Fabricated structure for bridges and the like

Claim 1

IN A FABRICATED METAL BRIDGE STRUCTURE OR THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A FLOOR-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE INCLUDING SIDE MEMBERS EXTENDING IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PLANE AND ADAPTED TO SPAN THE SPACE TO BE BRIDGED, STRUCTURAL MEMBERS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AND DIAGONALLY UPWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF EACH OF THE SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID FLOOR-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, AND OTHER STRUCTURAL MEMBERS INTERCONNECTING SAID PAIRS OF DIAGONALLY EXTENDING STRUCTURAL MEMBERS AT THEIR ENDS TO PROVIDE, TOGETHER WITH SAID FLOOR-SUPPORTING SIDE MEMBERS AND DIAGONALLY EXTENDING MEMBERS, A PAIR OF INDIVIDUAL SIDE FRAME PANELS, EACH OF SAID DIAGONAL AND INTERCONNECTING MEMBERS OF THE RESPECTIVE SIDE FRAME PANELS CONSTITUTING A COMPRESSION MEMBER OF SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH, SAID COMPRESSION MEMBERS BEING GIRDERS COMPOSED OF TOP AND BOTTOM CHORDS, WEB MEMBERS INTERCONNECTING SAID CHORDS IN REPETITIVE PATTERNS AND PROVIDING A LONGITUDINAL SUCCESSION OF INDIVIDUAL TRUSS PANELS AS COMPONENT PARTS OF SAID COMPRESSION MEMBERS, SAID COMPRESSION MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AT THEIR ADJOINING ENDS ONLY AT LOCATIONS SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE LINES OF INTERSECTION OF THEIR LOWER CHORD MEMBERS, AND THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID DIAGONAL MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SIDE MEMBERS OF SAID FLOOR-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE ONLY AT LOCATIONS ON THE LOWER CHORD OF SAID DIAGONAL MEMBERS, AND TENSION MEANS EXTENDING FROM THE CONNECTIONS OF ADJACENT ONES OF SAID COMPRESSION MEMBERS TO POINTS ON SAID SIDE MEMBERS, SAID COMPRESSION MEMBERS BEING ECCENTRICALLY CONNECTED WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER.