US 4,679,367 AGranted

Interconnecting of wooden members

AssigneeJack Walters & Sons, Corp.

InventorAlan C. Geisthardt

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Abstract

A rigid wooden composite assembly such as a beam, post or the like, includes a plurality of elongated wooden boards of varying lengths disposed in face-to-face relationship and forming a plurality of layers. At least one of the layers includes a plurality of boards, the inner ends of which abut to form a joint therebetween. A connector device has a base plate with openings therein. Prongs extend outwardly from the plate and initially generally normal thereto. The prongs of adjacent openings extend in opposite directions from the plate. The connector device is disposed between the layers so that the base plate bridges the inner portion of the joint and the oppositely extending prongs penetrate the opposing board faces. When the assembly is compressed together, the prongs deform and clinchingly engage the wood surrounding the joint. The abutting boards are spliced together, and the facing boards are held tightly together.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A method of making a wooden composite assembly such as a beam, post or the like, said method comprising:

(a) positioning a plurality of elongated wooden boards of varying lengths in spaced face-to-face relationship to thereby form a plurality of parallel layers and so that at least one of said layers is formed of a plurality of boards having a total length about equal to the length of an adjacent layer,
(b) abutting the inner ends of the plurality of boards in said at least one of said layers to form a generally planular joint between said abutting ends,
(c) providing a connector device having a base plate with a plurality of spaced openings therein, and with said openings having a plurality of wood engaging prongs extending outwardly therefrom and initially generally normal to said base plate, the prongs of alternate adjacent openings extending in opposite directions from said base plate,
(d) positioning said connector device between said parallel layers so that said base plate bridges the inner portion of said joint and so that oppositely extending prongs engage the opposing faces of boards in adjacent layers and form an assemblage,
(e) and compressing said assemblage to form a rigid composite assembly so that said prongs deform and clinchingly engage the wood surrounding said joint and splice the boards forming said joint together as well as holding facing boards in adjacent layers together.

2 more elements

A rigid wooden composite assembly such as a beam, post or the like, said assembly comprising, in combination:

(a) a plurality of elongated wooden boards of varying lengths disposed in face-to-face relationship and forming a plurality of parallel layers with at least one of said layers being formed of a plurality of boards having a total length about equal to the length of an adjacent layer,
(b) the inner ends of said last-named plurality of boards being disposed in abutting relationship and thereby forming a generally planular joint therebetween,
(c) and a connector device having a base plate with a plurality of spaced openings therein, and with said openings having a plurality of prongs extending outwardly therefrom and initially in a direction generally normal to said base plate,
(d) the prongs of alternate adjacent openings extending in opposite directions from said base plate,
(e) said connector device being disposed between said parallel layers so that said base plate bridges the inner portion of said joint with said oppositely extending prongs penetrating the opposing faces of boards in adjacent layers,
(f) said assembly being compressed together into a unified structure with said prongs being deformed and clinchingly engaging the wood surrounding said joint and splicing the boards forming said joint together as well as holding facing boards in adjacent layers together.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.