Systems, methods, and machines for joining truss foundation components without mechanical fasteners
AssigneeOjjo, Inc.
InventorsTyrus Hudson, Johann Karkheck, Charles Almy, Jack West, Greg McPheeters
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A crimper for joining truss leg components to form a unitary truss foundation with the ground without needing mechanical fasteners. A crimping tool has upper and lower crimp guides that register the position of jaws on the crimping tool with respect to grooves formed in a connecting portion of a truss cap and in a driving coupler of a driven screw anchor. Registering the position of the jaws ensures that blind crimps between the upper leg and screw anchor and upper leg and truss cap are performed consistently each time.
Claims4
A crimping device for assembling truss foundation components into a truss without using mechanical fasteners, the device comprising:
- a main body;
- a first fixed jaw extending from the main body;
- a second movable jaw extending from a hydraulic cylinder connected to the main body, the hydraulic cylinder providing force to the second jaw to move the second jaw toward the first jaw to make a crimp connection;
- a lower crimp guide;
- an upper crimp guide;
- and
- at least one fitting for communicating hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinder, wherein the lower crimp guide comprises an opening that receives a portion of a first foundation component to align teeth of the first and second jaws over recesses formed in a couple of the first foundation component concealed by a second foundation component sleeved over the coupler to deform the second foundation component into the recesses to effect a blind crimp of the second foundation component to the coupler.
A crimping device for truss installation and assembly machine comprising:
- a main body portion;
- a first fixed jaw extending from a distal end of the main body;
- a second movable jaw extending from a hydraulic cylinder attached to the main body, wherein the hydraulic cylinder is operable to move the second movable jaw toward the first fixed jaw to perform a crimping operation;
- an upper crimp guide attached to the main body portion;
- a lower crimp guide proximate to the first and second jaws;
- and
- at least one fitting for communicating hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic cylinder, wherein the lower crimp guide is proximate to the first and second jaws and is dimensioned to receive a portion of a driving coupler of a first foundation component so that the first and second jaws are positioned over recesses formed in the coupler concealed by a second foundation component sleeved over the coupler so that a second foundation component is deformed into the recesses formed in the coupler to affect a crimp connection of the second foundation component to the first foundation component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.