US3547170A

US3547170A - Method and apparatus for patching veneer

Info

Publication number: US3547170A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl W Maxey; Kenneth M Cage; Egon H Bauer
Original assignee: Black Clawson Co
Current assignee: Black Clawson Co; Acrowood Corp
Priority date: 1968-07-17
Filing date: 1968-07-17
Publication date: 1970-12-15
Anticipated expiration: 1987-12-15
Also published as: FR2013140A1; SE383485B; GB1270871A; DE1933673A1

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventors Carl W. Maxey Everett; Kenneth M. Cage, Marysville; Egon H. Bauer, Everett, Wash.

[21] Appl. No. 745,462

[22] Filed July 17, 1968 [45} Patented Dec. 15, 1970 73] Assignee The Black Clawson Company Hamilton, Ohio a corporation of Ohio [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PATCHING VENEER 15 Claims, 19 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 144/310, 144/2. 144/218183/371: 156/98, 156/258,

156/514 [51] Int. Cl B27d 5/00 [50] Field ofSearch 83/371; 144/2. 3. (200). 309. 310. 3 l 3: 156/94. 98. 250. 252. 256258. 293. 298. 353. 5 10. 5 I3. 514. 5 16. 5 17 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,336,703 12/1943 Skoog 156/258 2,675,038 4/1954 Carlson 156/98 Primary Examiner-Gerald A. Dost ArtorneyMarechal. Biebel, French & Bugg ABSTRACT: A sheet of veneer is fed at a constant rate past a defect-sensing device and then successively through a series of spaced patching stations each having a rotary die cutter, a defect remover and a patch inserter which are controlled by the sensing device and are effective to replace a defect with a patch at any point across the width of the sheet without stopping it.

ATENTED DEC] 5 I970 SHEET 3 OF 4 FIG-6 FIG-8 83 85 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PATCHING VENEER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION To remove a defect such as a knot or hole from a sheet of veneer, usually one of two methods is employed. One method is to pass the veneer sheet over a sensing device which either optically or mechanically senses each defect. The sheet is then delivered past a traveling cutoff saw or a clipper knife which is controlled by the sensing device and operates to cut the sheet laterally across its entire width on opposite sides of each defeet so that a laterally extending strip portion containing the defect is separated from the sheet.

In accordance with the second method of removing a defeet, an operator visually inspects the sheet to determine where each defect is located and then manually orientates the sheet on a table to align each defect successively with a mechanical punch which cuts out the defect to form an opening into which a patch is pressed. The first method of removing each defect from a sheet of veneer has the advantage of high-speed production since the defects are removed without stopping the sheet, but has the disadvantage of cutting the sheet into pieces of shorter length. On the other hand, the second method of removing the defect preserves the original length of the sheet but is slow in that it requires the sheet to be manually orientated to align each defect with the punching and patch inserting equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an improved method and apparatus which provide for automatically sensing defects within a sheet of veneer moving at a constant speed along a predetermined path and for automatically removing the defects and inserting corresponding patches without stopping the sheet. Thus the present invention provides the primary advantage of patching a veneer sheet quickly and accurately without cutting the sheet into smaller pieces, and it is ideally suited for use in a system for producing plywood in large quantities.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a sheet of veneer is fed at a predetermined constant rate along a table past a sensing device and then successively through a series of longitudinally disposed batteries or groups of laterally spaced patching stations, each including a rotary die cutter wheel driven through a clutch controlled by the sensing device. Each cutter wheel cooperates with a movable anvil member for cutting the sheet around a defect, and an air nozzle is located adjacent each cutter wheel for ejecting the die-cut defective portion of the sheet downwardly through a chute to an endless scrap-collecting conveyor.

