Unitized corner brace
OwnerDouglas E. White, Anthony M. Plateeuwinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A unitized corner brace for attachment to the corner of a structure. The unitized corner brace comprises a central portion having an edge and a right angle; two spaced apart tabs extending from the edge, each tab having a stepped portion proximal to the edge and stepped towards each other, the right angle being between the spaced apart tabs such that the tabs are perpendicular to each other; and, opposed bracket portions extending from the central portion. A method of manufacturing a unitized corner brace from a single piece of material and a stackable structure made using a unitized corner brace are also disclosed.
Claims20
A unitized corner brace comprising:
- a) a central portion having an edge and a right angle;
- b) two spaced apart tabs proximal one another extending from the edge, each tab having a stepped portion proximal to the edge and stepped towards each other, the right angle being between the spaced apart tabs such that the tabs are perpendicular to each other;
- c) a space bounded on all sides by the stepped portions of the tabs and the edge of the central portion;
- and,
- d) opposed bracket portions extending from the central portion.
A stackable structure having four corners, each corner comprising:
- a) a pair of perpendicular structural members;
- b) a post support member perpendicular to the structural members, the post support member having a length and comprising two ends, a right angle along the length of the post support member, and an open portion adjacent at least one of the ends;
- c) a unitized corner brace comprising a central portion having an edge and a right angle;
- two spaced apart tabs extending from the edge, each tab having a stepped portion proximal to the edges and stepped towards each other, the right angle being between the spaced apart tabs such that the tabs are perpendicular to each other;
- and, bracket portions extending from the central portion to form opposed brackets;
- and,
- d) wherein the central portion is adjacent the post support member, the right angle of the central portion and the right angle of the post support member are aligned, the stepped portion abuts an end of the post support member distal from the open portion, the central portion is attached to the post support member, the perpendicular structural members are adjacent the bracket portions and attached thereto and wherein each corner is aligned with the adjacent corners and connected thereto by means of a perpendicular structural member.
A method of manufacturing a unitized corner brace comprising:
- a) cutting a single piece of material into a flat blank having a central portion having an edge comprising two spaced apart tabs proximal one another extending from the edge, the central portion having opposed bracket portions extending therefrom;
- b) forming a right angle in the central portion between the two spaced apart tabs;
- and,
- c) forming a stepped portion in each tab proximal to the edge and stepped towards each other to thereby form a space bounded on all sides by the stepped portions of the tabs and the edge of the central portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.