Abstract: An apparatus for making pallets includes an automatic stringer feeding system; an automatic stringer advancing system; a pallet assembly station; a nail delivery system; and a pallet stacking system. Wood stringers are automatically fed to a series of hoppers which facilitate advancing the stringers into the pallet assembly station. Spaced apart deck boards are nailed, via a gantry movable along a longitudinally extending frame on generally parallel spaced apart linear guide bearings, to both sides of the supporting base of transversely positioned stringers in the pallet assembly station. Multiple nailing stations in adjacent spaced relationship include a pneumatically driven double ram for nailing together stringers and overlying deck boards positioned within the pallet assembly station.

Abstract: A self-orienting device comprises: a housing; a sensor mounted to the housing that is sensitive to a signal field and configured to produce a signal responsive to the signal field; a translation-inducing unit associated with the housing; rotation-inducing unit attached to the housing, wherein the translation-inducing unit and the rotation-inducing unit are configured such that the housing travels along a helical trajectory having an axis and is free to rotate about the axis; and a controller operably associated with the sensor for controlling the output of at least one of the translation-inducing unit and the rotation-inducing unit, wherein the controller is configured such that it receives the signal from the sensor and, responsive to the signal, controls the output of at least one of the translation-inducing unit and said rotation-inducing unit. A device so configured can automatically orient to a signal.