US1778251A - Method of and means for treating veneered sheets - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 14, 1930. ELMENDQRF 1,778,251

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TREATING VENEERED SHEETS Filed April l0 v 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 14, 1930.

A. ELMENDORF METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TREATING VENEERED SHEETS Filed April 10, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 veneer will Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ABMIN ELMENDORE'OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FLEXWOOD' COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR TREATING VENEERED SHEETS Application filed April 10,

In my prior application, Serial No. 334,-

' 865, filed January 24, 1929, I have disclosed a novel material comprising a flexible backing faced with thinwood veneer whose structure has been broken down to such an extent that the veneer will have no tendency, when dry, to curl up. I The present invention has for its object to make it possible rapidly and at a small cost to treat the sheet so that the possess the aforesaid characteristic.

The treatment of the veneer to place it in a condition such that it will have no tendency to curl under moisture and temperature changes-or, in other words, to render it limp, because of the frail character of the veneer, can best be effected after the veneer has been glued to its backing. Therefore, viewed in one of its aspects, the present invention may be said to have for its object rapidly and economically to treat a flexible material faced with thin wood veneer so as to render the veener limp or, in other words, destroy its capacity for curling, without marring the appearance of the surface of the veneer when the product is laid flat.

In carrying out my invention, beginning at one end of thesheet, I'stress the exposed faces of successive narrow strips extending in the general direction of the grain, one after another, past the rupture point; bringing about a progressive partial disintegration of the veneer throughout the entire area of the sheet. This may conveniently be done by bending the sheet over an edge extending in the general direction .of the grain of the veneer, with the backing next to the edge, and producing a relative movement between the sheet and the edge, across the grain. The face of the veneer may be left exposed during the process, but a more uniform effect is obtained by maintaining on the face of the veneer, at the bend, a pressure that is more or less radial over the entire bent area.

tained on the face of each narrow section of 1929. Serial No. 353,952.

veneer while the latter is undergoing partial disintegration.

Viewed in another of its aspects, the present invention may be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel machine by means of which a sheet composed of a flexible backing and a facing of wood veneer may be successfully treated, at a low cost, to render the veneer limp.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine for carrying out my invention, parts being broken away; Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine: Fig. 8 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1'; Fig. 4 is a section on the same plane as Fig. 3, but on a larger scale, showing a fragment of the machine; Fig. 5 is a view on an enlarged scale showing more or less diagrammaticallythe manner in which the sheet is stressed; and Fig. 6 is an end View of a modified form of the machine.

Referring to Fig. 5, A represents a sheet of strong flexible material faced with a layer B of Wood veneer. C is a cushion, preferably of rubber. E is a blade-like bar that may be called an edge. If the sheet, consisting of the united layers A and B, with the grain of the wood extending transversely of'the sheet, is laid against the cushion with the veneer next to the latter, and the cushion and the edge are moved relatively toward each other so that the cushion must vield, a comparatively sharp bend will be formed in the sheet. In other words, the sheet will be bent more or less sharply over the edge, causing the face of the veneer, extending entirely across the sheet, to be stressed across the grain beyond the rupture point. If the sheet were simply forcibly bent over the edge without the presence of the cushion, the veneer might simply split wide open along amore or less irregular line, continuous or otherwise, along the'grain. However, my purpose brakes closely spaced; it being immaterial whether the veneer be split through its entire thickness or only for a fraction of its thickness inwardly from the outer face. By providinga cushion which, while yieldable, offers considerable resistance to compression, the face of the veneer throughout the area that curves over the edge is yieldingly held and is subjected'to pressures more or less normal to the surface. The result is that the veneer will split in such a manner as not to form wide cracks. If now the sheet is moyed lengthwise a short distance, either while the' edge is held back, clear of the sheet or while it is pressing the sheetinto the cushion, the bend or wave in the sheet will be shifted, bringing a fresh area opposite the edge. Thus, if the edge has remained in its working position or is brought back into the position, this new area will be ruptured. Assum- 1n that the sheet is being moved upwardly in ig. 5, the area opposite the edge will have the veneer face visibly split as indicated by the more or less radial lines I). As the sheet passes upwardly and straightens out again, the breaks in the veneer will'close so as not to be visible.

