AU759585B2

AU759585B2 - A jointing device

Info

Publication number: AU759585B2
Application number: AU47531/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Philip John Emms
Original assignee: EMMS Investment Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Morinda Australia Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1998-09-10
Filing date: 1999-09-10
Publication date: 2003-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 2019-09-10
Also published as: AU4753199A

Description

(1 P/00/01 1 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

r Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: EMMS INVESTMENTS PTY LTD Philip John Emms

INTELLPRO

Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Level 7, Reserve Bank Building 102 Adelaide Street BRISBANE, QLD, 4000 (GPO Box 1339, BRISBANE, 4001) A JOINTING DEVICE Australian Patent Application No. PP5794 filed 10 September 1998.

Details of Associated Provisional Application(s) No(s): The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: A JOINTING DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to a jointing device for joining elongated members of a building structure and in particular but not limited to a jointing device for joining an upright member and a truss member, or for joining adjacent truss members of a portal frame structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Buildings generally have a number of elongate structural members that are joined together. For example, roof trusses are joined together at their apex and to respective uprights.

It is observed that elongate structural members are joined by plate-shaped jointing devices to one side of the structural members.

The joints so formed are structurally weak and prone to failures.

Where the elongate members are C-shaped steel sections, the plate-shaped jointing devices are invariably fixed to the bight portions of the sections. The open side of the C-sections can be deformed easily.

The ends of the elongate members at the joints are exposed and must be S-shaped by cutting or otherwise in order to have an acceptable appearance.

One attempt to improve structural strength at the joints is to provide the plate-shaped devices with lips forming shallow channels for receiving the elongate members. These devices do not totally overcome the above disadvantages as the joints continue to be structurally weak.

t 3 More importantly, these prior art devices require the elongate members for joining to be physically held together while fixing a jointing device thereto. At least one additional worker or a expensive hold-down tool must be employed for holding the elongate members together.

The jointing devices currently available do not have facility for a roof truss member to extend outwardly as an eave support.

OBIECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION An object of the present invention is to alleviate or to reduce to a certain level one or more of the prior art disadvantages.

OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION In one aspect therefore the present invention relates to a jointing device for joining elongate members. The device comprises a gusset portion and spaced flange portion each extending from an edge of the gusset portion and forming a cavity there between. The device further comprises a first opening arranged adjacent to one end of the gusset portion and in communication with the cavity and a second opening arranged adjacent to the opposite end of the gusset portion and in communication with the cavity. In use, one elongate member is positioned in said cavity through said first opening and a second elongate member is positioned in said cavity through said second opening for joining by fixing to the jointing device. The device is formed from a blank with foldlines and the blank is configured with sections bendable along said foldlines to form said gusset portion and said flange portions.

4 In preference, at least one of flange portions has one or more skirt elements formed remotely from said gusset portion and extending in a direction towards the opposite flange portion. It is further preferred that the one or more skirt elements extends to the opposite flange portion. If desired the or each skirt element may be integrally formed with the flange portions.

More preferably said at least one flange portion has two skirt elements arranged for, in use, abutting respective elongate members.

Desirably the flange portions are configured so that the first opening and said second opening are aligned or at an angle to each other.

The device may be formed with means for facilitating fixing to the elongate members. Suitably said facilitating means are guide holes for fixing means such as nails, bolts, nuts, screws, staples or the like.

It is preferred that the gusset portion extends substantially between the first and second openings. It is further preferred that the gusset portion extends to the openings so that, in use, the elongate members are in contact with free ends of the gusset portions.

Said elongate members may be solid, hollow or a combination thereof.

They may be in the form of a C or U sections, or T or I sections, or a combination thereof. Each said elongate member may have two of said sections positioned back 20 to back.

One or each of the flange portions may have a part which can be removed for providing access to fixing the device to or removing the device from one of the elongate members.

Conveniently the device has a third opening in alignment with the first opening so that the elongate member through the first opening can extend outwardly through the third opening to form an eave support structure.

One or both said flange portions may have one or more observation holes for checking the elongate members in the cavity thereof.

