Roof truss and decking system

A roof structure incorporating a plurality of roof trusses in spaced relation, each truss including a pair of rafters and a wedge-shaped keystone at the crown of the truss between the rafters, said ketystone having tapered faces at opposite ends which extend in downwardly converging directions, and each said rafter includes:

• a plurality of truss blocks arranged in end to end relationship, each said truss block having a pair of end faces, a pair of side faces and top and bottom surfaces, one of said rafters having a truss block at one end of the rafter which is disposed adjacent the keystone in face-to-face relation with a tapered face thereof and the other of said rafters having a truss block at one of its ends which is disposed adjacent the keystone in face-to-face relation with the other tapered face of the keystone, the other ends of said rafters defining the foot ends of the truss;
• a plurality of crush plates, said crush plates being of malleable material and arranged such that a different one of said crush plates is sandwiched between each pair of adjacent truss blocks and between said keystone and its next adjacent truss blocks;
• cooperable locking means on each said crush plate and the truss blocks engaged therewith for preventing the engaged truss blocks from slipping and twisting relative to one another;
• a pair of tie blocks, one of said tie blocks disposed beneath and engaging the bottom surface of the truss block superposed thereon at one foot end of the truss and the other tie block disposed beneath and engaging the bottom surface of the truss block superposed thereon at the other foot end of said truss, said roof trusses and tie blocks being adapted for placement atop the walls of a building with the rafters of each roof truss in substantially parallel relationship with the rafters of the next adjacent roof trusses;
• a pair of tie plates, one of said tie plates being disposed at one end of the truss in face-to-face contact with the truss block and the tie block at said one foot end and the other tie plate being disposed in face-to-face contact with the truss block and tie block at said other foot end of the truss, each said truss block and said keystone having a channel in one side thereof extending inward a distance greater than one half of the width distance between the side faces of the truss block and said truss blocks being arranged such that the channeled sides of adjacent truss blocks face in opposite directions, each said crush plate having an opening therein which is in alignment with the channels formed in the truss blocks next adjacent thereto;
• a tensioning member, each said tie plate having an opening therethrough for accommodating said tensioning member, said tensioning member extending through each opening in said tie plates, the channels formed in the truss blocks and keystone, and the openings in the crush plates;
• first means for attaching the tensioning member to one of said tie plates;
• second means for attaching the tensioning member to the other of said tie plates;
• and
• means for applying a tension force to said tensioning member to place the truss blocks, crush plates and keystone under compression;
• a tie beam connected to and extending between said tie blocks, said roof structure including a plurality of spacer plates mounted on and supported by adjacent roof trusses to fill the voids between the roof trusses and thereby provide a decking for the roof structure.

A structure comprising a truss, said truss including a plurality of truss blocks arranged in end to end relationship, each said truss block having a pair of end faces, a pair of side faces and top and bottom surfaces, and the truss blocks at each end of the truss defining the foot ends of the truss;

• a plurality of crush plates, said crush plates being of malleable material and arranged such that a different one of said crush plates is sandwiched between each pair of adjacent truss blocks;
• cooperable locking means on each said crush plate and the truss blocks engaged therewith for preventing the engaged truss blocks from slipping and twisting relative to one another;
• a pair of tie blocks, one of said tie blocks disposed beneath and engaging the bottom surface of the truss block superposed thereon at one foot end of the truss and the other tie block disposed beneath and engaging the bottom surface of the truss block superposed thereon at the other foot end of said truss;
• a pair of tie plates, one of said tie plates being disposed at one end of the truss in face-to-face contact with the truss block and the tie block at said one foot end and the other tie plate being disposed in face-to-face contact with the truss block and tie block at said other foot end of the truss, each said truss block having a channel in one side thereof extending inward a distance greater than one half of the width distance between the side faces of the truss block and said truss blocks being arranged such that the channeled sides of adjacent truss blocks face in opposite directions, each said crush plate having an opening therein which is in alignment with the channels formed in the truss blocks next adjacent thereto;
• a tensioning member, each said tie plate having an opening therethrough for accommodating said tensioning member, said tensioning member extending through each opening in said tie plates, the channels formed in the truss blocks and keystone, and the openings in the crush plates;
• first means for attaching the tensioning member to one of said tie plates;
• second means for attaching the tensioning member to the other said tie plates;
• and
• means for applying a tension force to said tensioning member to place the truss blocks, crush plates and keystone under compression, said truss being adapted for use in the structure of a building.