Abstract: A system and method for forming a foundation truss for a box spring or mattress foundation frame includes a first truss rail assembly station having a series of block feeders, a top rail hopper and a filler strip hopper that received stacks of truss components such as blocks, top rails and filler strips and feed such truss components into stacked registration. The stacked truss components are moved into engagement with a series of staplers that secure the filler strips, top rails and blocks together to form first truss rail portions, which are then fed to a second truss rail assembly station where a bottom rail is automatically applied thereto.

Abstract: A system for moving a fastener into a sheet material and support structure may include a main support frame, and a fastener movement apparatus having a guide frame defining a channel, and a contact member having a contact tip for contacting the head of a fastener in a driving position. The apparatus may include a guide tube configured to hold a fastener, a primary movement assembly configured to transmit an impulse to a fastener head of the fastener through the contact member, and a secondary movement assembly configured to move the primary movement assembly. The system may also include a control assembly configured to control the primary movement assembly and secondary movement assembly of the at least one fastener movement apparatus.

Abstract: A machine for assembling fence panels. The machine includes rail supports, a plurality of rail transport assemblies, a picket hopper for storing pickets substantially perpendicular to the rail supports, a picket transport assembly, a picket spacing assembly, a picket skewing assembly, and nailing guns. The rail transport assemblies include a conveyor for moving rails longitudinally to an assembly position. The picket transport assembly uses a conveyor to move pickets from the hopper to the assembly position, delivering the pickets at an acute delivery angle. The picket spacing assembly increases the delivery angle for a picket to increase spacing between pickets. The picket skewing assembly pushes an end of a picket closer to a previous picket to adjust for spacing between warped pickets. The nailing guns secure a picket at the assembly position to the rails. A machine controller is used to automatically operate the components of the machine.

Abstract: A nailing mechanism for a packing plate comprises a middle feeding device, an upper feeding device, a lower feeding device, a first conveying belt, a second conveying belt, a third conveying belt, a first push panel, a second push panel, a plurality of first nail guns, and a plurality of second nail guns, wherein the nailing mechanism are used to automatically assemble a plurality of first, second, and third slabs together to make a finished packing plate, thus lowering production costs and enhancing manufacturing efficiency.

Abstract: An end plating machine for a wood tie having opposite ends comprising a frame including horizontally spaced-apart first and second end frames with the frame including tie in-feed and out-feed portions. A conveyor is provided for positioning a tie between the end frames. First and second tie clampers are positioned adjacent the first and second end frames for clamping the ends of a tie positioned therebetween. First and second power rams are mounted on the first and second end frames, respectively, for driving an end plate into the ends of the tie while the tie is being clamped by the first and second tie clampers. First and second end plate hoppers are positioned on the first and second end frames, respectively, for supporting a plurality of end plates therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for final assembly of framed artwork includes a conveyor for translating a plurality of art frames past a robot arm assembly. A fastener driver module is supported by the robot arm assembly, the module including a support plate and a magazine secured to the support plate by a pivot assembly at the upper end of the magazine, with the freely pivoting lower end of the magazine depending from the support plate. A pneumatic actuator extends laterally from the support plate to rotate the lower end of the magazine to impinge on the art frame, and another pneumatic actuator supported on the magazine is coupled through a lever arrangement to a driver blade extending through the lower end of the magazine. The driver blade engages the lowermost fastener in the magazine and ejects it forcefully, driving it into the interior opening of the frame on the table.

Abstract: An apparatus for tagging plants includes a frame attached to a stand, and jaws operably mounted on the frame for receiving a plant branch. The apparatus includes a strip advancing mechanism, a tag advancing mechanism, a fastening mechanism, and a programmable controller for controlling the actuation of each of these mechanisms. The strip advancing mechanism is configured to advance a section of flexible strip onto the jaws in a loop around the plant branch from a continuous supply of strip material, and includes a cutter for cutting the section from the continuous supply of strip material once it is advanced. The tag advancing mechanism is configured to advance a tag to a position proximate the jaws from a continuous supply of interconnected tags, and includes a cutter for cutting the tag from the supply of tags. The fastening mechanism includes a stapler for stapling a staple to the tag to hold the tag to the section of strip and to hold the ends of the section together in the loop around the plant branch.

