l 'g Patented nec.

17, 194s
21,412,693
` UNITED -STATES PATENT OFFICE
1 ' _ ` _ ,2,412,693 ' l ~

emmen AND A'remt Foa JorNlNG runs j

' Gordon G. Pierson, Lansdale, Pa. l
, Application January 26, 1940, Serial No. 315.828
" ' 7 Claims. (Cl. 154-418)
. 2 ì
'This invention relates to improvements in The object oi’ this invention is to eliminate
l methods of joining sheets of thin wood veneers broadly these usual undesirable features by mak
that are adapted to be applied to a suitable ina-l ing a veneer tape in a manner to be described sub
terial in the manufacture of panelling and other sequently. - ‘ ‘- '

'veneered products and of securing the sheets to A further object is to impregnate a tape with a ' ’ '
>a ply or base. ,The invention relates Valso to the -glue suited to the glues used for uniting veneer
products secured. ‘ . to its base so that the band between theone sidel
The present application is -a continuation in of the -tape and the veneer and also the bond
part of my application. for patent for Veneer between theA tape and the base may be strength- .
tapes, filed April 18, 1938, serial No. 202,809. , ened by the impregnation and'made equally effec
In the art of manufacturing plywood or veneers tive `and the impregnation may protect the tape
several sheets of thin woodv are laminated byl from weakening by moisture. '
means of glue. The iaminae ’of wood forv the A further object is to strengthen and protectl
aforesaid purpose may consist of whole sheets of the tape by impregnation and not only to improve- ,
wood or may be formed by abutting several small the tape surface for gluing purposes but to make
ver pieces and joining them at their edges in order the two sides equallyïeii'ective for'r glue reception.
to yield a large sheet. The essential Joining has A further object is to form sturdler panels than
customarily been accomplished by gluing the ~ before, which therefore may be subjected to vig
edges of the sheets together with ordinary glue or, crous handling during shipment and installation.
even more commonly, by gluing a narrow sheet of 20 Accordingly, not-,only is undue waste of material
paper or a type of illm known as a veneer tape. avoided but `considerable `time lis conserved in
which extends over the lateral surfaces of the working with laminated sheets that are now less
veneer close to and overlapping the abutting1 subject _to injury by the mishaps and the >exigen
edges of the veneer pieces. ~ cles of'promivscuous handling. Y
In the past there have been several disadvan A further object is to strengthen'thehold of
tages to joining the sheets of wood with a paper .an adhesive by setting up a glue lgradient taper
or a film glued to their lateral surfaces over their ing oir from a full concentration outside the tape
contiguous edges.. First, although the veneer~ to a weaker glue in the middle ofthe tape thick
tape or paper has held the pieces of wood together ness. ~ -

