direction
but can move in a direction in which the cutting tool comes into
contact with the tape and the cutting section gets into a sliding
contact with the tape, which is fed, by a movement mechanism.
In order to attain a good sliding contact state, for example,
a transport means swings about a fulcrum and thereby, the cutting
section of the tape cutting tool goes from a sliding contact
state to a state where the section partly presses into the surface
of the tape.
While driving of a veneer lathe is ceased almost in
synchronism with cease of rotation of a tape roll, a take-up
reel continues inertial rotation movement at a veneer reeling
position. Therefore, the tape is pulled by the veneer take-up
reel that keeps its inertial rotation movement in spite of
stoppage of tape unwinding from a tape roll, which causes the
tape in a pulled state to be cut at the weakest position thereof ,
that is a position with which the cutting section of the tape
cutting tool is in a sliding contact.
Further, when a tape unwound is twisted, there is a chance
to cause a trouble since an adhesive surface of the tape is turned
upside down. In order to prevent such a twist of the tape surface,
an upside-down turn ( twist ) preventive member of a spatula-like
member by which a twist of the tape surface is corrected or
prevented from occurring can be provided at the distal end of
the transport means . A tape unwound from the tape roll is pressed


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
13
on the circumferential surface of a veneer roll by advancing
the spatula-like member continuously at regular intervals from
when the tape gets inserted into between veneer sheets to when
the tape is cut. While a tape unwound from a tape roll being
inserted in a normal state is sometimes turned upside down by
chance in the course of operation and inserted into between veneer
sheets in a wrong state, the twist phenomena can be prevented
from occurring by adoption of the twist preventive member.
In a veneer roll unwinding apparatus of the invention,
drive guide bands are constituted of endless bands such as belts
that extend over a plurality of base end pulleys fixedly mounted
on a support shaft located below a unwinding position in the
shaft direction thereof at arbitrary spatial intervals and as
many distal end pulleys as the number of the base end pulleys ,
wherein the distal ends at which the distal end pulleys are mounted
are free. The distal end pulleys are swingable with the support
shaft as a fulcrum and the drive guide bands are moved to or
away from the lower portion of the circumferential surface of
a veneer roll formed by winding a veneer sheet on a take-up reel
which is rotatably disposed at the unwinding position.
Further, relay pulleys whose diameters are larger than
those of the base end pulleys are rotatably mounted on a shaft
on which the base end pulleys are fixedly mounted in the fold-back
side of the drive guide bands, that is in the base end pulley
side where a veneer sheet is folded back and turned upside down.
It is preferable that the a plurality of relay pulleys are in
a freely idling manner disposed on the shaft on which the base


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
14
end pulleys are fixedly mounted while arranged in lateral
direction together with the base end pulleys and a fold-back
guide member is provided on the opposite side to the relay pulleys
in the fold-back section. The fold-back guide member is
preferably constructed of : a frame with an opposite surface to
the relay pulleys which surface has a profile of an arc extended
along the curvature of the relay pulleys ; a plurality of pulleys
that are supported on the frame; and endless bands extending
over the pulleys . The endless bands extending over the pulleys
respectively correspond to the relay pulleys in number and
disposed in positions opposite to the positions where the relay
pulleys are located, and in sliding contact with the outer
circumferential surface of a veneer sheet fold-back side of the
relay pulleys.
The endless bands circulates at almost the same speed as
that of a transport speed of a veneer sheet transported on the
drive guide bands to a fold-back direction. When the drive guide
bands circulate in contact with the lower portion of
circumferential surface of a veneer roll while swinging with
a support shaft as a fulcrum the veneer sheet is unwound by a
frictional force of the drive guide bands acting on a veneer
roll. The unwound veneer sheet is then transported on the drive
guide bands and reach the fold-back section thereof , and then
is transferred to the relay pulleys from the drive guide bands .
The transferred veneer sheet is folded back byreceivingadriving
force of the endless bands of the fold-back member while being
pinched between the relay pulleys and the endless bands, with


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
the result that the veneer sheet is turned upside down.
In such a way, since a transport speed of the drive guide
bands and a fold-back speed at which a veneer sheet is folded
back while being pinched between the endless bands constituting
the fold-back member and the pulleys in the fold-back section
are controlled to be almost the same as each other, there is
no chance that a veneer sheet is stretched in a direction
perpendicular to fiber orientations of the veneer sheet in
company with control of a circumferential speed as described
above. Therefore, there arises no excessive concentration of
tension at a starting position in unwinding of a veneer sheet
when a veneer sheet is unwound from a veneer roll by means of
the drive guide bands , thereby preventing breaking and tearing
in fiber orientations of a veneer sheet at the starting position
in unwinding from occurring.
Further, in a veneer roll unwinding apparatus as described
above , a plurality of thread reels are provided in downstream
positions from the unwinding position while a travel member is
provided in a freely reciprocating manner to or away from the
plurality of thread reels with a backward movement limit thereof
in an upstream side from the unwinding position. On the travel
member, not only there are provided a plurality of grasping
members that grasp the terminal ends, which are free fore-ends,
of threads that hang down from a veneer roll, wherein the threads
are wound on the veneer roll in plural row along the length
direction thereof as guide for a veneer sheet, but the grasping
members can respectively be provided with nozzles that


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
16
communicate with an air duct. With such a configuration, the
free ends of the threads can be grasped when the travel member
advances and the threads are wound on the thread reels by air
streams from the nozzles at the travel member forward movement
limit. A veneer sheet is unwound by pressing the drive guide
bands to part of the circumferential surface of a veneer roll
while the threads continues to be wound by the air streams.
Further, in the veneer roll unwinding apparatus, the
following configuration can also be adopted: A frame on which
a plurality of thread reels are disposed is provided in a
downstream side from the unwinding position in a freely
reciprocating manner to or away from the unwinding position,
wherein the thread reels are disposed at positions on the frame
corresponding to threads , which are wound on a veneer roll as
guide for a veneer sheet in plural rows along the length direction
of the veneer roll, and whose free ends hang down from a veneer
roll , and suction holes that communicate with an exhaust duct
are respectively formed at winding portions of the thread reels
at which threads begin to be wound. In the configuration, the
threads are wound on the thread reels by an exhaust stream to
the exhaust holes when the frame is positioned at the forward
movement limit, thereafter the frame return to its original
position and then , a veneer sheet can be unwound from a veneer
roll with the drive guide bands in press contact with part of
the circumferential surface of the veneer roll while threads
continue to be wound on the thread reels.
Further, in the veneer roll unwinding apparatus, the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
1~
following configuration can also be adopted: A pair of unwinding
rollers are disposed at positions downstream from the unwinding
position such that both or one of the unwinding rollers can freely
be moved to or away from each other , or the other, and the unwinding
rollers work for unwinding threads at the positions corresponding
to the threads, which are wound on a veneer roll as guide for
a veneer sheet in plural rows along the length direction of the
veneer roll, and whose free ends hang down from a veneer roll.
In the configuration, a veneer sheet can be unwound from a veneer
roll with the drive guide bands in press contact with part of
the circumferential surface of the veneer roll while the pair
of unwinding rollers take up and pinch free ends of threads
therebetween by moving to each other and unwind the threads.
In this case, it is preferable that one of the pair of unwinding
rollers is of a single cylinder, while the other is replaced
with a plurality of unwinding rollers on a common axial line
each with a same diameter cylinder, wherein the single unwinding
roller and the plurality of unwinding rollers can freely be moved
to or away from each other.
It should be appreciated that it is preferable that in
the drive guide bands , a diameter of base end pulleys is larger
than that of distal end pulleys , and pairs of support arms that
respectively support the distal end pulleys are each bent in
the middle region with the distal end thereof displaced upward.
In unwinding a veneer sheet from a veneer roll in which
unwinding assist members constituted of long flexible members
are reeled together with a veneer sheet, when a position from


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
I8
which a veneer sheet begins to be unwound from the circumferential
surface of the veneer roll is called a veneer sheet separating
position and a veneer sheet separation opposite position is set
at an opposite point on the circumferential surface of the veneer
roll from the veneer sheet separating point, on the other side
of the central axial line of the veneer roll from the veneer
sheet separating point, a direction along which the unwinding
assist members are pulled out from the veneer roll can be
determined between the veneer sheet separating position and the
veneer sheet separation opposite position in the veneer sheet
unwinding side . In the veneer sheet unwinding side formed between
the veneer sheet separating position, from which a veneer sheet
begins to be unwound from the circumferential surface of the
veneer roll, and the veneer sheet separation opposite position,
at which a line from the veneer sheet separating position through
the center of the veneer roll intersects the circumference of
the veneer roll, a direction along which the unwinding assist
members , for example the threads , are pulled out from the veneer
roll is determined in a space between the veneer sheet separating
position and the veneer sheet separation opposite position. It
is important that the pulling direction is determined such that
when a veneer sheet unwound from the veneer roll tends to be
wound on the veneer roll in accompanying manner, the pulling
direction works so as to prevent accompanying phenomena of a
veneer sheet with the veneer roll from occurring and to be
effective for bringing the veneer sheet to the transport surface .
That is, when a thread is pulled toward almost directly above


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
19
along the curvature of the veneer roll or in a direction inclined
from the directly above toward the other side from the veneer
sheet unwinding side, it is hard to block the accompanying action
of a veneer sheet by a thread. Therefore, it is preferable that
an angle formed between a line that connects the center of the
veneer roll and the veneer sheet separating position and a line
that connects the center and a separating point of a thread is
less than 90 degrees and a thread is pulled out from the veneer
roll with an angle in the range.
A thread support device is located at an outward position
radially spaced apart from the circumferential surface of a
veneer roll and thread auxiliary pulleys are rotatably mounted
on a support shaft thereof disposed in parallel to the central
axial of the veneer roll. When threads that are wound on the
veneer roll along the curvature are protruded from the veneer
roll outwardly, the threads are recovered by supporting on the
thread auxiliary pulleys so as to minimize a loss of the threads ,
wherein the threads are received into a recovery box or onto
thread reels in a firmly stretching state of the threads . Further,
in supporting the thread auxiliary pulleys, if the thread
auxiliary pulleys are rotatably mounted on the fore-ends of
protruded arms that protrude from the support shaft , the threads
can be supported by the thread auxiliary pulleys with ease.
The support shaft of the thread support device is supported
by one ends of arm rods at both ends of the support shaft and
one of rotary shafts attached to the other end of the arm rod
is mounted to a piston rod of a fluid cylinder. The rotary shaft


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
is swung through an angle by extending or contracting the piston
rod, thereby enabling displacement of a position of the support
shaft outwardly spaced from the veneer roll along the
circumference of the veneer roll. With such a configuration to
enable the displacement, the threads are positioned in a
protruding manner while being spaced from the veneer sheet
unwinding surface of the veneer roll and in addition, in a case
where the protruding position is not so much effective for
blocking the threads tending to be wound accompanying the
circumferential surface of the veneer roll , the position at which
the threads are supported spaced outwardly while swinging the
rotary shaft is displaced to a position of the support shaft
with which the veneer sheets that tends to be wound on the veneer
roll are effectively blocked from accompanying the
circumferential surface thereof, that is the support shaft is
displaced to a position closer to the veneer sheet unwinding
surf ace .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing reeling a veneer
sheet in a continuous state after drying;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view for illustration showing a way
that threads are wound on a take-up reel;
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing reeling veneer
sheets in a non-continuous state after drying;
FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged view for illustration


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
21
showing a way that veneer sheets in a non-continuous state after
drying are reeled;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of interval narrowing means;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view for illustration showing a
winding state while narrowing spatial intervals between veneer
sheets in a non-continuous state after drying;
FIG . 7 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of
the interval narrowing means;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another embodiment
of the take-up reel;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another embodiment
of the take-up reel;
FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on the shaft direction
of the take-up reel shown in FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on line A-A of FIG. 10
in an arrow direction;
FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on the shaft direction
of the take-up reel shown in FIG. 9;
FIG. 13 is a side view of an embodiment in which a veneer
roll that has been obtained by reeling a dried veneer sheet is
unwound to combine and form a composite veneer roll;
FIG. 14 is a plan view of FIG. 13;
FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating interval narrowing
means;
FIG. 16 is a schematic view for illustration of a composite
veneer roll after narrowing spatial intervals;
FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
22
of the interval narrowing means;
FIG. 18 is a side view of an embodiment in which two veneer
rolls that have been obtained by reeling dried veneer sheets
are unwound to combine and form a composite veneer roll;
FIG. 19 is a schematic view for illustration of another
composite veneer roll;
FIG. 20 is a schematic view for illustration of another
composite veneer roll after narrowing spatial interval;
FIG. 21 is a side view of an embodiment in which three
veneer roll that have been obtained by reeling dried veneer sheets
are unwound to laminate and form a composite veneer roll;
FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating interval narrowing
means for another composite veneer roll;
FIG. 23 is a block diagram illustrating another interval
narrowing means for another composite veneer roll;
FIG. 24 is a plan view of an embodiment to form a composite
veneer roll from veneer sheets fed from piles of veneer sheets
after drying;
FIG. 25 is a sectional view taken on line B-B of FIG. 24
in an arrow direction;
FIG. 26 is a partly cut-away side view of FIG. 24;
FIG. 27 is a partly cut-away plan view showing an embodiment
of a veneer reeling apparatus;
FIG. 28 is a partly cut-away plan of FIG. 27;
FIG. 29 is a side view showing an embodiment of a veneer
reeling apparatus;
FIG. 30 is a view for illustration of a working state of


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
23
FIG. 29;
FIG. 31 is a schematic view for illustration showing
another embodiment of a veneer reeling apparatus;
FIG. 32 is a side view showing another embodiment of FIG.
29;
FIG. 33 is a block diagram of interval narrowing means;
FIG. 34 is a side view conceptually showing a tape feeding
unit;
FIG. 35 is a perspective view showing a way of tape feeding;
FIG. 36 is a further detailed side view showing the tape
feeding unit of FIG. 34;
FIG. 37 is a side view showing FIG. 36 including peripheral
structures thereof;
FIG. 38 is a plan view of FIG. 36;
FIG. 39 is a side view showing a tape feeding unit singly
in which the base frame of FIG. 36 is omitted.
FIG. 40 is a plan view of FIG. 39, in which a tape rack
is omitted;
FIG. 41 is a conceptual perspective view of a tape rack
and a tape roll rotation stop device;
FIG. 42 is a plan view of FIG. 41, in which a tape roll
rotation stop device is omitted;
FIG. 43 is a view for illustration showing feeding of a
tape roll onto a conveyor and a forward movement roller stopper;
FIG. 44 is a plan view showing an example of a core discharge
unit;
FIG. 45 is a plan view showing a state where a door is


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
24
open;
FIG. 46 is aview for illustration showing discharge action
of a core ;
FIG. 47 is a side view showing an example of a tape twist
preventive mechanism at the distal end of a conveyor;
FIG. 48 is a view for illustration of action of the tape
twist preventive mechanism;
FIG. 49 is a plan view of the tape twist preventive
mechanism;
FIG. 50 is a view for illustration of a state where a twist
of a tape is corrected;
FIG. 51 is a conceptual plan view of a tape rack and a
tape rotation stop device;
FIG . 52 is a view for illustration of action where rotation
of a tape roll is ceased;
FIG. 53 is a conceptual side view of a tape rotation stop
device;
FIG. 54 is a conceptual plan view showing another
embodiment of a tape rotation stop device;
FIG. 55 is a conceptual plan view showing another
embodiment of a tape rotation stop device;
FIG. 56 is a perspective view conceptually showing a tape
cutting unit:
FIG. 57 is a view for illustration of action of a mechanism
that gives an increased tension to a tape in tape cutting;
FIG. 58 is a bottom view showing another embodiment of
a tape cutting unit at the distal end of a conveyor;


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
FIG. 59 is a perspective view conceptually showing the
tape cutting unit of FIG. 58;
FIG. 60 is a view for illustration of action of a mechanism
that gives a tension to a tape in tape cutting;
FIG. 61 is a view for illustration of action in tape cutting
by a cutter;
FIG. 62 is a plan view showing an example of a tape cutting
unit different from FIGS. 59 and 60;
FIG. 63 is a plan view showing an example of a tape cutting
unit different from FIG. 62;
FIG. 64 is a side view showing an embodiment of unwinding
of a veneer sheet from a veneer roll;
FIG. 65 is a plan view of FIG. 64;
FIG. 66 is a side view showing another embodiment of
unwinding of a veneer sheet from a veneer roll;
FIG. 67 is a plan view of FIG. 66;
FIG. 68 is a side view showing another embodiment of
unwinding of a veneer sheet from a veneer roll;
FIG. 69 is a side view showing another embodiment of
folding-back of a veneer sheet;
FIG. 70 is a side view showing an embodiment of a thread
recovery unit;
FIG. 71 is a plan view of FIG. 70;
FIG. 72 is a plan view showing another embodiment of a
thread recovery unit;
FIG. 73 is a partly cut-away perspective view of FIG. 72;
FIG. 74 is a plan view showing another embodiment of a


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
26
thread recovery unit;
FIG. 75 is a sectional view taken on line C-C of FIG. 74
in an arrow direction;
FIG. 76 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of
a thread position correcting device;
FIG. 77 is a rear view of a correcting member;
FIG. 78 is a perspective view of another embodiment of
a thread position correcting device;
FIG. 79 is a plan view showing another embodiment of a
thread position correcting device;
FIG. 80 is a side view showing anther embodiment of a thread
reel;
FIG. 81 is a perspective view showing another embodiment
of a thread reel ;
FIG. 82 is a perspective view showing another embodiment
of a thread guide ;
FIG. 83 is a side view showing another embodiment of
unwinding of a veneer sheet from a veneer roll;
FIG. 84 is a view for illustration of blocking action for
accompaniment of a veneer sheet in unwinding;
FIG. 85 is a view for illustration of blocking action for
accompaniment of a veneer sheet in unwinding;
FIG. 86 is a schematic partly cut-away perspective view
showing blocking of accompaniment of a veneer sheet in unwinding ;
FIG. 87 is a plan view showing another rotating means of
a rotary shaft shown in FIG. 86;
FIG. 88 is a plan view showing another rotating means of


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
27
a rotary shaft shown in FIG. 86; and
FIG. 89 is a view for illustration of a principle of blocking
action for accompaniment of a veneer sheet in unwinding.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INEVNTION
Description will be made of an embodiment of a veneer
reeling apparatus of the invention with reference to the
accompanying drawings below.
In FIG . 1, there is shown an embodiment in which a veneer
sheet 1 after drying in a continuous state is reeled. In this
case, a veneer dryer 2 includes a transport system configured
as follows : two metal mesh bands 3 are provided one above the
other with a gap therebetween as a transport route and each extend
over two pulleys disposed spaced from each other along a transport
direction, wherein the metal mesh belts 3 are respectively
circulated in opposite directions to transport a veneer sheet
in a continuous state. Further, a continuous veneer sheet 1 is
dried by a circulated hot air blown from upper air vents of the
veneer dryer in transportation and, at the exit of the dryer
2, transferred to a connection conveyor 4 abutted by an end of
a metal meshband 3 . Further, the connection conveyor 4 is provided
with a pulse generator and a detector that senses the veneer
sheet after drying transported thereon, which will be detailed
later.
A veneer sheet reeling position 5 where a continuous veneer
sheet 1 is reeled is located at a position downstream from the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
28
connection conveyor 4. A drive roller 6 is supported with
bearings, the top of the drive roller 6 is at a height almost
equal to that of the transport surface of the connection conveyor
4 and the length direction thereof at least intersects a transport
direction of the veneer sheet 1. While a speed of the drive roller
6 can be variable, the drive roller 6 is normally operated at
a speed almost same as that of the connection conveyor 4. A
take-up reel 7 whose diameter is large is rotatably supported
by a reel receiver 8 with bearings at both ends of the take-up
reel 7. The take-up reel 7 is on the drive roller 6 while the
lower surface of the take-up reel 7 is kept in contact with the
upper surface of the drive roller 6 and the take-up reel 7 is
thereby rotated in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in
FIG. 1 by a frictional force produced from a driving force of
the drive roller 6, following the drive roller 6.
After the continuous veneer sheet 1 is dried in the veneer
dryer 2 , the sheet 1 is transported on the connection conveyor
4 to reach the veneer reeling position 5. When the continuous
veneer sheet 1 arrives at between the drive roller 6 and the
take-up reel 7 , the take-up reel 7 is in an opposite direction
rotated by a frictional force produced from a driving force of
the drive roller 6 to take-up the continuous veneer sheet 1 thereon ,
while the drive roller 6 rotates at almost the same speed as
that of the connection conveyor 4. In such a way, the continuous
veneer sheet 1 is wound on the take-up reel 7 in a sequential
manner. While since the veneer sheet 1 is continuous, it can
normally be wound on the take-up reel 7 by a frictional force


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
29
produced from a driving force of the drive roller 6 with no other
special means applied, there sometimes arise breaks with ease
due to cracks , rifts or the like produced after a drying operation ,
or in anther case, relaxation of a veneer roll in the middle
portion thereof. To cope with such adverse situations, a
plurality of thread feeding mechanisms 10 are provided in a case ,
as a countermeasure , to the take-up reel 7 at arbitrary spatial
intervals in a length direction of the take-up reel 7. In this
case, the threads 12 are fed from thread reels 11 of the thread
feeding mechanisms 10, the tips of the threads 12 are first wound
on the take-up reel 7 at arbitrary spatial intervals along a
length direction thereof and thereafter the threads are
respectively wound together with the continuous veneer sheet
1 as guides at plural positions on the take-up reel 7.
To be concrete, a way that the threads 12 are wound on
the take-up reel 7 is shown in FIG . 2 . That is , the take-up reel
7 has highly frictional regions at arbitrary spatial intervals
along a length direction thereof on the circumferential surface
thereof, such as made from sand papers, fine protrusions or the
like with which the threads I2 becomes entangled. A plurality
of nozzles for use in feeding the threads are provided to the
take-up reel 7 in a position downstream therefrom such that the
nozzles can freely be located between upper positions spaced
apart from the outer surface of the take-up reel 7 and lower
positions by means of, for example, guide rails curved like an
arc (not shown) or a mechanism, freely movable, forward or
backward , and upward or downward ( not shown ) . The drive roller


