Concealed Post Tie

Abstract

An elongated connector is provided for connecting first and second structural members, the elongated connector is received in the first and second structural members and is connected to structural members with first and second lateral fasteners with the connector and the fastener being substantially hidden from view.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a connector for making a hidden connection between two members, typically a post and a beam.

Most hidden connections involve removing material from one or both of the structural members. One common type of hidden connector is an elongated tubular member. The hidden connector is inserted in aligned slots or bores in the members. The connector is secured to the structural member by means of lateral fasteners that engage the body of the connector at opposed ends of the connector. The lateral fasteners are inserted through lateral bores in the structural members. Typical lateral fasteners include dowels, screws, pins or nails. The ends of the lateral passages are exposed and these can be filled with a material to provide a more pleasing appearance.

There are many patented and un-patented connectors in this area. British Patent 1,133,931, invented by Henry Teisserie and published in 1968 teaches a notched bar that is inserted in aligned slots in the members and is attached to the member by special fasteners received in lateral passages in the members. The special fasteners receive the notched bar and threaded members in the lateral fasteners engage the notches in the bar, and when they are turned the structural members are drawn together with respect to the notched bar.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,002, granted to Charles F. Logie in 1977 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,253, granted to Bernt I. Stockum, in 1983 teach cylindrical connectors inserted into aligned closed-end bores in two different members. In both patents the connectors are secured to the members by lateral fasteners that pass through lateral passages in the members and connect to the ends of the connectors. In both patents, one of the lateral fasteners is itself a second connector secured at one of its ends by another lateral fastener.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,083, granted in 1998 to Didier Schwartz teaches a cylindrical connector inserted into aligned, closed-end bores in the two different members. The connector is secured to the members by lateral fasteners that are inserted into the connector near its ends. The lateral fasteners are inserted and engage lateral passages in the structural members, creating a mechanical interlock with the structural members and the connector. The lateral fasteners pass all the way through the connector. The lateral fasteners or pins and the connector are designed so that manipulation of the lateral fasteners draws the structural members closer to each other to create a tight fit.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,397, granted in 2001 to Graig Mengel teaches a cylindrical connector inserted into aligned, closed-end bores in the two members. The connector is secured to the members by friction. The ends of the cylindrical members can expand to fill the bores. The ends of the cylindrical member are caused to expand by actuating a mechanism at the center portion of the connector that is accessed through a lateral opening in one of the structural members.

The means of making the connection in the present invention are almost entirely hidden from view, and because the connector of the present invention can be used as a structural connection, the connection of the present invention is particularly suited for building designs where the structural components of the frame of the building are exposed. In such instances, it is often desirable to hide the hardware that connects the structural members.

The present invention provides a connector that is simple to manufacture, strong and easy to install.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a connection between two members in a structure. It is a further object to make such a connection wherein the means of making the connection are completely or almost completely hidden from view. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method by which a hidden connection is easily made.

The present invention is a connection between a first structural member and a second structural member. The first structural member can be a post and the second structural member can be a beam or a concrete foundation. The connection is made with an elongated connector and lateral fasteners. The elongated connector can be received in aligned bore holes in each of the first and second structural members. One or more lateral fasteners connect the elongated connector to the first structural member. One or more lateral fasteners connect the elongated connector to the second structural member.

According to the present invention, the elongated connector is a hollow, substantially tubular member formed from cold formed sheet metal. According to the present invention, the connector can be generally cylindrical in shape so that the bores in the first and second structural member are easily made with a standard drill. Also according to the present invention, the elongated connector is made with one or more flattened sides. The one or more flattened sides allow for the generally elongated connector to be laid on its side without rolling. This allows the elongated connector to also easily be used as a template for determining where the bores for the lateral fasteners need to be drilled in the first and second structural members. In the preferred embodiment, the connector is made with a pair of oppositely disposed flattened sides such that the connector has an obround cross-section when viewed from its end.

According to the present invention, the elongated connector is formed with one or more locator tabs to assist the installer with determining the proper location for the lateral fastening bores when using the elongated connector as a template. Each locator tab preferably extends from a flattened side. In the preferred embodiment, the elongated connector is formed with two opposed flattened sides and two locator tabs extending from each flattened side with the locator tabs extending in opposite directions. According to the present invention, the connector is also formed with an indicator to show which end of the connector should be inserted in the post and which end should be inserted in the beam.

