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: Stapler mechanism drive unit utilizing a high-speed, low-inertia flywheel with a combination bellcrank and cam power-delivering arrangement for furnishing power to a stapler driver and clincher.

Abstract: A staple forming and driving tool for forming staple wires fed from a staple belt into staples and driving such staples into a workpiece comprising a driver, a former positioned to be driven by the driver, a former block and a sheath, all of which parts are held to a stationary stapler head by means of a single spring. The driver blade, former, sheath and stapler head have generally planar portions positioned in parallel planes and are held in contact with one another by the spring. In the event of jamming, the spring may give permitting the sheath to move away from the fixed stapler head, thus providing space for ejection of one or more jammed staples or staple blanks. Upon correction of the jamming, the parts promptly reassume their proper position under the urging of the spring and the device is ready for operation once again.

Abstract: A riveting press wherein a stationary lower tool is in line with a vertically reciprocable upper tool which is moved up and down in response to rotation of a first cam mounted on the output shaft of an electric motor. The output shaft carries a second cam with an endless cam groove for the follower at the upper end of a first elongated bar which is coupled to the upper portion of a second elongated bar with limited freedom of reciprocatory movement. The lower portion of the second bar carries a pair of grippers which can releasably hold a component of an article of hardware to be affixed to a sheet of textile material between the two tools. A coil spring biases the two bars apart so as to increase the distance between the follower and the grippers and to thereby close an electric switch which is in circuit with the motor.

Abstract: A setting device uses a driving piston for propelling fastening members into a receiving material. High pressure gases within an expansion chamber propel the driving piston through a working cylinder against a fastening element. A vent valve connects the expansion chamber with the atmosphere exterior of the setting device and, normally, the valve is maintained in the open position. A control member, located in part on the outside of the setting device, moves the vent valve into the closed position when a fastening member is to be driven.

Abstract: A batten setter for laying batten strips on a roof surface at predetermined distances from each other including an automatic nailing device whereby movement of the batten setter along the roof automatically actuates nailing action at preselected intervals. The batten setter permits batten strips to be fastened on a subsurface with a uniform distance between the strips as the device is easily moved along the length of a previously fastened batten strip.

Abstract: An apparatus for squaring, stapling, and stacking copies is used in combination with a copier that produces a succession of sheet copies and has a housing adapted to be positioned adjacent the copier, an upper support plate in the housing positioned to receive the copies from the copier and having a downstream end remote from the copier, and a stop flap at the downstream end and pivotal between a position blocking copies from sliding down off the downstream end and a freeing position permitting copies to slide down off the downstream end. A downwardly inclined lower support plate in the housing below the downstream end of the upper plate is positioned to receive copies sliding in the freeing position of the stop flap off the downstream end of the upper plate. A stapler is fixed in the housing adjacent the upper plate upstream of the downstream end thereof and an actuator is connected to the stapler for closing same on a stack of copies on the upper plate for stapling same together.

Abstract: An automatic electric stapler in which the driver of the stapler is fixed to the armature of a solenoid so that actuation of the solenoid directly drives the driver of the stapler against the anvil of the stapler. Staples are mounted in a magazine in the device and fed by spring bias towards the driver. The solenoid is controlled by two switches linked to two control relays.

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: A shiftable magazine clip feed for orienting a U-shaped clip and a staple fastener at the head of a fastener driving tool triggered after the separation of a single clip from a stacked supply thereof, the clip being automatically positioned for application to a work piece and mounted thereon through engagement of the magazine with the work piece and that retracts the stacked supply of clips from said single clip.

Abstract: A heel attaching machine is provided with a shoe support in the form of an elongated boot jack which is capable of handling boots as well as conventional low shoes. The machine includes a heel holddown mechanism to clamp the shoe on the support and an arrangement to withdraw the heel holddown mechanism in its entirety to a temporary, remote position which will not interfere with placement or withdrawal of a high boot on the shoe support. The machine is adapted to operate with equal facility on conventional shoes as well as high, stiff boots.

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: 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: A clamp assembly 11 holds two frame elements 2, 3 in a common plane and in angled abutment to form a mitered joint 1. A fastener tool 13 is held with its discharge opening 125 positioned on one side of the location where the mitered joint is to be formed, and a brace 88 is positioned on the other side, with the brace being movable toward and away from the location of the mitered joint. A toggle lock 87 locks the brace against the mitered joint. Control means fire the fastener tool in response to the frame elements being clamped and braced. The fastener 168 is inserted into the mitered joint at an angle to draw the mitered joint together.

Abstract: A fastener driving tool for driving fasteners into a workpiece includes a trigger assembly movable from an inoperative position to an operative position and a workpiece responsive assembly also movable from an inoperative position to an operative position as the tool is moved adjacent the workpiece. The tool further includes a safety control assembly coupling the trigger and workpiece responsive assemblies to control operation of the tool. The safety control assembly includes a blocking member that blocks the movement of the workpiece responsive assembly if the trigger assembly is actuated prior to placement of the tool on a workpiece.

Abstract: A pallet is automatically assembled and nailed together on a horizontally reciprocating carrier. The carrier moves in a forward direction beneath a slat dispenser. A first series of one-way trip dogs mounted on the carrier successively removes the bottom slat from a stack of slats held by a dispenser to deposit a series of slats onto the carrier to form the bottom deck of a pallet. The carrier has stringer engagement levers which engage the ends of a series of stringers held in dispensers. The carrier reverses direction after deposit of the bottom series of slats and each stringer engagement lever pulls a stringer from the dispenser with each stringer positioned transversely to the previously dispensed slats. As the carriage moves in the reverse direction, another series of one-way trip dogs mounted on the carrier successively dispenses a second series of slats to form the top deck of the pallet.

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: Apparatus for pressing nailing plates or the like into opposite ends of elongate members, such as wooden railroad ties, thereby to end-plate the ties. The apparatus comprises a press having upper and lower platens engageable with the top and bottom faces of a tie adjacent the ends thereof. The lower platens are movable through an upstroke for raising the tie while generally horizontal from a lowered position to an elevated position and for pressing the tie against the upper platens thereby to apply a vertical compressing force to the tie adjacent the ends thereof, and a downstroke for lowering the tie. Side platens are engageable with opposite side faces of the tie adjacent the ends thereof when the tie is in its elevated position. The side platens are movable toward and away from one another whereby a horizontal compressing force can be applied to and removed from the opposite side faces of the tie adjacent the ends thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a compressed air-operated fastener driving tool comprising a pilot valve controlled by a manually actuated release lever, a control valve, the pressure bias of which is controlled by the pilot valve and which for its part controls the supply of compressed air to a working cylinder, and a release barrier adapted to be actuated by the workpiece by means of which the actuation of the pilot valve is adapted to be controlled in common with the release lever when placed in its working position.

Abstract: An electrically operated tool is disclosed for inserting one or more insulated electrical wires into a barrel shaped, slotted terminal. A modified solenoid provides a hammer action power stroke which is initiated by partially retracting the toolhead inwardly of the tool upon movement of the tool against the barrel terminal. A trigger circuit applies line voltage to the solenoid windings, saturating the core, to provide rapid power stroke, so that the solenoid armature hammers against a strike plate of the toolhead. The trigger circuit includes a high and low power adjustment.

Abstract: A control arrangement for an electro-mechanical tool is disclosed. The tool may, for example, be a nailer or stapler, and is provided with an impact member which is frictionally moved in a working stroke by means of an electrically driven flywheel, which presses the impact member against the support element, which may be a counter-rotating flywheel. A solenoid is provided to move the impact member into the bite between the flywheel and support element. A trigger actuated switch and a safety switch actuated by contact of the tool with the workpiece must both be actuated in order to energize the solenoid. Circuitry is disclosed which makes possible the energization of the solenoid by closing both switches in any order, or in a desired particular order, and makes possible the provision of a time delay safety.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for operation on a roof surface to facilitate accurate rapid placement and fastening of shingles while enabling the operator of the apparatus to remain in substantially upright posture. The apparatus carries a supply of shingles, and provides a guide which delivers each shingle to its proper position. A fastener device carried by the apparatus automatically applies fasteners to said shingles at predetermined intervals.

Abstract: A flying stitcher and method of forming a panel unit wherein the panel unit is formed and stitched in a continuous process. The stitches are placed in panels by a stitching head which moves with the panel so that the panel need not be stopped/started during a stitching operation.

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.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electric impact tool characterized by a pair of electric motor-driven counterrotating flywheels, at least one of which is movable relative to the other from a retracted inoperative position into an extended operative one closely adjacent the other flywheel whereby a ram is squeezed therebetween and impelled forward at high speed against a workpiece. The nosepiece of the tool frame is retractable although normally extended due to the spring bias urging it and the movable flywheel to which it is mechanically linked into disengaged position. These elements cooperate with one another and with a manually-actuated trigger such that the latter must be depressed and the nosepiece retracted in order to engage the high energy friction clutch defined by the flywheels so as to operate the ram. A flywheel speed control is provided for matching the ram impact to the workload.

