Patent Application
20220403643
This invention relates to a sheet metal connector for anchoring an anchored structural member to anchoring structural member, and the connection made therewith. The connector works in conjunction with one or more separate anchor members that are received by the anchoring structural member and separate fasteners that attach the connector to the anchored structural member.
The present invention is particularly useful as a holdown or tension tie. As a tension tie the connector has particular utility for anchoring joists to concrete walls.
Holdowns and tension ties are well known in the art and the subject of a number of patents. U.S. Pat. No. 8,555,580 which issued Oct. 15, 2013, and was invented by Kashane Vilasineekul, teaches a tension tie and holdown that is specifically designed for anchoring deck and deck members. The holdown and tension-tie taught in U.S. Pat. No. 8,555,580 has a split back member that is not joined to the seat member except through the side members connected to the seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,776, invented by Arthur Delight and which issued on Mar. 30, 1982, teaches a holdown where the a member is connected to the seat member and side members are connected to both the seat member and the back member to strengthen the connection. U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,192, invented by Alfred D. Commins and which issued on May 17, 1988, teaches a tension tie where side members are connected to the seat member and bends along the side members create overlapping back members that then are connected to a back member extension strap. U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,570, invented by William F. Leek and which issued Nov. 21, 1995, teaches a tension tie where the back member is connected to the seat, and side members connected to the back member are folded so as to create seat flanges that overlap with the seat member. U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,130, invented by Robert C. Gregg et. al. and which issued Nov. 9, 1999, teaches a holdown where the seat and side members are drawn from the metal of the back member and the seat is curved so as to decrease deflection of the holodown. U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,041, invented by Campbell John Seccombe and which issued Jun. 26, 2001, teaches a holdown which does not have any side members, but the seat has an upstanding flange opposed from the back member. Published US Patent Application 2004/0165942, invented by Ben L. Schmid et al and published on Aug. 26, 2004, teaches a holdown where the seat, the side members and the back member are all connected.
The connector of the present invention works in a similar fashion to most of the prior art holdowns and tension ties, such that it amenable to standard installation practices. The connector of the present invention improves on the prior art by incorporating a number of design features that make it lighter and cheaper to produce while withstanding sufficiently high tension loads, as well as allowing for a greater variety of installation options.
The present invention is a connection made with a connector that can act as a holdown or tension tie and transfer tension, uplift, or lateral load between an anchored member and an anchoring member. The connector is used in combination with separate anchor and fasteners. The anchor may be tied to a concrete foundation, another connector of the same type, a wood framing member, or structural member of a similar type, or other supporting or anchoring members.
The present invention is a connection that is part of a building structure, between an anchored member and an anchoring member made with a connector, one or more separate anchors and one or more separate fasteners, wherein the anchored member, has an attachment face, the anchoring member is disposed in relatively close association with the anchored member and has an anchoring face, the one or more separate anchors penetrate and are anchored in the anchoring member, the one or more separate fasteners penetrate and are anchored in the anchored member, and the connector has a seat member and a back member disposed at an angle to the seat member with the back member connected to the seat member at a lateral juncture, and the seat member has an end edge opposed from the lateral juncture and the seat member has opposed side edges running between the lateral juncture and the end edge, and the back member has an end edge opposed from the lateral juncture and the back member has opposed side edges running between the lateral juncture and the end edge, and wherein the seat member receives and is connected to the one or more separate anchors and the back member receives and is connected to the one or more separate fasteners.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the anchored member is an elongated member that is elongated along a longest dimension of the anchored member in a direction that is parallel to a portion of the back member that attaches to the anchored member. The connector of the present invention can be fastened to nominal 2″ wide structural members with the separate fasteners that go through its back member and to the anchoring member such that it is ideal as a tension tie for a 2″ wide joists. A dried wood member that is nominally 2″ wide can be as narrow as 1.5″ inches. The dimensions of the present connector are optimized so that the back member of the connector can attach to the narrow bottom face or top face of a typical joist that is horizontally disposed with its narrow bottom face oriented downwardly and its narrow top face oriented upwardly.
