US3243177A

US3243177A - Construction apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3243177A
Application number: US291461A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carl E Christman; Thomas S Ferguson
Original assignee: INLAND HOMES CORP
Current assignee: INLAND HOMES CORP
Priority date: 1963-06-28
Filing date: 1963-06-28
Publication date: 1966-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 1983-03-29

Description

Mm'dl 1966 c. E. CHRISTMAN ETAL 3,

CONSTRUCTION APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS CARL E. CHRISTMAN 8 BY THOMAS S. FERGUSON ATTORNEYS March 1966 c. E. CHRISTMAN ETAL 3,

CONSTRUCTION APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1963 3 m I!) 1 I 02 INVENTORS CARL E. CHRISTMAN a g o THOMAS s. FERGUSON l\ .m kg; 4 a g e m 00 I :0 g :9 T A o NEYS March 1966 c. E. CHRISTMAN ETAL 3,

CONSTRUCTION APPARATUS Filed June 28, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS CARL E. CHRISTMAN a BY THOMAS s. FERGUSON ATTORNEYS March 1965 c. E. CHRISTMAN ETAL 3,

CONSTRUCTION APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 28, 1963 FIG-8 93 INVENTORS 94 CARL E. CHRISTMAN a BY THOMAS S. FERGUSON WMM /W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,243,177 CONSTRUCTION APPARATUS Carl E. Christman and Thomas S. Ferguson, Piqua, Ohio, assignors to Inland Homes Corporation, Piqua, Ohio, I a corporation of Ohio Filed June 28, 1963, Ser. No. 291,461 r1 Claims. (Cl. 269-26) This invention relates to apparatus for making prefabricated homes, and particularly to apparatus for construction of roof trusses and the like.

In the design of a prefabricated home, the roof is generally supported by a plurality of parallel truss-ed rafters which are supported at their opposite ends on the upper portions of the'exterior side walls. These trusses bear the entire weight of the roof and any loading thereof, such as a heavy layer of snow, and consequently they are scientifically designed to obtain maximum strength from the building materials used, as well as to meet the requirements of various governmental and private specifications. A widely used type of truss includes a plurality of two by four wooden members secured together by metal gusset plates'having clusters of triangular teeth extending perpendicularly therefrom and which are imbedded in the wooden member on the opposite sides of each joint. i

Thernass production of these trusses is normally slow and quite difiicult because the components thereof tend to be separated and misaligned before and during the fastening of the gusset plates, and because the truss must be turned completely over before the plates can be secured to the other side thereof. During this turning or reversing operation, and due to the size and weight involved, the truss is twisted, and sometimes the component parts of the truss assembly are completely separated.

Accordingly, an important object of this invention is to' provide apparatus for manufacturing prefabricated trussed rafters and the like for homes and other buildingsfand further to provide apparatus which will sub stantially increase the rate of production while decreasing the cost and labor required.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the aforesaid type which will securely align and position the various components of a trussed rafter without requiring more than minimum personal attention, and further to provide apparatus of the type described above which permits the gusset plates to be secured with ease and speed to both sides of the trussed rafters without requiring manual lifting or movement thereof.

A' further object of this invention is to provide apparatus for making prefabricated components for use in the building of homes and the like which is readily adjustable so that different configurations of truss assemblies and th elike can be formed thereon, and further to provide 7 apparatus of the aforesaid type which is simple in design and dependable in operation for minimum post and maximum usefulness.

Additional objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing s and the appended claims,

In the drawings FIG. 1 is a plan view of apparatus in accordance with the invention having a truss assembly shown thereon in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a typical gusset plate utilized in the construction of the truss assembly;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of one end of the apparatus showing a truss assembly having an extended top chord;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of one-half of the machine showing a truss assembly thereon;

"Ice

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the apparatus in its alternate position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of one end of the apparatus showing another type of truss assembly thereon;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken essentially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 8 is an elevation view of the actuator mechanism taken along the View line 8-8 of FIG, 7,

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, FIG. 1 shows a plan of the apparatus in accordance with the invention and having a typical truss assembly illustrated thereon in broken lines. The truss assembly 10 includes a bottom chord 11, the sloping top chords 12 and 13, the king and

queen posts

15 and 16, respectively, and a pair of diagonal braces 18, all preferably constructed of wood having the same cross-section size, e.g. conventional two by fours. The components of the truss assembly are securely fastened together by the gusset plate (FIG. 2) having a plurality of teeth clusters 21, as will be described. One of the important features of the invention is the capability of the apparatus to make other sizes and configurations of truss assemblies, although the apparatus is initially described in connection with the production of a particular type of truss assembly.

