US1693290A - Floor-nailing machine - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 27, 1928.

A. A. FAWCETT FLOOR NAILING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 II INVENTOR.

BY W 1 W ATTORNEYS.

Filed Oct. 1927 w "Fm W Nb m m m fiwj vlmw m 6 a ma. L w u 0 a 4 m z x/ .u. N. m H w c 9 n 1. m a a. A m t. F n .w A N d R h A m H A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 27 1928. 1,693,290

' A. A. FAWCETI' FLO0R MAILING cams Filed Oct. 5. 1927 4 Slzeets -Sheeiz' 3 I6 QINVENTOR.

31 WMM A TTORNEYS.

, A. A. FAWCETT FLOOR MAILING MACHINE Nov. 27, 1928.

Filed Oct. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gi -a Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN A. FAWCETT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AS SIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO HAWLEY S. BRADSHAW, OF PIEDMONT, CALIFORNIA, AND ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES A. BRADSHAW, AND ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM J. SWART, BOTH OF OAK- LAND, CALIFORNIA.

FLOOB-NAILING MACHINE.

Application filed October a, 1927. Serial m. 223,582.

My present invention relates to an automatic floor nailing machine and has for one of its objects to provide a machine of this character which will be completely automatic in its operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a reliable nail feeding mechanism which will deliver the nails one at a time to the hammer and in a proper position. It is also an object of my invention to provide in a machine of this type, means for intermittently advancing it over the floor and also holding it stationary at the time the nails are driven.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel driving means for the machine which will cooperate with one of the supporting wheels and thus tend to draw the board to be nailed into its proper position.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the drawings, in which like numerals apply to like parts throughout the several views. In these drawings v Fig. 1 is a partial front elevation of a machine embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line IIIIII of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional View of my machine taken along line IV-IV of Fig, 1,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line VV of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a partial View showing the nail guides and sets in their raised position,

Fig. 7 is a partial view of the nail guides showing the manner of adjusting their spacs,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the intermediate driving element,

Fig. 9 shows a detail view of the hopper agitating member,

Fig. 10 is a partial exploded view of the nail feeding cylinder and one of its supports,

Fig. 11 is a sectional view through the nailfeeding cylinder,

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the nail feed iihng channels taken along line XIIXII of Fig. 13v is arsectional view taken along line XIIIXIII of Fig. 5,

Fig. 14 shows a modified form of hammer element, and

Fig. 15 is a detail view of the nail centering means of the nail holders.

In the drawings, I have designated the nailing machine frame by the numeral 15. The. frame 15 is supported by wheels 16 and 16 arranged at the front and rear thereof respectively. There should preferably be two of the wheels 16, whereas at the rear of the frame only one wheel 16"will be ,necessary, the two wheels 16 at the front being desirable as they constitute the driving wheels and thus will move the machine in a straight line and will maintain the machine parallel with the board being nailed. Each of the wheels 16 has a wide flange which is engaged by a cant-hook device 17, These devices 17 rest upon the upper part of the wheels 16 and are held in this position by adjustable stops 18, the location of which determine the amount of movement imparted to the wheels 16. Each cant-hook device 17 has a radially extending arm 19 which is adapted to be engaged and driven, as will hereinafter appear,by a pawl 20. The frame15 carries a motor 21 having a suitable reducing gear within a housing 22. A main shaft 23 is driven by the motor 21 by means of a belt 24 and carries a freely rotatable drum 25 about which a flexible cable 26 is wound. The outer end of the cable 26 passes over a sheave 27 and is attached to a weight or drop hammer 28 which is adapted tobe raised in a guide 29 as said drum 25 is rotated.

A releasing clutch mechanism connects the drum 25 to the shaft 23 and is arranged to connect said drum and shaft so that the hammer 28 will be raised and dropped during every revolution of the shaft 23, as will hereinafter be more fully pointed out. The

shaft 23 is also provided with a gear 30 which .meshes with gears 31 and 32. The gear 31 is carried by a second shaft 33 and the gear 32 operates a crank 34 to which a link is attached. This link 35 is secured to an arm 36 upon a cylindrical nail feeding device to'be hereinafter referred to in connection with Figs. 10 and 11. A pulley 37, having a belt '38, is also driven by the, shaft 23. The belt 38 in turn drives a preliminary nail feeding roller 39 and also an agitating member 10 within the nail hopper. The agitating member 40 is connected to the roller 39 by means of a crank 41 and link 12 so that it reciprocates within the nail hopper 43 as the roller 39 is rotated. The. shaft 23, in addition to the above, also carries a roller' l l which is adapted to engage a cam surface 45 carried by a yielding brake arm 16. The brake arm 46 is provided with a brake shoe 47 which rests lightly upon the rearwheel 16and when'pressed down there upon acts as a brake to prevent movement of the machine'along the floor. The yield .ing brake arm 16 is pivoted to the frame 15 at thepoint l8 and is so arranged with its component parts that the brake shoe 47 will be pressed into braking contact with the wheel 16 during the nail driving period only. In other words, this brake is arranged to function during the period when the canthook device 17 is not operating to drivethe machine along the nailed surface.

