Method and apparatus for dehydrating veneer

Method for dehydrating a veneer sheet, comprising:

• preparing a veneer sheet with a predetermined thickness and having therein a knot;
• providing an apparatus for dehydrating the veneer sheet, the apparatus comprising:
• a stationary first dehydrating roller driven to rotate about an axis of rotation thereof;
• a plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers, configured to directly contact with the veneer sheet, separately mounted on a respective hydraulic cylinder, and having respective axes of rotation extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the stationary first dehydrating roller and individually movable toward and away from the stationary first dehydrating roller;
• a stop device for determining a position of the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers relative to the stationary first dehydrating roller where each of the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers is spaced from the stationary first dehydrating roller at a predetermined distance;
• said respective hydraulic cylinder urging the respective rotatable second dehydrating rollers independently to said position with a force passing between the stationary first dehydrating roller and said respective rotatable second dehydrating rollers while allowing said respective rotatable second dehydrating rollers to independently move away from the stationary first dehydrating roller independently of the other second dehydrating rollers by a force that is due to the knot in the veneer sheet passing between any of said second dehydrating rollers and the first dehydrating roller;
• and
• a support device rotatably supporting each of the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers, said support device being swingable about a pivot, said respective hydraulic cylinder urging the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers by way of the support device, and said stop device limiting swinging motion of the support device;
• yieldably urging each of the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers toward the stationary first dehydrating roller to a position where the rotatable second dehydrating roller is spaced from the stationary first dehydrating roller at a predetermined distance that is smaller than thickness of the veneer sheet, said urging being performed with a force that is largest in a range of force that causes very little breakage to the knot present in the veneer sheet;
• and
• passing the veneer sheet between the stationary first dehydrating roller and the rotatable second dehydrating rollers.

An apparatus for dehydrating a veneer sheet, comprising:

• a stationary first dehydrating roller driven to rotate about an axis of rotation thereof, a plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers having respective axes of rotation extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the stationary first dehydrating roller and individually movable toward and away from the stationary first dehydrating roller, said plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers being separately mounted on respective urging devices including any one of hydraulic cylinder/piston mechanism, tension springs and weights;
• a stop device for determining a position of the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers relative to the stationary first dehydrating roller where each of the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers is spaced from the stationary first dehydrating roller at a predetermined distance;
• said urging device urging the respective rotatable second dehydrating rollers independently to said position with a force passing between the stationary first dehydrating roller and said respective rotatable second dehydrating rollers while allowing said respective rotatable second dehydrating rollers to independently move away from the stationary first dehydrating roller independently of the other second dehydrating rollers by a force that is due to a knot in the veneer sheet passing between any of said second dehydrating rollers and the first dehydrating roller;
• and
• a roller support device including a pair of support members swingably supported by a first support block and a second support block, said roller support device being pivotally connected to said urging device and rotatably supporting each of the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers,
• said urging device urging the second dehydrating roller by way of said roller support device,
• said stop device limiting swinging motion of said roller support device thereby to determine said position of each of the plurality of rotatable second dehydrating rollers.