Claims
- 1. A method for forming a grating suitable for bridge decks, the grating comprised of primary load-bearing members and secondary load-bearing members, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plurality of longitudinally extending primary load-bearing members having an upper portion, a lower portion and a web located between said upper portion and said lower portion;
- (b) forming a plurality of web openings in said web of said primary load bearing member s using a punch and die, the die having a die opening having a generally cross shaped configuration having a generally vertical extent having a top and bottom and a generally horizontal extent having a first side and a second side, the distance between the top and bottom of the vertical extent being shorter than the distance between the first side and the second side of the horizontal extent, the opening having a first land and a second land substantially opposite to each other, the first land extending from the top of said vertical extent to said second side, the second land extending from said first side to said bottom, the punch having a cross-section configuration to mate with said die opening to punch said web openings in said web, the web openings in each of said primary load-bearing members being aligned with the web openings in adjacent primary load-bearing members;
- (c) inserting a plurality of secondary load-bearing members into said web openings, said secondary load-bearing members inserted along the horizontal extent, the secondary load-bearing members having an upper edge and a lower edge, the secondary load-bearing members provided with first slots extending downwardly through the upper edge to provide top slots, the secondary load-bearing members inserted into said horizontal extent until said first slots align with webs in said primary load-bearing members;
- (d) rotating said secondary load-bearing members in said web opening to position said secondary load-bearing member in said generally vertical extent in said web openings of the primary load-bearing members, said top slot in said secondary load-bearing member forming a locking engagement with said web surrounding said web openings in said primary load-bearing members in forming said grating.
- 2. The method in accordance with claim 1 including the step of providing in said secondary load-bearing members upwardly extending bottom slots through the lower edges of said secondary load-bearing members to provide bottom slots located substantially opposite said top slots, said bottom slots forming a locking engagement with said web surrounding said web openings in said primary load-bearing members.
- 3. The method in accordance with claim 1 including providing each of said the secondary load-bearing members with secondary downwardly extending slots through said top edge, said secondary downwardly extending slots located between primary load-bearing members, the secondary downwardly extending slots in each of said secondary load-bearing members being aligned with secondary downwardly extending slots in adjacent secondary load-bearing members.
- 4. The method in accordance with claim 1 including using said primary load-bearing members and secondary load-bearing members having a generally rectangular cross section.
- 5. The method in accordance with claim 1 including positioning said primary load-bearing members substantially parallel to each other, and positioning said secondary load-bearing members transverse to said primary load-bearing members.
- 6. A method for forming a grating suitable for bridge decks, the grating comprised of primary load-bearing members and secondary load-bearing members, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a plurality of substantially parallel longitudinally extending primary load-bearing members having an upper portion, a lower portion and a web located between said upper portion and said lower portion;
- (b) forming a plurality of web openings in said web of said primary load bearing members using a punch and die, the die having a die opening having a generally cross shaped configuration having an upwardly extending extent having a top and bottom and a generally horizontal extent having a first side and a second side, the distance between the top and bottom of the upwardly extending extent being shorter than the distance between the first side and the second side of the generally horizontal extent, the opening having a first land and a second land substantially opposite to each other, the first land extending from the top of said upwardly extending extent to said second side, the second land extending from said first side to said bottom, the punch having a cross-section configuration to mate with said die opening to punch said web openings in said web, the web openings in each of said primary load-bearing members being aligned with the web openings in adjacent primary load-bearing members;
- (c) inserting a plurality of secondary load-bearing members into said web openings, said secondary load-bearing members inserted along the horizontal extent, the secondary load-bearing members having an upper edge and a lower edge, the secondary load-bearing members provided with first slots extending downwardly through the upper edge to provide top slots, the secondary load-bearing members inserted into said horizontal extent until said first slots align with webs in said primary load-bearing members;
- (d) rotating said secondary load-bearing members in said web openings to position said secondary load-bearing members in said generally vertical extent in said web openings of the primary load-bearing, members, said top slots in said secondary load-bearing member forming a locking engagement with said web surrounding said web openings in said primary load-bearing members in forming said grating.
- 7. The method in accordance with claim 6 including forming secondary downwardly extending slots through said upper edge of said secondary load-bearing members, the secondary downwardly extending slots located between primary load-bearing members, the secondary downwardly extending slots in each of said secondary load-bearing members being aligned with secondary downwardly extending slots in adjacent secondary load-bearing members.
- 8. The method in accordance with claim 7 including positioning a plurality of tertiary load-bearing members in the secondary slots in the secondary load-bearing members, the tertiary load-bearing members having tertiary bottom edges having upwardly extending tertiary bottom slots extending through said tertiary bottom edges to form tertiary bottom slots positioned in alignment with the secondary downwardly extending slots in said secondary load-bearing members to permit said secondary load-bearing members and said tertiary load-bearing members to fixedly engage each other, and extending a rod through said tertiary load-bearing members and said primary load-bearing members locking said tertiary load-bearing members in the slots in said secondary load-bearing members and locking said secondary load-bearing members in the openings in said primary load-bearing members to form said grating.
- 9. The method in accordance with claim 6 wherein the members comprise steel members.
- 10. the method in accordance with claim 6 wherein the members comprise an aluminum alloy member.
- 11. The method in accordance with claim 6 wherein the members are substantially rectangular shaped in cross section.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/629,020, filed Apr. 8, 1996 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/589,500, filed Jan. 22, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,949, issued Feb. 25, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (22)
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
629020 |
Apr 1996 |
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Parent |
589500 |
Jan 1996 |
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