U.S. patent number 3,707,256 [Application Number 05/091,135] was granted by the patent office on 1972-12-26 for interior door unit assembly machine.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Barker-Lubin Company. Invention is credited to by Robert L. Lubin, by Rose Lubin, Adolph H. Lubin, deceased, Ivan R. Stacy.
United States Patent |
3,707,256 |
Lubin, deceased , et
al. |
December 26, 1972 |
INTERIOR DOOR UNIT ASSEMBLY MACHINE
Abstract
A machine is adapted to assemble and package a pre-hung interior
door unit, together with a jamb including a split latch and
exterior trim. The machine has an elongated horizontal bed provided
with an endless chain for conveying the door and side jamb members
past fixed staple guns which staple the trim to their associated
jamb members. Lugs on the chain stop the assembly prior to firing
the guns. A separate gun drives a temporary staple to hold the two
sections of the jamb together. Another gun drives a staple to
temporarily hold the door in place so that after it is packaged,
the assembly is rigid for shipping, yet easily disassembled as far
as needed for installation.
Inventors: |
Lubin, deceased; Adolph H.
(late of Springfield, IL), Lubin; by Robert L. (Springfield,
IL), Lubin; by Rose (Springfield, IL), Stacy; Ivan R.
(Springfield, IL) |
Assignee: |
Barker-Lubin Company
(Springfield, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
22226255 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/091,135 |
Filed: |
November 19, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
227/7; 227/152;
227/100 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B27M
3/18 (20130101); B27M 3/0073 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B27M
3/00 (20060101); B27M 3/18 (20060101); B27f
007/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;144/288R,288C
;227/7,99,100,101,102,152 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Custer, Jr.; Granville Y.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Apparatus for assembling pre-hung door and jamb units including
a door, male and female sections of a split hinge jamb and a split
latch jamb, and trim pieces for each of said sections comprising: a
frame providing a support for said door and its jamb assembly;
first pressure roller means for forcing each of said trim pieces
against the sides of their associated jamb sections while
interlocking the sections of said jambs under said force; second
roller means engaging the elongated edges of said trim pieces for
aligning said trim pieces relative to their associated jamb
sections in a plane parallel to the plane of said door; conveyor
means for moving said door and its jamb assembly longitudinally
while continuing to apply said pressures to said trim pieces and
jamb sections; stapling means responsive to the location of said
door in said machine for stapling said trim pieces to their
associated jamb sections at spaced locations as said conveyor means
moves said door and jamb unit while exerting said lateral and said
aligning pressures on said trim pieces.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first pressure roller
means comprises holder means for receiving each of said trim pieces
adjacent their associated jamb sections, lateral pressure rollers
rotatable about an axis extending parallel to the plane of said
door and perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said trim
pieces, said lateral pressure rollers being actuatable to force
their associated trim pieces into contact under pressure with said
jamb sections while permitting the door and jamb unit to be moved
longitudinally.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said frame includes a bed
adapted to receive said door and jamb units in series, each unit
lying on a side jamb, said door extending in a vertical plane with
its direction of elongation in the horizontal, and further
comprising end plate means adjacent said bed and extending
transverse of the foot of said door for aligning said jamb members
with the base of said door.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising staple driving means
for releasably fastening the male and female sections of the split
latch jamb together when said door reaches a predetermined position
relative to said frame.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising staple driving means
for releasably securing the latch edge of said door to its
associated split jamb when said door and jamb assembly reaches a
predetermined position relative to said frame.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising cartoning means
adjacent said stapling means and including a continuation of said
conveyor means for receiving a door and frame unit passing through
said stapling means and for clamping said door and jamb assembly at
its top and bottom in response to the placement of a door at said
cartoning station, an upper trough adapted to fit over one side
jamb section of said unit, a lower trough means adapted to receive
the opposite side jamb section of said unit and means for
selectively raising and lowering said door and jamb assembly in
said clamping means, whereby a pre-creased carton placed between
said unit and said upper trough means will cause said carton to be
creased about said upper jamb section when said door is raised, and
a similar pre-creased carton section inserted between said door and
jamb unit and said lower trough means when door is in said raised
condition will be creased and folded about said lower jamb section
when said door is again lowered.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising sensing means
adjacent said stapling means for sensing the position of a door and
jamb unit therein for inhibiting the operation of said stapling
means unless the door and jamb unit is positioned within said
pressure roller means.
