Abstract:
Apparatus for connecting wood members with a connector plate segmented from a continuous strip of connector plates. The connector plates have integral nails extending from one face of the plate. The apparatus includes a feeder for feeding the strip forward to a position where the connector plate is segmented from the strip. A driver drives the segmented plate into the wood members. The apparatus has a table for the emplacement of the wood members in a pattern for being fastened together. The table is mounted for movement between a position out from under the driver for emplacement of the wood members and a position under the driver for the driving of a segmented connected plate down for penetration of its nails into the wood members. The table also has slots and locating stops to facilitate holding the wood member is the pre-selected pattern on the table.

Description:
This invention relates to apparatus for connecting wooden components and the like, and more particularly to apparatus for emplacement of wooden components in position for being joined together (jigging said members) and having means for fastening said members together by driving connector plates (nailing plates) thereunto. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is in the field of automated wooden component connection apparatus of the type in which components are placed in position on a table (jigged) in the position in which they are to be fastened together, and connector plates (nailing plates) segmented from continuous connector plate strip are driven into said components, one from above, one from below through an opening in the table, for the fastening together of said components. This type of apparatus is well known in the art; reference may be made to the copending coassigned Ser. No. 09/347,326, filed Jul. 2, 1999, entitled Coil Advance Drive for an Apparatus for Applying Links of Connector Plate Coils to Wooden Frames, showing such apparatus, said application being incorporated herein by reference. An example of such a machine is Model No. 35500 Coilfed Machine available from MiTek Industries, Inc. of St. Louis, Mo. Another example of such a machine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,816. These machines are characterized by their use of a coil of connector plate material, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,708, rather than preformed individual plates. Said prior apparatus is used, for example, to make hip roof trusses or wood crates, for manufacturing wooden frames for furniture or box springs, and to make other wood assemblies. The prior apparatus has been generally satisfactory but, at times, some difficulty has been encountered in the emplacement of the wood members in jigged position on the table due to the obstruction of the table by connector plate segmenting and driving instrumentalities overhanging the table. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Among the several objects of this invention may be noted the provision of apparatus of the type described above improved to the extent of facilitating the manual emplacement (jigging) of the wooden members to be fastened together by the connector plates; the provision of such apparatus wherein the emplacement may be carried out without obstruction from the connector plate segmenting and driving instrumentalities; the provision of such apparatus enabling set-up of various jigging patterns for the wooden members; and the provision of such apparatus which is of relatively simple and economical construction and relatively simple and convenient to use. 
     In general, apparatus of this invention is for connection of wooden components or the like in which wood members are fastened together by a connector plate segmented from a continuous strip of connector plates, said plates having integral nails extending from one face thereof and connected end-to-end lengthwise of the strip. It comprises a feeder operable to feed the strip forward with its nails extending down to bring the leading plate of the strip to a position for being segmented from the strip and driven downward, and a driver for driving the segmented strip down. It is characterized in having a table for the emplacement thereon of wood members in a pattern for being fastened together, said table being mounted for movement between a position out from under said driver for emplacement of said members and a position under said driver for the driving of a segmented connector plate down for penetration of its nails into said members. 
     Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of one side of apparatus embodying the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view in front elevation of the apparatus; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a view in elevation of a fragment of the other side of the apparatus, showing in phantom a moved position (the loading position) of a table thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a view in elevation of a fragment of the front of the apparatus; 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 are views of the table taken generally on lines  6 — 6  and  7 — 7  of FIG. 5 illustrating a first wood member and a second wood member of a hip girder jigged in position for being fastened together with connector plates by the apparatus; and 
     FIG. 8 is a section taken generally on line  8 — 8  of FIG. 7 illustrating a jigging stop of the apparatus. 