According to the present invention, the connector is a hollow member with a slit running the length of the connector. The connector is formed by rolling a flat member into the shape of the connector. In particular, according to the present invention, the connector can be formed from a substantially rectangular and planar sheet that is rolled to form a substantially tubular member with the side edges of the sheet in close proximity with a narrow slit between them. According to the present invention the corners where the edges of the rectangular body meet are beveled so that a diagonal segment connects the edges of the body.

According to the preset invention, the openings provided in the connector for receiving the lateral fasteners have coined edges such that the sides of the openings splay outwardly creating a funnel shape that more easily allows the lateral fastener to be initially inserted into an opening and into first contact with the connector. The openings in the connector are also preferably obround with the substantially flattened sides opposed to each other and spaced from each other along the longitudinal axis, and the flattened edges or sides extend laterally or orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the connector. The extended lateral width of the openings allows the lateral fasteners to be more easily inserted into the openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connection according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the connection FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of the connection of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation, cross-sectional view of connection of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a connector of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the connector of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a back elevation view of the connector of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the connector of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the connector of FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 is a front elevation, cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 5.

FIG. 11 is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 5.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the lateral fastener of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an end view of the lateral fastener of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a front view of the lateral fastener of FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a connection according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of the connection of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a front elevation, cross-sectional view of the connection of FIG. 1.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a connector of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a front elevation view of the connector of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a back elevation view of the connector of FIG. 18.

FIG. 21 is a side elevation view of the connector of FIG. 18.

FIG. 22 is a side elevation view of the connector of FIG. 18.

FIG. 23 is a front elevation, cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 18.

FIG. 24 is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 18.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the lateral fastener of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is an end view of the lateral fastener of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a front view of the lateral fastener of FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 is a close up view of a second opening in the connector.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional side view of a second opening in the connector.

FIG. 30 is an end view of the connector.

FIG. 31 is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of the connection of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of the connection of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is a connection between a first member 1 and a second member 2. The connection is designed to resist tension and shear forces between the members 1 and 2. Preferably, the first member 1 has a face surface 3, and the second member has a matching surface 4. As shown in FIG. 1, in one preferred embodiment of the invention, the face surface 3 and the matching surface 4 are brought into flush contact and positively joined by the elongated connector 5 of the present invention. This creates a strong connection, as well as a connection that is aesthetically pleasing. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, preferably the face and matching surfaces 3 and 4 are planar, and the face and matching surfaces are disposed horizontally.

The first and second members 1 and 2 can be structural framing members in a building. As shown in FIG. 1, the first member 1 is preferably a post or upright stud. As shown in FIG. 1, the second member 2 can be a horizontally-disposed, structural framing member such as a beam of a building or a structure. The first and second members 1 and 2 can both be made from wood. The second member 2 can also be a cementitious member of a structure. The second member could be a horizontally-disposed foundation with the post 1 above it, but the second member 2 could also be vertically disposed cementitious member such as a cement post or wall, and the first member 1 could be a horizontally disposed framing member such as a joist extending laterally from the cement wall.

In order to better define the invention the connector 5 is described as having a longitudinal axis 6 as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 2, a first preferred embodiment of the connection of the present invention used to join the first and second members 1 and 2 also includes one or more first lateral fasteners 7 received by the elongated connector 5 and the first structural member 1, and one or more second lateral fasteners 8 received by the elongated connector 5 and the second structural member 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector 5 is disposed orthogonally to the face surface 3 and the matching surface 4 and aligned with the first and second aligned bores 9 and 10 in the first and second members 1 and 2, respectively. The first and second aligned bores 9 and 10 are preferably cylindrical, blind bores.

The elements of the connection are preferably arranged in the following manner with respect to the first and second members 1 and 2. The first lateral fasteners 7 are received by the elongated connector 5 and anchored in the first structural member 1. The first lateral fasteners 7 lie at an angle to the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector 5. This is preferably an orthogonal angle as shown in FIG. 4. This creates a shear component on the fasteners 7, when the connection is under tension. The second lateral fasteners 8 are received by the elongated connector 5 and anchored in the second member 2. The second lateral fasteners 8 lie at an angle to the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector 5. This is preferably an orthogonal angle as shown in FIG. 3. This creates a shear component on the fasteners 8, when the connection is under tension. The first and second lateral fasteners 7 and 8 are preferably pins or dowels but they can also be lag bolts, or a combination of a pin or other member and hardened epoxy, or just epoxy.

The first and second lateral fasteners 7 and 8 are preferably received in first and second lateral bores 11 and 12 formed in the first and second members 1 and 2, respectively. The lateral bores 11 and 12 are preferably formed in the first and second members 1 and 2 so as to intersect with the aligned bores 9 and 10 respectively. The lateral bores 11 and 12 can also be blind bores, but as shown in the drawings they preferably extend all the way through the first and second members 1 and 2. This allows the installer to see whether the lateral fasteners 7 and 8 have passed all the way through the elongated connector 5 and that the lateral fasteners 7 and 8 extends equally beyond the connector 5 on both sides. The lateral bores are also preferably formed to intersect with first and second openings 13 and 14 in the elongated connector 5.

The first and second lateral fasteners 7 and 8 are long enough that they can extend through the elongated connector 5 and bear on the passage walls 15 and 16 of the first and second lateral bores 11 and 12 of the first and second members 1 and 2.

As best shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 8 and 9, the connector 5 is made with one or more tabs 17 that project from the body 18 of the connector. Preferably there are two tabs 17 disposed on opposite sides of the body 18 of the connector. The tabs 17 have end surfaces 19 that are lifted away from the body 18. Preferably the end surfaces 19 are oppositely disposed. They face different directions on the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector 5. As shown in FIG. 9, the end surfaces 19 are preferably located at a point on the connector 5 between the portion that will be disposed in the first structural member 1 and the portion that will be disposed in the second structural member 2. The tabs 17 are made from material cut from the body 18 of the connector and then bent outwardly. As is also shown in FIG. 9, an indicator 20 is provided on the connector to show the point on the connector 5 where the first and second members 1 and 2 would interface. As shown in FIG. 9, this indicator is a line 20. An indicator 21 in the form of the word “post” and an arrow pointing toward the end 23 of the connector 5 that would be inserted in the first structural member 1 is also provided near indicator 20. Similarly, an indicator 22 in the form of the word “beam” and an arrow pointing toward the end 24 of the connector 5 that would be inserted in the second structural member 2 is also provided.

As shown in FIG. 5, the body 18 of the connector 5 is made with one or more flattened sides 25. Preferably, the connector 5 is made with a pair of opposed flattened sides 25. The flattened sides 25 give the connector an obround cross section.

As shown in FIGS. 5-11, the connector 5 is preferably hollow and made from a single sheet rolled into the form of an almost completely closed cylinder. Preferably, the connector 5 is made from sheet steel and is cold-formed into the cylindrical shape. The body 18 has a left edge segment 26 and a right edge segment 27 and when the body 5 is formed into the final cylindrical shape, the left edge segment 26 and the right edge segment 27 are disposed closely adjacent each other. The left edge segment 26 and the right edge segment 27 could also touch. As shown in FIG. 8, the left edge segment 26 is parallel to the right edge segment 27 with a slit 28 between them. The slit 28 runs the length of the connector 5. The body 18 of the connector 5 is also formed with a bottom edge segment 29 and a top edge segment 30. The bottom and top edge segments 29 and 30 define the longitudinal extent of the connector 5. As shown in FIG. 5, preferably, the edge segments 26, 27, 29 and 30 are joined by diagonal segments 31 that intersect with adjacent edge segments at angles of less than 90 degrees. The diagonal segments 31 bevel the generally square edges that would otherwise be formed by the intersection of the edge segments 26, 27, 29 and 30.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the first and second openings 13 and 14 in the body 18 of the connector 5 are formed as obround openings with elongated, laterally extending edges that extend orthogonally to the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector. The edge 32 of the openings 13 and 14 are also coined so that the wall 33 of the openings 13 and 14 spreads outwardly. This creates a funnel shaped opening that helps direct the first and second lateral fasteners 7 and 8 into the openings 13 and 14 when the first and second lateral fasteners are inserted into the connector 5.

