A hole expansion, forming device includes a cutting portion main, body formed to have a diameter for the cutting portion, main body to be housed within a joint hole and including a cutting blade tool movable in a range from a housed position at which a blade is housed within a diameter for the cutting portion main body to an extended position at which the blade projects out of the diameter, an advancing and retracting member that is constructed to move in an axial direction by an external force and rotate about an axis of the advancing and retracting member, and a link mechanism that converts an advancing and retracting movement of the advancing and retracting member into a rotational movement of the cutting blade tool, a tip portion bearing that is provided on a tip end of the cutting portion main body, and serves as a tip end side bearing when being housed in an inner side of the joint hole.

A system and method for assembling framing assemblies for use as ceiling or floor structures of modular building units using automation are disclosed. The framing assemblies include trusses that are attached at the lateral edges thereof by a joist including at least one layer of dimensional lumber to form a substantially rigid framework. Cover panels are positioned over and attached to an inner surface of the framing assembly.

An automated wall frame assembly system for use in assembling a wall frame includes an advancer assembly including a conveyor system configured to transport first frame members along an assembly axis to an output of the conveyor system. A frame unit is disposed generally at the output of the conveyor system and is configured to receive the first frame members from the conveyor system and attach a second frame member to the first frame members. A gantry assembly is disposed above the advancer assembly. The gantry assembly includes a gantry frame and at least one gantry tool movably attached to the gantry frame. The gantry tool is operable to deliver the second frame member to the advancer assembly from a location above the advancer assembly for being attached to the first frame members.

A stud straightener system and method of straightening studs of a wall structure for a modular construction unit. The wall structure has a wall frame including the studs and one or more sheathing panels on a top side of the wall frame. The stud straightener system includes a wall frame conveyor and a stud straightener assembly. The wall frame conveyor is configured to move the wall structure thereon. The stud straightener assembly includes an actuator assembly having an actuator and a carriage tooling assembly having a clamp tooling assembly. The carriage tooling assembly is configured to move along the actuator to one or more of the studs and the clamp tooling assembly is configured to engage the one or more of the studs to straighten the one or more of the studs.

A process/method for making pallets from wooden material comprises at least the following stages: supply of a plurality of base elements having at least one lower surface intended, in use, to rest on a supporting surface and an upper surface facing, in use, upwards; supply of at least one loading top, wherein the base elements and the loading top are made from wooden material; assembly of the loading top to the upper surface of the base elements to obtain a pallet made from wooden material, wherein the supply of a plurality of base elements comprises at least the following steps: supply of wooden material in the form of fibers and/or flakes; pressing the wooden material so as to obtain at least one of the base elements in a single body piece.

Systems and methods for a stud plate connector are disclosed. The system can include a base plate having a first cam slot and a second cam slot, where the second cam slot is approximately a mirror image of the first cam slot. The system can include a first upper cam-follower located within the first cam slot. The system can include a second upper cam-follower located within the second cam slot, where the first and second cam-followers hold opposite sides of a first lumber and move the first lumber to contact a second lumber. The system can include a first lower gripper and a second lower gripper for holding the second lumber in a perpendicular direction with respect to the first lumber. The system can include a bonding device located before to the first and second lumber, where the bonding device bonds the first and second lumber together.

An automated wall frame assembly system for use in assembling a wall frame includes an advancer assembly including a conveyor system configured to transport first frame members along an assembly axis to an output of the conveyor system. A frame unit is disposed generally at the output of the conveyor system and is configured to receive the first frame members from the conveyor system and attach a second frame member to the first frame members. A gantry assembly is disposed above the advancer assembly. The gantry assembly includes a gantry frame and at least one gantry tool movably attached to the gantry frame. The gantry tool is operable to deliver the second frame member to the advancer assembly from a location above the advancer assembly for being attached to the first frame members.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may include a carpentry tool for wall framing, the carpentry tool configured for use with a plate, a stud having an end, a tape measure, a fastening tool, and a fastener, the carpentry tool including a first end, a second end, a top side, a bottom side, a first end with a first receiver, and a second end with a second receiver, the first receiver and the second receiver aligned along a first axis, the first receiver configured to receive the end of the stud and the second receiver configured to align the fastening tool and the fastener. Embodiments may also include a channel formed in the bottom side and aligned along a second axis, the second axis being orthogonal with the first axis, the channel configured to receive the plate.

Disclosed herein are methods of joining dissimilar materials.

The present disclosure teaches an apparatus for facilitating the assembly of studs used in wall framing. The apparatus may include a rectangular, elongated main body, whose length equals the spacing between two adjacent studs. The apparatus may further include four holders, two on each side of the main body and two at the bottom of the main body. The two bottom holders may respectively connect to the two side holders via a shared edge to enhance structural strength. The shapes and sizes of the four holders may match the shapes and sizes of the studs. The apparatus may be made of fiberglass-reinforced nylon or other lightweight materials. Reinforcement ridges may protrude from the surfaces of the main body and the holders. The reinforcement ridges on or near the edges of the apparatus may be thicker, and/or have smaller gaps in between, than the reinforcement ridges in the middle.