Machine for nailing slats on stringers

A machine, for nailing elongated slats transversely on elongated stringers;

• comprising a nailing station;
• a receiving station;
• a reversible conveyor extended between said stations, chuck means on the conveyor adapted to grasp a first set of stringers in substantially parallel relation disposed longitudinally of the conveyor with the stringers having upper surfaces disposed in a common horizontal plane to receive slats thereon, and said chuck means also being adapted simultaneously to grasp a slat disposed transversely of the conveyor having inverted stringers to which the slat is nailed supported thereon and extended longitudinally of the conveyor substantially aligned with the first set of stringers with said inverted stringers having upper surfaces disposed in said common horizontal plane to receive slats thereon;
• reversible drive means for advancing the conveyor toward the nailing station in increments of stepped progression whereby corresponding spaced positions on the stringers are successively disposed in the nailing station;
• means for automatically placing slats at a ready station adjacent to the nailing station synchronously with movement of the spaced positions on the stringers into the nailing station;
• and means for forcing the slats successively from the ready station transversely onto the stringers at said spaced positions and for nailing the slats to the stringers at said spaced positions on the stringers whereby the stringers are interconnected in spaced substantially parallel relation.

A machine for nailing elongated slats of predetermined thickness transversely on elongated stringers to form half pallets and subsequently nailing elongated slats on the half pallets to form full pallets comprising:

• A. a table having a nailing station and a receiving station;
• B. a reversible conveyor extended between said stations;
• C. chuck means on said conveyor adapted to support and transport a first set of stringers in substantially parallel relation longitudinally of the upper run of the conveyor spaced upwardly from the table a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a slat and said chuck means also being adapted simultaneously to engage a slat of an inverted half pallet disposed transversely of the conveyor and slidably supported on the table with the stringers to which it is nailed disposed longitudinally of the conveyor in substantial alignment with respective stringers of the first set;
• reversible drive means for advancing the conveyor toward the nailing station in increments of stepped progression whereby corresponding spaced positions on the stringers of the half pallet and of the first set are successively disposed in the nailing station;
• means for successively placing slats transversely disposed and upwardly spaced from the stringers at said spaced positions;
• means for forcing the slats downwardly onto the stringers and nailing the slats to the stringers at said spaced positions on the stringers at the nailing station whereby the half pallet is completed and the first set of stringers form a half pallet.

In a machine for nailing elongated slats transversely on opposite surfaces of elongated stringers, which machine has an elongated table providing a predetermined forward end and a rearward end;

• a feed mechanism comprising:
• A. a reversible conveyor extended longitudinally of the table;
• B. a plurality of leading chucks mounted on the conveyor in spaced relation substantially aligned transversely of the table having rearwardly disposed sockets and forwardly disposed pusher means;
• C. a plurality of trailing chucks mounted on the conveyor in spaced relation substantially aligned transversely of the table and individually respectively aligned with the leading chucks longitudinally of the table and having forwardly disposed sockets, the sockets of the longitudinally aligned chucks being adapted to receive opposite ends of stringers therein for the nailing of the slats to a first side of the stringers and the table being adapted to receive the stringers inverted with the slats nailed to the first side thereof slidably rested on the table with a rear slat engaged with the pushing means of the leading chucks for the nailing of further slats to an opposite side of the stringers;
• and
• D. resilient means for releasably clasping said rear slat against said pushing means when the stringers and slats nailed to the first side thereof are inverted.

In a pallet making machine in which elongated slats of predetermined thickness are nailed in transversely interconnecting relation to elongated stringers successively on upper and lower surfaces thereof, which machine has a table providing receiving and inverting stations and a nailing station, means at the nailing station for positioning slats on the stringers, and means at the nailing station for nailing the slats on the stringers;