Abstract: A device for driving nails in at least one selected nailing pattern into an arrangement of components is disclosed. The device includes a frame, a retaining means for retaining an arrangement of components to be nailed in the frame, a nailing means comprising a plurality of movable nailing heads for delivering nails in the selected nailing pattern to the arrangement, a nail delivery means for delivering nails to the nailing heads, means for causing at least one of the nailing heads to move in a direction transverse to a machine direction relative to the nailing surface during a nailing operation, means for causing the nailing heads to move in a machine direction and in an opposite direction relative to the arrangement of components and means for causing the nailing heads to move in a direction normal to a machine direction.

Abstract: A tagging apparatus for attaching tags to plants includes a frame member, a holding/clamping member operably connected to the frame member for holding a tag, and a first jaw movably mounted on the frame member. The first jaw is adapted to close against a second jaw on the frame member, with the jaws including surfaces forming an opening adapted to enclose a plant stem/branch when closed. A pneumatically driven mechanism is attached to the frame member and is adapted to grip and advance a strip of flexible material onto the surfaces so that the surfaces direct the strip of flexible material around the opening means to form a loop around the plant stem/branch. The apparatus also includes a pneumatically powered cutter and stapler mechanism attached to the frame member for cutting the strip from a roll of strip material and then for stapling the strip of flexible material in the loop around the stem/branch and to the tag to thus permanently retain the tag to the stem/branch.

Abstract: An automatic nailing head for an automatic nailing device is disclosed. A nailing head including a means for causing an angle between a central shank axis of the nail and a central axis of the throughbore to gradually decrease as the nail passes through a nail feed channel and into the throughbore is described. A picker plate capable of receiving a nail when in a first position and dropping the picked nail when moved to a second position is described. A nailing head with a quick release body portion for unjamming the heads without the use of tools is also described.

Abstract: The machine of the present invention operates to automatically nail a combination of pre-cut wood boards together to form a pallet. The machine may be adjusted so that the size of the pallet can be varied as to dimensions and number of pre-cut boards. Once the pallet size and board combination has been selected, the machine is set up by moving jigs, stops, clamps and nailing heads into their proper operative positions. A number of nailing heads are adjustably mounted on a carriage that moves past a support on which the pre-cut boards are mounted. Both the top and bottom boards of the pallet are nailed simultaneously to the central or longitudinal board of the pallet. By way of a clamping system, the boards are squared and precisely positioned and secured together by clamping action. The carriage then begins to move and the nailing operations commence and continue until all of the nails have been driven into the boards of the pallet.

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: An apparatus for inserting sticks into ice cream bodies contains a magazine 2, from where the sticks 1 are discharged to a carrier 4, which is provided with pockets 6 for receiving the sticks 1. The sticks 1 are fed from the pockets 6 to mold cavities filled with ice cream, by clamping devices 8 mounted in a pick-up assembly 7, which can be moved between a position in which the sticks 1 are lifted out of the pockets 6 to a position above mold cavities containing ice cream. A piston 3 is placed in the magazine 2. The piston is designed to squeeze the sticks 1 in the magazine against the carrier with an abutment force substantially greater than the weight of the sticks stacked in the magazine.

Abstract: There is provided a multi-purpose machine for the application of small metallic or non-metallic workpieces, or items which can be mounted on a proper support, or on a suitable table, or at a processing line and includes a head with a fixed tool holder and a movable tool holder and a universal presser. The tool holders are adapted for carrying the pairs of tools in a removable, immediately interchangeable manner for the functions, or processes of various applications such as branding, drilling, eyelet punching, blanking or die cutting, riveting and the like. The machine may be mechanically operated by simple linkages, pneumatically by means of a pedal operation, or electrically.

