Patent Application
20100032878
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to a frame-clamping machine with extension wings providing a large flat work area that joins frame members into rectangular or square frames. The machine has moveable sliding rails within the plurality of extension wings that synchronously position clamps to securely fasten frames together for artist's paintings, museum wrap canvas, picture frames, mirrors, frames for cabinet doors, and other frames that need to be clamped precisely together at right angles.
A number of devices currently used in the construction of frames are designed mainly for small to medium sizes. Many of which deal with only two of the frame members at a time, securing one corner of the frame and then the next, until all four members have been joined together. The holding platform of these devices for larger frames is too small and causes some difficulty of achieving flatness and making square right angles. These devices require a large table workspace and suitable support in joining the final sections of large frames together, especially over 3 feet in size.
Devices that use the approach of surrounding the frame with various corner pieces inserted in a loop drawn tightly around the frame are limited to small size frames. A number of clamping means similar to this are demonstrated with patents, Strasser U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,391, Jul. 8, 1980, Jerome, U.S. Pat. No. 4,163,547, Aug. 7, 1979 and Wilson U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,710, Sep. 13, 1977. For larger frames, like those requiring artist's museum wrap canvas over 3 feet or greater, this approach presents many problems dealing with very lengthy belts, manually trying for square to produce right angles and requires very large table surfaces to maintain flatness.
Additional prior art using clamping methods drawing the frame members together from their exterior corner are illustrated with Primmer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,825, Sep. 25, 1979, Lawson, 540,777, Jan. 8, 1907 and Banks and Seger, 149,425 Feb. 26, 1874. These concepts experience “racking” problems where the frames tend to create parallelograms and need constant attention of trying for square. They are designed for small frame sizes and lack the support required to maintain flatness and squareness with larger frames.
Concepts with a Plurality of Clamps
Similar concepts utilizing screw clamps at the corners, illustrated with Day U.S. Pat. No. 3,590,458, Jul. 6, 1971, Madsen, U.S. Pat. No. 1,612,299, Jul. 2, 1924 and Rowland, U.S. Pat. No. 1,221,601, Apr. 3, 1917 require a great amount of manual attention at each joint. They also require the necessity of trying the right angles with a square to independently adjust the frame members with as many as 8 clamps. The Day concept, in addition to the many screw clamps required to adjust, has extension arms and a secondary rider motion but it must be adjusted at each corner when trying for square very similar to the Roland principle, which does have a lever with a two-piece table forming a ratchet. The similar screw clamps of the Madsen concept are independent and require manual adjustment to achieve right angles forming a square.
Joining with “V” Nails
Prior art of joining frames with “V” nails has been defined in a number of patents. Three of them, Logan U.S. Pat. No. 6,954,979, Oct. 18, 2005, Pistorious U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,420, Feb. 25, 1986 and Lin U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,257, May 16, 1989 are referenced to demonstrate the means of applying the art to this invention. These patented devices fasten two members of a frame together with “V” nails. The operation is repeated four times until all four corners have been joined together. In this approach all frame members are not in position at one time in a flat plane and holding surfaces are too small for large frames. Additional leveling devices are required to further support the frame members while being fastened together.
The object of the invention is to provide a frame positioning and clamping table of reasonable size to assemble small and large rectangular frames of any aspect ratio, as well as square frames, while eliminating manual intervention of wrapping belts around the frame, trying for square, and adjusting screw clamps to achieve a right angle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a synchronous motion of four clamps acting upon frame members of a large range of sizes precisely bringing them together, forming proper right angles to join them at the corners, while keeping all members on a flat plane.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a simplistic means of applying the necessary clamping force to hold and join the materials. This is accomplished with a centralized rotary motion by moving a torque lever, which is checked in position with a ratchet. Moving a lever by hand or other mechanical force applied to the rotating shaft or lever provides the rotating force. This eliminates the need for handling a long strap around all the members or tightening individual screw clamps also checking for square and adjusting frame members to produce a right angle.
An additional object of the invention offers space saving storage when not in use through removal of the extension wings and tabletop drive assembly. This permits use of the moveable table and stand for other purposes and greatly reduces the space required for large tabletops that are needed with other methods previously discussed. The stand, upon which the table surface is mounted, is sturdy to avoid tipping over and may be mounted upon casters, providing easy means of moving about, loading, rotating or positioning and offers storage for the parts removed.
All the further objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description that explains the functions related to the illustrations of the embodiments of the invention.