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
6 has grooves 6M at a plurality of positions at arbitrary spatial
intervals in a shaft direction and the fore-ends of the nozzles
are accommodated in the grooves 6M. The tips of the threads 12
fed from the thread reel 11 are carried on a stream blown to
the highly frictional regions of the take-up reel 7 through the
nozzles 12N locating at the upper positions so as to become
entangled with the highly frictional regions of the take-up reel
7. Thereafter, the nozzles 12N are moved downward to reach the
respective grooves 6M on the drive roller 6 . At this point , the
nozzles 12N are located lower than the upper surface of the drive
roller 6 and the threads 12 are in a firmly stretched state between
sites where the threads 12 are entangled with on the take-up
reel 7 and the nozzles 12N. Hence, when the veneer sheet 1 is
wound on the take-up reel 7 by a frictional force produced from
a driving force of the drive roller 6 , the threads 12 work as
a guide and are wound together with the veneer sheet 1 thereon
at a plurality of sites on the veneer sheet 1.
In this situation, when the reel receiver 8 that supports
the take-up reel 7 with bearings is fixedly positioned, the
connection conveyor 4 and the drive roller 6 are freely swung
downward with the starting end of the connection conveyor 4 as
a fulcrum and as a winding diameter of a veneer roll increases ,
the drive roller 6 is pivotally lowered in an automatic manner
together with the connection conveyor 4 by a half of .the increase
in diameter. Contrary to this, when bearings of the drive roller
6 are fixedly positioned, the reel receiver 8 of the take-up
reel 7 is raised by a half of the increase in diameter of the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
31
take-up reel. Further, since the drive roller 6 imparts a
frictional force to the take-up reel 7 , a fluid pressure , a balance
weight or the like is employed in order to maintain a state in
which the drive roller 6 is in press contact with the take-up
reel 7 under a constant pressure all the time.
Further, while a veneer sheet 1 after drying is wound on
the take-up reel 7 , it has been impossible to use a take-up reel
of a diameter 165 mm for a veneer sheet 1 after drying without
any special means applied, which take-up reel has traditionally
been for use in reeling a green veneer sheet as cut from a log.
That is, when a veneer sheet 1 after drying is wound on a reel
of the diameter of 165 mm, the veneer sheet 1 frequently is not
adapted to a the small diameter and generates cracks in sites
in parallel to fiber orientations with ease, thus making it
impossible to winding the veneer sheet 1 on the take-up reel
7. Especially, when there remain cracks and rifts as produced
after drying in a veneer sheet 1, breaking or tearing gets started
from such defective sites . The inventors have acquired a diameter
equivalent to a curvature of a take-up reel 7 that corresponds
to a thickness of a veneer sheet 1 after drying wound thereon
based on findings as results of experiments wherein the diameter
of a take-up reel 7 is limited as a value equal to or more than
300 mm while the diameter is designated using a parameter for
determining the diameter = a diameter of a take-up reel 7/a
thickness T of a veneer sheet wound on the take-up reel . According
to this method for determining a diameter of a take-up reel,
a dried veneer sheet 1 can be wound on a take-up reel 7 in a


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
32
good condition by setting a diameter of the take-up reel 7 such
that a diameter of the take-up reel 7 is equal to or larger than
not only 85 times a thickness T of a veneer sheet 1 but 300 mm.
For example, if a thickness of a veneer sheet 1 is 2 mm, a diameter
D of a take-up reel 7 would be set to 170 mm, but since this
value is less than 300 mm, the diameter of a take-up reel 7 is
eventually set to a value equal to or larger than 300 mm. In
this embodiment, a diameter of the take-up reel 7 was set to
450 mm and thereby, a good result was obtained in winding a veneer
sheet lafter drying.
In FIG. 3, there is shown an embodiment in which veneer
sheets 1 whose sizes are of a constant length or of a length
at random ( , in the latter case, the veneer sheets 1 having random
sizes and are non-continuous ) are wound on a take-up reel after
drying. In this case, transport routes in stages of a veneer
dryer 2 are constructed of a plural pairs of feed rollers 13,
one above the other, disposed at positions along a length
direction thereof , wherein the plural pairs of rollers send a
veneer sheet 1 by pressing the veneer sheet 1 from both sides
in a thickness direction of the veneer sheet 1 and rotating.
The veneer sheets 1 are sent simultaneously in plural number
as a set ( three sheets in the figure ) being arranged with a length
direction in parallel to a fiber orientation and in a direction
perpendicular to a transport direction. The veneer sheets 1 are
dried by circulating hot air from upper vents in the veneer dryer
2 in the course of transportation and transferred to a direction
change-over conveyor 14 that changes a moving direction of the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
33
transportation by an almost right angle at the exit of the veneer
dryer 2.
A veneer sheet reeling position 5 is located in a position
downstream from the direction change-over conveyor 14, in which
position the veneer sheet 1 is wound on a take-up reel. In the
veneer sheet reeling position 5, there are provided with a drive
roller 6 , the take-up reel 7 whose diameter is large , and thread
feed mechanisms 10 that are disposed in a length direction of
the take-up reel 7 at arbitrary spatial intervals in plural number,
all similar to the above described.
Af ter the veneer sheet 1 is dried in the veneer dryer 2 ,
it is transferred to the direction change-over conveyor 14 from
the transport route in a state in which a transport direction
is changed over by a right angle. Hence, the veneer sheet 1 is
thereafter transported in a state in which a fiber orientation
intersects the new transport direction and reaches the veneer
sheet reeling position 5. Then, winding of the veneer sheets
1 get started and threads 12 fed from thread reels 11 of the
thread feed mechanisms 10 are blown through nozzles 12N as
described above and wound over a plurality of sites located along
a length direction of the take-up reel 7 at arbitrary spatial
intervals such that tips of the threads 12 are entangled with
the plurality of sites. Then when the veneer sheets 1 arrive
at between a drive roller 6 and the take-up reel 7 , the take-up
reel 7 is rotated in an opposite direction from the drive roller
6 by a frictional force produced from a driving force thereof ,
wherein the drive roller 6 rotates at almost the same speed as


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
34
a circulation speed of the direction change-over conveyor 14
and thereby, the veneer sheets 1 are wound on the take-up reel
7 with the threads 12 as guides at the plurality of sites thereon .
The veneer sheets 1 fed from the direction change-over conveyor
14 are sequentially wound on the take-up reel 7 as shown in FIG.
4 and at the case, spatial intervals between the veneer sheets
1 arranged end to end in a transport direction are narrowed under
consideration of winding efficiency.
Such interval narrowing means will be described with
reference to FIG. 5. A detector 15 is placed above the direction
change-over conveyor 14 and as a detector, a contact type, or
a non-contact type such as a transparency type, a reflection
type or the like may be employed. When the detector 15 senses
the leading edge of a veneer sheet 1, it transmits a detection
instruction to a drive controller 16 that is a control system
of the drive roller 6. A distance setter 17 that sets a distance
K from the detector 15 to the drive roller 6 is connected to
the drive controller 16 and the drive controller 16 stops the
drive roller 6 in response to the detection instruction . A pulse
generator 19 is provided to the direction change-over conveyor
14 and thereby, a distance K over which a veneer sheet 1 is carried
on the direction change-over conveyor 14 is detected by counting
up of the number of pulses . A veneer sheet 1 that has arrived
on the drive roller 6 is moved over a length of the veneer sheet
1 by the drive roller 6 and thereby is wound on the take-up reel
7 with the threads 12 as a guide. A length of a veneer sheet
1 is determined by the detector 15 through detecting the leading


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
and trailing end of the veneer sheet 1 in transportation of the
veneer sheet 1 on the direction change-over conveyor 14 and stored
in the drive controller 16 as the number of pulses . It should
be appreciated that when a length of a veneer sheet 1 is cut
constant, the constant length may be stored in the drive
controller 16 as a length of a veneer sheet in advance.
When the leading edge of a next veneer sheet 1 is detected
by the detector 15 , the veneer sheet 1 comes onto the drive roller
6 after steps similar to the above described and the veneer sheet
1 is wound on the take-up reel 7 with the threads 12 as a guide
while a gap between the veneer sheet wound previously and the
veneer sheet in consideration are narrowed. By repetitions of
the above described operations , the drive roller 6 intermittently
rotates and veneer sheets 1 are efficiently wound on the take-up
reel 7 with narrowed intervals.
Since the interval narrowing means shown in FIG. 5 winds
a veneer sheet 1 on the take-up reel 7 by intermittently rotating
the drive roller 6 at the veneer sheet reeling position 5, when
a transport speed of the conveyor and an average speed of
intermittent winding ( slow speed) correspond to each other, no
trouble arises in reeling . However , if a winding speed is intended
to be higher , a trouble arises . In this case , adjustment of spatial
intervals of veneer sheets 1 is performed during transportation
at a stage prior to the veneer sheet reeling position 5. Then,
another embodiment of the interval narrowing means will be
described with reference to FIG . 7 , wherein the same constituents
as those corresponding of FIG . 5 are indicated by the same marks .


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
36
At first, the starting end of an interval narrowing conveyor
18 that performs narrowing spatial intervals between veneer
sheets 1 arranged along a transportation direction is disposed
in a staggered manner with the terminal end of the direction
change-over conveyor 14 , wherein both conveyors 14 and 18 can
independently be driven. In this situation, when a detector 15
disposed above the direction change-over conveyor 14 detects
the leading edge of a veneer sheet 1, the detector 15 transmits
a detection instruction to a drive controller 16 that is a control
system of the interval narrowing conveyor 18 . A distance setter
17 in which a distance K from the detector 15 to a point on the
interval narrowing conveyor 18 is set is connected to the drive
controller 16 and driving of the interval narrowing conveyor
18 is stopped in response to the detection instruction . A pulse
generator is provided to the direction change-over conveyor 14 ,
a veneer sheet 1 is carried on the direction change-over conveyor
14 over a distance K and transportation over the distance K is
detected by counting up of the number of pulses . A veneer sheet
1 having arrived on the interval narrowing conveyor 18 is driven
by a length of the veneer sheet 1. A length of a veneer sheet
1 is determined by the detector 15 through detecting the leading
and trailing end of the veneer sheet 1 in transportation of the
veneer sheet 1 on the direction change-over conveyor 14 and stored
in the drive controller 16 as the number of pulses . It should
be appreciated that since a length of a veneer sheet 1 is cut
constant, the constant length may be stored in the drive
controller 16 as the length of a veneer sheet 1 in advance . With


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
37
this intermittent driving, veneer sheets 1 are rearranged such
that spatial intervals end to end of the veneer sheets 1 along
the transport direction are smaller on the interval narrowing
conveyor 18 . Then, the veneer sheets 1 are transferred to another
conveyor whose speed coincides with a winding speed, followed
by winding on a take-up reel 7 at the speed.
A veneer roll 9 obtained by winding a veneer sheet or sheets
1 after drying on a large diameter take-up reel 7 are stored
in a veneer roll stock area of a reeling deck for a time period
such that each veneer roll comes to have an equilibrium moisture
content .
It is appreciated that the take-up reel 7 is a cylinder
with a shaft 7G as a center of rotation and a closed space is
normally formed in the interior of the cylinder with a welded
structure. Especially, since the take-up reel 7 has a large
diameter ( equal to or larger than 300 mm and in the embodiment ,
a diameter of 450 mm) as compared with a take-up reel ( of a diameter
of 165 mm) that has been employed in reeling a green veneer sheet
as cut from a log, a weight of a take-up reel itself is increased
and thereby, requirement for driving power is increased in
transportation of a take-up reel 7, winding a veneer sheet or
sheets 1, storage in a veneer roll stock area of a reeling deck
and so on, and mechanical reinforcement is also necessary for
related structures such as the reeling deck.
In order to cope with such requirements , other structures
of a take-up reel of the invention are shown in FIGS . 8 and 9 .
That is, A large diameter take-up reel 7 shown in FIG. 8 has


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
38
an outer surface portion where many of openings 7 K each having
a slit-like shape and a large diameter take-up reel 7 shown in
FIG. 9 has a plurality of flanges 7T each of the same large diameter
as one another mounted on a reel shat 7G at arbitrary spatial
intervals along the shaft direction, wherein a surface portion
of each flange 7T has a opening 7K according to a need.
In FIG. 10, there is shown a section taken along a shaft
direction of the take-up reel 7 shown in FIG. 8. That is, disc
reinforcement plates 7H are fixed on the reel shaft 7G along
the direction of the reel shaft 7G at predetermined spatial
intervals by means of welding or the like. A flat plate 7I is
fixed in a winding manner on the outer peripheries of the
reinforcement plates 7H by means of welding or the like, wherein
the flat plate 7I has a width several times as large as a thickness
of a reinforcement plate 7H, thereby forming so-called a flange
7T. The flanges 7T all have the same outer diameter as one another
and a shell plate 7D that constitutes a body portion of the take-up
reel 7 and on which a veneer sheet or sheets 1 are wound is fixed
along the curvature of the circumferences of the flanges 7T by
means of welding or the like.
Openings 7K are radially formed in each flange 7T in a
plurality of sites as shown in FIG. 11 and Openings 7K are also
formed on the shell plate 7D as shown in FIG. 8. Therefore, the
interior of a take-up reel 7 and the outside air in communication
with each other and a great lot of air can flow into the interior
of the take-up reel 7 through the openings 7K. , 7K respectively
formed in the flanges 7T and the shell plate 7D and in a reverse


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
39
way, air in the interior of the take-up reel 7 , that is air in
spaces formed between the flanges 7T, can flow out to the outside
through the openings 7K, 7K respectively of the flanges 7T and
the shell plate 7D. It should be appreciated that while in the
embodiment, the openings 7K each are in the shape of a slit,
there is no specific limitation to this shape but any shape such
as a circle, an ellipse and a polygon can be adopted as far as
an opening can be formed with it.
In FIG. 12, there is shown a section taken along a shaft
direction of a take-up reel 7 shown in FIG. 9. That is, the take-up
reel 7 has flanges 7T that are fixed on a shaft 7G at predetermined
spatial intervals along the shaft direction by means of welding
of the like and a plurality of openings 7K are formed in each
flange 7T and the outer peripheries of the flanges 7T constitute
a body portion of the reel. In this case, fiber orientations
of a reeled veneer sheet 1 is in parallel to a direction of a
winding width 1W and since the veneer sheet 1 has a mechanical
strength to some extent in the fiber orientations, a winding
support for the veneer sheet 1 can be constituted of the outer
peripheries of the flanges 7T. In this take-up reel 7, the flanges
7T arranged in the spatial interval corresponding to the winding
width 1W serve as winding supports for the veneer sheet 1 and
the veneer sheet 1 is wound on the take-up reel 7 to form a veneer
roll 9. In this structure, air in the spaces between the flanges
7T are released to the outside through the openings 7K located
on both sides of each space.
Therefore, according to the take-up reels 7, a weight of


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
a reel is decreased and furthermore, requirement for driving
power, mechanical reinforcement and so on that are described
above can be eliminated. Further, in a case where a veneer sheet
1 is wound on a large diameter take-up reel 7 , since the interior
of the take-up reel 7 is in communication with the outside air
through many of openings 7K formed in the take-up reel 7 ,
ventilation in the interior is ensured through the openings 7K.
That is , according to a take-up reel 7 shown in FIGs . 8 , 10 and
11, even if moisture, hot gas and so on included in a veneer
sheet 1 after drying flow into the interior of a take-up reel
7 through openings 7K formed in the shell plate 7D, the moisture
and so on are released by ventilation through the openings 7K
of the flanges 7T in the interior of the reel 7 and the openings
7K formed in the flanges 7T at both outermost sides of the take-up
reel 7 , or through openings 7K in the shell plate 7D on which
a veneer sheet 1 is not wound, into the outside air. On the other
hand, fresh air in the outside air flows into the interior of
the take-up reel 7 through the openings of the flanges 7T at
the both outermost sides of the reel 7 or the openings K in the
shell plate 7D on which the veneer sheet I is not wound and the
flow-in air is put in contact with the veneer sheet 1 that has
been wound on the reel 7 by ventilation through the openings
of the flanges 7T in the interior of the reel 7 and then the
openings 7K of the shell plate 7D. Therefore, hot air, moisture
and so on included in the veneer sheet 1 after drying are not
retained in the interior. of the take-up reel 7 but can always
be replaced with fresh air from the outside.


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
41
Further, according to a take-up reel 7 shown in FIGS . 9
and 12 , hot air, moisture and so on included in a dried veneer
sheet 1 are released into the outside air through the openings
7K from spaces between the flanges 7T and further the openings
7K at the outermost both side flanges 7T, while fresh air from
the outside air flows into the interior of a take-up reel 7 through
the openings 7K of the flanges 7T. In such a way, a veneer sheet
1 that has been wound on a take-up reel 7 to form a veneer roll
9 is stored in a veneer roll stock area of a reeling deck for
a time period and an equilibrium moisture content of each veneer
roll can be accelerated to reach in the storage.
It should be appreciated that while in the embodiment,
description is made such that a flange 7T is obtained by fixing
a flat plate 7I of a width as large as several times a thickness
of a disc reinforcement plate 7H along the outer peripheries
thereof in a winding manner by means welding or the like, the
flange 7T can be a disc plate itself with no flat plate 7I
interposed between disc reinforcement plates 7H.
Then, description will be made of a case where a veneer
roll that has been obtained by reeling a dried veneer sheet is
unwound to combine and form a composite veneer roll with reference
to FIGS. 13 and 14. A veneer roll 9 that has been obtained by
reeling a veneer sheet 1 after drying is rotatably supported
on a reel receiver 8 with bearings at both sides of a take-up
reel 7 in a veneer sheet unwinding position 20. A support shaft
21 is disposed with bearings below the veneer roll 9 and a plurality
of base end pulleys 22 each of a large diameter are mounted on


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
42
the support shaft 21 along the shaft direction at arbitrary
spatial intervals . A pair of support arms are respectively held
in a swingable manner at each of both ends of the support shaft
21 of the base end pulleys 22 and distal pulleys 23 each of a
small diameter are rotatably supported between the pair of
support arms . Drive guide bands 24 respectively extend over the
large diameter base end pulleys 22 and the small diameter distal
pulleys 23. The distal pulleys 23 are pivoted toward the veneer
roll 9 with the support shaft 21 as a fulcrum and thereby, the
drive guide bands 24 is pressed to the veneer roll 9 on a lower
portion on the circumferential surface of the veneer roll 9.
When the drive guide bands 24 are swung counterclockwise as viewed
in FIG. 13, the veneer sheet 1 is unwound by a frictional force
between the veneer roll 9 and the drive guide bands 24 . An unwound
veneer sheet 1 is transferred on the drive guide bands 24 , further
runs to a folded back guide member 25 and then, again folded
back in a transport direction sectionally in a Z letter form
to proceed onto a transport conveyor 26.
The veneer sheet 1 is transported in a state in which a
fiber orientation thereof intersects the transport direction
on the transport conveyor 26 and a position thereof is controlled
in the course of travel by a position control means 27 disposed
in parallel to the transport conveyor 26. The position control
means 27 has a construction in which a first control belt is
arranged not only in parallel to the transport conveyor 26 but
in a vertical state of the shaft direction on one side of the
transport conveyor 26 as viewed in the transport direction and


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
43
a press body that presses the veneer sheet 1 in transportation
on the other side thereof . The press body controls the position
of the veneer sheet 1 by pressing the veneer sheet 1 from the
other side toward the first control belt 28 side in a direction
intersecting the transport direction of the veneer sheet 1. As
press means, two means are exemplified: one is that the veneer
sheet 1 is moved forward or rearward, in a direction intersecting
the transport direction by a fluid pressure and the other is
that as shown in the figure, a second control belt 29 not only
in parallel to the transport conveyor 26 but in a vertical state
of the shaft direction is employed and an eccentric ring 30 is
supported by bearings between both tracks of the second control
belt 29, wherein the eccentric ring 30 is rotated. To be more
detailed, the surface of a track of the second control belt 29
is moved toward along a direction intersecting the transport
direction by rotation of the eccentric ring 30 and thereby the
veneer sheet 1 is pressed by the surface of a track of the second
control belt 29 at one side of the sheet 1, with the result that
the position of the veneer sheet 1 is eventually controlled by
the first control belt 28 that turns in the same direction as
the transport direction at its contact surface with the sheet
1.
A change-over conveyor 31 is provided at the terminal end
of the transport conveyor 26 and the change-over conveyor 31
swings at any angle with the terminal end of the transport conveyor
26 as a fulcrum. A distal end of the change-over conveyor 31
is connected to conveyors in two ways : The distal end is connected


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
44
to the starting end of a lower level conveyor 32 such that a
transport route of the veneer sheet 1 proceeds straight or the
distal end of the change-over conveyor 31 is connected to the
starting end of an upper level conveyor 33 such that a transport
route of the veneer sheet 1 proceeds above. Therefore, the veneer
sheet 1 transported on the transport conveyor 26 is transferred
into the lower level conveyor 32 and the upper level conveyor
33 in an alternate manner by actions of the change-over conveyor
31 . Each veneer sheet 1 that has been transported in the transport
conveyor 26 is aligned in regard to the leading edge in either
of the lower level conveyor 32 or the upper level conveyor 33.
A combining conveyors 34 is connected at a position
downstream from the lower level conveyor 32 and a veneer sheet
1 is transferred onto the lower level conveyor 32 keeping a
straight movement . On the other hand, there is provided a guide
conveyor 35 that guides the veneer sheet 1 on the upper level
conveyor 33 to a transport surface of the combining conveyor
34 at the terminal end of the upper conveyor 33 . The guide conveyor
35 has a down slope in a transport direction and the distal end
thereof is kept being disposed close to the transport surface
of the combining conveyor 34 . On the combining conveyor 34 , a
veneer sheet 1 that is transported in a straight movement and
a veneer sheet 1 that is transported from the upper level conveyor
33 through the guide conveyor 35 are combined in an overlapping
manner while being aligned such that the leading edges of both
veneer sheets 1 coincide with each other.
Aveneer sheet reeling position 5 at which two veneer sheets


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
1 overlapping each other are simultaneously reeled is located
at a position downstream from the combining conveyor 34 . A drive
roller 6 whose length direction at least intersects the transport
direction of the veneer sheet 1 is supported with bearings such
that the upper surface thereof is at almost the same height as
that of the transport surface of the combining conveyor 34. While
the drive roller 6 has a variable speed but normally rotates
at the same speed as that of the combining conveyor 34. A take-up
reel 7 of a large diameter is rotatably supported with bearings
at both ends thereof by a reel receiver 8 above the drive roller
6. The take-up reel 7 is put in contact with the upper surface
of the drive roller 6 at the lower surface thereof and thereby,
the take-up reel 7 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed in FIG.
13 by a frictional force produced from a driving force of the
drive roller 6. A plurality of thread feeding mechanisms 10 are
disposed at positions downstream from the take-up reel 7 at
arbitrary spatial intervals along a length direction of the
take-up reel 7.
The two overlapping veneer sheets 1 are transported by
being carried on the combining conveyor 34 to arrive into the
veneer sheet reeling position 5. On arrival at the veneer sheet
reeling position 5, tips of the threads 12 fed from thread reels
11 of the thread feeding mechanisms 10 are wound on the take-up
reel 7 at arbitrary spatial intervals in the length direction
thereof. When the two overlapping veneer sheets 1 arrive at
between the drive roller 6 and the take-up reel 7 , the take-up
reel 7 is rotated in a reverse direction by a driving force of


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
46
the drive roller 6 that rotates at the same speed as that of
the composing conveyor 34 and takes up the two overlapping veneer
sheets 1 with the threads 12 at a plurality of positions as guides .
The two overlapping veneer sheets 1 that are transported from
the combining conveyor 34 are sequentially wound on the take-up
reel 7.
There is a case where a spatial interval between a preceding
two overlapping veneer sheets 1 and the following two overlapping
veneer sheets 1 is narrowed in consideration of efficiency in
winding on the take-up reel 7. Description will be made of
interval narrowing means for pairs of two overlapping veneer
sheets 1 end to end in a transport direction with reference to
FIG. 15.
A pulse generator 36 is provided to the combining conveyor
34 and a detector 37 is placed above the combining conveyor 34
and as a detector, a contact type, or a non-contact type such
as a transparency type, a reflection type of the like may be
employed. A distance setter 39 that sets a distance K from a
position of the detector 37 to the drive roller 6 is connected
to a drive controller 38 and the distance K is stored as the
number of pulses by reading the number of pulses from the pulse
generator 36. When the detector 37 senses the leading edges of
the two overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate
sheet), the detector 37 transmits a,detection instruction to
the drive controller 38 that is a control system of the drive
roller 6 . A plurality of memory elements is included in the drive
controller 38 and the detection instruction is written on one