Returning now to the shaft 33. This shaft carries the pawl 20 hereinbefore referred to and which is illustrated in Fig. 2. This pawl 20 is adapted to engage the radially extending arm 19 carried by the cant-hook device 17 and operates to drive the machine in a forward direction a predetermined dis tance during each revolution of the shaft 38. It should be pointed out here that the distance of travel will' be determined by the diameter of the wheel 16 and the position of the cant-hook 17 thereupon. By referring to Figs. 2 and 8, it will be seen that this canthook 17 is made in two parts which loosely clamp about the-flanges of wheel 16. As shown in this view, the device 17 is positioned to one side of the vertical center of the wheel 16 so that it will drop back freely when not engaged by the pawl .20. A lug or weight 49 assists in this free back movement asit causes the device 17 to rest concentrically with the wheel 16 when out of engagement with the pawl 20 and also provides the weight necessary to cause it to slide or drop back thereon. The adjustable stop 18 pivoted. to the frame 15 has an adjustable screw51 whereby its position can be varied to adjust; the effective stroke of the cant-hook device 17 and therefore the amount of movement over the nailed surface impartedto the machine during each guides 56-56 and nail sets 57-57 during the machine moving and nail feeding interval, as will be'hereinafter more fully described.

Referring now to the drop hammer 28 and its operating mechanism. The drum 25, as shown in Fig. 4, is freely rotatable upon the shaft/23 and is caused to rotate there with by reason of a pawl or latch 58 which engages a notch 59 on the drum. This latch is biased into engagement with notch 59 by reason of its weight or if desired, a suitable spring'may be provided. The latch 58 extends outwardly at its other end and in the path of this outer end I arrange a stop 60 against which it engages once during every revolution of the shaft 23, The stop 60 is so located that the cable 26 will be wound about the drum 25 to raise the h ammer 28 and when the latch 58 engages the stop 60, it will disengage the notch 59 and permit the cable 26 to unwind from the drum 25 and thus permit the hammer 28 to drop. As the shaft 23 continues to rotate, the latch will again engage the notch 59 and repeat the above operation. During the interval in which the hammer is being raised, the nail feeding and machine travel operations will take place as will be directly described and a result, the hammer, when it drops, will drive nails into the fiooring'at a point in advance of its previous operation. 7 7

By referring to Figs. 3,4, 5,6 and 7, it will be seenthat the nail guides 5656 .and nail sets 57 57 are arrangedone behind the other with respect to the travel of the machine. The rear nail guide 56. is mounted so thatit can be moved with respect to the front guide 56. This provides for an adjustment of the distance between the nails when driven so that boards of different widths can be nailed, the nails passing through the board at the same distance fron'i each edge thereof. In Fig. 7 the rear guide 56 is shown as carried by a 'member 61 which slides by reason of an extension 62 in a support 63. The support 63 extend forward of the rear guide 56 and forms a holder for the front guide 56. In Fig.- 4 it will be seen that the nail sets 57 and 57 have a reduced lower end 6at64c and an upper or body portion which square in cross section. As illustrated in this figure of the drawings, the front nail set 57 is provided with ahead 65 which extends over the nail set 57 and is adapted to receive the impact of the hammer 28 and apply it to both nail sets. The head 65 has a groove 66.0n its underside which positions it upon the nail set 57' and also per mits adjustment thereof. Slots 6767 cut in the sides of each ofv the nail sets 5656 'permita nail to passtherethrough when the ing channels 6868 and receive the nails 1 in a manner to be hereinafter more fully described in connection with the nail feeding mechanism.

