Decorative Surface Veneer

Abstract

A process for the manufacture of veneer and a decorative surface veneer that comprises gluing board-like, plane pieces of wood together with an adhesive to form a beam-like block of wood. The humidity content of the beam-like block of wood is increased. Veneer is cut from the beam-like block of wood and dried until the humidity content is below a fiber saturation point. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.

1 . A veneer produced by a process comprising:
 gluing board-like, plane pieces of wood together with an adhesive to form a beam-like block of wood, with the adhesive forming layers within the block of wood that each define a plane;   increasing the humidity content of said beam-like block of wood;   slicing a decorative surface veneer from said beam-like block of wood, with the slicing being performed in a plane that is transversely arranged to the plane defined by the adhesive layers; and   drying said decorative surface veneer until the humidity content is below a fiber saturation point,   wherein said decorative surface veneer maintains a visible grain pattern that includes any defects associated with the original appearance of the type of wood making up the plane pieces of wood.   
   
   
       2 . A decorative surface veneer produced by a process comprising:
 cooling surfaces of board-like, plane pieces of wood to be glued to a temperature below 0° C.;   heating said surfaces to be glued to vaporize water present in the area of said surfaces to be glued;   applying an adhesive onto the so treated surfaces;   bringing the adhesive covered surfaces together so as to glue said board-like plane pieces of wood together to form said beam-like block of wood;   increasing the humidity content of said beam-like block of wood;   slicing a decorative surface veneer from said beam-like block of wood; and   drying said decorative surface veneer until the humidity content is below a fiber saturation point,   wherein the veneer so produced maintains a visible grain pattern that includes any defects associated with the original appearance of the type of wood making up the plane pieces of wood.   
   
   
       3 . A decorative surface veneer comprising:
 a thin veneer formed from slices of board-like plane pieces of wood that are glued together, said veneer maintaining a visible grain pattern that includes any defects associated with the original appearance of the type of wood making up the plane pieces of wood.