US 4,506,714 A · Veneer lathe

Abstract

A lathe for cutting a spiral strip of veneer from the surface of a log includes motor-driven mechanisms for adjusting the knife blade pitch angle and edge height, and for moving a pressure head relative to the knife to adjust the vertical gap and horizontal gap between the knife edge and the roller bar, and provides sensors for determining the actual positions of movable elements of the lathe, thus enabling computer-controlled adjustment of the movable elements of the lathe during lathe operation. A knife clamp of the lathe includes a plurality of separate clamp segments for pressing against different portions of a knife bar to hold it firmly, resisting deformation and rocking of the knife bar. Fluid-pressure-biased bearings eliminate looseness between relatively movable parts of the lathe, reducing the amount of variation of thickness in veneer produced using the lathe. Veneer thickness is controlled by monitoring cumulative movement of the lathe spindles and the main feed carriage.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A veneer lathe, comprising:

(a) spindle means, defining a spindle axis, for rotating a block about said spindle axis while veneer is cut from said block;
(b) way means, located fixedly and extending generally transversely with respect to said spindle axis, for supporting a main feed carriage;
(c) a main feed carriage movably supported on said way means for movement transversely toward and away from said spindle axis;
(d) knife carrier support means, located on said main feed carriage and defining a knife pitch angle axis, for movably supporting a knife carrier therein;
(e) an elongate knife carrier extending longitudinally parallel with said pitch angle axis, said knife carrier being rotatably supported in said knife carrier support means for rotation about said pitch angle axis so as to provide different degrees of knife pitch angle;
(f) pitch angle adjustment means located on said main feed carriage for rotating said knife carrier support means about said pitch angle axis to alter the degree of said knife pitch angle;
(g) pitch angle sensor means located on said main feed carrage for sensing movement of said knife carrer relative to said knife carrier support means for determining the degree of said knife pitch angle;
and
(h) pitch angle indicator means remote from said pitch angle sensor means and responsive therto for indicating the degree of said knife pitch angle.

6 more elements

A veneer lathe, comprising:

(a) spindle means, defining a spindle axis, for rotating a block about said spindle axis while veneer is cut from said block;
(b) way means, located fixedly and extending generally transversely with respect to said spindle axis, for supporting a main feed carriage;
(c) a main feed carriage movably supported on said way means for movement transversely toward and away from said spindle axis;
(d) knife carrier support means, located on said main feed carriage and defining a knife pitch angle axis, for movably supporting a knife carrier therein;
(e) an elongate knife carrier extending longitudinally parallel with said pitch angle axis, said knife carrier being rotatably supported in said knife carrier support means for rotation about said pitch angle axis so as to provide different degrees of knife pitch angle;
(f) pitch angle adjustment means located on said main feed carriage for rotating said knife carrier support means about said pitch angle axis to alter the degree of said knife pitch angle;
and
(g) said pitch angle adjustment means including pitch angle adjustment motor means interconnecting said main feed carriage with said knife carrier for rotating said knife carrier about said pitch angle axis by reaction against said main feed carriage.

5 more elements

A veneer lathe, comprising:

(a) spindle means for rotating a block about a spindle axis while veneer is cut from said block;
(b) way means, located fixedly and extending generally transversely with respect to said spindle axis, for supporting a main feed carriage;
(c) a main feed carriage movably supported on said way means for movement transversely toward and away from said spindle axis;
(d) knife carrier support means, located on said main feed carriage and defining a knife pitch angle axis, for movably supporting a knife carrier therein;
(e) an elongate knife carrier extending longitudinally parallel with said pitch angle axis, said knife carrier being rotatably supported in said knife carrier support means for rotation about said pitch angle axis so as to provide different degrees of knife pitch angle;
(f) pitch angle adjustment means located on said main feed carriage for rotating said knife carrier support means about said pitch angle axis to alter the degree of said knife pitch angle;
(g) said pitch angle axis being spaced vertically apart from said way means and said pitch angle adjustment means being independent of any variation in the vertical spacing between said pitch angle axis and said way means.

4 more elements

A veneer lathe, comprising:

(a) spindle means defining a spindle axis, for rotating a block about said spindle axis while veneer is cut from said block;
(b) way means, located fixedly and extending generally transversely with respect to said spindle axis, for supporting a main feed carriage thereon;
(c) a main feed carriage movably supported on said way means for movement transversely toward and away from said spindle axis;
(d) an elongate veneer knife carried on said main feed carriage and having an edge extending generally parallel with said spindle axis;
(e) an elongate pressure head supported by said main feed carriage, said pressure head being movable with respect to said knife;
(f) power-driven head positioning means connected operatively with said pressure head for adjusting the location of said pressure head with respect to said edge while said pressure head remains in a normal operating position;
(g) head position sensor means associated with said pressure head for sensing the location of said pressure head with respect to said edge;
and
(h) head position indicator means remote from said head position sensor means and responsive thereto for indicating the location of said pressure head with respect to said edge.

6 more elements

A veneer lathe, comprising:

(a) spindle means, defining a spindle axis, for rotating a block about said spindle axis while veneer is cut from said block;
(b) way means, located fixedly and extending generally transversely with respect to said spindle axis, for supporting a main feed carriage;
(c) a main feed carriage movably supported on said way means for movement transversely toward and away from said spindle axis;
(d) an elongate knife carrier supported on said main feed carriage and extending longitudinally parallel with said spindle axis, said knife carrier including a knife clamp assembly;
(e) a knife releasably held in said knife clamp clamp assembly, said knife including first and second sides and a ground surface extending from said second side toward said first side and defining an edge along the intersection of said first side and said ground surface;
(f) an elongate main support member portion of said knife clamp assembly, included in said knife carrier and extending longitudinally therealong;
(g) backing means associated with said main support member for supporting said first side of said knife;
(h) a plurality of elongate clamp segments each having a clamping face;
(i) means for attaching each said clamp segment pivotably to said main support member with said clamping face of each clamp segment oriented toward said support member and spaced apart therefrom to define a space for receiving said knife between said plurality of clamp segments and said backing means;
and
(j) selectively operable means for exerting force against each of said clamping segments for causing said clamping face to press against said second side of said knife to hold said knife immovably in said clamp during operation of said veneer lathe, a first plurality of said clamp segments being arranged with respect to said main support member so that said clamping faces thereof press on said second side of said knife in positions proximate said ground portion and a second plurality of said clamp segments being arranged with respect to said main support member so that said clamping faces thereof press on said second side of said knife at positions spaced substantially away from said ground portion of said knife.

8 more elements

A veneer lathe comprising:

(a) spindle means, defining a spindle axis, for rotating a block about said spindle axis while veneer is cut from said block;
(b) way means located fixedly and extending generally transversely with respect to said spindle axis for supporting a main feed carriage;
(c) a main feed carriage movably supported on said way means and supporting a veneer knife for movement transversely toward and away from said spindle axis during cutting of veneer from block;
and
(d) first bearing means interposed between said main feed carriage and said way means for guiding said main feed carriage with respect to said way means, said first bearing means being movable with respect to said main feed carriage toward said way means in a transverse direction relative to the direction of movement of said main feed carriage, and means for exerting a predetermined fluid pressure on said first bearing means, for forcing said first bearing means against said way means in said transverse direction.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Veneer lathe

Life of this patent

Veneer lathe

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29