Truss plate

A truss connector plate formed of two, substantially identical, stiff, thin sheet metal plates, each having numerous teeth struck out for embedding in wood members, comprising:

• the teeth being aligned in a number of longitudinal rows along the plate, and being formed in pairs that are struck-out and extend approximately perpendicularly to the body of their plate, with an elongated, longitudinally directed slot formed between each pair of teeth due to the strike out of the teeth, and with the adjacent ends of the slots being spaced apart longitudinally, and the slots being of uniform length, and spaced apart a distance less than their respective lengths;
• each tooth being bent along its central axis into a generally V-shaped cross-section, and being radially twisted, and having an asymmetrical V-shaped free end tip wherein one leg of the V-shape is longer than the other;
• with one truss plate being laid over upon the other plate in face-to-face contact, and the teeth of the uppermost plates being forcibly pushed through the slots of the lowermost plate, so that each pair of teeth of the uppermost plate fit into adjacent slots of the lowermost plate;
• the teeth of the uppermost plate each being closely adjacent to corresponding teeth in the lowermost plate and due to their respective V-shape cross-sections and twisted configuration, each adjacent pair of teeth are at least partially gapped apart along their lengths and at their tips, thereby forming sets of double teeth;
• whereby when the plate is pressed against wood members and the teeth are embedded therein, the individual sets of double teeth tend to twist into and interlock with the wood fibers of the wood members and resist withdrawal therefrom, and their respective V-shape cross-sections and twisted shapes increase the shear force resistance of the teeth.