Truss Drilling Jig With Relocatable Guides for Precise Hole Positioning

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Solution Overview

Problem

In building construction, particularly for timber frame houses, there is a need for efficient and accurate methods to preconfigure roof trusses with preformed holes to ensure rapid, reliable, and safe installation, as existing methods often require skilled labor and pose safety risks due to the complexity of correctly positioning holes for fasteners at height.

Innovation Solution

A jig system with interconnected elongate members and relocatable stops configured with guides to accurately position a drill bit for forming holes in trusses, allowing for variable positioning and orientation of holes to match the truss configuration, enabling precise placement of fasteners for securement to underlying structures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional methods are used to position holes in trusses, then skilled labor is required and safety risks increase, but manufacturing precision and speed are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehole positioning accuracyVSAvoidjig structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The jig is divided into modular components including multiple stops with integrated guides, a support structure, and relocatable elements. Each stop can independently define a guide for a drill bit, allowing the system to handle various hole positioning requirements through combination of standardized modules rather than a single complex fixed structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The stops are designed to be relocatable along the truss members, enabling the jig to adapt to different hole positions and orientations. This dynamic positioning capability allows the same jig structure to serve multiple configuration requirements, reducing the need for multiple specialized jigs while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If trusses are preconfigured in factory, then installation speed and reliability improve, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation speedVSAvoidjig system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The jig enables all hole positioning and fastener installation准备工作 to be completed in the factory before the truss is transported to site. The stops and guides pre-position the drill bit accurately for each hole, allowing preconfiguration of all necessary openings and fasteners during manufacturing, which then enables rapid installation at site without requiring complex on-site adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple hole positions and orientations are required, then adaptability improves, but guide positioning complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehole configuration flexibilityVSAvoidguide arrangement complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each stop is designed as a universal component that can define a guide for a drill bit at various positions and orientations along the truss members. The relocatable nature of the stops allows the same component to serve multiple functions for different hole configurations, eliminating the need for specialized guides for each possible hole position and simplifying the overall system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3802030B1Jig for manufacture of trusses configured with preformed holes
Publication Date: 2023.07.26 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC
  • EP3802030B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3802030B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP3802030B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

There is disclosed a jig for forming a truss which comprises interconnected elongate members and is to be part of a building structure, the jig comprising a support structure on which the members can be arranged, and stops adapted to abut, at predetermined positions, ones of the members so arranged and thus to hold the members fixed for interconnection, the jig being configured with at least one guide adapted to guide a rotating drill bit such that a hole in the truss drilled by the bit is correctly positioned.