The apparatus includes six vertical support posts 22 rigidly secured to the floor F (FIG. 8) of the shop or the like, and each having a bearing block 23 secured on the top surface thereof. The axes of these bearing blocks are horizontal and coaxial for receiving the rigid pivot shaft or rod 25 which extends from one endof the apparatus to the other. Rigidly secured to this shaft midway between its ends is a central support 27 which includes two parallel

tubular members

28 and 29 rigidly secured to the shaft by welding, and are interconnected by the parallel cross members 31 and '32 (FIG. 4) secured near the other end thereof. The

members

31 and 32 support the guide strips 33 in precise position for alignment of the king post 15, as will be further explained.

The ends 34 of the

members

28 and 29 are open so that the end assembly 35 is adjustably secured in place by sliding the rods or tubes 37 into the hollow

tubular members

28 and 29. The pins 38 extend through any one of a series of holes 40 in the

members

28 and 29, and through a suitable opening in the tubes 37 to secure this end assembly in any of several desired positions. Secured between the opposite ends of the tubes 37 are the parallel cross plates 42 which support the air motor 43 thereon. The motor 43 has a V-shaped bracket 44 on the end of its piston rod 45 for engaging the apex of the top chords 12 and 13 of the truss assembly, as seen in FIG. 4.

The intermediate supports 47 are positioned midway between the central support 27 and the end of the apparatus, and are substantially similar to the central supports 27. Thus each of these assemblies includes a pair of

tubular members

48 and 49 rigidly secured to the shaft 25 with the cross members 51 supporting the four guide strips 53 which position the queen post 16 of the truss assembly in either two position-s. The tubes 54 slide into and out of the

tubular members

48 and 49, and are secured in position by the lock pins 55 which are substantially identical in design and operation to the lock pins 38, as described above.

The essential difference between the

supports

27 and 47, is that the members 48-49 and the tubes 54 of the intermediate supports 47 are shorter than the corresponding components of the central support 27 so that the air motors 57 on the cross members 58 are spaced closer to the shaft 25. The motors 57 are also disposed at an angle to the cross member 58 so that'the piston rod 59 is perpendicular to the adjacent top chord 12 or 13 so that pressure is applied perpendicularly thereto. The

supports

27 and 47 are disposed in substantially the same plane and tied together with the elongated tubular member or guide bar which extends parallel to the shaft 25, and is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to each of the

tubular members

28, 29, 48, and 49 for the purpose of positioning the bottom chord 11.

The tubular member 69 has the center thereof spaced slightly farther from the shaft 25 than the ends thereof so that the bottom chord 11 is similarly shaped with a camber or crown therein. This camber compensates for the distortion of the truss assembly when supporting a roof in such a manner that the bottom chord becomes essentially straight and the loads on the supporting walls are substantially vertical and without horizontal components. The alignment plates 62 are placed on each of the

rods

37 and 54 below the top chords 12 and 13 so that the latter are located precisely in the same plane as the bottom chord 11.

An end support 64 is provided at each end of the apparatus and includes a main bar 65 which telescopes into the tubular member 60 and is held therein in any one of a plurality of positions by the pin 66 (FIG. 1) which cooperates with a suitable aperture in the member 60 and holes 68 in the main bar 65. A shoe 70 for receiving and holding a heel block 71 (FIG. 6) is welded to the end of the rod 65, and the arm 72 rigidly connects the shoe 70 to the hollow tube 73 which is received in sliding engagement on the end of the shaft 25. The end support 64 is thus capable of reciprocation on the apparatus while being held against relative angular movement by the tube 73.

On the other end of one arm 72 is secured two parallel brackets 75 having mounted thereon an air motor 77 with its piston rod 78 disposed perpendicular to the end portions of the adjacent top chord 12 or 13. The shoe 70 has side and -bottom walls 80 and 81, respectively, extending between the ends 83 thereof to form a pocket for the heel block 71, as will be described, and the side walls 80 have the cut out openings 85 therein so that the gusset plates 20 can be easily located and secured to each side of the truss assembly.

