Patent ID: 8047535

Claim:
A method for conveying a series of veneer sheets, comprising: conveying a veneer sheet having a leading end and a trailing end in a predetermined direction at a first speed by a first conveyer; detecting arrival of the veneer sheet at a predetermined position of the first conveyer; transferring by suction of a plurality of suction members arranged in said predetermined direction and activated simultaneously, the veneer sheet in the entirety of a dimension of the veneer sheet as measured in said predetermined direction from the first conveyer to a second conveyer disposed spaced vertically away from and parallel to the first conveyer when the veneer sheet has arrived at said predetermined position, and holding by suction of the plurality of suction members, the veneer sheet against the second conveyer, said second conveyer having a region overlapping with the first conveyer at least for a distance corresponding to said dimension of the veneer sheet, and said plurality of suction members being disposed at least in said overlapping region of the second conveyer and operable to develop suction substantially over said entirety of the dimension of the veneer sheet; conveying the veneer sheet in said predetermined direction at a second speed by the second conveyer and deactivating the suction of each suction member just after the trailing end of the veneer sheet has moved past said each suction member.