The elongated connector 5 can also be used to anchor a post 1 to the foundation 2 of a building. In this instance, the foundation is the second member 2. When using the device in this manner, the elongated connector 5 can be set in the foundation 2 and interlock with the concrete or set in a bore 12 in the foundation 2 and held in place by a structural grade adhesive such an acrylic or epoxy based adhesive.

The connection is made in the following manner. The center of a preferably squared-off post 1 is marked. Then, using a 1.25″ auger bit and a square the first aligned bore 9 is drilled into the face surface 3 of the post 1. The connector 5 is then placed in the post 1 and a line is drawn on one of the sides of the post that aligns with the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector 5. Then the connector 5 is placed on the side of the post 1 with the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector 5 aligned with the line, and the end surface 19 of the appropriate tab 17 in contact with the face surface 3, and the center of the openings 13 for the dowel pins 7 is marked on the center line. Preferably, the connector 5 has an indicator 21 to show which end is inserted into the post 1. Then the lateral bores 11 are drilled in the side of the post 1 and through the post with a ½″ auger and a square. The lateral bores 11 intersect with the aligned 9 bore in the post 1. Then the center of the matching surface 4 of the beam 2 is marked. Then, using a 1.25″ auger bit and a square the second aligned bore 10 is drilled into the matching surface 4 of the beam 2. The connector 5 is then placed in the beam 2 and a line is drawn on one of the sides of the beam 2 that aligns with the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector 5. Then the connector 5 s placed on the side of the beam 2 with the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector 5 aligned with the line, and the end surface 19 of the tab 17 in contact with the matching surface 4, and the center of the openings 14 for the dowel pins 8 are marked on the center line. Preferably, the connector 5 has an indicator 22 to show which end is inserted into the beam 2. Then the lateral bores 12 are drilled in the side of the beam 2 and through the beam 2 using a ½″ auger and a square. The lateral bores 12 intersect with the aligned bore 10 in the beam 2. The proper end of the connector 5 is then inserted into the post 1, and the lateral pins are installed into the openings in the post 1 and the connector 5. The beam 2 is then placed on the post 1 with the connector 5 inserted into the aligned bore 10 in the beam 2. The pins 8 are then installed in the beam 2. Preferably, all of the pins 7 and 8 are installed with their ends an equal distance from the sides of the post 1 and the beam 2. The lateral openings 11 and 12 can be filled or provided with plugs to hide the ends of the lateral fasteners 7 and 8.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the openings 14 for the lateral fasteners 8 to be received in the beam 2 are spaced further apart than the openings 13 for the lateral fasteners 7 to be received in the post 1. The centers of the openings 13 and 14 closest to each end of the connector 5 are preferably spaced 0.75″ from the ends of the connector 5. For the first openings 13 in the post end of the connector 5, either one or two more openings 13 are provided with their centers spaced 1.625″ from each other and the initial opening 13. For the second openings 14 in the beam end of the connector 5, either one or two more openings 14 are provided with their centers spaced 2″ from each other and the initial opening 14.

As shown in FIG. 16, when the connector 5 is installed in douglas fir wooden members with the post 1 being a nominal 6″×6″ vertically extending post 1 and the beam 2 being a nominal 6″×8″ horizontally extending, continuous beam 2, and the connector 5 is 14″ long with a 1.25″ diameter and the longitudinal axis 6 of the connector is vertically disposed or within 5 degrees of being vertically disposed, and three ½″×4.75″ steel dowel pins are received in the post 1 and three ½″×4.75″ steel dowel pins are received in the beam 2, the connection can achieve allowable loads of 4,215 pounds uplift, 1,655 pounds lateral loading and 18,140 down loading. As shown in FIG. 3, under similar conditions, when the connector 5 is installed in douglas fir wooden members with the post 1 being a nominal 4″×6″ post 1 and the beam 2 being a nominal 4″×6″ continuous beam 2, and the connector 5 is 10″ long with a 1.25″ diameter with two ½″×4.75″ steel dowel pins in the post 1 and two ½″×4.75″ steel dowel pins in the beam 2, the connection can achieve allowable loads of 2020 pounds uplift, 750 pounds lateral loading and 6,890 down loading.