It should be apparent that each of the central, intermediate, and chord supports 27', 47, and 64 are secured to the shaft 25 so that rotation thereof will effect simultaneous rotation for turning the truss assembly through 180 so that the gusset plates 20 may be secured to the other side thereof. The turning operation from the initial position, shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, to the alternate position, shown in FIG. 5, is effected by two air actuator assemblies 90. Each of these assemblies includes four vertical support legs 22 and 91 (FIGS. 7 and 8) secured to the floor F by the bolts 93 extending through the plates 94. The cross supports 95 are mounted on the upper portion of the

legs

22 and 91, and the inverted channel-s 97 secured on these cross supports 95 provide a support surface for the actuating mechanism. Thus the electrically operated air motor 100 and four hydraulic door check or hydraulic cushioning devices 101 (FIG. 5) are mounted horizontally and parallel to the motor 100, and each has its

piston rods

103 and 104, respectively, rigidly secured to the V-shaped yoke 105 which is supported for reciprocation by the bearing plates 106 secured on the channels 97.

An I-beam 108 extends horizontally from a rigid connection with the left-hand cross member 95, as shown in FIG. '7, and a guide channel 110 is secured thereto for guiding reciprocation of the vertical ram 111 which is secured by the bolts 112 to the yoke 105. A rack 113 is secured on the top edge of this ram 111 for engagement with a pinion 115 rigidly secured to the shaft 25 so that reciprocation of the yoke 105 and ram 111 effects rotation of the shaft 25. The air motor 100 effects such reciprocation and the cushioning devices 101 provide a cushion for the terminal movement of the

supports

27, 47, and 64 so that they do not slam into position.

In operation, the

supports

27, 47, and 64 are first positioned as shown in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 4 in the initial or starting position with the central support resting on a support table or its equivalent, and the arms 122 on the upper portion of the legs 91 supporting the

members

28, 29, and 54. The various components of the truss assembly are positioned thereon by placing the bottom chords 11 adjacent the alignment tube 60 with the ends thereof abutted. The top chords 12 and 13 are then placed in position with the uppermost ends thereof in alignment with a V-shaped bracket 44 of the motor 43, and the intermediate and lower portions in close alignment with the

cylinders

57 and 77. The king and

queen posts

15 and 16 are then placed between the alignment strips 33 and 53 between the top and bottom chords, and subsequently the braces 18 are placed in position. actuated so that their piston rods securely and simultaneously clamp the entire truss assembly against the alignment member 60 with the abutting surface of the various components tightly held together.

These air motors are preferably electrically operated through a low voltage electric system which, through the operation of a single control, supplies current to the solenoid operated valve of each air motor. Thus the motors simultaneously engage the top chords 12 and 13 thereby obviating possible misalignment between the components of the truss assembly, as might result if the air motors were energized one at a time.

While in this clamped position, the gusset plates 20 are secured on one side of the joints of each of the wooden components by driving nails through the plates 20, us-

ually with an air operated nailer. The projections 21 on these plates are not forced into the wood but the plates are merely secured in place with projections in contact with the surfaces of the wooden members. After each of the plates 20 has been secured in place, the actuating mechanism is energized to rotate the apparatus and the truss assembly 10 to its alternate position. Thus the air motors 100 withdraw their respective piston rods 103 into the cylinders to move the racks 113 to the right, as shown in FIG. 7. This movement rotates the pinions 115 and the shaft 25, and consequently the

supports

27, 47, and 64, through 180 to the alternate position wherein they are supported in a horizontal position by the support table 123 and the roller assemblies 125.

In this alternate position, the opposite side of each of the joints in the truss assembly 10 can be easily reached from above so that the gusset plates 20 can be secured thereto in substantially the same manner as they were secured to the other side of the assembly 10. Specifically, the central support 27 and the intermediate supports 47 having openings between the

members

28, 29, 48 and 49, and the

rods

37 and 54, so that the operators can gain access to each of the joints between the chords 11, 12 and 13, the

posts

15 and 16, and the braces 18. Similarly, the end supports 64 permit access to the juncture of the top and bottom chords so that the plates 20 can be secured thereto.

