Patent ID: 7229264
Filing Date: 2007-06-12
Classification: B27N

Abstract:
1. A platen for pressing material such as wood chips or the like into rigid boards comprising a flat steel body with a thickness defined by the distance between oppositely facing surfaces parallel to one another and including at least one pressing surface, a plurality of vent holes, small in comparison to the area of the pressing surface, distributed in spaced relation across the area of the pressing surface, a plurality of vent hole cleaning pins within the thickness of the body, each pin being associated with one of the vent holes, the pins having portions sized to enter and clean said vent holes, actuator mechanism to move said pins between a retracted position and an extended position, said pins in said extended position being capable of displacing residuals of the material being pressed that have entered said vent holes and in said retracted position enabling vapor from the material being pressed to be exhausted through said vent holes, said actuator mechanism, within the boundary of said pressing surface area, lies exclusively within the thickness of the platen body.