US 4,379,426 AGranted

Truss-fabricating machine

AssigneeMoehlenpah Industries, Inc.

InventorsJames L. Thompson, Owen T. Hornkohl

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Abstract

A truss-fabricating machine comprising a table for supporting a pair of parallel spaced-apart wood chord members, a series of web members spanning the chord members, and connectors having teeth adapted to be pressed into the wood chord members. The machine further comprises apparatus on the top of the table for clamping the chord members in fixed position with respect to the table, including a pair of outside jaws engageable with the outside faces of the chord members, and expansible tubing extending longitudinally of the table for effecting movement of the outside jaws relative to one another transversely of the table to clamp the chord members in fixed position with respect to the table. A press is movable longitudinally with respect to the table for pressing the teeth of the connectors into the chord members when the chord members are clamped in fixed position.

Claims47

Dependent claims

A machine for fabricating trusses of the type comprising a pair of generally parallel wood chord members having opposing inside faces spaced apart a fixed predetermined distance, and outside faces, a series of web members spanning the wood chord members, and connector means having teeth adapted to be pressed into the wood chord members for rigidly interconnecting the web and chord members, said machine comprising:

a table having an elongate top for supporting said pair of chord members, said web members and said connector means in a position in which the web members are generally horizontal, in which the teeth of said connector means are generally vertical, and in which the wood chord members extend longitudinally of the table;
means on the top of the table for clamping the chord members in fixed position with respect to the table comprising outside jaw means engageable with the outside faces of the chord members of said pair of chord members, said outside jaw means comprising expansible tube means extending longitudinally of the table for effecting clamping action of the outside jaw means on said chord members to clamp them in fixed position with respect to the table, said tube means having inlet means for entry of a pressurized fluid into the tube means thereby to expand the tube means in cross section, said tube means during such expansion being adapted to effect said clamping action;
and
a press movable longitudinally with respect to the table top for pressing the teeth of said connector means into the chord members when the chord members are clamped in fixed position with respect to the table.

1 more element

a table having an elongate top for supporting said pair of chord members, said web members and said connector means in a position in which the web members are generally horizontal, in which the teeth of said connector means are generally vertical, and in which the wood chord members extend longitudinally of the table;
means on the top of the table for clamping the chord members in fixed position with respect to the table comprising:
(a) a first outside jaw engageable with the outside face of the first chord member of said pair of chord members;
(b) a second outside jaw engageable with the outside face of the second chord member of said pair;
and
(c) a plurality of pairs of inside jaws mounted in fixed position with respect to the table at spaced intervals longitudinally of the table between the outside jaws, each pair of inside jaws including a first inside jaw engageable with the inside face of said first chord member and a second inside jaw engageable with the inside face of the second chord member, said pairs of inside jaws being mounted with the first inside jaws in position for imparting a camber to the first chord member and with the second inside jaws in position for imparting a camber to the second chord member, said outside jaws being relatively movable transversely of the table to clamp the chord members against the inside jaws thereby to hold them in fixed cambered position with respect to the table;
and
a press movable longitudinally with respect to the table top for pressing the teeth of the connector means into the chord members when the chord members are clamped in said fixed cambered position.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.