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
47
of the memory elements and the drive controller 38 stops driving
of the drive roller 6. The two overlapping veneer sheets 1(a
face sheet and a substrate sheet ) are transported on the combining
conveyor 34 by a distance K and when the memory element detects
the transportation by counting up of the number of the pulses ,
the drive controller 38 not only activates the drive roller 6
but resets the memory element . The two overlapping veneer sheets
1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) that arrives at the upper
surface position of the drive roller 6 are wound on the take-up
reel 7 by driving of the drive roller 6 over an angular turn
along a circumferential direction corresponding to a length of
the two overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate
sheet ) with the threads 12 as guide. The length of the two
overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet )
is determined by the detector 37 such that when the two overlapping
veneer sheets 1(a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) are
transported on the combining conveyor 34, the detector 37 senses
the leading and trailing edges and stores the length as the number
of pulses in the drive controller 38. It should be appreciated
that since veneer sheets are cut at almost the same length, the
constant length may be stored in the drive controller 38 as a
sheet length 40 in advance.
When the number of pulses corresponding to the sheet length
40 is counted, a drive stop instruction is issued to the drive
roller 6 from the drive controller 38 to stop the drive roller
6 again. Then, the next two overlapping veneer sheets 1(a face
sheet and a substrate sheet ) are transported on the combining


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
48
conveyor 34 and when the leading edge is sensed by the detector
37, process thereafter goes following steps similar to those
as describe above. In this case, if the preceding two overlapping
veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) are still
in transportation on the combining conveyor 34 or still in winding
operation on the take-up reel 7 , since the memory element that
stores the preceding detection instruction has not yet been reset ,
pulse control is performed by another memory element . In such
a way, the next pair of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face
sheet and a substrate sheet ) come to arrives at the upper point
of the drive roller 6 and then , the next two overlapping veneer
sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) are wound on the
take-up reel 7 with the threads 12 as guide while spatial intervals
between the successive two pairs of the sheets are narrowed.
Such operations are repeated and thereby, the drive roller 6
intermittently rotates and pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets
lare efficiently wound on the take-up reel 7 as shown in FIG.
16 while spatial intervals between pairs of the sheets adjacent
to each other are narrowed.
The leading edge of a next pair of overlapping veneer sheets
are detected by the detector 37, and then, the two overlapping
veneer sheets 1 arrives at the upper position of the drive roller
6 after steps similar to those as described above and wound on
the take-up reel 7 with the threads 12 as guide while spatial
intervals between successive pairs of the sheets are narrowed
as shown in FIG. 16. By repetition of the above described
operations , the drive roller 6 intermittently rotates and pairs


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
49
of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 are reeled in an efficient
manner while spatial intervals between successive pairs of the
sheets are narrowed.
The interval narrowing means shown in FIG . 15 has no problem
in reeling as far as a transport speed of the conveyor and an
average winding speed (slow) in intermittent movement almost
corresponds to each other since pairs of two overlapping veneer
sheets 1 are reeled in a veneer sheet reeling position 5 by an
intermittent rotation of the drive roller 6 . However, in a higher
winding speed, a problem arises. In this case, adjustment of
spatial intervals of pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets 1
is performed during transportation in a stage prior to the veneer
sheet reeling position 5. Then, description will be made of
another embodiment of interval narrowing means with reference
to FIG. 17, wherein the same constituents as those corresponding
of FIG. 15 are indicated by the same marks.
At first, the starting edge of an interval narrowing
conveyor 43 that performs narrowing spatial intervals between
pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets 1, end to end, in the
transport direction is disposed in a staggered manner with the
terminal end of a combining conveyor 34 and both conveyors are
set such that the conveyors can independently be operated. In
this situation, when a detector 37 that is located above the
combining conveyor 34 senses the leading edge of a pair of two
overlapping veneer sheets 1, the detector 37 transmits a
detection instruction to a drive controller 38 that is a control
system of the interval narrowing conveyor 43. A distance setter


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
39 that sets a distance K from the detector 37 to a point on
the interval narrowing conveyor 43 is connected to the drive
controller 38 and the drive controller 38 stops driving of the
interval narrowing conveyor 43 in response to the detection
instruction. A pulse generator 36 is provided to the combining
conveyor 34 and the two overlapping veneer sheets 1 are
transported on the combining conveyor 34 by a distance K and
the distance K is detected by counting up the number of pulses .
The two overlapping veneer sheets 1 that arrives at the interval
narrowing conveyor 43 is further transported on the interval
narrowing conveyor 43 by driving thereof over a length of the
two overlapping veneer sheets 1. The length of the two overlapping
veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) is determined
by the detector 37 such that when the two overlapping veneer
sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) are transported
on the combining conveyor 34, the detector 37 senses the leading
and trailing edges and stores the length as the number of pulses
in the drive controller 38. It should be appreciated that since
veneer sheets are cut at almost the same length, the constant
length may be stored in the drive controller 38 as a sheet length
in advance. Spatial intervals between pairs of two overlapping
veneer sheets 1, end to end, in the transport direction are
narrowed on the interval narrowing conveyor 43 and a pair of
two overlapping veneer sheets 1 are transferred to another
conveyor and wound on the take-up reel 7 at a speed matching
a winding speed.
In this situation, when the reel receiver 8 that supports


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
51
the take-up reel 7 with bearings is fixedly positioned, the
combining conveyor 34 and the drive roller 6 are freely swung
downward with the starting end of the combining conveyor 34 as
a fulcrum and as a winding diameter of a veneer roll increases ,
the drive roller 6 is swingably lowered in an automatic manner
together with the combining conveyor 34 by a half of the increase
in diameter . Contrary to this , when bearings supporting the drive
roller 6 are fixedlypositioned, the reel receiver 8 of the take-up
reel 7 is raised by a half of the increase in diameter of the
take-up reel. Further, since the drive roller 6 imparts a
frictional force to the take-up reel 7 , a fluidpressure, a balance
weight or the like is employed in order to maintain a state in
which the drive roller 6 is in press contact with the take-up
reel 7 under a constant pressure all the time.
In such a way, pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets 1
are sequentially reeled to form a composite veneer roll 41 in
which veneer sheets are combined as pairs of a face sheet and
a substrate sheet for producing a three ply laminated wood. The
composite veneer roll 41 is transported to a composite veneer
roll stock area of a reeling deck. The composite veneer roll
stock area is constructed in a structure including beams
vertically disposed at many levels and a plurality of composite
veneer rolls are stored for a time period ( one day and night )
in the composite veneer roll stock area to achieve an equilibrium
moisture content in common with a face sheet and a substrate
sheet.
In the embodiment, description is made in the case where


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
52
veneer sheets 1 after drying each of a constant length are
individually unwound from one veneer roll 9 in the veneer sheet
unwinding position 20 and pairs of two veneer sheets are combined
in an overlapping manner to produce a composite form. This is
because a face sheet and a substrate sheet are almost the same
as each other in terms of grade and therefore and two veneer
sheets of the same kind both for use as a face sheet are
superimposed on each other, or on the contrary two veneer sheets
of the same kind both for use as a substrate sheet are superimposed
on each other. In such a case, if a dried veneer sheet 1 after
drying is continuous , the sheet 1 is cut into sheets of a constant
length during transportation on the transport conveyor 26.
In FIG. 18, an embodiment is shown in which two veneer
rolls 9 of different kinds (for a face sheet and a substrate
sheet ) are provided in a veneer sheet unwinding position 20 and
veneer sheets 1 after drying each of a constant length are
individually cut one by one from each of the two veneer rolls
9 to combine two veneer sheets as two overlapping veneer sheets
1 and produce a composite form respectively from the two veneer
rolls 9. In this case, all that is needed is that the system
is configured as follows: Two pair of a transport conveyor 26
and position control means 27 disposed in parallel to the
transport conveyor 26, similar to the above described, are
arranged at two levels, one above the other, respectively for
uses in transportation of face sheets and substrate sheets.
Further, a guide conveyor 35 is disposed at the terminal end
of the upper level transport conveyor 26 and the guide conveyor


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
53
35 guides veneer sheets 1 to a transport surface of a combining
conveyor 34. For convenience of description, the lower level
transport conveyor 26 is for a face sheet and the upper level
transport conveyor is for a substrate sheet.
In this case, veneer sheets (a face sheet and a substrate
sheet ) after drying each of a constant length are individually
unwound from two veneer rolls 9 (respectively for a face sheet
and a substrate sheet ) in a veneer sheet unwinding position 20
and the veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet and a substrate sheet)
after drying are transferred on the upper and lower level
transport conveyors 26 . Positions of the veneer sheets 1 ( a face
sheet and a substrate sheet) after drying are respectively
controlled on the upper and lower level transport conveyors 26
by position control means 27. Thereafter, a veneer sheet 1 (a
face sheet ) transported in a straight movement from the lower
level transport conveyor 26 and a veneer sheet 1 ( a substrate
sheet ) transported from the upper level transport conveyor 26
through the guide conveyor 35 are combined on the combining
conveyor 34 in an overlapping manner while the leading edges
of both veneer sheets are aligned. Then, pairs of two overlapping
veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) are reeled
while spatial intervals between pairs of two overlapping veneer
sheets 1, end to end. in the transport direction are narrowed
by the interval narrowing means as a composite veneer roll 41
and the composite veneer roll 41 is stored in a composite veneer
roll stock area to achieve an equilibrium between veneer sheets
of different kinds ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) in moisture


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
54
content.
In the embodiments , descriptions are made of the case where
pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 are reeled while spatial
intervals between pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets 1, end
to end, in the transport direction are narrowed. This process
is one in which pairs of a face sheet and a substrate'sheet in
a composite state for use in producing three ply laminated wood.
Next, description will be made of an embodiment to obtain a
composite veneer roll obtained by reeling three kinds of veneer
sheets including face, central core and substrate sheets that
are used in producing five ply laminated wood.
Such a composite veneer roll is achieved as follows : As
shown in FIG. 19, pairs of two overlapping dried veneer sheets
and single dried veneer sheets are alternately wound with a pair
of two overlapping dried veneer sheets and a single dried veneer
sheet as a set on a large diameter take-up reel 7 as described
above with threads 12 as guide into a multilayer structure to
form a composite veneer roll and the composite veneer roll is
used in producing five ply laminated wood . That is , in this case ,
pairs of two veneer sheets 1 overlapping each other and single
veneer sheets, all with the same fiber orientation, are reeled
in an alternate manner along a winding direction.
There are three cases in order to realize a composite veneer
roll described above in a broad sense: in a first case, a face
sheet, a substrate sheet and a central core sheet are all of
the same kind, in a second case, a substrate sheet and a central
core sheet are both of the same kind, but a face_sheet is different


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
from the other two, and in a third case , a face sheet , a substrate
sheet and a central sheet are all different from one another.
Among them, the former two will below be described with reference
to the figures described above.
Description will be made of the case where a face sheet ,
a substrate sheet and a central core sheet are all of the same
kind with reference to FIG. 13 and 14.
Veneer sheets 1 after drying each of a constant length
are individually unwound to be transferred onto the transport
conveyor 26 in the veneer sheet unwinding position 20 . A position
of a veneer sheet 1 is controlled on the transport conveyor 26
by the position control means 27. Then, two veneer sheets 1 are
transported in a straight movement on the lower level conveyor
32 by connecting the change-over conveyor 31 to the lower level
conveyor 32. After the two veneer sheets 1 are transported in
a straight movement, a single veneer sheet 1 is transferred and
transported on the upper level transport conveyor 33, by
connecting the change-over conveyor 31 to the upper conveyor
33. Therefore, the change-over conveyor 31 transfers two veneer
sheets to the lower level conveyor 32 to transport thereon, while
the change-over conveyor 31 transfers a single veneer sheet to
the upper level conveyor 33 to transport thereon . On the combining
conveyor 34 , a single veneer sheet 1 transported from the upper
level conveyor 33 through the guide conveyor 35 overlaps and
is aligned with one of a pair of two veneer sheets 1 transported
straight on the lower level conveyor 32 such that the leading
edges of the single sheets coincide with each other. Then, a


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
56
pair of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 are wound on the take-up
reel 7 by the interval narrowing means. Following the winding,
the other of the pair of two veneer sheets 1 is transported straight
from the lower level conveyor 32 subsequent to the one of the
pair of two veneer sheets 1 onto the combining conveyor 34. In
such a way, pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 and single
veneer sheets 1 are alternately transported on the combining
conveyor 34 and veneer sheets 1 are efficiently wound on the
take-up reel 7 while spatial intervals between pairs of two
overlapping veneer sheets 1 and single veneer sheets 1, end to
end, .in the winding direction are narrowed as shown in FIG. 20.
Then, description will be made of a case where kinds of
a substrate sheet and a central core sheet are the same as each
other, but a face sheet is of a dedicated kind with reference
to FIG. 18.
In this case, for convenience of description, among two
veneer sheet rolls 9 , the upper level veneer roll 9 is used for
substrate sheets and central core sheets, while the lower level
veneer roll 9 is exclusively used for face sheets . Single veneer
sheets 1 after drying each of a constant length are individually
wound from the veneer rolls 9 and respectively transferred onto
the upper and lower level transport conveyors 26 , 26 . Positions
of the single veneer sheets are controlled on the upper and lower
level transport conveyors 26 , 26 by the position control means
27 respectively. Thereafter, a single veneer sheet 1 (a face
sheet) transported straight from the lower level conveyor 26
and a single veneer sheet 1 ( in this case, a substrate sheet )


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transported from the upper level transport conveyor 26 through
the guide conveyor 35 are combined and aligned with respect to
the leading edges in an overlapping manner. Then, the two
overlapping veneer sheets 1 are wound on the take-up reel 7 by
the interval narrowing means. After winding of the two
overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate ) , a
single veneer sheet 1 ( in this case , a central core sheet ) is
transported from the upper level transport conveyor 26 through
the guide conveyor 35 following the two overlapping veneer sheets
1 ( a face sheet and a substrate ) . That is , single veneer sheets
1 are alternately used as a substrate sheet and a central core
sheet. In a case of the substrate sheet, a single veneer sheet
1 from the upper level transport conveyor 26 is superimposed
on a single veneer sheet 1 ( a face sheet ) transported from the
lower level transport conveyor 26 , whereas in a case of a central
core sheet , the veneer sheet 1 is alone wound on a take-up reel
7 as a composite veneer roll 41 while spatial intervals between
the preceding two overlapping veneer sheets 1 or the following
two overlapping veneer sheets 1 are narrowed in an end-to-end
arrangement in the winding direction by the interval narrowing
means . Composite veneer rolls are stored in the composite veneer
roll stock area. It should be appreciated that in this case,
an unwinding speed of the upper level roll (alternately used
for a substrate sheet and a central core sheet ) is controlled
so as to be about two times that of the lower level roll (for
a face sheet ) and a transport ratio in a unit time between the
numbers of veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet ) transported from the


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lower level transport conveyor 26 and veneer sheets 1
(alternately changed between a substrate sheet and a central
sheet ) transported from the upper level transport conveyor 26
through the guide conveyor 35 is 1 . 2.
In FIG. 21, there is shown an embodiment in which single
veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet, a substrate sheet and a central
sheet ) after drying each of a constant length are individually
unwound from three veneer rolls 9 of different sheet kinds ( for
a face sheet , a substrate sheet and a central sheet ) in the veneer
sheet unwinding position 20, and pairs of two overlapping veneer
sheets ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) and single veneer
sheet ( a center core sheet ) are again reeled as a set to produce
a composite veneer roll . In this embodiment , transport conveyors
26 and position control means 27 , both similar to those in the
above described embodiments, are respectively provided in three
levels for a face sheet, a substrate sheet and a center core
sheet. For convenience of description, it is assumed that among
the transport conveyors at respective levels, the transport
conveyor 26 at the upper level is used for a central core sheet ,
the transport conveyor 26 at the middle level is used for a
substrate sheet and the transport conveyor 26 at the lower level
is used for a face sheet . A guide conveyor 35 that guides a single
veneer sheet 1 ( a substrate sheet ) from the terminal end of the
middle level transport conveyor 26 is located at a transport
surface of a combining conveyor 34 that is connected to the lower
transport conveyor 26. Further, a relay conveyor 42 is disposed
between the combining conveyor 34 and a veneer sheet winding


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position 5. The starting end of the relay conveyor 42 and the
terminal end of the combining conveyor 34 are in a staggered
manner arranged and can circulate independently from each other .
A guide conveyor 35 is disposed at a transport surface of the
relay conveyor 42 and the guide conveyor 35 transfers a single
veneer sheet 1 ( a central core sheet ) from the terminal end of
the upper level transport conveyor 26 to the transport surface .
In this case, single veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet, a
substrate sheet and a central sheet) after drying each of a
constant length are individually unwound from respective three
veneer rolls 9 of different sheet kinds (for a face sheet, a
substrate sheet and a central core sheet ) at the veneer sheet
unwinding position 20 and the single veneer sheets 1 are
respectively fed onto the upper, middle and lower level transport
conveyors 26. Single veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet, a substrate
and a central core sheet ) are controlled with respect to position
on the upper, middle and lower level transport conveyors 26 by
the respective position control means 27. Thereafter, a single
veneer sheet 1 ( a face sheet ) transported straight from the lower
level transport conveyor 26 and a single veneer sheet 1 (a
substrate sheet) transported from the middle level transport
conveyor 26 through the guide conveyor 35 are combined in an
overlapping manner in alignment at the leading edges.
Next , description will be made of interval narrowing means
in the embodiment with reference to FIG. 22.
A pulse generator 36 is provided to the combining conveyor
34 and a first detector 44 as described above is disposed above


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
the combining conveyor 34 . The starting end of the relay conveyor
42 is in a staggered manner connected to the terminal end of
the combining conveyor 34. A pule generator 45 is provided to
the relay conveyor 42 and further a second detector 46 similar
to the above described is disposed above the relay conveyor 42.
A distance setter 39 is connected to a drive controller 38 and
in the distance setter 39, a distance L1 from a position of the
first detector 44 to the drive roller 6 and a distance L2 from
the second detector 46 to the drive roller 6 are set . The distances
L1 and L2 are stored as the numbers of pulses by reading the
numbers of pulses from the pulse generators 36 and 45.
When the first detector 44 senses the leading edge of a
pair of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet and a
substrate sheet ) transported on the combining conveyor 34 , the
first detector 44 transmits a detection instruction to a drive
controller 38 that is a control system of the drive roller 6.
A plurality of memory elements are included in the drive
controller 38 , the detection instruction is written on one of
the memory elements and not only does the drive controller 38
stop the drive roller 6 but also transmits an unwinding
prohibitive instruction to an unwinding controller 47 (for a
central core sheet ) for the upper level to prevent a single veneer
sheet 1 ( a central core sheet ) from being transported onto the
upper level transport conveyor 26. A pair of two overlapping
veneer sheet 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) are transported
on the combining conveyor 34 and the relay conveyor 42 over
distance L1 and when the memory element detects by counting the


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number of pulses, an activating instruction is transmitted to
the drive roller 6 to restart activation thereof . An unwinding
start instruction is transmitted to the upper level unwinding
controller 47 to restart an unwinding operation at the upper
level and thereby, a single veneer sheet 1 ( a central core sheet )
is started .to transport from the upper level transport conveyor
26 to the relay conveyor 42 . After issuance of all the instructions
is finished, the element is reset. A pair of two overlapping
veneer sheets 1 that has arrived at the upper point of the drive
roller 6 is driven by the drive roller 6 over a length of the
sheets and thereby, are wound on the take-up reel 7 with threads
12 as guide. The length of the two overlapping veneer sheets
is determined by the first detector 44 , such that when the pair
of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate
sheet ) are transported on the combining conveyor 34 , the first
detector 44 senses the leading edge and trailing edge and the
length is stored in the drive controller 38 as the number of
pulses.
On the other hand, a single veneer sheet 1 ( a central core
sheet) waiting on the upper level transport conveyor 26 is
transported onto the relay conveyor 42 through the guide conveyor
35. When the second detector 46 senses the leading edge of a
single veneer sheet 1 ( a central core sheet ) in the course of
transportation on the relay conveyor 42 by the circulation
thereof, transmits a detection instruction to the drive
controller 38. The detection instruction is written on one of
the memory elements in the drive controller 38 and not only is


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62
driving of the drive roller 6 stopped but an unwinding
prohibitive instruction is transmitted to the unwinding
controller 48 for the middle and lower levels . Transportation
of veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate ) from the middle
and lower transport conveyors 26 onto the combining conveyor
34 is prevented from occurring.
When a veneer sheet 1 ( a central core sheet ) is transported
on the relay conveyor 42 over a distance L2 and the memory element
detects the transportation by counting up of the number of pulses ,
an activation instruction is issued to the drive roller 6 to
restart activation thereof. Further, an unwinding start
instruction is issued to the unwinding controller 48 for the
middle and lower levels to restart unwinding operations at the
middle and lower levels and single veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet
and a substrate sheet) are restarted to transport onto the
combining conveyor 34 from the middle and lower level transport
conveyors 26. After all the instructions are issued, the memory
element is reset . A single veneer sheet 1 ( a central core sheet )
that has arrived on the drive roller 6 is driven over a length
of the sheet by the drive roller 6 and thereby, the single veneer
sheet 1 ( a central core sheet ) is wound on the take-up reel 7
with the threads 12 as guide while a spatial interval between
the following single veneer sheet 1 and the trailing end of the
pair of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet and a
substrate sheet) wound previously is narrowed. The length of
the single veneer sheet (a central core sheet) is determined
by the second detector 46 , such that when a single veneer sheets


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1 ( a central core sheet ) is transported on the relay conveyor
42, the second detector 46 senses the leading edge and trailing
edge and the length is stored in the drive controller 38 as the
number of pulses . It should be appreciated that since lengths
40 of single veneer sheets 1 are almost constant in cutting,
the constant length may be stored in the drive controller 38
as a length 40 similar to the described above.
By repetition of the above described series of operations ,
the drive roller 6 intermittently rotates and pairs of two
overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet )
and single veneer sheets 1 ( a central core sheet ) , with a pair
of overlapping veneer sheets and a single veneer sheet as a set ,
are efficiently wound on the take-up reel 7 in a sequential manner
while a spatial interval between single veneer sheets and pairs
of two overlapping veneer sheets, end to end, arranged in the
winding direction is narrowed. A composite veneer roll 41 reeled
in such a way is transported to a composite veneer roll stock
area and stored with the result that an equilibrium in moisture
content is achieved between sheets of different kinds (a face
sheet and a substrate sheet ) . It should be appreciated that while
in the embodiment , description is made of the case where control
is performed by pulses that are converted from a distance for
convenience, similar control can also be achieved by using a
delay circuit in which a distance is converted to a time period.
In the embodiment, while an unwinding prohibitive
instruction and an unwinding start instruction are issued to
the unwinding controller 47 ( for a central core sheet ) for the


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64
upper level or the unwinding controller 48 for the middle and
lower levels by pulse control of a memory element in the drive
controller 38 , this procedures can be replaced with the following
way.
That is , when the trailing edges of a pair of two overlapping
veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) are sensed
by the second detector 46 disposed above the relay conveyor 42 ,
the detection instruction is transmitted to the unwinding
controller 48 for the middle and lower levels from the drive
controller 38 as an unwinding prohibitive instruction.
Transportation of veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate
sheet ) onto the combining conveyor 34 from the middle and lower
level transport conveyors 26 is prevented from occurring in
response to the instruction. On the other hand, in synchronism
with this issuance of the detection instruction, the detection
instruction is further transmitted to the unwinding controller
47 for the upper level from the drive controller 38 as a unwinding
starting instruction. Transportation of a single veneer sheet
1 (a central core sheet) onto the relay conveyor 42 from the
upper level transport conveyor 26 is restarted in response to
the instruction . A single veneer sheet 1 ( a central core sheet )
waiting on the upper Ievel conveyor 26 is transported onto the
relay conveyor 42 through the guide conveyor 35. The second
detector 46 senses the leading edge of a single veneer sheet
1 ( a central core sheet ) in the course of transportation on the
relay conveyor by circulation of the belt thereof , the second
detector 46 transmits the detection instruction to the drive


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
controller 38 and then the drive controller 38 issues the
detection instruction to the unwinding controllers 48 for the
middle and lower levels as the unwinding prohibitive instruction ,
wherein the unwinding controllers 48 for the middle and lower
levels are connected to the drive controller 38. Transportation
of two veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet and a substrate sheet) onto
the combining conveyor 34 respectively from the middle and lower
level transport conveyors 26 are prevented from occurring in
response to the instruction.
While interval narrowing means shown in FIG. 22 is operated
by intermittent rotation of a drive roller 6 in a veneer sheet
reeling position 5, description will be made of another
embodiment of the interval narrowing means with reference to
FIG. 23, wherein the above described interval narrowing means
performs narrowing of a spatial interval in the course of
transportation in a stage prior to the veneer sheet reeling
position 5. It should be appreciated that the same constituents
as those corresponding of FIG . 22 are indicated by the same marks .
The starting end of a interval narrowing conveyor 43 that
performs narrowing of the spatial interval is disposed in a
staggered manner with the terminal end of a relay conveyor 42
and the conveyors 43 and 42 can independently be driven. In this
configuration, the first detector 44 senses the leading edge
of a pair of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and
a substrate sheet ) transported on a combining conveyor 34 , the
first detector 44 transmits a detection instruction to a drive
controller 38 that is a control system of the interval narrowing


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66
conveyor 43. A plurality of memory elements are included in the
drive controller 38 and the detection instruction is written
on one of the memory elements and the drive controller 38 not
only stops driving of the interval narrowing conveyor 43, but
transmits an unwinding prohibitive instruction to an unwinding
controller 47 ( for a center core sheet ) for the upper level with
the result that transportation of a single veneer sheet 1 (a
central core sheet) to the upper level transport conveyor 26
is prohibited. When a pair of two overlapping veneer sheets 1
(a face sheet and a substrate sheet) are transported on the
combining conveyor 34 and the relay conveyor 42 over a distance
L1 and the memory element detects the transportation by counting
up the number of pulses, an activation instruction is issued
to the interval narrowing conveyor 43 to restart activation
thereof . Further, an unwinding start instruction is issued to
an unwinding controller 47 for the upper level to restart an
unwinding operation at the upper level and restart transportation
of a single veneer sheet ( a central core sheet ) onto the relay
conveyor 42 from the upper level transport conveyor 26. After
all the instructions are issued, the memory element is reset .
A pair of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet and a
substrate sheet) that has arrived on the interval narrowing
conveyor 43 are wound on a take-up reel 7 with threads 12 as
guide by driving the interval narrowing conveyor 43 over a length
of the pair of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet
and a substrate sheet).
On the other hand, a single veneer sheet 1 (a central core


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
67
sheet) waiting on the upper level transport conveyor 26 is
transported onto the relay conveyor 42 through the guide conveyor
35. When a second detector 46 senses the leading edge of a single
veneer sheet 1 (a central core sheet) in the course of
transportation in company with of circulation of the relay
conveyor 42, the second detector 46 transmits a detection
instruction to the drive controller 38 . The detection instruction
is written on one of memory elements in the drive controller
38 and thereby, not only is driving of the interval narrowing
conveyor 43 stopped but the detection instruction is transmitted
to the unwinding controller 48 for the middle and lower levels
as an unwinding prohibitive instruction. Transportation of
veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) respectively
from the middle and lower level transport conveyors 26 onto the
combining conveyor 34 is prevented from occurring.
The veneer sheet 1 (a central core sheet) is transport
on the relay conveyor 42 over a distance L2 and when the memory
element detects the transportation by counting up the number
of pulses , an activation instruction is issued to the interval
narrowing conveyor 43 to restart activation thereof . Further,
an unwinding start instruction is issued to the unwinding
controller 48 for the middle and lower levels to restart unwinding
operations at the middle and lower levels , with the result that
transportation of veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate
sheet) from the middle and lower level conveyors 26 onto the
combining conveyor 34 is restarted. After all the instruction
are issued, the memory element is reset . A single veneer sheet


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1 ( a central core sheet ) that has arrived on the interval narrowing
conveyor 43 is transported on the interval narrowing conveyor
43 by driving the conveyor 43 over a length of the pair of two
overlapping veneer sheets 1 ( a face sheet and a substrate sheet ) .
Hence, pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets 1 (a face sheet
and a substrate sheet) and single veneer sheets 1 (a central
core sheet) are in a waiting state on the interval narrowing
conveyor 43 in the alternate order while a spatial interval
between a single veneer sheets and a pair of two overlapping
veneer sheets, end to end, in sequence in the winding direction
is narrowed and thereafter, the pairs of two overlapping veneer
sheets 1 (a face sheet and a substrate sheet) and the single
veneer sheet 1 ( a center core sheet ) are respectively transported
to the veneer sheet reeling position 5 in an alternate manner,
followed by winding the veneer sheet and sheets in the alternate
order on a take-up reel 7 with threads 12 as guide.
In FIGS . 24 to 26 , there is shown an embodiment in which
a face veneer sheet and a substrate veneer sheet , both after
drying, that are different in kinds from each other are
respectively fed from piles of face veneer sheets and substrate
sheets to be wound on a take-up reel 7.
The piles 49 of face veneer sheets lA and substrate sheets
1B, both after drying, that are different from each other in
kinds are placed on lifters 50 and the top heights of the piles
49 are controlled to be of any value all time. A pair of conveyors
connecting to the lifters 50 are installed as two routes, one
above the other, in an adjacent manner to each other with pinch


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69
rollers 51 interposed therebetween. The pair of conveyors
respectively for transportation of face veneer sheets and
substrate veneer sheets at levels, upper and lower, are provided
as interval narrowing means 52 for the veneer sheets lA and
substrate sheets 1B that are alternately transported one after
another. The interval narrowing means 52 comprises an upstream
conveyor 54 that is constructed from belts and chains on which
spikes 53 are fixed at spatial intervals about two times a width
of a face veneer sheet lA or a substrate veneer sheet 1B and
a downstream conveyor 55 downstream from the upstream conveyor
54 that is constructed from belts or chains on which spikes 53
are fixed at spatial intervals about the same width as that of
a face veneer sheet lA or a substrate veneer sheet 1B . The terminal
end of the upstream conveyor 54 is combined in a staggered manner
with the starting end of the downstream conveyor 55 and a speed
of the upstream conveyor 54 is controlled so as to be almost
two times that of the downstream conveyor 55.
Position control means 27 is provided on one side of the
upstream conveyor 54 as viewed in the transport direction ( on
the other side of the upstream conveyor 54 from the lifter 50 )
at any point along the upstream conveyor 54 and the position
control means 27 controls one side of each of face veneer sheets
lA and substrate veneer sheets 1B as view in the transportation.
The position control means 27 is constituted of a control belt
56 a shaft direction of whose pulleys is vertical and the inside
surface of whose belt is in parallel to the upstream conveyor
54 and can freely circulate in a direction of transportation


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of the upstream conveyor 54. A roller conveyor 57 is provided
such that parallel tubular rollers thereof are respectively
inserted between belts or chains of the upstream conveyor 54
and the roller conveyor 57 can freely be moved so as to protrude
from a transport surface or retreat from the transport surface.
The roller conveyor 57 can further be circulated so as to face
in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the
upstream conveyor 54.
Face sheets lA and substrate sheets 1B are individually
fed onto the pinch roller 51 from the tops of the piles 49 on
the lifters 50 one at a time and reach onto roller conveyor 57
after being fed on the pinch rollers 51. In this situation, the
roller conveyor 57 is controlled in a raised state in which the
roller conveyor 57 is protruded from the transportation surface
of the upstream conveyor 54 and circulated toward the control
belt 56. A face veneer sheet lA or a substrate veneer sheet 1B
proceeds up to the control belt 56 so as to be eventually put
in contact therewith and then one end of the face veneer sheet
lA or the substrate veneer sheet 1B is slid a little such that
the one end is turned toward a shaft direction of the tubular
rollers under control in company with rotation of the control
belt 56. Thereafter, when the roller conveyor 57 is retreated
from the transport surface of the upstream conveyor 54 , the face
veneer sheet lA or the substrate veneer sheet 1B is transferred
onto the upstream conveyor 54 and transported toward the
downstream conveyor 55 with the trailing end supported by the
spikes 53.


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71
When a face veneer sheet lA or a substrate veneer sheet
1B in transportationwith the spikes 53 as stoppers on the upstream
conveyors 54 reaches the starting end of the down stream conveyor
55, Since a speed of the downstream conveyor 55 is controlled
so as to be about half that of the upstream conveyor 54, the
leading edge of the face veneer sheet lA or the substrate veneer
sheet 1B gradually catches up with spikes 53 of the downstream
conveyor 55. Just before the leading edge of the face veneer
sheet lA or the substrate veneer sheet 1B is put in contact with
spikes 53 of the downstream conveyor 55, the trailing edge of
the face veneer sheet lA or the substrate veneer sheet 1B comes
to be supported by spikes 53 of the downstream conveyor 55 since
an upper belt of the upstream conveyor 54 reaches a point of
return at the terminal end thereof . In this situation, the face
veneer sheet lA or the substrate veneer sheet 1B comes to be
fully disposed on the downstream conveyor 55 between spikes 53
thereof at the leading and trailing edges of the veneer sheets
lA or 1B and thereafter, spatial intervals between the veneer
sheets lA or 1B, end to end, arranged in the transportation
direction are narrowed.
The starting end of a combining conveyor 34 is connected
in a staggered manner to the terminal end of the lower level
downstream conveyor 55 at a downstream position of the lower
level downstream conveyor 55 and a substrate veneer sheet 1B
on the lower level downstream conveyor 55 is transferred keeping
a straight movement with no special procedure . On the other hand,
a guide conveyor 35 is disposed at the terminal end of the upper


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level downstream conveyor 55 and the guide conveyor 35 guides
a face veneer sheet lA on the upper level downstream conveyor
55 onto a transport surface of the combining conveyor 34. The
guide conveyor 35 has a down slope toward the transport direction
and the distal end of the guide conveyor 35 is held close to
the transport surface of the combining conveyor 34. On the
combining conveyor 34 , a substrate veneer sheet 1B transported
in straight movement from the lower level downstream conveyor
55 and a face veneer sheet transported from the upper level
downstream conveyor 55 through the guide conveyor 35 are combined
while the leading edges of the veneer sheets lA and 1B are aligned
with each other in an overlapping manner.
A pair of two overlapping veneer sheets composed of a face
veneer sheet lA and a substrate veneer sheet 1B are transported
on the combining conveyor 34 and arrive in a veneer sheet reeling
position 5. In this situation, the drive roller 6 rotates at
almost the same speed as that of combining conveyor 34 , a take-up
reel 7 is rotated in a reverse direction to that of the drive
roller 6 by a frictional force produced from a driving force
of the drive roller 6 and pairs of two overlapping veneer sheets
composed of a face veneer sheet lA and substrate veneer sheets
1B are wound on a take-up reel 7 . In this case, spatial intervals
between pairs of overlapping veneer sheets composed of a face
veneer sheet lA and a substrate veneer sheet 1B are narrowed
being arranged end to end in a winding direction, thereby
entailing reeling of veneer sheets with good efficiency.
While in the above embodiment, description, for


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73
convenience, is made of the case where there are provided the
interval narrowing means 52 constructed from the upstream and
downstream conveyors 54 and 55, and the position control means
27 respectively for use to control a face veneer sheet lA and
a substrate veneer sheet 1B, which are disposed at positions,
above or below, at any spatial interval in the transport direction ,
it is also allowable that the upstream and downstream conveyors
54 and 55 are disposed in an adjacent manner at any spatial interval
on both sides, left or right, of the transport direction, or
disposed at opposite positions with the combining conveyor 34
interposed therebetween. Further, the interval narrowing means
52 constructed from the upstream and downstream conveyors 54
and 55 can be replaced with controlled intermittent rotation
of the drive roller 6 in the veneer sheet reeling position 5.
Still further, interval narrowing means according to the
controlled intermittent rotation of the drive roller 6 in the
embodiments can be replaced with the interval narrowing means
52 constructed from the upstream and downstream conveyors 54
and 55.
Next, description will be made of another embodiment of
a veneer reeling apparatus of the invention with reference to
FIGs. 27 to 33.
A transport conveyor 60 has a configuration in which a
plurality of belts 63 are extended over a starting end pulley
61 and a distal end pulley 62, and the pulleys 61 and 62 are
freely rotatable by driving of a motor ( not shown ) and mounted
on a frame 64 . A pair of reel supports 65 are provided at positions


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74
on the outsides of the transport conveyor 60 in the vicinity
of the terminal end thereof in a direction perpendicular to the
transport direction. In the reel supports 65, there are provided
a reel receiver 8 that supports a take-up reel 7 in a freely
rotatable manner; a reel down-presser 66 that presses the take-up
reel 7 downward from above when veneer sheets 1 are wound on
the take-up reel 7 while respectively facing inwardly in an
opposite manner, thereby constituting a veneer sheet reeling
position 5. Further, fluid cylinders 67 for use in suspension
are provided on both sides of the reel supports 65 at an upper
position thereof with the front sides down and the distal end
of the piston rod 68 is connected to one end of a support member
70 such as chains or belts that are wound on a support section
69 of the frame 64 , while the end of the support member 70 is
fixed at a support section 71 of a reel support 65.
A winding guide member 72 is disposed in a space covering
from below the take-up reel 7 to the other side of the take-up
reel 7 from the veneer sheet 1 feed side, opposing to the
circumferential surface of the body of the take-up reel 7 , wherein
the winding guide member 72 plays a role to wind the veneer sheet
1 transported from the transport conveyor 60 on the take-up reel
7. The winding guide member 72 includes a plurality of endless
bands 73 that are arranged at arbitrary spatial intervals along
the shaft direction of the take-up reel 7 and the endless bands
are located, as shown in FIG.29, in an opposite manner to the
circumferential surface of the take-up reel 7 along the
circumferential surface, from the lower surface of the take-up


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
reel 7 to a part of the circumferential surface on the other
side from the veneer sheet 1 feed side.
The winding guide member 72 shown in FIG. 29 are constructed
from a plurality of endless bands 73 that respectively extend
over pulleys disposed in a base end section, a middle section,
an upper section and a distal end section . That is , the pulleys
74 in the base end section are mounted on a shaft 75 of a plurality
of distal end pulleys 62 of the transport conveyor 60 such that
the pulleys 74 are respectively inserted between the plurality
of distal end pulleys 62 that are mounted on the shaft 75 in
arbitrary spatial intervals along the shaft direction. Further,
pulleys 77 in the middle section are disposed in a corresponding
manner to the pulleys 74 in the base section on and along a middle
shaft 76 that is supported with bearings in the vicinity of the
distal end of the frame 64 . An upper shaft 79 is rotatably supported
between the top portions of a plurality of support members 78
disposed along a direction perpendicular to the transport
direction at the distal end of the frame 64 and pulleys 80 in
the upper section are disposed on the upper shat 79 along the
shaft direction thereof in a corresponding manner to the pulleys
74 and 76 of the base section and the middle section. Further,
as shown in FIG. 28, each of pulleys 81 in the distal end section
are supported between the fore-ends of a pair of support arms
82 in a rotatable manner and base ends of pairs of the support
arms 82 are commonly connected to a connecting beam 83 while
being in pairs disposed along the connecting beam 83. The
connecting beam 83 is attached to piston rods 86 of fluid cylinders


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
76
85 that are used for a following action, wherein the fluid
cylinders 85 swingably supported by brackets 84 that protrude
from the lower portion in the vicinity of the distal end of the
frame 64 . Pairs of the support arms 82 are provided with support
sections 87 in the middle region thereof and bearing surfaces
fixed on the support sections 87 are placed on the middle shaft
76.
Therefore, each of the endless bands 73 extends from a
pulley 74 in the base section, to a pulley 77 in the middle section,
to a pulley 80 in the upper section and to a pulley 81 in the
distal section. The transport conveyor 60 and the winding guide
member 72 are controlled in rotation at almost the same speed
as each other by receiving rotation of a motor 88 installed at
one end of the middle shaft 76. When pairs of the support arms
82 are swung toward the take-up reel 7 by the fluid cylinder
85 for a following action with the support sections 87 that are
placed on the middle shaft 76 through the bearing surfaces of
the support sections 87 each as a fulcrum, the pulleys 81 in
the distal end section located at the distal ends of pairs of
support arms 82 comes to touch the circumferential surface of
the take-up reel 7 and the winding guide member 72 is pressed
closely in plane contact with the circumferential surface of
the take-up reel 7 in conformity of the curvature of the
circumference .
A plurality of thread feeding mechanisms 10 for feeding
the threads 12 wound as guides for winding a veneer sheet 1 on
the take-up reel 7 are disposed in arbitrary spatial intervals


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
77
along the shaft direction of the take-up reel 7. For example,
the thread feeding mechanisms 10 are respectively arranged
between each pair of the endless bands of the winding guide member
72 and nozzles 12N are mounted in almost the middle regions of
the support arms 82. On the other hand, in order to make the
threads 12 entangled with the take-up reel 7 , highly frictional
regions are provided on the take-up reels: For example, at
arbitrary spatial intervals along the shaft direction thereof ,
sand paper pieces are attached at a plurality of spots on the
take-up reel 7 or instead, small raised portions which are formed,
for example by a knurling tool are provided.
Further, in the winding guide member 72, rotary pulleys
89 are provided in order to maintain the winding guide member
72 in a firmly stretched condition under a constant tension by
pushing or pulling the endless bands 73 constituting the winding
guide member 72 under a pressure while guaranteeing a rotation
force of the winding guide member 72 so as to be rotatable all
time. That is, as shown in FIGs. 29 and 30, L-like levers 91
are provided in number corresponding to the number of the endless
belts 73 constituting the winding guide member 72 along a shaft
90 supported with bearings on the frame 64. The rotary pulleys
89 are rotatably supported at protruded portions of the rotary
shafts 91 and the other end of the L-like shape levers 91 are
fixed at piston rods of the fluid cylinders 92 for firm stretching
swingably supported by a bracket 84 that protrudes from the lower
portion in the vicinity of the distal end of the frame 64. The
rotary pulleys 89 shown in FIGS. 29 and 30 press the endless


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
78
belts 73 constituting the winding guide member 72 by a pressure
or the rotary pulleys 89 shown in FIG. 31 pull the endless belts
73 outwardly by a force and thereby, the winding guide member
72 is held in a firmly stretching condition, while guaranteeing
a rotation force of the winding guide member 72.
It should be appreciated that there also can be given
another configuration in which the rotary pulleys 89 are
rotatably supported on a shaft ( not shown ) inserted through the
protruded portions of levers 91 located at both ends of a series
of the levers 91 at arbitrary spatial intervals along the shaft
direction and the other end of the L-like levers 91 at the both
ends are fixed at the pistons of the fluid power cylinders 92
for firmly stretching. With such a configuration, the rotary
pulleys 89 can integrally act on the winding guide member 72
in one piece to its firmly stretching condition with the result
that the endless belts 73 of the winding guide member 72 can
be in conformity with the curvature of the take-up reel 7 . However,
as shown in the example shown in the figure, an advantage can
be enjoyed in a case where there are provided the fluid cylinders
92 for the firmly stretching that individually impart pressures
to the respective endless belts 73 constituting the winding guide
member 72: For example, even if there arises a deflection by
a self weight in the take-up reel 7 or a thickness of a veneer
sheet 1 is fluctuated, the configuration in the example can
maintain firmly stretching conditions of the respective endless
belts 73 of the winding guide member 72 at the same degree of
tightness to impart almost the same frictional forces to a veneer


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
79
sheet 1 in winding at positions on the sheet 1 along the shaft
direction of the take-up reel 7.
In a operation of reeling a veneer sheet 1, at first a
fluid is fed to a front port of each fluid cylinder 67 for
suspension and thereby, the distal end of the frame 64 is swung
upwardly with the shaft of the starting end pulley 61 of the
transport conveyor 60 located in the transport-in side of a veneer
sheet 1 as a fulcrum. Therefore, the distal end of the frame
64 swings together with the transport conveyor 60 and the winding
guide member 72 and with the swing movement , the winding guide
member 72 comes to be put in contact with the lower surface of
the take-up reel 7 that is rotatably supported by a reel receiver
8. Then, the fluid cylinders 85 for a following action and the
fluid cylinders 92 for firm stretching are activated and the
endless belts 73 of the winding guide member 72 are put into
close contact with the lower surface of the take-up reel 7 at
first and then with a part of the circumferential surface of
the take-up reel 7 on the other side thereof from the veneer
sheet 1 transport-in side while keeping a firmly stretching
condition of each endless belts 73.
Under such circumstances, threads 12 that are fed from
thread reels 11 are blown through nozzles 12N to highly frictional
regions on the take-up reel 7 such that the tips of the threads
12 get entangled with the highly frictional regions . Following
the thread blowing, the winding guide member 72 is rotated at
least one time or preferably several times and thereby, a tension
is made to be produced between the take-up reel 7 with which


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
the threads 12 are entangled and the threads 12. Thereafter,
veneer sheets 1 transported from a previous step are guided
through the transport conveyor 60 into between the lower surface
of the take-up reel 7 and the winding guide member 72 that is
controlled so as to run at almost the same speed as that of the
transport conveyor 60. It should be appreciated that the veneer
sheets 1 may be in a damp condition as cut by a veneer lathe
( not shown ) , or in a dry condition caused by drying in a veneer
dryer ( not shown ) , or further in a cut state that is produced
by cutting a continuous veneer sheet in constant length along
a fiber orientation or in a continuous state.
Since the winding guide member 72 are closely in plane
contact with part of the circumferential surface of the take-up
reel 7 covering from the lower portion of the take-up reel 7
to the other side from the veneer sheet 1 transport-in side,
a veneer sheet 1 is wound on the take-up reel 7 keeping a plane
contact along the curved surface of the take-up reel by a
frictional force produced in company of driving of the winding
guide member 72 . In the winding operation of a veneer sheet 1,
the threads 12 are in a firmly stretching condition between the
take-up reel 7 and the nozzles. Hence, when a veneer sheet 1
is wound on the take-up reel 7 with a frictional force produced
from driving of the winding guide member 72 , the threads 12 are
wound on the take-up reel 7 together with the veneer sheet 1
at a plurality of positions along the shaft direction starting
at the leading edge of the veneer sheet 1.
Especially when a veneer sheet 1 is in a cut sheet state,