Abstract: A pallet manufacturing machine and method for joining wooden slats (W) to elongate splines (S) includes spline clamping means (70) mounted on a frame (10). The spline clamping means (70) grip and release the elongate splines (S) so that the lateral edge portions of the splines (S) extend from the clamping means (70). The wooden slats (W) are carried along the length of the frame (10) by first and second advancing means (12-18, 50-56) with the advancing means (12-18, 50-56) adapted to force the slats (W) over and onto the extending edges of the splines (S). In this way, the edges of the splines (S) are embedded within the wooden slats (W) to form a contiguous structure. Drive means (76) are provided for displacing the first and second advancing (12-18, 50-56) means along the frame. In operation, the wooden slats (W) are arranged in a generally parallel, spaced relationship and the splines (S) are clamped in the clamping assembly (70).

Abstract: Apparatus for pallet fabricating operates to automatically nail together an arrangement of transversely extending slats and longitudinally extending stringers, which is continuously advancing. The automatic nailing utilizes nailing control in which a slat position sensor determines that a slat and underlying stringers are in position beneath a plurality of nail guns for nailing. The arrangement of slats and stringers are continuously moved by a conveyor as the nailing takes place. The slats and stringers are positioned on the conveyor automatically by controlled ejection of the same from slat and stringer magazines.

Abstract: Apparatus for securing pickets to elongated stringers employs a worktable having stringer accomodating channels into which the elongated stringers are placed. A picket hopper accomodates a stacked array of pickets transverse to said channels and stringers. A reciprocating carriage assembly is positioned on the worktable and reciprocates a given distance in a forward and backward movement. As the carriage moves forward the lower most picket in said hopper is pushed to a fastening location. Located at this location and above the pushed picket are fastening means, which are air actuated nailing guns. The guns are mounted on a shaft which is synchronized with the carriage assembly to cause the guns to move about an arcuate path which causes the guns to contact the picket at the fastening location to secure the same to the stringers.

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: Disclosed is a deck board feeder which is adapted to be mounted over a conveyor conveying stringer boards to a nailing head of a pallet making machine. The deck board feeder includes a plurality of elongated spaced hoppers arranged in parallel and in a direction perpendicular to the conveyed stringers. Each hopper is adapted to receive a respective stack of deck boards and includes a board restraining device at one end thereof defining an adjustable area permitting passage of one deck board from the stack endwise out of the hopper. Each hopper also includes a driving member for pushing a deck board from the stack a predetermined distance endwise out of the hopper to a position where the end of the deck board may be nailed to an underlying stringer by the nailing head. The driving member is adjustable in position along the length of the hopper to thus accommodate boards of different lengths and the spacing of the hoppers is likewise adjustable.

Abstract: A board nailing machine, herein disclosed in the form of a pallet maker, in which the stringer or inner boards are automatically fed in spaced apart relation into a nailing station and the deck boards or outer boards are automatically fed into nailing position at said nailing station on opposite sides of the stringers and thereafter the deck boards are nailed to the stringers at said nailing station. In the specific embodiment disclosed the stringers are automatically fed from supply magazines into a nailing station wherein they are disposed in horizontal parallel spaced apart relation and the deck boards are automatically fed from supply magazine into said nailing station on opposite sides of the stringers and are disposed in upstanding substantially vertical nailing position at said nailing station, and the nailing mechanism is specifically designed to drive the nails horizontally through the deck boards into the stringers at said nailing station.

