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An apparatus for making pallets includes an automatic stringer feeding system; an automatic stringer advancing system; a pallet assembly station; a nail delivery system; and a pallet stacking system. Wood stringers are automatically fed to a series of hoppers which facilitate advancing the stringers

An apparatus for making pallets includes an automatic stringer feeding system; an automatic stringer advancing system; a pallet assembly station; a nail delivery system; and a pallet stacking system. Wood stringers are automatically fed to a series of hoppers which facilitate advancing the stringers into the pallet assembly station. Spaced apart deck boards are nailed, via a gantry movable along a longitudinally extending frame on generally parallel spaced apart linear guide bearings, to both sides of the supporting base of transversely positioned stringers in the pallet assembly station. Multiple nailing stations in adjacent spaced relationship include a pneumatically driven double ram for nailing together stringers and overlying deck boards positioned within the pallet assembly station. The hopper loading system includes a first conveying system for conveying a layer of stringers from a stacked array in adjacent substantially horizontal relation along a first direction, and a second conveying system for conveying stringers in adjacent substantially horizontal relation to each hopper along a second direction substantially transverse to the first direction. A rare earth magnetic chuck is provided for holding a nail in position for nailing by the pneumatically driven ram. A method of making pallets includes conveying a plurality of elongated stringers in adjacent substantially horizontal relation along a first direction, and conveying the elongated stringers in adjacent substantially horizontal relation along a second direction to a hopper. The second direction may be substantially transverse to the first direction.

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1. An apparatus for delivering bulk nails to a nailing station of a pallet making machine comprising:a bulk nail retaining bin positioned above said nailing station and having an arcuate ledge extending around an inside portion thereof and a receiving slot for receiving nails extending from said bin

1. An apparatus for delivering bulk nails to a nailing station of a pallet making machine comprising:a bulk nail retaining bin positioned above said nailing station and having an arcuate ledge extending around an inside portion thereof and a receiving slot for receiving nails extending from said bin, said slot in communication with said bin; a vibrating unit that vibrates said bin to cause nails to align on said ledge and to engage said receiving slot and become organized into a single row of vertically oriented nails within said slot; wherein said receiving slot has an end portion opposite said retaining bin, and further comprising a first stop unit associated with said end portion that separates a leading nail from the remaining nails in said single row, and a second stop unit that separates a next leading nail from the leading nail and the remaining nails in said single row.