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout several views of the drawings. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, first more particularly to FIGS. 1-3, apparatus of this invention is shown to comprise a frame indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral  1  having a front and a back, an upper arm  3  extending outwardly therefrom in what amounts to rearward direction having a spindle  5  at its outer end carrying a supply in the form of a coil  7  of a strip  9  of connector plates (which may also be referred to as nailing plates) and a lower arm  13  extending outwardly therefrom below the upper arm having a spindle  15  at its outer end carrying another supply in the form of a coil  17  of a strip  19  of connector plates (which may be the same as strip  9 ). Such connector plates and strips thereof are well known in the art and it will be readily understood by those conversant with the art that each connector plate is a metal (usually steel) plate having nails  21  integrally formed therefrom extending from one face thereof, strips of said plates comprising a multiplicity of the plates integrally connected end-to-end lengthwise of the strip, the leading plate of the strip being adapted to be segmented from the strip and driven into pieces of wood for fastening them together. 
     Mounted in the frame  1  is an upper feeder  23  operable to feed forward the upper strip  9  of connector plates from the upper coil  7  with its nails  21  extending down to bring the leading plate of the upper strip to a position for being segmented from the upper strip and driven downward. An upper driver  25  (FIG. 5) mounted in the frame functions to drive down the plate segmented from the upper strip. Mounted in the frame  1  directly below the upper feeder is a lower feeder  27  operable to feed forward the lower strip  19  of connector plates from the lower coil  17  with its nails  21  extending up to bring the leading plate of the lower strip to a position for being segmented from the lower strip and driven upward. A lower driver  29  (FIG. 5) mounted in the frame functions to drive up the plate segmented from the lower strip. Each feeder generally comprises a wheel rotary on a horizontal axis contacting the respective strip, the wheel being adapted to be driven on each cycle of operation of the apparatus to advance the respective strip one connector plate length by a motor  31  via a drive indicated at  33 . Each of the connector plate drivers  25 ,  29  comprises a presser platen  35  on the plunger of a hydraulic cylinder  37 , the upper presser platen being movable down for pressing down the connector plate segmented from the upper strip, the lower presser platen being movable up for pressing up the connector plate segmented from the upper strip. At  39  is indicated means for supplying the hydraulic cylinders with hydraulic fluid under pressure and controlling them (FIG.  2 ). A control panel  40  is provided for setting the operating parameters of the apparatus  1 . The apparatus as thus far described corresponds essentially to that disclosed in the aforesaid copending coassigned application Ser. No. 09,347,326, and reference may be made thereto for details. 
     In accordance with this invention, a table  41  is shown for emplacement thereon of wood members, such as the wood members indicated at  43  and  45  (FIGS. 6 and 7) in a pattern for being fastened together. The table  41  is mounted for movement on the frame  1  between a position for emplacement of the wood members thereon out from between the upper and lower drivers  25  and  29  shown in phantom in FIG. 4 and a position between the drivers shown in solid lines in FIG. 4 for the driving of a connector plate segmented from the upper strip  9  down, and the driving of a connector plate segmented from the lower strip  19  up through an opening  47  in the table, for penetration of the nails  21  of the segmented plates into the wood members  43 ,  45 . 
     The table  41  is mounted for sliding movement between its above-stated in and out positions (which may also be referred to as its plate-driving position and loading position) in a generally horizontal plane by means of a set of rods, more particularly two rods each designated  49 , and a set of slide bearings, more particularly a pair of linear bearings each designated  51  on one side and a pair of linear bearings each designated  51  on the other side under the table. Each pair of bearings is fixed on top of a bracket  53  mounted for up and down adjustment on the respective side of the frame  1  by means of screws  55  extending through generally vertical slots  57  in the bracket and threaded in tapped holes in the frame, the two bearings on each bracket being spaced one from the other on the bracket as shown in FIG.  4 . The brackets with the bearings thereon are mounted on the frame with their axes extending parallel to one another on opposite sides of the throat  59  (in a generally horizontal plane open at the front of the frame) between the drivers  25  and  29  in a generally horizontal plane below the plane of the table  41 . The rods  49  are secured to the table in position below the table spaced down from the table extending parallel to one another in the plane of the bearings  51  (and generally parallel to the plane of the table), being slidable in the bearings for the aforesaid sliding movement of the table between its aforesaid two positions. The table  41  has an inner edge  61 , namely the edge which is innermost with respect to the throat (rearward with respect to the apparatus), and an outer (front) edge  63 . Extending crosswise of the table on the bottom thereof adjacent its inner and outer edges are bars  65  and  67 , the bar adjacent the inner edge  61  being denoted the inner or rear bar and the bar adjacent the outer edge being denoted the outer or front bar. Each of the rods is secured to the table in position under and spaced from the bottom surface of the table by a pair of rod supports  69  and  71 , the support  69  being adjacent the inner end of the rod and the support  71  being adjacent the outer end of the rod. The inner end support  69  comprises a collar encircling the rod depending from bar  65  and the outer end support  71  comprises a collar encircling the rod depending from bar  67 . 
