GB1382319A - Production of wood veneers with inlays - Google Patents

Abstract

1382319 Inlaid wood veneer A D P PAYNE and J H PAYNE 5 June 1973 [12 June 1972] 27432/72 Heading B6G A wood veneer having a decorative inlay therein is produced by pressing an inlay of the desired design into one side of a wood veneer until the surface of the inlay is flush with the surface of the veneer, the other side of the veneer being supported during the pressing operation by a deformable support, and then removing the compressd projecting wood on the other side of the veneer. The projecting wood may be removed by grinding or sanding. Preferably the inlay has a bevelled profile and is inserted in the direction in which the bevelled profile tapers. The inlay may be made of metal, another wood, tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl or a combination of such materials. Metal inlays are preferably formed by chemical or electrochemical milling or etching. Alternatively metal inlays may be formed by bending metal, such as copper or brass, wire into a desired pattern. The deformable support may be formed of rubber, bitumen-impregnated felt, or a rubber/canvas/ rubber laminate. In a modification of the method an assembly of a first deformable support, a first wood veneer, an inlay of the desired design, a second wood veneer and a second deformable support in which one or both of the facing surfaces of the veneers is coated with an adhesive is pressed so as to bond the two veneers firmly together, and compressed projecting wood on both surfaces of the laminate obtained is removed to expose the inlay. In this modified method the outer periphery of the inlay may be provided with an outwardly projecting double bevel which keys the inlay between the veneers or the inlay may be provided with a web of reduced thickness around its periphery. The inlay may comprise a series of inlay elements such as letters joined by a thin web of inlay material. This type of inlay may be made of a metal/ plastics film laminate, the inlay elements being formed out of the metal layer and the plastics film functioning as the web. In another modification as shown in Figs. 6A, 6B, and 6C, an assembly of a main veneer 18, a metal inlay 11 and a secondary veneer 23 is formed on a deformable support 12 between the platens 13 and 14 of a press. The main wood veneer is of slightly greater thickness than the desired final thickness of the product. Secondary veneer 23 is thinner than the main veneer 18 and is larger in plan than the inlay. The periphery of the secondary veneer 23 extends beyond the periphery of the inlay all round. The edge of the secondary veneer is feathered. Hydraulic pressure in the pressing operation may also be used.