Apparatus and method for making trusses

Claim 1

An apparatus for making large wood trusses and the like devices formed of elongated spaced apart coplanar chords interconnected by web members whose ends are abutted against and joined to the respective chord members by metal fastener plates positioned over the joints and having struck-out teeth embedded into the portions of the chord and web members at said joints comprising: an elongated, relatively narrow, horizontal table divided in half transversely and longitudinally to form four roughly equal table quarter portions, with each of said portions being longer and wider than the trusses to be made on said apparatus; a press roller mounted transversely of the table at approximately the middle thereof, the roller extending substantially the full width of and spaced a short distance above the table; a large, flat support plate divided into two plate portions, loosely supported upon and substantially covering the adjacent table quarter portions on one side of the press roller, with said plate being endwise slidable upon the table beneath the press roller from one end half of the table to the other; locator means formed on the plate for locating pre-cut chord and web members in assembled relationship upon each of the two plate portions; and the space between the roller and the table being approximately equal to the thickness of the support plate and members located upon the support plate; whereby chord and web members may be manually assembled in abutting relationship upon one plate portion and fastener plates may be loosely positioned over each of the joints, with their teeth down and rested upon the members, and thereafter, the entire support plate may be slid endwise beneath the press roller to the opposite end of the table so that the fastener plates are pressed downwardly and their teeth are embedded into the respective members by the pressure of the roller, and the truss may then be turned upside down and positioned upon the opposite support plate portion, and fastener plates arranged teeth down upon the joints and the support plate slid back under the roller to its original position for embedding fastener plates into the members at the opposite faces of said joints, and thereafter, the completed truss may be removed from said other plate portion.

Claim 2

An apparatus for making large wood trusses and the like devices formed of elongated spaced apart coplanar chords interconnected by web members whose ends are abutted against and joined to the respective chord members by metal fastener plates positioned over the joints and having struck-out teeth embedded into the portions of the chord and web members at said joints comprising: an elongated, relatively narrow, horizontal table divided in half transversely and longitudinally to form four roughly equal table quarter portions, with each of said portions being longer and wider than the trusses to be made on said apparatus; a press roller mounted transversely of the table at approximately the middle thereof, the roller extending substantially the full width of and spaced a short distance above the table; a large, flat support plate divided into two plate portions, loosely supported upon and substantially covering the adjacent table quarter portions on one side of the press roller, with said plate being endwise slidable upon the table beneath the press roller from one end half of the table to the other; locator means formed on the plate for locating pre-cut chord and web members in assembled relationship upon each of the two plate portions; and the space between the roller and the table being approximately equal to the thickness of the support plate and members located upon the support plate; whereby chord and web members may be manually assembled in abutting relationship upon one plate portion and fastener plates may be loosely positioned over each of the joints, with their teeth down and rested upon the members, and thereafter, the entire support plate may be slid endwise beneath the press roller to the opposite end of the table so that the fastener plates are pressed downwardly and their teeth are embedded into the respective members by the pressure of the roller, and the truss may then be turned upside down and positioned upon the opposite support plate portion, and fastener plates arranged teeth down upon the joints and the support plate slid back under the roller to its original position for embedding fastener plates into the members at the opposite faces of said joints, and thereafter, the completed truss may be removed from said other plate portion.

Claim 5

An apparatus for making large wood truss-like devices Formed of elongated spaced apart, coplanar wood chord members interconnected by web members, with the adjacent ends of said members being abutted and fastened together by metal fastener plates laid over the abutted joints in face to face relationship therewith and secured to the members by fastener plate struck-out teeth which are embedded into the adjacent member portions, comprising: an elongated, relatively narrow table whose horizontal top surface is provided with transversely axised rollers; a press roller extending transversely of the table between the ends thereof, the press roller being mounted above and with its lowermost edge spaced a short distance above the plane of the table top; an elongated, flat, horizontally arranged, metal support plate loosely supported upon the table rollers for endwise sliding movement along the length of the table and between the table and the press roller, and said support plate being at least as long as a truss device to be made on the apparatus; locator means formed on the upper surface of the support plate for locating pre-cut chord and web members in acutting truss-forming assembled relationship upon said upper surface; wherein a fastener plate may be laid over each joint, teeth down, and the metal support plate with the members and fastener plates may be thereafter moved endwise beneath the roller press to the opposite ends of the table so that the roller press squeezes the fastener plates down against the members, in turn supported by the support plate, for embedding the fastener plates teeth into their adjacent member portions and the truss may then be turned upside down upon the metal support plate and fastener plates positioned over the opposite faces of the joints and the support plate again slid endwise beneath the press roller to thereby embed the teeth of the fastener plates for completing the assembled truss.

