Structural support member with swaged female interface
AssigneeBull Moose Tube Company
InventorsMark Scott Abernathy, Jeffrey A. Packer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A swaged interface includes a male element that includes a male cavity defined by at least one male sidewall, and a plurality of first openings defined in the at least one male sidewall. The swaged interface also includes a female element that includes a female cavity defined by at least one female sidewall, and a plurality of second openings defined in the at least one female sidewall. The female element has an inner cross section sized to receive the male element such that each of the first openings is aligned with a respective one of the second openings. The inner cross section is formed by swaging.
Claims20
A swaged interface comprising:
- a male element comprising a male cavity defined by at least one male sidewall, and a plurality of first openings defined in said at least one male sidewall;
- and
- a female element comprising a female cavity defined by at least one female sidewall, and a plurality of second openings defined in said at least one female sidewall, said female element having an inner cross section sized to receive said male element such that each of said first openings is aligned with a respective one of said second openings, said inner cross section formed by swaging.
A method of forming a first column segment for a structural column, said method comprising:
- providing a precursor column segment including a female cavity defined by at least one female sidewall, the at least one female sidewall having an initial inner cross section that is substantially constant along a length of the at least one female sidewall;
- and
- swaging a first portion of the at least one female sidewall adjacent to a first end of the precursor column segment, such that the inner cross section of the first portion is expanded to a preselected cross section, the first portion defining a female element of the first column segment.
A column for a moment-resisting frame, said column comprising:
- a first hollow structural section (HSS) column segment comprising:
- at least one male sidewall defining a male element;
- and
- a plurality of first openings defined in said at least one male sidewall along said male element;
- a second HSS column segment comprising:
- at least one female sidewall defining a female element;
- and
- a plurality of second openings defined in said at least one female sidewall along said female element, said male element received within an inner cross section of said female element such that each of said first openings is aligned with a respective one of said second openings, said inner cross section formed by swaging;
- and
- a plurality of fasteners, each of said fasteners received within a corresponding aligned pair of said first and second openings such that said male and female elements are coupled together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.