Method of processing undried veneer sheet

A method of processing an undried wood veneer sheet in order to reduce the water content of said sheet and improve its dry-ability, which comprises the steps of:

• continuously moving said undried veneer sheet in a direction against the grain of said sheet by drivingly contacting the opposite surfaces of said sheet by infeed conveyor elements which are continuously moving at a first predetermined speed in said direction and simultaneously drivingly contacting the opposite surfaces of said sheet by outfeed conveyor elements located at positions close to and downstream of the positions at which said infeed conveyor elements drivingly contact said sheet, said outfeed conveyor elements continuously moving in said direction at a second predetermined speed which is slower than said first predetermined speed so that a uniform compression force is continuously applied to successive portions of the sheet in the direction of movement thereof and against the grain thereof sufficient to extract water therefrom, to cause the water content of the sheet to be more uniform along the length thereof and to break tubular membranes in the veneer sheets;
• and simultaneously confining said opposite surfaces of the sheet against movement transverse to said direction from the time the sheet enters between said infeed conveyor elements until the time it leaves said outfeed conveyor elements to prevent the sheet from buckling.