Method and machine for manufacturing floor tiles

Claim 1

MACHINERY FOR FORMING SLATTED TILES COMPRISING: A TABLE FOR SUPPORTING SLATS ARRANGED IN EDGE-TO-EDGE ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP IN A CONTINUOUS UNBROKEN COLUMN; A PUSHER DISPOSED AT ONE END OF SAID TABLE; MEANS FOR DELIVERING SUCCESSIVE GROUPS OF SLATS TO SAID PUSHER; SAID PUSHER BEING OPERABLE IN TIMED RELATION TO SAID SLAT DELIVERING MEANS TO ADVANCE SAID GROUPS TO BE ADDED TO THE REAR OF SAID COLUMN AND TO ADVANCE THE COLUMN AS A UNIT ON SAID TABLE TOWARDS THE OTHER END THEREOF PERMITTING THE SLATS TO BE MAINTAINED UNDER COMPRESSION AND IN ALIGNMENT IN SAID COLUMN WHILE BEING PROCESSED; MECHANISMS DISPOSED AT SPACED STATIONS ALONG SAID COLUMN FOR OPERATING UPON SAID SLATS WHILE ARRANGED IN SAID EDGE-TO-EDGE ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP IN SAID UNBROKEN COLUMN AND FOR BINDING SAID SLATS TOGETHER AND FOR CUTTING TILES THEREFROM; TRENCH FORMING MECHANISM, CONSTITUTING ONE OF SAID MECHANISMS, FOR SUCCESSIVELY FORMING TRENCHES IN SUCCESSIVE SLATS WHILE THEY ARE DISPOSED IN SAID EDGETO-EDGE ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP; WIRE DEPOSITING MECHANISM, CONSTITUTING ANOTHER OF SAID MECHANISMS, FOR INSERTING IN SAID TRENCHES WHILE SAID SLATS ARE IN SAID ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP A CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF WIRE DRAWN FROM A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY IMBEDDING SAID WIRE FRICTIONALLY IN SAID TRENCHES BINDING SAID SLATS TOGETHER IN A UNITED COLUMN AND FRICTIONALLY HOLDING THEM TOGETHER IN SAID EDGE-TO-EDGE ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP RESTRICTING MOVEMENT OF THE SLATS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AS THEY PASS IN SAID COLUMNAR ORDER TOWARDS THE MECHANISMS AFORESAID; SAID CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF WIRE BEING ADVANCED FROM SAID SUPPLY AT A RATE EQUAL TO THE RATE OF ADVANCE OF SAID COLUMN UPON SAID TABLE; SEVERING MECHANISM, CONSTITUTING ANOTHER OF SAID MECHANISMS, FOR SEVERING SAID WIRE TO DETACH TILES RESPECTIVELY, COMPRISING UNITED GROUPS OF SLATS FROM SAID UNITED COLUMN, AND SPACING MECHANISM, DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID WIRE DEPOSITING MECHANISM AND THE SAID SEVERING MECHANISM, CONSTITUTING A STILL FURTHER SAID MECHANISM, FOR SPACING SAID SLATS SLIGHTLY FROM EACH OTHER WHILE THEY ARE FRICTIONALLY RETAINED IN SAID CONTINUOUS COLUMN BY SAID CONTINUOUS LENGTH OF WIRE.