Each patching station of the apparatus also includes a magazine for supporting a stack of precut patches, and a mechanism ejects the bottom patch from the magazine and positions the patch so that a portion of it is received within the die-cut opening. Each patch is pressed into the opening by the cooperation of a spring finger or blade and a pair of press rollers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic side view of patching apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and with portions broken away to show details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic and fragmentary plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the apparatus taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4AD illustrate the successive operations performed on a sheet of veneer by the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken generally on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2 and showing a typical patching station;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary axial view, partly in section, of a typical die cutter wheel;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary radial section of a cutter wheel taken generally on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a radial view of a cutter knife taken generally on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a typical patch inserting mechanism shown in FIG. 5 and with portions broken away;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the lower portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a section taken generally on the line 11-11 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a section similar to FIG. 11 and showing a patch being ejected from the magazine;

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the patch inserting mechanism taken generally on the line 13-13 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken generally on the line 14-14 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary section taken generally on the line 15-15 of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary section showing a modification of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the apparatus shown in FIGS. 13, an elongated frame 20 is formed by a pair of parallel-spaced horizontal beams 21, each supported by a series of legs 22 and having mounted thereon a series of

upright support posts

23, 24 and 25. A plurality of crossmembers 26 rigidly connect the beams 21 and support a horizontally extending platform or table 30 having a flat upper surface.

A plurality of patching stations 35 are arranged in longitudinally spaced batteries or groups along the frame 20 and table 30, and each group consists of 13 laterally spaced patching stations with those stations in each group being offset laterally a by a slight amount relative to the stations in an adjacent group. While only two groups of patching stations 35 I are shown in FIG. 1 with each group including 13 patching stations, the apparatus may incorporate four or five groups of more or less patching stations depending on the width of the veneer sheets to be patched. Since each patching station includes substantially identical components, the construction of only one patching station will be described in detail.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, each patching station 35 includes a pressure roller 38 supported by an arm 39 pivotally connected to a cross frame member 40 connecting opposed posts 23 of the frame 20. The arm 39 is biased downwardly by a compression spring 42 mounted on the guide rod 43 which is slidably supported by a bracket 44 secured to the frame member 40. Each pressure roller 38 forms a nip with a drive roll 48 which is supported by bearings mounted on a frame member 49 and projects upwardly into a laterally extending slot 50 formed within the table 30.

Each group of patching stations 35 incorporates a head member which includes a frame 56 pivotally mounted on a shaft 57 connecting the upper ends of the opposed set of sup port posts 24. A laterally extending drive shaft 60 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is rotatably supported at the top of the frame 56 by a series of bearings 61, and a sprocket 62 is secured to the shaft 60 for each patching station in the group. Each of the sprockets 62 is connected by an endless chain 64 to the input shaft of a corresponding power-operated clutch 65 which also functions as a brake, and which may be either electrically or fluid actuated by appropriate remove control.

As shown in FIG. 1, the clutches 65 for each group of patching stations 35 are arranged in three laterally extending rows and are supported by depending members 67 forming part of the frame 56. A stationary shaft 68 is supported by the lower ends of the frame members 67, and a cutter wheel 70 is mounted on the shaft 68 for each patching station. Each cutter wheel 70 includes a generally cylindrical hub 72 (FIG. 7) which is lined with a bearing 74 for free rotation of each cutter wheel 70 on the shaft 68. An annular sprocket 75 is secured by a series of screws 76 to each hub 72 and is connected by a chain drive 77 to the output shaft of the corresponding magnetic clutch 65.

Referring to FIGS. 68, each cutter wheel includes a pair of diametrically opposed arms 78 which project radially outwardly from the hub 72. A die cutter knife 80 is mounted on the outer end of each arm 78 and is formed in two mating sections 82 which are removably secured to the arm 78 by a wedging or clamping bar 83 and a pair of shouldered screws 84. The knife sections 82 have a beveled cutting edge 85 which curves both axially and radially to define a cutting edge with a boat-shaped configuration when viewed radially as shown in FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 6, the cutting edge 85 of each knife 80 has a uniform radius from the axis of the shaft 68 and thus rotates within a cylindrical path concentric with the shaft 68.

