Veneer clipping apparatus

Claim 2

A selective high speed veneer clipper comprising a drum having a peripheral surface, a plurality of closely- adjacent and axially-extending thin knives mounted side by side on the drum and radiating therefrom at the peripheral surface thereof and mounted for individual axial and radial movement, said knives substantially covering the peripheral surface of the drum and said peripheral surface supporting the knives throughout the lengths thereof, said knives having cuttIng edges facing outwardly of the drum and normally being in retracted positions, power means beyond an end of each knife and mounted to rotate with the drum around the axis of the latter, connecting means extending between and interconnecting each power means and the end of the adjacent knife, operation of each power means moving the knife connected thereto in an axial direction, means between the drum and each knife for moving said each knife radially during axial movement thereof, and means operatively connected to the power means of all of the knives for selectively moving during rotation of the drum selected knives outwardly in a radial direction relative to the peripheral surface and the adjacent knives and back to the retracted position.

Claim 3

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 1 including means co-acting between the drum and each knife for retaining said each knife on the drum while permitting radial and axial movement thereof.

Claim 4

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 2 in which said co-acting means for each knife is such that reciprocal endwise movement of the knife shifts the latter outwardly and inwardly relative to the drum.

Claim 5

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 3 in which said power means includes a power unit connected to each knife to reciprocate the knife in an endwise direction.

Claim 6

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 4 in which the power units of the knives are alternately arranged with the units of some knives at one end of the drum and the units of the other knives at the opposite end of the drum.

Claim 7

A selective high speed veneer clipper comprising a drum having a peripheral surface, a plurality of axially-extending knives on the drum at the peripheral surface thereof and mounted for individual radial movement, said knives having cutting edges facing outwardly of the drum and normally being in retracted positions, means co-acting between the drum and each knife for retaining said each knife on the drum while permitting radial and axial movement thereof, and power means connected to the knives for moving selected ones of said knives outwardly in a radial direction relative to the peripheral surface and the adjacent knives and back to the retracted positions thereof, said co-acting means of each knife comprising a plurality of fingers inclined in the same direction on an inner edge of the knife, and a plurality of pockets in the peripheral surface of the drum and inclined in the same direction as the fingers, said fingers slidably fitting in the pockets, whereby reciprocal movement of the knife in an endwise direction causes the knife to move outwardly and inwardly of the drum.

Claim 8

A selective high speed veneer clipper comprising a drum having a peripheral surface, a plurality of axially-extending knives on the drum at the peripheral surface thereof and mounted for individual radial movement, said knives having cutting edges facing outwardly of the drum and normally being in retracted positions, means co-acting between the drum and each knife for retaining said each knife on the drum while permitting radial and axial movement thereof, and power means connected to the knives for moving selected ones of said knives outwardly in a radial direction relative to the peripheral surface and the adjacent knives and back to the retracted positions thereof, said co-acting means of each knife comprising a plurality of fingers inclined in the same direction on an inner edge of the knife, and a plurality of pockets in the peripheral surface of the drum and inclined in the same direction as the fingers, said fingers slidably fitting in the pockets, whereby reciprocal movement of the knife in an endwise direction causes the knife to move outwardly and inwardly of the drum.

Claim 9

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 6 in which said power means includes a power unit connected to each knife to reciprocate the knife in an endwise direction.

Claim 10

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 6 in which the power units of the knives are alternately arranged with the units of some knives at one end of the drum and the units of the other knives at the opposite end of the drum.

Claim 11

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 4 in which each power unit comprises a fluid cylinder mounted at an end of the drum and operatively connected through said connecting means to the adjacent end of one of the knives.

Claim 12

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 4 in which each power unit comprises a fluid cylinder mounted at an end of the drum and having a piston therein, and said connecting means connecting said piston to the adjacent end of one of the knives.

Claim 13

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 1 in which said connecting means is adjustable.

Claim 14

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 6 in which each power unit comprises a fluid cylinder mounted at an end of the drum and operatively connected to the adjacent end of one of the knives.

Claim 15

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 6 in which each power unit comprises a fluid cylinder mounted at an end of the drum and having a piston therein, and connecting means connecting said piston to the adjacent end of one of the knives.

Claim 16

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 13 in which said connecting means is adjustable.

