Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a truss system. And
more particularly, the present invention relates to a ~old-
able and collapsible truss systern which can be assernbled at
the construction situs and, after use, be collapsed and
folcled and moved conveniently, in component s~ctions, from
such situs.
2. General Background
Various truss systems are known for use in building con-
struction. The building of trusses on a building site is an
expensive and time consuming operation. Because of this,
the building industry has adopted prefabricated trusses
which eliminate costly on-site labor time. When prefabri-
cated trusses are completely assembled, they are shipped to
the job site for use but, due to their size, often require
an inordinate amount of shipping carriers and thus time and
expense. Furthermore, because prefabricated trusses must be
ordered to size for each individual structure, the transpor-
tation reliability factor is ~reatly reduced.
Several attempts have been made in the prior art to
develop a truss system which is collapsible, foldable and
easily transportable in quantity in the collapsed state and,
upon arrival at the construction site, adapted to be erected
in a short period of time.
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U. S. Patent No. 3,760,550, issued to W. E. Mueller, et
al., discloses a truss structure prefabricated and capable
of being shipped in a collapsed condition and which can be
erected easily at the site into a roo truss while maintain-
ing a desired and predetermined roof pitch.
U. S. Patent No. 2,642,~25, issued to C. A. McElhone, et
al., and discloses a foldable and compactable roof truss
having a plurality of upper chords hingedly connected at the
truss peak, the upper chords being hingedly connected at
their truss ends to the tru~s ends of each of a plurality of
bottom chords connected at the center of the truss span,
There are further provided compression members and tension
members hingedly connected to both the top and bottom
chords.
U. S. Patent No. 2,386~077, issued to C. ~. K. Van
Norman, also discloses a collapsible roof truss.
~. S. Patent No. 3,8731573, issued to D. ~. Vaughan, and
discloses a three-dimensional triangulated truss capable of
being retracted to a compact package for storage and ship-
ment and then expanded on site for erection and connection
to similar modules.
Other prior art patents exist which show truss systems
which are not foldable and collapsible but which attempt to
provide adaptability for various construction requirements:
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U. S. Patent No. 3,826,0S7, issued to J. W. Franklin
discloses chords, struts, couplers, connectors and hrace
components for cooperative interconnection to provide trus-
ses of various lengths, heights and inclinations with
fastener elements used at selected positions to provide
desired adaptability.
U. S. Patent No. 3,078,970, issued to R. S. Black, and
discloses a truss-type joist longtitudinally adjustable to
vary the length thereof by providing overlapping longitudi-
nal sections with bolt holes spaced apart in series for
adjustment to elongate or contract the joist according to
the span required.
U. S. Patent No. 3,977,536, issued to S.T. Moore et al.
and discloses the conventional "flying" truss deck form
U. S. Patents No. 4,102l096; 4,102,10~3; and 4,106,256
all issued to D. L. Cody, and disclose an expandable truss
structure and a wide variety of applications of the same.
U. S. Patent No. 3,966,164, issued to S. S. Dashew,
discloses an adjustable truss support.
U. S. Patent No. l,376,990, issued to W. F. Zabriskie,
discloses a collapsible truss-like structure for reinforced
concrete construction.
U. S. Patent No. 1,45~,366, issued to C. H. Wetzel
discloses a collapsible and ~oldable truss-like structure.
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U. S. Patent No. 3,638,373, issued to G. Chapaman and
U. S. Patent ~o. 3,605,355, issued to B. J . Solesbee,
disclose collapsible roof trusses.
The fol1owing U. S. Patents disclose known art pertinent
to the field of the invention:
U. S. Patent No. 3,942,618, issued to J. W. Franklin.
U. S. Patent No. 1,141,385, issued to J. O. Ellinger.
U. S. Patent No. 4,237,869, issued to ~. H. Rooney.
U. S. Patent No. 1,564,783, issued to S. B. Dunne.
Further prior art which is known to the applicant hut
not the subject of a U. S. Patent is an aluminum truss
system marketed under the trademark SYMONS. Catalogs illus-
trating the SYMONS truss system are enclosed as Exhibits A
and B.
Many of these truss systems suffer in that they are
bulky in the collapsed state and have a complex structure
requiring extensive time and effort to re-assemble the truss
from its collapsed state. Some of the patented devices
require a voluminous amount of pins and fasteners to inter-
20 connect component parts which can be lost or misplaced when
the assembly is in the collapsed condition. Other devices,
when collapsed, may be co~pact but in only one dimension
thus leaving a large width, length or height as the case may
be.