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
81
the veneer sheets 1 can firmly be wound on the take-up reel 7
since a plurality of endless bands 73 of the winding guide member
72 are closely put in plane contact with the curvature of part
of the circumferential surface of the take-up reel 7. Further,
even when a veneer sheet 1 is one after drying and a stiffness
of fibers therein is high in degree as compared with a veneer
sheet 1 in a damp state, the veneer sheet 1 can be wound on the
take-up reel 7 in a copying condition along the outer surface
thereof
Further, the threads 12 are wound on the outer surface
of a veneer sheet 1 as guides between the endless bands 73 that
runs in parallel to one another which constitute the winding
guide member 72 when the veneer sheet 1 is pressed onto the outer
surface of the take-up reel 7 in close contact by the winding
guide member 72. For this reason, even when a close contacting
state with the winding guide member 72 is canceled after a veneer
sheet 1 is wound on the take-up reel 7 , there arises no chance
for a winding state of the veneer sheet 1 to be unfavorably relaxed
since the threads 12 are wound the veneer sheet 1 from the outside
in a plurality of rows.
Following are descriptions of an embodiment in which veneer
sheets 1 in a cut sheet state are wound on a take-up reel 7 while
narrowing spatial intervals between the veneer sheets 1 arranged
end to end in the winding direction in consideration of winding
efficiency with reference to FIG. 33.
When a detector 94 of a contact type or a non-contact type
such as a transparency type and a reflection type senses the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
82
leading edge of a veneer sheet 1, the detector transmits a
detection instruction to a drive controller 95 that is a control
system of the winding guide member 72. A distance setter 96 that
sets a distance K from the detector 94 to the winding guide member
72 is connected to the drive controller 95 and the drive controller
95 stops circulation of the winding guide member 72. A pulse
generator 97 is provided to the transport conveyor 60, the veneer
sheet 1 is transported over a distance K on the transport conveyor
60 and the transportation is detected by counting up of the number
of pulses. The veneer sheet 1 that has arrived on the winding
guide member 72 is wound on the take-up reel 7 with the threads
12 as guide by driving the winding guide member 72 over a length
of the veneer sheet 1. The length of the veneer sheet 1 is
determined by detecting the leading and trailing edges thereof
in transportation on the transport conveyor 60 with the detector
94 and the length thereof is stored in the drive controller 95
as the number of pulses. Further, since a length of a veneer
sheet 1 is cut in a constant value, the constant value may be
stored in the drive controller 95 as a length of a veneer sheet
1 in advance. When the leading edge of a next veneer sheet 1
is detected by the detector 94 , the next veneer sheet 1 arrives
on the winding guide member 72 after operations in steps similar
to those of the above description and is wound on the take-up
reel 7with threads 12 as guide while spatial intervals between
the veneer sheets 1 arranged, end to end, in a winding direction
are narrowed. With repetition of such operations, veneer sheets
are sequentially wound on the take-up reel 7 in an efficient


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
83
manner by intermittent circulations of the winding guide member
72 while narrowing spatial intervals between veneer sheets 1
arranged end to end in the winding direction.
I t should be appreciated that when the veneer sheet 1 breaks
or tears with ease from cracks , rifts or the like defect ( such
defects tend to frequently occur in a veneer sheet 1 after drying )
even if a veneer sheet 1 that is reeled is in a continuous state,
or when a veneer roll in winding operation is relaxed in the
middle section thereof, as described above, a plurality of
threads 12 are wound as guides together with the veneer sheet
1 and thereby, stable reeling can be attained.
Since the individual endless bands 73 constituting the
winding guide member 72 are independently maintained in a firmly
stretching condition by pressures of almost the same magnitude
applied respectively, the endless bands 73 of the winding guide
member 72 keeps in respective conditions of the same degree of
firm stretching and frictional forces of the same strengths can
be exerted on the veneer sheet 1 at any portion thereof along
the shaft direction of the take-up reel 7 even if deflection
due to self weight occurs in the take-up reel 7 or there arise
fluctuations in thickness of the veneer sheet 1.
As the veneer sheet 1 is wound on the take-up reel 7 and
a diameter of the veneer roll 9 is increased, the distal end
of the frame 64 is swung downward by increase in the diameter
of the veneer roll 9 with the shaft of the pulley 61 of the starting
end of the transport conveyor 60 as a fulcrum. Since the reel
receiver 8 supporting the take-up reel 7 with the bearings is


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
84
fixedly positioned, the veneer roll 9 presses down the frame
64 by increase in diameter of the veneer roll 9 through the winding
guide member 72 by a pressure that overcomes a fluid pressure
of the fluid cylinder 67 for suspension. Further, as a diameter
of the veneer roll 9 increases , positions of the pulleys 81 in
the distal end section of the winding guide member 72 is gradually
raised while beating a fluid pressure of the fluid cylinder 85
for a following action ( clockwise movement in FIGS . 29 and 30 ) .
Further, with a increase in diameter of the veneer roll 9,
positions of the pulleys 89 that individually press the endless
bands 73 of the winding guide member 72 to a firmly stretched
condition are respectively displaced while beating pressures
of the fluid cylinder 92 for firm stretching. Such displacements
are apparent from comparison between a starting position for
reeling of a veneer sheet 1 shown in FIG. 29 and a position in
the course of winding operation shown in FIG. 30.
Further, the winding guide member 72 can take another
configuration as shown in FIG. 31 in addition to the above
described configuration: a lower portion of the winding guide
member 72 is a base end and the distal end is an free end as
shown in FIG. 31, and a plurality of endless bands 73 extend
over the both pulleys . That is , a base end shaft 98 of the winding
guide member 72 is rotatably supported at a forward position
of the shaft 75 of the distal end pulley 62 of the transport
conveyor 60 below the veneer sheet 1 reeling position, connection
pulleys (not shown) are disposed in positions corresponding to
the distal end pulleys 62 on the base end shaft 98 and a connection


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
conveyor 107 is formed over the distal end pulleys 62 and the
connection pulleys . A plurality of base end pulleys 99 are mounted
on the base end shaft 98 at arbitrary spatial intervals along
the direction of the shaft 98. Pairs of support arms 100 that
are bent in the middle region thereof with the distal end upward
are independently swingably mounted on the base end shaft 98
with the base end shaft 98 as a fulcrum while each base end pulley
98 is sandwiched by a pair of support arms 100. Distal end pulleys
101 of a small diameter each are rotatably supported between
a pair of two adjacent support arms 100 , not only endless bands
73 extend over the base end pulleys 99 and the distal end pulleys
101 of a small diameter but the support arms 100 are commonly
connected to a connection beam 102 as one piece at arbitrary
positions on the support arms 100 and further, both ends of the
connection beam 102 are attached to piston rods 86 of fluid
cylinders 85 for a following action swingably supported on the
frame 64.
While the endless bands 73 are belts that extend over the
base e.nd pulleys 99 and the distal end pulleys 101 in an endless
manner, diameters of the base end pulleys 99 and the distal end
pulleys 101 are not equal to each other, but a diameter of the
base end pulleys 99 is larger than that of the distal end pulleys
101. A margin of distance arises by a difference in radius between
the base end pulleys 99 and the distal end pulleys 101 when the
endless bands 73 are pressed to the lower portion of the
circumferential surface of the take-up reel 7 and thereby, the
endless bands 73 can be pressed to the lower portion of the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
86
circumferential surface of the take-up reel 7 in a contact area
with a width. More of frictional force can be used with increase
in contact area between the endless belts 73 and the lower outer
surface of the take-up reel 7 caused by such a pressing state
over an area with the result that a veneer sheet 1 can be wound
on the take-up reel 7 in a stable manner. In addition, since
the support arms 100 that support the base end pulleys 99 and
the distal end pulleys 101 are each bent in its middle region
upward, there arises neither interference nor contact between
the upper track of each of the endless bands 73 facing the
circumferential surface of the take-up reel 7 and an support
arm 100, between lower surface and upper surface, and thereby,
a inconvenience such as stoppage of circulation of the endless
bands 73 can be avoided, which ensures winding a veneer sheet
1 on a take-up reel 7.
Further, while in the embodiment, the frame 64 is freely
swingable by means of the fluid cylinder 67 for suspension,
instead a member that is swingable by a balance weight or the
like can be supported by a pressure. Still further, contrary
to the above described cases, the following configuration can
be adopted: A position of the take-up reel 7 is vertically
shiftable , while the winding guide member 72 is fixedly supported
in a circulating manner. As a mechanism for vertically shifting
the reel receiver 8, as shown in FIG. 32, for example, the reel
receivers 8 supporting the take-up reel 7 at both ends are
connected to a feed shaft 104 and the feed shaft 104 is rotatably
coupled with a motor 105. On the other hand, a line sensor 106


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
87
that senses a diameter of the veneer roll 9 is provided on a
reel support 65 . Therefore, a thickness of a veneer sheet 1 being
wound is detected and the reel receivers 8 at both side of the
take-up reel 7 are shifted upward by action of the feed shaft
104 with the motor 105 by a thickness of the veneer sheet 1 of
detection for each rotation of the take-up reel 7.
Then, description will be made of an embodiment of a tape
feeding unit for feeding a tape to a veneer roll of the invention
with reference to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 34 to 57.
In FIG. 34, there is shown a situation in which a veneer
sheet 1 that is cut by a veneer lathe 110 and transported downstream
therefrom is wound on a take-up reel 7 to form a veneer roll
9 . A drive roller 6 is in contact with the circumferential surface
(direct below the shaft of the take-up reel 7) of the veneer
roll 9 and driving for winding the veneer sheet 1 on the take-up
reel 7 is produced by a frictional force. Further, a tape T is
stuck on a veneer sheet 1 in order to reinforce both ends of
the veneer sheet 1 by inserting the tape T into between veneer
sheets in winding operation.
The tape T is unwound from a feed source at an upstream
position, that is a tape roll 113 wound on a core 112, fed to
a veneer roll 9 side by means of a vacuum chuck conveyor (feed
conveyor) 114 as transport means and wound on a veneer sheet
1. The tape T is fed as the tape is wound on the veneer sheet
1. That is, the tape roll 113 is pulled into the veneer roll
9 while keeping at a fixed position and thereby, rotated in a
following manner at the fixed position. There are provided first


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
88
and second roller stoppers 115 and 116 that idle as forward
movement stopper members in order that the tape roll rotates
for unwinding while blocking forward movement of the tape roll
113.
The roller stopper 115 is rotated in a slave manner by
friction while being in contact with the outer surface of the
tape roll 113 when the tape ro11113 is of a large diameter. The
roller stopper 116 is rotated in a slave manner by friction while
being in contact with the outer surface of the tape roll 113
when the tape roll 113 is of a small diameter. The roller stopper
116 is arranged below the roller stopper 115 , a clearance ( an
exit section ) is located still below the roller stopper 116 and
when the tape roll 113 comes to have a diameter equal to less
than a predetermined value, the tape roll 113 is passed through
the clearance . The tape roll 113 of a small diameter that has
passed through the clearance runs to a core stopper 117 located
downstream from the roller stoppers 115 and 116 and a small amount
of the tape remaining on the core 112 is unwound to nothing thereon
while being in contact with the core stopper 117. After the
unwinding is completed, the core 112 is discharged sideways,
which will detailed later.
The vacuum chuck conveyor 114 is equipped with a vacuum
box (a negative pressure chamber) 118 that extends long along
the transport direction of the tape T and an endless belt 121
capable of passing gas therethrough extends over pulleys 119
and 120 such that the endless belt 121 encloses the vacuum box
118. A negative pressure is created in the negative pressure


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
89
chamber 118 by means of a vacuum pump 122 and a negative pressure
acts on the tape T through holes for gas passage and the tape
T is vacuum chucked on the upper surface of the belt 121. A
circulation track on the belt 121 is moved, for example, by driving
from a motor 123 connected to the pulley 120 from the tape roll
113 side to the veneer roll 9 side of a veneer sheet 1 and the
tape T is unwound and fed from the tape roll 113.
Such tape feeding units 124 as a pair are provided, for
example, so as to correspond to both ends of a veneer roll 9
as shown in FIG. 35. The tape T has, for example, an adhesive
layer T1 on an upper surface thereof and the tape T is stuck
on a veneer sheet 1 at both side ends thereof by the adhesive
layer on the upper surface of the tape T in the course of winding
the veneer sheet 1 on the take-up reel 7. Further, a material
of the tape T is , for example , paper of a predetermined quality
and so on.
A tape roll 113 as a feed source of a tape T is disposed
at the upstream end of a vacuum chuck conveyor 114 and a plurality
of tape rolls 113 are accommodated in tape racks 125. Two of
the tape racks 125 are provided in corresponding manner to the
two vacuum chuck conveyors 114 located on the left and right
sides of the veneer roll 9 , wherein structures of the left and
right tape racks 125 are the same as each other. Description
will be made of one of the two tape racks 125. The tape racks
125 are stepwise moved ( in tact feed) inwardly from an initial
position outward from both side surfaces of the veneer roll 9
at a predetermined pitch. Detailed description will be made of


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
.. ;~'.
. . ,!c r
i
the t ab T . .~~ . ~. i
A ~,. -t- . ~ . . ame 126 supporting the vacuum
chuck c . s 125 and so on is connected
to a ba: '' i y ingable with a fulcrum shaft
j__ ,.
128 ext~ "~ ~ ction, located in the middle
of the f A piston rod 131 of cylinder
130 as an actuator swingably mounted on the base frame 127 through
a shaft 129 is connected with back end side of the conveyor 114
of the feed frame 126 and the feed frame 126 is swingable as
a whole through a predetermined angle in directions , upward or
downward, in a vertical plane by contracting or stretching of
the piston rod 131 of the cylinder 130. Such a movement is to
increase a tension in the tape T when the tape is disconnected
as will be described later.
The base frame 127 can move over a predetermined distance
along guide rails 133 disposed in a horizontal direction . The
base frame 127 further can self-propelled in a forward or backward
direction by a driving force of a motor 134 with reduction gears
135 mounted on the base frame 127. With such a construction,
the distal end of the vacuum chuck conveyor 114 can move to or
away from the veneer roll 9.
As shown in FIG. 37, a vertical frame 137 is erected from
a floor surface 136, a take-up reel 7 located in the center of
a veneer roll 9 is supported on an elevator 138 that is shiftable
upward or downward along the vertical frame 137 and as a diameter
of a veneer roll 9 increases, the elevator 138 is raised and
in turn the take-up reel 7 is also raised. In addition to such


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
91
a type in which as a diameter of a veneer roll 9 increases, the
take-up reel 7 is shifted upwardly over a corresponding distance
to increase in the diameter, Another type may be adopted, in
which a position of the take-up reel 7 is fixed in a vertical
direction and a drive roller 6 is lowered over a corresponding
distance to increase in the diameter. In the latter case, a
position of the distal end of the conveyor 114 of the tape feeding
unit 124 may be kept constant in position independently form
increase of diameter of a veneer roll 9. The veneer roll 9 whose
diameter reaches a predetermined value is hung while supporting
parts in the vicinity of bearings at both ends of the take-up
reel 7 using suspension hooks ( not shown ) to transport to a reeling
deck ( not shown ) . A veneer sheet or sheets 1 that are eventually
wound into a veneer roll 9 is transported in this scene from
the veneer lathe side by means of a veneer sheet conveyor 139.
FIG. 38 is a plan view of a part of the tape feed unit
124 in which the feed frame 126 is connected between the vacuum
chuck conveyors 114 and the tape racks 125 as a cross member
(in a direction perpendicular to a tape feed direction). One
half (left or right half) of the tape feed unit 124 is shown
in an enlarged side view of FIG. 39 and in a plan view of FIG.
40 . As shown in FIG. 39 , a conveyor frame 140 of the conveyor
114 constitutes part of the feed frame 126, is protruded from
the body (126) as cross member in a forward direction and is
integrally combined with the body ( the cross member ) . While the
belt 121 of the conveyor 114 has the pulleys 119 and 120 at both
ends in a longitudinal direction thereof and returns at the both


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
92
ends, a guide roller 141 and a tension increasing roller 142
are provided between the both pulleys 119 and 120 . The conveyor
114 can be swingable about the shaft 143.
The motor 123 is connected to the pulley 120 on the upstream
side and the belt I2I is driven for circulation by the motor
123. A tape rack 125 is located above the end portion on the
upstream side of the circulation track of the belt 121 and the
first and second roller stoppers 115 and 116 are disposed above
the belt 121 in an adjacent manner to the tape rack 125 downstream
therefrom. The roller stoppers 115 and 116 are freely rotatably
supported by the stopper frame 144 erected from the conveyor
frame 140 such that the roller stoppers 115 and 116 are arranged
in a vertical direction in a predetermined spatial interval.
Positions of the roller stoppers 115 and 116 can be adjusted
at least in a direction upward or downward ( if a need arises ,
in a length direction of the conveyor) by adjusting the stopper
frame 144 in position relative to the conveyor frame 140.
A tape roll rotation stop device I80 is disposed in the
upstream side from the roller stoppers 115 and 116 , that is between
the tape rack 125 and the roller stoppers 115 and 116 on the
circulation track of the belt 121. That is, as shown in FIGS.
39, 41, 51, 52 and 53, a receiving member 181 is attached to
the conveyor frame 140 so as to vertically erect therefrom on
one side of the belt 121 in an intersecting direction of a
circulation direction of the belt 121 and a support frame 182
is attached to the conveyor frame 140 on the other side thereof
so as to vertically erect therefrom. A cylinder 183 as an actuator


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
93
is mounted on the support frame 182 and a press member 185 is
connected to the fore-end of the piston rod 184 , wherein a tape
roll 113 on the belt 121 whose forward movement is blocked by
the roller stoppers 115 and 116 is pressed on one side thereof
by the press member 185 that is movable in a press action.
Further, the tape roll rotation stop device 180, in
addition to the above described way, can be in a configuration
in which a pair of pinching members 186 and 187 that can open
from or close to both sides of the upper portion of a tape roll
113 is used at an upstream position from the roller stoppers
115 and 116 as shown in FIG. 54. That is, the support frame 182
is put up on the conveyor frame 140 so as to be erected upward
from the conveyor frame 140 and a cylinder 188 as an actuator
is mounted on the support frame 182. On the other hand; the pair
of the pinching members 186 and 187 that are normally closed
in an engaging manner by a torsion coil spring 190 is supported
in a suspension state from the support frame 182 . A support section
191 of one 187 of the pinching members 186 and 187 is connected
to the fore-end of a piston rod 189 of the cylinder 188. When
a tape T is unwound from a tape roll 113 on the belt 121 which
is blocked in forward movement by the roller stoppers 115 and
116 , the pair of pinching members 186 and 187 comes into an open
state by action of the cylinder 188 , while when rotation of the
tape roll 113 is stopped, the pair of pinching members 186 and
187 is closed by canceling the action of the cylinder 188.
Further, the tape roll rotation stop device 180, still
in addition to the above described ways, can be in a configuration


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
94
in which a press member 192 as the tape roll rotation stop device
180 is put into contact with the top surface of a tape roll 113
or separated away from the top surface thereof , wherein the press
member 192 with a waiting position above a tape roll 113 is at
the upstream position from the roller stoppers 115 and 116 as
shown in FIG. 55. That is, a cylinder 193 as an actuator is mounted
on the support frame 182 and the press member I92 is connected
to the fore-end of a piston rod of the cylinder 193. The press
member 192 can in a reciprocating manner move between a position
where the press member 192 does not interfere with rotation of
the tape roll 113 and a position where the press member 192 is
put into contact with the top surface of the tape roll 113 , thereby
enabling stoppage of the tape roll 113.
The tape rack 125 , as shown in FIG. 41, comprises : a back
plate 145 constituting a back section; and partition plates 146
as a plurality of partition wall sections integrally connected
with the back plate 145 and spaces between the partition plates
146 are a plurality of tape housing rooms 147. Such a tape rack
125 has not only an open front side but also an open bottom side.
In this example, an top side is further open, but the top side
may be closed. Further, as shown in FIG. 39, an upright frame
148 is fixed to the feed frame 126 at a position backward from
the tape rack I25 and rail engaging sections 150 formed on a
back plate 145 of the tape rack 125 are mated, in a slidable
manner, with a pair of guide rails 149 provided in parallel to
each other in a predetermined spatial interval one above the
other on the upright frame 148. With such a configuration, the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
tape rack 125 is supported in a movable manner in a direction
perpendicular to the transport direction of the vacuum chuck
conveyor 114 above the belt 121 in the upstream side end section
thereof .
A rack gear 151 is fixed between the pair of rail engaging
sections 150 of the back plate 145 in a horizontal direction
and a pinion gear 153 of a tact feed motor 152 fixed on the upright
frame 148 is mated with the rack gear 151. The tact feed motor
152 functions as an intermittent feed device for the tape rack
125 and intermittently moves the tape rack 125 at a pitch of
tape housing rooms 147 (in other words, a pitch of partition
plates 146) in a lateral direction. In order to determine a
position of the tape rack 125 in the movement, as shown in FIG.
40 , a movement detecting section 154 in a comb shape is provided
along a moving direction on the tape rack side while a proximity
switch 155 is provided on the side of the upright flame 148,
wherein the proximity switch 155 detects a movement of the one
pitch of the tape rack 125 and sends a detection signal to a
control section of a motor to stop. It should be appreciated
that the back plate 145 may be removed to open the back section
of the tape housing rooms 147. In this case, the rack gear 151
can be located in any position as far as the rack gear 151 is
in an integral relation with a partition plate 146.
It should further be appreciated that in a case where the
tact feed motor 152 is a pulse motor (step motor) , movement and
positioning of the tape rack 125 can be determined by counting
the number of pulses. Further, determination of a position of


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
96
the tape rack 125 and detection of the position can also be
performed using a signal of a rotary encoder, a signal from a
magnescale or the like that is connected to the pulse motor.
In those cases, the movement detecting section 154 and the
proximity switch 155 can be removed. It should be appreciated
that FIG. 40 shows a plan view of a state in which the tape rack
125 is omitted.
In FIG. 39, since the lower side of the tape rack 125 is
open, a tape roll 113 in a tape housing room 147 is supported
spaced from a surface of the belt 121 of the vacuum chuck conveyor
114. Therefore, two guide bars 156 and 157 are disposed at a
predeterminedspatial interval almostin a horizontal direction
along a moving direction (a direction perpendicular to the
conveyor 114 ) of the tape rack 125 . The guide bars 156 and 157
are located at a height slightly above a belt surface in the
upstream side erid section of the conveyor 114 by means of support
members 158 and 159 upwardly erected from the feed frame 126
and as shown in FIG. 40, the guide bars 156 and 157 respectively
have one ends located at points just before intersections between
the belt conveyor 114 and extensions of the guide bars 156 and
157 with the other ends outside the conveyor 114.
In FIG. 39, when the tape rack 125 moves in a direction
perpendicular to the sheet on which the figure is drawn, since
a tape roll 113 in a tape housing room 147 is received by the
guide bars 156 and 157 at the lower end portion thereof and
supported at a height above the conveyor 114 , the tape roll 113
is guided to approach the conveyor 114 sideways while being in


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
97
contact with the guide bars 156 and 157.
In FIG. 39, a cut-way 160, for example in a U-like shape
or others, which opening gets started from the front end edge
and proceeds toward the back end, is formed in the front portion
of a partition plate 146 of the tape rack 125. This cut-away
is formed, for example, in order to facilitate insertion of a
tape roll 113 by a worker into a tape housing room 147 of the
tape rack 125 one at a time, or in order to facilitate taking-out
of a tape roll 113 by a worker from a housing room 147 of the
tape rack 125 when a tape roll 113 is required to be taken out
for some reason. In FIG. 41, the cut-away is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 42, tape rolls 113 are accommodated in
tape housing rooms of a tape rack 125 each in a standing position
and the tape rolls 113 are supported by the guide bars 156 and
157. The housing rooms 147 of the tape rack 125 are moved so
as to be positioned on the belt 121 of the vacuum chuck conveyor
114 sequentially from one end thereof ( in the figure, the right
end) with a spatial interval of tape rolls 113 thus accommodated
as a pitch.
Since the guide bars 156 and 157 run to a point just before
intersections between extensions of the guide bars 156 and 157
and the belt 121, a tape roll 113 that have moved onto the belt
121 rests on the belt 121 by stepping down from the guide bars
156 and 157 . Since the belt 121 has a down slope toward downstream
and also driven in a direction toward downstream, a tape roll
113 resting on the belt 121 automatically moves toward downstream,
but there are the first and second roller stoppers 115 and 116


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
98
as the forward movement stoppers as described above, wherein
when the tape roll 113 is of a large diameter, a forward movement
of the tape roll 113 is first blocked by the roller stopper 115.
In this situation, the tape roll 113 is not released from
the tape rack 125 but more than one half thereof still remains
in a tape housing room 147. Hence, in a state of FIG. 43, when
the tape roll 113 gets started with unwinding, two partition
plates 146 are present on both sides of the tape roll 113 and
the two partition plates works as sideways control members to
prevent the tape roll 113 from falling sideways. Therefore, the
tape roll 113 does not fall sideways and at the same time, can
rotate and unwind in the tape housing room 147.
That is, partition plates 146 of the tape rack 125 function
not only as members forming spaces for accommodate tape rolls
113 , but as sideways control members to prevent falling sideways
of a tape roll 113. In such a way, a partition plate 146 exerts
two functions, which in turn, makes a structure of the tape rack
125 simple. Further, while a tape roll 113 has a
pressure-sensitive adhesive layer normally on all its inner
surface, there is a part of the inner surface at the starting
end with no pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, the part is vacuum
chucked on the belt 121 and thereby, unwinding can smoothly get
started. When unwinding of one tape roll 113 is finished, the
tape rack 125 is moved by one pitch and the next tape roll 113
is brought onto the belt 121 of the conveyor 114 similar to the
preceding tape roll 113, thereafter followed by procedures
similar to the above described way.


