This invention relates to a connector for joining structural members. In particular, the connector of the present invention has application as a sheet metal hanger for joining multiple truss and framing members.
In the particular application for joining structural members, the framing members may be either standard dimension lumber or wood trusses and truss girders. Specifically, the connection is most typically made at the juncture between (a) a supporting truss girder (or framing header) and multiple hip framing members (or wood trusses), (b) a framing header and multiple wood trusses, (c) a hip truss (or supporting wood framing member) and multiple jack trusses, (d) a supporting wood framing member and multiple supported wood framing members, (e) a jack framing member and multiple hip and jack trusses, or (f) a jack framing member and multiple wood framing members.
The connector, or hanger, of the present invention is designed to be installed on a nominal 2×4 bottom chord girder. The connector is a single-piece, non-welded design that does not need carried truss side-plates, so it is not limited by the installer's ability to place nails into the side faces of the supported, or carried, structural members. The connector 6 of the present invention is cheaper to manufacture than competing products and uses fewer fasteners to install.
The connector of the present invention is ideally suited for any small roof niche framing. Modern architectural plans often include small sunrooms, libraries or sitting rooms where the width of the framing is 20 feet or less and the roof is framed as a radial or angular turret-type structure. The connector of the present invention is particularly designed for these low-to-medium load applications.
The connector of the present invention can be made from sheet metal using a substantially rectangular blank that minimizes waste.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 7,503,148, granted to Jin-Jie Lin teaches a sheet metal connector for holding up to four trusses or framing members and is herein incorporated by reference and made part of this application. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,465, granted to Tyrell T. Gilb also teaches a sheet metal connector for connecting multiple truss connections and is herein incorporated by reference and made part of this application. U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,359 teaches a similar connection with a sheet metal hanger and is herein incorporated by reference and made part of this application. None of these patents, however, teach the improved connector or connection of the present invention for holding up to four trusses or framing members.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved connection in which a plurality of supported structural members are hung from a single supporting structural member, and this is achieved more cheaply and easily by using a single connector having multiple supporting structural member-carrying seats that join to corresponding support sections, the joint being stiffened by an embossment that extends from the seat into the corresponding support section.
A further object of the invention is to support structural members with substantially vertical attachment faces, where the structural members are preferably roof trusses or rafters.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector with a back member having a series of at least two angularly joined support sections, one first and one last, and a pair of attachment sections that join the first and last support sections, for attachment to the supporting structural member.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector with substantially rectangular, planar support sections, attachment sections and seat members, all readily, and cheaply formed from sheet metal on automated machinery.
A further object of the invention is to provide attachment sections with fastener opening to facilitate fastening to the supported structural member with separate pin-type fasteners, such as nails or screws.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector with support sections that have their joints reinforced with embossments, preferably in the form of gussets, and to also provide the joints between the attachments sections and the first and last support sections with reinforcing embossments, also preferably in the form of gussets.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector that evenly and correctly angles and spaces the supported structural members.
A further object of the invention is to provide shallow, elongate embossments that traverse the joint between the support sections and the seat members, reinforcing and stiffening that joint and stiffening both of the joined parts, without interfering with the interface with the supported structural members.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector that carries the supported structural members without fastening to the sides of the supported structural member. This is achieved by providing substantially flat seat members that preferably have only small retention tabs that interface with the sides of the supported structural members.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector that carries the supported structural members with minimal fastening. This is achieved by using a single screw that passes through the seat member into the bottom of the supported structural member.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector that allows all of the supported structural members to closely align with the back of the connector and to abut the back of the connector. This is achieved by arcing the back of the connector away from the supporting structural member.
A further object of the invention is to provide a connector blank that minimizes waste. This is achieved by cutting a blank that has no internal gaps and is substantially rectangular, with rectangular sub-parts.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Preferably, a plurality of supported structural members 4 is attached to a plurality of the seat members 9 adjacent the attachment ends 5 of the supported structural members 4. Each supported structural member 4 has an end face 48 that is closely adjacent, and parallel to, one of the support sections 8 of the back member 7 of the connector 6.
Each supported structural member 4 preferably has an end face 48, and each end face 48 of each supported structural member 4 abuts one of the support sections 8 of the back member 7 of the connector 6.
Preferably, each of the support sections 8 has an outer face 26 and an inner face 27, the outer face 26 facing out and away from the supporting structural member 2, and the inner face 27 facing in and toward the supporting structural member 2. The inner faces 27 of the support sections 8 do not interface with the supporting structural member 2.
As shown in
As shown in
Preferably, as shown in
Preferably, as shown in
The back member 7 preferably has a first attachment section 14 and a second attachment section 14. The first attachment section 14 is angularly joined to the first support section 12. The second attachment section 14 is angularly joined to the last support section 13. The first attachment section 14 is fastened to the attachment face 3 of the supporting structural member 2. The second attachment section 14 is fastened to the attachment face 3 of the supporting structural member 2.
Preferably, each of the support sections 8 has an upper edge 15, a lower edge 16, a first side edge 17 and a second side edge 17.
In the preferred embodiment, each of the support sections 8 preferably is generally rectangular. At least a portion of the upper edge 15 is straight and parallel to a straight portion of the lower edge 16. At least a portion of the first side edge 17 is straight and parallel to a straight portion of the second side edge 17.
Preferably, as shown in
Each of the attachment sections 14 preferably is generally rectangular. The lower edge 19 includes a straight portion 30. The second side edge 20 includes a straight portion 31. At least a portion of the upper edge 18 is straight and parallel to a straight portion of the lower edge 19. At least a portion of the first side edge 20 is straight and parallel to a straight portion of the second side edge 20.
Preferably, each of the attachment sections 14 has a plurality of fastener openings 21.
The support sections 8 preferably meet each other at an angular juncture 22 that is reinforced by a substantially rigid embossment 23.
Preferably, as shown in
The substantially rigid embossments 25 preferably are gussets 25.
Preferably, there are four support sections 8. Each of the support sections 8 has an outer face 26 and an inner face 27, the outer face 26 facing out and away from the supporting structural member 2, and the inner face 27 facing in and toward the supporting structural member 2. The support sections 8 meet each other at an angular juncture 22 that defines an angle of 135 degrees between the corresponding inner faces 27 of the support sections 8.
In the preferred embodiment with four attachment sections 14, each of the first and second attachment sections 14 preferably has an outer face 28 and an inner face 29, the outer face 28 facing out and away from the supporting structural member 2, and the inner face 29 facing in and toward the supporting structural member 2. The first support section 12 and the first attachment section 14 meet at an angular juncture 24 or 32 that defines an angle of 112.5 degrees between the corresponding outer faces 26 and 28 of the first support section 12 and the first attachment section 14. The last support section 13 and the second attachment section 14 meet at an angular juncture 24 or 33 that defines an angle of 112.5 degrees between the corresponding outer faces 26 and 28 of the last support section 13 and the second attachment section 14.
Preferably, as shown in
Each of the seat members 9 preferably has an upper edge 36, a lower edge 37, a first side edge 38 and a second side edge 38.
Preferably, each of the seat members 9 is generally rectangular.
As shown in
Preferably, each of the support sections 8 has an outer face 26 and an inner face 27, the outer face facing 2628 out and away from the supporting structural member 2, and the inner face 27 facing in and toward the supporting structural member 2. Each of the seat support embossments 11 is embossed into the upper face 39 of one of the seat members 9 and the outer face 26 of one of the support sections 8, indenting the upper face 39 and the outer face 8, and creating an depressed portion 41 in the inner face 27 of the support section 8 and in the lower face 40 of the seat member 9, as shown in
Each of the seat support embossments 11 preferably is embossed to a depth of less than 0.25 inches.
Preferably, each of the seat support embossments 11 is embossed to a depth of 0.125 inches.
Each of the seat members 9 preferably has at least one fastener opening 42.
Preferably, as shown in
Each of the support sections 8 preferably has an upper edge 15. One of the rounded ends 35 of each of the seat support embossments 11 faces the upper edge 15 of one of the support sections 8. Each of the seat members 9 has a lower edge 37. One of the rounded ends 35 of each of the support embossments 11 faces the lower edge 37 of one of the seat members 9. The rounded ends 35 bow outward so that the rounded ends 35 are concave within the embossments 11 and convex outside the embossments 11. The convexities face the upper edges 15 of the support sections 8 and the lower edges 37 of the seat members 9.
Preferably, each of the seat members 9 has first and second side edges 38. Each of the support embossments 11 is centered between the first and second side edges 38 of one of the seat members 9, and the sides 34 of the support embossment 11 are parallel to the first and second side edges 38 of the seat member 9.
As shown in
Preferably, the supported structural members 4 each have first and second sides 44. The retention tabs 43 are bent up 90 degrees from each seat member 9 to match the first and second sides 44 of the supported structural members 4.
Each of the seat members 9 preferably has an upper face 39 and an lower face 40, the upper face 39 facing toward one of the supported structural members 4, and the lower face 40 facing away from one of the supported structural members 4. Each of the support sections 8 has an outer face 26 and an inner face 27, the outer face 26 facing out and away from the supporting structural member 2, and the inner face 27 facing in and toward the supporting structural member 2.
Preferably, each angular juncture 10 between a support section 8 and a seat member 9 defines an angle of 90 degrees between the outer face 26 of that support section 8 and the upper face 39 of that seat member 9.
Each of the seat members 9 preferably is attached only to one of the plurality of support sections 8.
Preferably, as shown in
The supporting structural member 2 preferably is a girder truss 2. The supported structural members 4 are trusses 4.
Preferably, the supporting structural member 2 is a wood girder truss 2. The supported structural members 4 are wood trusses 4.
As shown in
Preferably, a single separate fastener 45 passes through each of the seat members 9 into the bottom face 46 of one of the supported structural members 4.
At least one separate fastener 45 preferably passes through each of the attachment sections 14 of the connector 6 into the attachment face 3 of the supporting structural member 2.
Preferably, three separate fasteners 45 pass through each of the attachment sections 14 of the connector 6 into the attachment face 3 of the supporting structural member 2.
The fasteners 45 preferably are screws.
The present invention includes a method of forming a structural building connector 6. The method preferably comprises cutting a generally rectangular blank 47 from sheet metal, as shown in
The preferred material for the connector 6 of the present invention is 14 gauge, Grade 33, G-90 galvanized steel. Although this is the preferred material, the connector 6 can be made from any other suitable material or materials, both metals and non-metals. For example, the connector 6 could be made from cast aluminum or molded plastic.
In the most preferred embodiment, the connector 6 has four supports section 8 and four seat members 9 and is 9 inches wide, when flat (as shown in
The preferred fasteners 45 for both the connection between the connector 6 and the supporting structural member 2 and between the connector 6 and the supported structural members 4 are Simpson Strong-Tie SDS-series self-drilling 3-inch long, ¼-inch diameter, screws 4 (Model No. SDS25300).
The bearing strength of the connector 6 partially depends on the shear strength of the fastener 45 that joins the seat members 9 to the supported structural members 4.
Preferably, the supporting structural member 2 is a two-ply nominal 2×4 bottom chord girder.
The anticipated loads are 3000 pounds at 115 percent of required load duration for Douglas Fir and Southern Pine, and 2500 pounds at 115 percent of required load duration for Spruce Pine-Fir and Hemlock Fir. Duration of load is the total cumulative length of time that the full design load is applied. Wood is able to resist higher stresses when loads are applied for a short time duration.
In the preferred embodiments each seat member 9 carries a single supported structural member 4, but the connector 6 of the present invention can be made with one or more seat members 9 that carry multiple supported structural members 4. Likewise, in the preferred embodiments, each support section 8 is attached to a single seat member 9, but the connector 6 of the present invention can be made with support sections 8 that are attached to multiple seat members 9 or support sections 8 that do not have attached seat members 9. Also, although in the preferred embodiments each seat member 9 carries a single supported structural member 4, one or more seat members 9 can be left unoccupied by a supported structural member 4.
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20110107710 A1 | May 2011 | US |