ThereEore, it is as an ob~ect of the present invention
to provide a truss system which is collapsible and
compactable to a size allowing for ease of shipment in
quantity.
It is a further object oE the present invention to
provide a collapsible and compactable truss system which
can be expanded and assembled in a minimum amount of time.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide a collapsible and compactable truss system having
a minimum amount of removable fasteners and spacers.
It is a further object of the present invention to
provide a collapsible and compactable truss system which
maintains its structura~ integrity and strength in the
assembled position.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention there is
provided a truss system component comprising: a. upper and
lower chord members; h. a plurality of first strut members
fixedly and pivotally attached to and extending between
said chord members for maintaining said chord members in
substantially ver~ically spaced apart relationship, said
upper and lower chord members providing means for
pivotally connecting said first strut members thereto at
substantially equally spaced first points along said upper
chord member and substantially equally spaced second
points along said lower chord member; and c. a plurality
of second strut members pivotally attached to and
extending hetween said chord members Eor maintalning said
chord members in substantially vertically spaced apart
relationship, each of said second strut members being at
its lower end ixedly and pivotally connected to one oE
said first ~trut m~mbers at each Oe saifl secc)nd points
along said lower chord member and at its other end being
removably and pivotally connected to said upper chord
member at substantially equally spaced third points
therealong, each of said third points being substantially
5 equally spaced from its adjacent first point.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention
there is provided a truss component comprising: a. upper
and lower chord members; b. a plurality of first strut
members fixedly and pivotally attached to and extending
substantially diagonally between said chord members for
maintaining said chord members in substantially vertically
spaced apart relationship, said upper and lower chord
members providing means for pivotally connecting said
first strut members thereto at substantially equally
spaced first points along said upper chord member and
substantially equally spaced second points along said
lower chord member; c. a plllrality of second strut
members, of a length less than said first strut members,
pivotally attached to and extending substantially
diagonally between said chord members for maintaining said
chord members in substantially vertically spaced apart
relationship, each of said second strut members being at
its lower end fixedly and pivotally connected to one of
said first strut members at each of said second points
along said lower chord member and at its other end being
removably and pivotally connected to said upper chord
member at substantially equally spaced thircl points
therealong, each of said thircd points being substant:ially
equally spaced from its adjacent first point; d. means
interconnecting sa.id chord members and strut members for
the tran--;miss:Lon Oe Eorces to be carr:Led by said truss
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component and for holding said chord members and strut
members in an operative assembled relation wherein said
first and third point positions along said top chord
member are longitudinally ofEset with respect to said
second point positions along said bottom chord member; and
e. a plurality of chord coupler elements interconnected to
and joining the ends of successive top and bottom chords
for providing a truss system for the transmission of
loading between truss components.
10 BRIEE' DESCRI PTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a further understanding oE the nature and objects
of the present invention, reference should be had to the
following detailed description, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given
like reference numerals and wherein:
FIGURE l is a side elevational view of the truss
system of the preferred embodiment of the present
invention when fully erected.
FIGURE 2 is an end view of the truss system of FIGURE
1.
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FIG~RE 3 is a side elevational view of the truss systern
of FIGURE 1 illustrating the first stage of collapse.
FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the truss system
of FIGURE 1 in a partially collapsed condition.
FIGURE 5 is a top view of the truss system of EIGURE 1.
FIGURE 6 is an end view of the truss SyStelQ of F`IGURE 1
in the fully collapsed position,
EIGURE 7 is a partial perspective view illustrating the
upper chord and a chord coupler.
FIGURE 8 is a partial perspective view of the assembly
of the lower chord and struts.
FIGURE 9 is a partial cutaway view of the assembly of
the upper chord and struts and spacerO
FIGURE 10 is a top view of the spacer of FIG~RE 9.
FIGURE 11 is a side elevational view of the spacer of
FIGURE 9.
FIGURE 12 is an end view of the spacer of FIGURE 9.
