Structural members and building frames

Claim 2

An elongated, hollow steel structural member useful for fabricating structures therefrom comprising a trough-like profile that includes: a closed bottom; an open top; two sides; and horizontal flat wing-like flanges, said sides diverging as they extend upward from said bottom to said top; said flanges extending outward from said top, parallel to said bottom, and said bottom having dimpled boss indentations extending into the interior of said profile in which at least one end of said member has a connection flange attached at right angles to the outside perimeter of said end.

Claim 3

Skeletal framing for a building structure formed from interlocked structural components comprising vertical column members and horizontal beam members, said components being formed from elongated profiles that include: a closed bottom; an open top; two sides; and wing-like flanges, said sides diverging as they extend upward from said bottom to said top and said side flanges extending outward from the top of at least one of said sides, parallel to said bottom, said profiles being provided with indentations that extend into the interior of said profiles said profiles being filled with concrete, and said beam members supporting deck panels connected to said flanges of said profiles, wherein said deck panels are connected to said flanges with U-bolts having threaded ends, the diameter of said threaded ends being smaller than at least a portion of the rest of said bolts.

Claim 4

Skeletal framing for a building structure formed from interlocked structural components comprising vertical column members and horizontal beam members, said components being formed from elongated profiles that include: a closed bottom; an open top; two sides; and wing-like flanges, said sides diverging as they extend upward from said bottom to said top and said side flanges extending outward from the top of at least one of said sides, parallel to said bottom, said profiles being provided with indentations that extend into the interior of said profiles said profiles being filled with concrete, and said beam members supporting deck panels connected to said flanges of said profiles, wherein said deck panels are connected to said flanges with U-bolts having threaded ends, the diameter of said threaded ends being smaller than at least a portion of the rest of said bolts.

Claim 5

Skeletal framing for a multi-story structure wherein column members, in which counterpart surfaces of two trough-like profiles that include: a closed bottom; an open top; two sides; and wing-like flanges, are joined to each other at right angles to form said structural column members having a vertical section and a horizontal section, and in which said two profiles have open tops of equal width and closed bottoms of equal width, said sides diverging as they extend upward from said bottom to said top with said flanges extending outward from said top, parallel to said bottom, and said bottom having indentations extending into the interior of said profile, are positioned over the tops of others of said column members, in vertical axial alignment therewith, each of said upper column members resting on column support means spaced from the top of the column member beneath it by spacer bolts, said spacer bolts comprising: a bolt head; an upper, larger diameter threaded portion with a first nut engaged therewith; a lower, smaller diameter threaded portion with a second nut engaged therewith; and a shoulder between said larger diameter portion and said smaller diameter portion, wherein said support means is secured between said head and said first nut, and the column beneath is secured between said shoulder and said second nut, the distance between said shoulder and said first nut providing said spacing.

Claim 6

Skeletal framing for a multi-story structure wherein column members, in which counterpart surfaces of two trough-like profiles that include: a closed bottom; an open top; two sides; and wing-like flanges, are joined to each other at right angles to form said structural column members having a vertical section and a horizontal section, and in which said two profiles have open tops of equal width and closed bottoms of equal width, said sides diverging as they extend upward from said bottom to said top with said flanges extending outward from said top, parallel to said bottom, and said bottom having indentations extending into the interior of said profile, are positioned over the tops of others of said column members, in vertical axial alignment therewith, each of said upper column members resting on column support means spaced from the top of the column member beneath it by spacer bolts, said spacer bolts comprising: a bolt head; an upper, larger diameter threaded portion with a first nut engaged therewith; a lower, smaller diameter threaded portion with a second nut engaged therewith; and a shoulder between said larger diameter portion and said smaller diameter portion, wherein said support means is secured between said head and said first nut, and the column beneath is secured between said shoulder and said second nut, the distance between said shoulder and said first nut providing said spacing.

Claim 7

Skeletal framing according to claim 3 wherein said support means comprises a support member having substantially the same transverse cross-sectional shape as the vertical portion of said column members, said support member having a horizontal support flange attached at right angles to the outside perimeter of the lower end of said support member.

Claim 8

A component for a structure wherein the vertical portions of two structural column members comprising trough-like profiles that include: a closed bottom; an open top; two sides; and wing-like flanges, in which said sides diverge as they extend upward from said bottom to said top and said flanges extend outward from said top, parallel to said bottom, with said bottom having indentations extending into the interior of said profile, and in which counterpart surfaces of two of the profiles are joined to each other at right angles to form said structural columns having a vertical section and a horizontal section, said two profiles having open tops of equal width and closed bottoms of equal width, are positioned back-to-back with surfaces of their vertical wing-like flanges adjacent to each other and connected together.

Claim 9

A component for a structure wherein the vertical portions of two structural column members comprising trough-like profiles that include: a closed bottom; an open top; two sides; and wing-like flanges, in which said sides diverge as they extend upward from said bottom to said top and said flanges extend outward from said top, parallel to said bottom, with said bottom having indentations extending into the interior of said profile, and in which counterpart surfaces of two of the profiles are joined to each other at right angles to form said structural columns having a vertical section and a horizontal section, said two profiles having open tops of equal width and closed bottoms of equal width, are positioned back-to-back with surfaces of their vertical wing-like flanges adjacent to each other and connected together.