Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Title ~f the Invention
I~TERLCX~KING-SEGME~ SPACER BEAM
Backqround of the Invention
~ In the construction of buildings, it is frequently
¦ desirable to provide a 3pace between the roof of the build-
¦ ing and the ceiling of the uppermost floor. This space may
be utilized for the po~itioning of electrical wiring, water
piping, air-conditioning conduit~, heat insulation, and ~he
like. Likewise, it may be de-irable to position a false
floor over a subfloor to provide a space fo~ similar pur-
poses. In the prior art, a continuous beam has been used.
For example, th_~ beam wa~ supported by a joi~t or purlin,
which was part of the roof assembly, by a plurality of
spacing members attached to the purlin and supporting t~e
beam. Clips, or spacing members, were then attached to the
beam which ~upported the roof and also secured it to the
building. In pre-engineered ~uildings, it is desirable to
reduce the extent of labor required at the building siteO
¦ Time i9 consumed in placing and securing gpacing members to
¦ the joist or purlin and al30 attaching them to the beam
which they are to ~upport. The use of a one-piec~ con~truc-
I tion for each of the segmentq of the ~eam eliminates sep~-
¦ rate spacing ~embers, which re3ults in 3aving6, not only in
¦ manufacturing and lnventory, but in shipping and erection
costs. ~ 1'
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Field of the Inventlon
~ y invention relates to a spacing beam in which
the ~pacing members are formed integrally with segment~
which may be readily assemhled into an elongated supporting
beam.
Description of the Prior Art
The prior art employed a continuou beam with
separate spacing members.
Summarv of the Invention
10 ¦ My invention contemplates a one-piece construction
in which an elongated spacing beam i9 formed of a plurality
of segments, each of which has an integral spacing member at
¦ one end thereof~ This eliminates separate spacing members
~ and bridge beams. Savings are achieved in the manufacture
I of the segments and in the reduction of inventory,-since
¦ varying lengths can be readily made by assembling segment9.
¦ I provide one fastening means for each segment, which will
¦ lock the beam into position and furnish both lateral and
¦ vertical stability for the assembled beam~ The spacing mem-
I bers are provided with st'ffener~. These furnish resistance
to rot~tion in a longitu~inal direction. Each subsequent :~
beam section i8 supported at it~ free end by the vertical
¦ ~tiffeners of the prior beam ~ection ~nd i8 re~trained from
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lifting by interlocking with the prior beam section. Lock-
ing tab~ provide a uniform increment of spacing from be~m to
¦ beam. This furnishes a constant spacing between the attach-
l ment points, allowing use on systems requiring modularlty
¦ between unitsO All the segments are the same, which greatly
reduces inventory~ Each beam is crowned for strength. In
l starting an assembled beam, the first unit may be field cut
¦ to any desired length, so long as the spacing unit or foot
l portion of the segment remains, so that additional segment3
¦ may be secured to it and to each oth¢r as the formation of
the completed beam takes place.
~'hi~c of the Inventi n~
One object of my invention is to provide a one-
l piece construction of a beam segment having integrally
formed therewith spacing or standoff portions.
Another object of my invention is to provide means
for readily assembling a plurality of beam segments to form
an elongated beam com~osed of a pluralitY of such segments.
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l A further object of my lnvention is to provide ~n
¦ elongated beam having integral spacing members depending
therefrom, formed of a plurality of interlocking sagmenta.
Other and further object~ of my invent~on will
appear from the following de~cription.
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In the accompanying drawings, which form p ~t of
the instant specification and which are to be read in con-
junction therewith, and in which like reference numerals
are used to indicate like parts in the various views:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view with parts in
section, showing the interlocking-segment spacer beam of
my invention as applied to a section of a standing seam
metal roof.
FIGURE 2 shows a portion of an interlocking-
~egment ~pacer beam, with one segment being added to a
plurality of previously assernbled sections.
FIGURE 3 i5 a perspective view showing a segment
l before being asser~led with another segmentD
¦ FIGURE 4 i~ a view ~imilar to FIGURE 3 showing
adjacent segments assembled.
FIGURE 5 i~ a view, with parts broken away, of
a sheet-metal stamping adapted to be bent to form ths
, spacer beam of my invention.
¦ Description of the Preferred Embodiment.
.Raferring to FIGURE 1~ a wall 2 of a building
(not shown) support3 a plurality of beams 4 (only one of
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which is shown). These beams us~ally extend transverse of
the length of the building to be ere~ted. The beams support
joists or purlins 6 which run longitudinally of the building.
