US3680617A

US3680617A - Wall frame prefabrication apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3680617A
Application number: US62564A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederic H Schneider
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-08-10
Filing date: 1970-08-10
Publication date: 1972-08-01
Anticipated expiration: 1989-08-01

Abstract

Apparatus is described for prefabricating wall frames for wooden frame buildings. The apparatus includes a table having a layout area upon which the frames are assembled. Means are provided on the layout area for holding a pair of flexible metal templates at locations on the layout area at which indicia on the templates will establish the locations on the upper and lower wall frame plates where studs and the like are to be nailed to them. A saw guide at one end of the table is aligned with a marking on one of the templates representative of one end of a wall, and a lumber stop member is adjustable along such template for alignment with a marking on the template representative of the other end of the wall. Such arrangement enables lumber pieces to be cut on the table to provide wall plates of a proper length.

Description

United States Patent Schneider [15] 3,680,617 Aug. 1,1972

[54] WALL FRAME PREFABRICATION APPARATUS [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 62,564

3,371,921 3/1968 Hollomon et al ..144/288 R Primary Examiner-Harrison L. Hinson Attorney-C. Michael Zimmerman [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus is described for prefabricating wall frames for wooden frame buildings. The apparatus includes a table having a layout area upon which the frames are assembled. Means are provided on the layout area for holding a pair of flexible metal templates at locations on the layout area at which indicia on the templates will establish the locations on the upper and lower wall frame plates where studs and the like are to be nailed to them. A saw guide at one end of the table is aligned with a marking on one of the templates representative of one end of a wall, and a lumber stop member is adjustable along such template for alignment with a marking on the template representative of the other end of the wall. Such arrangement enables lumber pieces to be cut on the table to provide wall plates of a proper length.

11 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENTEUMM; I m2 SHEU 1 OF 3 ii .chmlder ATTMQEY PATENTED NIB 1 I972 SHEEI 2 0F 3 I f 2 1.5mm Eredric 91. Schneider ATTORNEY WALL FRAME PREFABRICATION APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The cost of labor represents a major expense in the construction of wooden frame buildings such as houses and garden-type apartments. For this reason, building contractors are turning to assembly-line techniques in larger construction projects in order to expedite the building erection and thus minimize the overall labor cost. For example, it is now common in the construction of framed apartments or tract housing to prefabricate the frames for walls and transport the completed wall frames to their proper. position for erection rather than assemble each individual wall frame at its location as is ordinarily done in smaller construction projects. However, the present prefabrication methods leave much to be desired. Most often, the wall prefabrication is carried out at several dif ferent locations. That is, the wall plates (upper and lower horizontal frame members) are generally cut to the required length for each separate wall section at one location and then transported to another at which they are marked to indicate the places on each at which studs, headers, cripples, etc. are to be secured thereto. The plates are then transported to an assembly and nailing table where the required studs and other wall members are secured between them to provide the wall frame.

It will be appreciated that the transportation of the various members for a wall frame between the locations at which the individual operations are carried out represents non-productive time. That is, the transporta tion time does not show up as a part of the finished product. Furthermore, coordination and scheduling are required to assure that those involved in each of the separate operations are kept busy and that the plates and the like are cut to lengths and marked in the proper sequence to match the nailing schedule. In order to minimize miscalculations and errors in this scheduling, a relatively highly skilled and, therefore, more expensive labor force must be used in the operation. Thus, while the present wall frame prefabrication methods are an improvement over non-prefabrication methods used in smaller, customized building construction, they are lacking in several respects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a wall frame prefabrication apparatus which enables the completion in a simple manner and at one location of a majority of the operations required for the construction of a wall frame. Moreover, it completely eliminates the necessity of marking on each plate the various locations at which studs and cripples and the like are to be secured thereto.

In its basic aspects, the invention comprises a table defining a layout area for the assembly and nailing of a wall frame. As a particularly salient feature of the invention, it includes means for positioning a pair of templates having indicia representative of a wall frame to be fabricated, at spaced generally coextensive locations on the layout area adjacent to the locations at which upper and lower wall plates are to be positioned on the layout area. Lumber stops are provided on the table for positioning the plates at their locations so that the indicia on the templates will establish the positions on the plates at which wall studs, cripples, headers-and the like are to be secured therebetween. Because of this relationship of the pair of templates to the wall plates, it is not necessary to mark the plates themselves to indicate where studs and the like are to be secured between them. The template markings serve this purpose.

Most desirably, the table also includes means facilitating the cutting at the table of the plates to the required wall lengths. That is, a saw guide is located on the table at a location at which it will direct a saw across the table in a path which is in alignment with indicia on one of the templatesindicating the end of a wall. Thus, a hand-held or other saw arrangement can be used with the guide to cut boards to a length commensurate with the wall length indicated on the template. In this connection, the apparatus also desirably includes a stop member whose position is adjustable on the table along the template for alignment with indicia thereon indicating the opposite end of a wall. The stop member thereby acts to locate the opposite end of a board to be cut to provide the plate of the desired length.

The invention also includesv a wall plate template which is especially adapted for use with the layout table and facilitates the construction at the table of plurality of different walls. The template. comprises an elongated and flat tape having a sufficient length for the marking thereon of several different walls. This template is-premarked with indicia representative of the distance commonly provided between adjacent studs of a wall frame, e.g., sixteen inch centers, as well as with indicia representative of equal dimensional sections or components normally used in construction, such as markings every four feet along the tape. The template is also flexible in its lengthwise direction so that it can be rolled up or coiled when not in use to facilitate transportation and storage.

The inclusion in the combination of this tape template enables the apparatus to be converted from a set up for one wall to a set up for another in a quick and simple manner, the details of which will become clearer hereinafter. Moreover, the premarking of the template with the 16 inch centers and into equal dimensional sections eliminates the necessity of much of the marking now normally required on templates as they are marked for a particular wall.

The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of the invention includes other features and advantages which will become apparent from the following, more detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the wall frame prefabrication apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an' enlarged and partial isometric view of that portion ofthe apparatus of FIG. 1 encircled by the line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another enlarged, partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on a planeindicated by the line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the preferred flexible template useable with the invention; and

FIGS. 6 through 8 are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating operation of the apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT horizontal surface providing a rectangular wall frame layout area 13. More particularly, the table comprises a plurality of legs, one of which is partially shown at 14 in 'FIG. 2, supporting a rectangular frame made up of end rail members 16 securing together elongated side panels 17 (FIG. 2).to define the layout area. A cross-rib l8 and truss member 19 are provided to assure structural rigidity of the table.

- Layout area 13 should have a width sufficient to enable assembly thereon of a wall frame with the height dimension of the frame being along the width dimension of the layout area. Walls are conventionally made 8 feet high-and to accommodate such conventional walls the width dimension of the table should be at least 8 feet. Preferably, the length of the table is sufficient to accommodate on the table the full length of the walls to be fabricated. Several table sections can be fitted together to provide the requisite length if desired.

Nailing machine guides 21 are secured along each side edge of the table and project upwardly a short distance above the'table layout area. The guides 21 include removable means for preventing the dropping over the edge of the table of wall frame plates laid on the layout area just inwardly of such guides. That is, a plurality of 'pinsor bolts 22 extend upwardly from spaced locations along the upper edge of each of the guides. Each of the bolts 22 is received within an associated bore within the guide of which it is a part to enable removal of such bolts so that the guides can be used as guides or runners for a hand-operated nailing machine or the like as will be discussed in more detail hereinafter.-

- As a particularly salient feature of the instant invention, it includes means enabling the proper assembly of a wall frame on the layout area 13 without requiring marking of the wall plates to indicate where studs, cripples, etc. are to be secured thereto. That is, the apparatus includes means for positioning a pair of templates at spaced, generally co-extensive locations adjacent and generally parallel to the positions on the layout area for the upper and lower plates of a wall frame to be assembled. To this end, two

pair

23 and 24 of wall lower and upper template guide rails extend along each side edge of the layout area 13 inwardly of the nailing guide 21. The guide rails of each

pair

23 and 24 define

channels

26 and 27, respectively, for receiving

templates

28 and 29 having as in conventional indicia representative of the layout for a wall frame, i.e., indicia along their lengths suitably labeled and spaced to indicate the ends of a wall and the locations between ends at which studs, cripples and headers are to be secured to the wall plates. The indicia foreach wall to be assembled are provided on both of the

templates

28 and 29. With this arrangement when the indicia for a wall onone 'of the templates are aligned with the corresponding indicia on the other template, the indicia will represent and show the markings normally pro-.

vided on the upper and lower plates of a wall frame. As is apparent from FIG. 1, the templates are positioned at locations just inwardly of the locations on the layout area at which the plates are to be situated for assembly of the frame. Thus, by aligning the studs and the like with the indicia on the templates, the studs will meet with the plates at the proper location for the frame astionally done. The savings in time by the elimination of this marking operation can be appreciable, especially when a plurality of identical walls all requiring the same plate marking are needed in the construction.

While conventional wood templates are useable with the layout table of the invention, most desirably the templates are ones which are sufficiently long to accommodate markings for more than one wall and yet which require a minimum of space, for storage and the like. The invention includes as a part of the combination templates providing these characteristics. More particularly, each of the

templates

28 and 29 is an elongated metal tape which is flexible in its lengthwise direction to permit coiling thereof into a roll. Metal tape of the type normally used for venetian blind slats is particularly useful for this purpose. Such tape includes a slight curvature in its transverse cross-section, which curvature tends to maintain the tape in a flat condition but which can be overcome to coil the tape.

in order to make use of the desirable characteristics of the

templates

28 and 29 as described, two pair of

spools

31, 32 and 33, 34 are associated with each of the

templates

28 and 29, respectively, and are provided at opposite ends of the table for holding and feeding tem-r plates across the layout area. Each spool is secured to the table at a locationimmediately below and beyond the layout area for rotation on a generally horizontal axis and has a crank handle 36 secured thereto to facilitate its rotation by an operator. lndicia for a plu rality of walls'can be successively laid out: along the length of each template, and the template then coiled onto a spool. By drawing each template across the table layout area from one of its spools to the other afterthe required number of wall frames of one particular layout arrangement are assembled and nailedtogether, the markings on each tape for another wall frame can be advanced from the spools onto the layout area into the proper position for assembling frames conforming to the second layout arrangement. It will be appreciated that because of the spool and flexible tape arrange ment, numerous wall layouts can be provided on the templates in contrast to the layout for only one wall as is conventionally done with wood templates.

The positioning means for situating each of the tem plates on the layout area also includes means for properly locating the indicia for each wall in alignment with corresponding indicia on the other template and at the proper locations on the layout area for the assembly of the wall. As is best illustrated in FIG. 2 for template 28, such means includes for each of the templates a hairline marker 37 at one end of the layout area 13 and which is alignable with a marking on its associated tape representative of the end of a wall. The hairline markers 37 are desirably inscribed lines on transparent plates 38 of, for example, glass or plastic which are supported over the path of travel of the

templates

28 and 29 by support blocks 39 which are in turn secured to end plates 41 on the table comers. Each marker or inscribed line 37 extends transversely of its associated template for alignment with a corresponding line marking on the tape.

Holding means are provided for locking the templates in position once the appropriate wall end marking on the

templates

28 and 29 are aligned with the hairline markers 37. For this purpose, a vice grip pliers arrangement 42 is secured to the plate 41 with its gripping jaws 43 on opposite sides of the path of its associated template to grip the same and lock it into position with respect to the plate 41 and, hence, the remainder of the table layout area.

Means are also provided for facilitating minor movements of the templates to obtain precise alignment of a marking on the templates with the hairlines 37. As shown in connection with template 28, the templates each pass over a template micrometer adjustment wheel 44 which is mounted for axial rotation on a journal pin 46 which extends outwardly of an angle iron flange 47 secured to the underneath surface of plate 41. An operator aligning indicia with the hairline 37 can grasp the wheel and slowly rotate it and the portion of the template passing thereover to provide movement of the template in the direction necessary to obtain the desired alignment.

The tape alignment and gripping mechanism 48 for tape 49 is identical with that described with respect to tape 28 and therefore will not be described in detail. It is to be noted, though, that the hairline markers for each of the tapes are in alignment transversely of the table so that if one positions the end wall indicia for a particular wall on both tapes with their associated line markers 37, the other corresponding marks on the tapes such as the stud markings 49, will also be in alignment.

Means are also provided for aligning the ends of wall templates themselves as well as the end stud of the wall frame to be assembled, with the hairline markers 37. More particularly, an elongated 'stop in the form of an angle iron 51 is secured to table end member 16 inwardly of the location on the layout area of the tape guide rails 23. Angle iron 51 presents a face in align ment with the hairline marker 37 for abutment by the end wall stud of the frame, as well as for another purpose to be described hereinafter. Additional stops in the form of angle iron tabs 52 are provided on tape alignment and gripping mechanism 48 for aligning the end of a plate with the hairline markers 37 and the opposite end of the stud forming the end of the wall frame being assembled.

Means are also provided on layout area 13 which cooperate with template 28 to enable the cutting on the table of lumber to the required length to provide wall plates. In this connection, a lumber stop and carriage arrangement, generally referred to by the reference numeral 56, is adjustably positionable along the length of template 28 to facilitate positioning the ends of lumber pieces to be cut for the wall plates at indicia on the tape marking the end of a wall frame. More particularly, template 28 is encompassed by a channel 57 which defines a track for the carriage and stop arrangement. As is illustrated in FIG. 4, the carriage and stop arrangement 56 includes a pair of wheels 58 which ride on the upper end surfaces of the legs of channel track 57. Such wheels 58 are mounted on an axle 59 which is, in turn, journaled for rotation within bearings 51 secured to the main body of the carriage. As is shown, axle 59 extends from the carriage beyond the nailing guide 21 and terminates in a hand wheel 62 for rotation by an operator. It will be apparentthat upon the operator rotating hand wheel 52, the wheels 58 will be rotated on the channel track 57 to translationally move the carriage arrangement 56 along the track.

The stop and carriage arrangement 56 includes means for locking the carriage at any desired location along the track 57. That is, with reference to FIG. 3 of the drawing, flanges 63 and 64 depend from underneath surface of the carriage on opposite sides of the track to aid in guiding the carriage along the track, and a levered vise mechanism cooperates with the flange 63 to provide the desired locking. Mechanism 66 includes a lever 67 which is pivotally supported at 68 for limited vertical movement in the directions indicated by arrow 69. A flange or jaw 71 on the end of lever 67 closest to flange 63 rides inside the channel 57 at a location at which pivoting of the free end of the lever downward will result in such flange and the stop 63 pressing between them the leg 72 of channel track 57 to lock the carriage at a desired position. A crank operated bolt 73 threadably received through the free end of lever 67 engages the carriage so that upon rotation thereof, crank 67 is pivoted to either engage or release channel leg 72 depending on the direction of rotation of bolt 73.

Carriage and stop mechanism 56 includes a lumber stop which is alignable with a marking on the template 28 indicating the end of awall frame to position at such mark the ends of boards to be cut for wall plates. That is, a stop plate 76 on the front end of the carriage extends transversely over channel track 57 for alignment with such a marking. The stop plate will position at the marking the ends of boards laid on the template guides 23 and abutted against it.

Saw guides means are provided for directing a saw such as an electric hand held saw schematically represented at across the table layout area with its blade in alignment with hairline marker 37. For this purpose, an elongated guide rail 77 is supported by a post above the hairline marker 37 and extends inwardly of the layout area therefrom. Guide rail 77 is in the form of an angle iron having a vertical leg 78 providing the desired guide for the saw. While the particular guide rail 77 is designed for the guidance of a hand held electric saw such as the saw 75, it will be appreciated that guide arrangements for other types of saws could also be provided. For example, in a permanent installation it may be desired to use a radial saw for cutting of the wall plates. The guide would then take the form of the radial arm of such a saw.

The manner in which the prefabrication apparatus of the invention facilitates the construction of wall frames will now be described. Prior to the time that it is actually desired to construct a wall frame, the

templates

28 and 29 are marked with the dimensions and construction details of a plurality of walls derived from a plan illustrating the plates and cooperating building elements which are to be joined in the construction of the building. While in order to best utilize the apparatus of the invention, two templates should be marked as opposed to one as is conventionally done, the additional time required for the marking of the second template is more than offset by the time other- .wise saved by the apparatus. This is especially true when the templates used with the invention are flexible tape templates since the handling of separate wooden templates and the individual marking of the same for each wall requires an appreciable amount of time.

After the templates are marked, they are wound on the spools 31 -34 with a portion of each extending through the

template positioning channels

26 and 27, respectively. Then when it is desired to actually construct the walls, the markings'on each of the tapes for an end of a particular wall, such as the wall numbered 26 in'FIG. 2, are properly aligned with the hairline markers-37, and the grips 42 are actuated to maintain the templates in position. Carriage and stop. arrangement 56 is then translationally moved along template 28 to align stop plate 76 thereof with indicia on such template indicating the other end of the wall. The stop and carriage arrangement is locked in this position in the manner described earlier.

Two pieces of lumber, e.g., 2 X 4 boards, for the upper and lower plates for the desired wall frame are then brought into position against stop plate 76 and laid over the template guides 23. FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the location at which pieces of lumber denoted by the reference numeral 81 are positioned for the sawing operation. Then a saw is guided through the lumber by saw guide rail 77, thereby automatically cutting the boards to the proper length for the plates. Each of the plates is then turned on its side, and one is laid against the nail guide 21 adjacent to template 28 and the other placed adjacent the nailing guide on the other side of the layout area. The plate associated with the template 281s positioned longitudinally of the table in proper alignment with the .template by the same stop plate 76 used to position the end of the lumber for the cutting operation. The other plate, the upper plate for the wall,

- is positioned against one of the stop tabs 52, (FIG. 1) in order to properly align the same with the indicia on the template 29. Then the studs, cripples, etc. can be positioned between the plates in their proper locations by aligning the same with the indicia on the templates representative of their proper locations. Then to complete the assembly of the wall frame, it is only necessary to nail the wall plates to the various studs, such as by removing the bolts 22 from the nailing guides 21 and running an automatic nailing machine along such guides.

The wall frame is thus completed without cutting and marking of the plates at diflerent locations and then bringing them to an assembly table. All of these operations are combined on the one table to eliminate most of the lumber handling, as well as the marking operation. 1

Although the instant invention is designed to eliminate the necessity of marking plates, in some instances it is more desirable that the plates be marked, such as when it is necessary to construct walls at the actual location at which they are to be placed rather than to prefabricate them. To facilitate such a marking operation, the invention also includes means for the marking at one time of a plurality of plates. That is, carriage and stop arrangement 56 includes a straight edge marker 82 which is secured to the carriage at a location above the stop plate 76 and in alignment therewith. As

is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8, straight edge marker 82, formed by an angle iron, extends inwardly of the table from the carriage arrangement and at a height at which it is usable as a guide for a marking pencil or the like to mark the side edges of a plurality of plates 83 (FIG. 3). It will be appreciated that in order to transfer the indicia on the template 28 to the plates with this arrangement it is merely necessary to slide the stop and carriage arrangement 56 along the template, and at each position at which the stop plate 76 is aligned with a mark on the template, make the same mark on the plate with the aid of the straight edge 82.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flexible template of the inventionespecially adapted for use with the prefabrication apparatus. More particularly, such template, in addition to having the features described above in connection with the

templates

28 and 29, also is premarked with indicia 84 representative of the distances commonly provided between adjacent studs of a wall frame. Most often, such distance is 16 inches and the indicia are referred to as 16 inch centers. The tape also includes indicia 86 representative of equi-dimensional sections or components quite often utilized in locating the posi tion of elements relative to wall plates. For example, the indicia 86 can be spaced at 4 foot intervals, an interval commonly used.