In another aspect therefore the present invention resides in a building structure comprising at least one pair of spaced upright elongate members and one or more roof truss elongate members spanning the or each pair of the elongate members. Each of the upright elongate member is joined to the or each said roof truss elongate members by the device as hereinbefore described.

It is preferred that where the building structure includes two or more roof truss elongate members, adjacent roof truss elongate members are joined by the i S°device as hereinbefore described.

~The building structure may be a portal frame structure for a carport, garage, 000o 15 shed, dwelling or the like buildings.

*BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0 o04 In order that the present invention can be readily understood and put into 00*0 •practical effect the description will now refer to the accompanying drawings which illustrate non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, and wherein: 0*0.

20 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a partial portal building structure employing embodiments of the jointing device according to the present invention; Figures 2 and 3 are respective isometric views from front and back of the jointing device for a knee joint shown in Figure 1; 6 Figures 4 and 5 are respective isometric view from front and back of the jointing device for an apex joint shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a plan view of an embodiment of a blank for forming the knee jointing device shown in Figure 1; Figure 7 is a plan view of an embodiment of a blank for forming the apex jointing device shown in Figure 1; Figures 8 and 9 are respective isometric view from front and back of another embodiment of the knee jointing device according to the present invention; Figures 10 and 11 are respective isometric view from front and back of another embodiment of the apex jointing device according to the present invention; and Figure 12 is a perspective view of a partial building structure employing a further embodiment of the knee jointing device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS ooooo 15 Referring initially to Figure 1 there is shown a partial view of a portal building structure 100 having a first frame structure 102 and a second frame structure 104.

Each of the frame structures 102 and 104 has a pair of spaced elongate upright members which in this case are C-section leg purlins 106, 108 and a pair 20 of roof truss elongate member which in this case are C-section roof purlins 110, 112.

The leg purlins 106, 108 are joined to respective roof purlins 110, 122 by an embodiment of the knee jointing device 10 according to the present invention.

The roof purlins 110, 122 are joined together by an embodiment of the apex jointing device 50 according to the present invention.

While not shown, it should be understood that fixing means such as screws, bolts, rivets and the like can be used to fix the devices 10 and 50 to the purlins 106 to 112. Performed fixing apertures are provided on the devices 10- and 50 for the fixing means.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 5 in conjunction with Figure 1, each knee jointing device 10 has a gusset portion 12, spaced flange portions 14, 16 extending from one side of the gusset portion 12 and skirt elements 18 and 20 extending from the flange portion 14 to a portion just short of the opposite flange portion 16.

As mentioned earlier, preformed fixing apertures 22 are provided on predetermined positions on the flange portions 14, 16 and the skirt elements 18, for joining to the purlins 106 and 110, or 108 and 112 by fixing means.

The knee jointing device 10 as shown has a first opening 24 for a roof truss o oi 15 purlin 110 or 112 to enter the interior of the device 10 a second opening 26 for the leg purlin 106, 108 to enter the interior, and a third opening 28 for the roof truss purlin 110 or 112 to extend through the device 10 to form an eave support as shown in Figure 1.

SThe apex jointing device 50 shown in Figures 4 and 5 has a gusset portion 20 52, spaced flanges 54, 56 extending from one side of the gusset portion 52 and skirt elements 58, 60 extending from the flange portion 54 to a position just short of the opposite flange portion 56.

.ooooo 8 As for the knee jointing device 10, fixing apertures 62 are provided for guiding fixing means for fixing the apex jointing device 50 to the truss purlins 110 and 112 which enter the interior of the device 50 through openings 64 and 66.

The apex jointing device 50 is also provided with observation holes 68 on the flange portions 54, 56 so that an operator see the positions of the truss purlins 110 and 112 within the interior of the device Figure 6 is a blank 11 of steel plate for forming the knee jointing device The blank 11 has foldlines 30 allowing easy bending along the foldlines 30 to from the device 10 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The apertures 22 are also predrilled in the blank 11.

