US3927705A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Methods and means for continuous vertical finger jointing lumber
Assignee: INDUSTRIAL WOODWORKING MACHINE CO Inc
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Filing: 1973-08-16
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Granted: 1975-12-23
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Expires: 1993-08-16
Abstract
Abstract A method of and means for continuous vertical finger jointing the ends of lumber wherein individual relatively short timbers or sticks are conveyed transversely of their longitudinal axes in abutting side-by-side, on-edge relationship or solid sheet-like array throughout finger shaping operations and the application of adhesive to one end of each timber, being maintained in right angular relation to their longitudinal axis of travel, and then are assembled end-to-end during linear conveyance thereof to a final step of cutting in desired lengths.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeff Y Cromeens
- 👤 Thomas E Clyce
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 23:26
CPC Classifications
B; B27; B27M; B27M3/00; B27M3/0013; B27M3/002; B27F; B27F1/00; B27F1/16; B27G; B27G11/00; B27G13/00; B27G13/12; B27G13/14; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1052; Y10T156/1062; Y10T156/1066; Y10T156/14; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/02; Y10T83/0304
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
211 words
The method of forming vertical finger jointed lumber from a plurality of short sticks having substantially uniform width and thickness and usually of nonuniform length comprising positioning the sticks in a continuous sheet-like array in which said sticks are in side-by-side engagement and rest on their narrower surfaces with first ends thereof aligned in a first substantially straight edge, effecting relative movement between the stick array and finger groove shaping means along the first substantially straight edge to cut serrations in the first end of each stick, again reorganizing said array to again align the first ends of said sticks in a third substantially straight edge, heating said first ends of said sticks while aligned in said third substantially straight edge, applying adhesive to the second ends of said sticks, stripping said sticks having heated first ends and adhesive coated second ends from said array serially and endwise, conveying said sticks in a substantially linear array away from said continuous sheet-like array, joining and pressing together successive sticks moving in the linear array to mate heated and adhesive coated serrated ends of contiguous sticks to form bonded joints therebetween, and cutting finger jointed lumber of selected lengths from the portion of said moving linear array having bonded joints between contiguous sticks.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
211 words
The method of forming vertical finger jointed lumber from a plurality of short sticks having substantially uniform width and thickness and usually of nonuniform length comprising positioning the sticks in a continuous sheet-like array in which said sticks are in side-by-side engagement and rest on their narrower surfaces with first ends thereof aligned in a first substantially straight edge, effecting relative movement between the stick array and finger groove shaping means along the first substantially straight edge to cut serrations in the first end of each stick, again reorganizing said array to again align the first ends of said sticks in a third substantially straight edge, heating said first ends of said sticks while aligned in said third substantially straight edge, applying adhesive to the second ends of said sticks, stripping said sticks having heated first ends and adhesive coated second ends from said array serially and endwise, conveying said sticks in a substantially linear array away from said continuous sheet-like array, joining and pressing together successive sticks moving in the linear array to mate heated and adhesive coated serrated ends of contiguous sticks to form bonded joints therebetween, and cutting finger jointed lumber of selected lengths from the portion of said moving linear array having bonded joints between contiguous sticks.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for forming vertical finger joint grooves in a plurality of short sticks of lumber of substantially uniform width and thickness and usually of nonuniform length comprising a support conveyor for receiving and carrying a plurality of sticks in a sheet-like array in which the sticks are arranged in side-by-side relationship and rest on their narrower surfaces with first ends thereof aligned in a substantially straight edge, said sheet-like array of sticks being carried by the conveyor in a direction transverse of their lengths, alignment means for orienting said sticks in the sheetlike array with their first ends in alignment, groove shaping means adapted to cut parallel serrations in said first ends, the serrations extending in a direction along said substantially straight edge, the alignment means including a fence extending longitudinally of the inboard margin of the support conveyor, and movable brush means drivingly mounted above said conveyor in position to exert a sweeping force on said sheetlike array of sticks moving along said conveyor, said force having a component in a direction toward the fence.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for forming vertical finger joint grooves in a plurality of short sticks of lumber of substantially uniform width and thickness and usually of nonuniform length comprising a support conveyor for receiving and carrying a plurality of sticks in a sheet-like array in which the sticks are arranged in side-by-side relationship and rest on their narrower surfaces with first ends thereof aligned in a substantially straight edge, said sheet-like array of sticks being carried by the conveyor in a direction transverse of their lengths, alignment means for orienting said sticks in the sheetlike array with their first ends in alignment, groove shaping means adapted to cut parallel serrations in said first ends, the serrations extending in a direction along said substantially straight edge, the alignment means including a fence extending longitudinally of the inboard margin of the support conveyor, and movable brush means drivingly mounted above said conveyor in position to exert a sweeping force on said sheetlike array of sticks moving along said conveyor, said force having a component in a direction toward the fence.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
184 words
Apparatus for forming vertical finger joint grooves in a plurality of short sticks of lumber of substantially uniform width and thickness and usually of nonuniform length comprising a support conveyor for receiving and carrying a plurality of sticks in a sheet-like array in which the sticks are arranged in side-by-side engaging relationship and rest on their narrower surfaces with first ends thereof aligned in a substantially straight edge, said sheet-like array of sticks being carried by the conveyor in a direction transverse of their lengths, alignment means for orienting said sticks in the sheet-like array with their first ends in alignment, groove shaping means adapted to cut parallel serrations in said first ends, the serrations extending in a direction along said substantially straight edge, holddown means extending longitudinally of the support conveyor adjacent the groove shaping means and adapted to exert a clamping force urging the sheet-like array of sticks against said conveyor, and pressure means overlying said conveyor at a point displaced transversely from said groove shaping means in position to exert a force urging said sheet-like array of sticks against said conveyor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
184 words
