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 bundling truss plates includes a unit for forming a plurality of truss plates and a unit for forming these truss plates into a unitized bundle that is easily shipped, stored, and handled. The apparatus can include a station for orienting each of the plurality of truss plates so that the backing members are substantially parallel to a predetermined plane, an aligning station for aligning the oriented truss plates so that the peripheries of their backing members are substantially aligned, a stacking station for stacking the oriented and aligned truss plates, and an interconnecting unit for interconnecting the stacked truss plates into a unitized bundle.
Claims28
An apparatus for interconnecting a stack of truss plates to form a truss plate bundle, each of said truss plates comprising a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side thereof, said stack comprising a plurality of said truss plates, said truss plates being oriented so that the backing members of said truss plates are substantially parallel, the peripheries of said backing members of said truss plates being substantially aligned, and each of said truss plates being in overlying contacting relationship with at least one other truss plate, said apparatus comprising:
- banding means for wrapping a band around said truss plate stack to unitize the truss plates comprising said stack into an easily handled bundle;
- conveying means for conveying said truss plate stack to said banding means, said conveying means being configured so that movement of the truss plates in the stack relative to each other is restricted in all horizontal directions during conveying;
- and
- compressing means for compressing said truss plates plate stack during the banding thereof by said banding means, said compressing means being oriented to compress said truss plate stack in a direction generally orthogonal to said backing members.
An apparatus for producing truss plate bundles, said truss plate bundles comprising a plurality of truss plates, each of said truss plates including a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side of said backing member, and the backing member of each of said truss plates having a periphery of substantially the same dimensions as the peripheries of the other backing members, said apparatus comprising:
- forming means for forming said truss plates, said forming means being configured so that each truss plate backing member includes a plurality of elongate apertures having opposed ends and so that an impaling member extends from each aperture end;
- and
- bundling means positioned downstream of said forming means for bundling said truss plates into a unitized bundle, in which said truss plates formed in said forming means are interconnected so that each of said plurality of truss plates is in stacked contacting relationship with at least one other of said truss plates, the backing members of said truss plates are in substantially parallel overlying relationship, and the peripheries of said backing members are substantially aligned.
A method for interconnecting a stack of truss plates to form a truss plate bundle, each of said truss plates comprising a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side thereof, said stack comprising a plurality of said truss plates, said truss plates being oriented so that the backing members of said truss plates are substantially parallel, the peripheries of said backing members of said truss plates being substantially aligned, and each of said truss plates being in overlying contacting relationship with at least one other truss plate, said apparatus comprising the steps of:
- conveying the truss plate stack to a banding station while restricting movement of the truss plates in the stack relative to each other in all horizontal directions, so that the truss plates of said stack remain in a stacked configuration during conveying;
- compressing the truss plate stack in a direction generally orthogonal to the backing members of the truss plates of the stack;
- and
- wrapping interconnecting material around the truss plate stack to unitize the truss plates comprising the stack into an easily handled bundle, the wrapping step being carried out as the truss plate stack is being compressed during step (b).
An apparatus for producing truss plate bundles, said truss plate bundles comprising a plurality of truss plates, each of said truss plates including a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side of said backing member, and the backing member of each of said truss plates having a periphery of substantially the same dimensions as the peripheries of the other backing members, said apparatus comprising:
- forming means for forming said truss plates, said forming means being configured so that each truss plate backing member includes a plurality of elongate apertures having opposed ends and so that an impaling member extends from each aperture end, said forming means being further configured so that each impaling member extends downwardly as the truss plates exit said forming means;
- and
- bundling means positioned downstream of said forming means for bundling said truss plates into a unitized bundle, in which said truss plates formed in said forming means are interconnected so that each of said plurality of truss plates is in stacked contacting relationship with at least one other of said truss plates, the backing members of said truss plates are in substantially parallel overlying relationship, and the peripheries of said backing members are substantially aligned.
An apparatus for producing truss plate bundles, said truss plate bundles comprising a plurality of truss plates, each of said truss plates including a generally planar backing member and a plurality of impaling members extending from one side of said backing member, and the backing member of each of said truss plates having a periphery of substantially the same dimensions as the peripheries of the other backing members, said apparatus comprising:
- forming means for forming said truss plates, said forming means being configured so that each truss plate backing member includes a plurality of elongate apertures having opposed ends and so that an impaling member extends from each aperture end, said forming means being further configured to receive a single continuous sheet of a sheet material and form a plurality of streams of truss plates exiting therefrom, each of said streams of exiting truss plates being positioned so that at least one side edge of the backing members of the truss plates of a stream are in closely spaced relationship with the side edges of the backing members of truss plates of an adjacent stream;
- and
- bundling means positioned downstream of said forming means for bundling said truss plates into a unitized bundle, in which said truss plates formed in said forming means are interconnected so that each of said plurality of truss plates is in stacked contacting relationship with at least one other of said truss plates, the backing members of said truss plates are in substantially parallel overlying relationship, and the peripheries of said backing members are substantially aligned.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.