Claim 17

A selected high speed veneer clipper comprising a drum having a peripheral surface, a plurality of axially- extending thin knives mounted side by side on the drum and radiating therefrom at the peripheral surface thereof and mounted for individual radial movement, said knives having cutting edges facing outwardly of the drum and normally being in retracted positions, power means mounted on the drum and connected to an end of each of the knives for moving selected ones of said knives outwardly in a radial direction relative to the peripheral surface and the adjacent knives and back to the retracted positions thereof, means co-acting between the drum and each knife for retaining said each knife on the drum while permitting radial and axial movement thereof, said co-acting means for each knife being such that reciprocal endwise movement of the knife shifts the latter outwardly and inwardly relative to the drum, a plurality of axially-spaced annular sloping surfaces formed on the peripheral surface of the drum, said sloping surfaces being substantially parallel with each other, and said knives being formed with sloping surfaces on inner edges thereof corresponding to and resting upon said drum sloping surfaces, whereby when each blade is moved axially by the power means connected thereto said each blade is moved by said sloping surfaces radially outwardly relative to the drum.

Claim 18

A selected high speed veneer clipper comprising a drum having a peripheral surface, a plurality of axially- extending thin knives mounted side by side on the drum and radiating therefrom at the peripheral surface thereof and mounted for individual radial movement, said knives having cutting edges facing outwardly of the drum and normally being in retracted positions, power means mounted on the drum and connected to an end of each of the knives for moving selected ones of said knives outwardly in a radial direction relative to the peripheral surface and the adjacent knives and back to the retracted positions thereof, means co-acting between the drum and each knife for retaining said each knife on the drum while permitting radial and axial movement thereof, said co-acting means for each knife being such that reciprocal endwise movement of the knife shifts the latter outwardly and inwardly relative to the drum, a plurality of axially-spaced annular sloping surfaces formed on the peripheral surface of the drum, said sloping surfaces being substantially parallel with each other, and said knives being formed with sloping surfaces on inner edges thereof corresponding to and resting upon said drum sloping surfaces, whereby when each blade is moved axially by the power means connected thereto said each blade is moved by said sloping surfaces radially outwardly relative to the drum.

Claim 19

A veneer clipper as claimed in claim 15 in which the coacting means of each knife comprises a plurality of fingers inclined in the same direction on the inner edge of the knife, the incline of said fingers being substantially parallel to said sloping surfaces of the drum, and a plurality of pockets in the peripheral surface and inclined in the same direction as the fingers, said fingers slidably fitting in the pockets.

Claim 20

A selective high speed veneer clipper comprising a drum having a peripheral surface, a plurality of axially-extending knives on the drum at the peripheral surface thereof and mounted for individual radial movement, said knives having cutting edges facing outwardly of the drum and normally being in retracted positions, a plurality of axially-spaced annular sloping surfaces formed on the peripheral surface of the drum, said sloping surfaces being substantially parallel to each other, a plurality of annular pockets in the drum peripheral surface inclined in the same direction as and parallel to said sloping surfaces, sloping surfaces formed on inner edges of the knives corresponding to and resting upon said drum sloping surfaces, a plurality of sloping fingers on the inner edges of the knives and slidably fitting in said inclined pockets, an operating air cylinder connected to an end of each knife and mounted on a first support rotatable with the drum, annular air supply and exhaust manifolds mounted on a second support rotatable with the drum, an air control valve mounted on the second support for controlling each cylinder, tubes connecting each valve to the supply manifold and the exhaust manifold and to the opposite ends of the cylinder controlled by said each valve, an electrical control unit for operating each control valve, and ring and brush means electrically connected to each control unit.

Claim 21

A selective high speed veneer clipper comprising a drum having a peripheral surface, a plurality of axially-extending knives on the drum at the peripheral surface thereof and mounted for individual radial movement, said knives having cutting edges facing outwardly of the drum and normally being in retracted positions, a plurality of axially-spaced annular sloping surfaces formed on the peripheral surface of the drum, said sloping surfaces being substantially parallel to each other, a plurality of annular pockets in the drum peripheral surface inclined in the same direction as and parallel to said sloping surfaces, sloping surfaces formed on inner edges of the knives corresponding to and resting upon said drum sloping surfaces, a plurality of sloping fingers on the inner edges of the knives and slidably fitting in said inclined pockets, an operating air cylinder connected to an end of each knife and mounted on a first support rotatable with the drum, annular air supply and exhaust manifolds mounted on a second support rotatable with the drum, an air control valve mounted on the second support for controlling each cylinder, tubes connecting each valve to the supply manifold and the exhaust manifold and to the opposite ends of the cylinder controlled by said each valve, an electrical control unit for operating each control valve, and ring and brush means electrically connected to each control unit.