8. A system for assembling pre-hung door and jamb units including a
door, interlocking male and female sections of a split hinge jamb
and a split latch jamb, and face trim pieces for each of said
sections comprising: a frame providing a bed elongated in a
horizontal direction and adapted to receive and slidably support a
first of said split jambs and said door with said door lying on one
side and extending in a vertical plane; first trim support means on
each side of said bed for slidably holding first and second trim
pieces in alignment with associated sections of the lower jamb;
lower forcing means for forcing said first trim support means to
clamp said first and second trim pieces against their associated
jamb sections under pressure to cause the sections of said first
jamb to interlock; upper clamping means above said bed and arranged
adjacent the upper side of a door and jamb unit resting on said bed
and including second trim support means on each side of said door
for holding third and fourth trim pieces in alignment will
associated upper sections of said second jamb when it is placed on
the upper side of said door, said clamping means further including
means for moving said second trim support means to clamp said third
and fourth trim pieces against their associated jamb sections under
pressure to cause the jamb sections to interlock; conveyor means
for causing said door and jamb unit to move longitudinally of said
bed through said upper and lower clamping means while said clamping
means continues to exert said pressure; and stapling means adjacent
said upper and lower clamping means for fastening all of said trim
pieces to their associated jamb sections at spaced locations as
said door and jamb units are moved therethrough, said fastening
occuring while said pressures are exerted by said upper and lower
clamping means.
9. The system of claim 8 further comprising second staple driving
means for removably driving a staple through the female portion of
the upper jamb to secure the door in place.
10. The system of claim 9 further comprising third staple driving
means for removably driving a staple through the male and female
portions of the upper jamb to hold them together.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a machine for assembling a
pre-hung door unit together with its jamb and trim.
In the past, the assembly of pre-hung doors to their jambs has been
by hand, although there are machines for routing the door and jamb
for hinges and for routing the door for a door knob and latch.
The present prevailing construction for wood interior doors
includes a jamb which is constructed in two side sections adapted
to be installed on different sides of a wall defining the doorway.
The side sections of the jamb are held together after installation
by means of a mortise and tendon construction. Facing or trim
members surrounding the door opening are permanently nailed or
stapled to their respective halves of the door jamb.
To install a pre-hung door unit in a wall provided with an opening,
the two sections of the jamb, together with their associated trim
pieces are first installed from opposite sides of the doorway and
then stapled together along the mortise which is partially defined
by the door jamb.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is adapted to take a door assembly together
with its split jamb and trim, and permanently secure the trim to
the jamb with staples. The machine includes an elongated horizontal
bed provided with an endless chain for conveying the door and side
jamb members past fixed staple guns which staple the trim to their
associated jambs. During stapling, the split jamb members are under
compression by means of side rollers, and the trim pieces are held
firmly in place by means of rollers permitting the longitudinal
passage of the door assembly.
In operation, an operator inserts the four side trim pieces in
upper and lower sections of the machine, and they extend
horizontally. Next, the door with its side split jambs is inserted
in the machine, and the operator actuates solenoids which cause
pressurized rollers to bear against the trim pieces to force the
split jamb members together. After a short time delay, other
rollers are moved into place for holding the lower trim pieces
against the bed of the machine. The assembly rests on idler rollers
straddling the link chain.
The upper trim pieces are placed in position in the machine and
held in place by supporting dogs. An extendible frame is moved to
apply pressure by means of contour rollers to the upper split jamb
and to force the trim members against the upper jamb. When the door
and side jamb members are then placed on the machine, all of the
rollers are actuated in sequence to apply suitable pressure to hold
the jambs together and to hold the trim pieces against the
jambs.
The headers, including a split jamb and first and second side trim
pieces are secured to the assembly while thus locked in position
prior to starting. The headers are formed on the same machine which
is easily converted to form the headers.
The operator then energizes the machine and the door is conveyed
longitudinally while disposed in a vertical plane, and as it passes
through the machine the trim pieces are permanently stapled to
their associated jamb pieces, and the split jamb members are
temporarily stapled together. Further, a staple is shot through the
latch jamb member to temporarily secure the door in a closed
position.
After the assembly is fabricated, it is automatically conveyed to a
packing or cartoning station, and a mechanism is energized for
folding cartons about the side jambs and trim pieces to protect
them, and all carton pieces are then stapled together for forming a
peripheral carton about the frame.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be
apparent to persons skilled in the art from the following detailed
description of a preferred embodiment accompanied by the attached
drawing wherein identical reference numerals will refer to like
parts in the various views.
THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pre-hung door and its associated
jamb and trim pieces;
FIG. 2 is an illustration of the door of FIG. 1 on its side and
with the trim and jamb pieces in exploded view, illustrating how
the machine of the present invention assembles the various pieces
for a pre-hung door;
FIG. 3 is a detailed view of one upper corner of an assembled frame
and door;
FIG. 4 is an upper perspective view of a door and split jamb
assembly as it comes from a routing machine;
FIGS. 5A and 5B are a composite side elevational view of a machine
incorporating the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a plan view of the bed of the machine of FIGS. 5A-5B,
taken through the sight line 6--6 of FIG. 5A;
FIG. 7 is an upper perspective view of a mechanism for clamping the
upper jamb pieces in the machine of FIGS. 5A-5B;
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken through the sight line 8--8
of FIG. 5A;
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken through the sight line 9--9
of FIG. 5A;
FIG. 10 illustrates the mechanism for clamping the assembled door
into the packaging apparatus;
FIG. 11 is a plan view illustrating the assembly for receiving the
door at the packaging station;
FIGS. 12-16 illustrate the steps taken in packaging a ppe-hung door
assembly;
FIGS. 17A and 17B are diagrammatic views of the mechanisms which
control operation of the staple guns;
FIG. 18 illustrates an attachment for making headers with the
machine; and
FIG. 19 illustrates a header.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A pre-hung door unit is one in which a manufacturer fits the door
to a jamb during fabrication, and supplies the door with its
pre-fitted jamb. When the jamb is installed in a wall opening, the
tolerances have already been set so the door is easily opened and
closed without having to hand work it any further. Normally, the
doors intended for interior use on a building are made of soft
wood, and a pre-hung door unit will include hinges. Such a unit is
shown upright in FIG. 1, wherein 10 generally designates a door and
11 designates a peripheral jamb for the door adapted to be
installed into a wall opening.
FIG. 2 shows portions of the pre-hung door assembly of FIG. 1 with
various elements in exploded relation. The door 10 of FIG. 2 is
shown resting on its side, and it will be observed here that in
assembling the various elements according to the present invention,
the door and its associated jamb members are moved along the
direction of elongation of the door 10 while it is resting on its
hinge side and disposed in a vertical plane. The two sides of the
door are usually distinguished by referring to a hinge side
(meaning the side at which the door is hinged to the jamb) and a
latch side (meaning the side at which the door is latched to the
jamb). Thus, although they are not shown in FIG. 2, the hinges for
that assembly would be toward the bottom of the door 10 and the
latch hole would be toward the top.
A hinge jamb comprises a male member 12 and a female member 13. The
female member defines a mortise 14 for receiving a tendon 15 on the
male member 12. Integral with the female hinge jamb 13 is an
inwardly projecting rib 16 against which the door butts when
closed. The latch jamb similarly includes a male member 17 and a
female member 18 adapted to be mortised together. Similarly, the
top or header of the jamb is provided with a male and a female
portion adapted to be mortised together (see FIG. 19).
A first trim piece 20 is secured to the male portion 12 of the
hinge jamb. A second side trim piece 21 is secured to the male
portion 17 of the latch jamb, and an upper trim piece 22 is
similarly secured to the male portion of the upper jamb (which is
not shown in FIG. 2). Similar trim pieces designated 23, 24 and 25
are nailed or stapled respectively to the female portions of the
hinge jamb, latch jamb, and header.
According to prevailing construction techniques, the unit is
supplied in two side sections, one including all of the male
members of the jamb together with their associated trim members and
the other including all of the female jamb members together with
their associated trim pieces. The unit is simply installed, then,
by placing the two portions of the split jamb and their associated
trim pieces into the wall opening and then nailing them permanently
together along the mortise.
Turning now to FIG. 3, there is shown a detailed view of the hinge
jamb and its associated trim pieces in assembled form. The trim
piece 20 is stapled as at 26 to the male portion of the hinge jamb,
and the trim piece 23 is similarly stapled to the female portion 13
of the hinge jamb. It will be observed that there is a slight
relief 27 between the narrow edge of the trim piece 20 and the
outer surface of the male portion 12 of the hinge jamb, and the
present apparatus preserves this relief in assembling the door
frame.
Machines are commercially available fro forming the individual jamb
members and for forming the trim pieces within the required
tolerances. Further, these machines route the female portion of the
latch jamb as well as one edge of the door for hinges; and they
further route the door for the latch plunger and door knob (see
numeral 30 in FIG. 4). The pieces are then conveyed to a table
generally designated 30a prior to placing them in the assembly
machine. As illustrated, the female portion 13 of the hinge jamb
will already have been secured by means of hinges 31 to the hinge
edge of the door 10.
Turning now to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the door assembly apparatus is seen
in elevation, and the entire machine has been divided into the
separate left and right side figures for clarity. The pre-assembly
table 30a is located to the left of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5A,
and the various elements are placed in the machine at a loading
station generally designated by reference numeral 33 from which the
door, split jamb, and facing are conveyed through a stapling
station generally designated 34 and thence to a packaging or
cartoning station generally designated 35 in FIG. 5B.
The machine is mounted on an elongated frame 37 which may be
supported by transverse feet 38 in the form of I beams. A bed 39 is
secured to the frame 37; and it extends longitudinally of that
frame. An endless link chain 40 is trained around a left sprocket
41 and a right sprocket 42 (FIG. 5B), passing over intermediate
sprockets 42a. One of the sprockets 42a is driven. The chain 40 has
an upper run 40a which is located above the bed 39 and travels
parallel to the bed. The chain 40 conveys a door unit being
manufactured past the stapling station.
Turning now to the left hand portion of FIG. 5A, there is secured
to the frame 37 an upstanding angle member 43 to which there is
secured an end plate 44 which extends perpendicular to the plane of
the page of FIG. 5A and acts as a reference location for aligning
the jamb members, trim pieces and door prior to stapling. The angle
member 43 and its associated end plate 44 are adjustably mounted by
means of a screw and crank mechanism (not shown) to the frame 37 to
permit the apparatus to be adjusted for doors and jambs of
different heights and widths.
Secured to the chain 40 at the left end of the run 40a is a foot
member 45 which is adapted to pass through an opening 44a in the
end plate 44 and engage a door to move the door and its associated
frame to the right when the sprocket 42 is driven to move the
chain. The outline of a door and the side jambs is designated by
the chain line 46, and it can be seen to rest on idler rollers 47
which are spaced longitudinally of the bed 39 and secured thereto
by means of blocks 48. The rollers 47 are provided in pairs, one on
either side of the run 40a of the chain 40, as best seen in FIG. 6.
For each pair of the rollers 47, one roller supports a female
portion of a split jamb and the other roller supports the male
member. Adjacent the stapling station 34, still referring to FIG.
6, the rollers 47 are arranged at a closer spacing, and these
rollers are all mounted on a pair of upstanding flanges 49 which
extend through the stapling station 34. The more narrow spacing of
the rollers 47 adjacent the stapling station 34 is to facilitate
the forming of headers, as will be more fully explained below.
Turning now to the stapling station 34, a pair of upstanding frame
members 50 are secured to the main frame 37, and located between
them is a pneumatic cylinder and piston rod unit 51 having its
cylinder rigidly secured to the frame 37. The rod end of the
cylinder and piston rod unit 51 is secured to a cantilevered brace
generally designated by reference numeral 52, and the cylinder and
piston rod unit 51 is provided to adjust the height of the brace 52
relative to the bed 39 to accommodate doors of different width
since the doors, as already mentioned, are fed through the stapling
station lengthwise.
There are secured to either side of the bed 39 four upright fingers
53, and they are spaced outwardly of the rollers 47 to define an
elongated slot for receiving and holding the lower trim pieces on
either side of the hinge jamb. The fingers 53 are arranged with a
base so that these trim pieces may extend below the upper surface
of the rollers 47 which support the hinge jamb.
Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown adjacent the brace 52
an upper clamping mechanism generally designated by reference
numeral 55 and including first and second rigid subframe members 56
and 57. Subframe member 56 is secured to the vertical frame members
50 by means of a leftward-extending extension 56a (FIG. 5A).
