Truss and method for making same

Abstract

A truss includes at least one web member, and a chord member with an opening for positioning the web member therethrough. A portion of the web member is exposed through the chord opening so that the web member can be directly attached to the bearing, such as by welding. The truss can be made using a template that has a body with an inner wall defining an opening, and at least one attachment element connected to the body for attaching the body to the chord member of the truss. The opening in the chord member is formed by inserting a cutting instrument within the template body opening and tracing the cutting instrument along the inner wall of the body.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a truss for mounting on a structural bearing, particularly a metal beam. The truss comprises a web mounted on a chord. An opening is cut in the chord so that a portion of the web can be exposed through the chord and contact a structural bearing. The truss is mounted on the bearing by welding or otherwise attaching the web directly to the bearing.

Trusses are commonly used in the construction of buildings to provide structural support within a building. Typically, a truss is mounted on a bearing member, such as a support beam, and extends upward to provide structural support to the roof.

Prior art trusses have been mounted to support beams using an L-shaped clip. The truss is mounted on the beam by fastening the web of the truss to one segment of the L-shaped clip and fastening the beam to the other perpendicular segment of the clip. The clip is fastened to the web and beam by a plurality of screws. As such, the process is extremely labor intensive and time consuming. In addition, the use of the clip and screws results in higher costs for materials. Furthermore, this method of attachment does not provide optimal stability or maximum load capacity due to eccentricity in the connection of the truss to the bearing. In an effort to overcome and eliminate the aforementioned problems, the present invention was conceived.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a truss that can be mounted to a structural bearing, by directly attaching the web of the truss to the bearing.

It is another object of the invention to provide a method for mounting a truss on a structural bearing that results in greater stability and maximum load capacity.

These and other objectives of the present invention are achieved by providing a truss having at least one web member, and a chord member with an opening for positioning the web member therethrough. A portion of the web member is exposed through the chord opening so that the web member can be directly attached to the bearing.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the web member has an upper end and a lower end, and the lower end is positioned through the chord member opening.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the web member is welded to the bearing.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the chord member includes a base segment and a side segment extending upwardly from the base segment, and further wherein the chord member opening is positioned in the base segment.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the web member is positioned substantially perpendicular to the base segment.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, fastening members connect the web member to the side segment of the chord member.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the web member is substantially U-shaped or W-shaped.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the chord member opening is sized such that the web member frictionally engages the chord member when the web member is positioned through the opening.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the chord opening is substantially rectangular.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the truss includes a plurality of web members, and each web member is positioned on the chord member at predetermined spaced apart intervals corresponding to predetermined positioning of a plurality of bearings on which the truss is to be mounted.

A preferred method for mounting a truss on a bearing according to the invention, includes the step of providing a truss having a web member, and a chord member with an opening therein. A portion of the web member is positioned within the chord member opening, and the truss is positioned on the bearing such that the web member contacts the bearing. The web member is attached to the bearing.

Another preferred method for mounting a truss on a bearing according to the invention, includes the step of connecting the web member to the chord member using fastening members.

Yet another preferred method for mounting a truss on a bearing according to the invention, includes the step of welding the web member to the bearing.

A preferred method for making a truss according to the invention includes the steps of providing at least one web member and a chord member, and forming at least one opening in the chord member. The web member is positioned through the chord member opening to expose a portion of the web member for contacting a bearing so that the web member can be directly attached to the bearing.

Another preferred method for making a truss according to the invention includes the step of connecting the web member to the chord member using one or more fasteners.

Yet another preferred method for making a truss according to the invention includes the steps of providing a template sized and shaped to correspond to a desired size and shape for the chord member opening, positioning the template at a desired location on the chord member, and tracing the template with a laser to cut the opening in the chord member.

According to yet another preferred method for making a truss, the template is traced with an ionized gas laser.

Yet another preferred method for making a truss according to the invention includes the step of providing a template having a body with an inner wall defining an opening, and an attachment element connected to the body for attaching the body to a chord member of a truss, so that the opening can be formed in the chord member by tracing the laser along the inner wall of the body.

According to yet another preferred method for making a truss, the template includes a bracket shaped for positioning on the chord member; and the attachment element includes at least one magnet pivotally connected to the body so that the template is stabilized on the chord member.

Yet another preferred method for making a truss according to the invention includes the step of forming a plurality of openings spaced apart at one or more predetermined intervals on the chord member to correspond to predetermined positioning of a plurality of bearings on which the truss is to be mounted.

Yet another preferred method for making a truss according to the invention, includes the step of projecting a coherent visible light beam at each of the predetermined intervals at which the plurality of openings in the chord members are to be formed.

A template for use in making a truss according to the invention, includes a body having an inner wall defining an opening, and at least one attachment element connected to the body for attaching the body to a chord member of a truss, so that an opening having a predetermined shape can be formed in the chord member by inserting a cutting instrument within the body opening and tracing the cutting instrument along the inner wall of the body.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the template includes a bracket shaped for positioning on the chord member, and at least one magnet connected to the body for contacting the chord member so that the template is stabilized on the chord member.

According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the template includes a reference mark positioned on the bracket for aligning the template at a desired position on the chord member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some of the objects of the invention have been set forth above. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the invention proceeds when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art truss mounted on a bearing;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a truss according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the truss of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the truss of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a template for making a truss according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown mounted on the chord of the truss;

FIG. 6 is another perspective view of the template of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is yet another perspective view of the template of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the template of FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a truss according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, shown mounted on a plurality of bearings;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred method for making a truss according to the invention, showing a laser alignment device for positioning the template at a plurality of bearing points on the chord of the truss; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a truss according to another preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Referring now specifically to the drawings, an example of a prior art truss is illustrated in FIG. 1, and shown generally at reference numeral 10. The prior art truss 10 comprises a web 11 and a chord 12 for mounting on a beam 13. The truss 10 is mounted on the beam 13 using a connecting cap 14 and an L-shaped clip 15. The connecting cap 14 is placed over the web 11 and connected using screws 16. The upper segment of the L-shaped clip 15 is placed against the cap 14 and connected with screws 16. The base segment of the clip 15 is positioned on the top of the beam 13, and is mounted thereon with screws 16.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT AND BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the truss according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2, and shown generally at reference numeral 20. The truss 20 generally comprises a web 21 mounted on a chord 22. The truss 20 is preferably made of metal, but can be made of any suitable material.

As shown in FIG. 2, the web 21 is U-shaped, and the chord 22 has a substantial L-shape, with a base segment 23 and an upper segment 24 extending upwardly from the base segment 23. While the web 21 is shown as preferably being U-shaped, the web can be a variety of other shapes, including W-shaped. The web 21 is positioned against the upper segment 24 of the chord 22, and connected by fastening members, such as screws 26, as shown in FIG. 3. Approximately 2-30 screws 26 are preferably used.

As shown in FIG. 4, the base segment 23 of the chord 22 has an opening 25 through which the lower edge 27 of the web 21 is positioned. The truss 10 is mounted on a structural bearing, such as a beam 33, by positioning the web 21 and the chord 22 on the beam 33 such that the base segment 23 of the chord 22 resides on top of the beam 33. The lower edge 27 of the web 21, which is exposed through the opening 25 in the chord 22, directly contacts the beam 33. As such, the lower edge 27 of the web 21 can be directly attached to the beam 33. Preferably, the web 21 is attached to the beam 33 by welding the lower edge 27 of the web 21 to the beam 33. The opening 25 in the chord 22 is shown to be rectangular, but can be of any suitable size and shape, provided the opening 25 exposes a sufficient amount of the web 21 to provide a strong weld to the beam 33. Preferably, the chord member opening 25 is sized such that the web 21 frictionally engages the chord 22 when the web 21 is positioned within the opening 25.

The truss 20 eliminates the need for the connecting cap 14 and the L-shaped clip 15 of the prior art truss 10 discussed above. By directly attaching the web 21 to the beam 33, the truss 20 provides a significantly stronger and more stable mounting than what is offered by the prior art truss 10. This results in a greater maximum load capacity. The prior art truss 10 has a maximum uplift capacity of approximately 5,000 pounds, while the truss 20 of present invention provides a maximum uplift capacity of approximately 8,000 pounds. Furthermore, mounting the truss 20 of the present invention on the beam 33 is much less labor intensive than the prior art truss 10, which requires approximately 10-30 screws. It is estimated that the truss 20 of the present invention results in a savings of approximately $3-4 per bearing point over the prior art truss 10.

A preferred method for making the truss 20 of the present invention includes the use of a template illustrated in FIG. 5, and shown generally at reference numeral 40. The template preferably comprises a body 41, an attachment bracket 42, and two magnets 43, 44. The template is preferably made of metal, but can be of any suitable material.

The body 41 of the template 40 is preferably rectangular, but can be any variety of shapes. The body 41 has an opening 45 defined by an inner wall surface 46. Preferably, the opening 45 is rectangular, however, it can be any variety of shapes. The attachment bracket 42 preferably has an L-shape, and is sized for positioning on the edge of the base segment 23 of the chord 22, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The bracket 42 is positioned on the chord 22 at a bearing point—a point on the chord 22 where it has been determined that the truss 20 will be mounted on a beam 33 and therefore an opening 25 must be made in the chord 22.

The magnets 43, 44 are pivotally connected at opposite ends of the body 41. Once the bracket 42 is positioned on the chord 22, the magnets 43, 44 are pivoted upward to contact the underside of the base segment 23 of the chord 22, as shown in FIG. 6, and stabilize the template 40 on the chord 22.

Now that the template 40 is securely attached to the chord 22, a cutting instrument, such as an ionized gas laser 34, is provided. The laser 34 is positioned within the opening 45 of the template 40, and the operator moves the laser 34 along the inner wall 44, tracing the template opening 45, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. As such, the chord opening 35 is formed having a size and shape similar to the template opening 45. While the cutting instrument is preferably the laser 34, any instrument capable of cutting through chord 22 can be used.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 9, and shown generally at reference numeral 40. The truss 40 includes a chord 42 with a plurality of webs 41, 41′, 41″ mounted on a plurality of beams 53, 53′, 53″, respectively. The chord 42 preferably has an L-shape design with a base segment 43 and upper segment 44, as in the embodiment described above.

To make the truss 40, a plurality of bearing points are spaced at intervals on the chord 42 corresponding to the intervals at which the beams 53, 53′, 53″ are positioned in a particular building in which the truss 40 is to be used. The operator can determine the positioning of the bearing points on the chord 42 by measuring the distance of each interval on the chord 42 by hand, or a laser apparatus 36 can be provided to assist the operator, as shown in FIG. 10. The laser apparatus 36 is positioned above the chord 42, and projects a coherent, visible indicating light 37 on the chord 42 at the predetermined distance between each beam 53, 53′, 53″ to indicate to the operator where to position the template 40 on the chord 42. In addition, the template 40 preferably includes a reference mark 47 on the bracket 42 of the template 40 to assist the operator in properly positioning the template 40 at each bearing point on the chord 42. The operator aligns the indicating light 37 projected on the chord 42 with the reference mark 47 on the template 40 to properly position the template 40 on the chord 42, as shown in FIG. 10.

Another preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 11, and shown generally at reference numeral 70. The truss 70 has a web 71 that is substantially W-shaped. The truss 70 is otherwise identical in construction to the truss 20 described above. As such, the truss includes a chord 72 having an opening in which the web 71 is exposed and attached directly to a bearing, such as a beam 83.

A truss and methods of using and making same are disclosed above. Various embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from its scope. Furthermore, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation—the invention being defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A truss comprising: (a) at least one web member; and (b) a chord member having an opening therein for positioning the web member therethrough to expose a portion of the web member for contacting a bearing whereby the web member can be directly attached to the bearing.

2. A truss according to claim 1, wherein the web member has an upper end and a lower end, and the lower end is positioned through the chord member opening.

3. A truss according to claim 1, wherein the web member is attached to the bearing by a weld.

4. A truss according to claim 1, wherein the chord member includes a base segment and a side segment extending upwardly from the base segment, and further wherein the chord member opening is positioned in the base segment.

5. A truss according to claim 4, wherein the web member is positioned substantially perpendicular to the base segment.

6. A truss according to claim 4, further comprising fastening members connecting the web member to the side segment of the chord member.

7. A truss according to claim 1, wherein the web member is substantially U-shaped or W-shaped.

8. A truss according to claim 1, wherein the chord member opening is sized such that the web member frictionally engages the chord member when the web member is positioned through the opening.

9. A truss according to claim 1, wherein the chord opening is substantially rectangular.

10. A truss according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of web members, wherein each web member is positioned on the chord member at predetermined spaced apart intervals corresponding to predetermined positioning of a plurality of bearings on which the truss is to be mounted.

11. A method for mounting a truss on a bearing, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a truss comprising: (i) a web member, (ii) a chord member having an opening therein, and (iii) wherein a portion of the web member is positioned within the chord member opening; (b) positioning the truss on the bearing such that the web member contacts the bearing; and (c) attaching the web member to the bearing.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of connecting the web member to the chord member with fastening members.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the step of attaching the web member to the bearing comprises welding the web member to the bearing.

14. A method of making a truss, comprising the steps of: (a) providing at least one web member and a chord member; (b) forming at least one opening in the chord member; (c) positioning the web member through the chord member opening to expose a portion of the web member for contacting a bearing whereby the web member can be directly attached to the bearing.

15. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of connecting the web member to the chord member using one or more fasteners.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of forming at least one opening in the chord member comprises the steps of: (a) providing a template sized and shaped to correspond to a desired size and shape for the chord member opening; (b) positioning the template at a desired location on the chord member; and (c) tracing the template with a laser to cut the opening in the chord member.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the step of tracing the template with a laser comprises tracing the template with an ionized gas laser.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein the step of providing a template comprises providing a template comprising: (a) a body having an inner wall defining an opening; and (b) an attachment element connected to the body for attaching the body to a chord member of a truss, whereby the opening can be formed in the chord member by tracing the laser along the inner wall of the body.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the step of providing a template comprises providing a template further comprising a bracket shaped for positioning on the chord member; and further wherein the attachment element comprises at least one magnet pivotally connected to the body whereby the template is stabilized on the chord member.

20. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of forming at least one opening in the chord member comprises forming a plurality of openings spaced apart at one or more predetermined intervals on the chord member to correspond to predetermined positioning of a plurality of bearings on which the truss is to be mounted.

21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of projecting a coherent visible light beam at each of the predetermined intervals at which the plurality of openings in the chord members are to be formed.

22. A template for use in making a truss, comprising: (a) a body having an inner wall defining an opening; and (b) at least one attachment element connected to the body for attaching the body to a chord member of a truss, whereby an opening having a predetermined shape can be formed in the chord member by inserting a cutting instrument within the body opening and tracing the cutting instrument along the inner wall of the body.

23. A template according to claim 22, wherein the attachment element comprises: (a) a bracket shaped for positioning on the chord member; and (b) at least one magnet connected to the body for contacting the chord member whereby the template is stabilized on the chord member.

24. A template according to claim 23, further comprising a reference mark on positioned on the bracket for aligning the template at a desired position on the chord member.

25. A template according to claim 22, wherein the attachment element comprises: (a) an L-shaped bracket for positioning on the chord member; and (b) first and second magnets pivotally connected to the body, wherein the magnets are pivotable into a contacting position with the chord member whereby the template is stabilized on the chord member.