Abstract: A decorative trim panel having a frame built up of individual frame members joined together in an end-to-end relationship to provide a frame or frame assembly. The frame is provided with a channel in the inside lower edges which accepts a second panel.

Abstract: A method by which many identical wooden necks for solid-body electric guitars are manufactured, these being of the conventional type wherein the inner neck ends are connected to the solid bodies by screws. Edge regions of the undersides of at least some of the necks are then routed-out to form a tongue on each routed neck, the tongue extending longitudinally of the neck. Solid wooden bodies are provided for the routed necks, and there are formed in such bodies tongue pockets that correspond generally to the tongues and are shaped to receive them. The tongues are then mounted in the respective tongue pockets and adhesively secured there.

Abstract: An automatic apparatus for drilling dowel holes in a workpiece and then inserting dowels in the dowel holes is disclosed. The apparatus has a moveable carriage that moves along the side edge of the workpiece. A drilling tool and a dowel inserting tool are attached to the moveable carriage. A programable controller controls the movement of the carriage and the operation of the drilling tool and the dowel injecting tool. The controller is programmed to move the carriage to a plurality of positions for drilling dowel holes in the workpiece. The number of dowel holes, the spacing of the dowel holes and the depth of the dowel holes are entered into a control panel to program the controller. The controller is then activated to move the carriage and operate the dowel drilling tool and dowel inserting tool.

Abstract: A device and method for angularly joining elongate boards end-to-end or edge-to-edge without mitering utilizes a plate for pivotal connection in overlying relation to square-cut abutted board ends to enable the board ends to be subsequently pivoted into their desired angular relationship, whereupon the connecting plate may be rigidly secured to the boards to fix them together.

Abstract: Improved methods of fabricating at least partially curved staircases include a first method in which preformed step structures have treads with curved slots formed in the underside of the ends which define a path for insertion of top edge segments of thin starter strips. The slots are collectively configured to laterally deflect the inserted starter strips in a manner longitudinally conforming them to at least partially curved paths of the overall stringer structures in the completed staircase. The stringers are then laterally built up and completed by securing reinforcing structures to the side surfaces of the laterally deflected strips. A second method uses preformed cooperating treads and risers themselves as a form which defines an at least partially curved path for the stringers.

Abstract: A method for employment in securing together wood components whcih are intended to be mated one to another. The method includes a first step of forming slots in engaged surfaces of the wood components, the slots being registered one with another when the components are at intended relative positions. Consequently, the slots are, when the components are engaged in such a manner, aligned along an axis. An attachment fitting is provided to effect the securing function. Such a fitting would, typically, include an elongated spanning member having a central portion and first and second distal portions. Each distal portion carries a resilient barb, the barb extending outwardly and toward the central portion of the spanning member. In effecting securement of the wood components, the components are disengaged from one another, and the first distal portion of the attachment device is inserted into the slot of one of the wood components.

Abstract: A device and method for producing a finished wood material beam assembly and, in particular, a finished prestressed wood material beam assembly. The device includes a support having a top that has movable chord and web adjusters carried thereon. The adjusters may be selectively moved and adjusted as desired both horizontally and vertically, so that the chords and web of the assembly may be received thereon at selected desired heights. As such, the adjusters may be selectively adjusted to precisely conform to the specific size and dimensions of the chords and the web being supported thereby. Securing cylinders and stops carried by the table are also adjustable to securely hold the assembly in place. A prestressing cylinder and prestressing stop carried by the table are also adjustable to prestress a portion of the assembly disposed therebetween. Mechanical and adhesive fasteners are applied to the portions of the assembly by respective devices.

Abstract: A machine for assembling a jamb member, two sides members, and a stop member into a finished door jamb. The individual members are placed into the machine, which positions and aligns members and transports them in the proper relationship to a fastening station which automatically fastens the members into a door jamb assembly. The machine automatically spaces the fasteners along the length of the assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for making flexible sections of fence having an endless moving belt moving the individual fence pickets therethrough, and hopper stations individually dispensing the pickets onto the moving belt for transport to a fastening station where the fixedly spaced pickets are attached to continuous stringers and transported therefrom where the fence section thus formed is cut in the selected lengths.

Abstract: A simple, low cost, light weight biscuit jointer (21) comprises an elongated motor housing (23), a motor end cap assembly (25) fixed to one end of housing (23) and a base assembly (27) for engagement with a workpiece. To form a biscuit receiving slot in a workpiece, the motor housing (23) and end cap assembly (25) are pivoted relative to base assembly (27) for sweeping a an elongated, generally cylindrical bit (29) through an opening (31) in a base plate (33). The sweeping action is effected by an operator rotating a handle (35) fixed to end cap assembly (25) counterclockwise (FIG. 2) relative to base assembly (27). A handle (37) is used to stabilize base assembly (27) as house assembly (23) is pivoted to form the slot.