While the invention has been described with respect to preferred apparatus, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the arts that many changes and modifications are possible within its scope. For example, although a fairly simply made embodiment of the invention facilitating handling and transportation of it ata job site has been described, a more permanent embodiment incorporated into an assembly line or the like at a prefabrication plant or the like could also be made.

I claim:

1. Wall frame prefabrication apparatus for use with a pair of elongated templates having a plurality of different wall frames successively laid out along their lengths on corresponding sections of each, comprising a table defining a surface providing a wall frame layout area; positioning means for situating corresponding sections of said pair of templates at spaced, generally coextensive locations across said layout area with indicia on each template representative of a first wall frame to be fabricated in alignment with corresponding indicia on the other template for the prefabrication of said first wall frame; lumber stop means for positioning upper and lower wall plates on said layout area at spaced locations which are generallyparallel to the 10- cations for said templates and at which indicia on templates situated by said positioning means establish locations on said plates for the securance thereto of wall studs and the like for said first wall frame; and means for advancing said templates lengthwise over said layout area to properly position other corresponding sections thereof having indicia representative of a second wall frame across said layout area with corresponding indicia thereof in alignment for the prefabrication of said second wall frame.

2. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 1 wherein saw guide means are provided for directing a saw across said table layout area at a predetermined location adapted to have indicia on one of said templates indicative of the end of a wall positioned in alignment therewith for cutting at said location a board to provide a plate of a desired wall length.

3. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 2 wherein said stop means includes a stop member which is adjustably positionable along a template for the positioning thereof in alignment with indicia on said template indicative of the opposite end of said wall for properly locating the end of a board to be cut to provide said plate of the desired wall length.

4. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 1 wherein said positioning means for situating said pair of templates includes for each of said templates a hair-line marker on said table alignable with indicia on its associated template.

5. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 4 wherein holding means are provided for locking said templates in position on said layout area.

6. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said pair of flexible tape templates having indicia along their lengths representative of a plurality of wall frames to be fabricated are flexible.

7. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of said flexible templates is metal and includes a curvature in its transverse cross-section when flat which tends to maintain the template in said flat condition but which is overcomeable for coiling of such template.

8. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 7 wherein said means for advancing said templates over said layout area includes spools about which said templates are coilable at opposite ends of said table for holding and feeding each of said templates across said layout area for the successive location on said layout area of said indicia representative of said plurality of wall frames.

9. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 8 wherein said positioning means for situating said templates includes for each of said templates a hair-line marker on said table alignable with indicia on its associated template.

10. The wall frame prefabrication apparatus of claim 9 wherein each of said flexible templates passes over a micrometer adjustment wheel secured to said table for providing accurate alignment of indicia on each of said tapes with its associated hairline marker.

11. The wall prefabrication apparatus of claim 10 wherein said lumber stop means is adjustably positionable along one of said templates and includes a marking straight-edge moveable therewith and located over positions for a plurality of plates for marking thereon the stud locations established by said indicia on said template.

Claims

1. Wall frame prefabrication apparatus for use with a pair of elongated templates having a plurality of different wall frames successively laid out along their lengths on corresponding sections of each, comprising a table defining a surface providing a wall frame layout area; positioning means for situating corresponding sections of said pair of templates at spaced, generally coextensive locations across said layout area with indicia on each template representative of a first wall frame to be fabricated in alignment with corresponding indicia on the other template for the prefabrication of said first wall frame; lumber stop means for positioning upper and lower wall plates on said layout area at spaced locations which are generally parallel to the locations for said templates and at which indicia on templates situated by said positioning means establish locations on said plAtes for the securance thereto of wall studs and the like for said first wall frame; and means for advancing said templates lengthwise over said layout area to properly position other corresponding sections thereof having indicia representative of a second wall frame across said layout area with corresponding indicia thereof in alignment for the prefabrication of said second wall frame.