The synchronous motion of the assembly machine has adjustable miter clamps that have plural grooved pins, which attach into key slots in captive rails that are guided within extension wings. They are placed at size related positions to receive the frame members to be assembled. The frame members are placed upon the clamps without having to deal with belts, corner inserts or screw clamp adjustments. The miter clamps rotate to provide right angles relative to the aspect of frame length and width and maintain position for repeated assembly of a related frame size. The slide rails are linked together and equally move to a smaller rectangle or square simultaneously moving the miter clamps an equal distance. This brings the frame joints together without the need of trying for square and adjusting various screw clamps. Motion and force is accomplished by moving the torque lever until the pawl retains shaft motion under the applied load. All frame corners or joints are moved into position and the needed force to form each joint is applied and held until the joining method has been completed.
Referring to the drawings,
The main embodiments developing the rotary motion to drive the linkages are shown in
A close-up of the slide rails 46 captive in the guide grooves of extension wings 48 is shown in
The rotating shaft 54 and rotating disk 52 have been moved by the torque lever 56 In
With the machine elements assembled, the setup for Manual operation of the machine is easily accomplished by affixing the miter guide 44 groove pins 82 into the keyhole slots of the slide rail 46 at a desired frame size location indicated at each extension wing 48. The frame members are placed upon the miter clamps 40 with the miter lock 42 loosened and the torque lever 56 retracted. When the torque lever 56 is moved the frame joints be brought together. Upon closing the miter joints of the frame members A, B, C, D, the miter lock 42 is tightened and the needed torque is applied for the rotating shaft 52 to be held in place by pawl 88 and ratchet 68 until the glue cycle is completed or the joints are fastened by other means. On completing the joint attachment, a slight force is applied to the torque lever 56 to release the load on pawl 88 until the cam 95 is rotated to the release position with cam lever 98 and the torque lever 56 fully retracted. This simultaneously moves the miter clamps 40 away from the frame's corners maintaining support for the frame in the flat plane on the miter clamp 40 surfaces until it is removed from the assembly machine.
If the joints are mitered and directly glued or strengthened with the addition of inserts such as biscuits, glue is applied while the joints are open and biscuits inserted (if used). The clamps are relieved providing space for excess glue removal at each joint. Next, with the cam handle in the released position the torque lever 56 is pulled until all parts are together forming right angles. The miter locks 42 are tightened to maintain the developed angle position and to apply equal force to the frame members. Upon removing excess glue, the cam lever 98 is rotated to permit the cam 94 to engage the pawl 88 with the ratchet 68 and torque is applied with the torque lever 56. When the desired force is applied to the frame members the pawl 88 retains the loaded position at the ratchet 68 until the glue has set and the operator moves the cam lever 98. This lever rotates the cam 94 to release the pawl 88 from the ratchet 68 returning the torque lever 56 to its original position moves the miter clamps 40 away from the ram corners. The completed frame rests upon the miter clamps 40 in a flat plane until removed from the machine.
Nail joints
For Frames that require simple nails for joining from the outside of each corner the same procedure to bring the joints together as accomplished with glue joints is used. Upon reaching the required force position with the pawl 88 and ratchet 68 holding the position, nails are hammered into the frame member corners at each miter clamp. Miter clamps 40 have clearance areas providing space for hammering nails while the frame is clamped.
When assembling frames with V Nails it is necessary to use the optional manual inserting tool 100. This tool uses a similar “magnetic post” cited with a patent by Lin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,420, Feb. 25, 1986 named the “Pushmaster”, 64 to hold the V-Nail. The optional manual inserting tool is positioned along the extension wings at the outer groove locations provided. By locking it at its proper rotation prior to loading the V-Nail into the magnetic holder and rotating the crank used to move the Pushmaster and apply force to insert the V nail into the frame joint. Repeating the operation at a second desired location of each joint by rotating the lever to fully insert the V-nail flush to the frame surface.
The stand 84, which forms the main frame for this machine, in addition to its legs, has lower and upper side supports, which have a multiple purpose when the machine is not in use. Additional to being a structural member, the bottom side supports are used to store the extension wings 48 containing the slide rail 46, the miter clamp assemblies 40 and links 50. This greatly reduces required floor space and permits use of the mounting table and stand as a worktable for other purposes after removal of the rotating disk 52 spacer 62, retained with the shaft screw 86. The links 50 are disconnected from the disk 52 with the removal of the shoulder screw 70 and are also stored in the lower frame support. The main rotating shaft 54 and cam release lever 98 are recessed below the table surface thus providing a sturdy, flat work surface.
Thus the reader will see that a machine with extension wings having motion control linked within them provides a reliable and accurate means of joining frames of any size and assuring they are assembled in a flat plane. While the above explanations contain many descriptive details of the machine, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention but rather an exemplification of the preferred embodiments thereof. Additional variations of use are possible particularly with the application of pneumatic power to operate the main rotating shaft; additional special tooling to pneumatically feed and drive “V” nails and nail drivers stationed at the frame's corners. Thus semi-automated factory assembly of all frame joints at once becomes possible with the use of the preferred embodiments.
