Shear tab method and apparatus
AssigneeSteel Floors, LLC
InventorGeorge Louis Liss
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved ledger beam is provided which securely forms a load transferring connection with joist members without the need for separate material connectors which must be welded or fastened to the ledger beam. The ledger beam has a series of shear tabs integrally formed from the ledger beam's parent material which serve as points of fastening between the ledger beam and the joists. Also provided is a method of transferring loads from joist members to ledger members in a structural floor arrangement without the need for separate material connectors which must be welded or fastened to the ledger beam.
Claims27
An improved metal floor support system having a ledger, said ledger comprising:
- a rigid support member having a planar surface;
- a plurality of joist couplers integrally formed along a length of said planar surface;
- at least one joist connector for each of said joist couplers;
- and
- at least one wall coupler integrally formed from said planar surface.
An improved ledger comprising:
- a rigid support member having a planar surface;
- a plurality of shear tabs protruding substantially perpendicularly from said planar surface, said shear tabs integrally formed from said planar surface along a length thereof;
- a screw for said shear tabs to secure the shear tabs to a respective joist;
- and
- a plurality of expansion bolt holes formed from said planar surface.
An improved ledger comprising:
- a rigid support member having a planar surface;
- at least one means for joist coupling integrally formed from said planar surface functioning as a load transferring connection between said means for joist coupling and a joist;
- at least one means for joist connecting formed along said means for joist coupling functioning to allow securable attachment of the joist to said means for joist coupling;
- and
- at least one means for wall coupling integrally from said planar surface functioning to allow securable attachment of said rigid support member to a wall, thereby structurally uniting the joist member with the wall.
An improved method of transferring loads from joist members to ledger members comprising the steps of:
- integrally forming a plurality of joist couplers along a length of a planar surface of a ledger member;
- and
- securably attaching a joist member to each said joist coupler;
- wherein at least one wall coupler is integrally formed from said planar surface to allow attachment to a foundation wall.
An improved method of transferring loads from joist members to ledger members comprising the steps of:
- integrally forming at least one means for joist coupling from a planar surface of a ledger member functioning as a coupling surface between said means for joist coupling and a joist;
- and
- securably attaching a joist member to each said means for joist coupling;
- wherein at least one means for wall coupling is integrally formed from said planar surface functioning to allow securable attachment of said ledger member to a foundation wall.
A metal floor system comprising:
- a metal ledger beam suitable for affixing to a weight bearing structure;
- a plurality of load transferring connections integrally formed along a length of said metal ledger beam;
- and
- a joist connected to a respective load transferring connection.
A metal ledger beam comprising:
- a support tab punched out in a mid section of said metal ledger beam;
- and
- said support tab having an angled relation to a planar surface of said metal ledger beam and having a size sufficient to transfer a load from a joist connected thereto to a structural member of a building;
- wherein the angled relation is 90 degrees, and the size sufficient to transfer a load is a rectangle having a pair of long sides mounted to a joist end.
An improved ledger beam comprising:
- a length of metal having an inner face and suited to support a plurality of joists;
- a shear tab formed into the inner face other than an end thereof;
- said shear tab projecting inward from the inner face;
- said shear tab having a size to provide a mechanical connection to transfer a joist load from an individual joist to the ledger beam;
- wherein the mechanical connection further comprises screws.
A metal ledger beam comprising:
- a support tab punched out in a mid section of said metal ledger beam;
- and said support tab having an angled relation to a planar surface of said metal ledger beam and having a size sufficient to transfer a load from a joist connected thereto to a structural member of a building;
- further comprising screws to mount the support tab to the joist end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.