Structural member with end connector

Claim 2

A structural member having a planar web portion provided at least at one end with an integral connector means to enable the member to be connected in end to end relation with a corresponding member having a corresponding connector means, said connector means comprising a tongue receiving socket portion extending longitudinally inwardly from the end of the member and formed by displacing a portion of the web out of its plane to provide a socket bottom offset to one side of the plane of the web, a continuous resilient retainer strap connected at its ends to said web struck from said socket bottom transversely of said socket intermediate the ends thereof and offset to the other side of the plane of the web to transversely bridge said socket in spaced relation to the bottom thereof, the portion of the socket bottom from which said strap is struck defining a slot in the socket bottom extending transversely thereacross, and a resilient cantilever tongue portion of a configuration to be received in a socket portion corresponding to the aforesaid socket portion, said tongue extending longitudinally outwardly from the end of the member as an extension of and coplanar with said socket bottom, said tongue being formed to present intermediate the ends thereof a locking barb projecting therefrom on the side thereof away from the plane of the web, said barb having a strap engaging locking shoulder facing away from the end of the tongue, said strap having its leading edge facing towards said tongue portion flared outwardly away from the socket bottom to present a flared entrance to facilitate insertion of the tongue of a corresponding member beneath said strap, and the bottom socket portion forming the edge of said slot nearest the inner end of the socket being flared out away from the plane of the socket bottom and the plane of the web of the member and opposite to the flare of said strap leading edge to provide a cam and guide surface to cam and guide the leading portion of the tongue of a corresponding member being forced under said strap into the inner end of the socket, the arrangement being such that when the barbs of opposing corresponding members being forced into interlocking relation have cleared the inner edges of the straps of the opposing members they snap outwardly while the straps recover inwardly to locate the locking shoulders in locking position behind the inner strap edges.

Claim 3

A member as claimed in claim 1 in which said web portion is provided with said connector means at both ends, with the connector means at one end being displaced on the opposite side of the plane of the web from the connector means at the other end.

Claim 4

A member as claimed in claim 1 in which the bottom wall of said socket and said tongue are provided with a reinforcing rib projecting away from the plane of the web.

Claim 5

A member as claimed in claim 1 in which said barb is connected to said tongue by a camming surface sloping from said shoulder to the plane of the tongue in a direction towards the free end thereof.

Claim 6

a structural beam of inverted T-section having a central upright planar web portion, a transverse bottom flange extending on opposite sides of said web portion and a rolled reinforcing top rib, said web portion being provided at least at one end with an integral connector means to enable the beam to be connected in end to end relation with a corresponding beam having a corresponding connector means, said connector means comprising a tongue receiving socket portion extending longitudinally inwardly from the end of the beam and formed by displacing a portion of the web out of its plane to provide a socket bottom offset to one side of the plane of the web, a continuous resilient retainer strap connected at its ends to said web struck from said socket bottom transversely of said socket intermediate the ends thereof and offset to the other side of the plane of the web to transversely bridge said socket in spaced relation to the bottom thereof, the portion of the socket bottom from which said strap is struck defining a slot in the socket bottom extending transversely thereacross, and a resilient cantilever tongue portion of a configuration to be received in a socket portion corresponding to the aforesaid socket portion, said tongue extending longitudinally outwardly from the end of the beam as an extension of and coplanar with said socket bottom, said tongue being formed to present intermediate the ends thereof a locking barb projecting thereform on the said thereof away from the plane of the weB, said barb having a strap engaging locking shoulder facing away from the end of the tongue, said strap having its leading edge facing towards said tongue portion flared outwardly away from the socket bottom to present a flared entrance to facilitate insertion of the tongue of a corresponding member beneath said strap, and the bottom socket portion forming the edge of said slot nearest the inner end of the socket being flared out away from the plane of the socket bottom and the plane of the web of the member and opposite to the flare of said strap leading edge to provide a cam and guide surface to cam and guide the leading portion of the tongue of a corresponding member being forced under said strap into the inner end of the socket, the arrangement being such that when the barbs of opposing corresponding members being forced into interlocking relation have cleared the inner edges of the straps of the opposing members they snap outwardly while the straps recover inwardly to locate the locking shoulders in locking position behind the inner strap edges.

Claim 7

a structural beam of inverted T-section having a central upright planar web portion, a transverse bottom flange extending on opposite sides of said web portion and a rolled reinforcing top rib, said web portion being provided at least at one end with an integral connector means to enable the beam to be connected in end to end relation with a corresponding beam having a corresponding connector means, said connector means comprising a tongue receiving socket portion extending longitudinally inwardly from the end of the beam and formed by displacing a portion of the web out of its plane to provide a socket bottom offset to one side of the plane of the web, a continuous resilient retainer strap connected at its ends to said web struck from said socket bottom transversely of said socket intermediate the ends thereof and offset to the other side of the plane of the web to transversely bridge said socket in spaced relation to the bottom thereof, the portion of the socket bottom from which said strap is struck defining a slot in the socket bottom extending transversely thereacross, and a resilient cantilever tongue portion of a configuration to be received in a socket portion corresponding to the aforesaid socket portion, said tongue extending longitudinally outwardly from the end of the beam as an extension of and coplanar with said socket bottom, said tongue being formed to present intermediate the ends thereof a locking barb projecting thereform on the said thereof away from the plane of the weB, said barb having a strap engaging locking shoulder facing away from the end of the tongue, said strap having its leading edge facing towards said tongue portion flared outwardly away from the socket bottom to present a flared entrance to facilitate insertion of the tongue of a corresponding member beneath said strap, and the bottom socket portion forming the edge of said slot nearest the inner end of the socket being flared out away from the plane of the socket bottom and the plane of the web of the member and opposite to the flare of said strap leading edge to provide a cam and guide surface to cam and guide the leading portion of the tongue of a corresponding member being forced under said strap into the inner end of the socket, the arrangement being such that when the barbs of opposing corresponding members being forced into interlocking relation have cleared the inner edges of the straps of the opposing members they snap outwardly while the straps recover inwardly to locate the locking shoulders in locking position behind the inner strap edges.

Claim 8

A beam as claimed in claim 5 in which said web portion is provided with said connector means at both ends, with the connector means at one end being displaced on the opposite side of the plane of the web from the connector means at the other end.

Claim 9

A beam as claimed in claim 5 in which the bottom wall of said socket and said tongue are provided with a reinforcing rib projecting away from the plane of the web.

Claim 10

A beam as claimed in claim 5 in which said barb is connected to said tongue by a camming surface sloping from said shoulder to the plane of the tongue in a direction towards the free end thereof.

Claim 11

A beam as claimed in claim 5 in which said socket and tongue are offset to one side of the plane of said web by substantially one half the thickness of said web and said strap is disposed to lie parallel to said socket bottom and spaced therefrom substantially the thickness of said web.

Claim 12

A beam as claimed in claim 5 in which said socket is provided with a necked throat at the entrance thereto to precisely fit a corresponding tongue to provide accurate beam vertical alignment on connection.