     Each of the two inner bearings  51  of each pair of bearings on the brackets  53  is mounted in position with respect to the frame  1  to act as a stop engageable by the rear collar  69  of the respective inner end rod support on pulling out the table to determine its aforesaid loading position. Handles  73  are provided at the front of the table for being grasped to pull it out to the loading position, in which the inner (rear) edge  61  of the table is near the outer (open) end of the throat  59  (its front end). The handles are attached to bar  67 . Mounted in the frame at the inner end of the throat  59  is a limit switch  75  engageable by the rear bar  65  of the table. The upper and lower drivers  25  and  29  cannot be activated when the table  41  is out of contact with the limit switch. This limit switch is adjustable in and out as needed to position the table. For that purpose, the limit switch  75  is mounted on the frame  1  by means of screws  77  extending through generally horizontal slots  79  in wings  81  on the stop threaded in tapped holes in the frame. A stop engageable with the forward bearing  51  to determine the aforesaid position for the driving of connector plates into the wood members of the table  41  is provided by a collar  83  on one or both rods  49  adjustable to different positions thereon for engagement with the front of one or both of the forward bearings  51  as shown in FIG.  4 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 6-8, the table  41  carries jigging members, more particularly stops each designated  85 , for jigging the wood members in the pattern for the connection thereof by the connector plates. As shown, the table is made with a series of slots  87  therein, the slots extending parallel to one another in front-to-rear direction with respect to the throat  59 . It is to be understood that the slots may extend in a side-to-side direction with respect to the throat  59  or in some combination of front-to-rear and side-to-side without departing from the scope of the present invention. Further, it is envisioned that instead of slots a large number of circular holes (not shown) could be provided in the table. The holes would be threaded so that stops having threaded pegs could be screwed into the holes. Different jigging arrangements would be made by selecting different holes into which to place the stops. In the illustrated embodiment, each stop  85  is releasably fastened in selected position along the length of a slot extending up from the table for the jigging of wood members on the table in a selected pattern by having a bolt  89  of smaller diameter extending through the stop. The stop  85  has a downwardly facing shoulder engaging the top surface of the table on opposite sides of the slot with the bolt  89  extending down through the slot. A quarter turn nut  91  threaded on the bolt  89  engages the bottom surface of the table for fastening the stop  85  in place. 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 show an arrangement of the stops  85  for positioning (jigging) the first wood member  43  and the second wood member  45  of a hip girder of a type wherein the first wood member extends at an acute angle from the second wood member and the second wood member extends beyond the first wood member, with the juncture of the members registering with opening  47  in the table. The wood members are laid on the table in the pattern shown by placement between the stops defining the pattern with the table pulled out in its loading position so that there is no obstruction to the placement of the wood members. Then, the table  41  is pushed in to bring the juncture into the position for the driving of a top connector plate and a bottom connector plate into the chord members at said juncture, the bottom plate being driven up through hole  47  which is positioned therefor in accordance with the positioning of the table resulting from its engagement with the stop  83 . 
     For safety, the apparatus may be provided with side guards  93  and a front guard  95  for the throat  59 . These guards are preferably fixed in place because the table can be moved out so there is no need for access to the throat  59 . However, conventional movable guards could also be used. A pair of finger actuated switches  97  are provided for triggering the drivers  25 ,  29  to shear connector plates from the coils and drive them into the wood members when the table  41  is in position. The switches  97  must be depressed substantially simultaneously to trigger the drivers to inhibit the operator from triggering the driver unless his hands are well clear of the throat  59 . In the preferred embodiment, the actuator switches  97  are DUO-TOUCH Model No. OTBA5QD photoelectric touch switches available from Banner Engineering Corporation of Minneapolis, Minn. 
     In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. 
     When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
     As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.