Abstract: An apparatus for mitre cutting an elongated moulding to produced a mitred end, and for cutting a groove in the end comprises a frame having longitudinal and lateral extent, and a laterally elongated table on the frame to receive and support a first portion of a moulding extending longitudinally; a first clamp on the frame for clamping the moulding to a first portion of the table; a first carriage supported by the frame to travel laterally back and forth, relative to the table; a first rotary disc cutter and a drive therefor supported on the carriage for cutting the clamped moulding laterally therethrough to produce the mitred end, as the carriage travels laterally; and a first router and a drive therefore supported by the carriage for laterally penetrating the mitred end of the moulding as the carriage travels laterally, for cutting the groove in the mitred end.

Abstract: In a method of reinforcing a guitar neck in which the neck of the guitar is preliminarily bent into an arcuate shape, a long straight aperture is formed within the neck over substantially all of its length by a laser beam or a long drill and an adjusting rod is inserted into the long aperture to reinforce the neck after releasing the bend of the neck, the method comprises the steps of providing a spot facing for a nut for the adjusting rod at the top side of the long aperture as well as another spot facing for the head of the adjusting rod at the root side of the long aperture, the neck provided with the long aperture, the neck provided with the long aperture and the spot facings is submerged within the resin in a vacuum pan or an autoclave to promote resin impregnation into the interior of the neck portion, the neck then being polymerized with a heat energy polymerizing apparatus, an adjusting rod subsequently being inserted from a root side of the resin impregnated and polymerized neck into the long apertur

Abstract: For automatically drilling boreholes within halving joints and frame portions of lattice windows, ejecting glue into said boreholes and inserting dowels, units are proposed, which consist of three dowel inserting devices and three associated glue injecting devices each being operable individually and simultaneously, and which are arranged according to the borehole pattern within the face of a halving joint. For disposing the dowels in magazines and for inserting said dowels into the boreholes in a controlled manner changeable magazines are proposed the bottom of which is arranged above a dowel receiving head and the dowel discharge location is associated to the receiving locations of the dowel receiving head; in this position dowels are transferred into the recesses of the dowel receiving head and are arranged in the discharge position from which they are inserted by means of dowel ejectors into aligned boreholes of a workpiece.

Abstract: A machine to cut grooves in the mitred end portions of frame members of a picture frame, so that connectors can be inserted in these grooves and join the members to form the picture frame. A base structure mounts a pair of frame members spaced from one another, and a motor with a router bit is positioned with the bit between the frame membersd, with the motor and bit being moved laterally in opposite directions to form the grooves.

Abstract: A wooden spiral staircase having a hollow central support column, treads which abut but do not attach to such column, tread supports ending in tenons which completely intersect the column and are secured by a wedged-through mortise joint, spacerblocks between every two adjacent treads and under the bottommost tread, and an optional laminate bent handrail and optional balusters which serve no support function, enabling the manufacturer to construct and ship the main body of the staircase as a single unit that can easily be installed through "screwing" it through the doorway(s) of the intended site. The method of constructing such a staircase in which the placement of the mortises on the central column is determined by the use of a computer generated template, thereby allowing for every staircase to be custom-designed as well as ensuring extreme precision in the final product.

Abstract: This invention relates to automatic lattice fabrication apparatus for automatically forming sections of lattice from strips of wood of a predetermined length and width. The apparatus includes an elongated horizontal conveyor that conveys lattice strips from a lay-up section through an automatic adhesive dispenser, under an automatic stapling bridge where the lattice is stapled, through rip saws that trim the sides of the lattice and, when desired, cut the lattice in half, and through an automatic cross-cut saw mechanism that periodically stops the conveyor, lowers a saw and cuts off a section of lattice when it reaches a predetermined length, and then lifts the saw out of the way and resumes conveyor movement.

Abstract: Proposed is a furniture front element like a cabinet door, of which the frame leg members are joined in mitre cut and without any screwed connection. The lengths of the leg members are infinitely adjustable and the frame filling pieces are designed as a storage means in order to be able to change the front surface of the element to the desired extent.

Abstract: A rigid wooden composite assembly such as a beam, post or the like, includes a plurality of elongated wooden boards of varying lengths disposed in face-to-face relationship and forming a plurality of layers. At least one of the layers includes a plurality of boards, the inner ends of which abut to form a joint therebetween. A connector device has a base plate with openings therein. Prongs extend outwardly from the plate and initially generally normal thereto. The prongs of adjacent openings extend in opposite directions from the plate. The connector device is disposed between the layers so that the base plate bridges the inner portion of the joint and the oppositely extending prongs penetrate the opposing board faces. When the assembly is compressed together, the prongs deform and clinchingly engage the wood surrounding the joint. The abutting boards are spliced together, and the facing boards are held tightly together.

