# US 2024/0200331 A1 · Joist table systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0200331 A1 - Document ID: US20240200331A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/593,188 - Filed: 2024-03-01 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-05-19 - Assignees: Nucor Corporation - Applicants: Nucor Corporation - Inventors: Jason Alan Freidenberger; Joseph Patrick Cagle; Christopher Ray Couch; Richard Thomas Erickson; Travis Marshall Fuhrman; John Lyman Hale; Matthew Glenn Hire; Christopher William Martin; James E. Ogburn, III; Jonathan Pressley Poston; Peter Michael Puglisi; Phillip Murray Sylvester, JR.; Adam Taylor Watkins - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240200331A1 ## CPC - B25J 9/0084: {comprising a plurality of manipulators} - E04C 3/04: of metal (E04C3/29 takes precedence; as reinforcing elements E04C5/06; manufacture B21) - B23K 37/047: moving work to adjust its position between soldering, welding or cutting steps (B23K37/053 takes precedence) - B23P 15/00: Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass - B23P 19/04: for assembling or disassembling parts - B25J 9/0096: {co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table} - B25J 11/005: {Manipulators for mechanical processing tasks} - B23K 37/04: for holding or positioning work - B23K 2101/24: Frameworks - E04C 2003/0404: {beams, girders, or joists characterised by cross-sectional aspects} - E04C 2003/0491: {the truss elements being located in one single surface or in several parallel surfaces} - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - E04C: STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS (for bridges E01D; specially designed for insulation or other protection E04B; elements used as building aids E04G; for mining E21; for tunnels E21D; structural elements with broader range of application than for building engineering F16, particularly F16S) - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) ## Abstract A joist assembly system that is structured for dynamic retrieval of components, dynamic and precise positioning and location of retrieved components, assembly of the components to form a joist, and delivery of the assembled joist. The joist assembly system has a plurality of material handling systems, a plurality of welding systems, and a rigging table system. The material handling systems are structured to load and position the components such as chords and webs onto the rigging table. The rigging table in turn supports the chords or webs. Subsequently, the plurality of welding systems weld the webs to the chords to form the joist. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A joist assembly system, comprising: a support structure having a first level and a second level located at least partially above the first level; a rigging table system located on the first level or the second level; a plurality of material handling systems located on the first level or the second level; a plurality of welding systems located on the first level or the second level opposite the plurality of material handling system; a material supply station located on the first level or the second level; a controller system comprising: one or more memory components storing computer-readable code; and one or more processing components operatively coupled to the one or more memory components, wherein when executed the computer-readable code is configured to cause the one or more processing components to: communicate with two or more material handling systems of the plurality of material handling systems to pick two or more webs from webs in the material supply station and position the two or more webs with respect to an upper chord and a lower chord; and communicate with two or more welding systems of the plurality of welding systems to weld the two or more webs to the upper chord and the lower chord at the same time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the upper chord comprises a first upper chord portion and a second upper cord portion, wherein the lower chord comprises a first lower chord portion and a second lower chord portion, and wherein the computer-readable code is configured to cause the one or more processing components to: communicate with one or more material handling systems of the plurality of material handling systems to pick the first upper chord portion and the first lower chord portion from the material supply station and position the first upper chord portion and the first lower chord portion on the rigging table system, and wherein the two or more welding systems weld the two or more webs to the first upper chord portion and the first lower chord portion at the same time; and communicate with the one or more material handling systems of the plurality of material handling systems to pick a second upper chord portion and a second lower chord portion from the material supply station and position the second upper chord portion and the second lower chord portion onto the two or more webs, and wherein the two or more welding systems weld the second upper chord portion and the second lower chord portion to the two or more webs at the same time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the rigging table system is located on the first level, the plurality of material handling systems are located on the second level, and the plurality of welding systems are located on the first level. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the rigging table system is located on the first level, the plurality of material handling systems are located on the first level, and the plurality of welding systems are located on the second level. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the material supply station is located on the second level. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the material supply station comprises: a first picking location configured to store chord portions for picking by a plurality of chord material handling systems; and a second picking location configured to store the webs for picking by a plurality of web handling systems. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the material supply station comprises: one or more pallets configured to store a plurality of upper chords and a plurality of lower chords, wherein the one or more pallets comprise a rack, a table, or a conveyor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the joist assembly system further comprises: a chord supply station comprising a conveyor that is configured to receive chords from adjacent the support structure and deliver the chords to the material supply station. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the material supply station comprises a web supply station, wherein the web supply station comprises one or more web supply robots, and wherein when executed the computer-readable code is further configured to cause the one or more processing components to communicate with the one or more web supply robots to pick the webs and deliver the webs to the material supply station. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The joist assembly system of claim 9, wherein the web supply station further comprises: a web supply track; and a web supply carriage operatively coupled to the one or more web supply robots; wherein the web supply carriage is configured to move the one or more web supply robots to receive the webs adjacent the first level and deliver the webs to the material supply station. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of material handling systems comprise: a plurality of chord material handling systems, wherein the plurality of chord material handling systems are configured to pick the upper chord and the lower chord; and a plurality of web material handling systems, wherein the plurality of web material handling systems are configured to pick the webs. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the two or more material handling systems of the plurality of material handling systems are configured to hold the two or more webs in place to restrict movement of the two or more webs while the two or more welding systems at least partially weld the two or more webs to the upper chord and the lower chord. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of material handling systems comprise a material handling robotic arm and a material handling effector. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of welding systems comprise: a plurality of first welding systems adjacent a first side of the rigging table system, wherein the plurality of first welding systems are configured to weld the two or more webs to the upper chord; and a plurality of second welding systems adjacent a second side of the rigging table system, wherein the plurality of second welding systems are configured to weld the two or more webs to the lower chord. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of welding systems comprise a welding robotic arm and a welder. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the rigging table system comprises: a plurality of upper chord projections spaced apart to form a plurality of upper chord cavities, wherein the plurality of upper chord cavities are configured to hold the upper chord; and a plurality of lower chord projections spaced apart to form a plurality of lower chord cavities, wherein the plurality of lower chord cavities are configured to hold the lower chord; wherein the plurality of upper chord projections or the plurality of lower chord projections allow the upper chord to be spaced different distances from the lower chord. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the rigging table system comprises web jigs configured to hold the two or more webs in place during welding to the upper chord and the lower chord. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The joist assembly system of claim 1, wherein the rigging table system comprises: a discharging system configured to remove an assembled joist from the rigging table. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The joist assembly system of claim 18, wherein the discharging system comprises: a plurality of rollers, wherein the plurality of rollers are configured to extend from the rigging table system and retract within the rigging table system, wherein the plurality of rollers rotate, and wherein the discharging system is configured to discharge a joist such that the plurality of rollers are extended to disengage the joist from the rigging table system and the plurality of rollers rotate to move the joist off of the rigging table system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method of assembling a joist using the joist assembly system of claim 1, the method comprising: picking the upper chord and the lower chord of a plurality of chords from the material supply station; positioning the upper chord and the lower chord at the rigging table system; picking the two or more webs from the material supply station; positioning the two or more webs with respect to the first chord and the second chord at the rigging table system; welding the two or more webs to the upper chord and the lower chord at the same time.