Apparatus for forming vertical finger joint grooves in a plurality of short sticks of lumber of substantially uniform width and thickness and usually of nonuniform length comprising a support conveyor for receiving and carrying a plurality of sticks in a sheet-like array in which the sticks are arranged in side-by-side engaging relationship and rest on their narrower surfaces with first ends thereof aligned in a substantially straight edge, said sheet-like array of sticks being carried by the conveyor in a direction transverse of their lengths, alignment means for orienting said sticks in the sheet-like array with their first ends in alignment, groove shaping means adapted to cut parallel serrations in said first ends, the serrations extending in a direction along said substantially straight edge, holddown means extending longitudinally of the support conveyor adjacent the groove shaping means and adapted to exert a clamping force urging the sheet-like array of sticks against said conveyor, and pressure means overlying said conveyor at a point displaced transversely from said groove shaping means in position to exert a force urging said sheet-like array of sticks against said conveyor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 3 including control meeans sensing departure of sticks on the support conveyor from orthogonal relationship with said groove shaping means for altering the force applied to said sticks by the pressure means in a direction tending to restore said orthogonality.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the alignment means includes a fence extending longitudinally of the inboard margin of the support conveyor, and movable brush means drivingly mounted above said conveyor in position to exert a sweeping force on sticks moving along said conveyor, said fence having a component in a direction toward the fence.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
94 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the control means comprises arm means pivotally mounted above the support conveyor on an axis transverse thereof and disposed at an upright acute angle thereto, the arm means having a pair of transversely spaced feelers adapted to ride on the surface of sticks moving along said conveyor, one of the feelers being fixed relative to said arm and the other being movable with respect thereto in a direction longitudinally of said conveyor, and control signal generating means connected to and operative upon movement of said movable feeler.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
173 words
Apparatus for forming vertical finger joint grooves in a plurality of short sticks of lumber of substantially uniform width and thickness and usually of nonuniform length comprising a support conveyor for receiving and carrying a plurality of sticks in a sheet-like array in which the sticks are arranged in side-by-side engaging relationship and rest on their narrower surfaces with first ends thereof aligned in a substantially straight edge, said sheet-like array of sticks being carried by the conveyor in a direction transverse of their lengths, alignment means for orienting said sticks in the sheetlikE array with their first ends in alignment, groove shaping means adapted to cut parallel serrations in said first ends, the serrations extending in a direction along said substantially straight edge, the alignment means including fence means extending longitudinally of the inboard margin of the support conveyor, and drive means overlying said conveyor for exerting a sweeping force on said sheet-like array of sticks moving along said conveyor, said force having a component in a direction toward the fence means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
173 words
Apparatus for forming vertical finger joint grooves in a plurality of short sticks of lumber of substantially uniform width and thickness and usually of nonuniform length comprising a support conveyor for receiving and carrying a plurality of sticks in a sheet-like array in which the sticks are arranged in side-by-side engaging relationship and rest on their narrower surfaces with first ends thereof aligned in a substantially straight edge, said sheet-like array of sticks being carried by the conveyor in a direction transverse of their lengths, alignment means for orienting said sticks in the sheetlikE array with their first ends in alignment, groove shaping means adapted to cut parallel serrations in said first ends, the serrations extending in a direction along said substantially straight edge, the alignment means including fence means extending longitudinally of the inboard margin of the support conveyor, and drive means overlying said conveyor for exerting a sweeping force on said sheet-like array of sticks moving along said conveyor, said force having a component in a direction toward the fence means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 7 including control means sensing departure of sticks on the support conveyor from orthogonal relationship with said groove shaping means for altering the force applied to said sticks by the drive means in a direction tending to restore said orthogonality.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
94 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the control means comprises arm means pivotally mounted above the support conveyor on an axis transverse thereof and disposed at an upright acute angle thereto, the arms means having a pair of transversely spaced feelers adapted to ride on the surface of sticks moving along said conveyor, one of the feelers being fixed relative to said arm and the other being moveable with respect thereto in a direction longitudinally of said conveyor, and control signal generating means connected to and operative upon movement of said movable feeler.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
148 words
The method of forming finger joint grooves in a plurality of short sticks of lumber of substantially uniform width and thickness comprising arranging the sticks in side-by-side engaging relationship on their narrower surfaces into a sheet-like array in which first ends of said sticks are aligned in a substantially straight edge, conveying the sheet-like array of sticks past finger groove shaping means along the substantially straight edge to cut serrations in the first end of each stick, maintaining said sticks of said sheet-like array against displacement relative to one another and to the finger groove shaping means during the cutting of the serrations, and sensing departure of sticks in the sheet-like array from orthogonal relationship with the finger groove shaping means for altering the force, which is applied to said sticks for maintaining them against relative displacement, in a direction tending to restore the orthogonality of said sticks.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
148 words
The method of forming finger joint grooves in a plurality of short sticks of lumber of substantially uniform width and thickness comprising arranging the sticks in side-by-side engaging relationship on their narrower surfaces into a sheet-like array in which first ends of said sticks are aligned in a substantially straight edge, conveying the sheet-like array of sticks past finger groove shaping means along the substantially straight edge to cut serrations in the first end of each stick, maintaining said sticks of said sheet-like array against displacement relative to one another and to the finger groove shaping means during the cutting of the serrations, and sensing departure of sticks in the sheet-like array from orthogonal relationship with the finger groove shaping means for altering the force, which is applied to said sticks for maintaining them against relative displacement, in a direction tending to restore the orthogonality of said sticks.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-12-22 | 1979-06-23 | 1979-12-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-12-22 | 1983-06-23 | 1983-12-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-12-22 | 1987-06-23 | 1987-12-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |