Reinforced beam assembly

A reinforced beam assembly comprising a beam having a channel shaped inner surface defined by side walls and an interconnecting intermediate wall, a reinforcement member in said beam, said reinforcement member being within the channel of said beam, at least a portion of said reinforcement member being spaced from said inner surface, said portion of said reinforcement member having an inner surface disposed toward said inner surface of said beam, said inner surface of said portion of said reinforcement member being defined by a plurality of hills and valleys, a foam material located in the spacing between said inner surface of said beam and said inner surface of said reinforcement member for being bonded to said inner surface of said beam and said inner surface of said reinforcement member upon expansion of said foam material, said reinforcement member being generally W-shaped, and said W-shaped reinforcement member includes a pair of outer generally vertical diverging legs disposed toward and parallel to said side walls of said beam.

A method of reinforcing a beam assembly comprising providing a channel shaped beam having an inner surface defined by side walls and an inter connecting intermediate wall, mounting a reinforcement member of generally W-shape within the channel of the beam and with an expandable foam material bonded to the reinforcement member on an inner surface of the reinforcement member disposed toward the inner surface of the channel of the beam, expanding the foam into intimate contact and bonding with the inner surface of the channel and the inner surface of the reinforcement member, and mounting a cap over the channel of the beam to close the channel and enclose the reinforcement member therein.

A reinforced beam assembly comprising a beam having a channel shaped inner surface defined by side walls and an interconnecting intermediate wall, a reinforcement member in said beam, said reinforcement member being within the channel of said beam, at least a portion of said reinforcement member being spaced from said inner surface, said portion of said reinforcement member having an inner surface disposed toward said inner surface of said beam, said inner surface of said portion of said reinforcement member being defined by a plurality of hills and valleys, a foam material located in the spacing between said inner surface of said beam and said inner surface of said reinforcement member for being bonded to said inner surface of said beam and said inner surface of said reinforcement member upon expansion of said foam material, and said beam including a cap covering said channel shaped inner surface.