Referring now to the mechanism which operates to raise the nail guides 5656 and the nail sets 5757. The nail guides 56-56 and nail sets 5757' are provided with lugs 69 and 69 respectively, which are engaged by the arms 54 and 55. As these arms 54 and 55 are moved up and down by the cams 52 and 53. the guides 5656 and nail sets 57-57 will be caused to rise and fall, this movement of these parts occurring while the hammer 28 is in its raised position. \Vhen the nail set-s 5757 are in their raised position, the slots 6767 will align with the nail feeding channels 68-68 and permit nails to drop downwardly therethrough and into the guides 5656. Nail pushers 7070 are arranged in the channels 68-68 and are driven by a rack 71which engages a segment of a gear 72 carried by the shaft 33. These pushers 7070 operate when the nail sets are raised to push nails into the slots 6767 where they fall freely into position. In order to return the pushers 7070 to their initial position, I provide a spring 73. When these pushers are returned to their inoperative position, the channels 6868' will be exposed for the reception of additional nails, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In order to permit the aforementioned adjustment between the nail guides 5656', I provide a slot and screw 50 whereby the followers can be adjusted with respect to each other so as to cooperate properly with the nail guides in their adjusted positions. The construction of the channels 6868' and the pushers 7070 are shown in section in Figs. 12 and 13. In these figures of the drawings, it will be seen that the pushers 7070 have a cross section of substantially the same shape as the channels 6868 and that the pushers are moved in unison by the rack 71.

Located about and discharging respectively into the channels 6868', I have shown tubes or nail conveyors 7474'. These tubes connect with nail receivers 7575 and direct the nails therefrom to the channels 68-68 as they are deposited in the receivers 7575 by a rotating nail picking mechanism 76. This nail picking mechanism 7 6 is illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings. It comprises a cylindrical member 77 having a radial slot 78 cut therein. A radially movable member 79 is arranged within the slot 78-and has projections 80 at its ends which engage irregular grooves or camchannels 81 located in suitable journals 82. The journals 82 also function to support the member 77 by reason of stud shafts 83 in the ends thereof. The slot 78 is provided at its upper end with a recess 84 which will permit a nail to'lie therein. The movable member 79 is so arranged that it will not disturb a nail within the recess 84, but will function to prevent more than one nail being carried over to each of the receivers 75-75. here that the picker mechanism is made in It should be noted the form of a long cylinder and that any different rate, a little faster than they are,

taken from the hopper 43. Any accumulation of nails in the hopper 43 will be taken care of by the agitators 40 into which the nails are dropped. A pair of chutes 87 87 lead from the roller 39 to the agitators 40 and deposit the nails therein. These agitators'40 are driven by the crank 41 so that they will be positioned under the chutes 87 87 at the time the nails are discharged therefrom. The agitator 40 is in the form of a rectangular ring and has no bottom. This permits the nails to slide within the agitator and in contact with the bottom of the hopper 43. At the lower end of the agitators travel. means is provided to raise the agitator slightly at its lower edge so as to permit a nail to pass thereunder and to contact with the picker roller 76. This second position of the agitator 40 is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. I

In Fig. 14 of the drawings, I have shown a modified form of hammer, In this modi- -fication, the hammer is composed of two parts 9090. With this hammer, I dispense with the head 65, previously described, so that each of the two parts of the hammer operates independently upon a single nail set. The part 90 is arranged to be lifted by the cable 26 and has a fixed key 91 which engages a slot 92 in the part 90. As the cable 26 raises the part 90, the key 91 will engage the end of the slot 92 and thus lift the part 90. Upon release of the drum 25 and cable 26, the two parts 90 and 90 will drop, the part 90 contacting first with its cooperating nail set and then the part 90 cooperating with its corresponding nail set. In this way I provide two separate impacts for each driving operation and thereby reduce the shockupon the floor.

In Fig. 15, I show an improvement in the nail guides 56-56. This improvement resides in the provision of a pair of yielding jaws 93. These jaws are spring pressed toward the center of the nail guide and have) only sutficient stiffness to center the nail theirproper position along the floor, the

1 the .(3T.6T, where they will drop downwardly machine is then set so as to travel at right angles to the'boards, the nailholders being located properly over a board and the driving mechanismadjusted to propel the machine a distance equal, to the width of a board during each revolution of the shaft 23.

