Beam support system for forming precompressed wood joints

A beam support system in combination with an elongate beam and an elongate beam anchoring member, said beam anchoring member having elongate parallel sides and a generally upright surface substantially parallel to said sides, said system comprising:

• (a) a fastening member including at least one elongate cam surface and means for holding said elongate cam surface longitudinally at a substantially upright inclination relative to said upright surface, said elongate cam surface facing said upright surface and being spaced therefrom so that an upper portion of said elongate cam surface is spaced from said upright surface by a first distance and a lower portion of said elongate cam surface is spaced from said upright surface by a second distance less than said first distance, said elongate cam surface converging gradually toward said upright surface in a direction of convergence extending longitudinally along said elongate cam surface from said upper portion toward said lower portion of said elongate cam surface;
• (b) said beam having an end portion including an end surface for engaging said upright surface and a cam follower surface interior of said end surface and facing away from said end surface for slidably engaging said elongate cam surface, said cam follower surface being spaced from said end surface by a distance less than said first distance but greater than said second distance, said cam follower surface comprising cam follower means for slidably moving along said elongate cam surface in said direction of convergence and thereby forcing said end surface compressively against said upright surface in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto automatically in response to movement of said cam follower means along said elongate cam surface in said direction of convergence.