In Figs. 1 t0'4 there is shown a machine for carrying out the process just described, by means of a blade or edge that moves rapidly between an idle and a Working position. Furthermore, I have provided two blades or edges so that the veneer may be said to be processed twice.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, 1 and 2 represent two end frame members, and 3 a top connecting piece between the same. Between the ends of the frame and at some distance below'the top member 3, is a roll 4 covered with a cushioning layer O of rubber. Behind the roll 4 are two feed rolls 5 and 6. In front of the 1 011 4 is another pair of feed rolls 7 and 8. The sheet to be operated upon, indicated at AB,'passes between the feed rolls 5 and 6, over the top of theroll 4 and down between the feed rolls 7 and 8.

A horizontal shaft 9, parallel with'theseveral rolls, is journallddn suitable brackets 0r hangers 10 on the underside of the top frame member 3. .Below the shaft 9 are two parallel shafts 11 and12, one on each side of a vertical plane containing the long aXis of the shaft. 9. Fixed to the shaftsll and 121 are L-shaped brackets each having an up per arm 13 and a lower arm 14; The brackets on one shaft are arranged opposite those on the other shaft. The upper end of each up-' per bracket arm is fastened'to the upper end of the corresponding opposite armby 'a spring 15; the parts being so proportioned that the springs lie above the shaft 9. The lower arms of each set of brackets are connected together by bars or blades E corresponding to the edge E previously referred to. On the shaft 9 arecams 16 engaged by cam rollers 17 on the upper arms of the brackets. The parts are so proportioned that when the cams are in the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4, they press the upper arms of each pair of :brackets apart, forcing the members E down into the cushioning layer on the underlying roll. However, when the shaft 9 is turned through an angle of 180, the springs come into play, drawing together the upper ends of each pair of brackets and raising the members E from the roll.

It will be seen that if the shaft 9 is rotated rapidly, while theroll 4 is turned slowly, the work will be carried first under one edge member and then under the other, being progressively waved under the first edge member and then again under the second. The surface of the veneer will be broken into narrow filaments as the sheet travels under the first edge. By properly adjusting the a worm wheel 24 on the shaft 25 that carries a I the roll 8. The rolls 7 and 8 are caused to rotate in unison with each other and in opposite directions, by means of inter-meshing spur gears 26 and 27, on the roller shafts 25 and 28 respectively. It .will thus be seen that when the motor is running, the rolls 7 and 8 will serve slowly to draw the sheet over the roll 4, the sheet serving as a belt to drive the latter roll. The shaft 9 is rotating at a very high speed compared to that of the feed rolls,

-so that the edge members strike rapid blows on the work. Since the sheet cannot move very far between blows of the'edge members,

the lines across the sheet on which the blows are struck'will be closely spaced.

. The shaft 30 that carries the main roll 4 is preferably mounted in vertically adjustable bearings-31, thereby permitting the roll to be adjusted up and down in order to vary the depth to which the sheet is pressed into the gushion surface of the roll by the edge memers.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a machine in which the edge member is stationary. Referring to this figure, 35 represents a suitable frame structure in the top of which is mounted a roll 36 having a cushioning layer C covering the same. Below and on opposite sides of the roll 36 are rolls 37, 37. The sheet A B passes up under the left hand roll 37, across the top of the roll 36 and-down underneath -members E are fixed to the frame on opposite sides of the roll 36; the distance between the members E being less than the overall diameter of the cushioned roll, so that these mem bers press into the cushions. Consequently the sheet, in order to pass by the edge members, must take a sharp bend at each edge member. In other words, as the sheet is drawn ahead there is formed therein at the first edge member a wave that travels progressively along the sheet. The process is repeated atthe second edge member.

I do not wish to limit myself to any particular degree of fineness in the disintegra tion of the veneer because for some uses the breaks may be farther apart than for others.