Claims

1. A connection between a first structural member and a second structural member made with a connector and one or more first and second fasteners, the connection comprising: a. a first structural member having a face surface;b. a second structural member having a matching surface, with the face surface of the first structural member interfacing with the matching surface of the second structural member;c. a connector, said connector being an elongated member received in both the first structural member and the second structural member and passing through the face surface of the first structural member and the matching surface of the second structural member, the connector having a body and a longitudinal axis;d. the one or more first fasteners are received by the connector and by the first structural member; ande. the one or more second fasteners are received by the connector and by the second structural member.

2. The connection of claim 1, wherein: the elongated connector is made with one or more flattened sides.

3. The connection of claim 1, wherein: the connector is made with two flattened sides that are oppositely disposed.

3. The connection of claim 1, wherein: one or more tabs project from the body of the connector, and each of the one or more tabs is formed with an end surface, and the one or more tabs are located on the connector such that when the connector is received in the first and second structural members the end surfaces of the one or more tabs are adjacent the face surface and the matching surface.

4. The connection of claim 3, wherein: the connector is formed with two tabs disposed on opposite sides of the body and the end surfaces of the tabs face different directions on the longitudinal axis of the connector.

5. The connection of claim 4, wherein: the connector is made with two flattened sides that are oppositely disposed, and the tabs project from the flattened sides.

6. The connection of claim 1, wherein: the body of the connector is a hollow tube.

7. The connection of claim 6, wherein: the elongated connector is made with one or more flattened sides.

8. The connection of claim 7, wherein: the connector is made with two flattened sides that are oppositely disposed.

9. The connection of claim 8, wherein: one or more tabs project from the body of the connector, and each of the one or more tabs is formed with an end surface, and the one or more tabs are located on the connector such that when the connector is received in the first and second structural members the end surfaces of the one or more tabs are adjacent the face surface and the matching surface.

10. The connection of claim 9, wherein: the connector is formed with two tabs disposed on opposite sides of the body and the end surfaces of the tabs face different directions on the longitudinal axis of the connector.

11. The connection of claim 1, wherein: the body of the connector is made from a single sheet rolled into the general form of a cylinder, and the body has a left edge segment and a right edge segment, and when the body is formed into the general form of a cylinder, the left edge segment and the right edge segment are adjacent.

12. The connection of claim 11, wherein: the body of the connector is formed with a bottom edge segment and a top edge segment with the bottom and top edge segments defining the longitudinal extent of the connector, and wherein the left, right, top and bottom edge segments are joined by diagonal segments that intersect with adjacent edge segments of the left, right top and bottom edge segments at angles of less than 90 degrees

13. The connection of claim 12, wherein: the left edge segment is parallel to the right edge segment with a slit between the left edge segment and the right edge segment.

14. The connection of claim 11, wherein: one or more tabs project from the body of the connector, and each of the one or more tabs is formed with an end surface, and the one or more tabs are located on the connector such that when the connector is received in the first and second structural members the end surfaces of the one or more tabs are adjacent the face surface and the matching surface.

15. The connection of claim 14, wherein: the connector is formed with two tabs disposed on opposite sides of the body and the end surfaces of the tabs face different directions on the longitudinal axis of the connector.

16. The connection of claim 15, wherein: the connector is made with two flattened sides that are oppositely disposed, and the tabs project from the flattened sides.

17. The connection of claim 1, wherein: the connector is made with first and second lateral openings that receive the first and second lateral fasteners respectively, and the first and second lateral openings splay outwardly.

18. The connection of claim 1, wherein: the connector is made with first and second lateral openings that receive the first and second lateral fasteners respectively, and the first and second lateral openings are obround with substantially flattened oppositely disposed side edges that run orthogonally to the longitudinal axis of the connector.

19. The connection of claim 1, wherein: at least one of the one or more first and second fasteners is an adhesive.

20. The connection of claim 1, wherein: the connector is formed with an indicator, and the indicator is located on the connector such that when the connector is received in the first and second structural members the indicator is near the face surface and the matching surface.