FIGURE 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13 of
FIGURE 9.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGURES 1, 2 and'5 best show the apparatus 10 of the
present invention in the assembled condition. In the,
assembled condition, truss section 10 i5 comprised of upper
25 and lower chord members 12, 14 which are made of U-shaped
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channels 20, 30 having flanged or side walls and top or
bottom portions. U-shaped channel 20 of upper chord 12 is
provided with flanges or side walls 16V 18 integral with top
portion 17. Similarly, lower chord 14 is made of ~-shaped
channel 30 having flanges or side walls 22, 24 integrally
joined with bo~tom portion 23. Thus truss 10 component
whether in the assembled, partially collapsed or collapsed
position provides upper and lower chords 12, 14 in vertical~
ly spaced substantially parallel relation to each other such
that channels 20 and 30 face each other across the vertical
spacing. The channels 20, 30 provided in upper and lower
chords 12, 14 are adapted to receive and snuggly engage the
exterior sides of struts 40, all of which are of identical
length. Struts 40 have holes 41, best seen in FIGURE 9,
(and seen in phantom view in FIGURE 8) drilled transversely
therethrough in a position a slight distance away from the
curved ends of the struts. ~ith this structure, the struts
40 may be received in channels 20 and 30, and their holes 41
may be brought into alignment with holes 44 and 48, which
are drilled transv2rsely through both side walls (16, 18 and
22, 24) of upper and lower chords 14, 16. A plurality of
pins 45, 49 are provided for engagement through holes 44, 48
respectively and the aligned end holes 41 of struts 40 to
provide the assembly shown in FIGURES 1, 3 and ~. All of
the holes 44, 48 are of a precise diameter adapted to
receive and snugly engage pins 45, 49, which are not of a
standard size. The diameter of holes 41, 44, and 48 should
preferably be just slightly smaller than the diameter of
pins 45, 49 to provide a snug fit. With this type of snug
fit, the pins 45, 49 must be driven into and out of
engagement but securely support truss 10 when asse~bled.
At both ends of chord members 12, 14 a plurality of
holes 34, 35 respectively are provided for use when a simi-
lar truss section is to be joined to truss section 10. As
best seen in EIGURE 7, for joining chord sections together a
chord coupler 32 is provided. Chord coupler 32 may be of a
U-shaped channel construction (similar to chords 12, 14) or
rectangular construction as long as it is dimensioned to
snugly fit within the confines of channels 20 and 30. It is
to be understood that the description and iIlustration of
the use of chord coupler 32 is for upper chord 12 however,
it is to be similarly employed with lower chord section 14.
For the illustrative case of upper chord 12 as shown in
FIGURE 7, the end holes 34 in chord 12 are spaced and pat-
2~ terned to correspond precisely to the spacing and pattern of
end holes 36 of chord coupler 32 and, as stated hereinabove,
chord coupler 32 is of a size for close interfitting tele-
scopically within chord 12 so that when holes 34 are brought
into alignment with coupler holes 36, pins 38, which are
identical to pins 4S, 49, are engaged through these holes to
hold a pair of chord sections 12 in a]ignment ~or transmit-
ting arrangement. The use of such couplers 32 allows sec-
tions of upper chord 12 and l.ower chorcl 14 to be j~ined each
to the other to provide a composite assembled truss. If the
composite truss i5 to be divided into separate truss compo-
nents again, the pins 38 will be removed, the chord sections
12, 14 separated and chord couplers 32 removed. Conversely,
when any two separate previously assembled truss components
are to be interconnected in end to end relation to provide a
longer composite truss, two chord couplers 32 for one end,
and additional pins 38 will he required to maintain the
assembly. In this way the ends of an assembled composite
truss will always maintain holes 34, 35 for further exten-
sion of the truss so they may be used for attaching the
truss to a fastener sy5tem as required. The holes 34, 35 by
virture of their position in chords 12, 14 do not affect the
collapsibility nor compactibility of the truss.
Channels 20, 30 of upper and lower chords 12, 14 respec-
tively are further adapted to receive struts 42. Struts 42
are all of identical dimension but dimensioned differently
than struts 40. As best seen in FIGURE 8, struts 40 are
dimensioned so that their exterior side walls snugly engage
the interior side walls of channels 20, 30. Further, struts
40 are themselves dimensioned to form a U-shaped channel in
much the same manner as chords 12, 14. Struts 40 further
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are provided to maintain the predetermined vertical spacing
of chords 12, 14 as holes 44, 48 are substantially equally
spaced along their respec~ive chords 14, 12, although holes
44 and 4B are of~set relative to each other in the assembled
condition of FIGURE 1. Unlike struts 40, struts 42 are not
adapted to snugly engage the interior sides of channels 20,
30 respectively~ but contrarily dimensioned not to do so,
but to be received into the confines of channels 39 of
struts 40. Further, struts 42 will be of a length less than
the length of struts 40 and will be dimensioned according to
the vertical spacing between chords 12 and 14 and the spac-
ing between holes 46 and 48 to be discussed further herein.