Abstract: Studs, joists, trusses and similar construction members having a pair of generally parallel chords and blocks disposed between the chords are manufactured by placing a plurality of blocks on a moving surface, with the blocks being spaced apart generally in a line along the direction of movement. A pair of chords are placed on each side of the line of blocks and are moved along with the blocks. The chords and blocks are moved past apparatus which drives fastening elements through the chords and into the blocks to secure the chords and blocks together in a rigid construction. Spacer lock plates may also be used to separate and lock the two chords in position, each spacer lock plate including opposed cuts on opposite edges thereof for receiving the chords, a stem portion between the cuts, and toothed flanges at each side of the stem portion.

Abstract: A nailing machine for use in the manufacture of wooden pallets made from deck boards and stringers. The machine comprises a conveyor operable to convey pallet components to a nailing station at which they are nailed together. The conveyor comprises locating means by which stringers are located on the conveyor and operation of the conveyor draws deck boards out of feeding means therefor on to the stringers for nailing thereto.

Abstract: A nailing machine is utilized in conjunction with particular conveying apparatus and an associated processing system to nail deck boards to stringer beams transversely thereof so as to manufacture either single or double deck wooden pallets. Conveyors are mounted on either side of the nailing machine in such a way as to permit contact elements thereon to readily engage the lead stringer beam of either single or double deck pallets under construction and index them forwardly to predetermined positions where additional stringer beams are nailed in place to deck boards.For making double deck pallets, half pallets having a first deck thereon are side fed with their stringer beams up into an input position on the input side of a nailing machine adjacent to a deck board hopper. A single pusher operates to simultaneously deliver a second set of deck boards from the hopper and a half pallet from its input position into the nailing machine for the nailing of the second set of deck boards in place.

Abstract: An automated apparatus for joining a set of a plurality of wood plates in a side-by-side relation to form, for instance, a heading for a barrel, comprises a nail driving means for driving a different given number of nails in different positions into a wood plate, depending on the position the wooden plate assumes relative to an intended end plate, the nail driving means including in combination a hopper, sliding plate and nail guide means having slits and channels, respectively.

Abstract: A machine for nailing elongated slats transversely on elongated stringers having a nailing station; a receiving station; a reversible conveyor extended between said stations; chucks on the conveyor adapted to grasp a plurality of stringers in substantially parallel relation disposed longitudinally of the upper run of the conveyor; a reversible drive for advancing the conveyor toward the nailing station in increments of stepped progression whereby corresponding spaced positions on the stringers are successively disposed in the nailing station; a mechanism for automatically placing slats transversely on the stringers at said spaced positions; a nailing mechanism for nailing the slats to the stringers at said spaced positions on the stringers at the nailing station whereby the stringers are interconnected in spaced substantially parallel relation; and a control for reversing the drive to retract the stringers and slats nailed thereon from the nailing station.

Abstract: An automatic pallet assembling system which includes a pair of conventional nailing machines for separately nailing each side of a pallet and conveying means for carrying the half-finished pallet between the nailing machines. The stringers and deck boards are automatically fed to the first nailing machine in the proper sequence for nailing. After nailing, the half-finished pallet is automatically turned over and offset with respect to its direction of movement before being fed to the second nailing machine where the final set of deck boards are automatically fed into position for nailing. With five personnel (including two inspectors) operating the assembly system, a production rate of up to eight pallets per minute can be achieved.

Abstract: A stitch nailing apparatus for automatically sequentially placing transversely extending slats in predetermined spaced relationship with one another onto a plurality of longitudinally advancing stringers and for repetitively nailing each slat to the stringer in stitch nailing fashion, immediately following its placement thereon. A first conveyor, mounted on an elongated frame, advances and guides a lowermost stringer longitudinally of the elongated frame from each of a plurality of spaced stringer magazines. The plurality of advancing stringers simultaneously proceed in spaced parallel relationship to a nailing station wherein a separate nailing head is adjacent each stringer. A slat magazine, disposed between the nailing heads and the stringer magazines, holds a vertical stack of slats. A slat conveyor advances the lowermost slat from the slat magazine to a position transversely overlying the stringers at the nailing station.