AU778138B2 - A fixing member - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Applicant(s): MITEK NEW ZEALAND LIMITED Invention Title: A FIXING MEMBER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 A FIXING MEMBER The present invention relates to fixing members and related methods and assemblies for the building industry.

Webbed beams of a kind having top and bottom timber plates (chords) are well known. Such web relationships between such top and bottom timber plates can occur in a number of ways including metal forms substantially as hereinafter described which are proprietary to this company. Other such web interconnections of metal or indeed any of timber or other materials of chords that might fall within the general term of webbed beams is also within the compass of the term "webbed beams" With a plurality of spaced webbed beams supporting a roof or floor structure and irrespective of whether or not the top and bottom plates are necessarily parallel the overall structure can be further stabilised by providing a link between the webbed beams so that they act in a tied unison in the overall structural. In the past such tying of webbed beams has utilised a stud of timber interposed between each of the top and bottom timber plates.

The present invention provides an alternative which performs sufficiently for the purpose notwithstanding the S"seeming lightness of the structure.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fixing member that will perform to the '"requirements described above and which results in o structures, methods of assembly, etc substantially as hereinafter described.

35 The present invention provides a fixing member for interconnecting webbed beams each of a kind having top and bottom timber plates with a linking tie which extends H.\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Mitek 28149-01.doc 30/09/04 3 through the beams between the top and bottom plates, said member comprising, formed from the same metal sheet; an elongate portion sized and shaped to interconnect the top and bottom timber plates of a said webbed beam, the elongate portion having at least one connector element positioned for facilitating connection of the elongate portion to the top timber plate, the elongate portion also having at least one further connector element positioned for facilitating connection of the elongate portion to the bottom timber plate; and laterally outstanding from said elongate portion a flange to connect to the linking tie.

Preferably said elongate portion and/or flange are/is adapted for connection to chords and/or a tie respectively.

Whilst reference is made herein to a "tie" that can be of any material (eg wood, metal, plastics, etc).

Preferably said elongate portion is provided with holes at each end thereof to facilitate the nailing or screw fixing thereof into each of the top and bottom timber plates of said webbed beam. Alternatively a punched out nailing 25 tooth system (eg GANG-NAIL® type) can be used instead.

oo ooooo Preferably said laterally outstanding flange is provided with a plurality of openings therethrough to enable the "fixing thereof to a linking timber plate by nailing and/or the use of screw. Likewise GANG-NAIL® type nailing teeth can be used.

Preferably said laterally outstanding flange is not as :long as said elongate portion and preferably is cleared from the ends of elongate portion to provide better access to the nailing/screw holes of the nailing plate features at one or both ends.

H\Luia\Keep\Speci\Mitek 28149-Oldoc 30/09/04 4 Preferably when viewed transversely of the elongate axis of said elongate portion one or preferably both of said elongate portion and said laterally outstanding flange is other than planar so as to enhance the strength thereof.

Preferably the transverse section of one or both of said elongate portion and said laterally outstanding flange is one that includes at least one fold taking a distal region of the part out of the general fixing plane.

Preferably the fixing member is substantially as hereinafter described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

The present invention also provides a structure having a plurality of webbed beams having top and bottom timber plates interconnected by attachment to a linking timber plate running through the plurality of webbed beams between the top and bottom plates, each such webbed beam being connected to the linking timber plate by a fixing member as previously defined.

The present invention still further provides a method of forming a structural framework comprising: ~providing a plurality of webbed beams, each beam ooooo having a top and bottom timber plate; locating a linking tie through the webbed beams so the linking tie runs between the top and bottom timber plates of the webbed beams; and attaching fixing members to the beams and the tie, the fixing members having an elongate portion and a oeoo laterally outstanding flange, and wherein the elongate portion is connected to at least the top and bottom timber plates and the flange is at least connected to the linking tie.

.e H\Liea\Keep\Speci\itek 28149-O.doc 30/09/04 5 A preferred form of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a view along the axis of the webbed beam showing the fixing member of the present invention; Figure 3 is a similar view to that of Figure 2 but this time along the axis of the tie (in this embodiment a linking timber plate); Figure 4 shows one contouring of a fixing member in which each of the elongate and laterally outstanding flanges have a foldline to engender increased rigidity to the structure; and Figure 5 is an isometric view of a fixing member according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the embodiment shown the fixing member comprises a bracket having an elongate portion 1 and a laterally outstanding flange 2. At each end of the elongate member 1 are provided openings 3 (just one of several chord engagement options contemplated) which allows the nailing and/or screw attachment of the member 1 to the top and bottom timber plates 4 of a webbed beam 5. In the _instance of Figure 1 the chords 4 are webbed by the metal °oeoo members 6 proprietary to this company.