Movable subframe members 57 are slidably secured to the rigid
subframe members 56 by means of conventional dovetail machine ways,
and the movable subframe members 57 are adjustable inwardly and
outwardly to clamp upper trim pieces to the latch jamb by means of
a pneumatic cylinder and piston rod unit 58 having its rod 59
connected to a cross plate 60 secured to the distal ends of the
movable subframe members 57. The cross plate 60 is limited in its
outward motion by means of the brace 52.
A block 61 is mounted to the underside of each of the rigid
subframe members 56 (only one being shown in FIG. 7), and on each
of the blocks 61 there is secured a roller 62 mounted for rotation
about a vertical axis and adapted to engage an upper trim piece,
such as the one shown in chain line in FIG. 7 and designated by
reference numeral 24 when the clamping mechanism 55 is actuated.
Also secured to the member 56 are a dog 63 and an upper
spring-biased roller 64. The dog 63 has a lower lip 65 for
supporting the trim piece 24 which is held in place by the downward
force of the roller 64 against the action of the spring, the roller
64 being adapted for rotation about a horizontal axis parallel to
the direction of elongation of the fixed subframe member 56.
A second roller 62A similar to the roller 62 is secured to the
inner side of the cross plate 60, and it is adapted to engage the
trim piece 21 (shown in chain line) when the clamping mechanism 55
is actuated.
Turning now to FIG. 8, a dog 66 having a lip 67 is mounted to the
inner surface of the cross plate 60 and adapted to support the trim
member 21 which is held in place by means of a roller 67a similar
to the previously described roller 64 which is mounted to a crank
arm 68 which is resiliently biased downwardly by means of a spring,
not shown. The crank arm 68 is carried by the movable subframe
member 57; whereas the corresponding spring biased roller 64 for
the trim piece 24 is carried by the rigid subframe 56.
Still referring to FIG. 8, extending inwardly of the brace 52 is a
bar 70 which rotatably supports a roller 71 for rotation about a
horizontal axis transverse of the direction of movement of the door
10 and adapted to support the male portion 17 of the latch jamb. A
similar roller 72 held by means of a bar 74 mounted to the cross
frame 56a is adapted to secure the door 10 and hold it against the
stop of the female portion of the latch jamb 13 when the clamping
mechanism is closed, as illustrated in FIG. 8. As seen there, when
the cylinder and piston rod unit 58 is contracted, the cross plate
60 and its associated movable subframe members 57 are moved
inwardly carrying the trim piece 21 into contact with the male
portion of the latch jamb 17 to exert pressure thereagainst. A
sensing switch generally designated by reference numeral 75
includes a downwardly-depending finger 76 adapted to engage the
upper surface of the female portion of the jamb 13 when it is in
place, thus closing the switch 75 and acting as a safety feature to
inhibit the actuation of any of the stapling guns unless the latch
jam is in place.
Referring back to FIG. 7, integral with the brace 52 is a
downwardly-depending member 78 having first and second side rollers
79 adapted for rotation about a common horizontal axis transverse
of the direction of travel of the door for bearing against the top
of the male and female portions of the latch jamb respectively for
holding them in place.
Turning now to FIG. 9 which shows the lower portion of the
apparatus at the stapling station, extending to the left of the bed
39 there is a platform generally designated by reference numeral 80
and slidably supporting a carriage 81. Rollers of frusto-conical
shape 82 (both are seen in FIG. 5A) are mounted on the carriage 81
for rotation about a vertical axis, and they engage the lower trim
piece 20 when the carriage 81 is forced inwardly of the platform 80
by means of a pneumatic cylinder and piston rod unit, not shown. A
pair of rollers 83 and 84 are mounted to an arm 85 for rotation
about a horizontal axis parallel to the plane of the page of FIG.
9, and the arm 85 is secured to a crank 86 (see FIG. 5A) which is,
in turn, rotatably about an axis 87 extending perpendicular to the
plane of the page of FIG. 5A. When the arm 86 is actuated, it
rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 5A, and the larger, outer roller
83 engages the top of the trim piece 20 to force it downwardly;
whereas the inner, smaller diameter roller 84 engages the upper
surface of the male portion 12 of the hinge jamb for holding it
against the support rollers 47 which have already been described.