Figure 7 is a blank 21 of steel plate for forming the apex jointing device This blank 51 also has foldlines 70 allowing easy ending for forming the apex jointing device 50, and predrilled apertures 62 and slightly holes 68.

Figures 8 and 9 show another embodiment of the knee jointing device ooooo 15 in which the skirt elements 19 and 12 extend to the flange portion 16.

As for the knee jointing device 10 in Figures 8 and 9, the apex jointing o:i device 50 in Figures 10 and 11 has its skirt elements 58 and 62 extend to the flange portion 56.

"While not shown it should be understood that the devices 10 and 50 can be 20 in the form of tubular sleeves with the skirt elements portions 18, 20 and 58, m formed integrally with respective flange portions 14, 16 and 54, 56.

In figure 12, the knee jointing device 10 is modified for joining upright members 120 and roof truss member 130. The upright member 120 has two Cmembers 120 and roof truss member 130. The upright member 120 has two Csection leg purlins 122, 124 positioned back to back and the roof truss member 130 also has two truss purlins 132, 134 position back to back.

Two knee jointing devices 10 are employed for joining the members 120 and 130. As can be seen the devices 10 are positioned back to back in between the leg purlins 122, 124 and in between the truss purlins 132, 134.

The flange portion 16 in this case is formed of two separate parts 16A and 16B. The part 16B as shown is separated from the part 16A so that an operator may have access to apply fixing means to fix the flange portions 14 to the purlins 132, 134.

The parts 16A and 16B has additional holes for fixing to each other and to the purlins 132, 134.

Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the 1 v n h sf 15 invention as herein set forth.

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Claims

1. A jointing device adapted for a building structure having elongate members, the device comprises a gusset portion and spaced parallel flange portions each extending from an edge of the gusset portion and forming a cavity there between, the device further comprises a first opening having a first central axis, and a second opening having a second central axis, the spaced flange portions having a shape that said first axis and said second axis are at an angle to each other; the first opening being arranged adjacent to an end of the gusset portion and in communication with the cavity and the second opening being arranged adjacent to the opposite end of the gusset portion and in communication with the cavity; the cavity being adapted to receive an end section of one of the elongate members through said first opening and in line with said first axis, and an end section of another of the elongate members through said second opening and in line with said second axis, for joining by fixing the one and another elongated members to the jointing device; wherein said device is formed from a single blank with foldlines at respective edges of a section for forming said gusset portion and the blank is configured with spaced sections bendable along said foldlines to form said gusset portion and said flange portions, and wherein at least one of the flange portions has one or more skirt elements formed remotely from said gusset portion and extending o20 in a direction towards the opposite flange portion. oooo

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one flange portion has two skirt elements arranged for, abutting respective said one and another elongate members when joined by the device. 11

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the device is formed with means for facilitating fixing to the elongate members, said facilitating means includes guide holes through which fixing means extend to fix to the elongate members.

4. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the gusset portion extends to the openings so that the one and another elongate members when joined by the device are in contact with free ends of the gusset portions. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said elongate members are solid, hollow or a combination thereof and are in the form of a C or U shaped sections, or T or I shaped sections, or a combination thereof.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said elongate members having two of said C or U shaped sections, or T or I shaped sections positioned back to back. *I 7. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein one or each of the flange portions having a part which can be removed for providing access to fixing the device to or removing the device from one of the elongate members.

8. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the device has a third opening in alignment with the first opening so that the elongate member :C extending through the first opening can extend outwardly through the third opening 20 to form an eave support structure.

9. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein one or both said flange portions having one or more observation holes for checking the elongate members in the cavity thereof. 12 A building structure comprising at least one pair of spaced upright elongate members and one or more roof truss elongate members spanning the or each pair of the upright elongate members, each of the upright elongate member is joined to the or each said roof truss elongate members by a joining device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The building structure as claimed in claim 10 Owherein said building structure includes two or more roof truss elongate members and adjacent roof truss elongate members being joined by the device.

12. The building structure as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein the structure is in the form of a portal frame for a carport, garage, shed, dwelling or like building. eeeee a•