S.Laterally outstanding form the elongate member 1 is the flange 7 of lesser longitudinal length with respect to the o•longitudinal length of the elongate member i. This flange 7 includes therein (as one embodiment of a fixing oooo adaptation) a plurality of holes to allow the nailing and/or screw fixing thereof to the liking timber plate 8.

35 These holes 9 can extend along the full length of the o .flange 7 to facilitate any convenient run through position of a linking timber plate 8.

H,\Luisa\Keep\SpeCi\Mitek 28149-01.doc 30/09/04 6 Figure 4 shows a possible cross-section of a fixing member as depicted in Figures 1 through 3 to increase the crosssectional rigidity.

Figure 5 shows a fixing member according to a more preferred embodiment.

As previously stated the fixing adaptations can be any pressed out or punched out nailing feature, eg of GANG- NAIL® type.

Preferably a suitable gauge galvanized steel is utilised for the purpose and appropriate size provided for the particular spacing of the top and bottom plates of a webbed beam.

As used in respect of the present invention, where the context lends itself, reference to a webbed beam does not exclude relationship between the top and bottom chords, ie as in a truss.

Since modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may readily be effected by persons skilled within the art, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described by way of example hereinabove.

o. In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", is used in an inclusive sense, ie. to specify the presence of the stated features 35 but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

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H.\Liaa\Keep\Speci\Mitek 28149-Oldoc 30/09/04

Claims (10)

1. A fixing member for interconnecting webbed beams each of a kind having top and bottom timber plates with a linking tie which extends through the beams between the top and bottom plates, said member comprising, formed from the same metal sheet; an elongate portion sized and shaped to interconnect the top and bottom timber plates of a said webbed beam, the elongate portion having at least one connector element positioned for facilitating connection of the elongate portion to the top timber plate, the elongate portion also having at least one further connector element positioned for facilitating connection of the elongate portion to the bottom timber plate; and laterally outstanding from said elongate portion a flange to connect to the linking tie.

2. The member of claim 1 wherein said elongate portion and/or flange are/is adapted for connection to chords and/or a tie respectively.

3. The member of claim 1 wherein said connection 25 elements comprise holes at each end thereof to facilitate the nailing or screw fixing thereof into each of the top and bottom timber plates of said webbed beam. o.

4. The member of claim 1 wherein said laterally outstanding flange is provided with a plurality of openings therethrough to enable the fixing thereof to a linking timber plate by nailing and/or the use of screw.

5. The member of claim 1 wherein said laterally 35 outstanding flange is not as long as said elongate Sportion. H.\Luia\Keep\Speci\Mitek 28149-01.doc 30/09/04 8

6. The member of claim 1 wherein when viewed transversely of the elongate axis of said elongate portion one or both of said elongate portion and said laterally outstanding flange is other than planar so as to enhance the strength thereof.

7. The member of claim 1 wherein the transverse section of one or both of said elongate portion and said laterally outstanding flange is one that includes at least one fold taking a distal region of the part out of the general fixing plane.

8. A fixing member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

9. A structure having a plurality of webbed beams having top and bottom timber plates interconnected by attachment to a linking timber plate running through the plurality of webbed beams between the top and bottom plates, each such webbed beam being connected to the linking timber plate by a fixing member defined in any one of claims 1 to 8. l

10. A method of forming a structural framework S* comprising: S: providing a plurality of webbed beams, each beam 0 having a top and bottom timber plate; locating a linking tie through the webbed beams so the linking tie runs between the top and bottom timber plates of the webbed beams; and attaching fixing members to the beams and the tie, the fixing members having an elongate portion and a 35 laterally outstanding flange, and wherein the elongate ,,o H.\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Mitek 28149-01.doc 30/09/04 9 portion is connected to at least the top and bottom timber plates and the flange is at least connected to the linking tie. Dated this 30th day of September 2004 MITEK NEW ZEALAND LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK Fellows Institute of Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys of Australia S* o* H:\Luisa\Keep\Speci\Mitek 28149-01.doc 30/09/04