In the sequence of operation, first the rollers 82 force the trim
piece 20 against the male portion 12 of the hinge jamb, and then
the rollers 83 and 84 are brought downwardly, it will be observed
that the roller 83 defines the relief 27 between the trim piece 20
and the male portion 12 of the hinge jamb.
Turning now to the right side of FIG. 9, a pair of rollers 86a
(only one of which is seen in FIG. 9) are secured to a movable
carriage 87 which is movable relative to the bed 39 by means of a
cylinder and piston rod unit for engaging the trim piece 23 when
the cylinder and piston rod unit is actuated for forcing it into
the female portion 13 of the hinge jamb.
A third roller designated 88 and similar to the roller 83 is
mounted to an arm 99 which is attached to a crank 99a which is
actuatable in a manner similar to the previously-described crank 86
for holding the trim piece 23 down. The rollers 83, 84 and 88 are
movable to an upper position by means of their associated crank
arms during movement of the door assembly through the machine so as
to avoid bumping into the hinges, and the set of rollers 83, 84 is
interchangeable with the roller 88, and this interchange is
required to accommodate the machine to left-hand opening and
right-hand opening doors. That is, the hinge jamb is always placed
in the lower position supported by the rollers 47 and the top or
head of the door is always the first portion into the stapling
station. The door assembly shown in the drawing is a right-hand
opening door; and for left-hand opening doors the female and male
portions of the split jambs are interchanged, and the door would be
to the left of the center stop of the female portion of the jamb,
as viewed in FIG. 9.
There are preferably six staple guns which are automatically
actuated while processing a door assembly, together with one
hand-actuated staple gun for securing a header to the door assembly
prior to operation of the machine, as will be discussed presently.
Four of the stapling guns are used for permanently securing the
four side trim peices to their associated jamb members, and the
other two stapling guns are used respectively for temporarily
securing the female and male portions of the split jamb together
and for temporarily securing the latch edge of the door to the jamb
so that the jamb does not come apart nor the door open during
shipment.
Turning to FIG. 5A, the two temporary stapling guns are generally
designated by reference numerals 90 and 91 respectively, and they,
as well as the other stapling guns, are of a commercially available
type in which the staples are held in a magazine and the mechanism
for shooting the staples into the wood is pneumatically energized.
The stapling gun 90 is mounted onto an angle iron 93, and it is
adjustable for movement laterally of the door for accommodating
left-hand and right-hand opening doors. The gun 90 shoots a staple
through the female portion 13 of the split jamb and into the latch
edge of the door 10. as illustrated by reference numeral 95 in FIG.
8 to temporarily hold the door in a closed position for packaging
and shipment. Only one such staple is normally used per assembly.
The staple gun 91 is secured to the vertical frame 34 and it shoots
two or three temporary staples per assembly to hold the male and
female portions of the latch jamb together for packaging and
shipping. The male and female portions of the hinge jamb are held
together by similar temporary staples which are fired in place by a
hand gun prior to installing the assembly in the machine.
One of the remaining four staple guns is designated by reference
numeral 95 in FIG. 9 and secured to the movable carriage 81.
Another staple gun designated by reference numeral 96 is secured to
the movable carriage 87 in opposing relation to the gun 95. The
other two guns are mounted respectively to the brace 52 and the
vertical frame 34 for permanently securing the upper trim pieces to
the male and female portions of the latch jamb. These guns are
mounted in opposing relation as schematically designated by
reference numeral 99 in FIG. 5A.
In operating the machine, the operator first places the two side
trim pieces 20 and 23 supported by the members 53 and butted
against the end plate 44 which defines a lower aperture 44a for
permitting the foot 45 to travel therethrough. At this time, all of
the movable carriages carrying the pressure rollers and staple guns
are in an expanded state. Next, the operator places the two upper
trim pieces 21 and 24 into place as illustrated in FIG. 7 held
respectively by their associated support dogs and spring-biased
upper rollers. These upper trim pieces will be held in place
without further support.
Next, the door and hinge jamb (with one temporary staple holding
the hinge jamb together) are placed on the bed of the machine,
supported by the idler rollers 47. Finally, the upper latch jamb is
placed in position on the door which is held in a vertical plane
with its head extending toward the stapling station 34. All of the
parts are butted against the end plate 44 for proper relative
placement.
