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AssigneeTrus Joist Corporation
InventorArthur L. Troutner
Estimating the term…
Method for forming planks for use in chord components of integral truss-supported decks comprises placing the squared off leading edge of a blank, unprocessed plank on a supporting frame; indexing the plank longitudinally and laterally in the frame accurately locating it for drilling; and drilling splice plate locating holes at each extremity of the plank, and side connector holes in a spaced relation along the sides of the plank, with the aid of drill jigs located above the frame. The apparatus includes a frame, for supporting the planks, having an end stop located at one end for accurately locating the plank longitudinally in the frame, a side stop located along one side for accurately locating the plank laterally in the frame, and indexing means for indexing the plank with the side stop and maintaining it there. A leading edge drill jig is located at the leading edge of the frame and a trailing edge drill jig is located at the trailing edge of the frame for drilling splice plate locating holes in the leading edge and the trailing edge respectively of the board. An edge drill jig is located above the frame for drilling side connector holes along the longitudinal margins of the plank in a spaced relationship. The drill jigs include drill guides configured to receive the drill bit of a hand-held drill snugly. The drill guides are positioned in the drill jigs for locating the holes in the planks with precision accuracy.
An apparatus for forming planks for use in chord components of integral truss-supported decks formed from a plurality of planks interconnected at their leading and trailing edges by splice plates and at their sides by side connectors, comprising:
The method of forming a plank for use in chord components of integral truss-supported decks including a plurality of planks interconnected longitudinally with splice plates and laterally with side connectors, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.