Indexing crossband veneer for automatic plywood layup equipment

Claim 1

An indexing mechanism for intermittently feeding veneer core sheets perpendicular to the major dimension (crosswise) to a plywood layup station, said indexing mechanism comprising: a. a feeding means for successively feeding core sheets crosswise in a horizontal plane in a path toward the plywood layup station; b. an elongated stop means horizontally mounted for rotational movement in a single direction about a horizontal axis which is vertically spaced from the horizontal plane, said stop means having a length substantially equal to or greater than the length of the core sheets, said stop means having an abutment extending radially therefrom for projecting into the path of the sheets wherein the abutment has an abutment surface facing in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation for receiving the leading edge of each sheet to stop the movement of said sheet and to align the leading edge of the said sheet parallel with the horizontal axis; c. an intermittent drive operatively connected to the stop means for intermittently rotating the stop means 360* to remove the abutment from the path of the first sheet to permit the forward movement of the sheet and to reposition the abutment in the path of the succeeding second sheet in preparation for receiving the leading edge of the succeeding second sheet against the abutment surface in which the intermittent drive rotates the stop means to bring the abutment against the trailing end of the first sheet to deflect said trailing end vertically out of the path of the succeeding second sheet to receive the leading edge of the succeeding second sheet against the abutment surface with the first and second sheets overlapping.