Reinforcing member for wooden structure

Claim 1

A structural reinforcing member for bracing studs at adjacent spaced locations within a frame of a building wall or the like, said member being comprised of an elongated, generally straight body portion having stud mounting portions at distal ends thereof; said body portion being comprised of first and second planar sections forming a generally L-shaped configuration of said body portion, the width of said first planar section being less than the width of a stud to be mounted at either end of said structural member, said planar sections of said body portion having ends forming said mounting portions; the ends of said first planar section being disposed obliquely with respect to said first planar section, parallel with respect to each other, and in opposite directions with respect to each other, said ends thereby forming outwardly facing, generally flat first mounting surfaces for engagement with opposed faces of adjacent spaced studs, said first mounting portions having apertures through which fasteners may be engaged; the ends of said second planar section forming coplanar extensions thereof, each .Iadd.coplanar .Iaddend.extension being of a predetermined length greater than .[.the combined thickness.]. .Iadd.a sum total of thicknesses .Iaddend.of studs found at the spaced location .Iadd.to which said second mounting surfaces are .Iaddend.to be mounted .[.thereby.].; said extensions providing second mounting surfaces in a plane perpendicular to said first mounting surfaces, each second mounting surface being substantially equal in length to said .[.combined stud thickness.]. .Iadd.sum total of thicknesses of studs .Iaddend.at said spaced location .Iadd.which said second mounting surfaces are .Iaddend.to be mounted .[.thereby.]., each second mounting surface having apertures through which fasteners may be engaged; and said extensions being deformable to wrap around said studs such that third mounting surfaces are thereby provided in a plane perpendicular to said second mounting surfaces and parallel to said first mounting surfaces, said third mounting surfaces having apertures through which fasteners may be engaged.