It is to be understood, of course, that the orientation may
be changed, if desired. The spacer beams, indicated gener-
ally by the reference numeral 16, are formed with integrally
depending spacer or standoff portions 17. The assembled
spacer beam 16 support~ the metal roof, indicated generally
by the reference numeral 10, formed of metal panels 12.
Clips 14, secured to eac~ segment 21 of the spacer beam by
self-tapping screws 15, hold the roof against uplift from
wind gusts. An insulation batt B is supported between
joists 6. I~ will be seen, by reference to FIGURE 1, that
an air space g is provided between the top of the in3ulating
batt and the rDof 10. In the construction shown in FIGURE 1,
the air space i8 employed as an additional insulating area,
increasing the efficiency of heat transfer between the in-
terior of the building and the eY.terior of the metal roof.
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l Referring now to FIGURE 2, the beam 16 is forme
¦ of a plurality of segments 21, shown in greater detail in
¦ FIGURES 3 and 4. In FIG~RE 2, the right-hand segment 21'
has most of its length removed, leaving only its spacer sec-
tion 17' remaining. This enables a gegment 21 to be lnter-
locked with the truncated gegment. Another segment 1~ then
¦ interlocked with the asgembly in the manner shown in the
dra ing.
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Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, the end of each
¦ segment is provided with lug~ 20 which are adapted to inter-
lock with holes 22 formed at the opposite Pnd of each seg-
ment 21. By tilting the segment upwardly and inserting the
¦ ends of the lugs 20 into the holes 22, the segment can be
rothted in a counterclockwise direction, as shown in FIGURE
2, to interlock the adjacent segments 21 as shown in FIGURE
4. Each segment 21 is bent downwardly along the line 18 to
form a spacer or standoff portion 17. The bottom of the
¦ spacer or standoff portion 17 is provided with a horizontal
portion 23. Holes 24 in the hori~ontal portion 23 are
adapted to rsceive self-tapping screws, or the like, to
secure each segment to the joist or other support. The
~ spacer portion 17 is provided with reinforcing flanges 19
lS I which stiffen the spacer portion 17. Each segment 21 i~
provided with a pilot hole 25 to enable accurate modular
a~sembly.
Referring now to FIGURE 5, the dotted lines indi-
l cate the regions along which bending taXe~ place to form
¦ the interlocking beam of my invention. The spacer or stand-
off portion, indicated generally by the reference numeral 17,
i~ formed by bending one end of the metal matrix downwardly
through 90 along the line 18. The flange~ 19 are formed by
l bend~ng the metal upwardly through 93 along the line~ ~9~
The horizontal portion or base 23 i9 formed by bending the
matrix upwardly through 90 along the line 33O The ~ide
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¦ tabs 34 of the hori20ntal portion or base 23 are formed by
¦ bending the tabs upwardly along the lines 35. The crown
¦ portion 41 of the beam, ag can readily be seen by referenc~
to FIGURES 3 and 4, is formed by bending the matrix along
the lines 40 downwardly through approximately 64, while the
horizontal por~ions 43 of the crown are formed by bending
the edc3es upwardly along the lines 42 through the same angle
of approximately 64~. When the parts have been bent as de-
scribed, my improved segment, of which the segmented spacing
I beam mav be formed, ha~ been completed.
Each segment is made of a single piece of heavy-
gauge metal. In other words, the entire assembly is an
integral section or segment which may be interlocked with
! another identical segment to form an elongated spacer beam
¦ adapted to space the roof of a building from 8 ceiling, or a
floor from a subfloor, to provide an air space therebetween~
It will be seen that I have accomplished the
objects of my invention. I have provided a seqment formed
I of a single piece of heavy-gauge metal which is adapted to
¦ be interlocked to form a continuou~ beam with dependiny
¦ spacer or standoff elements. Each segment is identical to
¦ each other segment, thus dramatically reducing inventory
since one species of segment need be stocked. When the beam
l i~ in place, one fastening means for each section provide~
¦ both lateral and vertical stability ~or the beam. Each of
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the spacing or ~tandoff sections are in~egrally stiffened
and bear against the bottom attachment plate which is al80
integral. Each subsequent beam gection, when assembled, i3
supported at i~s free end by the vertical stiffeners on the
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It will be understood that certain features and
subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without
reference to other features and subcombinations. This is
contemplated by and i~ within the scope of my claims. It
is further obvious that various changes may be made in de-
tails within the scope of my claims without departing from
the spirit of my invention. It i-~, thereforè, to be under-
~tood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific
details shown and de~cri~ed.
Having thus described my invention, what I claim
is:
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