• a stringer feed mechanism comprising:
• A. an endless conveyor having an upper run above the table extended between the receiving station and the nailing station and a lower return run below the table;
• the conveyor having a predetermined forward direction of travel in which the upper run moves toward the nailing station and a rearward direction of travel in which the upper run moves toward the receiving and inverting stations;
• B. a plurality of leading chucks mounted on the conveyor in spaced relation transversely thereof, each having a forwardly disposed wall and a rearwardly disposed socket;
• C. a plurality of trailing chucks mounted on the conveyor individually rearwardly aligned with the leading chucks, each having a forwardly disposed socket, the aligned chucks having sockets adapted to receive opposite ends of stringers therein and the sockets having floors upwardly spaced from the table substantially the thickness of the slats to support the stringers upwardly spaced from the table;
• and
• D. drive means for sequentially
• 1. advancing the conveyor forwardly in increments of stepped progression to bring successive corresponding positions of the stringers into the nailing station where the slats are positioned on the stringers and nailed thereon,
• 2. reversing the conveyor to retract the stringers with the slats nailed on the upper surfaces thereof to the receiving and inverting stations, said table being adapted to receive the stringers with the slats thereon in inverted position at the inverting station with the slats slidably rested on the table and with a slat disposed to be pushed forwardly by the leading chucks and the aligned chucks being adapted to receive a new set of stringers at the loading station,
• 3. advancing the conveyor forwardly in increments of stepped progression to bring successive corresponding positions of the inverted stringers into the nailing station where additional slats are positioned on said stringers and nailed thereon, and
• 4. continuing to advance the conveyor forwardly in increments of stepped progression to discharge a completed pallet while successive corresponding positions on the following new set of stringers are located in the nailing station.

A machine for nailing elongated slats transversely on elongated stringers comprising:

• A. a substantially horizontal table having a inverting station and a nailing station;
• B. a pair of substantially parallel endless chains each having an upper run above the table extended between said stations and a lower run below the table;
• C. flight bars interconnecting the chains;
• D. leading chucks mounted on a common flight bar;
• E. trailing chucks mounted on a common flight bar is spaced relation to the flight bar mounting the leading chucks, the leading and trailing chucks being disposed in pairs aligned in substantially parallel relation to the chains and spaced to receive stringers therebetween with opposite ends of the stringers engaged in respective chucks;
• F. reversible drive means for correspondingly driving the chains in increments of stepped progression to position corresponding successive portions of the stringers in the nailing station;
• G. means for delivering slats to said successive portions of the stringers while they are in the nailing station;
• H. means for nailing the slats to the stringers in the nailing station;
• I. means for reversing the drive means after the slats have been nailed to said successive portions of the stringers to carry the slats and stringers along the table from the nailing station to the receiving station;
• and
• J. an arcuate ramp mounted above the table at the inverting station having an end disposed in sufficiently spaced relation to the table for the passage of the flight bars thereunder to the lower run of the chains but in sufficient proximity to the table to engage under the slats traveled theretoward, said lifting means being arcuately upwardly extended in the reversed direction of travel of the upper runs of the chains to lift the engaged slats and remove the stringers to which they are nailed from the trailing chucks.

A machine for forming pallets by nailing slats of predetermined thickness onto stringers comprising:

• A. an elongated table;
• B. a conveyor having an upper run providing forward and rearward flight bars disposed transversely of the table;
• C. forward and rearward chucks on the flight bars, the chucks being aligned in pairs longitudinally of the table and said chucks being adapted to receive stringers in substantially parallel relation therein extended longitudinally of the table, the chucks having floors providing stringer supporting surfaces spaced upwardly from the table a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a slat;
• D. reversible means for advancing the conveyor and elongated stringers longitudinally in corresponding increments of stepped progression into a nailing station on the table whereby predetermined slat receiving positions on the stringers are successively located in the nailing station;
• E. means for automatically supplying slats in the nailing station to the slat receiving positions on the stingers in transversely interconnecting relation to the stringer;
• F. means for nailing the slats to the slat receiving positions on the stringers while the slats are positioned thereon in the nailing station to form a half pallet;
• G. means for reversing the advancing means to retract the half pallet from the nailing station along a predetermined path to an inverting station;
• H. means for releasably clamping a slat of an inverted half pallet edgewardly against the forward chucks with the slats of the half pallet rested flatly against the table and the stringers forwardly extended from the chucks, the forward and rearward chucks being adapted to receive a new set of stringers therein extended longitudinally of the table supported on the floor of the chucks upwardly spaced from the table a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a slat, said advancing means being adapted to advance the half pallet in increments of stepped progression successively to locate the predetermined slat receiving positions of the stringers of the inverted half pallet in the nailing station followed by the successive positioning of predetermined slat receiving positions on the second set of stringers in said nailing station, the slat supplying means being operable to supply slats to the slat receiving positions on the inverted stringers of the half pallet and the stringers of the new set as they are successively located in the nailing station in transversely interconnecting relation to said stringers and the nailing means being operable to nail the slats to the inverted stringers of the half pallet and the stringers of the new set as they are supplied thereto in the nailing station to form a complete pallet of the half pallet and a half pallet of the new set of stringers and their slats.