Next, the operator actuates a pneumatic cylinder and piston rod
unit for forcing the movable carriage 81 inwardly so that the
pressure rollers 82 bear against the trim piece 20. At the same
time, the movable carriage 87 is forced in opposing relation to the
movable carriage 81 to force the pressure rollers 86a against the
trim piece 23, and the upper clamping mechanism 55 is actuated by
means of the cylinder and piston rod unit 58 to pull the subframes
57 inwardly and force the pressure rollers 65 against the trim
piece 21. This latter action, of course, forces the male and female
portions of the latch jamb together and also forces the trim member
24 into engagement with the pressure rollers 62. After a short time
delay, the crank arms supporting the rollers 83, 84 and 88 move
downwardly into engagement with their respective trim members to
hold them against their supports. With all of the trim pieces and
jamb members thus tightly held together and under pressure, the
operator then presses a switch which actuates a motor to drive the
driven sprocket 42, and the foot 45 will then force the entire
assembly rightward as viewed in FIG. 5A, stopping periodically to
shoot the staples, as will now be described. When the rollers 62,
64, 65 and 67 are driven into clamping relation with their
associated pieces, these pieces (namely 17, 18, 21 and 24) are
urged into frictional engagement with the door as held by the
roller 73 (FIG. 8). Thus, all of these pieces are moved with the
door through this frictional contact, aided subsequently by the
temporary staples. Turning to FIGS. 17a and 17b, there are shown in
schematic form the mechanisms which trigger the shooting of the
staples. Referring first to FIG. 17a, the chain 40 is shown
diagrammatically with the foot 45 in the extreme left position.
There are three lugs secured to one side of the chain, and these
are designated respectively 100, 101 and 102. Associated with these
three lugs are four limit switches designated respectively 100a,
101a, 101b and 102a, all of which are suitably mounted to the bed
of the machine. After the machine is actuated, the chain 40 is
driven in the direction of the arrow 103, and the lug 100, when it
arrives at the position of the limit switch 100a, causes contacts
to close which energize the temporary stapling guns 90 and 91
which, as already mentioned, shoot a first temporary staple to hold
the latch edge of the door to its associated jamb and to
temporarily secure the male and female portions of the latch jamb
together.
The switch 100a also de-energizes the drive motor, the firing guns
90 and 91, and a short time delay automatically re-starts the motor
after firing. The lug 101 actuates both the limit switches 101a and
101b, but it actuates the first switch moving from right to left
and the second switch (101b) moving from left to right. In moving
from right to left (which is the forward direction of door
movement) the lug 101 trips the switch 101a to reverse the drive
motor and release of the mechanism which clamp the door frame
assembly. When the lug 101 (then passing to the right in FIG. 17a)
trips the switch 101b, a clamp is actuated for holding the door at
the packaging station, as will be made clear presently. When the
foot 45 is returned to its original position at the extreme left
end of travel, the lug 102 trips the switch 102a to shut the
machine down.
Turning now to FIG. 17b, a similar set of lugs are positioned on
the other side of the chain 40, and these lugs include a first set
designated by reference numeral 105 and a second set designated
106. The lugs 105 are set to actuate a limit switch 105a which
fires the four other staple guns for driving permanent staples into
the four side trim pieces to secure them to their associated jamb
members. As seen in the illustrated embodiment, nine such staples
are driven into the trim pieces on each side. The limit switch 105a
also de-energizes the drive motor, and after a short time delay
leaving time for the firing of the staple guns, the drive motor is
again started up. The three lugs 106 travelling with the chain 40
trip a limit switch 106a for raising the trim pressure rollers 83,
84 and 88 in FIG. 9 for passing over the hinges. Thus, no further
accommodation is needed in this respect for processing either
left-hand opening or right-hand opening doors.
Prior to actuating the machine, the operator secures a pre-formed
header as shown in FIG. 19 including two side trim pieces
(corresponding to the pieces 22 and 25 in FIG. 2) together with
their associated male and female jamb members into the mitered
corners, and staples secure the jamb pieces together.