It is possible, however, by making the radius of an edge over which the sheet is drawn small, to produce breaks that will be an average distance of a thirty second of an inch or less apart. By passing the sheet successively over two such edges a very complete breaking down of the veneer may be effected without, however leaving any visible breaks in the surface when the sheet is laid flat.

I claim 1. The method of making pliable a sheet composed of a flexible backing faced with wood veneer, which consists in partially disintegrating the veneer by tearing or splitting the same along the grain to divide the face thereof into inany narrow filaments.

2..The method of treating a sheet composed of a flexible backing faced with wood veneer, which consists in laying the backing against an edge extending in the general di-. rection of the grain inthe wood and placing a rubber cushion against the veneer, and applying suflicient pressure to cause rubber tcl be compressed and bend the sheet over said e ge.

3. The method of treating a sheet composed of a flexible backing faced with wood veneer, which consists in moving the sheet past an edge extending in the general direction of the grain in the wood and lying behind the backing, and pressing a yieldable cushion against the veneer opposite said edge in order forcibly to bend the sheet over said edge.

4. The method of treating a sheet composed of a flexible backin faced with wood veneer, which consists in aying the veneer side of the sheet against a cushion, and progressively waving the sheet along lines extending in the general direction of the grain by pressing it forcibly into the cushion.

5. The method of treating a sheet composed ofa flexible backing faced with wood veneer, which consists in moving it transversely of the grain of the wood between an overlying cushion and an underlying edge extending in the general direction of the grain, and causing said edge forcibly to press one narrow strip after another into the cushrupture point.

ion far enough to stress the veneer past the 6. The method of treating a sheet composed of a flexible backing faced with wood veneer, which consists in laying the sheet, face down, on and moving it in unison with a 1'0- tating roll covered with yieldable rubber and extending in the general direction of the grain in the veneer, and forcibly pressing the sheet into the rubber along a line extending grain as it is in the general direction of the carried past a given point.

7. The method of treating a sheet composed of a'flexible backingfaced with wood veneer, which consists in laying the sheet,

face down, on and moving it in unison with a rotating roll, covered with yieldable rubber and extending in the general direction of the grain in the veneer, and pressing an edge extending in the general direction of the grain against the sheet so as to bend it and force it into the rubber in passing a given point. 8. In a machine for the purpose specified, a roll having a cushioned surface, and an edge member beside and parallel with the roll for forcing a sheet into the roll as the sheet is carried along with the roll.

9. In a machineof the character described, a roll covered with yieldable rubber, and

means for forcing a flexible sheet carried rubber or the like, a member having an edge extending lengthwise of the roll,means for drawing a sheet over the roll between the roll and said member, and means for rapidly operating said member from and toward the roll, the parts being so proportioned that said member forces the sheet into the cushion when said member is moved toward the roll.

12. The method of treating a sheet composed of a flexible backing faced with wood veneer, which consists in movin it transversely of thegrain of the wood etween an overlying cushion and an underlying edge extending in the general direction of the grain, and causing said edge forcibly to press one narrow strip after another into the cushion far enough to stress the face of the veneer past the rupture point.

13.. The method of treatinga sheet composed of a flexible backing faced with wood veneer, which consists in laying the sheet, face down,.on and moving it in unison with a rotating roll covered with a yielding cushion and extending in the general direction of the grain in the veneer, and forcibly pressing the sheet into the cushion alonga line extend ing in the general direction of the grain as it i is carried past a given point. 5 14. In a machine of the character described,- a yieldable cushion, an edge member parallel thereto and means to produce relative movements between the said member and the cushion to cause a flexible sheet lying on the cush- 10 ion to travel past said member and be pressed into the cushion thereby so as progressively to wave the sheet as the sheet and said member move relatively to each other lengthwise of the sheet. 15. In a machine of the character described a roll covered with yieldable material, and means for forcing a flexible sheet carried along with the roll into the roll along a line extending lengthwise of the roll as the sheet moves past a given point. In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

ARMIN ELNHENDORF.

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