When all of the plates have been secured to the truss in assembly 10, the

air motors

43, 57, and 77 are evacuated by pressing a low voltage momentary contact switch which energizes the solenoid operated valves of the air motors, thus releasing the truss assembly from the apparatus causing the bottom chord 11 to be supported on the roller assemblies 125 and the apex of the top chords on the support table 123. Subsequently, the actuating mechanism is reversed to return the

supports

27, 47, and 64 to the initial position thus leaving the semi-finished truss assembly on the roller assemblies and the table. The next step is to feed the truss assembly into the nip of two pressure rollers which embeds the gusset plates 20 and nails The

air motors

43, 57, and 77 are then in the Wooden members thus completing the construction of the truss assembly. This latter step is conventional and does not form part of this invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, another embodiment of a truss assembly a is shown as being constructed on the apparatus described above. This truss assembly has an overhanging portion 13a of the top chords 12 and 13 held in position by abutting the adjustable stop 130 on the arm 131 secured to the shoe 70. The ends of the bottom chord 11 rest on the plates 133 and the chords 12 and 13 are held together by the air motor which has an extension 134 added to its piston rod 78. The gusset plates 20 can be secured to each side thereof since the structure in no way obstructs the positioning or securing of the plates 20.

FIG. 6 illustrates another truss assembly 10b configuration which can be made on the apparatus including a. heel block 71 which is secured below the end of the top chord 13 and adjacent the end of the bottom chord 11. The heel block 71 fits into the shoe 70, which holds it in position, and the chords 11 and 13 are forced together by the air motor while the gusset plates are attached. The cut out portion 85 in the side walls 84 of the shoe 70 permits the plate 20a to be easily aligned and secured to the truss assembly. While only one of the ends of the truss assemblies 10:: and 10b has been shown and described, it should be understood that the other end of each assembly is identical.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 can be easily adjusted so that truss assemblies of different sizes and configurations can be formed thereon. By increasing or decreasing the length of the central and

intermediate supports

27 and 47, and by adding adapters to vary the length of the piston rods of the

air motors

43, 57 and 77, a truss assembly having dilferent heights and slopes can be constructed. Similarly, by sliding the end supports 64 inwardly or outwardly of the apparatus, a truss assembly which has a proportionately shorter or longer bottom chord is formed. The exact arrangement of the intern-a1 members of the truss assembly, that is, the

posts

15 and 16 and the braces 18, can be varied within the scope of the invention, so that the apparatus provides a maximum flexibility in the construction of truss assemblies.

The invention has thus provided a machine which greatly increases the rate of production since the operators must only place the wooden components in position and then secure the gusset plates 20 thereto. The clamping of the components together and the turning over of the truss assembly is done quickly and automatically without the fear that the component will become misaligned or separated, as would be the case if these operations were accomplished manually. The invention furthermore insures that the various components will be precisely aligned with the joints thereof flush so that a resulting structure of consistently higher quality than heretofore known is produced.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss for use in a building comprising; an elongated horizontal shaft rotatably mounted on a stationary frame; a central support including, a first pair of parallel horizontal members rigidly secured to and extending radially from said shaft, 21 first end member on said first pair of parallel members which can be adjusted with respect to said shaft; a pair of intermediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and having a second pair of parallel members lying in the same plane as said first pair of parallel members, a second end member adjustably secured on said second pair of members for movement toward and away from said shaft, said intermediate supports being disposed between the ends of said shaft and said central support; an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said parallel members and extending parallel to and closely spaced from said shaft for providing a support for the bottom chord of the truss; end supports adjustably secured to each end of said shaft and said bar for positioning the end of the bottom and top chords together; air motor clamps on said end members of said central and intermediate supports and on said end supports for clamping the components of the truss in position to be secured together; means for rotating said shaft through to reverse said supports and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss; and means to release said air motor clamps; .7 f

2. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss assembly including bottom andjtop chords and intermediate braces comprising, an elongated horizontal shaft rotatably mounted on a stationary frame, a central support rigidly se= cured to and extending radially from said shaft, a pair".

of intermediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and lying in the same plane as said central support, said together, means for rotating said shaft to reverse said supports and permit securing of fastening means to the and means to release said other side of the truss assembly, air motor clamps.

3. Apparatus for use in constructing a triangular truss assembly having a bottom and top chord 'with internal braces comprising, an elongated shaft rota-tably mounted on a stationary frame and spaced from the Home prede- I termined distance, a central support rigidly secured .to

and extending radially from said shaft, a pair of inter= mediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and lying in the same plane as said central support, said inte'rmediate supports being disposed between the ends of said shaft and said central support, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said supports and extending parallel to said shaft, said bar and said supports cooperating to provide a support for the bottom chord, an end support adjustably secure-d to each end of said bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, automatic clamp means on said supports for engaging the upper surface of the top chords to lock the entire truss assembly between said clamp means and said alignment bar. means for rotating said shaft to reverse said supports and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the trussassembly, said supports having openings therein for permitting the fastening means to be attached from both sides thereof, and means to release said clamp means.

