Frame construction with yieldable knee brace connection

Claim 1

A frame construction for absorbing horizontal deflection of a bottom chord of a beam truss means due to vertical loading on the beam truss means to prevent bending of a column means on which said beam truss means is supported, said beam truss means having a top chord and a bottoM chord, the top chord of said beam truss means supported at least at one end thereof adjacent the top of a vertically extending, H-section column means, knee brace means fixedly connected at one end thereof to one end of the bottom chord and extending at its outer end into proximity with an adjacent side of said vertically extending column means, an elastomeric deflection pad engaged between the other end of said knee brace means and said comumn means and acting in compression to absorb horizontal deflection of said bottom chord due to vertical deflection of said beam truss means as a result of vertical loading on said beam truss means, and fastening means extended through said knee brace means, said deflection pad and an adjacent portion of said column means to secure the knee brace means and deflection pad to the column means, said pad thus absorbing horizontal deflections of said bottom chord due to vertical loading on said beam truss means and thus preventing bending of said vertically extending column means, while at the same time the pad has sufficient rigidity to provide bracing against side loading due to wind and the like, said H-section column means having a web with oppositely directed flanges at the opposite edges thereof, and a stiffening means secured between the flanges of the column at the location of attachment of the deflection pad thereto to aid the column in resisting the force transmitted thereto through said deflection pad.