Joiner

1. A joiner for assembling tongue and groove planks, the joiner comprising:

a link interconnecting a ram and a motorized hammer;

the link including a tang and a shank;

a free end of the shank fixed in a chuck of the motorized hammer;

a rounded end of the tang with a center hole, the rounded end seated in a rounded V slot of the ram;

the tang rotatably fixed in the slot by a clevis pin passing through the slot and through the center hole in the tang;

the ram including a block, a handle centrally located atop the block, and plural thumb screws;

the block having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion overhanging the lower portion so as to create a void along a first edge of the block for receiving a tongue of a tongue and groove plank; and,

the thumb screws for passing through respective corners of the block for supporting the block at adjustable elevations.

2. The joiner of claim 1 wherein a shank includes one bend and a tang central axis intersects with a shank portion central axis at an angle of about 20 to 45 degrees.

3. The joiner of claim 1 wherein the link includes two bend and a tang central axis is parallel to the central axis of the shank portion extending from the chuck of the motorized hammer.

4. The joiner of claim 1 wherein the motorized tool is a rotary hammer and the link includes first and second shank portions interengaged via a coupling that transmits hammer blows but that does not transmit rotation.

5. The joiner claim 1 further including:

a sled;

a top side of the sled for engaging portions of thumb screws the through the block;

a bottom side of the sled for resting upon and smoothly passing over a plank underlayment ;and,

the sled and screw engagements for allowing rotation of the screws without rotating the sled.

6. A joiner for assembling tongue and groove planks, the joiner comprising:

a link interconnecting a ram and a motorized rotary hammer;

the link including:

a tang and a shank;

first and second shank portions interengaged via a rotary coupling for preventing transmission of rotary motion from the motorized rotary hammer to the ram;

a free end of the shank for fixation in the chuck of the motorized rotary hammer;

a rounded end of the tang with a center hole, the rounded end seated in a rounded V slot of the ram;

the tang for rotatable fixation in the slot by a clevis pin passing through the slot and through the hole in the tang;

a ram including:

a block,

a handle centrally located atop the block, and

thumb screws at corners of the block;

the block having an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion overhanging the lower portion so as to create a void along a first edge of the block for receiving a tongue of a tongue and groove plank; and,

the thumb screws for passing through respective corners of the block for supporting the block at adjustable elevations.

7. The joiner of claim 6 further comprising:

a variable power control within the motorized rotary hammer for selectively controlling energy delivered by the hammer.

8. The joiner of claim 7 wherein: the pressure exerted by the block on a plank does not exceed fifty percent of the plank compressive strength at the block and plank interface.

9. A method of joining first and second tongue and groove planks, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the joiner of claim 1 ;

pressing the ram against the first tongue and groove plank; and

operating the motorized hammer to close a gap between the first and second tongue and groove planks.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

rotatably affixing a ram to the link;

positioning the ram on a subfloor adjacent to a first plank;

adjusting ram thumb screws at ram corners such that a ram tongue and groove edge is aligned to interengage with a first plank tongue and groove edge;

pressing the ram tongue and groove edge into the first plank tongue and groove edge;

holding the ram via the ram handle; and,

operating the rotary hammer at variable speeds to close a gap between the first and second tongue and groove planks.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of: damping bounce imparted to the rotary hammer during operation by constructing a portion of the ram from a viscoelastic material.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of: damping bounce imparted to the rotary hammer during operation by constructing a tongue and groove edge of the ram from a viscoelastic material.