Retrofit hurricane and earthquake protection
OwnerThomas C. Thompsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Retrofit connectors that secure together the outside sheathing and underlying structural members of wood-frame or masonry houses, preventing damage when subjected to lateral stresses from a hurricane, or transverse loads from an earthquake. The connectors have special bushings and bearing surfaces that tie the outside sheathing and underlying structural members together, but allow deflection, and transfer of energy to other structural members. Different embodiments of the connectors allow them to adapt to most wood-frame and masonry homes, and to most roof pitches.
Claims19
An apparatus having a unitary body having a generally flat rectangular plate, said plate having a long bend line in the long dimension, and said plate having generally right angled bends on each short side forming generally rectangular rafter tabs, wherein said rafter tabs having attaching means to the opposite wide faces of laterally-adjacent roof trusses on new and existing buildings, and having attaching means on said rectangular plate to a roof plate on top of a roof as a means for preventing uplift of roof sheathing during strong winds or seismic events.
An apparatus for securing roof trusses on a building comprising:
- a. a unitary body comprising substantially of a rectangular plate;
- 2. said rectangular plate having a long bend line generally parallel to the long dimension;
- 3. said rectangular plate having a generally right angled bend near the end of each short side;
- 4. said right angled bends having the bend axis generally parallel to each short side of said rectangular plate forming rafter tabs;
- 5. said rafter tabs having a generally truncated rectangle shape.
An apparatus for securing roof trusses on a building comprising:
- a. a unitary body comprising substantially of a rectangular plate;
- 2. said rectangular plate having a long bend line generally parallel to the long dimension;
- 3. said rectangular plate having a generally right angled bend near the end of each short side;
- 4. said right angled bends having the bend axis generally parallel to each short side of said rectangular plate, forming rafter tabs;
- 5. said rafter tabs having a generally truncated rectangle shape.
- 6. said rectangular plate having generally rectangular truss braces at right angles to the plate and parallel to the rafter tabs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.