The connector is preferably fastened through its back member to a joist with nails and fastened to the wall of a building with a self-drilling, self-tapping anchor or a bolt.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the back member has a central, longitudinal axis extending from the lateral juncture to the end edge of the back member and a single, central embossment extends along the longitudinal axis from an area close to the lateral juncture. The central embossment helps prevent the connector from collapsing when under tension loads. The central embossment is preferably embossed upwardly from the sheet metal blank 0.135 inches and is 0.375 inches wide and 2.250 inches long. The central embossment preferably has rounded top and bottom ends and the top of the embossment is approximately 11¾ inches below the end edge of the back member. The bottom end of the central embossment is bracketed by the lateral side flanges formed in the back member and the embossment extends upwardly beyond the extent of the lateral side flanges in the back member approximately ½ inches or approximately 120 percent the extent of the lateral side flanges from the lateral juncture.
In the preferred form of the present invention, portions of the side edges of the seat member are formed with lateral side flanges that strengthen the seat, the lateral side flanges preferably extend through the lateral juncture and along portions of the side edges of the back member.
In the preferred form of the invention, the connector is made from a strip or blank of sheet metal. The sheet metal blank is preferably generally rectangular. The back member and the seat member are formed by bending the sheet metal blank at the lateral juncture such that the back member is generally oriented at a right angle to the seat member. The back member is formed with a front face that faces the seat member in the final, bent form of the connector and a back face that faces away from the seat member. Similarly, the seat member is formed with a top face that faces the back member and a bottom face that faces away from the back member. The radius of the bend in the lateral juncture is preferably 0.3750 inches.
In the preferred form of the invention, the lateral side flanges are formed by bending the lateral side material of the blank upwardly near the lateral juncture to form the lateral side flanges at the same time the seat is formed in a drawing operation. The radius of the bend in the sheet metal to form the lateral side flanges is preferably 0.4738 inches at the smallest radius of the bend at the lateral juncture. When formation of the connector is finished, preferably the narrowest portion of the connector is at the lateral juncture. Preferably, the forming of the lateral side flanges at the lateral juncture narrows the connector on each side of the connector by 0.3032 inches. Preferably, the lateral side flanges flare outwardly and decrease in height and their bend radius lessens as they extend toward the end edges of the back member and the seat member. The lateral side flanges in the back member and the seat member reach their tallest height near the lateral juncture, reaching approximately ½″. The radius of the bends in the lateral side flanges between the back member and the seat member is 0.4375 inches. The lateral side flanges lessen in height as they extend away from the lateral juncture such that there is no lateral side flange in the seat member at the end edge of the seat member and there is no lateral side flange in the back member approximately 2 11/16 inches above the top face of the seat member.
In the preferred form of the invention, the seat member is formed with at least one opening for the anchor member that has an upturned peripheral edge that extends above the generally planar seat member. Preferably, the upper portion of the upturned peripheral edge of the opening in the seat member extends orthogonally to the generally planar seat member.
In the preferred form of the invention, the seat member is formed with a single round opening for receiving a single anchor member such as a bolt, and the center line of the single opening is no more than 1 inch away from the front face of the back member. The single round opening preferably has a diameter of 13/16 inches and is best suited for and can accommodate bolts having diameters between ½ inches and ¾ inches. The preferred bolts used with the connector are between ½ inches and ¾ inches in diameter, and it has been discovered through testing that the center point for the single opening needs to be as close to the lateral juncture given the size of the bolts that are preferably used to reduce deflection of the connector under tension loads.
In the preferred form of the invention, the back member is formed with a plurality of sets of openings for fasteners that are optimized for different dimensions of the anchored member. The openings that belong to a set are identified by the shape of the openings. One set of openings is formed close to the central longitudinal axis of the back member for attachment to the narrow face of a nominal 2″ joist. Another set of openings is formed with greater spacing from the central longitudinal axis of the back member when the connector will be attached to a wider member and thus the spacing of the openings is optimized for preventing splitting of the anchored member when it is made from wood.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the back member is 14 15/16 inches long and the closest opening in the back member for receiving a fastener for attaching the back member to the anchored member is approximately 3½ inches from the lateral juncture. It is preferred to have fasteners openings close to the lateral juncture, but in certain connections spacing is provided between the lateral juncture and the closest fastener opening for other members disposed between the anchored member and the anchoring member which will not be anchored by the connector.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the seat member is 2 15/16 inches long, and the sheet metal blank used to make the connector is 2 9/16 inches wide, and the connector is made from 10 gauge galvanized sheet metal.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the peripheral edge of the single opening for the anchor member extends 13/32 inches from the bottom face of the seat member. The peripheral edge of the opening is preferably extruded from the material of the seat. The extruded peripheral edge of the single opening for the anchor helps strengthen the seat member so that it can better resist the head of the anchor or the nut attached to the bolt trying to pull through the seat member when the anchor is under a tension load. The radius of the bend to form the annular peripheral edge from the seat member is preferably 0.0300 inches.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the anchored member is a nominal 4″ by 4″ wooden member that is Douglas fir lumber and the anchoring member is a cementitious member, the connector is connected to the anchoring member with a single anchor that has diameter of 0.5 inches and is embedded in the anchoring member, the connector is connected to the anchored member with twelve fasteners that are 0.148 nails that are 2.5 inches long and are substantially embedded in the anchored member, the connector is made from 10 gauge sheet steel and is 2 9/16 inches wide, the back member is 14 15/16 inches long, and the seat member is 2 15/16 inches long, and the connection has an allowable tension load of 2,275 pounds with a deflection at the highest allowable load of 0.013 inches.
The present invention provides a connection in a building structure between an anchoring member 1 and an anchored member 2. The connection uses a connector 3 in combination with one or more separate anchors 4 and one or more separate fasteners 5. The anchored member 2 has an attachment face 6. Generally, the anchored member 2 also has an edge face 7 joined to the attachment face 6 by a side edge 8. The anchoring member 1 is disposed in relatively close association with the anchored member 2 and has an anchoring face 9 where it receives the one or more anchors 4. The one or more separate anchors 4 penetrate and are anchored in the anchoring member 1. The one or more separate fasteners 5 penetrate and are anchored in the anchored member 2. The connector 3 has a seat member 10 and a back member 11 disposed at an angle to the seat member 10 with the back member 11 connected to the seat member 10 at a lateral juncture 12. The seat member 10 has an end edge 13 opposed from the lateral juncture 12 and the seat member 10 has opposed side edges 14 running between the lateral juncture 12 and the end edge 13. The back member 11 has an end edge 15 opposed from the lateral juncture 12 and the back member 11 has opposed side edges 16 running between the lateral juncture 12 and the end edge 15. The seat member 10 receives and is connected to the one or more separate anchors 4 and the back member 11 receives and is connected to the one or more separate fasteners 5.
Openings 17 are preferably provided in the back member 11 for receiving nails 5 or self-drilling and self-tapping threaded fasteners 5 for being driven into the anchored member 2. Preferably one or more openings 18 are provided in the seat member 10 for receiving the one or more anchors 4. Preferably, just one anchor 4 is used with the connector 3 and the anchor 4 received by the opening 18 in the seat member 10 is preferably a bolt 4 when the anchor 4 will be received by a cementitious anchoring member 1. The anchor 4 is preferably used with a washer 19 between the head 22 of the anchor 4 or a nut 20 that is attached to the anchor 4 and the seat member 10 of the connector 3. The washer 19 can be integrally formed with the anchor 4.
As shown in
As shown in
Preferably, an embossment 24 is formed in the back member 11. The embossment 24 can extend through the lateral juncture 12 and into the seat member 10. As shown in
The connector 3 is preferably made from 10 gauge sheet steel by punching and bending the sheet steel. The steel can be stainless steel or galvanized/coated with zinc or some other anti-corrosive material. In the preferred form of the present invention, portions of the side edges 14 of the seat member 10 are formed with lateral side flanges 23 that strengthen the seat, the lateral side flanges 23 preferably extend through the lateral juncture 12 and along portions of the side edges 16 of the back member 11. The radius of the bend in the lateral juncture is preferably 0.3750 inches.
The connector 3 is preferably fastened through its back member 11 to a joist 2 with nails 5 and fastened to the wall 1 of a building with a self-drilling, self-tapping anchor or a bolt 4.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the one or more anchors 4 are self-drilling and self-tapping threaded members that are drilled directly into the anchoring member 1.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the back member 11 has a central, longitudinal axis 21 extending from the lateral juncture 12 to the end edge 15 and a single, central embossment 24 extends along the longitudinal axis 21 from an area close to the lateral juncture 21 upwardly along the back member for a selected distance. As shown in
In the preferred form of the present invention, portions of the side edges 14 of the seat member 10 are formed with lateral side flanges 23 that strengthen the seat member 10, the lateral side flanges 23 preferably extend through the lateral juncture 12 and along portions of the side edges 16 of the back member 11.
In the preferred form of the invention, the connector 3 is made from a strip or blank of sheet metal. The sheet metal blank is preferably generally rectangular. The back member 11 and the seat member 10 are formed by bending the sheet metal blank at the lateral juncture 12 such that the back member 11 is generally oriented at a right angle to the seat member 10. The back member 11 is formed with a front face 25 that faces the seat member 10 in the bent form of the connector 3 and a back face 26 that faces away from the seat member 10. Similarly, the seat member 11 is formed with a top face 27 that faces the back member 11 and a bottom face 28 that faces away from the back member 11.
In the preferred form of the invention, the lateral side flanges 23 are formed by bending the lateral side material of the blank upwardly near the lateral juncture 12 to form the lateral side flanges 23. The radius of the bend in the sheet metal to form the lateral flanges is preferably 0.4738 inches at the smallest radius of the bend at the lateral juncture 12. When formation of the connector 3 is finished, preferably the narrowest portion of the connector 3 is at the lateral juncture 12 with the lateral side flanges 23 flaring outwardly as they extend toward the end edges 13 and 15 of the back member 11 and the seat member 10. Preferably, the forming of the lateral side flanges at the lateral juncture narrows the connector on each side of the connector by 0.3032 inches. Preferably, the lateral side flanges 23 flare outwardly and decrease in height as they extend toward the end edges 15 and 13 of the back member 11 and the seat member 10. The lateral side flanges 23 in the back member 11 and the seat member 10 reach their tallest height near the lateral juncture 12, reaching approximately ½″. The radius of the bends in the lateral side flanges 23 between the back member 11 and the seat member 10 is 0.4375 inches. The lateral side flanges 23 lessen in height as they extend away from the lateral juncture 12 such that there are no lateral side flange 23 in the seat member 10 at the end edge 13 of the seat member 10 and there are no lateral side flanges 23 in the back member 11 approximately 2 11/16 inches above the top face 27 of the seat member 10.
In the preferred form of the invention, the seat member 10 is formed with at least one opening 18 for the anchor member 4 that has an upturned peripheral edge 29 that extends above the generally planar seat member 10. Preferably, the upper portion of the upturned peripheral edge 29 of the opening 18 in the seat member 10 extends orthogonally to the generally planar seat member 10.
In the preferred form of the invention, the seat member 10 is formed with a single round opening 18 for receiving a single anchor member 4 such as a bolt, and the center point of the single opening 18 is no more than 1 inch away from the front face 25 of the back member 11. The single round opening 18 preferably has a diameter of 13/16 inches and can accommodate bolts having diameters between ½ inches and ¾ inches. The preferred bolts uses with the connector are between ½ inches and ¾ inches in diameter
In the preferred form of the invention, the back member 11 is formed with a plurality of sets of openings 17 for fasteners 5 that are optimized for different dimensions of the anchored member 2. The openings 17 that belong to a set are identified by the shape of the openings 17. One set of openings 17 is formed close to the central longitudinal axis 21 of the back member 11 for attachment to the narrow face of a nominal 2″ joist. Another set of openings 17 is formed with greater spacing from the central longitudinal axis 21 of the back member 11 when the connector 3 will be attached to a wider member and thus the spacing of the openings 17 is optimized for preventing splitting of the anchored member 2 when it is made from wood.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the back member 11 is 14 15/16 inches long and the closest opening 17 in the back member 11 for receiving a fastener 5 for attaching the back member 11 to the anchored member 2 is no more than 2 11/16 inches from the lateral juncture 12.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the seat member 10 is 2 15/16 inches long, and the connector 3 is 2 9/16 inches wide, and the connector 3 is made from 10 gauge galvanized sheet metal.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the upturned, peripheral edge 29 of the single opening 18 for the anchor member 4 extends 13/32 of an inch from the bottom face 28 of the seat member 10. The radius of the bend to form the annular peripheral edge 29 from the seat member 10 is preferably 0.0300 inches.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the anchored member 2 is a nominal 4″ by 4″ wooden member that is Douglas fir lumber and the anchoring member 1 is a cementitious member, the connector 3 is connected to the anchoring member 1 with a single anchor 4 that has diameter of ½ inches and is embedded in the anchoring member 1, the connector 3 is connected to the anchored member 2 with twelve fasteners 5 that are 0.148 nails that are 2.5 inches long and are substantially embedded in the anchored member 2, the connector 3 is made from 10 gauge sheet steel and is 2 9/16 inches wide, the back member 11 is 14 15/16 inches long, and the seat member 10 is 2 15/16 inches long, and the connection has an allowable tension load of 2,275 pounds with a deflection at the highest allowable load of 0.013 inches.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63195160 | May 2021 | US |