satisfactorily Awhile they are being handled dur
ing the process of assembling the laminations.
yet the bond inthe ñnished lamination »is ex
tremely weak and insecure whenever the tapeis
used “within a glue line,”.that is, between a base
and a veneer which is glued upon it.
A second disadvantage is that 'if tapes or ñlrns
be suillclently strong to permit easy handling of
the larger sheets of veneer which have been thus.
assembled from separate veneer strips. then they
are necessarily so thick that undesirable ridges
appear on the surfaces of the ñnished lamina
tions wherever the tape has been applied within
the glue’line. „ The invention relates to several other novel -
A third diiilcuity arises because whenever ordi
nary veneer tapes are used inside' of glue lines,
the bond at that point has had an extremely low
moisture resistance, regardless of the moisture
resistance properties of the glue used in making
the lamination. In some types of laminations it
has been possible to turn the veneer tapes i. e.,
» to apply the tape to the opposite side of the ve-'
neer -from that which faces the base, in order that
the tapes may become exposed on the surface of
the panel not within the glue lines.. In such cases
Y ’ it becomes necessary to-sand or to scrape the sur- , ,
_ face of> the panel for the purpose of removing
the tape before the panel can be ilnished. Ob
viously.-drast_ic sanding or scraping is not only
an expensive operation but may cut through the
veneer and impair the panel.
30» An additional object is to produce a moisture
resistant or moisture-proof panel whenever the
veneer tape is _'used within the glue line. >
For the purpose of illustrating the invention,
‘ the accompanying drawing illustrates several
, . forms which'are at present preferred, since the
same have'been found in practice to give satisfac
tory and reliable results, although it is to be un
derstoo‘d that the several'mstrumentauues of the ‘
invention can be variously arranged and organ
ized and that the invention is not limited to the
precise arrangement and organization of the in
strumentalities as herein shown and described.
'features of construction andfadvantage appear
4ing as hereinafter described and claimedv in con
nection. with the accompanying drawing in
Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of the
invention showing two pieces vof veneer partly
joined by means of veneer tape. ' ` Y `
Figure 2 is a section taken upon line 2-2 of
Figure 1 in reverse position. i. e.. with the tape on
l the under side ready `for gluing to a base-which is
also shown.
Figure 3 is a section corresponding generally to ‘
Figure 2 but with the parts applied and with a -
base having _alayer of veneer already applied and
-showing corresponding layers of veneeron the`
opposite face of the base.
Figure 4 is a section >much like Figure-V 3 but,
 2,412,693 . - '
4 f , ,
with a slightly different arrangement Vof the have been "animaP’ glue and ' -Both of
parts. ' ' these- are~-regarded-in this description as ni-q
In the drawing similar numerals indicate like trogenous glues of animal origin. For some pur
parts. ' poses good 4fish glue-also regarded by me as
i and 2, I' and '2' represent pieces of veneer coming within the genus of nitrogenous glue of
n which abut at their edges, I against 2, and in an-. animal origin-_is "satisfactory, but the poorer
other layer I’ against 2', and which form parts qualities of fish glue are not wholly satisfactory.
respectively oi?l larger sheets, the several pieces Starch can be used but is not as good as animal -
being held together by veneer tape 3 engaging glue. i _

