Truss plate stacking apparatus
AssigneeSimpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc.
InventorWilliam W. Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for stacking truss plates, each truss plate having a flat side and a pronged side, receives an odd number of plates. An even number of input channels underlie a stationary shelf and a movable shelf. The channels receive a first odd set of plates in a first cycle with the movable shelf in a first position, each of the first plates being received and falling input channels during the first cycle. The channels receive a second odd set of plates during a second cycle, the movable shelf in a second position during the second cycle. A roller and transport track assembly move each of the odd number of plates to an output so that an even number of plates is output during each cycle.
Claims20
An apparatus for stacking parts, comprising:
- an input assembly adapted to receive a first odd number of parts in a first cycle and a second odd number of parts in a subsequent second cycle;
- a transport assembly including plurality of tracks, ones of the first odd number of parts transported by the transport assembly toward a pairing output during the first cycle and ones of the second odd number of parts transported by the transport assembly toward the pairing output during the second cycle;
- a first gate and a second gate positioned in the plurality of tracks;
- a controller adapted to cause movement of parts in the first cycle so that a first even number of parts comprising ones of the first odd number of parts is provided at the output during the first cycle and a second, different even number of parts comprising the ones of the second odd number of parts and at least one of the first odd number of parts is provided at the output during the second cycle.
An apparatus for stacking truss plates, each truss plate having a flat side and a pronged side, comprising:
- a controller;
- an input assembly adapted to receive a first odd number of plates in a first cycle and to drop, responsive to the controller, each of the first odd number of plates into one of a plurality of input channels, and adapted to receive a second odd number of plates in a second cycle and to drop, responsive to the controller, each of the second odd number of plates into one of a plurality of input channels;
- and
- a transport assembly adapted to move each of the odd number of plates toward an output, the controller operable to instruct the transport assembly to move the first odd number of plates such that two of the plates in the first odd number are mated and an odd plate is retained in the transport assembly and the two of the first odd number of plates are provided to the output, and the controller operable to instruct the transport assembly to move each of the second of the odd number of plates such that two of the plates in the second odd number of plates are mated and an odd plate in the second odd number of plates is mated with the odd plate retained in the transport assembly from the first odd number of plates, such that an even number of plates are provided to the output.
An apparatus for stacking truss plates, each truss plate having a flat side and a pronged side, the apparatus receiving three truss plates provided simultaneously on a conveyor to the apparatus, comprising:
- a loading assembly adapted to receive three plates in each cycle, and adapted to provide each of the three plates to four input channels underlying a stationary shelf and a movable shelf, the input channels adapted to receive a first three plates in a first cycle and adapted to position the movable shelf in a first position during the first cycle, each of the first three plates being received and falling into one of three input channels during the first cycle, the channels adapted to receive a second three plates during a second cycle, the loading assembly adapted to position the movable shelf in a second position during the second cycle, each of the second three plates falling into two of the three input channels and a fourth input channel during the second cycle;
- a roller and transport track assembly adapted to move each of the three plates toward an output such that two of the first three plates are mated and an one of the first three plates is retained in the assembly during the first cycle, with the two of the three plates provided to the output during the first cycle, and adapted to move each of the second three plates such that two of the second three plates of the second cycle are mated, and an one of the second three plates is mated with the one of the first three plates, such that an even number of plates is provided to the output during the second cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.