A slot 89 (FIG. 5) is formed within the table 30 for each of the laterally spaced die cutter wheels 70, and a stationary anvil plate 90 having a flat upper surface 92 is supported within each slot 89 by a cross frame member 94 mounted on the beams 21 of the frame 20. An endless flexible anvil member or belt 95 is provided for each cutter wheel 70 and is supported by the corresponding stationary anvil plate 90. Preferably. each anvil belt 95 is formed from a low friction plastic materialso that the belt 95 will easily slide across the stationary anvil 90. A guide roller is supported within each anvil belt 95 by a spring-biased arm 101 (FIG. 1) pivotally connected to the frame member 94. Each roller 100 forms a nip with a guide roller 103 which is supported by a stationary bracket (not shown secured to a cross frame member 105 mounted on the beams 21.

A laterally extending drive roll 108 is also supported by the frame member 105 and projects upwardly into a slot 109 formed within the table 30 so that the upper surface of the roll 108 is substantially flush with the top surface of the table 30. A plurality of pressure rollers 112 (FIG. 5) are arranged to two laterally extending and longitudinally spaced rows adjacent the table 30 and are supported by a frame 114 so that each patching station has one roller 112 in nip relation with the drive roll 108 and another roller 112 resting on the top surface of the table 30. The rollers 112 of each patching station are longitudinally aligned with the corresponding cutter wheel 70 and pressure roller 38. A plurality of vertical guide rods 115 project upwardly from the frame 114 and are slidably received within blocks 117 secured to a pair of cross frame members 118 rigidly connecting the opposing sets of

posts

24 and 25 spaced across the table 30. Compression springs 119 are mounted on the guide rods 115 between the frame 114 and guide blocks 117 and serve to bias the pressure rollers 112 against the drive roll 108 and table 30.

A generally flat nozzle member is supported between the pair of pressure rollers 112 of each patching station 35, and is positioned in longitudinal alignment with the corresponding die cutter wheel 70 and

pressure rollers

38 and 112. Each nozzle 125 is connected by a line 127 to a laterally extending air supply manifold 128 supported by one of the cross frame members 118, and a solenoid-actuated valve 130 is mounted within each line 127. When any valve 130 is opened, it produces a blast of air which is directed downwardly from the corresponding nozzle 125 through an opening 132 formed within the table 30.

Each patching station 35 further includes a generally vertically extending magazine 135 which is arranged in longitudinal alignment on the table 30 with the corresponding die cutter wheel 70,

pressure rollers

38 and 112, and nozzle 125. Each magazine 135 includes a pair of mating formed sheet metal sections 136 (FIGS. 9 and 11) each having an outwardly formed flange 137. The sections 136 define a generally vertically extending chamber 140 which is of sufficient size to receive a stack of veneer patches P (FIGS. 10 and 11) each having a boat-shaped configuration corresponding to the cutting edge 85 ofeach knife 80.

Each magazine 135 is supported by a surrounding rectangular base member 142 (FIG. 9) which is rigidly secured to a channellike bracket 144 (FIGS. 9 and 13) mounted on a cross frame member 145 (FIG. 5), and which is positioned at a slightly inclined angle from vertical. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, each magazine 135 has a series of vertically spaced side openings or holes 147 which provide for a visual indication as to the height of the stack of patches 1 within the magazine.

Referring to FIG. 15. each magazine 135 is slidably received within its corresponding base frame 142 and has a pair ofoutwardly projecting tabs 151 (FIG. 15) which rest upon the upper surface of the frame 142 to serve as stops. Each tab 151 has a hole for receiving the upper end of a locating screw 152 which is threaded into the frame 142 and projects from its upper surface. A spring wire clip 155 (FIGS. 9 and 15) is secured to each section 136 of each magazine 135 by a pair of bolts 156. and each clip 155 includes a pair of parallel-spaced legs 158 each having an inwardly projecting tip 160 at its lower end. A strap 162 connects each pair of legs 158 and is engaged by a V-shaped central portion 164 of the clip 155. The the clips 155 on each magazine 135 serve to retain the stack of veneer patches P within the magazine when it is removed from its frame 142. That is, when a magazine 135 is removed, the tips 160 move inwardly under the edges of the bottom patch within the stack. When the magazine 135 is inserted into its frame 142, the lower end of the V-shaped portion 164 of each clip 155 is cammed outwardly by the frame 142, causing the withdrawal ofthe tips 160 into corresponding grooves formed within the frame 142.