the surfaces at 4 and .5 on opposite sides of the 10 It will be noted that with full impregnation of
r line of veneer juncture 6. Meeting edges at 6 may the tape both surfaces of the paper are alike and
be and in many cases are joined by glue. _ react equally to the adhesives used. r
' The tape is used to hold the pieces together in It is desirable that the adhesive used for im
order that the larger veneer sheets which are to pregnation be the same as 4but more dilute than
be applied, may be handled as sheets. High effec 15» the adhesive used to unite-the tape to the veneer
tiveness canbest be secured and maintained with sheets. In this arrangement the impregnating
a tape which is as thin as practicable. « ,_ » and tape-applying adhesives unite to ygive a pro
In the prior art veneer held together by tape gressively variant concentration of adhesive from
normally was applied to the base such as 1 with the impregnating strength present at the middle
the tape down as in Figures 2 and 3, bringing 20 of the thickness of the tape and increasing in
the tape “within the glue line” butin some in strength toward the surface of the tape. My tests
stances it was applied to a base with the tape fac have indicated that the best .results are secured
ing away from the base, as would be the 'case with what is known in the trade as animal glue,
if the sheet of Figure 1_were applied as are the as distinguished from fish glue and casein. For
pieces I' and 2’ in Figure 4. , _ convenience in 'grouping adhesives together for `
Where the tape is on the side of the veneer the purpose vof claiming my invention and except
away lfrom the glue line it is necessary to remove- as otherwise clearly indicated I give the term
the tape by sanding or scraping unless another nitrogenous glue of animal kingdom origina
ply is to be, added. . meaning broad enough to include iish glue and
- My invention is directed primarily to the use of casein as well as animal glue. ‘~ l y
the tape between two plies, whether between the The adhesive used for impregnation is desir-_
veneer and the original base, or between two ably »applied in a thin, aqueous, hot solution which
sheets of veneer. I ‘._have invented also a new is however substantially more concentrated than
tape. _ - - the adhesives used for sizing paper. The sheet
The word base is used here generically without 35 from which strips of tape ultimately are to be.
regard to whether the ply in question be a single cut is preferably unsized, uncalendered paper.
ply only, as in Figure 2, or whether before the It is thoroughly impregnated with the hot solu
application of the veneer the initial base in ques tion and the excess of the impregnating adhesive ~
tion has received-one or4 more layers or plies of is squeezed out of the paper by passing the paper
veneer as in Figure 3. ` ' ‘ between pressure rolls. ’I'he squeezing between
In both of Figures 2-and 3"the position of the the rolls tends also to squeeze the remaining ad
tape when theyeneer hasbeen applied is conà hesive very thoroughly into and through the pap'er '
sidered to be “within the glue 1ine,”_ nottrue with or other tape material. ` r
the position in Figure 1; an‘d this isv still true 'I'he weakness of prior paper tapes which were
whether the tape be located so as to cover the . affected by moisture lay primarily in the lack of
Joint between the adjacent veneer strips as in al1 ' complete impregnation with glue, permittingfthe
of the figures, or for some» reason be applied weakness of the'unimpregnated central plane of
where-there is no joint, but only a recognized the tape to be emphasized by moisture taken up
possible‘weakîspot 6'. It is also true that the by the tape. Impregnaticn protects against this ~ »
tape is within the glue line where it has been 50 vin two ways; -both because the impregnated paper
carried on the “outside” of a. first ply of veneer is stronger than the paper was before impregna
as at 3’ in Figure 4 which is covered by a second tion, and because the glue does not take up
or outer veneer ply, or is glued initially` to the moisture as rapidly as would-the paper if un
“inside" of a second veneer plyas in Figure 3. protected by the glue. ' ‘ '
lThe veneer tape 3 consists of a very'thin sheet 55 The impregnating glues are preferably nitrog
or ñlm of a porous,- permeable and flexible ma enous glues; this term covering animal glue as.y
terial which has been impregnated by a strong known _in thetrade, ilsh glue and casein. lAll
adhesive. Such an impregnating adhesive should of these glues as well as starch glue hold well to
have the characteristic of being tenacious not -the chief laminating glues, which are casein, r
only to the veneer tape `itself but to the glue that 60 'starch glue and urea-formaldehyde. `
is subsequently employed to make the lamination 'I'hough my purpose is not primarily to mois
i. e. to hold-the veneer to the base. To distin ture-proof, and the impregnating- glues which
guish, this will be called the laminating glue. ’ I have described are not in themselves moisture
Preferably the veneer tape is very thm. sur ` proonng glues, it is nevertheless true that where
would be effective because verystro'ng and suffi 65 a formaldehyde-containing laminating glue is
ciently porous but is too expensive for normal used, the formaldehyde from this laminating glue ’
use. The material vused for> veneer tape must affects the impregnating glue and tends to mois
be free from any‘priori surface treatment ‘that ture-proof it. Of the impregnating glues named,
lwould tend to prevent complete impregnation'of casein is -very much more nearly moisture-re
the fibers throughout vthe thickness orf-the tape 70 s_istant than animal glue. ‘
or nlm. kThis means that there must not be any. In .the preferred embodiment of the invention, '
appreciable amount of sizing in the paper as man the tape" will be impregnated with animal ‘_glue
ufactured.'V ' " 'l (the product commercially known as suchìj of
F01’ impregnaïíng the tape the adhesives which comparatively high dilution, subsequently coated-
have been _most satisfactory in tests made by me 75 with animal glue of higher concentration for join-fl
 '2,412,093 _

