# US 7,743,577 B2 · Structural truss with crimp/clamp method of making same

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- Number: US 7,743,577 B2
- Document ID: US7743577B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/268,785
- Filed: 2005-11-08
- Published: 2006-04-20
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2003-08-18
- Inventors: Melvin L. Ollman; Larry Hunsicker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7743577B2

## CPC

- E04C 3/08: with apertured web, e.g. with a web consisting of bar-like components; Honeycomb girders (E04C3/10, E04C3/11 take precedence)
- E04C 3/09: at least partly of bent or otherwise deformed strip- or sheet-like material
- E04C 2003/0491: {the truss elements being located in one single surface or in several parallel surfaces}
- E04C: STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS (for bridges E01D; specially designed for insulation or other protection E04B; elements used as building aids E04G; for mining E21; for tunnels E21D; structural elements with broader range of application than for building engineering F16, particularly F16S)

## Abstract

A structural truss (3) with crimp/clamp (18) and method of making same wherein the truss (3) includes disposed U-shaped channel chords (2) and struts (1) interconnected to one another at alternately extending apices (6) wherein successive segments of the struts (1) have U-shapes and inverted U-shapes at their mid-sections and flat apices (6) at their respective ends. The ends (4) of successive segments of the unit lengths of the struts (1) and the chords (2) have holes for the insertion of a tapered pin (9), thus precisely controlling the length of successive trusses. The truss member (3) also has vertical load-bearing strut sections (17) at the end of each manufactured length of truss (3) to support a cantilevered section of chord (10). The crimp/clamp (18) is crimped and clamped onto the chords (2) so as to clamp the struts (1) to the chords (2).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A structural truss comprising:
at least two strut members having at least two alternately extending struts;
said at least two alternately extending struts having a first end, a middle and a second end;
said at least two alternately extending struts having a flat end portion on said first end and a flat end portion on said second end;
said flat end portion on said first end is connected to said flat end portion on said second end by at least one first non-flat intermediate portion and at least one second non-flat intermediate portion;
said at least one first non-flat intermediate portion is U-shaped;
said at least one second non-flat intermediate portion is inverse U-shaped;
said at least two flat end portions are fastened to at least two chords;
at least two chords that are substantially U-shaped;
said at least two chords are secured to said at least two strut members via at least one dimple extending into the at least two chords and the at least two strut members; and
said at least two chords are parallel in relation to one another.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The structural truss of claim 1 wherein:
said at least two extending struts are bent at said at least two flat portions to form a pair of alternately extending apices.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The structural truss of claim 2 wherein:
said at least two chords have at least one hole; and
said apices have at least one hole.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The structural truss of claim 1 wherein:
said at least two chords have at least one notch per chord.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The structural truss of claim 4 wherein:
said at least one notch per chord is adjacent to said apices.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The structural truss of claim 5 wherein:
said apices have at least one hole.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The structural truss of claim 1 wherein:
said at least two chords have at least one hole.