Apparatus and method for producing truss plate bundles
AssigneeTee-Lok Corporation
InventorWilliam H. Black, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for forming and transporting a stack of truss plates. The apparatus comprises a receiving unit including an accumulation chamber for receiving a substack of oriented and aligned truss plates, a substack conveying unit operatively connected with the receiving unit, and an accumulating unit operatively connected with the substack conveying unit. The apparatus preferably stacks oriented and aligned truss plates having a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side thereof. Once stacked, the truss plates can be conveyed by a stack carrier unit to a bundling station.
Claims25
An apparatus for forming a stack of truss plates, each of said truss plates comprising a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side thereof, said truss plates in said stack being oriented so that their backing members are substantially parallel to a predetermined plane, and the backing members of said truss plates being substantially aligned, said apparatus comprising:
- a receiving compartment for receiving a substack of oriented and aligned truss plates, wherein each substack comprises a predetermined number of truss plates, said receiving compartment including two members positioned to receive the substack and retain the truss plates in their oriented and aligned relationship;
- substack conveying means for conveying said substack from said receiving means, said substack conveying means being operatively coupled with said receiving means such that, as said substack is being conveyed, said receiving means is inaccessible for receipt of another substack;
- and
- accumulating means for accumulating substacks conveyed by said substack conveying means, said accumulating means being configured to receive a plurality of substacks and to retain each of said plurality of substacks in oriented, substantially aligned, and contacting stacked relationship with at least one other substack until a predetermined number of substacks comprising a truss plate stack has been accumulated.
An apparatus for forming a stack of truss plates, each of said truss plates comprising a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side thereof, said truss plates in said stack being oriented so that their backing members are substantially parallel to a predetermined plane, and the backing members of said truss plates being substantially aligned, said apparatus comprising:
- receiving means for receiving a substack of oriented and aligned truss plates, wherein each substack comprises a predetermined number of truss plates;
- substack conveying means for conveying said substack from said receiving means, said substack conveying means being operatively coupled with said receiving means such that, as said substack is being conveyed, said receiving means is inaccessible for receipt of another substack;
- accumulating means for accumulating substacks conveyed by said substack conveying means, said accumulating means being configured to receive a plurality of substacks and to retain each of said plurality of substacks in oriented, substantially aligned, and contacting stacked relationship with at least one other substack until a predetermined number of substacks comprising a truss plate stack has been accumulated;
- counting means for determining the number of truss plate substacks accumulated in said accumulating means;
- and
- stack conveying means for conveying said truss plate stack from said accumulating means, said stack conveying means being operatively coupled to said counting means such that when said counting means determines that the number of truss plate substacks accumulated in said stack is equal to said predetermined number, said stack conveying means conveys said truss plate stack from said accumulating means.
An apparatus for forming a stack of truss plates, each of said truss plates comprising a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side thereof, said truss plates in said stack being oriented so that their backing members are substantially parallel to a predetermined plane, and the backing members of said truss plates being substantially aligned, said apparatus comprising:
- receiving means for receiving a substack of oriented and aligned truss plates, wherein each substack comprises a predetermined number of truss plates;
- substack conveying means for conveying said substack from said receiving means, said substack conveying means being operatively coupled with said receiving means such that, as said substack is being conveyed, said receiving means is inaccessible for receipt of another substack;
- accumulating means for accumulating substacks conveyed by said substack conveying means, said accumulating means being configured to receive a plurality of substacks and to retain each of said plurality of substacks in oriented, substantially aligned, and contacting stacked relationship with at least one other substack until a predetermined number of substacks comprising a truss plate stack has been accumulated;
- and
- first detecting means for detecting when said receiving means is accessible for receipt of truss plate substacks therein, said first detecting means being operably coupled with said substack conveying means so as to actuate said substack conveying means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.