Automatic fastening machine

Claim 2

A machine for assembling and fastening together a flat frame from individual frame members comprising; a work surface including a fastening station, dispenser means for delivering to the work surface a set of the individual members of the frame arranged in the approximate relative positions occupied in the finished frame, means to move the set of frame members along the work surface to the fastening station, stop means at the fastening station operable to position and hold the individual members of the set in their final relative positions, and fastener driving means at the fastening station arranged to drive at least one fastener to secure each of the joints between members of the set.

Claim 3

The machine of claim 1 wherein the dispenser means comprises orthogonally arranged magazines for holding vertically stacked supplies of each frame member, the magazines being positioned above the work surface and spaced therefrom by a distance greater than the thickness of the frame members for gravity feeding and delivering a set of frame members from the bottoms of the magazines to the work surface.

Claim 4

The machine of claim 1 wherein the means to move the set of frame members comprises a plurality of flexible endless driven bands traversing the work surface from the dispensing means to the fastening station.

Claim 5

The machine of claim 3 wherein the flexible endless bands are sprocket driven roller chains in channels in the work surface and pusher blocks are affixed to the chains in transverse alignment to engage and move the set of frame members in unison.

Claim 6

The machine of claim 1 wherein the stop means comprise members which are pivoted to be raised above the work surface.

Claim 7

The machine of claim 5 wherein the pivoted stop members serve to arrest the movement of the set of frame members by abutting the advancing edge of the leading member of the set, and wherein further pivoted stop members serve to bear outwardly against the inner edges of the end members of the set to force those end members against guide members affixed to the work surface to position the several frame members.

Claim 8

The machine of claim 1 wherein the fastener driving means comprise a set of work piece contact actuated automatic fastener drivers borne by a carriage which locates one such driver at each frame joint, and including means to lower the drivers into contact with the set of frame members to actuate the drivers to drive first fasteners to fasten the frame joints, and means to traverse the carrIage and drivers to a second position to there drive second fasteners to fasten the joints.

Claim 9

The machine of claim 7 wherein the automatic fastener drivers, the means to lower the drivers, and the means to traverse the carriage are pneumatic actuators.

Claim 10

The machine of claim 1 wherein the magazines each comprise pairs of facing vertical channels which receive the end portions of the stack of frame members, there being a magazine for each of at least top and bottom end members and first and second side members, the magazine for the first side member also including means to lift the stack of first side members to provide adequate clearance for the second side member to freely pass beneath the stack of first side members as the set of frame members is moved to the fastening station.

Claim 11

The machine of claim 9 wherein the means to lift the stack first side members comprises a hinge leaf pivoted on a horizontal axis above the work surface and sloping downwardly from the axis to beneath the stack of first side members to engage and ride upon the second side member of the set as the set moves thereby lifting the stack of remaining first side members.

Claim 12

A machine for assembling and fastening together a flat frame from individual frame members including at least top and bottom end members and first and second side members comprising; a work surface including a fastening station, orthogonally arranged magazines for holding vertically stacked supplies of each frame member and for gravity feeding and delivering from the bottom of the magazines to the work surface a set of individual frame members arranged in the approximate relative positions occupied in the finished frame, sprocket driven endless roller chains traversing the work surface in channels from the magazines to the fastening station, pusher means affixed to the chains to engage the rearmost edge of the second side member of the set to move the set from the magazines to the fastening station, disengageable clutch means in the drive for the chain sprockets, pivoted stop members in the fastening station to position and hold the members of the frame set in their final relative positions, and a set of automatic work piece contact actuated fastener drivers borne by vertically reciprocable actuators affixed to a laterally reciprocable driver carriage moved by a horozontal actuator, the set of drivers being positioned over the joints in the frame set, and capable of driving joint spanning fasteners across each frame joint at laterally spaced position along the joints.

Claim 13

A machine for assembling and fastening together a flat frame from individual frame members including at least top and bottom end members and first and second side members comprising; a work surface including a fastening station, orthogonally arranged magazines for holding vertically stacked supplies of each frame member and for gravity feeding and delivering from the bottom of the magazines to the work surface a set of individual frame members arranged in the approximate relative positions occupied in the finished frame, sprocket driven endless roller chains traversing the work surface in channels from the magazines to the fastening station, pusher means affixed to the chains to engage the rearmost edge of the second side member of the set to move the set from the magazines to the fastening station, disengageable clutch means in the drive for the chain sprockets, pivoted stop members in the fastening station to position and hold the members of the frame set in their final relative positions, and a set of automatic work piece contact actuated fastener drivers borne by vertically reciprocable actuators affixed to a laterally reciprocable driver carriage moved by a horozontal actuator, the set of drivers being positioned over the joints in the frame set, and capable of driving joint spanning fasteners across each frame joint at laterally spaced position along the joints.

Claim 14

The machine of claim 11 including an edge detector switch to sense the presence of the leading edge of the first side frame member, a frame detector switch which senses the presence of a frame set in the fastening station, a delay timer, a driver lower limit switch, a driver upper limit switch, and carriage lateral motion limit switches, the edge detector switch being connected to disengage the sprocket drive clutch and to raise the stop members, the frame detector switch being in series with the edge detector switch such that the stop members raise only when a frame set is approaching the fastening station, the frame detector switch also being connected to the delay timer to initiate the delay function, upon expiration of which there is released a signal to cause the vertically reciprocable actuators to lower the drivers to a first position on the frame set, the driver lower limit switch being connected to cause the driver actuators to return upwardly, the driver upper limit switch being connected to the driver carriage lateral actuator to cause the driver carriage to traverse, one of the carriage lateral motion limit switches being connected to the vertically reciprocable actuators to reciprocate the drivers to and from a second position on the frame set, the driver upper limit switch causing the driver carriage to return traverse, the other of the driver carriage limit switches being connected to reset the delAy timer to lower the stop members and to re-engage the sprocket clutch.