METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR JOINING VENEER PIECES WITH LAP JOINT HAVING SQUARE CUT EDGES AND REDUCED THICKNESS

摘要

A method and apparatus for joining two pieces of wood veneer with square cut edges by a lap joint with a pre-determined thickness not greater than the thickness of a single piece of veneer. The lap joint is formed in a press which may have heated plates for pressing the overlapping portions of the veneer pieces together. The press is provided with adjustable stops for limiting the spacing between the platens in the final pressed position to provide the lap joint with the pre-determined thickness. The lap joint is bonded by glue provided on the surface of at least one of the overlapping portions of the two veneer pieces. The lap joint is heated to an elevated temperature above the lignin softening temperature of the veneer during pressing to enable thermoplastic flow of the wood veneer which produces a lap joint of greater strength. The two platens are formed with anvil surfaces including flat middle surfaces which are parallel, and side surfaces on opposite sides of each middle surface which slope away from each other and which are joined to the middle surface by curved transition portions to avoid cutting the veneer and produce a stronger lap joint.