Thus, as the door is run through the machine, it is stopped
periodically by means of the lugs hitting their associated limit
switches to fire the staple guns. Lugs that stop the motor also
energize the guns, and the mechanism is started up again after a
short time delay. The door, after it has been fully transported to
the right of the machine will be in the packaging station 35,
carried by a continuation of the same conveyor. The cartoning
station includes a U-shaped channel member 112 which receives the
header of the door, and it includes a coil spring 113 for smoothly
bringing the travelling door to a stop. The U-shaped member 112 is
mounted on a block 114 which, in turn, is slidably mounted on a
vertical frame 115 attached at its bottom to the frame 37 of the
machine. The block 114 is vertically movable by means of a cylinder
and piston rod unit generally designated by reference numeral
116.
When the door is positioned in the cartoning station, the lower
edge of the door and jamb assembly are positioned between upright
U-shaped channel members 117 and 118 which are secured to the bed
of the machine.
At the left end of the cartoning station 35 there is located a
clamp generally designated by reference numeral 120 and including a
gate 121 (see FIG. 10) which is rotatable about a vertical axis by
means of a cylinder and piston rod unit 122 in the direction of the
arrows of FIG. 10 to clamp the door solidly against the spring 113
in the stop member 112. The cylinder and piston rod unit 112 is
actuated by the return of the lug 101 in tripping the limit switch
101b of FIG. 17A. The clamp 120 is vertically movable along a shaft
125 by means of a cylinder and piston rod unit 126 (see FIG. 5B). A
vertical standard 129 is mounted on the frame 37, and at its top it
has an inverted U-shaped trough 130 for receiving the door and
frame assembly, as will be presently described.
Turning now to FIG. 12, after the door and jamb assembly is fully
inserted into the packing station, the gate 121 is closed to
solidly clamp the door and jamb assembly, as previously mentioned.
It will be observed that the upper trough 130 is spaced from the
upper trim members to permit the insertion of a pre-creased carton
135. Next, the operator actuates the cylinder and piston rod units
116 and 126 to lift the entire door and frame assembly by means of
the channel member 112 and clamp 120 to fold the carton 135 along
its crease lines and cover the upper trim pieces. This action is
shown in FIG. 13 wherein the carton 135 is folded by the action of
lifting the door into the three-sides shape illustrated. Next, the
end portions of the carton 135 are stapled by an operator by first
folding in the flaps 135a and 135b as seen in FIG. 15 and then
folding down the upper flap 135c and inserting the staples 135d
(see FIG. 16). Next, the operator places a similar carton
designated 140 in FIG. 13 on top of the lower U-shaped troughs 117
and 118, and he then de-energizes the cylinder and piston rod units
116 and 126 to lower the door and frame assembly into the lower
troughs 117 and 118, thereby folding the pre-creased carton 140.
The end tabs of the carton 140 are then suitably stapled, as with
the carton 135, and the door and frame assembly is packaged and
ready for shipment.
When headers are run, there is a separate attachment fixed to the
driving foot 45, and seen in perspective in FIG. 18. The header is
composed of two side trim pieces and a female and a male section
for the upper jam. The attachment, designated generally by
reference numeral 200, has two extendible horizontal plates 201 and
202, and two vertical plates (the one shown is 203). The left edges
of the vertical plates are beveled as at 204 of plate 203 to align
all four edges of the header prior to running, and this has been
found to be significant in saving line up time. The attachment fits
over the header and the beveled edges engage the slanted edges of
the trim pieces. The attachment defines a vertical surface (see
206) for permitting the lateral extension of the male and female
sections of the split jamb for forming butting corners with
corresponding side sections of the split jamb. When the machine is
set up for use in forming headers, normally, a large number of
headers will be produced at one time and the upper stapling guns
will not operate due to safety switches. The temporary guns are not
used at all, and only the two lower permanent guns are used in
forming headers. The lug 102 is moved downstream to the position
102' in FIG. 17A to permit the foot 45 to achieve a position closer
to the center of the machine and avoid excess return travel.
Further, the switch 101b is disabled since there is no need to
clamp the header in the packaging station.
As a safety precaution, all staple guns are safety equipped so as
not to fire unless the proper material is in correct position.
Having thus described in detail a preferred embodiment of the
inventive system, persons skilled in the art will be able to modify
certain of the structure which has been illustrated and to
substitute equivalent elements for those which have been disclosed;
and it is, therefore, intended that all such modifications and
substitutions be covered as they are embraced within the spirit and
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *