This disclosure relates generally to the field of building construction connectors, more particularly to a hanger for supporting and attaching an elongate building support member relative to a building support member, and more particularly a two-part laterally clamping building member support hanger optionally with preset fasteners, which may be utilized for attaching joists to a ledger.
In construction and building fields, brackets and hangers are common for assisting in the connection of one building member to another, such as an elongate joist to a rear support member, such as a ledger. Hangers are often formed of metal, such as steel and include numerous sides and surfaces used for attaching to a support member and joist, and holding and supporting the joist.
One common type of joist is a deck or floor joist used as a substructure to support an overlying deck or floor structure. Deck joists can attach to an end support member, usually on a side of a building, and extend substantially perpendicular therefrom at a height substantially parallel to the other joists. A joist hanger is used as an intermediate member to attach the joists to the support member. Joist hangers are usually formed of a single piece of steel with opposite sides and a bottom web for holding and supporting a joist from underneath, and rear and/or top flange elements for attaching to a support member. Typically, a joist is installed via first attaching a joist hanger to a ledger at a specific height, then placing the end of a joist within the joist hanger supported by the hanger web portion. Once in place, the joist can be secured by driving fasteners through portions of the hanger straight into the joist and/or obliquely so as to pass through the joist and into the ledger for enhanced strength.
A common type of fastener attachment technique is referred to in the building industry as “toenailing” or a “toenail” connection, whereby two fasteners are driven obliquely through opposite sides of the joist and into the support member. This technique can be employed with or without a joist hanger to enhance the strength of the connection.
One common difficulty associated with installing joists is ensuring that all fasteners are driven at the preferred positions and even angles and positions as required by code. Additionally, there are no known joist hangers that can be attached to a joist prior to the ledger. Additionally, there are no known joist hangers that can be used with joists of varying sizes. Typically, a specifically sized joist hanger is required for each size joist. Thus, it would be useful to provide a joist hanger with capabilities to improve upon these common issues.
In one embodiment, a clamping hanger for attaching an elongate building member to a building support member comprises a first member and a second member. The first member defines a first side and a first lateral web section having at least one first locking tooth. The second member defines a second side and a channel with a second locking tooth cooperative with the at least one first locking tooth. The first member and second member are lockingly attachable to one another via cooperation of the at least one first locking tooth and the second locking tooth to trap the elongate building member between the first side and second side in a clamped arrangement with the first web section in abutment with an edge of the elongate building member.
In another embodiment, a clamping hanger for attaching an elongate building member to a building support member comprises a first member and second member. The first member comprises a flat first side member and a laterally extending first web member, and the second member comprises a flat second side member and a laterally extending second web member. The first web member and second web member include cooperative ratchet teeth to lock to one another and thereby attach the first member to the second member to trap a joist between the first side member and second side member in a clamped arrangement.
In yet another embodiment, a method of attaching an elongate building member to a building support includes the initial steps of providing an elongate building member and providing a two-part hanger. The two-part hanger comprises a first member with a first side panel and a first web section that includes a first locking member. The second member comprises a second side panel and second web section that includes a second locking member that is cooperative with the first locking member. The first member is attached to the second member with an end of the elongate building member between the first side panel and second side panel via connection of the first locking member to the second locking member with the elongate building member clamped between the first side panel and second side pane. The hanger and elongate beam are then attached to a ledger.
In one embodiment, the first member and second member may be formed of a polymer or composite material.
In one embodiment, the first member and second member are contoured to clampingly trap an I-beam.
In one embodiment, a ratchet channel is formed in a second web member of the second member.
In one embodiment, the channel includes a plurality of spaced apart locking teeth.
In one embodiment, the first member and second member are attachable to one another at a variety of different lateral positions.
In one embodiment, the first member and second member each includes a rear flange. The rear flanges may be perpendicular to the first side and the second side and may also define openings for fasteners.
In one embodiment, the first member and second member define a plurality of fastener guide openings through which a fastener can be driven.
The fastener guide openings may be formed by cylindrical projections.
In one embodiment, fastener guide openings extend obliquely through each side member of the first and second member.
Among the benefits and improvements disclosed herein, other objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures. Detailed embodiments of clamping hanger for use in securing building support members are disclosed; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the invention that may be embodied in various forms. In addition, each of the examples given in connection with the various embodiments of the invention which are intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive.
Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase “in some embodiments” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment(s), though it may. The phrases “in another embodiment” and “in some other embodiments” as used herein do not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
In addition, as used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator, and is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references. The meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”.
Further, the terms “substantial,” “substantially,” “similar,” “similarly,” “analogous,” “analogously,” “approximate,” “approximately,” and any combination thereof mean that differences between compared features or characteristics is less than 25% of the respective values/magnitudes in which the compared features or characteristics are measured and/or defined.
Additionally, the embodiments described herein are done so with primary reference to a preferred embodiment that is a joist hanger for attaching a joist beam to a rear ledger. However, it is understood that the embodiments are not limited as such, and the inventive concepts embodied in the disclosed embodiments apply to a wide variety of hangers or brackets for use in attaching elongate building support members or beams to another support member. Herein, the term “joist” is synonymous with and shall encompass a beam or elongate building member. Likewise, the term “ledger” is synonymous with and shall encompass any building support member or structure to which a beam may be attached.
With reference to the drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the figures, a laterally clamping joist hanger 10 is shown and described. The hanger 10 includes two cooperative half portions (referred to herein as a left member 12 and right member 14) that attach via a locking ratchet engagement. When the left member and right member are attached, they combine to form the joist hanger 10 with opposite left and right side panels, 20 and 22, separated from each other by a laterally extending web 17 and defining a cavity 13 for maintaining an end of a beam (i.e., joist J). As will be discussed in detail below, the web is formed by an outer web member 16 in one portion (left) and an inner web member 18 in the opposite portion (right) that engage cooperatively with one another in a ratchet locking attachment. In the depicted embodiments, the outer member 16 is part of the left member 12 and the inner member 18 is part of the right member 14, however, embodiments exist wherein this relative configuration is reversed.
Each of the half portions includes a rear flange 24/26 extending at an approximately right angle from the left and right side panels, 20/22, respectively. The depicted embodiments employ outer rear flanges 24/26, however, embodiments exist with rear flanges that extend at right angles from the sides 20/22 to the inside of the joist hanger 10. The inner surfaces of the left and right sides 20/22 can be provided with a plurality of prongs or teeth 36 for puncturing the surface of a wooden joist and assisting a robust locking attachment of the hanger 10. As shown in the Figures, the rear flanges 24/26 include one or more tubular support surfaces defining rear fastener openings 28/32, which extend substantially perpendicularly through the flange. Each of the side members 20/22 includes one or more tubular support surfaces defining side fastener openings 30/34. In contrast to the rear openings 28/32, the side fastener openings 30/34 preferably extend obliquely through the respective side member 20/22. The oblique relationship is specifically configured to assist in creating a toenail connection between the hanger 10, joist J and ledger L. With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
Unlike any known joist hangers, the disclosed hanger 10 is configured to be pre-attached to a joist prior to attaching the joist and hanger to a ledger.
After clamping attachment of the hanger 10 to the joist J, the joist J can be positioned as desired and attached to a ledger L via fasteners 40 driven straight through the rear flanges, 24 and 26 (see
The preferred embodiment of the joist hanger is made from a molded polymeric or composite material, which allows optional pre-setting of the fasteners 40. The fasteners are typically steel, which may be treated in any known manner to improve strength, hardness and corrosion resistive properties (i.e., heat treating, coating, etc.). The hardware is not limited in terms of dimension. Other elements can be incorporated into the hanger 10 to improve strength, such as for example, ribs in the outer surface and/or raised dimple portions around the fastener openings.
In this embodiment of the hanger 100, rather than including two cooperative web members like the earlier embodiment, one member 114 includes a web member 116 with a series of spaced teeth 138 in at least a distal portion. The other member 112 includes a slot 118 extending laterally through a portion of the member with at least one locking tooth 139 configured to cooperate with the teeth 138 in the web member 116 to lock the left and right members, 112 and 114, together. The teeth 138 in slot 118 locking configuration is comparable in operation and function to a cable tie (also referred to as a zip tie).
The hanger 100 operates much like the earlier embodiment. The left member 112 and right member 114 are attached to one another via extending the web member 116 with the teeth 138 through the slot 118 to lock with the tooth 139, thereby forming a cavity between the right panel 122, left panel 120 and web member 116 for an elongate beam (joist). The right and left members are moved together with the teeth of the web member 116 pulled through the slot 118 until the beam is trapped tightly between the respective panels in a clamped configuration. Beams of differing thicknesses can be attached in this manner simply by pulling the web through the slot until the beam is clamped between the side panels. Any excess portion of the web 16 extending through the slot 18 can optionally be cut and removed. After attaching the hanger 100 to the beam, they can be attached to a rear support via fasteners driven through the rear fastener openings/guides, 128 and 132, and then the side fastener openings/guides, 130 and 134, which extend obliquely through the side panels, 120 and 122. Like the earlier embodiments, each of the left and right side openings are vertically offset from each other to allow fasteners to cross when driven through them into the beam and support member.
Additionally, while the depicted embodiment includes a set of teeth 138 in both the upper and lower surfaces of the web member 116, other embodiments exist with teeth in only one surface (upper or lower). Likewise, the slot 118 with tooth 139 can be configured to cooperate with the particular web member (i.e., tooth in bottom or top of slot or teeth in both top and bottom).
Another embodiment of a hanger 200 is depicted generally in
Each of the first and second members includes a rear flange, 224 and 226, with fastener openings, 228 and 232, for assisting in attaching the I-beam and hanger to a support structure, much like the joist J and ledger L shown in
Alternate embodiments of the I-beam hanger 200 exist with a ratchet mechanism like that of the hanger 10 in
Like the hanger 10, the hangers, 100 and 200, are preferably made from a molded polymeric or composite material and may optionally include pre-set fasteners in any of the fastener openings.
The disclosed embodiments of the clamping hanger, 10, 100 and 200, provide substantial variability by being usable to clamp beams having virtually any thickness or double beams. The ratchet locking mechanism provides a robust rigid clamping attachment to the beam. Additionally, the embodiments allow optional presetting of fasteners to improve efficiency and accuracy of installation.
While preferred embodiments of the foregoing have been set forth for purposes of illustration, the foregoing description should not be deemed a limitation of the invention herein. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations and alternatives may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/009,494 for “Two-Part Clamp Joist Hanger”, filed Apr. 14, 2020, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2021/027251 | 4/14/2021 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63009494 | Apr 2020 | US |