Perimeter Rail Transport System for Use in Assembly of Floor of Manufactured Building

A perimeter rail transport system operable to arrange a plurality of rim joist boards to abut each other in an end-to-end configuration to form a perimeter rail of a floor of a manufactured building, and to transport the perimeter rail in the first direction, the perimeter rail transport system comprising:

• a first roller bracket aligned in the first direction;
• a second roller bracket aligned in parallel with the first roller bracket;
• one or more arms attached to the second roller bracket;
• a pusher motor for driving the one or more arms to cause the second roller bracket to move toward or away from the first roller bracket in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, thereby controlling the width of a space between the first and second roller brackets, wherein the space receives the plurality of rim joist boards;
• a roller disposed above the space, the roller operable to translate downward to engage one of the plurality of rim joist boards in the space;
• and
• a rail drive motor connected to the roller to cause the roller to rotate, wherein rotation of the roller when engaged with the rim joist board causes the rim joist board to move in the first direction between the first and second roller brackets;
• a perimeter rail detection sensor that generates a perimeter rail detection sensor signal indicating whether a rim joist board is detected beneath the roller;
• and
• a controller that executes instructions to control the perimeter rail transport system, wherein the controller is operable to:
• receive the perimeter rail detection sensor signal indicating that no rim joist board is detected beneath the roller, and generate a pusher motor control signal based thereon to cause the pusher motor to drive the one or more arms to cause the second roller bracket to push a rim joist board in the space against the first roller bracket and beneath the roller;
• and
• receive the perimeter rail detection sensor signal indicating that a rim joist is detected beneath the roller, and generate a roller control signal based thereon to cause the roller to translate downward to engage the rim joist board detected beneath the roller, thereby causing the rim joist board to move in the first direction.