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US 5,704,185 AGranted
Joint for connecting members of a load bearing truss
OwnerPat Lindsayinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A load bearing truss constructed of composite materials. The truss is made of three or more longitudinal load bearing composite members. Bracing for the truss is a combination of perpendicular and diagonal composite cross-members or all diagonal composite cross-members. The longitudinal and cross-members of the truss are joined together by a sandwich constructed joint which encapsulates the joint area as well as spacers, thereby tying all members together.
Claims23
A load bearing truss comprising truss members which intersect to form monolithic joints, each of said monolithic joints comprising:
- encapsulation angle members covering said truss members at said monolithic joint;
- and
- spacers disposed between said encapsulation angle members, wherein portions of said truss members within said monolithic joint are surrounded by said spacers thereby rigidly securing said truss members to said monolithic joint and wherein said encapsulation angle members are secured to said spacers.
A load bearing truss comprising:
- truss members, said truss members intersecting at encapsulated joints;
- encapsulation angle members covering said truss members at said encapsulated joints;
- spacers disposed between said encapsulation angle members, wherein portions of said truss members within said encapsulated joint are surrounded by said spacers thereby rigidly securing said truss members to said joint and wherein said encapsulation angle members are secured to said spacers;
- and
- an adhesive substance encapsulating said truss members and spacers, forming a monolith.
2 more elements
A monolithic joint for a load bearing truss, said load bearing truss comprising truss members intersecting at said monolithic joint, said monolithic joint comprising:
- encapsulation angle members for covering truss members at said monolithic joint;
- spacers disposed between said encapsulation angle members, wherein portions of truss members within said monolithic joint are surrounded by said spacers thereby rigidly securing truss members to said monolithic joint and wherein said encapsulation angle members are secured to said spacers.
A joint for a load bearing truss, said load bearing truss comprising truss members intersecting at said joint, said joint comprising:
- an outer encapsulation angle member for covering an outer surface of said joint in at least two planes;
- an inner encapsulation angle member for covering an inner surface of said joint in at least two planes;
- spacers disposed between said encapsulation angle members, wherein portions of truss members within said joint are surrounded by said spacers thereby rigidly securing truss members to said joint and wherein said encapsulation angle members are secured to said spacers, thereby forming a sandwich construction having structures in multiple planes.
A joint for a load bearing truss, said joint comprising:
- longitudinal members extending in a longitudinal direction and cross members intersecting said longitudinal members to form said joint;
- center spacers disposed between said cross members of said joint and secured to said cross members, wherein said center spacers extend in a first and second plane parallel to said longitudinal direction, said first and second planes being formed by the intersection of said cross members and said longitudinal members;
- side spacers disposed between said cross members and said longitudinal members of said joint and adjacent to said center spacers, wherein said side spacers extend in said first and second planes, said side spacers are secured to said cross members and said longitudinal members, and portions of said cross members and said longitudinal members are surrounded by said side spacers and said center spacers thereby rigidly securing said cross members and said longitudinal members in said joint;
- an outer encapsulation angle member secured to an outer surface of said center and side spacers, wherein said outer encapsulation member extends in planes parallel to said first and second planes;
- an inner encapsulation angle member secured to an inner surface of said center and side spacers, wherein said inner encapsulation angle member extends parallel to said outer encapsulation angle member, and wherein said side spacers and said center spacers are disposed between said inner and said outer encapsulation angle members, thereby forming a sandwich construction.
2 more elements
A joint for a load bearing truss, said joint comprising:
- longitudinal members extending in a longitudinal direction and cross members intersecting said longitudinal members to form said joint;
- side spacers disposed between said cross members and said longitudinal members of said joint, wherein said side spacers extend in a first and second plane parallel to said longitudinal direction, said first and second planes being formed by the intersection of said cross members and said longitudinal members;
- said side spacers are secured to said cross members and said longitudinal members;
- and portions of said cross members and said longitudinal members are surrounded by said side spacers thereby rigidly securing said cross members and said longitudinal members to said joint;
- an outer encapsulation angle member secured to an outer surface of said side spacers, wherein said outer encapsulation member extends in planes parallel to said first and second planes;
- an inner encapsulation angle member secured to an inner surface of said side spacers, wherein said inner encapsulation angle member extends parallel to said outer encapsulation angle member, and wherein said side spacers are disposed between said inner and said outer encapsulation angle members thereby forming a sandwich construction.
3 more elements
The method of manufacturing a truss comprising longitudinal members and cross members, said method comprising the following steps;
- constructing a fixture corresponding to a desired truss design;
- placing outer encapsulation angle members on the fixture;
- attaching the longitudinal members to the outer encapsulation angle members;
- attaching the cross members to the outer encapsulation angle members and to said longitudinal members;
- placing spacers adjacent to the outer encapsulation angle members such that the spacers surround portions of the longitudinal members and the cross members;
- attaching the spacers to the longitudinal members, the cross members and the outer encapsulation angle members;
- and
- attaching inner encapsulation angle members to the spacers thereby forming a sandwich construction wherein said spacers are disposed between said inner and said outer encapsulation angle members.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.