A guide tube 168 (FIGS. 10 and 12) is secured to the lower portion of each channel member 144 and slidably supports a blocklike ram 170 (FIG. 14) which is connected by a plate 172 (FIGS. 10 and 14) to the armature of a solenoid 175 mounted on the support member 144. Referring to FIGS. 9 and 14, a spring member 176 is mounted on each edge of the ram 170 by a pair of screws 177 extending through a tab 178. Each spring 176 includes a bow-shaped portion 179 from which depends a pair of spring fingers 181 spaced on opposite sides ofa tab 182 supporting a roller 184. Each finger 181 has a lower tip 185 having a curved inner surface (FIG. 13), and the two pairs of fingers 181 are positioned to engage the opposite edges of a veneer patch P at its widest point for purposes which will be explained later.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 13,21 V-shaped flat spring member includes a bifurcated upper portion formed by spaced flanges 192 (FIG. 13) which are secured to the lower surfaces of the'frame 142 by a set of screws 193 and the screws 152. The flanges 192 define a slot 194 which is located centrally in relation to the bottom of the magazine chamber 140. The spring member 190 includes a flat lower portion 195 which slopes downwardly from the lower surface of the magazine frame 142 to the upper surface of the table 30;

A patch feed or ejecting member 201) (FIGS. 9 and 11) includes a flat blade portion 201 which is slidably confined between the magazine support frame 142 and the flanges 192 of the spring member 190. A V-shaped notch 202 (FIG. 11) is formed within the forward end of the blade portion 201 and is positioned to engage the adjacent end portion of the bottom patch within the magazine 135. An elongated tab or finger 205 (FIG. 11) is secured to the underneath surface of the blade portion 201 of the ejecting members 200 and projects under the central portion of the magazine 135 within the slot 194.

The ejecting member 200 of each patching station 35 also includes an elongated opening 206 which receives a pressure roller 208 (FIG. 11) supported by a spring-biased arm 209 (FIG. 5) pivotally connected to a cross frame member 210 in the same manner as the corresponding pressure roller 38. The rearward end portion of each feed member 200 is connected by a pin 212 (FIG. 12) to the piston rod 214 of an air cylinder 215 (FIG. 5) supported by brackets 217 depending from a cross frame member 218. Each cylinder 215 is supplied with air through a line 220 which is connected to a laterally extending air supply manifold 221 through a solenoid-operated valve 222. A drive roller 225 (FIG. 5) is supported by hearings 226 mounted on a cross frame member 227 and projects upwardly into a laterally extending opening 228 within the table 30 to form a nip with each of the pressure rolls 208.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, an endless conveyor belt 235 extends longitudinally between the legs 22 of the frame and is directed around a freely turning end roller 236 and a roller 238 driven by a variable speed drive 240. The upper arm of the conveyor 235 is supported by a series of guide rollers 2A2 and passes under a chute 244 positioned below the nozzle I of each patching station. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the main cutter head drive shaft 60 and each of the drive rolls 48, E08 and 225 for each group of patching stations 35 are driven in synchronism through an interconnecting chain drive 248 which, in turn, is driven by the output shaft 249 of a speed reducer 250 connected with a variable speed motor 252.

In the operation of the patching apparatus, a strip or sheet S of veneer (FIG. 5) is fed from left to right (FIGS. 1 and 5) on the table 36 into the first battery or group of patching stations 35 and across a defect detector 255 which is located under an opening 256 (FIG. 5) formed within the table 30. The general construction of the detector 255 is substantially the same as the detector disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 552,940, filed May 25, 1966, now abandoned and assigned to the assignee of this application. This detector optically senses each defect such as a hole or knot at any point across the width of the veneer sheet S and is connected to a circuit which controls the operation of the clutch 65, the solenoid 175, and the solenoid-operated

air valves

130 and 222 of each patching station 35. The detector 235 also controls the variable speed motor 252 and thus the drive rolls 48, I08 and 225 so that each die cutter wheel 70 and corresponding patch inserting mechanism of each patching station is actuated, in accordance with its spacing from the detector 235 and in timed relation with the feed of the sheet S by the drive rolls 48, I08 and 225.