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
99
As shown in FIG. 43, description is made above such that
there is a clearance of a height slightly larger than a diameter
of a core 112 of a tape roll 113 between the roller stopper 116
in the lower side and the upper surface of the belt 121. When
process reaches a time point that unwinding of a tape roll 113
is close to finish, the rest of the tape roll 113 with a residual
tape passes under the roller stopper 116 to run toward downstream.
The core stopper 117 ( see FIG . 34 ) , which is located at a position
spaced apart from roller stopper 116 downstream, is provided
as a stopper at a higher position above the belt 121. Therefore,
after the tape roll 113 with some length of the tape remaining
on the core hits the core stopper 117 , the remaining tape T is
unwound from the core 112 to nothing thereon while being rotated.
It should be appreciated that at this point , another new tape
roll 113 waits its turn in the rear and therefore, a tape unwound
from the new tape roll 113 and a final part of the tape unwound
from the tape roll 113 with a short length of the tape remaining
on its core 112 are fed temporarily in a simultaneous manner.
A stopper surface 161 of the core stopper 117 has a
three-dimensional inclination and faces not only upstream with
a slope but opens sideways . Hence , a core 112 that hits the stopper
surface 161 is blocked in its advancement downstream and at the
same time receives a force sideways as if by an action of a cam
surface. Around the core stopper 117, as shown in FIG. 44, a
door 162 is provided such that it can open or close sideways
with a axial line O extending almost vertically from upward to
downward as a fulcrum. A piston rod 165 of a cylinder 164 as


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
1~~
opening/closing drive means is connected to the door 162 with
a bracket 163 interposed therebetween and a base end of the
cylinder 164 is fixed at a side surface of the feed frame 126
with the help of a pin 167 and the bracket 168.
Further, as shown in FIG. 45, when the piston 165 retreats
into the cylinder 164 , the door 162 opens sideways to form an
opening 169 to the side toward which the stopper surface 161
of the core stopper 117 faces. Since the core 112 receives a
lateral force directing sideways from the stopper surface 161 ,
it can be discharged in the direction through the opening 169.
In the embodiment, in order to ensure the discharge sideways
of the core 112 , a catching bar 170 is provided to the door 162
as a discharge member to be used for forcibly discharging the
core 112 while catching. The catching bar 170 is fixed to the
door 162 at almost a right angle such that it extends from the
door 162 at a height above the upper surface of the belt 121
of the conveyor 114. The catching bar 170 has a shape such that
when the core 112 comes to the stopper surface 161 under the
catching bar 170 , the fore-end of the catching bar 170 further
extends beyond the distal end of the core 112 and then is bent
downward to form a hook portion 171 ( see FIG. 46 ) . When the door
162 opens , the hook portion 171 of the catching bar 170 catches
the distal end of the core 112 and discharges the core 112 sideways
while turning laterally, following swing movement of the door
162.
With such a mechanism, since the core 112 does not remain
but can automatically be removed, a continuous feed of a tape


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
1~1
T can be ensured with ease . In the embodiment , as described above ,
a core discharge unit 172 is constructed of the stopper surface
161, the door 162, the catching bar 170 and the cylinder 164
that works in opening and closing the door 162.
As shown in FIG. 36, a tape twist preventive mechanism
173 is provided at the distal end of the conveyor 114 to feed
a tape T and the mechanism 173 prevents the tape from being twisted
upside down ) in the course of taking into between veneer sheets .
In the twist preventive mechanism 173, a spatula-like member
174 protrudes such that the fore-end thereof intersects the
running route of the tape T that is taken into between veneer
sheets at an acute angle as shown in FIG. 47, wherein the
intersection is realized in a spatially relative way. Further,
the base end of the spatula-like member 174 is fast held at a
piston rod 177 of a cylinder 175 as a moving means for the base
end of the spatula-like member 174. The cylinder 175 is fixed
on the lower side of the feed conveyor 126 with a bracket 176
interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 48, the spatula-like
member 174 touches the lower surface of the running tape T while
positioning above a veneer sheet 1 fed from the veneer lathe
side described above to control an angle of the running tape
T in a lateral direction of the tape T.
FIG. 49 shows an example of the spatula-like member 174
as viewed above and the member has a contact surface of a plate
with a width more or less larger than that of the tape. FIG.
50 shows a state in which the spatula-like member 174 functions
such that the spatula-like member 174 pushes up the tape onto


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
102
the lower surface to correct a twist of the tape T.
As shown in FIGS . 39 and 40 , a tape cutting unit 195 is
provided at the distal end of the conveyor 114 for feeding. The
tape cutting unit 195 comprises : a bracket 196 protruding from
the distal end of the conveyor frame 140 for the feed conveyor
114; a support member 197 fixed to the bracket 196; and a tape
cutting tool 198 held by the support member 197 . The tape cutting
tool 198 has a cutting section extending in a direction
intersecting the tape feed direction . As shown in FIG . 56 , the
cutting section is formed such that the top portion has
protrusions, preferably sawteeth. The cutting section touches
the tape surface with the sawteeth in a sliding manner.
In the tape cutting, as shown in FIG. 57, the conveyor
114 is swung upwardly about the fulcrum axis 128 that shown in
FIG. 36 as a fulcrum by the action of the cylinder 130 through
a predetermined angle such that the tape cutting tool 198 is
at least raised and the cutting section thereof is put into sliding
contact with the lower surface of the tape. With this swing of
the conveyor 114, as shown in FIG. 57, the tape T receives a
tension larger than in a normal condition.
Further, the tape cutting unit 195 can assume a
configuration as shown in FIGs . 58 to 63 . That is , a tape cutting
unit 195, as shown in FIG. 59, comprises: a bracket 199 that
protrudes sideways from the feed frame 126; a cylinder 200 for
moving a tape cutter 201, fixed to the bracket 199; the tape
cutter 201 ( of a disk shape in this case, hereinafter referred
to as cutter) connected to a piston rod of the cylinder 200;


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
103
and a tape receiving member 202 that is used to pinch and cut
the tape T with cooperation of the disk-like cutter 201 in the
vicinity of the cutter 201 such that the tape T does not escape
from the cutter 201. In the example, the tape receiving member
202 has a shape of a cylindrical shaft and is fixedly held by
a bracket 203 at the distal end of the feed frame 126 ( the distal
end of the conveyor 114 in a direction perpendicular to the tape
feed direction at a position very close to the tape running route .
Further, there is provided a guide roller 204 that freely rotates
and guides running of the tape T in idling contact with the lower
surface of the tape T at the tip of the distal end of the conveyor
114 upstream from the tape receiving member 202 in an adjacent
manner thereto ( at a directly forward position of , upstream from
the tape receiving member 202).
As shown in FIG.61, the cutter 201 is moved in a lateral
direction toward the tape receiving member 202 and thereby, cuts
the tape T while rotating in the width direction. In the cutting,
as shown in FIG. 60, the conveyor 114 swings upward with a
fulcrum shaft 128 shown in FIG. 36 as a fulcrum through a
predetermined angle by the action of a cylinder 130 such
that the tape receiving member 202 is raised and gives the
tape T a tension. With this movement of the conveyor 114,
as shown in FIG. 60, the tape T is given a tension larger
than in a normal condition and the disk-like cutter 201 is
cut in the tape T in such a tense state, thereby, cutting
the tape T with ease.
A surface of the tape receiving member 202 is made at least
from a soft material such as urethane rubber and a blade edge


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
104
of the cutter 201 is cut in the surface. A shape of the tape
receiving member 202 may be a plate, but a shaft-like member
such as a cylinder as in this example is preferred since a receiving
portion of the tape receiving member 202 can periodically be
changed by rotation of the member so as to disperse a cutting-in
position over the member with the result that it is avoided that
the tape receiving member 202 is locally deteriorated due to
concentrated use at a limited position and a lifetime of the
member can be elongated.
It should be appreciated that as shown in FIG. 62 , a cylinder
200 for swinging a disk-like cutter 201 is mounted on a bracket
199 with a fulcrum shaft 205 as a fulcrum for swinging the cylinder
200 such that the disk-like cutter 201 is freely cut in the tape
receiving member 202, wherein the fore-end of a piston rod 207
of the cylinder 200 can be connected to a base frame that supports
the cylinder 200 for moving a cutter. In this case, the piston
rod 207 of the cylinder 206 for swinging a cutter is extended
such that a working point of the cutter 201 can cut into the
tape receiving member 202 to some extent before or during the
lateral movement of the disk-like cutter 201and in the state,
the disk-like cutter 201 is moved in the width direction of the
tape T to ensure cutting of the tape T.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 63, an elastic member 208
such as a spring or rubber can be mounted between the bracket
199 and the base frame supporting the cylinder 200 for moving
a cutter and thereby, the disk-like cutter 201 can cut into the
tape receiving member 202 with the fulcrum shaft 205 as a fulcrum.


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
105
In this case, since the working point of the cutter 201 can intrude
into the tape receiving member 202 all the time because of use
of the elastic member 208, when in this state, the disk-like
cutter 201 traverses the tape T in a lateral direction, the tape
can be sure to be cut.
Following is description of the whole of operations
associated with the tape feeding unit.
When tape rolls 113 are set in the tape rack 125 as in
FIG. 41, the tape rack 125 is laterally moved by the motor 152
and a first tape housing room 147 is located on the belt 121
of the conveyor 114, then as in FIGs. 42 and 43, a tape roll
113 steps down from the guide bars 156 and 157 and rests on the
belt 121 and moves downstream over a small distance till the
roll hits the first roller stopper 115. At the position, the
tape T is unwound from the tape roll 113 by the vacuum chuck
conveyor 114 and the tape roll 113 is rotated to unwind the tape
T in company with rotation of the first roller stopper 115.
Especially, in starting of winding a veneer sheet 1 on
the take-up reel 7 , the tape T comes to be twisted upside down
with ease and as shown in FIG. 48. When such a twist occurs in
the tape T, then the spatula-like member 174 advances from the
cylinder 175 to correct or prevent twist of the tape T, the
spatula-like member 174 is kept at the position after the
advancement for a predetermined short time as it is and thereafter
the spatula-like member 174 retreats therefrom to restore its
original position. Further, while a twist is frequently
experienced at starting of the winding, even when the tape T


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
106
is unwound from a tape roll 113 and runs toward and is inserted
into between veneer sheets 1 in a normal state , there is frequently
encountered, in the course of insertion, a phenomenon that the
tape T is twisted from the normal state by turning upside down.
Therefore, operations in which the tape T is pressed onto a surface
of the tape roll 9 by the spatula-like member 174 are preferably
repeated continuously and regularly till the tape is broken from
when the tape T gets started with insertion into between veneer
sheets.
As a tape roll 113 is smaller in diameter in the course
of unwinding of the tape T, the tape roll 113 comes to get into
contact with the second roller stopper 116 as shown in FIG. 43
and unwinding continues while the stopper 116 is rotated. At
the last stage, when a diameter of the tape roll 113 comes to
be smaller than that of the clearance under the second roller
stopper 116, then the core 112 moves downstream through under
the second roller stopper 116 together with a residual tape of
a small amount thereon and after the movement is stopped by the
core stopper 117 of FIG. 34, the tape roll 113 rotates and is
unwound there till nothing on the core 112, though, for a short
time.
Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 44 to 46, the piston rod
165 of the cylinder 164 retreats , the door 162 opens , the catching
bar 170 forcibly discharges the bare core 112 in the course of
opening the door 162 toward the side of the conveyor 114 , and
then the door 162 closes.
A predetermine time period before the discharge of the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
1~7
bare core 112, the tape rack 125 of FIGs. 41 and 42 performs
a lateral movement over a distance corresponding to one pitch
of arrangement of the tape housing rooms 147 to feed a next tape
roll 113 onto the conveyor 114 and the next roll 113 starts
unwinding the tape T as shown in FIG. 43. In this situation,
as shown FIG 34 , when the tape T is still fed from an unwound
residue on the preceding tape roll 113 by the core stopper 117 ,
the tapes are doubly fed, though, for a short time period till
the residue is unwound to nothing.
A tape rotation stop device 180 at an upstream position
from the forward movement stopper member is activated, when a
reeling operation is terminated since a diameter of a veneer
roll 9 of a veneer sheet 1 have reached a predetermined value
in the course of unwinding of the tape roll 113 , or when a reel
operation is interrupted in order to change a thickness of a
veneer sheet 1 according to a nature and condition of a log.
The cutting section of the tape cutting tool 198 is put into
sliding contact with the lower surface of the tape T before
rotation of the tape roll 113 is ceased. To be concrete, the
tape feeding unit 124 is swung through a small angle as a whole
counterclockwise in the figure with the shaft 128 of FIG. 36
as a fulcrum by retreat of the piston rod 131 of the cylinder
130 . With the movement of the tape feed unit 124 , as shown in
FIG. 57 , the tape cutting tool 198 at the distal end of the conveyor
114 raises the tape T to make the sawteeth as the top portion
of the cutting section touch the lower surface of the tape T
in a sliding manner. It should be appreciated that the sawteeth


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
1~g
as the top portion and the lower surface of the tape T unwound
may be kept in sliding contact with each other all time from
when the tape T is inserted into between veneer sheets to wind
on the take-up reel 7 into a tape roll 9 . If , likewise , the sawteeth
of the cutting section and the lower surface of the tape T are
constantly in sliding contact with each other, there can be
enjoyed a additional effect that the sawteeth as the top portion
of the cutting section are sharpened by a frictional condition
generated from the sliding contact with the tape T.
As shown in FIG. 51, when a forward movement of the tape
roll 113 placed on the belt 121 is blocked by the roller stoppers
115 and 116, and the tape T is unwounded from the tape roll 113,
rotation of the tape roll 113 is stopped. In order to stop rotation
of the tape roll 113 , as shown in FIG. 52 , the cylinder 183 is
activated to move the press member 185 in a direction intersecting
a direction of tape unwinding and stops the tape roll 113 by
pressing the tape roll 113 between the press member 185 and the
receiving member 181 located on the other side of the tape roll
113 from the press member 185.
While driving of a veneer lathe is also stopped almost
in synchronism with rotation stoppage of the tape roll 113, the
take-up reel 7 continues to inertial rotation in the veneer sheet
reeling position. Therefore, the tape T is pulled toward the
take-up reel 7 in inertial rotation independently from the
stoppage of unwinding the tape T from the tape roll 113 and thereby,
tension in the tape T is further increased. The tape T whose
tension is increased is broken at the weakest point thereof,


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
109
that is a point where the cutting section of the tape cutting
tool 198 is pressed into the tape T on the lower surface thereof .
Further , since rotation of the tape roll 113 is stopped and thereby
the tape T is not unwound from the tape roll 113, the fore-end
portion of the broken tape T is left at the cutting section and
awaits next time unwinding flf the next tape T.
Further, in order to increase the tension in the tape T,
another method is available in addition to the inertial rotation
described above : As shown in FIG . 36 , the base frame 127 supporting
all the tape feeding unit 124 is retreated along the guide rails
133 in a horizontal direction by driving of the motor 134 over
a predetermined distance and thereby, the vacuum chuck conveyor
114 can be separated spaced from the veneer roll 9 as well. This
can be replaced with an operation to further raise a position
of the tape cutting tool 198 in sliding contact with the lower
surface of the tape T. This operation can be performed in such
manner that the piston rod 131 of the cylinder 130 is withdrawn
and thereby, swings the entire tape feeding unite 124 with the
shaft 128 of FIG 36 as a fulcrum counterclockwise through
a small angle from the position in sliding contact with
the lower surface of the tape T of the tape cutting tool
198.
Further, in order to stop rotation of the tape roll 113 ,
as shown in FIG. 54, a method may be adopted: While a pair of
the pinching members 186 and 187 are in an open state by action
of the cylinder 188 when the tape T is unwound, the pair of the
pinching members 186 and 187 is closed in a direction intersecting
a unwinding direction of the tape roll 113 so as to pinch the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
110
tape roll 113 from both sides thereof by canceling the action
of the cylinder when rotation of the tape roll 113 is stopped.
Still further, in addition to the above descriptions,
another method may be adopted in order to stop rotation of the
tape roll 113, as shown in FIG. 55, while the press member 192
is withdrawn (upward) at a position for waiting where no
interference with rotation of the tape roll 113 occurs in
unwinding of the tape T, the press member 192 is pressed down
to a position where the member gets into contact with the top
surface of the tape roll 113 by action of the cylinder 193 and
the tape roll 113 is then pressed between the press member 192
and the vacuum chuck conveyor 114.
According to this method, when reeling of a veneer sheet
is interrupted in the middle of winding or finished, the tape
T can be cut while keeping the cutting section of the tape cutting
tool 198 in sliding contact with the tape at a position where
the tape cutting tool 198 is positioned by ceasing rotation in
unwinding of the tape roll 113 . Hence , the tape roll 113 in rotation
in a following manner to a winding speed is not necessary to
be slowed and stopped temporarily. Especially, in case of logs
that cause frequent terminations in winding operation by
interruption due to defects included therein regardless a large
diameter thereof or short time operations due to smallness in
diameter, operation efficiency can be increased with adoption
of this method.
Further, description will be made in a case of tape cutting
using a disk-like cutter 201: As a preparatory operation, the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
111
tape feeding unit 124 is swung as a whole
counterclockwise in the figure through a small angle by
extension of the piston rod 131 of the cylinder 130 with
the shaft 128 of FIG. 36 as a fulcrum to raise the
distal end of the conveyor 114 as shown in FIG. 60, with
the result that a tension larger than in a normal
condition is produced in the tape T. The tape T in such
a high tension state is cut by the disk-like cutter 201
in a state in which the disk-like cutter 201 is pressed
into the tape receiving member 202 and after the
cutting, the disk-like cutter 201 retreats. Thereafter,
the entire tape feeding unit 124 is swung back through
the small angle clockwise to restore it original
position, while the conveyor 114 is returned downward
through the small angle.
While in the above descriptions, the tape rack
moves laterally, another configuration may be available:
A tape case in which one tape roll is accommodated is
fixedly installed above a feed conveyor and the front,
bottom and back (or top) sides thereof are opened and
not only a forward movement stopper member is provided
in front thereof, but a new tape roll 13 is supplied
from behind or above of the tape case. Further, another
operations are also allowed: the vacuum chuck conveyor
114 is employed only in the initial stage of starting
winding the tape T on the take-up reel 7 or veneer roll
9, while when the tape T is unwound from the tape roll
113 by a pulling force of the veneer roll 9, vacuum of
the vacuum chuck conveyor 114 is broken and circulation
thereof is not driven (all mechanisms thereof are
stopped), or the vacuum is broken but the circulation is
still in operation (no reduced pressure is applied).


