Self-adjusting heel joint connector

Abstract

A self-adjusting heel joint connector for securing roof structural members, without the need for a conventional birdsmouth cut or toe-nailing. The connector is slideably insertable between the bottom of a preset rafter and the top of a supporting wall plate at a heel joint and is capable of self-adjusting to a precise preset rafter pitch. The connector includes a support member securable to the top of the supporting wall plate, and a framing member freely rotatable with respect to the support member about a swivel joint. The framing member is securable to the angled rafter and an adjacent joist/tie member, and includes a pair of legs positioned at approximately a right angle in which the rafter sits. The framing member includes through-holes for securing the connector to an angled rafter and an adjacent joist/tie member, and may be utilized as a guide for proper fastener placement by a craftsman in the field. The connector provides restraint from lateral movement and uplift, and provides for full vertical rafter load transfer through the connector directly to the top of the supporting wall plate, while transferring thrust force in the rafter to the adjacent joist/tie member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.