Wood mat and apparatus and method for assembling same
OwnerRandel Brandstrominventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wood mat has a first layer of timbers extending parallel to one another in a longitudinal direction and a second layer timbers spanning across the first timbers parallel to one another and transversely to the first timbers such that each second timber intersects a plurality of the first timbers at respective intersecting locations of the mat; and a plurality of pressed fasteners mounted at selected intersecting locations through drilled holes formed by either a rivet fastener or a press fit fastener having opposed ends compressively joining the timbers therebetween.
Claims22
A wood mat comprising:
- a first layer comprising a plurality of elongate first timbers extending parallel to one another in a longitudinal direction between first and second ends of the mat;
- a second layer comprising a plurality of elongate second timbers spanning across the first timbers, parallel to one another and transversely to the first timbers such that each second timber intersects a plurality of the first timbers at respective intersecting locations of the mat;
- and
- a plurality of pressed fasteners mounted at selected intersecting locations, each pressed fastener joining one of the first timbers of the first layer to one of the second timbers of the second layer.
A wood mat comprising:
- a first layer comprising a plurality of elongate first timbers extending parallel to one another in a longitudinal direction between first and second ends of the mat;
- a second layer comprising a plurality of elongate second timbers spanning across the first timbers, parallel to one another and transversely to the first timbers such that each second timber intersects a plurality of the first timbers at respective intersecting locations of the mat;
- and
- a plurality of welded fasteners mounted at selected intersecting locations, each welded fastener comprising first and second mating parts welded together to compressively join one of the first timbers of the first layer to one of the second timbers of the second layer between opposing ends of the welded fastener.
A method of assembling a wood mat comprising a plurality of layers of elongate timbers in which the timbers of each layer span parallel to one another across and transversely to the timbers of an adjacent layer so as to intersect a plurality of the timbers of the adjacent layer at a plurality of respective intersecting locations;
- the method comprising;
- supporting the plurality of timbers on a work support in said layers with said intersecting locations arranged in lateral rows;
- providing a drilling array arranged to drill holes through the layers of timbers at the respective intersecting locations in one of the lateral rows of the intersecting locations;
- displacing the work support relative to the drilling array in a longitudinal direction substantially perpendicular to the lateral rows such that the drilling array is successively aligned with each lateral row of the intersecting locations;
- operating the drilling array at each row of the intersecting locations to form the holes at selected ones of the intersecting locations of the timbers;
- providing a fastener array comprising a plurality of fastener mounting devices operable to mount respective fasteners within the holes formed by the drilling array in one of the lateral rows of the intersecting locations;
- displacing the work support relative to the fastener array in the longitudinal direction such that the fastener mounting devices of the fastener array are successively aligned with each lateral row of the intersecting locations;
- and
- operating the fastener array so as to compressively join the plurality of layers of timbers with one another with the fasteners at the selected ones of the intersecting locations of the timbers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.