Assuming further that nails are in their proper place within the nail guides 5656 and that the hammer raising mechanism is int-he position shown in Fig.4. From this position, as the shaft 23 continues to rotate ,in' a counter-clockwise direction, the latch 58, by reason of the stop 60, will be pulled out of engagement with the notch 59. This will release the drum 25 and' cable 26, and thus permit hammer 28 to drop upon the head and impart adriving force upon the nails and force them into the floor. During this operation the other elements of the machine have been continuously driven. The drum 25 is immediately engaged by the latch 58 and the hammer begins to rise again. At this point, cams 52 and 53 come into play and raise the nail holders 56'56 and nail sets 57- 57. The pawl 20 engages the radial arm 19 of the cant-hook device 17 and imparts a forward movement to the machine equal to the width of a board. At the end of this movement, the, roller 44 carried by the shaft 23 will be brought into contact with the cam surface 45 upon the brake arm 46 and thus the brake shoe 4-7 will'be brought into braking contact with the wheel 16 to thereby hold the machine stationary with respect to the floor in this:

new position. During this interval, the nail feeding rollers 39 and 76 will have rotated the roller 39, depositing a nail for each nail holder into the chutes 87 and the agitators 4:0 and the roller 7 5 will have deposited a nail in the receivers -75 jfrom which they will have traveled through the tubes 7 l74; into the channels 68. During this interval. the nail holders 565(i will have returned, to their initial position as the ing over the floor, this raising feature being provided to prevent'the'holders catchingon a nail, should it not be driven flush. with the floor. The cam 52, however, being of a somewhat longer areuate length, will maintain the nail sets in a raised positionand before they are allowed to drop, the pushers 7070 will be moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 4 to force the nails deposited within channels 68,6S into the grooves and into their properposition, right end up,

in the guides 56- 56. .Aslthe shaft 33continues to rotate, the nail sets will be per-- tinues to rotate, the latclr 58 will again engage the stop 60, release the drum 25, and permit the hammer, 28 to again drop upon thehead 65 to thereby repeat the nail driving operation. I I

From the aboveitavillbe seenthat I have produced a machinewhich,when onceset in operation, willbe'completely automatic in both the movementef the machine over the floor and in'the' nail feeding and driving operation. 7 I

\Vhile I have shown in thedrawings only one hammer and its correlated elements, I desire to have it understood that my ma chine can be provided with :any number of hammers as desired, the same beingarranged and spaced along the front of the machine as viewed in Fig. 1,'the number and spacing of hammers. being determined by the nature of thework for which it-is to be applied," the shafts 23 and 33 extending throughout the length of the machine and being common to each nail driving unit. 'VVhile I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction without depar ing from the spirit of the invention asidefined in the appended claims; 7

Having thus described my-invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent isf; I r

1. In a floor nailing machine, the combinationof a frameadapted to travel over the nailed surface, a 'IDOi'rOI for driving. said frame, adriving'wheel for said frame in contact with the nailed surface, a canthook device engaging the. flange of'said driving wheel, a cam driven by said motor adapted to engage said cant-hook device to advance said frame a predetermined distance during one revolution thereof, anda brake mechanism for holding said frame stationary when said cam is inan inoperative position.

2. In a floor nailing machine, the combination of a frame adapted to travel over the nailed surface, a motor: for driving said frame, a drop hammer, a drum forraisi 11g said hammer driven bysaid motor, and a clutch mechanism cooperatingv with said drum to periodically raise and automatically drop said hammer as said frame advances a predetermineddistance. 7 V

3. In a floornailingmachine, the combination of a frame adaptedto travel over the nailed surface, a drop hammer carried by said. frame, a motor for driving said frame. a main shaft driven by said, motor, a releasable drum upon said shaft for raising said drop hammer, and a driving mechanism between said shaft and drum adapted to release said drum upon every revolution of said shaft, whereby said hammer will automatically operate in a nail driving direc tion as said frame advances over the nailed surface.

4. In a floor nailing machine, the combination of a frame adapted to travel over the nailed surface, a'motor for driving said frame, a drop hammer, a drum for raising said hammer driven by said motor, a clutch mechanism cooperating with said drum to periodically raise and automatically drop said hammer as said frame advances a predetermined distance, a nail hopper, and means for automatically feeding nails from said hopper to a driving position beneath said hammer.

5. In a floor nailing machine, the combination of a frame adapted to travel over the nailed surface, a motor for driving said frame, a drop hammer, a drum for raising said hammer driven by said motor, a clutch mechanism cooperating with said drum to periodically raise and automatically drop said hammer as said frame advances a predetermined distance, a nail set located beneath said hammer, a nail hopper, means for raising said nail set, and means for feeding a nail from said hopper, right end up, beneath said nail set, said nail set being allowed to engage said nail before said hammer drops.

6. In a floor nailing machine, the combination of an automatically operating drop hammer, a plurality of nail positioning means in cooperative relation with said drop hammer, a plurality of nail sets adapted to engage said nails when in a driving position, whereby said hammer is adapted to drive a plurality of nails, and means whereby the spacing of said nail positioning means and nail sets may be varied.

ALVIN A. FAWCETT.

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