Veneer cutting and sorting apparatus

A veneer cutting and sorting apparatus comprising:

• a first conveyor that moves a veneer sheet having at leading end thereof a defective portion to be separated from product veneer sheet, and has a first conveying surface on which the veneer sheet is moved,
• a first assembly disposed downstream of the first conveyor relative to a direction in which the veneer sheet is moved and including a first rotatable body having an axis of rotation extending across the veneer moving direction, a first mounting fixed to and extending axially of the first rotatable body and projecting radially outwardly from the first rotatable body, and a knife blade fixed to distal end of the first mounting and having at tip end thereof a cutting edge,
• a second assembly disposed downstream of the first conveyor relative to the veneer moving direction and including a second rotatable body having an axis of rotation extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the first rotatable body, a second mounting fixed to and extending axially of the second rotatable body and projecting radially outwardly from the second rotatable body, and a knife cutting edge receiver fixed to distal end of the second mounting and having a knife cutting edge receiving surface that receives the cutting edge of the knife blade,
• at least one drive source that controllably drives the first and the second rotatable bodies through a drive transmission,
• the drive transmission disposed between the at least one drive source and the first and the second rotatable bodies and configured to permit the first and the second rotatable bodies to rotate in opposite directions,
• the first and the second assemblies being disposed one above the other across an imaginary extension plane of the first conveying surface of the first conveyor, wherein the knife blade and the knife cutting edge receiver are configured to cooperate to cut the veneer sheet when the cutting edge and the knife cutting edge receiving surface are brought into cutting engagement with each other so that the veneer sheet is cut by the knife blade on the knife cutting edge receiver,
• a second conveyor disposed downstream of and spaced away from the first and the second assemblies in the direction in which the veneer sheet is moved by the second conveyor, and having a second conveying surface on which the veneer sheet is moved,
• a veneer detector disposed upstream of the first and the second assemblies and configured to detect an imaginary line of boundary extending across the veneer conveying direction and between the defective portion and product veneer sheet succeeding the defective portion and to generate a detection signal indicative of the detection of the boundary,
• a control that is operable to determine current position the detected boundary in the veneer sheet being moved by the first conveyor based on the detection signal from the veneer detector and to control the at least one drive source for controllably rotating the first and the second rotatable bodies for cutting of the veneer sheet at the boundary,
• the control being operable to cause the first and the second rotatable bodies to start rotating from predetermined initial positions thereof at a timing that permits the knife blade to cut the veneer sheet at the boundary on the cutting edge receiving surface, to rotate the first and the second rotatable bodies at speeds that cause the cutting edge of the knife blade and the cutting edge receiving surface to revolve at same peripheral speed at least during cutting of the veneer sheet at the boundary, and, after the cutting of the veneer sheet is over, to allow the first and the second rotatable bodies to be rotated to respective predetermined stop positions,
• wherein the first assembly is disposed below the second assembly, the apparatus further comprising a support fixed on and projecting radially outwardly from the first rotatable body and having a support surface located adjacent to and behind the first mounting with respect to the direction in which the first rotatable body is rotated,
• whereby the first and the second assemblies cut the veneer sheet and also support the veneer sheet while allowing the defective portion to drop off by its own weight.