Struts 42 may be provided in either rectangular form,
U-shaped channel form o-r tubular form as ~ay be required as
long as it is dimensioned to be received in channel 39 of
strut 40. Whatever the shape of struts 42, they are to be
provided with holes 43 drilled transversely through them in
position a slight distance away ~rom either end of the
struts. With this arrangement, the struts 42 may be
received in channels 20, 30 and holes 43 may be brought into
alignment with holes 46 in upper chord 12 and holes 41 in
struts 40 and holes 44 in lower chord 14 to provide the
assembled condition of FIGURES 1, 2, and 5. All of the
holes 41, 43, 44, 46 are, as referenced above, of such a
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diameter to receive arld snugly engage pins 4~ and 47 which
are provided in chords 14, 12 respectively.
In order for the struts 40, 42 to be collapsed cornplete-
ly to the position of FIGURE 6, the lengths of struts 40 and
A2, and the spacing of holes 44 of lower chord 14 and holes
46, 48 of upper chord 12 rnust be precisely calculated. This
can be done by first determining the required vertical spac-
ing of chords 12, 14 which controls the hole spacing of
holes 44 on lower chord 14. Therefore, it follows that
upper chord 12 must also be provided with holes 46 and 48
which must have the same relative spacing as holes 44. The
vertical spacing of the chords 12, 14 thus controls the
length and the ~aximum spacing of the holes 44, 46 and 4a.
Once this is detemined, the length of struts 40 can be
determined and in turn the length of struts 42, which are
less than that of struts 40. Thus it can be seen that in
the assembled condition o~ FIGURE 1, struts 40 control the
vertical spacing of chords 12, 14 and thus the height of the
truss by providing a series of diagnonal support members
pivotally connected to chords 12 and 14 in holes 48, 44
respectively, and that any particular diagonal strut 40 is
pivotally astened to upper chord 12 at a hole 48 disposed
laterally and to the left, as seen in FIGURE 1, of hole 44.
Thus, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, with the truss in the
assembled condition, strut 40b is pivotally connected at
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either end to chords 12, 14 at holes 48a, 44b respectively
by pins 49a, 45b respectively. As seen in FIGURE 1, any
pairs of struts 40, 42 will be provided such that strut 42,
which is of a lesser length than strut 40, wi:Ll be disposed
laterally to the right or rotated clockwise of strut 40 at
an angle normally less than 90 and both struts 40, 42
integrally pivotally hinged to lower chord 14 by having hole
43 provided in the lower end of strut 42 brought into align-
ment with hole 41 in the lower end of strut 40 and hole 44
of chord 14 ~ith pin 45 provided therethrough to complete
the engagement. With this arrangement, to complete the
assembly of truss 10, struts 42 will be pivotally connected
to upper chord 12 by having holes 43 near its upper ends
brought into alignment with holes 46 and pins 47 provided
for engagement through the alligned holes. Thus struts 42
will be diagonally disposed so that their ends are pivotally
pinned to holes 44, 46 in chords 14, 12 respectively, such
holes 44, 46 being laterally offset from each other, the
hole 46 in upper chord 12 being disposed to the right of the
hole 44 in lower chord 14 for any given strut 42, as viewed
in FIGURE 1.
Thus strut 42a will be pivoted at either end through holes
44a, 46a; strut 42b through holes 44b, 46b, and so on.
(While struts 40 and 42 will normally be disposed relative
to each other at an angle less than 90 when truss 10 is in
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the assembled condition, if there was a special need for a
very short truss, then the angle could be greater than
90 )
The structuring of the assembed truss 10 as illustred in
FIGURE 1, will provide for pin 47 which is to be snugly
engaged in aligned holes 43, 46, yet be easily removed when
it is desired to collapse truss 10. To provide for easy
collapse and compaction of truss 10 and to prevent the mis-
placing or loss of pins, fasteners 45 and 49 can be more
permanently secured in respective chords 12, 14 by providing
for fasteners such as nut and bolt combinations, welded por-
tions and the like.
Returning now to FIGURE 1 and the method of collapsing
and compacting truss 10, it is to be understood that only
pins 47 provided through aligned holes 43, 46 and spacers
70, if used, need be removed. Spacers 70 provide protection
to chord 12 if nuts and bolts are used as the fastening
means instead of pins 47. Without spacers 70, the use of
nuts and bolts through holes 46 and 43 would draw side walls
16, 18 into channel 20 thus collapsing chord 120 Spacers 70
in the preferred embodiment would be dimensioned to space
its walls apart the same width as that of strut 40 so that
exterior side walls 74, 76 of spacer 70 snugly engage the
interior walls of channel 20 of chord 12. With the removal
of pins 47 (and spacers 70, if used) from upper chord 12,
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upper chord 12 is moved laterally or horizontally in the
direction of ARROW A or to the right in FIGURE 2, a distance
sufficient to bring the upper end of struts 42 out of
engagement with the interior surface of top portion 17 of
channel 20. This movement of upper chord 12 in the direc-
tion of ARROW A will increase the vertical spacing between
chords 12 and 14 and rotate struts 40 clockwise in the
direction of ARROW B, thus assuming the position of truss 10
in FIGURE 3. From this position, struts 42 will be rotated
counterclockwise opposite the direction of ARROW B (or in
the direction of ARROW C) and be received into channels 39
of corresponding or mating struts 40 due to the relative
dimensions of struts 40 and 42 as discussed above. With
struts 42 confined to channels 39 of corresponding struts
40, they can no longer engage the interior surface of top
portion 17 of channel 20 when upper chord 12 is moved in the
direction opposite ARROW A to the original vertical spacing
between chords 12, 14 illustrated in FIGURE 1. Then chord
12 can be moved even further in the direction opposite ARROW
A to diminish the spacing between chords 12 and 14 and
approach the partially collapsed posltion of FIGURE 4. This
movement of chord 12 in the direction opposite ARROW A with
struts 42 maintained in corresponding struts 40 will cause
the movement of struts 40 and 42 in a direction opposite
ARROW B to the position of FIGURE 4. It can therefore be
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seen that from the E~sition of FIG~RE 4, it is a simple
matter to move upper chord 12 in the direction opposite
ARROW A and thus cause the total collapse of truss 10 to the
position of F'IGURE 6 with upper and lower chords 12, 14 in
S abutment with each other at their marginal edges 82, a4 and
struts 40 maintained in the confines of channels 20 and 30
which are now mated to provide the hei.ght H illustrated in
FIGURE 6. Thus truss 10 is totally collapsed and compacted,
a feature not obtainable in the prior art discussed herein-
above.
Once the truss has been collapsed to the position of
FIGURE 6, it can be expanded and re-assembled to the posi-
tion of FIGURE 1 by ~erely reversing the above-described
method. First, chords 12, ~4 will be vertically separated
by imparting lateral motion to ~pper chord 12 in the direc-
tion of A~ROW A thus causing the rotation of struts 40 and
42 Iprovided in channel 39 of struts 40) in the direction of
ARROW B until chords 12 and 14 are separated a vertical
distance such that struts 42 can be rotated further in the
direction of ARROW B without contacting the inner surface of
top portion 17 of channel 20. At this point, upper chord 12
is moved in the direction opposite ARROW A so that companion
struts 40b, 42b's relative angle is increased to that illus-
trated in FIGURE 1, at which point holes 43 and of struts 42
are brought into allignment with holes 46 and upper chord 12
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so that removable pins 47 (or other fasteners) can be placed
therethrough to secure truss 10 in the assembled position of
FIGURE 1. With nuts and bolts spacers 70 will be used with
holes 78 aligned with holes 43 and 46 as provided above.
Of course, rnany sections of truss 10 can be placed end
to end and fixedly connected by means of holes 34 and 35 and
couplers 32 to provide a truss of a length adapted to any
building specifications. In practice, the sections will be
made up at a specific job site and the trusses may be moved
at the job site ~rom one pour location to the next as
needed.
Because many varying and different embodiments may be
made within the scope of the inventive concept herein
taught, and because many modifications may be made in the
embodiments herein detailed in accordance with the descrip-
tive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that the
details herein are to he interpreted as illustrative and not
in a limiting sense.
What is claimed as invention is:
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