Abstract: A cyclicly operable apparatus wherein an elongated supporting table receives a stack of wooden furniture rails thereon at one end thereof and a conveyor repeatedly impels the bottommost rail in the stack in one direction past a fixed clip-applying tool which receives clips from a magazine and applies them at predetermined locations along the rail. As the leading edge of the rail approaches the tool, it is sensed and, upon sensing thereof, electrical impulses are emitted and registered in a micro-processor which affords control means for stopping the conveyor and rail when predetermined numbers of impulses have been counted, actuating the clip-applying tool, feeding a clip from the magazine to the tool for the next clip application, and restarting the conveyor. A method of thus applying clips.