Portable structural framing member

Claim 2

A structural member capable of being coiled by bending said member in one direction and being uncoiled by bending said member in the opposite direction to form a frame member which is relatively rigid except when said frame member is bent in said one direction, said structural member comprising an elongated one-piece body member of suitably flexible material, said body member having a passageway extending lengthwise therethrough and having transverse cuts distributed along the length thereof, each cut extending inwardly from one side of the body member and having a bottom near but spaced apart from the opposite side of the body member, said body member being divided into member segments by said cuts with each member segment being joined to an adjacent member segment by a relatively thin, flexible joint, and sheer members of suitably strong material fitted securely in said passageway, a first portion of one sheer member being disposed in each of said member segments and the remaining portion of said one sheer member protruding from one end of the member segment in which said first portion is disposed, said remaining portion extending into the passageway of the adjacent member segment when the structural member is uncoiled, said sheer members thereby absorbing sheer forces at adjacent ends of adjacent member segments.

Claim 3

A structural member according to claim 1, having two further passageways extending lengthwise through said body member, said passageway containing said sheer members comprising a centre passageway, one of said further passageways being on each side of said centre passageway.

Claim 4

A structural member according to claim 1, in which said flexible material comprises polypropylene.

Claim 5

A structural member according to claim 1 including at least one suitably high tensile strength flexible member extending lengthwise along said body member between adjacent member segments and through each flexible joint.

Claim 6

A structural member according to claim 1 in which said flexible member or members is or are embedded in said body member, including such flexible joint, adjacent said opposite side.

Claim 7

A structural member according to claim 1 wherein said remaining portion of each sheer member includes a sectorial part with a radius equal to the height of said passageway, which has a top located next to said one side of the body member and a bottom next to said opposite side, a cylindrical arc extending tangentially and downwardly from the plane of said top and outwardly from the adjacent end of the member segment in which said first portion of the member segment is disposed, and a centre axis located along the flexible joint at said adjacent end.

Claim 8

A structural member according to claim 6 wherein the end of each sheer member opposite said remaining portion forms a co-operating cylindrical arc which slidingly engages the cylindrical arc of the adjacent remaining portion of the adjacent sheer member when the structural member is uncoiled to form the frame member.

Claim 9

A structural member capable of being coiled by bending said member in one direction and being uncoiled by bending said member in the opposite direction to form a frame member which is relatively rigid except when said frame member is bent in said one direction, said structural member comprising an elongated one-piece body member of suitably flexible material, said body member having a passageway extending lengthwise therethrough and having suitable transverse V-shaped notches distributed along the length thereof, each notch extending inwardly from one side of the body member, having a bottom near but spaced apart from the opposite side of the body member, and having a predetermined angle formed by the sides of the notch, said body member being divided into member segments by said notches with each member segment being joined to an adjacent Member segment by a relatively thin, flexible joint, and sheer members of suitably strong material fitted securely in said passageway, a first portion of one sheer member being disposed in each of said member segments and the remaining portion of said one sheer member protruding from one end of the member segment in which said first portion is disposed, said remaining portion extending into the passageway of the adjacent segment when the structural member is uncoiled, said sheer members thereby absorbing sheer forces at adjacent ends of adjacent member segments, wherein the size of said angle is selected to permit said structural member to form a predetermined curved shape when said structural member is uncoiled to form said frame member.

Claim 10

A structural member capable of being coiled by bending said member in one direction and being uncoiled by bending said member in the opposite direction to form a frame member which is relatively rigid except when said frame member is bent in said one direction, said structural member comprising an elongated one-piece body member of suitably flexible material, said body member having a passageway extending lengthwise therethrough and having suitable transverse V-shaped notches distributed along the length thereof, each notch extending inwardly from one side of the body member, having a bottom near but spaced apart from the opposite side of the body member, and having a predetermined angle formed by the sides of the notch, said body member being divided into member segments by said notches with each member segment being joined to an adjacent Member segment by a relatively thin, flexible joint, and sheer members of suitably strong material fitted securely in said passageway, a first portion of one sheer member being disposed in each of said member segments and the remaining portion of said one sheer member protruding from one end of the member segment in which said first portion is disposed, said remaining portion extending into the passageway of the adjacent segment when the structural member is uncoiled, said sheer members thereby absorbing sheer forces at adjacent ends of adjacent member segments, wherein the size of said angle is selected to permit said structural member to form a predetermined curved shape when said structural member is uncoiled to form said frame member.

Claim 11

A structural member according to claim 8 wherein said remaining portion of each sheer member includes a sectorial part with a radius equal to the height of said passageway, which has a top located next to said one side of the body member and a bottom next to said opposite side, a cylindrical arc extending trangentially and downwardly from the plane of said top and outwardly from the adjacent end of the member segment in which said first portion of the member segment is disposed and a centre axis located along the flexible joint at said adjacent end.

Claim 12

A structural member according to claim 9 wherein the end of each sheer member opposite said remaining portion forms a co-operating cylindrical arc which slidingly engages the cylindrical arc of the adjacent remaining portion of the adjacent sheer member when the structural member is uncoiled to form the frame member.

Claim 13

A structural member according to claim 10 in which the angle at the centre axis of said sectorial part circumscribed by the cylindrical arc thereof is 90* less said predetermined angle.