To illustrate the operation of each patching station, the fragment of a veneer sheet S is shown in FIG. 4A and has a defect D in the form ofa hole. When this defect is sensed by the detector 255, it actuates the circuit controlling the clutch 65 within the drive for the particular cutter wheel 70 which is longitudinally aligned with the defect D. When the defect arrives at the cutter wheel 7b, the wheel rotates 180 from its normal position shown in FIG. 1 so that one of the knives 80 engages the sheet S to die-cut the sheet as indicated in FIG. 48 to form a boat-shaped defect portion B. As a result of the engagement ofthe knife edge 85 with the flexible anvil belt 95 (FIG. 5), the belt moves with the sheet S and slides across the upper surface of the stationary anvil member 90. As soon as the knife edge 85 leaves the veneer sheet S, the anvil belt 95 stops, and the sheet S continues to slide across the upper surface of the belt.

When the defect portion B arrives under the nozzle 125 of the corresponding patching station 35, its solenoid valve 130 opens, and a downward blast of air from the nozzle 1.25 ejects the defect portion B downwardly through the corresponding chute 244 and onto the conveyor 235 which delivers the defect portion to a suitable scrap container (not shown) located at the end of the conveyor 235. While the defect portion B is being die-cut and removed from the veneer sheet S, the corresponding solenoid valve 222 is opened to actuate the connected air cylinder 215 for extending the patch ejector member 200 (FIG. 12) to move the bottom patch within the corresponding magazine 135 in an upstream direction to a position where the side edges of the patch P are engaged by the curved tips 185 of the spring fingers 181 (FIG. 14). The feed member 200 returns by a spring to its home position shown in FIG. 11 when the valve 222 is closed.

When the boat-shaped hole I-l (FIG. 4C) within the veneer sheet S arrives at approximately the position shown in FIG. 9, the solenoid 175 is energized to move the patch P downwardly (FIG. 10) so that the trailing end of the patch P is received within the hole H and is engaged by the portion of the sheet defining the trailing end of the hole As the sheet S continues to advance along the table 34), the patch P is released from the fingers 181 and engages the lower flat portion l95 of the spring 190 which earns the patch P downwardly into the hole H and cooperates with the corresponding press roller 208 to press the patch P into the hole H and thereby to complete the patching operation as shown in FIG. 4D.

Preferably, the dimensions of each patch P are slightly larger than the correspondingly shaped hole H which is die-cut by one of the knives 80 of a cutter wheel 70 so that the patch P is retained within the sheet by a press fit. Usually each veneer sheet S and the included patches P receive a coating of adhesive on one or both sides when the sheet is assembled with other sheets to form a plywood. In some installations, however, it may be desirable to coat the edges of each patch P within the magazine I35 with a heat-sensitive adhesive so that after each patch is pressed into a die-cut hole H, the sheet is exposed to heat sufficient to activate the adhesive and thereby to cooperate with the press fit in retaining each patch P within the sheet S.

It is to be understood that there are a sufficient number of patching stations 35 arranged in laterally offset relation along the table so that a'patch can be inserted at any point across the width of the sheet S. That is, the die cutter wheels 70 and the corresponding patch inserting mechanisms of the patching stations 35 within the first row of group are laterally offset by a slight amount in relation to the cutting wheels 70 and corresponding patch inserting mechanisms of the next group of patching stations, and so on, so that effectively the entire area of the veneer sheet S is covered as the sheet is fed along the table 30.

Referring to FIG. 16, the flexible anvil belt 95 and backup anvil plate 90 may be replaced by a reciprocating anvil block or member 260 which is slidably supported by a pair of guide rods 262 rigidly secured to a frame member 264. Thus when one of the knives engages the sheet 5, the anvil member 260 travels with the sheet S and thereby provides a flat backup support for the sheet at it is die-cut by the knife. A compres sion spring 265 returns the anvil member 260 to its home position after the knife rotates out of pressure engagement with the sheet S.

From the drawings and the above description, it can be seen that patching apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention provides desirable features and advantages. For example, by providing a plurality of patching stations 35 in laterally offset relation along the table 30 and by controlling the motor 252 and each patching station with the defect detector 255, all of the defects within the sheet are automatically replaced with patches P while the sheet is fed at a constant speed along the table 30 by the drive rolls 48, I08 and 225. As a result, a large number of veneer sheets can be quickly patched which is especially desirable for obtaining optimum efficiency in the high-volume production of plywood.