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
112
Next , descriptions will be made of an embodiment of a veneer
roll unwinding apparatus of the invention with reference to the
accompanying drawings:
A first description of a veneer roll unwinding position 211 gets
started with an example of an unwinding process for a veneer
sheet 1 with reference to FIGS . 64 and 65 . A transfer frame 210
having an easy down slope is installed toward a pair of reel
supports 65 disposed, left and right, at the terminal end of
a veneer roll stock area 3A and bearings at both ends of a take-up
reel on which the take-up reel 7 with a veneer roll 9 thereon
is supported are placed on the transfer frame 210 . Reel receivers
8 rotatably supporting the both end bearings are disposed inside
the pair of reel supports 65 downstream from the transfer frame
210 and reel down-pressers 66 that can freely swingable relative
to the top portion of the bearings of the reel receivers 8 are
disposed above the reel receivers 8.
A support table 213 is provided on both sides a machine
frame 212 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction
thereof , in the upstream side from the unwinding position 211 ,
and placed below the transfer frame 210. A support shaft 215
is received by bearings 214 mounted on the support table 213
and a plurality of base end pulleys 216 each of a large diameter
are fixedly attached to the support shaft 215 along the shaft
direction thereof at arbitrary spatial intervals. Pairs of
support arms 217 are swingably supported on the support shaft
215 for the base end pulleys 216 at both sides of the respective
base end pulleys 216 , wherein each of the pair of support arms


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
113
217 is bent in a middle region with the distal end displaced
upwardly. Each of distal end pulleys 209 each of a small diameter
are rotatably supported between the distal ends of a pair of
the support arms 217 and not only do drive guide bands 218
respectively extend over the base end pulleys 216 and the distal
end pulleys 209 , but the pairs of support arms 217 are commonly
connected to a connection beam 219 at arbitrary positions of
the respective support arms 217. Both ends of the connection
beam 219 are mounted on the piston rods 221 of fluid cylinders
220 swingably supported on the machine frame 212.
An auxiliary frame 222 is provided at a position opposite
to the base end pulleys 216 in the upstream side thereof on the
machine frame 21z and has an opposite surface to the base end
pulleys 216 which surface has a profile of an arc expanded along
the curvature of the base end pulleys 216, and a fold-back guide
member 224 whose belts extend over three pulleys 223 all of which
are supported by the auxiliary frame 222 and runs along the base
end pulleys 216. A fold-back conveyor 226 is disposed directly
below the fold-back guide member 224 to connect to the fold-back
guide member 224 and constituted of a plurality of belts that
extend between a pair of shafts 225 supported on the machine
frame 212 at two points , upstream and downstream in the transport
direction thereof.
A chain 229 extends between a chain wheel 227 mounted on
one side of the support shaft 215 and a motor 228 disposed on
the machine frame 212 , the drive guide bands 218 are controlled
counterclockwise in the FIG. 64 in a freely rotatable manner


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
114
and the fold-back guide member 224 guarantees an upside-down
motion of a pinched veneer sheet 1 in cooperation with the drive
guide bands 218.
The drive guide bands 218 , which are arranged in plural
rows in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction,
are freely swingable with the support shaft ~ZS as a fulcrum
such that the distal end pulleys 209, which are free ends, move
to or away from the veneer roll 9 in company with extending or
contacting the piston rod 221 of the fluid cylinder 220. Thereby,
the drive guide bands 218 can freely move to or away from the
lower portion of the outer circumferential surface of the veneer
roll 9 . In unwinding a veneer sheet 1 from the veneer roll 9 ,
a fluid is fed through a backward port of the fluid cylinder
220 to extend the piston rod 221 in the most contracted position
and thereby, the drive guide bands 218 in plural rows are put
into press contact with the lower portion of the circumferential
surface of the veneer roll 9 supported by the reel receivers
8 at both side ends thereof.
Then, when the drive guide bands 218 are swung
counterclockwise in FIG. 64 by a driving force of the motor 228,
the drive guide bands 218 are put into a press contact with the
veneer roll 9 and a free end of a veneer sheet 1 of the veneer
roll 9 is unwound by a frictional force of the drive guide bands
218 and guided to the fold-back guide member 224 in a state in
which the veneer sheet 1 i.s transferred and carried on the drive
guide bands 218. In this situation, the fold-back conveyor 226
is controlled at almost the same speed as those of the drive


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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guide bands 218 and the transport conveyor for a veneer dryer
in the downstream side and receives the veneer sheet 1 that is
moved along the curvature of the fold-back guide member 224 which
is turned upside down between the drive guide bands 218 and the
fold-back guide member 224. After such a pinched upside-down
motion, the veneer sheet 1 is transported to the veneer dryer
from the fold-back conveyor 226.
Then, description will be made of another embodiment of
a fold-back motion of a veneer sheet 1 that is transported on
the drive guide bands 218 with reference to FIGs . 66 to 69. It
should be appreciated that this embodiment of a fold-back motion
is preferably employed for a fold-back transportation cut from
a conifer log or the like that has neither expandability nor
contractibility in a direction intersecting fiber orientations
of a veneer sheet , that is easy to be broken or torn when a tension
is applied in a direction intersecting fiber orientations.
First, in FIG. 66, relay pulleys 284 are mounted on the
support shaft 215 in an independently rotatable manner with
bearings in positions close to the base end pulleys 216 and the
relay pulleys 284 have a larger diameter than a diameter of the
base end pulleys 216. The relay pulleys 284 are preferably in
plural number in a freely idling manner on the support shaft
215 in an adjacent manner to the base end pulleys 216 and the
upper portion of the circumferential surface of each relay pulley
284 is at least higher than the transport surface of each drive
guide bands 218. A veneer sheet in transportation on the drive
guide bands 218 is transferred to the relay pulleys 284 during


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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a folding-back motion.
Fold-back guide members 224 is disposed on the opposite
side to fold-back sections of the relay pulleys 284. It is
preferable that in the fold-back guide members 224 , the auxiliary
frame 222 has an opposite surface to the relay pulleys 284 which
surface has a profile of an arc extended along the curvature
of the relay pulleys 284 and erected on the machine frame 212.
Pulley 223a are disposed in the top portion of the auxiliary
frame 222 whose profile is almost of a triangle, pulleys 223b
are disposed at the left corner of the lower portion thereof
and pulleys 223c are disposed in the protrusion of the lower
portion thereof. Endless bands extends over the three type
pulleys 223a, 223b and 223c in a winding manner. The endless
bands extending over the three sets of pulleys 223a, 223b and
223c are provided in number corresponding to the number of the
relay pulleys 284 at positions respectively corresponding to
the positions at which the respective relay pulleys 284 in an
opposite manner. The endless bands are in plane contact with
part of the circumferential surfaces of the relay pulleys 284
on the veneer sheet fold-back side in a sliding manner. The veneer
sheet is externally pressed from both sides thereof when the
veneer sheet is folded backed on the replay pulleys 284 while
the veneer sheet 1 is kept in sliding contact with an outer
circumferential surface on the fold-back sides of the relay
pulleys 284.
Each set of the pulleys 223a, 223b and 223c, for example
the pulleys in the left corner of the lower portion are fixed


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on a pulley shaft 285 thereof . A chain wheel 286 mounted at one
side of the pulley shaft 285 and a motor 228 disposed on the
machine frame 212 are wound by a chain 287 and the fold-back
guide member 224 is controlled at almost the same speed as a
transport speed of a veneer sheet 1 transported on the drive
guide bands 218 counterclockwise in FIG. 66 in a freely
circulating manner.
The drive guide bands 218 arranged in plural rows in a
direction perpendicular to the transport direction make distal
end pulleys 209 that are disposed at free ends freely swingable
in the direction toward a veneer roll 9 in company with extension
or contraction of the piston rod 221 of the fluid cylinder 220
and thereby, the drive guide bands 218 can freely move to or
away from the lower portion of the outer circumferential surface
of the veneer roll 9. In unwinding a veneer sheet 1 from the
veneer roll 9, a fluid is fed through a backward port of the
fluid cylinder 220 to extend the piston rod 221 in the most
contracted position and thereby, the drive guide bands 218 in
plural rows are put into press contact with the lower portion
of the circumferential surface of the veneer roll 9 supported
by the reel receivers 8 at both side ends.
Then, when the drive guide bands 218 are swung
counterclockwise in FIG. 66 by a driving force of the motor 228,
a free end of a veneer sheet 1 of the veneer roll 9 is unwound
by a frictional force of the drive guide bands 218 and transferred
and carried on the drive guide bands 218. When the veneer sheet
1 unwound is transported to reach the fold-back section, the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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veneer sheet 1 is transferred to the relay pulleys 284 from the
drive guide bands 218 and receives a driving force of the endless
bands of the fold-back guide member 224 to turn upside down while
being pinched and folded back between the relay pulleys 284 and
the endless bands.
It should be appreciated that in order to fold back and
turn upside down a veneer sheet 1 that is pinched between the
relay pulleys 284 and the endless bands , the relay pulleys 284
can be driven instead of driving the endless bands . For example ,
as shown in FIG. 68, a shaft 290 of touch rolls 289 whose shaft
direction is in parallel to the support shaft 215 is rotatably
supported on a shaft 288 disposed on the right side of the support
table 213 . The touch rolls 289 touch the circumferential surfaces
of the relay pulleys 284 that are mounted of the support shaft
215 in a freely idling manner. When the touch rolls 289 receives
a driving force of the motor 228 and are rotated clockwise in
FIG. 68, then the relay pulleys 284 are rotated counterclockwise
in FIG. 68 and the veneer sheet 1 can be turned upside down by
folding back with the endless bands of the fold-back guide member
224 and the relay pulleys 284 while pinching therebetween.
Further, in FIG. 69, there is shown still another
embodiment of a fold-back motion of a veneer 1 unwound from a
veneer roll 9. According to the embodiment, the apparatus
comprises : Drive guide bands 218 on which a veneer sheet 1 is
transported; and a connecaion conveyor 291 that is provided in
a predetermined spatial .interval, wherein the terminal end in
the transport direction of the connection conveyor 291 serves


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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as a fold-back position of the veneer sheet 1 . Connection pulleys
293 are respectively fixed on a connection shaft 292 along the
shaft direction at positions corresponding to the base end
pulleys 216 fixed on the support shaft 215 and endless bands
such as belts extend between the base end pulleys 216 and the
connection pulleys 293. Further, relay pulleys 284 are rotatably
supported on the connection shaft 292 with bearings or the like
in close positions of the connection pulleys 293 and a diameter
of each of the relay pulleys 284 is larger than that of each
of the connection pulleys 293. It is preferable that the relay
pulleys 284 are disposed adjacent to the connection pulleys 293
on the connection shaft 292 in plural number and the uppermost
part of the circumferential surface of each of the relay pulleys
284 is at least higher than the transport surface of the connection
conveyor 291. Furthermore, the fold-back guide member 224 is
disposed that is described above on the opposite side of the
fold-back section of the relay pulleys 284 and the fold-back
guide member is in sliding contact with the circumferential
surface of the veneer sheet fold-back side of the relay pulleys
284.
In such a way, since the transport speed of each of the
drive guide bands and a speed at which a veneer sheet 1 is folded
back between the endless bands constituting the fold-back guide
member 224 and the relay pulleys 284 are controlled to be almost
the same , there is no chance where the veneer sheet 1 is pulled
in a direction intersecting fiber directions thereof in company
with control of a circumferential speed in the fold-back motion.


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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Hence, no excessive concentration of tension arises at the
starting position A of unwinding of a veneer sheet 1 from a veneer
roll 9 caused by the drive guide bands 218, thereby preventing
breaking and tearing in the fiber direction of a veneer sheet
1 at the unwinding starting position from occurring.
A veneer sheet 1 that has been folded back while pinching
between the endless bands and the relay pulleys 284 comes onto
the fold-back conveyor 226 while turning upside down. In this
situation, the fold-back conveyor 226 are controlled at almost
the same speed as the speeds of the drive guide bands 218 , the
fold-back guide member 224 and the transport conveyor of the
veneer dryer, receives the veneer sheet 1 that proceeds along
the curvature of the fold-back guide member 224 , is turned upside
down between the drive guide bands 218 and the fold-back member
224 while pinching therebetween and eventually sends the veneer
sheet 1 to the veneer dryer from the fold-back conveyor 226.
The drive guide bands 218 are always kept in a state in
which the drive guide bands 218 are in press contact with a lower
portion of the circumferential surface of a veneer roll 9 in
companywith extension of the fluid cylinder 220 and as a diameter
of the veneer roll 9 is reduced in the course of unwinding of
a veneer sheet 1 , the pairs of support arms 217 are swung
counterclockwise in FIG. 64 with the base ends pulleys 216 as
a fulcrum such that the. distal end pulleys 209 side moves
counterclockwise in FIG. 64. While each of the drive guide bands
218 is of a belt type that extends over a base end pulley 216
and a distal end pulley 209in an endless manner, both pulleys


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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216 and 209 are not of the same diameter as each other but a
base end pulley 216 is larger in diameter than a distal end pulley
209. Therefore, when the drive guide bands 218 are pressed on
the lower portion of the circumferential surface of the veneer
roll 9, there arises a spatial margin corresponding to a
difference between diameters of both pulleys 216 and 209 , which
can make the drive guide bands 218 press a lower portion of the
circumferential surface of the veneer roll 9 over a surface area
extending in the reel shaft direction with a width. With such
a pressure over the surface area, a contact area between the
drive guide bands 218 and of the lower portion of the veneer
roll 9 increases, which in turn enables more of a frictional
force to be produced, with the result that the veneer sheet 1
can be unwound from the veneer roll 9 in a stable manner. Further,
since the base end pulleys 216 each has a large diameter, a
fold-back diameter of the veneer sheet 1 increases, which
realizes smooth transportation of the veneer sheet 1 in folding
back motion. Besides, since the support arms 217 are bent in
the middle regions thereof with the distal end thereof displaced
upward, there can be avoided inconveniences that the upper tracks
of the drive guide bands 218 touch and interfere with the
corresponding support arms 217 , between lower and upper surfaces ,
or thereby the drive guide bands 218 stop circulation thereof
as a diameter of the veneer roll 9 is reduces , making unwinding
of a veneer sheet 1 from a veneer roll 9 ensured.
Then, description will be made of an embodiment where a
veneer sheet 1 is unwound while threads 12 that were wound as


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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guide are recovered, wherein there is a case where the threads
12 are wound on a take-up reel 7 together with a veneer sheet
1 in a plural rows arranged at arbitrary spatial intervals along
the shaft direction of the take-up reel 7. As shown i~n FIGs.
70 and 71, not only is a unwinding roller 230 of a single cylinder
supported on a shaft thereof in front of the connection beam
219 downstream side therefrom, but a motor 231 is provided at
an end of the shaft. On the other hand, fluid cylinders 233 for
respectively driving a plurality of unwinding rollers 235 with
a same diameter cylinder to move to or away from the unwinding
roller 230 are provided between the pairs of support arms 217
on a receiving frame 232 over the pairs of the support arms 217
in the vicinity of the distal ends of the respective pairs of
support arms 217. Further, piston rods 234 of the fluid cylinders
233 supports the respective unwinding rollers 235 at fore-ends
thereof in a rotatable manner.
As described above, not only are the plurality of drive
guide bands 218 put into contact with the lower portion of the
circumferential surface of the veneer roll 9, but the short
unwinding rollers 235 are moved toward the long unwinding roller
230 by extending the piston rods 234 of the fluid cylinders 233
mounted on the receiving frame 232. Portions near the fore-ends
of the plurality of threads 12 that are wound on the veneer roll
9 in arbitrary spatial intervals in the shaft direction thereof
and which hang down from the circumferential surface of the veneer
roll 9 are taken up and pinched between the rollers 230 and 235
in the course of movement of the short unwinding rollers 235.


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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Then, not only are the drive guide bands 218 circulated
counterclockwise in FIG. 70 by a driving force of the motor 228,
but the long unwinding roller 230 is controlled in synchronism
with the drive guide bands 218 and the both rollers 230 and 235
are rotated in opposite directions, with the result that the
threads 12 that have been wound on the veneer roll 9 as guide
are unwound in company with the veneer sheet 1 unwound from the
veneer roll 9. The threads 12 are wound on thread reels in
synchronism with unwinding of a veneer sheet 1 from the veneer
roll 9. Therefore, the veneer sheet 1 that has been transferred
thereto and is now transported thereon is guided to the fold-back
guide member 224 and sent to the veneer dryer similar to the
above description, while the threads 12 unwound while pinching
are recovered in a recovery box 236 disposed direct below the
veneer roll 9.
Next , description will be made of another embodiment in
which the threads 12 are recovered with reference to FIGs . 72
and 73. A pair of horizontal beams 237- are provided below the
transfer frame 210 and respectively extend toward the pair of
the reel supports 65 at a spatial interval between the horizontal
beams 237. A pair of timing belts 239 each extend over pulleys
238 that are rotatably supported at the forward and backward
ends of a horizontal beam 237. The pair of timing belts 239 are
synchronized with each other by a connection shaft 240 and not
only are the timing belts 239 circulated in one direction or
the other by driving forward or backward of a motor with reduction
gears but a motion of each timing belt 239 is controlled with


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the help of the pulse generator included in the motor 241.
Linear ways 242 each are laid along the transport direction
of a timing belt 239 between the both tracks, upper and lower,
of the timing belt 239 and linear blocks 243 are attached on
the respective timing belts 239. A travel member 244 is mounted
between the linear blocks 243 in a direction perpendicular to
the transport direction and a plurality of support members 245
are disposed in a direction perpendicular to the transport
direction on the travel member 244 at spatial intervals each
in a protruding state. Grasping members 246 each with a two-way
forked end are provided at fore-ends of the support members 245,
wherein each two-way forked end can freely be opened or closed,
and nozzles 247 are each disposed on the lower surface of a support
member 245 with the tip end of a nozzle 247 located close a grasping
member 246 . The nozzles 247 communicate with a blower 240 through
respective air ducts 248.
On the other hand, not only are a plurality of thread reels
251 corresponding to the threads 12 supported on a frame 250
erected from the machine frame 212 downstream from the unwinding
position 211, but the thread reels 251 are connected to the motors
253 through respective torque limiters 252. Further, thread
guides 255 are each mounted on a body 254 of a thread reel 251
so as to cover almost along a semi-circumference of the body
254 with a gap therebetween.
According to the above described embodiment, when the
timing belts 239 are in a normal direction circulated by driving
of the motor 241 with reduction gears, the linear blocks 243


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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advance on the linear ways 242 in a sliding manner. When the
travel member 244 mounted on the linear blocks 243 reaches in
the neighborhood of a forward movement limit , the opened grasping
members 246 mounted on the travel member 244 come to states in
which each of the members 246 can grasp a thread 12 at the middle
of a hanging length thereof hanging from the circumferential
surface of the veneer roll 9, wherein the plurality of threads
12 , as guide , are wound on the veneer roll 9 at arbitrary spatial
intervals along the shaft direction of the veneer roll 9. Then,
after the grasping members are closed to grasp the threads 12
in the vicinity of the tips thereof, air is ejected from the
nozzles 247 mounted on the respective grasping members 246 and
thereby, free fore-end portions of the threads 12 from grasping
points thereof are blown away toward the thread reels 251
downstream from the respective grasping members 246.
In this situation, the thread reels 251 are rotated
counterclockwise in FIG. 73 , the free end portions of the threads
12 in a flying condition come to below the body 254 of the
respective thread reels 251 and the free end portions of the
threads 12 are carried on jet streams (blown-out streams)
produced in clearances between the bodies 254 and the thread
guides 255 to be wound on the reel bodies 254 and entangled
therewith. After a predetermined time elapses, the threads 12
are released from the grasping members 246. Then, the threads
12 are kept in a firmly stretching state between the thread reels
251 and the veneer roll 9 by continuous rotation of the thread
reels 251 , whereas since the thread reels 251 receives driving


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
126
of the motors 253 through the torque limiter 252 all time,
excessive loads can be avoided on the respective thread reels
251. The threads 12 are wound on the thread reels 251 in synchronism
with unwinding of a veneer sheet 1 from the veneer roll 9.
Under such circumstances , when the plurality of drive guide
bands 218 get into contact with the lower portion of the
circumferential surface of the veneer roll 9 , then the veneer
sheet 1 is unwound from the veneer roll 9 and the thread reels
251 are released from an overload condition following the
starting of unwinding of the veneer sheet 1, thereby rotating
the thread reels 251. Therefore, the veneer sheet 1 that has
been transferred on the drive guide bands 218 is guided to the
fold-back guide member 224 and thereafter as described above,
sent to the veneer dryer by way of the fold-back conveyor 226.
Further , the threads 12 that have been wound on the veneer roll
9 as guide are eventually wound on the respective thread reels
251. It should be appreciated that while the travel member 244
moves forward or backward by moving the timing belts 239 forward
or backward with driving the motor 241 with reduction gears in
one direction or the other way, there is no specific limitation
to this way, but the driving may be replaced with any of extension
or contraction of a fluid cylinder, a rack/opinion motion, a
crank motion and so on.
While description is made of the case where the thread
reels 251 are fixed, an embodiment will be described next in
which the thread reels 251 are freely movable forward or backward.
As shown FIGs. 74 and 75, a frame 250 is mounted on the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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linear ways 256 that are laid on both sides of the machine frame
212 with the linear blocks 257 interposed therebetween, piston
rods 259 of fluid cylinders 258 mounted on the machine frame
212 are attached to the frame 250, and the frame 250 can freely
move, forward or backward, up to in the vicinity of the tips
of the threads 12 arranged in plural rows, hanging from the
circumferential surface of the veneer roll 9 , wherein the threads
are wound on the veneer roll 9 as guide for the veneer sheet
1 at arbitrary spatial intervals along the shaft direction of
the veneer roll 9. Further, an exhauster 260 is provided above
one side of the frame 250 , while suction holes ( not shown ) are
formed in the bodies 254 of the thread reels 251 and not only
does the exhauster 260 communicate with the bodies 254 of the
thread reels 251 through an exhaust duct 261 but cut-aways 262
each having an wedge-like shape are formed in the fore-ends of
the thread guides 255 provided along the bodies 254 of the thread
reels 251 with a gap therebetween.
According to the embodiment , the frame 250 moves toward
the veneer roll 9 along the linear ways 256 following extending
or contracting of the piston rod 259 of the fluid cylinder 258
and when the frame 250 reaches in the vicinity of the forward
movement limit 254, the cut-aways 262 each having a wedge-like
shape of the thread guides 255 are mated with portions in the
vicinity of the tips of the threads 12 hanging from the
circumferential surface of the veneer roll 9 , wherein the threads
12 have been wound on the veneer roll 9 in the shaft direction
thereof in plural rows as guide for the threads 12 . Then , when


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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the exhauster 260 is activated to produce an exhaust stream
( suction stream) in spaces between the bodies 254 of the thread
reels 251 and the thread guides 255 , the tips as free ends of
the threads 12 are wound on and entangled with the lower portions
of the bodies 254 of the thread reels 251. Therefore, the threads
12 are kept in a firmly stretching condition between the veneer
roll 9 and the thread reels 251 in continued rotation of the
thread reels 251, and similar to the above described way, the
threads 12 wound on the veneer sheet 1 as guide are wound on
the thread reels 251 in synchronism with unwinding of the veneer
sheet 1 from the veneer roll 9. It should be appreciated that
while the frame 250 in the above described embodiment freely
moves forward or backward according to extending or contracting
of the piston rod 259 of the fluid cylinder 258, there is no
specific limitation to this mechanism, but it may be replaced
with a motion, forward or backward, of the timing belts by means
of driving , in one direction or the other , of a motor with reduction
gears as described above, a rack/pinion motion, a crank motion
or the like.
In the embodiments , descriptions are made of recovery of
the threads 12 on the preconditions that the tips of the threads
12 are hung down from the circumferential surface of the veneer
roll 9 almost in a vertical condition wherein the threads 12
are wound as guide for a veneer sheet 1 in plural rows on the
veneer roll 9 at arbitrary spatial intervals in the shaft
direction of the veneer roll 9. However, when a veneer sheet
1 is wound to form a veneer roll 9, there arises a case where


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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some of the terminal ends of the threads 12 wound as guide are
entangled with fibers in the veneer sheet 1 and thereby not hung
down vertically. Further, in the course when a veneer roll 9
formed by reeling a veneer sheet 1 moves along the easy down
slope of the transfer frame 210 , or during a time when a veneer
roll 9 awaits its turn in the veneer roll stock area 3A, since
a self-weight of each thread 12 is small, the threads are blown
by a wind and a portion of each thread 12 in the middle thereof
are entangled with fluffy fibers formed on the surface of the
veneer sheet 1, with the result that hanging positions of the
respective threads 12 on the veneer roll 9 are disturbed at random.
In such a case, recovery of the threads 12 cannot be
performed. Description will be made of an embodiment in which
a position of each thread 12 is corrected with reference to FIGS .
76 and 77.
A pair of stoppers 263 that can freely protruded and
retreated from the transport surface of the transfer frame 210
are provided at a waiting site of the veneer roll stock area
3A. A next veneer roll 9 awaits its turn while the preceding
veneer roll 9 is in operation of unwinding in the unwinding
position 211. A pair of longitudinal frames 264 vertically
provided in the vicinity of the pair of stoppers 263 and moving
blocks 265 are freely shiftable upward or downward by means of
an elevating mechanism with the insides of the pair of
longitudinal frames 264 as guide. An arm 267 is coupled with
the top ends of the moving blocks 265 with a pin and fluid cylinders
268 as a forward/backward movement mechanism are supported by


