Connector plate

Claim 2

A connector plate for joining together wooden members comprising: (a) a thin metal plate; (b) a plurality of longitudinally extending rows of elongate teeth struck out from said plate to extend outwardly from one face of said plate, said teeth being struck out and longitudinally aligned, spaced pairs with each of said pairs of teeth leaving a single, elongate slot in said plate between the two teeth of each pair of said teeth; and (c) each tooth of each of said pair of teeth comprising: an elongate shank section having a base portion at the intersection of said shank section and said plate, and an upper portion extending upwardly from said base portion, a tip section extending upwardly from said shank section, and the shank base portion of each tooth of each of said pair of teeth being slightly twisted about an axis extending longitudinally of the height of said tooth with the shank upper portion of said tooth being rotated with the base portion but remaining generally untwisted throughout the length of the shank upper portion so that the shank upper portion extends laterally outwardly of the corresponding twisted shank base portion.

Claim 3

The connector plate according to claim 1, wherein: each of said pairs of teeth in each row being longitudinally staggered relative to the pairs of teeth in adjacent rows a distance sufficient to position each tooth of each pair of teeth slightly longitudinally offset from a tooth of a pair of teeth in a laterally adjacent row; and each of said teeth having a laterally offset point at the upper end of said tip section, with said tip section of each said tooth being configured so that the slightly longitudinal offset teeth of any adjacent row of said teeth have their points alternatingly laterally offset toward and away from each other along the length of the connector plate.

Claim 4

The connector plate according to claim 2, wherein the teeth of each of said pair of teeth have their points laterally offset oppositely of each other.

Claim 5

The connector plate according to claims 2 or 3, wherein each tip section of each of said tooth includes a generally vertically extending side edge terminating at said point and a camming side edge extending diagonally upwardly from the intersection of said shank section and said tip section to said point so that, as each of said teeth is pressed into a wooden member, the longitudinally adjacent teeth of adjacent rows which have their respective points offset laterally toward each other are deformed laterally toward each other to cooperate together to tightly clinch the fibers of the wooden members.

Claim 6

The connector plate according to claim 4, wherein said tip section of each of said teeth is approximately one-third the overall tooth height.

Claim 7

The connector plate according to claim 2, wherein the two teeth of each of said pair of teeth is separated by a distance greater than the distance separating each of said longitudinally adjacent pairs of teeth; and said pairs of teeth in adjacent rows are longitudinally staggered relative to each other so that each pair of teeth in each row is spaced medially between two longitudinally adjacent pairs of teeth in each adjacent row of said teeth.

Claim 8

The connector plate according to claims 2 or 6, wherein said plate is 20 gage steel sheet material having an average of about seven teeth being struck out from each square inch of said sheet material with each of said teeth being about 0.25 to about 0.45 inch in height.

Claim 9

The connector plate according to claim 2, wherein said plate is 16 gage steel sheet material having an average of about 4.8 teeth struck out from each square inch of said sheet material with each of said teeth being from about 0.31 to about 0.51 inch in height.

Claim 10

The connector plate according to claim 2, wherein at least said base portion of each of said teeth has an arcuate, transverse cross-section with the two teeth of each pair of said teeth each having a generally concave surface facing towards each other and a convex surface facing oppositely away from each other.

Claim 11

The connector plate according to claim 1, wherein the teeth of each said pair of teeth located in alternating rows are transversely aligned in columns extending perpendicularly to said rows of teeth.

Claim 12

The connector plate according to claim 1, wherein one tooth of each of said pair of teeth extends outwardly from said plate a distance further from the other tooth of each of said pair of teeth.

Claim 13

A connector plate for joining together wooden members, comprising: (a) a thin metal plate; (b) a plurality of longitudinally extending rows of elongate teeth struck out from said plate to extend outwardly from one face of said plate, said teeth being struck out in longitudinally aligned, spaced pairs with each of said pairs of teeth leaving a single elongate slot in said plate between the two teeth of each pair of said teeth; (c) each of said pairs of teeth in each row being longitudinally staggered relative to the pairs of teeth in adjacent rows a distance sufficient to position each tooth of each pair of teeth slightly longitudinally offset from an associated tooth of a pair of teeth in a laterally adjacent row; (d) each tooth of each of said pair of teeth comprising: an elongate shank section having a base portion at the intersection of said shank section and said plate and an upper portion extending upwardly from said base portion, an asymmetrical tip section extending upwardly from said shank section, and a laterally offset point at the upper end of said tip section, with the tip section of each said tooth being configured so that one tooth of each pair in one row and its associated slightly longitudinally offset tooth in the next adjacent row have their points laterally offset toward each other and the other tooth of each pair in one row and its associated slightly longitudinally offset tooth in the next adjacent row have their points laterally offset away from each other; and (e) the shank base portion of each tooth of each of said pair of teeth being slightly twisted about an axis extending longitudinally of the height of said tooth with the shank upper portion of said tooth remaining generally untwisted throughout the length of the shank upper portion so that the shank upper portion extends laterally outwardly of the corresponding shank base portion.

Claim 14

A connector plate for joining together wooden members, comprising: (a) a thin metal plate; (b) a plurality of longitudinally extending rows of elongate teeth struck out from said plate to extend outwardly from one face of said plate, said teeth being struck out in longitudinally aligned, spaced pairs with each of said pairs of teeth leaving a single elongate slot in said plate between the two teeth of each pair of said teeth; (c) each of said pairs of teeth in each row being longitudinally staggered relative to the pairs of teeth in adjacent rows a distance sufficient to position each tooth of each pair of teeth slightly longitudinally offset from an associated tooth of a pair of teeth in a laterally adjacent row; (d) each tooth of each of said pair of teeth comprising: an elongate shank section having a base portion at the intersection of said shank section and said plate and an upper portion extending upwardly from said base portion, an asymmetrical tip section extending upwardly from said shank section, and a laterally offset point at the upper end of said tip section, with the tip section of each said tooth being configured so that one tooth of each pair in one row and its associated slightly longitudinally offset tooth in the next adjacent row have their points laterally offset toward each other and the other tooth of each pair in one row and its associated slightly longitudinally offset tooth in the next adjacent row have their points laterally offset away from each other; and (e) the shank base portion of each tooth of each of said pair of teeth being slightly twisted about an axis extending longitudinally of the height of said tooth with the shank upper portion of said tooth remaining generally untwisted throughout the length of the shank upper portion so that the shank upper portion extends laterally outwardly of the corresponding shank base portion.