On-site construction of roof trusses
OwnerFredric H. Schneiderinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus is described which makes use of a roof truss as both an assembly surface and sawing table for the construction of additional roof trusses which conform thereto. The apparatus includes the first roof truss as a truss template, and various positioning guides, stops and clamps which are releasably securable thereto to hold and locate lumber pieces during the formation of additional roof trusses.
Claims19
Apparatus for constructing a roof truss comprising a truss template which includes roof and base chord defining members having the length and angular relationship of the base and roof chords of a roof truss to be constructed;
- chord alignment and positioning members secured to said template along said chord defining members adjacent each end of said template, at least one of which includes a lumber end positioning guide adapted to position at its associated end of said template a first piece of lumber to be used for forming an angled end joint of a roof truss;
- and lumber positioning stops secured directly to said template chord members at spaced locations to position lumber along the lengths of said template members, whereby said template provides an assembly surface for supporting lumber for construction of said truss chords, as well as defines the length and angular relationship of said chords.
Apparatus for forming an angled end joint between a roof chord and the base chord of a roof truss during the construction of such truss comprising a base structure supporting a lumber end positioning guide at a location defining a first position for a first piece of lumber from which one of said roof chord and base chord is to be formed, and a saw guide on said base structure at a location defining a path for a lumber saw across said first position at the proposed location on said piece of lumber for said angled end joint, said path being parallel to the other of said roof chord and base chord of said truss and the angular relationship of said saw guide relative to said first position defined by said lumber positioning guide being selectively adjustable to form differently angled end joints between roof and base chords of trusses.
A method of constructing a roof truss with chords having the length and angular relationship of a previously constructed roof truss comprising the steps of:
- releasably securing a lumber end positioning guide to said previously constructed roof truss adjacent each end of the base chord thereof;
- releasably securing lumber positioning stops to the chords of said previously constructed truss at spaced locations therealong;
- placing pieces of lumber against said lumber end positioning guide and in said lumber positioning stops overlying said chords of said previously constructed truss with the ends of said lumber pieces overlapping at the peak of said previously constructed truss and at the angled end joints thereof;
- sawing through the overlapping ends of said lumber pieces at said peak to form a peak joint therebetween;
- sawing through one of the overlapped ends at each of said angled end joints to form a truss angled end joint therebetween;
- and fastening together said pieces of lumber to form said truss.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.