Apparatus for cutting floor truss web components

Claim 3

An apparatus for cutting truss web components and the like as defined in claim 1, and said rotationally adjustable member including a plate member, extension plates projecting from opposite sides of said plate member, a pair of sleeve mounting brackets on said extension plates having corresponding walls lying against the extension plates, means to adjust the sleeve mounting brackets in one direction on the extension plates, said rotary cutter heads having drive motors and said drive motors having their housings lying against second walls of the sleeve mounting brackets away from said extension plates, and means to adjust said housings in a second direction on said second walls substantially at right angles to said one direction of adjustment on said plate extensions.

Claim 4

An apparatus for cutting truss web components and the like as defined in claim 2, and an open-ended tube attached to said plate member and having a mouth disposed near the rotary blades of said cutter heads, whereby cuttings produced by said blades are propelled through said tube, said tube having its axis parallel to the movement axis of said carriage.

Claim 5

An apparatus for cutting truss web components and the like as defined in claim 1, and adjustable support bracket means for said rotary cutter heads on said rotationally adjustable member allowing the blades of the cutter heads to be arranged above and below a workpiece to be cut on parallel inclined axes of rotation with the blades in axially offset relationship and having slightly overlapping peripheries.

Claim 6

An apparatus for cutting truss web components and the like as defined in claim 4, and a stop element on said rotationally adjustable member, a fixed coacting member on said carriage in spaced opposed relationship to the rotationally adjustable member, and a pair of stop elements on said fixed coacting member in the rotational path of movement of said stop element on the rotationally adjustable member.

Claim 7

An apparatus for cutting truss web components and the like as defined in claim 5, and said rotationally adjustable and coacting fixed members comprising a pair of opposing plates, and a quick release manual clamp means on one of the plates and having a movable clamping element adapted to engage the opposing plate releasably, whereby the two plates can be held releasably in relative rotationally adjusted positions.

Claim 8

An apparatus for cutting truss web components and the like as defined in claim 1, and said power actuator comprising an extensible and retractable linear actuator having one component coupled to said carriage and a second component coupled to said support base, the axis of said linear actuator being parallel to the movement axis of said carriage.

Claim 9

An apparatus for cutting truss web components and the like as defined in claim 1, and a fluid control system including a regulated fluid source connected with said power actuator and said workpiece clamp means whereby the power actuator and clamp means are operated in timed relationship during a repetitive cycle of operation of the apparatus.

Claim 12

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 9, and said adjustable mounting means for said motorized rotary cutters comprising a rotational support member having an axis of rotation paralleling the movement axis of said carriage, and means to releasably secure the rotational support member in selected adjusted positions between fixed limits of rotation.

Claim 13

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 10, and said adjustable mounting means additionally comprising on said rotational support member a pair of independently adjustable mounting brackets for said motorized rotary cutters allowing each cutter to be adjusted on the rotational support member in two coordinate directions.

Claim 14

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 9, and said rotary cutters comprising a pair of Dado blade cutters.

Claim 15

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 11, wherein said mounting brackets each have a pair of spaced walls with one wall adjacent said rotational support member and the other wall adjacent a housing part of a rotary cutter, said walls having adjusting slots in two coordinate directions, and bolt means engaged through said slots and coupling the walls of the mounting brackets to the rotational support member and housing part respectively.

Claim 16

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 13, and fine linear adjusting means for said mounting brackets on the rotational support member longitudinally of the slots in the walls of the mounting brackets adjacent to said rotational support member.

Claim 17

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 14, and said fine linear adjusting means comprising adjusting screws and lock nuts.

Claim 18

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 9, and a fluid control circuit connected with said actuator means and said lumber workpiece clamp means whereby the latter are operated in predetermined timed relationship relative to each other during the operating cycle of the apparatus.

Claim 19

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web comprises as defined in claim 16, and wherein said actuator means connected with the carriage is an extensible and retractable hydraulic cylinder and said lumber workpiece clamp means comprises at least one extensible and retractable pneuamtic cylinder, said fluid control circuit including a regulated compressed air supply, a hydraulic reservoir means interposed between the compressed air supply and said first-named hydraulic cylinder, an interface element in said reservoir serving to separate compressed air and hydraulic fluid therein, a carriage actuator control valve coupled between said reservoir means and said regulated compressed air supply, a run cycle valve connected in said fluid control circuit in parallel relationship to said carriage actuator control valve, a workpiece clamp valve coupled in said fluid control circuit downstream from said run cycle and said carriage actuator control valves, a workpiece clamp release valve in said control circuit between said compressed air supply and said workpiece clamp valve, said workpiece clamp pneumatic cylinder being biased normally to a workpiece release position, a reversing release valve in said fluid control circuit downstream from the run cycle valve, and cam operated means responding to linear movements of said carriage and being operatively coupled with said workpiece clamp release and said reversing valves.

Claim 20

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 17, and a check valve coupled in said fluid control circuit between said hydraulic reservoir means and first-named hydraulic cylinder.

Claim 21

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 18, and a hydraulic fluid restrictor bypass connected in parallel with said check valve in said control circuit.

Claim 22

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 17, and an exhaust valve including a piston operator means connected in said fluid control circuit between the workpiece clamp release valve and the workpiece clamp valve.

Claim 23

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 17, and a piston operator for said workpiece clamp valve, the workpiece clamp valve being normally closed, said last-named piston operator having a fluid connection with said run cycle valve, and a check valve upstream from the last-named piston operator and between the same and the run cycle valve.

Claim 24

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 17, and said lumber workpiece clamp means comprising a pair of parallel connected pneumatic cylinders having pistons which are spring-biased toward workpiece release positions.

Claim 25

An apparatus for cutting lumber workpieces into truss web components as defined in claim 17, and an emergency carriage return valve adapted to exhaust compressed air downstream of the run cycle valve and having a connection with said carriage actuator control valve.

Claim 26

An apparatus for cutting lumber into truss web components as defined in claim 17, and means causing said actuator means to revert automatically to its starting position when compressed air is first connected to the fluid control circuit from said regulated compressed air supply.