Metal connectors for building

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Patent issued

01/12/1993

Inventor(s):	Hirata, Takao Goya, Shigeo
Application	No. 07/740,588 filed on 08/05/1991
Current US Class	52/696, 52/90, 403/272, 403/389
Field of search	52/696, 52/90, 52/690, 403/277, 403/280, 403/248, 403/389, 403/391
International Classes:	E04H 508
Examiners
Primary	Scherbel David A.
Secondary	Downs Joanne C.
Attorney, agent or firm:	Kanesaka and Takeuchi
US patent references	1112258, 2106724, 3840124, 4294051, 4309857
Foreign patents	2-209295 (08/09/1990, JP)

A metal connector for a building includes a pipe-shaped frame having aplurality of axial slits at its both ends, a wedge member fitted at eachend of the frame, and a connecting member directly passed through theframe or passed through a box-shaped anchor loosely fitted over the outerperiphery of the frame. The wedge member is fitted to each end of theframe to secure the frame to a wooden member, while neighboring woodenmembers are joined together by the connecting member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a metal connector for wooden members in a woodenbuilding and more particularly to a metal connector for a wooden buildingadvantageously employed in a wood frame construction system.
2. Related Art
Recently, a wood frame construction system, in which a plywood forstructural use is lined over a frame composed of timbers and a so-formedpanel is used as a durable wall. With this construction system, connectionof a ridge to a roof truss or of a roof truss to a double plate isperformed on the construction site by connecting associated wooden membersby metal connectors by a manual operation of an operator. When assemblinga roof, for example, the forward ends of a set of roof truss is placed inopposition to those of another set of roof truss with a ridge in-betweenand the roof truss sets are connected to each other and to the ridge underthis condition by metal connectors. This operation is repeated for each ofa number of roof truss sets facing each other.
Since the connection of the ridge to the roof truss and that of the rooftruss to the double plate in the conventional wood frame constructionsystem is performed in this manner from one roof truss set to another at apoorly supported elevated position on the construction site, problems arepresented in safety and operational efficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Object of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a metal connector forbuildings by means of which a number of roof truss members arepreassembled into a roof truss unit in a plant where the workingenvironment is more benign and a number of such roof truss units aresimply joined together on the construction site to construct a woodenbuilding.
Feature of the Invention
The metal connector for buildings according to the present inventionincludes a pipe-shaped frame having a plurality of axial slits at its bothends, a wedge member fitted at each end of the frame and a connectingmember directly passed through the frame or through a box-shaped anchorloosely fitted over the outer periphery of the frame. An elongated bolt ora strap bolt is employed as the connecting member.
With the metal connector for a building, a number of operationsconventionally performed at the construction site may be performed at theplant where the working environment is more favorable, thereby improvingsafety and the working efficiency. The building constructed with the useof the metal connector according to the present invention exhibitsimproved durability against collapse due to strong winds or vibrations dueto earthquakes.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become moreapparent from the following description.

We claim:
1. A metal connector for a building comprising a frame, a box-shaped anchorloosely fitted over the outer periphery of said frame, a connecting memberpassed through through-holes in said box-shaped anchor, and wedge membersfitted to both ends of said frame,
said frame being in the shape of a pipe having a plurality of axial slitsat both ends thereof,
said box-shaped anchor having a hollow interior having a cross-sectionalarea larger than the radial cross-section of said frame and being formedwith said through-holes for said connecting member in a peripheral wallsection thereof.
2. A metal connector for a building as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidconnecting member is an elongated bolt.
3. A metal connector for a building as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidconnecting member is a strap bolt having a fixture plate at an endthereof.
4. A metal connector for a building as claimed in claim 1 wherein anaperture is formed at an axially inner end of a slit formed at each end ofsaid frame in contiguity with said slit.
5. A metal connector for a building comprising a frame, a connecting memberpassed through through-holes in said frame, and wedge members fitted intoboth ends of said frame,
said frame being formed as a pipe a plurality of axial slits being formedat both ends of said pipe, and through-holes for said connecting membersbeing situated axially inwardly of said slits.
6. A metal connector for a building as claimed in claim 5 wherein saidconnecting member is an elongated bolt.
7. A metal connector for a building as claimed in claim 5 wherein saidconnecting member is a strap bolt having a fixture plate at an endthereof.
8. A metal connector for a building as claimed in claim 5 wherein anaperture is formed at an axially inner end of a slit formed at each end ofsaid frame in continuity with said slit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawings illustrate the present invention, wherein
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the invention,with a portion thereof not being shown,
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the invention,with a portion thereof not being shown,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which wooden members arejoined together by using metal connectors of both the first and secondembodiments,
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3,
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 in FIG. 3 and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the invention,with a portion thereof not being shown.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
By referring to the drawings, illustrative embodiments of a metal connectoraccording to the present invention will be explained in detail.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the presentinvention, with a portion thereof not being shown.
A frame 10 is designed as an elongated pipe. The length of the frame 10depends on the number of roof truss members to be arranged in a roof trussset, as will be explained hereinbelow. Slits 11 are provided for extendingat both ends and along the axis of each frame 10 for facilitatingspreading apart both ends of the frame 10. Two to eight slits 11 areusually provided (two in the present embodiment) and a small aperture 12is formed at the inner end of each slit 11. The function of the apertures12 is to render both ends of the frame 10 spreadable with greater ease.
A wedge member 20 is tapered at its distal end and is fitted into each endof the frame 10 formed with slits 11 to spread the end of the frame 10apart.
A box-shaped anchor 30 has a hollow interior having a cross-sectional arealarger than the radial cross sectional area of the frame 10 and is fittedloosely over the outer peripheral surface of the frame 10. In the presentembodiment, the box-shaped anchor 30 is square in profile and hasregistering through-holes 31 on the opposite sides thereof through whichis passed an elongated bolt 40a as a connecting member 40. Thesethrough-holes 31 are provided at such positions in the aforementionedopposite sides that the frame 10 and the elongated bolt 40a are not inconflict with each other when the box-shaped anchor 30 is loosely fittedover the frame 10 and the elongated bolt 40 a is passed through theanchor.
It is noted that the box-shaped anchor 30 may also be oval or in the shapeof a key-hole instead of being square in shape.
With the above described metal connector of the first embodiment, two ofthe frames 10, four of the box-shaped anchors 30 and two of the bolts 40are used for interconnecting roof truss members placed on both sides of aridge, that is for interconnecting the roof truss members, ridge and rooftruss members, in this order, as will be explained subsequently.
It is noted that the connecting metal fittings of the first embodiment mayalso be employed for interconnecting a floor framing of the second floorand upper and lower studs.
FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. This metalconnector for a building is a metal fitting employed for interconnectingthe roof truss and a double plate or a stud or interconnecting the rooftruss and a tie beam and is similar in structure to the first embodimentexcept as to the connecting member 40. That is, with the present metalconnector, a strap bolt 40b comprised of a bolt and a fixture plate 41provided to the end of the bolt is used as the connecting member.
Connection of a roof truss to a ridge, connection of a roof truss to adouble plate and connection of a roof truss and a stud to a tie beam withthe use of metal connector of the first embodiment and a metal connectorof the second embodiment, will be hereinafter explained.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state of connecting wooden memberswith the use of the metal connector, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional viewtaken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view takenalong line 5--5 of FIG. 3.
In these figures, there is shown a roof truss member 100, a ridge 200, atie beam 300, a double plate 400 and a stud 500.
With the metal connector of the first embodiment, a frame 10 is passedthrough holes 101 formed at the distal ends of four juxtaposed roof trusmembers 100. Box-shaped anchors 30 are previously passed loosely frame 10so as to be disposed between adjoining roof truss members 100. Both endsof the frame 10 are so disposed that the slits 11 are not protrudedexcessively from the sides of the roof truss 100.
In this state, wedge members 20 are driven into both ends of the frame 10for extending the ends of the frame 10 into pressure fitting onto theinner peripheral surface of the hole 101 of each roof truss member 100. Inthis manner, both ends of the frame 10 are secured to both end roof trussmembers 100.
In a similar manner, two frames 10 having box-shaped anchors 30 looselyfitted thereon are secured to holes 101 formed at the middle and at rearsides of the four roof truss members 100.
When the four roof truss members 100 are secured together by frames 10 atthe foremost sides, at the middle and at the rear sides of the four rooftruss members 100, the four roof truss members 100 are assembled togetheras a roof truss unit. The assembling of the roof truss members into a rooftruss unit may be carried out at a plant having of the roof truss members100 constituting one roof truss unit is not limited to four.
Two of the so-assembled roof truss units are placed on both sides of aridge 200. An elongated bolt 40a is introduced from one of through-holes31 of each of box-shaped anchors 30 placed on both sides of the ridge 200.This elongated bolt 40a is passed through the through-holes 31, anaperture 201 in the ridge 200 and through-holes 31 in the other box-shapedanchor 30, and is secured in position by nuts 42 (FIG. 4). When the bolt40a is passed in this manner, the box-shaped anchor 30 is moved freelyalong the length of the frame 10 on its periphery, so that positionmatching of the box-shaped anchor 30 with respect to the through-holes 31and the aperture 200 in the ridge 200 may be achieved easily to facilitatethe operation of passing the bolt 40a.
A plurality of roof truss units, each comprised of roof truss members 100arranged on both sides of the ridge 200, are joined together to complete aroof truss assembly. It is noted that, if a crane or the like equipment isavailable on the construction site, the process step until completion ofthe roof truss assembly may be performed at the plant and only the processstep of installing the roof truss assembly in place may performed on theconstruction site using the crane.
The roof truss and the tie beam 300 may be joined together using a strapbolt 40b. That is, the strap bolt 40b is introduced into the through-holes31 of the box-shaped anchor 30 loosely fitted on the frame 10 secured atthe middle of the roof truss member 30 and secured with a nut 42, whilethe fixture plate 41 is secured to the tie beam 300 with nails or thelike.
The roof truss is joined to the double plate 400 and to the stud 500 with astrap bolt 40b. In this case, the strap bolt 40b is passed through thethrough-holes 31 of the box-shaped anchor loosely fitted over the frame 10secured to the rear side of the roof truss member 100 through an aperture401 formed in the ridge 400. The bolt 40b is secured with the nut 42 whilethe fixture plate 41 is secured to the stud 500 such as with nails (FIG.5).
FIG. 6 shows, in a perspective view, a third embodiment of the presentinvention, with a portion thereof not being shown. In the presentembodiment, the box-shaped anchor 30 is not employed, but thethrough-holes 31 for the connecting member 40 is directly formed in theframe. The through-holes 31 may be provided at any arbitrary position inthe frame 10. Hence, with the present embodiment, the metal connector maybe markedly simplified.
Meanwhile, the elongated bolt 40a in the metal connector of the thirdembodiment may be employed in place of the strap bolt 40b in the same wayas in the above described second embodiment. It is noted that the metalconnector of the first or the third embodiment may also be used forjoining the foundation and wooden members if an anchor bolt is used as theconnecting member 40.
With the use of the metal connectors of the present invention, varioustypes of roofs, such as shed roofs, gable roofs, gambrel roofs, M-shapedroofs, saw-toothed roofs or mansard roofs, may be assembled freely.