The construction of each die cutter wheel 70 and its corresponding knives 80 provides an important feature in that a defective portion of a veneer sheet can be removed without stopping the sheet and without cutting-the sheet into smaller pieces. The cooperation of the flexible anvil belt 95 and anvil plate or the anvil member 260 of each patching station assures that the die-cut hole H is precisely formed so that it will receive a patch P with the proper press fit. That is, the anvil plate 90 or anvil member 260 assures that the veneer sheet S will remain flat during the diecutting operation while the low friction anvil belt or the movement of the anvil member 260 substantially eliminates any drag on the sheet 5.

The construction of each magazine provides another important feature of the invention. For example, each magazine 135 may be conveniently removed from its supporting frame 142 for loading a stack of patches P into the magazine, and while the magazine is removed, the springs retain the stack of patches within the magazine. The mechanism for releasing each patch P from a magazine I35 and its cooperation with the mechanism for inserting a patch P into a hole H also provides for dependability and high-speed operation. That is, ejecting the bottom patch laterally to a position where it is held by friction between the spring fingers 185 while the sheet is being die-cut enables the patch to be preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

. We claim:

.1. Apparatus for patching a sheet of veneer, comprising nieans for feeding the sheet along a predetermined path, means for sensing a defect in the sheet as it is moving along said path, means for cutting and removing a predetermined portion of the sheet containing the defect while the sheet is moving along said path to form an opening of predetermined size within the sheet, and means for inserting a patch within the opening while the sheet is moving along said path.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cutting and removing means include a rotary die having a knife with a curved cutting edge of substantially uniform radius and definipg a generally cylindrical path.

-3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 including a movable anvil member, and means for supporting said anvil member adja cent said path of said cutting edge of said die.

-4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said anvil .member comprises a flexible endless belt, and said supporting men means for said belt including a stationary support member positioned adjacent said path of the sheet and having asubstantially flat backup surface for said belt.

-.5. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said knife includes a plurality of mating sections, and means for releasably retaining each said section.

6, Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said rotary die is driven by drive means including an electrically operated clutch to provide for precise rotation of said die in timed relation with said feeding means for the sheet and in response to actuation of said sensing means.

27. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said cutting and removing means include means for blowing said portion from thesheet after the sheet is cut.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a plurality of said cutting and removing means positioned along said path of the sheet in laterally offset relation, and a corresponding plurality of said patch inserting means positioned in alignment with the corresponding said cutting and removing means to provide for patching the sheet at substantially any point across the width of the sheet.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 including an endless conveyor extending below said plurality of said cutting and removing means to provide for collecting the portions cut from the sheet.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said patch inserting means includes an upright magazine adapted to receive a stack of patches, a patch ejecting member disposed adjacent the bottom of said magazine. means for actuating said ejecting member for removing the bottom patch from said magazine. means for positioning each patch removed from said magazine so that an edge portion of the patch is received within the opening, and means for pressing the patch into the opening.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 including means for reciprocating said ejecting member. and a spring member forming a part of said pressing means positioned in the path of the patch received within the opening and extending in angular relation with the sheet to effect camming of the patch into said opening.

12. A method of patching a sheet of veneer, comprising the ste s'of feeding the sheet along a predetermined path, sensing a efect within the sheet whi e i is moving along said path,

cutting and removing a predetermined portion of the sheet containing the defect while the sheet is moving along said path to form an opening of predetermined configuration within the sheet, and inserting a patch within said opening while the sheet is moving along said path.

13. A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the step of cutting the sheet comprises rolling a curved knife edge along the surface of the sheet while the sheet is moving along said path.

14. A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the step of removing the portion from the sheet comprises ejecting the portion with a blast of air.

15. A method as defined in claim 12 wherein said step of inserting a patch comprises positioning the patch so that a per tion thereof is received within said opening, and progressively forcing the remaining portion of the patch into said opening as the sheet moves along said path.