ing together veneer sheets oi’ a single ply, and sixteen '0f Watertoone of‘gluatheï-best - I
finally coated on the opposite side with any of the results using about ten parts of water. toone 'of
well-recognized laminating glues for uniting one glue. "I'l'ie’preferable limit of dilution will -be
ply with the adjoining ply. » y ‘ '_ ; twelve to one. 'I‘hese` were animal glues-and the
AIt will be evident that the tape may be pro same proportions are correct for'casein and good I
duced indiflerently by impregnating a large fish glues. ~ . l , .
sheet of paper, drying it, subsequently coating Not only isfthere an advantage in using the
on one side with glue and drying it, then cutting same adhesive forl impregnation and subsequently Y
it into strips to be moistened and applied hot or ' for holding the tape to the sheets of lveneer of a
cold or by handling‘the individual strips sepa? 10 single ply, animal glue to animal glue', or casein
rately, impregnating them and printing glue on to casein but the impregnated surface on' the
them as they are being appliedtoA the veener at opposite side more readily receives the laminating
the edges, without any necessity for “intermediate . I glue. In a variant form of theinvention, unsized
drying. .
and preferably also uncalendered paper is coated
In accordance with the invention aspreviously 415' with a glue or nitrogenous glues ofanlmal king--
speciñed the following examples obtained from _doin origin to glue together two veneer sheets to `
actual practice are hereby' submitted: . » make a ply without prior impregnation and then»
vli'a’ample 1.--A thin sheet of .unsized paperis’ a laminating glue as mentioned above is applied
dipped into ahot 10:1, solution of animalglue.y ` using such a high pressure as to force the'lami
The paper is then removed, 'the excess glue is 20 nating glue to impregnate the unsized paper. .
squeezed out and the completely impregnated iilm Thisprocedure is not possible where conventional
isdried and° cut into strips of suitable size. One or sized paper is employed. The paper as in the
side of the film may now receive a surface coat of `other ‘cases mentioned should 'be quite thin', of
a more concentrated solution of animal glue and
this side may be applied to the veneer surfaces in thehord'er of one._two or three thousandths of an
inc . ' A ,

the customary manner in order that a single While the construction as shown and described
sheet consisting of several pieces of veneer is `in is the preferred embodiment of the device, never'
condition to be assembled with other -sheets to Atheless the same may be modified in detail with-l
iorm a lamination or a panel. To form the lami out departing> from the spirit ancl- the 'scope' -ci.'
nation, the single sheets composed of several 30 the invention as defined in- the annexed claims.
pieces of joined, veneer arecoated, or the base ma' Having thus described my invention what I
terial is, with the laminating glue and pressed in ` `
claim _as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat
the conventional manner. Both may be coated. ' ent is:
The strength of the bond between the impreg 1. The method of >joining veneer strips to a I
nated tape and the sheets of veneer in the ñnished 35 base by adhesives using a strip of unsized porous
lamination or plywood is as great as or greater.
than that between the untaped sheets of wood and material, which consists in impregnating the strip,
' is -deillnitely much4 stronger than anything ever
prior to assembling the veneer strips, with one
produced with veneer tapes heretofore employed. . concentration of nitrogenous adhesive-of animal
kingdom origin which becomes sticky when mois-V
I have madetests under like conditions to de 40 tened to make la tape having the two faces of
termine the sheer strength which have resultedas the tape alike, and cause each to present a sur
follows. -
Average sheer _values for three ply 1%" thick face which will readily bond with adhesive with
' out rendering the body of the tape impervious
birch veneer expressed in pounds per square inch
to moisture, in gluing the tape .toisurfaces of the i
are as follows: « ~
abutting veneer strips and across the joint in the
_ Lbs. per sq. in.
Wood joined to wood by strong glue _______ _- 400 veneer to hold strips of .veneer together into a
Wood covered with ordinary veneer tape and sheet using the same type of adhesive which be
then joined with strong glue ............ __ 100
comes sticky when moistened but of greater con-`
Wood covered with impregnated veneer tape centration“ than that -used for the impregnation
and then joined with strong glue_______ __ 450 50
and in then gluing the composite sheet of veneer
thus formed to ,the base with the tape within the
Example 2.--As has been previously mentioned, glue line by an adhesive containing moisture.
many kinds „and `combinations of strong glues .2. A woodworking veneer tape comprising an '
may be used- for impregnating the‘illm or tape ' unsized paper strip impregnated with an adhesive
and for attaching it to a wood surface. and- i'or a 55 which becomes sticky when moistened of a concen
subsequent gluing of the assembly in a lamina tration of from about ?ve to sixteen partsof wa
tion. As an' example, casein glue may replace ' ter to one of adhesive and a 'ply oi‘wood glued
the animal glue of Example 1. The lamination to one side of the paper strip by adhesive of the
may then be made with avstarch glue in the con , 4same character as the adhesive used in the lmf- A
ventional manner; or a urea resin glue, using 60 pregnation and of greater concentration than that
either the cold or the hot pressing method, may used in the impregnation. ` `
replace the starch glue for the laminating proc 3. The method of moisture-proofing the adhe
ess. When‘non-water resistant glues are used sive used for holding a tape to plies of veneer to
to impregnate or attach >veneer tape to wood, and be secured to a lbase which consists in impreg
the lamination is th‘en eñected with a'hot press 65 nating tape of unsiaed paper with an adhesive
resin glue containing formaldehyde. the entire prior to attachment to'the veneer, -uniting the
assembly becomes' water resistant because of the- tape to the veneer by the same kind of adhesive
formaldehyde that is released from the resin by and gluing the taped veneer to the base by a
heat. ' , glue which contains moisture and which liberates
With laminating glue it is desirable to have formaldehyde, whereby the moisture tends to re
as little water as possible and the proportion may moisten the tape adhesives and the formaldehyde
we_li be about two parts of water t'o one of glue. in due time tends to moisture-proof the adhe--`
On the other hand with impregnating glue the sive in the tape and, through it, the adhesive
strengths which I_have found desirable range holding the tape to the veneer. ' »
from-about iive parts of water to one of glue to 75 4. The method of uniting plies of wood which
 ananas
' consists in gluing to veneer sheets making up> a impervious to moisture, moistening the talle B_d
single ply, a tape of “med paper freely permea hesive and while it is moist gluingthe tape to
ble -to glue and moisture ifrom one side to the surfaces of abutting veneer strips vto hold the
other. gluing together the plies'under heavy pres strips together into a sheet, still without render
. sure and impregnating the unsized paper by lami ing ythe tape impervious to moisture and gluing
nating glue containing moisture used between ' .thecomposite sheet of veneer thus formed to the
Y the plies due _to the action` of the-pressuravthe base, under pressure, with the tape .within the
moisture of the laminating glue and the laminat glue line, by a laminating adhesive containing
ing glue being free to penetrateA into the paper. moisture, whereby the moisture of the laminat
5. The method of joining veneer strips to a ing adhesive is free to penetrate to and remois,-
" base by adhesives using a tape of'moisture and ten the tape adhesive whlle'under thelaminat
glue permeablev paper, which comprises coating ing pressure. ` Y '

