Building structure having unitized joint and connector strap therefor

Claim 2

A building structure comprising a truss including upper and lower chords, means for joining the ends of the chords one to the other, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of studs joined at opposite ends to upper and lower plates, means for joining one end of said truss to said frame with said lower chord resting on said upper plate including an elongated sheet metal strap having first and second groups of elongated nail-like teeth struck from respective opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, said strap being applied to said joint along the outer surfaces of said frame and said truss with the first group of teeth at one end of the strap being embedded into the frame and the second group of teeth at the opposite end of the strap being embedded into said truss whereby said strap interconnects said truss and said frame to reinforce the truss and frame against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween, said first group of teeth being embedded into the outer edge of one of the studs of the frame.

Claim 3

A building structure comprising a truss including upper and lower chords, means for joining the ends of the chords one to the other, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of studs joined at opposite ends to upper and lower plates, means for joining one end of said truss to said frame with said lower chord resting on said upper plate including an elongated sheet metal strap having first and second groups of elongated nail-like teeth struck from respective opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, said strap being applied to said joint along the outer surfaces of said frame And said truss with the first group of teeth at one end of the strap being embedded into the frame and the second group of teeth at the opposite end of the strap being embedded into said truss whereby said strap interconnects said truss and said frame to reinforce the truss and frame against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween, the second group of teeth being embedded into the outer edge of the upper chord of said truss.

Claim 4

A building structure comprising a truss including upper and lower chords, means for joining the ends of the chords one to the other, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of studs joined at opposite ends to upper and lower plates, means for joining one end of said truss to said frame with said lower chord resting on said upper plate including an elongated sheet metal strap having first and second groups of elongated nail-like teeth struck from respective opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, said strap being applied to said joint along the outer surfaces of said frame And said truss with the first group of teeth at one end of the strap being embedded into the frame and the second group of teeth at the opposite end of the strap being embedded into said truss whereby said strap interconnects said truss and said frame to reinforce the truss and frame against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween, the second group of teeth being embedded into the outer edge of the upper chord of said truss.

Claim 5

A building structure comprising a truss including upper and lower chords, means for joining the ends of the chords one to the other, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of studs joined at opposite ends to upper and lower plates, means for joining one end of said truss to said frame with said lower chord resting on said upper plate including an elongated sheet metal strap having first and second groups of elongated nail-like teeth struck from respective opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, said strap being applied to said joint along the outer surfaces of said frame and said truss with the frist group of teeth at one end of the strap being embedded into the frame and the second group of teeth at the opposite end of the strap being embedded into said truss whereby said strap interconnects said truss and said frame to reinforce the truss and frame against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween, said first group of teeth being embedded into the outer end of one of the studs of the frame, the second group of teeth being embedded into the outer edge of the upper chord of the truss, and the intermediate portion of said strap being free of struck teeth and overlying said plate and the end of said chord.

Claim 6

A building structure comprising a truss including upper and lower chords, means for joining the ends of the chords one to the other, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of studs joined at opposite ends to upper and lower plates, means for joining one end of said truss to said frame with said lower chord resting on said upper plate including an elongated sheet metal strap having first and second groups of elongated nail-like teeth struck from respective opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, said strap being applied to said joint along the outer surfaces of said frame and said truss with the frist group of teeth at one end of the strap being embedded into the frame and the second group of teeth at the opposite end of the strap being embedded into said truss whereby said strap interconnects said truss and said frame to reinforce the truss and frame against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween, said first group of teeth being embedded into the outer end of one of the studs of the frame, the second group of teeth being embedded into the outer edge of the upper chord of the truss, and the intermediate portion of said strap being free of struck teeth and overlying said plate and the end of said chord.

Claim 7

A building structure comprising a truss including upper and lower chords, means for joining the ends of the chords one to the other, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of studs joined at opposite ends to upper and lower plates, means for joining one end of said truss to said frame with said lower chord resting on said upper plate including an elongated sheet metal strap having first and second groups of elongated nail-like teeth struck from respective opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, said strap being applied to said joint along the outer surfaces of said frame and said truss with the first group of teeth at one end of the strap being embedded into the frame and the second group of teeth at the opposite end of the strap being embedded into said truss whereby said strap interconnects said truss and said frame to reinforce the truss and frame against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween, a floor joist, a floor panel overlying said floor joist, means coupling said side frame to said joist including a second elongated sheet metal strap having a group of elongated nail-like teeth struck from each of the opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, the group of teeth at one end of the second strap being embedded into an outer surface of said floor joist and the group of teeth at the other end of the second strap being embedded into one of said studs whereby said latter strap interconnects said sidewall frame and said joist to reinforce the same against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween.

Claim 8

A building structure comprising a truss including upper and lower chords, means for joining the ends of the chords one to the other, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of studs joined at opposite ends to upper and lower plates, means for joining one end of said truss to said frame with said lower chord resting on said upper plate including an elongated sheet metal strap having first and second groups of elongated nail-like teeth struck from respective opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, said strap being applied to said joint along the outer surfaces of said frame and said truss with the first group of teeth at one end of the strap being embedded into the frame and the second group of teeth at the opposite end of the strap being embedded into said truss whereby said strap interconnects said truss and said frame to reinforce the truss and frame against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween, a floor joist, a floor panel overlying said floor joist, means coupling said side frame to said joist including a second elongated sheet metal strap having a group of elongated nail-like teeth struck from each of the opposite end portions of the strap to project to one side thereof, the group of teeth at one end of the second strap being embedded into an outer surface of said floor joist and the group of teeth at the other end of the second strap being embedded into one of said studs whereby said latter strap interconnects said sidewall frame and said joist to reinforce the same against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween.

Claim 9

A structure according to claim 4 wherein said floor joist lies in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said side frame with one group of teeth being embedded into the outer side face of said joist.

Claim 10

A structure according to claim 4 wherein said floor joist lies in a plane generally normal to the plane containing said side frame with one group of teeth being embedded into the end face of said joist.

Claim 11

A structure according to claim 4 including means for anchoring said floor joist to an underlying anchor including a sheet metal Plate having a plurality of nail-like teeth struck to project to one side thereof and embedded into said surface of said floor joist, said teeth being distributed over a major portion of said plate leaving an end thereof free of teeth and projecting beyond the lower edge of said floor joist, said projecting end of said plate defining an opening therethrough and means for securing said plate to an anchor including means engaging through said end opening in the plate.

Claim 12

A structure according to claim 4 wherein said joist is inset from the outer edge of said side frame.

Claim 13

A structure according to claim 4 wherein said joist is located outwardly of the outer edge of said side frame.

Claim 14

A structure according to claim 4 including an interior wall frame having a plurality of studs and upper and lower plates, a second floor joist and a floor panel overlying said second floor joist, said floor panel having an opening therethrough, means coupling said interior frame and said second floor joist including an elongated sheet metal strap having groups of a plurality of elongated nail-like teeth each struck from its opposite ends and to project to one side thereof, said strap being receivable through said opening with the group of teeth at one end of the latter strap embedded into a surface of said second floor joist and the group of teeth of the other end of the latter strap being embedded into a stud of said interior frame whereby the latter strap interconnects said interior frame and said second joist to reinforce the same against relative separating movement.

Claim 15

A building structure comprising a generally horizontally extending floor joist, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of longitudinally spaced studs joined at opposite ends by upper and lower plates, means for joining said side wall frame and said joist one to the other including an elongated sheet metal planar strap having a group of elongated nail-like teeth struck from each of the opposite end portions of said strap to project from like sides thereof, the group of teeth at one end of said strap being embedded into an outer surface of said floor joist and the group of teeth at the other end of said strap being embedded into one of said studs with intermediate portions of said strap spanning said lower plate whereby said strap interconnects said side wall frame and said joist to reinforce the same against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween.

Claim 16

A building structure comprising a generally horizontally extending floor joist, a generally vertically extending side wall frame including a plurality of longitudinally spaced studs joined at opposite ends by upper and lower plates, means for joining said side wall frame and said joist one to the other including an elongated sheet metal planar strap having a group of elongated nail-like teeth struck from each of the opposite end portions of said strap to project from like sides thereof, the group of teeth at one end of said strap being embedded into an outer surface of said floor joist and the group of teeth at the other end of said strap being embedded into one of said studs with intermediate portions of said strap spanning said lower plate whereby said strap interconnects said side wall frame and said joist to reinforce the same against relative separating movement and to form a substantial unitary joint therebetween.

Claim 17

A structure according to claim 11 wherein said floor joist lies in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said side frame with the one group of teeth being embedded into the outer side face of said joist.

Claim 18

A structure according to claim 11 wherein said floor joist lies in a plane generally normal to the plane containing said side frame with the one group of teeth being embedded into the end face of said joist.

Claim 19

A structure according to claim 11 wherein the slots left by the teeth extend in a direction parallel to the long axis of the strap.