4. Apparatus for use in constructing a triangular truss assembly having bottom and top chords with internal braces therebetween comprising,- an elongated shaft rotatably mounted on a stationary frame, a central support rigidly secured to and extending radially from said shaft, an end member on said central support which can be adjusted toward and away from said shaft to vary the size of truss assembly which can be constructed thereon,

a pair of intermediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and lying in the same plane as said central support, said intermediate supports being disposed be tween the ends of said shaft and said central support, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said supports and extending parallel to said shaft for cooperation with said supports and providing a support for one side and the lower surface of the bottom chord, an end support adjustably secured to each end of said shaft and said bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, automatic clamp means on said end members of said supports for engaging the upper surface of the top chords to lock the entire truss assembly between said clamp'means and said alignment bar, actuator means for rotating said shaft to reverse said support and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss assembly, said supports having openings thereon for permitting the fastening means to be attached from both sides of said supports, said actuator means including a motor and a rack reciprocating thereby, a pinion on said shaft engaging said rack for rotation of said shaft in response to reciprocation of said rack, and means for cushioning the terminal movements of said shaft and supports.

5. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss assembly including a top chord which overhangs a bottom chord and intermediate braces comprising; an elongated horizontal shaft rotatably mounted on a stationary frame, a central support rigidly secured to and extending radially from said shaft, a pair of intermediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and lying in the same plane as said central support, said intermediate supports being disposed between the ends of said shaft and said central support, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said supports and extending parallel to and closely spaced from said shaft to provide a support for the bottom chord, an end support secured to each end of the adjacent side of said shaft and said bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, an adjustable stop on said end support for receiving the overhanging portion of the top chord to prevent longitudinal movement thereof, and clamp means on said supports for clamping the components of the truss assembly in position to be secured together, means for rotating said shaft to reverse said support members and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss assembly, and means to release said clamp means.

6. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss assembly including bottom and top chords having a heel block secured at the juncture thereof comprising; an elongated horizontal shaft rotatably mounted on a stationary frame, a central support rigidly secured to and extending radially from said shaft, an end member on said central support I which can be adjusted toward and away from said shaft, a pair of intermediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and lying in the same plane as said central support, said intermediate supports being disposed between the ends of said shaft and said central support, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said supports and extending parallel to and closely spaced from said shaft to provide a support for the bottom chord, an end support adjustably secured to each end of said shaft and said bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, said end supports having a shoe member thereon for receiving and positioning the heel block in alignment with the top and bottom chords, and clamp means on said supports for clamping the components of the truss assembly in position to be secured together, means for rotating said shaft to" reverse said support members and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss assembly, and means to release said clamp means.

7. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss assembly including bottom and top chords and intermediate braces comprising, an elongated horizontal shaft rotatably mounted on a stationary frame, a horizontal central support rigidly secured to and extending radially from said shaft, an end member on said central support which can be adjusted toward and away from said shaft, a pair of intermediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and lying in the same plane as said central support, said intermediate supports being disposed between the ends of said shaft and said central s pport, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said supports and extending parallel to and closely spaced from said shaft to provide a support for the bottom chord, a pair of end supports adjustably secured on the ends of said shaft and said bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, alignment means on said supports for positioning the components of the truss assembly with respect to each other, clamp means on said supports for clamping the components of the truss assembly in position, means for rotating said shaft to reverse said supports and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss assembly, and means to release said air motor clamps.

8. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss assembly including bottom and top chords and intermediate braces comprising, an elongated horizontal shaft rotatably iounted on a stationan frame, a central support rigidly secured to and extending radially from said shaft, a first end member on said central support which can be adjusted toward and away from said shaft, a pair of intermediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and lying in the same plane as said central support, a second end member on each of said intermediate supports for movement toward and away from said shaft, said intermediate supports being disposed between the ends of said shaft and said central support, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said supports and extending parallel to and closely spaced from said shaft to provide a support for the bottom chord, an end support adjustably secured to each end of said shaft and said bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, and releasable clamp means on said end members of said central and intermediate supports and on said end supports for clamping the components of the truss assembly in position to be secured together, actuator means for rotating said shaft to reverse said supports and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss assembly including a pinion secured to said shaft, a reciprocal rack in operative engagement with said pinion for effecting rotation of said shaft in response to reciprocation of said rack, and motor means for reciprocating said rack and cushioning the terminal movements thereof.

9. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss assembly including bottom and top chords and intermediate braces comprising, pivot means rotatably mounted on a stationary frame, central support means rigidly secured to and extending radially from said pivot means, intermediate support means each rigidly secured to said pivot means and lying in the same plane as said central support means, said intermediate support means being disposed between the ends of said shaft and said central support means, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said central and intermediate support means and extending parallel to and closely spaced from said pivot means to provide a support for the bottom chord, end support means adjustably secured on each end of said alignment bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, and adjustable clamp means on each of said support means for clamping the components of the truss assembly in position to be secured together, and means for rotating said pivot means to reverse said support means and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss assembly.

16. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss assembly including bottom and top chords and intermediate braces comprising, pivot means rotatably mounted on a stationary frame, central support means rigidly secured to and extending radially from said pivot means, intermediate support means each rigidly secured to said pivot means and lying in the same plane as said central support means, said intermediate support means being disposed betwcen the ends of said shaft and said central support means, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said central and intermediate support means and extending generally parallel to and closely spaced from I comprising,

rsaid pivot means to provide a support for the bottom 'chord, said alignment bar having a crown therein for creating a bottom chord having a center portion which is spaced slightly above the ends thereof so that the bottom chord will be straightened by loading of the truss assembly, end support means adjustably secured on each end of said alignment bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, and adjustable clamp means on each of said support means for clamping the components of the truss assembly in position to be secured together, and means for rotating said pivot means to reverse said support means and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss assembly.

11. Apparatus for use in constructing a truss assembly including bottom and top chords and intermediate braces an elongated horizontal shaft rotatably mounted on a stationary frame, a central support rigidly secured to and extending radially from said shaft, a pair of intermediate supports each rigidly secured to said shaft and lying in the same plane as said central support, said intermediate supports being disposed between the ends of said shaft and said central support, an elongated alignment bar secured to one side of said supports and extending parallel to and closely spaced from said shaft to provide a support for the bottom chord, an end support adjustably secured to each end of said shaft and said bar for aligning the ends of the bottom and top chords, and air motor clamp means on said supports for clamping the components of the truss assembly in position to be secured together, means for rotating said shaft to reverse said supports and permit securing of fastening means to the other side of the truss assembly, and control means for simultaneously actuating or deactivating said air motor clamps,

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,983,292 5/1961 McKinley 144-288.6 3,030,988 4/ 1962 Patterson 144-288 3,084,929 4/ 1963 Danielsen 269-58 3, 109,640 11/ 1963 Schneckloth 269-7 3 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

B. S. MOWRY, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

11. APPARATUS FOR USE IN CONSTRUCTING A TRUSS ASSEMBLY INCLUDING BOTTOM AND TOP CHORDS AND INTERMEDIATE BRACES COMPRISING, AN ELONGATED HORIZONTAL SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON A STATIONARY FRAME, A CENTRAL SUPPORT RIGIDLY SECURED TO AND EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID SHAFT, A PAIR OF INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS EACH RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID SHAFT AND LYING IN THE SAME PLANE AS SAID CENTRAL SUPPORT, SAID INTERMEDIATE SUPPORTS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID SHAFT AND SAID CENTRAL SUPPORT, AN ELONGATED ALIGNMENT BAR SECURED TO ONE SIDE OF SAID SUPPORTS AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO AND CLOSELY SPACED FROM SAID SHAFT TO PROVIDE A SUPPORT FOR THE BOTTOM CHORD, AN END SUPPORT ADJUSTABLY SECURED TO EACH END OF SAID SHAFT AND SAID BAR FOR ALIGNING THE ENDS OF THE BOTTOM AND TOP CHORDS, AND AIR MOTOR CLAMP MEANS ON SAID SUPPORTS FOR CLAMPING THE COMPONENTS OF THE TRUSS ASSEMBLY IN POSITION TO BE SECURED TOGETHER, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT TO REVERSE SAID SUPPORTS AND PERMIT SECURING OF FASTENING MEANS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRUSS ASSEMBLY, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY ACTUATING OR DEACTIVATING SAID AIR MOTOR CLAMPS.