the permeable paper of the tape with a cold set l 7. The method of‘jolning veneer strips to a
ting tape-adhesive which becomes sticky when base by adhesives, using a tape of moisture and
moist, without renderingthe tape impervious to glue permeable paperVwhich comprises coating
moisture, moistening the tape adhesive and while the permeable paper of the‘tape with a cold set
it is moist gluing the tape to surfaces oi' abut- ' ting tape adhesive which becomes sticky when
ting veneer strips to hold the strips together into l ' moist, without rendering Ithe tape impervious to
a sheet, still without rendering the tape imper , moisture, moistening the -tape adhesive and while.
vious to moisture, and gluing the composite sheet 20 it _is moist gluing the tape to surfaces o! abutting
of veneer thus formed to the base, under pres veneer strips to hold the strips together into a
sure, with the tape within the glue line, by a sheet, still without rendering the tape impervious
laminating adhesive containing moisture, where y to moisture,_ and gluing the composite sheet -oi'
by the moisture of the laminating adhesive is veneer thus formed to the base under pressure,
free to penetrate to and remoisten the tape ad»A A25 with the tape within the glue line, by a laminating '
hesive while under the laminating pressure. adhesive containing moisture and-liberating> form
6. The method of joining veneer strips to a aldehyde, whereby the moisture of the laminat
base by\adhesives~using a tape 'of >moisture and ing adhesive is free to penetrate' to and rem'oisten
glue permeable paper, which 'comprises coating the tape adhesive 'while under the laminating
and permeating the permeable paper of the tape 30 pressure and the formaldehyde in due time tends
with a cold setting tape adhesive which becomes to make the 4assembly moisture resistant.>
v sticky when moist, without rendering the tape , GORDON G. PIERSON.