Abstract: The leading ends of a tongued web member and a pair of grooved chord members are moved longitudinally against stops, with the trailing ends of the chord members spread apart in divergent relation. A pair of opposed pistons presses the leading ends of the chord members toward the opposite side edges of the web member, forcing the tongues on the web member into the grooves of the chord members, which grooves have previously been coated with glue. Then the stops and pistons are retracted and the three members, thus joined together at their leading ends, are advanced between a pair of rubber tired drive wheels, meanwhile allowing the divergent trailing ends of the chord members to swing toward each other as the members progress through the drive wheels. The drive wheels are power driven to feed the assembled beam through sizing rollers which progressively squeeze the chord members toward each other as may be necessary to produce a beam of predetermined width dimension.

Abstract: Plywood web members interconnect a pair of chord members by means of glued tongue and groove joints. There are two layers of said web members in face to face relation wherein tongues on the adjacent face veneers occupy a common intermediate groove in each chord member. Tongues on the outer face veneers are bent outward by splayed outer grooves in each chord member to form a self-locking dovetail type joint which holds the members together in assembled relation without external clamps while the glue is setting.