Abstract: A fixing in a wall is made by drilling a hole, inserting the pin of a nozzle mounted on a hot melt gun into the hole and injecting molten polypropylene into the space between the pin and the hole. The polypropylene is allowed to solidify and the nozzle is removed leaving a wall plug ready for the insertion of a screw.Three embodiments of a nozzle especially adapted for use in this process are described.

Abstract: An assembly for connecting the wooden members of a truss is disclosed, characterized by the use of a combination of adhesive and a connecting plate. The connecting plate is formed of metal and includes a plurality of nail-like projections which extend from and normal to a planar portion of the plate. A layer of adhesive is applied to the extremities of all of the projections. The wooden members to be joined are arranged in a desired configuration and the adhesive-covered projections of the plate are driven into adjoining members. In addition to the nail-like bond between the plate and the truss members, an adhesive bond is formed between the metal projections and the wood. The resulting joint has increased resistance to tensile, shear, and rotational forces.

Abstract: A split bending molding assembly is provided for finishing operations for buildings, such as crown molding for curved or straight walled building structures. The molding includes a plurality of molding strips which are assembled in place on the building structure to form a crown molding or other molding of desired decorative configuration, each molding strip forming a decorative surface segment. The molding strips are provided with cooperative cam surfaces enabling workmen to apply a prying force to a molding strip being installed to thus cause precision alignment of the molding strips as applied. When installed, the joints of the molding strips will intersect the decorative surface segments at an abrupt angle and will be almost invisible and only minimal surface preparation will be required to finish the molding assembly.

Abstract: The method for jointing frames, small pieces of furniture, drawers, with corner parts, is characterized by the successive operations: simultaneously cutting the sides of the frame to the desired dimensions; machining the halving of each corner part in a single operation into two adjacent elements of the frame to be assembled and simultaneously in the four corners; gluing the corner parts and their housing hollowed out in the elements to be assembled; the premounting of corner parts in their housings; the assembly and tightening of the frame thus formed. The corner parts used are flat with one or two ogival ends and/or one straight end and/or one whistle-shaped end forming a 90.degree. angle, and/or one bevelled end and/or one rounded end, and/or one circular end.

Abstract: Adjustable modules are disclosed for building final products of various sizes from a single-sized, mass-produced unit. In the preferred embodiment, each module is made of mass-produced, left-hand and right-hand sections that are joinable at oppositely facing, abuttable ends by any suitable means--here, dowels that fit into aligned channel halves in the complemental faces of the two sections.By utilizing the split-section aspect, the overall size of the final product, e.g., a door, can be reduced without detracting from the functional, and sometimes even ornamental, aspects of the modules. This is achieved by trimming back the modular sections along their complemental faces prior to joining the faces together.

Abstract: A method of reinforcing timber beams (15) by fixing sheet metal plates or strips (10) to the top and/or bottom of the beam (15) so that the plates or strips (10) are placed in tension after compression when a load is applied to the beam (15). Teeth (11) pressed out of the plates or strips (10) are fixed into the beam (15) by passing the assembly between pressure rollers or pads (16). The plates or strips (10) may extend over 40%-70% of the length of the beam (15) in the area of maximum deflection of the beam under the applied load to increase the stiffness of the beam by 50%-80%.

Abstract: This invention relates to automatic lattice fabrication apparatus for automatically forming sections of lattice from strips of wood of a predetermined length and width. The apparatus includes an elongated horizontal conveyor that conveys lattice strips from a lay-up section through an automatic adhesive dispenser, under an automatic stapling bridge where the lattice is stapled, through rip saws that trim the sides of the lattice and, when desired, cut the lattice in half, and through an automatic cross-cut saw mechanism that periodically stops the conveyor, lowers a saw and cuts off a section of lattice when it reaches a predetermined length, and then lifts the saw out of the way and resumes conveyor movement.

Abstract: A method for trimming the edges of a sheet of veneer perpendicularly to its grain while preventing this sheet from splitting. In a first step, a strip of tape is applied onto the sheet of veneer close to each of its edges to be trimmed. In a second, subsequent step, the tape-reinforced edges of the sheet of veneer are trimmed by shearing, preferably using a pair of overlapping cutting discs positioned to produce the requested shearing action. A machine especially designed for carrying out this method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A fixture and method for manufacturing corner joints wherein two workpieces having mitered edges are joined to form a corner axis. The workpieces are clamped underneath a table having a plurality of parallel finger slots so that the corner axis is perpendicular to the lengthwise axis of the linger joints. A router is guided through the finger slots to cut aligned slots in mitered edges of the workpieces. A spline is received in the slots to lock the workpieces together.

