Wood defect removing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING KNOT OR OTHER DEFECTS FROM THIN WOOD SHEETS, COMPRISING, A SUPPORT ELEMENT INCLUDING SUPPORT MEMBERS WITH UNSUPPORTED AREAS THEREBETWEEN, A RESILIENT PAD TO APPLY PRESSURE IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID SUPPORT ELEMENT TO AND THROUGHOUT A PORTION OF ONE SURFACE OF A SHEET INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PAD AND SAID ELEMENT AND SUPPORTED ON SAID ELEMENT, SAID SURFACE PORTION ENCOMPASSING AN AREA LARGER THAN A MAJOR PORTION OF THE AREA OF THE AVERAGE SIZE OF KNOTS USUALLY FOUND IN THIN WOOD SHEETS, SAID PAD, WHEN BROUGHT INTO PRESSURE CONTACT WITH SAID SHEET, PRESENTING A RELATIVELY FLAT SURFACE IN DIRECT PRESSURE CONTACT WITH AT LEAST A MAJOR PART OF SAID SHEET SURFACE PORTION AND EXERTING PRESSURE THROUGHOUT SAID SHEET SURFACE PORTION, AND MEANS TO BRING SAID PAD INTO PRESSURE CONTACT WITH SAID SHEET ON SAID SUPPORT ELEMENT, WHEREBY, KNOTS OR WEAKENING DEFECTS IN SAID PORTION OF THE SHEET ARE DIRECTLY SUBJECTED TO SAID PRESSURE OVER AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THEIR SURFACES AND ARE THEREBY PRESSED OUT OF SAID SHEET BY SAID PAD.