Abstract: A carrier for converting a hand nailer gun of the type used in frame building construction to an automatic nailing mechanism is described. The carrier includes a carriage for a hand nailer gun, and a frame which supports the carriage for movement along a construction surface. A motion sensing wheel engages any construction surface over which the carrier travels to reciprocate the hand nailer gun against the same and thereby periodically actuate a trigger plunger at the nail discharge port of the gun. Alternative mechanism is included for either automatically depressing the trigger finger to discharge the gun or to provide an operator with direct control of such discharge. Moreover, a safety blocking arrangement is included to prevent depression of the finger trigger except under controlled circumstances.

Abstract: An automatic means for the attachment of spring clips to wooden frame members of furniture which clips serve in the attachment of springs to the frame. The clips are preformed in long coiled strips and are fed therefrom into a pneumatic driving tool which separates individual clips from the strip and drives their pointed ends into the frame members at controlled spaced intervals as the frame member is fed past the driving tool.

Abstract: A pneumatically operated stapling apparatus and method for driving a staple into a workpiece whenever the workpiece is moved into a stapling position between a staple driver and a backing member. The method and apparatus are particularly suited for stapling difficult to handle workpieces of the type including a panel and a sheet of flexible material to be mounted thereon, and the method and apparatus are able to advantageously use a pneumatic stapling gun of a known type having a staple driving mechanism controlled by a valve plunger positionable either to advance the staple driver toward the backing member, or to retract the staple driver.

Abstract: The apparatus includes slat and rail conveyors which pick up slats and rails from respective hoppers on the input side of the machine and convey the slats and rails into joint forming positions between vertically opposed pressheads mounted on opposite sides of the machine. Coils of connector plate stock, having prepunched integrally extending teeth, feed each of the upper and lower press platens and which platens are movable toward one another to substantially simultaneously cut the connector stock to predetermined lengths to form connector plates and embed the teeth of the connector plates into opposite sides of the joints formed by the rails and slats disposed between the pressheads.

Abstract: An automatic sheet jogging and stapling machine is disclosed and includes a downwardly, sidewardly inclined platform for receiving sheets of paper, and a side wall and bottom release gate that extend upwardly from the platform to define a sheet receiving corner. Longitudinally and laterally movable jogging fingers are provided to align the sheet edges against the release gate and side wall and a stapling head is mounted spaced above the sheet receiving platform to staple the sheets together. The release gate is opened to gravitationally eject the stapled paper. A cam operated control sequentially actuates the longitudinally and laterally movable jogging fingers, the stapling head, and the release gate.

Abstract: A deck nailing apparatus is provided having a wheeled carriage for traversing a surfaced structure, and a pair of nail driving devices which are supported by the wheeled carriage in operative relationship to the surface for the driving of nail devices. Control means is incorporated in the apparatus and coupled in controlling relationship with the nailing devices to cause operation of the devices in proportional relationship to the distance traversed by the apparatus. This control means comprises a cam wheel resiliently supported on the carriage to maintain rolling engagement with the structure surface traversed by the apparatus.

Abstract: In a fluid operated tool of the type having firing control means comprising two separate and independent triggering means shiftable independently and in any order between normal and firing positions and requiring both triggering means to be concurrently in their firing positions to actuate the tool, safety means introducing into the firing sequence of the firing control means a time limit within which both triggering means must achieve their firing positions. If both triggering means do not achieve their firing positions within the time limit, the firing sequence must be reinitiated with a selected one or both of the triggering means initially in their normal positions.

Abstract: An automatic fastening system is disclosed for use in fastening deck boards to stringers in a pallet-making machine or the like. The automatic fastening system of the preferred embodiment comprises an adjustable frame having a plurality of staple guns pivotably mounted on the frame and has automatic positioning means, in the form of a wheel, associated with each staple gun for positioning the staple guns by automatically raising and lowering the staple guns as the height of the pallet deck board changes and as the height of the pallet structure changes depending upon whether or not stringer-type pallets or block-type pallets are being manufactured. Also disclosed is an automatic firing pneumatic circuit for the subject fastening system for automatically fastening a plurality of deck boards to a plurality of stringers.

Abstract: A bolt welding gun is provided with supporting legs extending outwardly from the gun housing which can be displaced to accommodate different bolt-attaching situations. The supporting legs can be mounted in a ring-shaped housing part which is rotatable about the driving axis of the gun. Alternatively, the ring-shaped housing part can be formed of individual segments with at least one segment arranged to be pivoted about an axis parallel to the driving axis. In another embodiment, the part of the housing to which the supporting legs are secured, can be provided with a plurality of receptacles greater in number than the supporting legs used so that the legs can be moved between the receptacles in accordance with the support arrangement desired.