Claim 6

An apparatus for making large wood truss-like devices Formed of elongated spaced apart, coplanar wood chord members interconnected by web members, with the adjacent ends of said members being abutted and fastened together by metal fastener plates laid over the abutted joints in face to face relationship therewith and secured to the members by fastener plate struck-out teeth which are embedded into the adjacent member portions, comprising: an elongated, relatively narrow table whose horizontal top surface is provided with transversely axised rollers; a press roller extending transversely of the table between the ends thereof, the press roller being mounted above and with its lowermost edge spaced a short distance above the plane of the table top; an elongated, flat, horizontally arranged, metal support plate loosely supported upon the table rollers for endwise sliding movement along the length of the table and between the table and the press roller, and said support plate being at least as long as a truss device to be made on the apparatus; locator means formed on the upper surface of the support plate for locating pre-cut chord and web members in acutting truss-forming assembled relationship upon said upper surface; wherein a fastener plate may be laid over each joint, teeth down, and the metal support plate with the members and fastener plates may be thereafter moved endwise beneath the roller press to the opposite ends of the table so that the roller press squeezes the fastener plates down against the members, in turn supported by the support plate, for embedding the fastener plates teeth into their adjacent member portions and the truss may then be turned upside down upon the metal support plate and fastener plates positioned over the opposite faces of the joints and the support plate again slid endwise beneath the press roller to thereby embed the teeth of the fastener plates for completing the assembled truss.

Claim 8

A method for making large wood trusses and the like devices formed of elongated, spaced apart coplanar chords interconnected by web members whose ends are abutted against and joined to the respective chords by toothed metal fastener plates positioned over the opposite faces of each of the joints with their teeth embedded in the adjacent chord and web member portions, comprising: positioning pre-cut chord and web members in assembled relationship upon one portion of a large, flat, elongated support plate having two adjacent portions, with each portion being of a size to completely support an assembled truss in face to face relationship with the support plate; loosely positioning a metal fastener plate, teeth down, over each joint formed where the web members abut the chords; sliding the entire plate horizontally and endwise through a roller press arranged transversely of the support plate to press said fastener plates against and to embed the teeth thereof into the chord and web members; next, lifting said truss off said one plate portion and turning it upside down to rest in face to face relationship upon the other plate portion; then positioning additional pre-cut chord and web members upon said one plate portion to assemble a second truss thereon and loosely positioning metal fastener plates, teeth down, over each joint thereof, while simultaneously loosely positioning similar fastener plates, teeth down, over the joints of the first mentioned truss; then sliding the plate endwise through the roller press to return to its original location, to simultaneously embed the teeth of the fastener plateS of both trusses; thereafter removing the now completed truss now having embedded fastener plates on both faces of each of its joints from said other plate portion and then lifting and turning upside down the second truss and positioning it upon said other plate portion, and thereafter, repeating the cycle of assembling, positioning connector plates and passing through the roller press and so forth; whereby pre-cut wood chord and web members for assembly into trusses are located adjacent one long edge of said one plate portion and on opposite sides of the roller press and the finished trusses are removed from said other plate portion at opposite sides of said roller plates.

Claim 9

A method for making large wood trusses and the like devices formed of elongated, spaced apart coplanar chords interconnected by web members whose ends are abutted against and joined to the respective chords by toothed metal fastener plates positioned over the opposite faces of each of the joints with their teeth embedded in the adjacent chord and web member portions, comprising: positioning pre-cut chord and web members in assembled relationship upon one portion of a large, flat, elongated support plate having two adjacent portions, with each portion being of a size to completely support an assembled truss in face to face relationship with the support plate; loosely positioning a metal fastener plate, teeth down, over each joint formed where the web members abut the chords; sliding the entire plate horizontally and endwise through a roller press arranged transversely of the support plate to press said fastener plates against and to embed the teeth thereof into the chord and web members; next, lifting said truss off said one plate portion and turning it upside down to rest in face to face relationship upon the other plate portion; then positioning additional pre-cut chord and web members upon said one plate portion to assemble a second truss thereon and loosely positioning metal fastener plates, teeth down, over each joint thereof, while simultaneously loosely positioning similar fastener plates, teeth down, over the joints of the first mentioned truss; then sliding the plate endwise through the roller press to return to its original location, to simultaneously embed the teeth of the fastener plateS of both trusses; thereafter removing the now completed truss now having embedded fastener plates on both faces of each of its joints from said other plate portion and then lifting and turning upside down the second truss and positioning it upon said other plate portion, and thereafter, repeating the cycle of assembling, positioning connector plates and passing through the roller press and so forth; whereby pre-cut wood chord and web members for assembly into trusses are located adjacent one long edge of said one plate portion and on opposite sides of the roller press and the finished trusses are removed from said other plate portion at opposite sides of said roller plates.