Abstract: A drum with a body composed of solid wood blocks glued together. The blocks form a cylinder which constitutes the drum body with each block extending the entire thickness of the cylinder wall. The blocks lie in circular layers with each layer having a staggered orientation relative to its adjacent layers. Dowels pass through the blocks to provide greater support to the body. The upper and lower edges of the cylinder have a recessed configuration relative to the body's outer surface to provide a floating drum head. To produce the drum body, each block in a layer has its ends tapered toward the middle of the block. Where each layer includes 16 blocks, the end faces of a block have an angle of 22.5.degree. relative to each other. Gluing the blocks together forms a long cylinder having, however, rough external and internal surfaces. Milling on both the outside and the inside of the cylinder provides smooth surfaces of a pleasing appearance.

Abstract: In a process for producing wooden building components acted upon by flexural forces in the built-in condition, and made up of at least two members that are bonded together, the load capacity is increased by stressing at least one part of the component in the direction of its length by a linear force and is then bonded to another part of the component while still being acted upon by said force. In a preferred form of the invention at least one part of the component is acted upon by a pulling force and another part is acted upon by a compression force with a pre-stressing effect. The use of the process makes possible the production of bonded wooden structural members free of transverse forces.

Abstract: A rectangular barrel-like structure having four wooden stave sides and two wooden stave head sections, joined together by specially designed triangular corner members. Each of the staves used in making the side walls and in making the head sections are of white oak and are of tongue-and-groove construction. Additionally, each of the staves utilized in the wall sections contains a croze at the top and at the bottom for snug engagement with the staves forming the head sections. Each of the triangular corner members is truncated at the junction of the leg and the base of the triangle so as to form a planar section equal in width to the width of the wall section stave. The truncated planar section contains a projecting tongue on one side for engagement with a complementary groove of a wall stave of one side section and a complementary groove on the other for engagement with a projecting tongue of one of the wall staves of the other wall section.

Abstract: The invention is a novel covering and optical embellishing of surfaces and edges of furniture structures, particularly legs and/or portions of frames and/or bodies of seats or resting furniture, tables, cupboards, shelves, mirrors and the like. The decoration element is comprised substantially of a plurality of long strands having a constant cross sectional area, made from the core of a tropical creeper or palmyra. The ligneous, fibrous strands are free of knots and very flexible, and are arranged with most of them adjacent, parallel, and touching each other without any space, thus forming a complete optical covering on the visible surfaces and edges of the structure. The element made, for example, from "Palmyra" creepers is, because of its inner structure of small channels and absence of knots, substantially perfectly homogeneous on its entire length with respect to its structure and physio-mechanical properties.

Abstract: Three elongated strips (called a web and two legs) are assembled into an elongated channel by a machine which includes a supply table. A stack of webs on the supply table feed downward by gravity. Legs are fed inwardly under the webs by pusher arms. The web and two legs are fed from the back to the front of the machine by a three-fingered lug on a continuous chain operated under the web magazine. Glue is applied to the top of the legs, then the web and two legs are pressed together over a spacer block, where they are stapled together to hold them in place until the glue sets.

Abstract: The process for the gluing together of free form wood shapes in which individually pre-cut pieces are drawn into position, and correct, even, gluing pressure is applied by tension taken on a cable which has been routed internally through passages pre-drilled in component members of the finished shape and then connected at each end to take-up mechanisms which rest against the surface of the finished product.

Abstract: In the process for the production of a glued joint for wood, the surfaces to be glued are held tightly together. At least one injection needle is driven into the wood up to a depth at which the outlet of the needle point comes into contact with the surface. The fluid adhesive is then driven under pressure through the injection needle and evenly distributed between the surfaces. The process is particularly suited for the production of window blind frames made of wood, in which the wood edges to be glued are joined by means of pins and slots. The process makes possible the production of joints of great strength, with very low tolerances between the pins and slots.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for assembling barge fenders which includes chain conveyors for conveying the workpiece through a series of work stations. Spaced pairs of saws are positioned to make angled cuts. Downstream of the saws drilling mechanism provide holes in the workpiece for insertion of threaded bolts which are used at the assembly station to fasten a plurality of workpieces together.

Abstract: A method of reeling and unreeling a reinforced veneer sheet is provided. A veneer sheet peeled off from a log on the veneer lathe is subjected to a reinforcing step, in which an elongated cut is formed on one side of the sheet across the grain and a length of cord is embedded in it. In a reeling operation, the reinforced veneer sheet is wound onto the reel with its cut side facing radially outward. In an unreeling operation, on the other hand, the sheet is unwound from the roll with its cut side facing downward. This method prevents the embedded cord from slipping out of the engagement with the elongated cut during the reeling and unreeling operations.