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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the lower ends of the moving blocks 265 so as to be freely
inclinable. The distal end of the piston rod 269 of the fluid
cylinder 268 is connected to a middle region of the arm 267,
the fore-ends of the arms 267 are connected with both ends of
the correcting member 270 and the correcting member 270 can freely
be moved close to or away from the veneer roll 9 by action of
the fluid cylinder 268 while swinging with the pin coupling
section as a fulcrum. A plurality of vacuum chuck holes 271 are
formed on the side surface facing the veneer roll 9 of the
correcting member 270 as shown in FIG. 77, wherein the vacuum
chuck holes are used for sucking and retaining the threads 12 ,
and an exhauster 273 is connected to one end of the correcting
member by way of a flexible exhaust duct 272.
The arm 267 is swung counterclockwise in FIG. 76 by action
of the forward/backward movement mechanism ( fluid cylinder 268 )
and thereby, the correcting member 270 is put into contact with
and pressed onto the circumferential surface of a next veneer
roll 9 in an area along the shaft direction in the downstream
side at the upward movement limit of the moving block 265 while
the preceding veneer roll 9 is in an unwinding operation at the
unwinding position 211. When in contact with the next veneer
roll 9 , the threads 12 arranged in plural rows wound on the veneer
roll 9 as guide are retained on the correcting member 270 by
vacuum-chuck action using the vacuum chuck holes 271 . After the
threads 12 are retained by vacuum-chuck action , the moving blocks
265 is moved down by action of the elevating mechanism (fluid
power cylinder 266 ) while a position of the correcting member


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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270 relative to the veneer roll 9 is locked. When the moving
block 265 is moves down, the threads 12 gradually come to a firmly
stretching state between the correcting member 170 and the veneer
roll 9 while the threads 12 are retained by vacuum-chuck action.
Therefore, even if the terminal ends of the threads 12 wound
as guide are entangled with fibers of a veneer sheet 1 in the
form of a veneer roll 9 or positions from which the threads are
hung down are in disorder since the free portions of the threads
12 are entangled with fluffy fibers on the surface of the veneer
roll 9 in the middle of the free portions, the free portions
of the threads 12 come into a firmly stretching state before
the moving block 265 reaches the downward movement limit with
the result that entanglement of the threads 12 with fibers is
solved. When the retaining condition of the threads 12 to the
correcting member 270 is canceled at the downward movement limit
of the correcting member 270, the threads 12 in the plural rows
come into a state in which the threads 12 hang down from the
circumferential surface of the veneer roll 9 almost vertically
and respectively assume correct positions. It should be
appreciated that while in the embodiment , the forward/backward
movement mechanism of the correcting member 270 is the fluid
cylinder 268 , there is no specific limitation to the mechanism,
but it may be replaced with a rack/pinion motion, a crank motion
or the like and that while in the embodiment, an elevating
mechanism for the moving block 265 is the fluid cylinder 266,
it may be replaced with a motion, forward or backward, of the
timing belts by means of driving, in one direction or the other,


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
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of a motor with reduction gears as described above, a rack/pinion
motion, a crank motion or the like.
After the correction, the stopper 263 is retreated from
the transport surface following completion of unwinding of the
preceding veneer roll 9 and the next veneer roll 9 is transferred
to the unwinding position 211. In this situation, since the
correcting member is located in the downward movement limit,
there arises no inconvenience in transfer operation.
In the above described embodiment, description is made
of the case where correction of positions of threads 12 before
recovery thereof is performed in a waiting position in the veneer
roll stock area 3A while a preceding veneer roll 9 is in unwinding
operation at the unwinding position 211, but such a correcting
operation can be performed prior to unwinding operation of a
new veneer roll 9 at the unwinding position 211.
Next , description will be made of another embodiment in
which positions of threads 12 are corrected with reference to
FIG. 78. Linear ways 274 are laid down on the pair of transfer
frames 210 in the downstream side from the unwinding position
211 , that is in the downstream side from the reel receivers 8
placed on the pair of the transfer frames 210, linear blocks
275 are placed on the linear ways 274 in a freely movable manner
and a correcting member 270 similar to the above description
is mounted on the linear blocks 275 with a bracket 276 interposed
therebetween. A forward/backward movement mechanism for moving
the correcting member 270 to or away from a veneer roll 9 is
provided in the further downstream side on the transfer frame


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
133
210 and the forward/backward, wherein in the embodiment, a fluid
power cylinder 277 is adopted as the mechanism and the fore-end
of the piston rod 278 thereof is connected to the bracket 276.
In this embodiment, the correcting member 270 is first
withdrawn to the backward movement limit position or to a position
where no interference with a veneer roll 9 arises by action of
the forward/backward movement mechanism (fluid cylinder) 277.
The veneer roll 9 moves on the transfer frames 210 and reaches
a reel receiver position 8 , and the bearings of the veneer roll
9 are rotatably supported by the reel receiver 8 and the reel
down-presser 66 . At this point , the drive guide bands 218 are
in a waiting condition at the lower limit positions remote from
the veneer roll 9. Then, the piston rod 278 of the fluid cylinder
277 is extended and the correcting member 270 is pressed along
the linear ways 274 to reach the downstream side circumferential
surface of the veneer roll 9 with the result that the correcting
member 270 gets into press contact with the veneer roll 9 along
the shaft direction. When in press contact of the correcting
member 270 , the threads 12 arranged in plural rows wound on the
veneer roll 9 as guide are retained by vacuum-chuck action on
the correcting member 270 with the help of the vacuum chuck holes
271 as described above. After vacuum-chuck retention of the
threads 12, the piston rod 278 of the fluid cylinder 277 is
contracted and then, the correcting member 270 begins to retreat
on the linear ways 274. In the middle of the course of retreating
of the correcting member 270, the threads 12 gradually come into
a firmly stretching state between the correcting member 270 and


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
134
the veneer roll 9 as drawn with double dot & dash lines in FIG.
78 while the threads 12 are retained by vacuum-chuck action on
the correcting member 270. Therefore, even if the terminal ends
of the threads 12 wound as guide are entangled with fibers of
a veneer sheet 1 in the form of a veneer roll 9 or positions
from which the threads are hung down are in disorder since the
free portions of the threads 12 are entangled with fluffy fibers
on the surface of the veneer roll 9 in the middle of the free
portions of the threads 12, the free portions of the threads
12 come into a firmly stretching state before the correcting
member 270 reaches the downward movement limit with the result
that entanglement of the threads 12 with fibers is solved.
Thereafter, when the correcting member 270 reaches the backward
movement limit position, the vacuum-chuck retention of the
threads 12 to the correcting member 2 70 is canceled and the threads
12 come into a state in which the free portions of the threads
12 are hung down almost vertically from the circumferential
surface of the veneer roll 9 by self-weight from a state in which
the free portions of the threads 12 are in a state pulled in
the lateral direction from the veneer roll 9.
It should be appreciated that as the forward/backward
movement mechanism of the correcting member 270 in the above
described embodiment , extending and contracting motions of the
fluid cylinder 277 are adopted, but there is no specific
limitation to this mechanism, but it may be replaced with a motion ,
forward or backward, of the timing belts by means of driving,
in one direction or the other, of a motor with reduction gears


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
135
as described above, a rack/pinion motion, a crank motion or the
like. Further, in the above described embodiment, description
is made of the case where correction of positions of threads
12 before recovery thereof is performed prior to unwinding
operation of a new veneer roll 9 at the unwinding position 211,
but such a correcting operation can be performed at the waiting
position of the veneer roll stock area 3A while the preceding
veneer roll 9 is in unwinding operation.
While in the above described embodiments, the vacuum-chuck
holes 271 are formed on the correcting member 270 and positions
of the threads 12 are corrected while retaining the threads 12
by vacuum-chuck action, the vacuum-chuck holes 271 can be
replaced with a pressure sensitive adhesive tape such as an
adhesive tape or a gummed cloth tape, stuck on the side facing
a veneer roll 9 of the correcting member 270 , wherein the threads
12 are entangled with the pressure sensitive adhesive tape to
retain. In addition to them, as shown in FIG. 76, the following
methods can also be adopted: A highly frictional member such
as a magic tape or a sand paper with abrasive grains thereon
is stuck on the side facing a veneer roll 9 of the correcting
member 270, the surface of the correcting member 270 is deformed
so as to form peaks and valleys in small size thereon by hammer
shock, or the surface of the correcting member 270 is processed
by filing or knurling so as to form fine protrusions 279 thereon,
wherein the threads 12 are entangled with such rough surfaces
of the correcting member 270 to retain. In this case, occurrence
of a firmly stretching state between the threads 12 and the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
136
correcting member 270 is caused by entanglement retention by
a pressure sensitive sheet, or entanglement retention by fine
protrusions 279. It should be appreciated that the vacuum-chuck
holes 271 to produce vacuum-chuck retention, the pressure
sensitive adhesive tape to produce entanglement retention or
fine protrusions to produce entanglement retention may be formed
all over the surface facing a veneer roll 9 of the correcting
member 270, but as shown in FIG. 79, such special areas each
with a proper width may be formed on the correcting member 270
in the vicinity of positions corresponding to those where the
threads 12 wound as guide in the shaft direction of take-up reel
7 of a veneer roll 9.
A body 254 of the thread reel 251 , as shown in FIG. 80 ,
has a shape like a hand drum that comprises : two circular flanges
at both sides; and a portion between the flanges that further
includes two conical portions , the section of one conical portion
being constituted of two slopes such that a diameter is narrowed
toward the middle in its length from the flanges , both conical
portions being in mirror-symmetry with the other, and a V shaped
annular groove 280 being formed at connection between the two
conical portions in the middle in its length, wherein the conical
portions can be of a female/male fitting type or a screw type
at the groove as the boundary, both being assembled in a
demountable manner. Hence, with such a structure of the thread
reel, recovered threads 12 can be taken out from the body 254
of the thread reel 251 with ease . According to the thread reel
251, when a thread 12 begins to be wound on the thread reel 251,


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
137
the fore-end of the thread 12 that has reached the body 254 is
guided along a slope and comes to the V shaped groove 280 , which
is located almost in the middle, thereby ensuring winding of
the thread on the body 254. Further, after completion of winding
of the threads 12 , the thread reel 251 is divided into two halves ,
lef t and right , at the middle as the boundary and thereby, wound
threads 12 on the thread reel 251 can be taken out with ease.
Therefore, on the contrary, in the next operation, all that is
required is to assemble the two halves into one piece, which
entails improvement of operability.
While in the above described embodiments , description is
made of the case where the body 254 of the thread reel 251 has
a smooth surface as a precondition, there can be a case of a
pressure-sensitive tape such as an adhesive tape or a gummed
cloth tape, which facilitates winding threads 12 on the body
254. Further, in addition, the following methods can also be
adopted in which the body 254 itself is processed so as to be
of a high friction coefficient: A highly frictional member such
as a sand paper with abrasive grains thereon is stuck on the
body 254 , the surface of the body 254 is deformed so as to form
peaks and valleys in fine size thereon by hammer shock, or the
surface of the body 254 is processed by filing or knurling so
as to form fine protrusions 281 thereon as shown in FIG. 81,
wherein the threads 12 are entangled with the highly frictional
member on the body 254 to retain with ease.
Accordingly, if the fore-end portion as a free end of a
thread 12 gets into contact with any position on the surface


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
138
of the body 254 in starting of winding of the thread 12 on a
thread reel 251, the thread 12 is easily entangled with the surface
of the body 254 since a pressure-sensitive tape or fine
protrusions are provided on the surface. Hence, even if the
fore-end as a free end of a thread 12 is misplaced with a not
large deviation from predetermined positions, winding of the
thread 12 on a thread reel 251 can be performed with no trouble.
Thereafter, threads 12 are kept in a firmly stretching state
between a veneer roll 9 and the thread reel 251 and the threads
12 wound as guide on the veneer roll 9 are taken-up on the thread
reels 251 in synchronism with unwinding of veneer sheet 1 from
the veneer roll 9 as described above.
Further, a thread guide 255 can be formed as a flat half
ring with a section of an arch-like shape as shown in FIG. 82
and in this case , the thread guide of this type is mounted along
the flanges of a thread reel 251 such that a clearance is produced
between the surface of the body 254 of the thread reel 251 and
the thread guide 255 and one half of the introductory side for
the thread is exposed as an open state. With this configuration,
a thread 12 is guided into between the lower portion of the body
254 and the lower portion of the half-ring shaped thread guide
255 by ejection of air (blown-out) or an exhaust stream (suction
steam). In this situation, since ejection of air (blown-out)
or an exhaust stream ( suction stream) flows toward the topmost
part in an arch-like section of the flat half-ring along a route
from the bottom part thereof to above, the fore-end of a thread
12 is carried on the stream to reach the topmost part of the


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
139
thread guide 255 and arrive at the upper opening thereof,
thereafter falling down by self weight on the body 254 due to
extinction of a stream. Therefore, the fore-end of a thread 12
is in a state where it is wound along more than a half circumference
of the body 254 of the thread reel 251 and the thread 12 is easily
wound on body 254 in company with counterclockwise rotation as
in FIG. 82 of a thread reel 251.
Especially when a thread reel has a body of a hand drum
type, the fore-end portion of a thread 12 that falling down from
above a thread guide 255 runs along a slope to arrive at a V-like
groove 280 located in the middle, making winding of a thread
12 ensured.
Then, as shown FIGs.83 to 89, description will be made
of an embodiment where at least one of threads 12 wound in plural
rows arranged on a veneer roll 9 in the length direction thereof
is protruded outside the veneer roll 9 with an angle A from a
state where the thread is wound along the circumferential surface
of the veneer roll 9 and in the situation, a veneer sheet 1 is
unwound from the veneer roll 9.
When a thread 12 is protruded outside the veneer roll 9 ,
as shown in FIG. 89, a pulling direction of a thread 12 is first
determined such that the direction is located in the middle
between a veneer sheet separating position P at which the veneer
sheet 1 begins to be unwound from the veneer roll 9 and a position
Q at which a line from the veneer sheet separating position P
through the center of the veneer roll 9 intersects the
circumference of the veneer roll 9 in the unwinding side of a


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
140
veneer sheet 1 side formed between the veneer sheet separating
position P and the veneer sheet separation opposite position
Q. It is important that the pulling direction is determined such
that when a veneer sheet 1 unwound from the veneer roll 9 tends
to be wound on the veneer roll 9 in accompanying manner, the
pulling direction of the thread 12 works so as to prevent
accompanying phenomena of a veneer sheet 1 with the veneer roll
9 from occurring and to be effective for bringing the veneer
sheet 1 back to the transport surface 298. Therefore, it is
preferable that an angle a formed between a line S that connects
between the center O of the veneer roll 9 and the veneer sheet
separating position P and a line S' that connects the center
O and a separating point R of a thread 12 is less than 180 degrees ,
or desirably less than 90 degrees , and a thread 12 is preferably
pulled out from the veneer roll 9 with an angle in the ranges .
With such an angle in use, a veneer sheet 1 tending.to accompany
the veneer roll 9 is effectively prevented by a thread 12 from
accompanying and is effectively brought back to the unwinding
transport surface 298. On the other hand, when a thread 12 is
pulled toward almost directly above along the curvature of the
veneer roll 9 (in a direction tangential at the middle point
R'~ or in a direction inclined from the directly above toward
the other side from the veneer sheet 1 unwinding side, it is
hard to block the accompanying action of a veneer sheet 1 by
a thread 12.
As shown in FIG. 85, a position at which a thread 12 is
supported protruding outwardly is located close to an unwinding


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
141
surface 295 on which a veneer sheet 1 is unwound from the veneer
roll 9. For example, a support member 296 is protruded from a
beam constituting the reel support 65 in the veneer roll
transport-in side. A thread auxiliary pulley 297 is mounted in
rotatable manner at the fore-end of the support member 296, a
thread 12 that is wound along the curvature of the veneer roll
9 is protruded outwardly and the thread 12 is supported by the
thread auxiliary pulley 297 . In this situation, threads 12 wound
on the veneer roll 9 in plural rows arranged in the length direction
of the veneer roll 9 are pinched between the unwinding rollers
230 and 235 or kept in a properly firm stretching condition by
the thread reel 251 that continues to rotate through a torque
limiter 252.
As described above, when a veneer sheet 1 is unwound while
recovering a thread 12 from a veneer roll 9, there is a case
where a veneer sheet 1 tends to be rewound by accompanying the
surface of the veneer roll 9 in rotation for unwinding as shown
in FIG . 84 , while the veneer sheet 1 is not unwound to the transport
surface 298. In such a case, as shown in FIG 85, since a thread
12 protruding from a state where the thread 12 resides along
the curvature of the veneer roll 9 and supported by the thread
auxiliary pulley 297 is in a state where the thread 12 extends
outwardly at an angle B to the circumferential surface of the
veneer roll 9 , the thread 12 prevents the veneer sheet 1 from
not only accompanying the veneer roll 9 but being rewound thereon
by getting into contact with the unwound veneer sheet 1. The
veneer sheet 1 that is blocked from the accompanying by a thread


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
142
12 is brought back to the unwinding transport surface 298 and
thereby transferred to the next step.
It should be appreciated that while even at least one thread
12 that protrudes outwardly effectively works, it is preferable
that when threads 12 arranged in the vicinity of both sides in
the length direction of a veneer roll 9 are respectively protruded
outwardly and supported by the thread auxiliary pulley 297 , a
veneer sheet 1 to be unwound that would otherwise tend to accompany
is prevented from the accompanying by actions from the both sides
which increases its effectiveness of the thread auxiliary pulley
297 due to threads 12 from the both sides instead of a single
thread 12.
If a support position by the thread auxiliary pulley 297
for a thread 12 is close to the unwinding surface 295 as described
above , a veneer sheet 1 that tends to accompany a veneer roll
9 can be blocked against the accompanying at an initial stage
thereof. However, if machine or something is installed in a
passage leading to a proper support position for the thread
auxiliary pulley 297 or the support position makes a worker hard
to come to or go away from his work site since he has to walk
through there, it can be solved in such a manner that a thread
12 is protruded outwardly at another position and then the support
position can be moved close to the unwinding surface 295 of a
veneer sheet 1.
In FIG.86, a unit with which the support position for a
thread 12 is moved is exemplified, a thread support unit 299
is located at a position spaced from the circumferential surface


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
143
of the veneer roll 9 outwardly in a radial direction . Protruded
arms 301 to which the thread auxiliary pulleys 297 are rotatably
mounted are further mounted on a support shaf t 300 in the vicinity
of its both ends, wherein the support shaft 300 extends almost
in parallel to the shaft of a veneer roll 9. Both ends of the
support shaft 300 are supported by arm rods 302 at one ends thereof
and the other ends of the arm rod 302 are attached to rotary
shafts 303. Further, an end of a lever 304 is mounted to one
rotary shaft 303 and the other end is connected to a piston rod
306 of a fluid cylinder 305 supported by the reel support 65.
For example , in a case where a work site deck ( not shown )
is installed above the unwinding position 211 , a worker protrudes
threads 12 in the vicinity of both ends of the veneer roll 9
wound along the curvature of the veneer roll 9 to a protruding
position 307 drawn with a double dot & dash line in the figure
located outwardly in a radial direction while utilizing the deck.
The threads 12 are supported by the auxiliary pulleys 297 held
by the support shaft 300 while winding on the auxiliary pulleys
297 . Then, the piston rod 306 of the fluid cylinder 305 is extended
and thereby, the rotary shaft 303 is rotated through an angle
to swing the support shaf t 300 while keeping the support shaf t
300 radially outwardly spaced from the veneer roll 9 and move
the support shaft 300 to a displacement position 308 of FIG.
83 drawn with a solid Line while routing along the circumferential
surface of the veneer roll 9 . After the displacement , as described
above, the threads 12 are recovered from the veneer roll 9 and
at the same time a veneer sheet 1 is unwound from the veneer


CA 02510808 2000-O1-07
144
roll 9.
While in the embodiment, when the rotary shaft 303 is
rotated through an angle, the lever 304 is swung, an alternative
method is as follows : A pinion gear 309 is mounted to the rotary
shaft 303 and a piston rod 312 of a fluid cylinder 311 is connected
to a rack gear 310 to mesh with the pinion gear 309 as shown
in FIG. 87. According to this method, the rack gear 310 is moved
following extending or contracting of the piston rod 312 and
thereby, the pinion gear 309 is rotated in one direction or the
other, with the result that the support shaft 300 can be moved
between the protruding position 307 and the displacement position
308.
Further, likewise as shown in FIG. 88, another case may
be a choice: A pinion gear 309 is mounted to the rotary shaft
303 and a drive shaft of a motor 314 is connected to a pinion
gear 313 to mesh with the pinion gear 309. According to this
method as well, the pinion gear 309 to mesh with the pinion gear
313 is rotated in one direction or the other following rotation
of the motor 314 in one direction or the other and thereby, the
support shaft 300 can be moved between the protrusion position
307 and the displacement position 308.

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Administrative Status , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date Unavailable
(22) Filed 2000-01-07
(41) Open to Public Inspection 2000-08-31
Examination Requested 2005-08-01
Dead Application 2009-01-07

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2007-12-21 R30(2) - Failure to Respond
2008-01-07 FAILURE TO PAY APPLICATION MAINTENANCE FEE

Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Request for Examination $800.00 2005-08-01
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2005-08-01
Application Fee $400.00 2005-08-01
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 2002-01-07 $100.00 2005-08-01
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 2003-01-07 $100.00 2005-08-01
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 4 2004-01-07 $100.00 2005-08-01
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 5 2005-01-07 $200.00 2005-08-01
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 6 2006-01-09 $200.00 2005-12-20
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 7 2007-01-08 $200.00 2006-12-13
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
KABUSHIKIKAISHA TAIHEISEISAKUSHO
Past Owners on Record
KAWAMORI, HIDEKI
KOHARA, YASUYUKI
MIZUNO, AKIHIRO
MURAKAMI, MASANORI
NAKAGAWA, SHINICHI
NARITA, MITSUMASA
OHDAIRA, YASUYUKI
OHSHIO, YOUICHI
OKADA, TOMOHARU
SUGIYAMA, KAZUMI
YAMADA, REIJI
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Claims 2000-01-07 1 38
Abstract 2000-01-07 1 35
Drawings 2000-01-07 74 1,132
Description 2000-01-07 144 5,755
Representative Drawing 2005-09-07 1 7
Cover Page 2005-10-05 2 62
Assignment 2000-01-07 7 240
Correspondence 2005-08-09 1 48
Correspondence 2005-10-21 1 18
Fees 2005-12-20 1 55
Prosecution-Amendment 2006-08-14 2 35
Fees 2006-12-13 1 46
Prosecution-Amendment 2007-06-21 2 40