US1609699A - Joist brace - Google Patents

Description

w. c. oRvE JOI ST B'RACE Filed may 2S. w25

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 \f 2 William Georgen,

Inn-umn Dec. 7 192,6. 1,609,699

w. c. coRY-ELL.

JOI ST BRACE Filed may 23. 1925 5 sx-.==etssmml 2 Mnvzsssal i a 007 ell, Y ,g I" QQUL y I fitto: "mi

Palmera nee. 7, 1926,Y

U'Nlrsn STATES racetea- PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM C. CORYELL, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY IllESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO TRUSCON STEEL COMPANY, F YUNI. STOWN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF MICHIC- GAN.

JOIST B12/ACE;

Application flied May 2s, 1925. .serial No. 33,532.

This invention relates to a novel and practical improvement in joist braces or bridging for holding floor. joist-s inr proper spaced relation and also reinforcing the floor construction.

In its general aspect the present invention contemplates a bracethat will eliect conL siderable economy in the quantity of blank stock used, thereby not only enhancing the invention from a commercial standpoint but also y providing a lighter brace whose strength and rigidity. remain unimpaired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a joist brace including brace members connected by an integral tie piece, and: formed from a single blank, and in which the tie piece has sutlicient iiexibility within itselic to permit some horizontal Jlireedom as well as vertical freedom of movement in the two crossing brace members. This feature has the advantage Vof permittingV a wider range of selection of the points oi-v attachs ment` for the ends of the brace members thereby to adequately provide for varying conditions of installation, such forl example.

as when the joists are warped or slightly out of position, or when it is desiredy to have one member of the brace occupy relatively oblique position with reference to the other, or when the point of attachment is unsuitable for receiving the fastening for secur' ing the brace in position. An instance of the latter is where, in connection with wooden joists, a knot hole or other defect exists.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brace of the character setlforth which may be formed with one or more tie pieces located away from the center or crossing pofnt of the brace members, thereby materially contributing to the strength of the brace at. the center, where it properly should'beV the. strengest..l In that connection. the present type of brace leaves it possible to obtain a maximum radius oi gyration for a certain distance alongthe Center, which in turn will permit the maximum strength to be obtained as. a: column..

Vilthtlie aboveand other; objects in view which will morereadily appear asthe. nature 0.1"; the; invention, is: better understood; thesarneconsistsin tlienovel construction, combination and' arrangement of parts-here; inatterflnore fully; described-,..llnstrated-.and

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure lis a view illustrating the application or" the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved j-oist brace shown in Fig. l.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the. line 3 -3 'of Fig. 1

. Figure 4 is a plan view of a slitted blank from which the brace or Fig. 2 is made.

Figure 5 isa plan view of a modified form of 4slitted blank.

F igure 6 is av perspective View of the brace formed from the blank shownV in Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a further modified form of blank.

Figure 8 isa perspective view or the brace formed from the blank shown vin Figure 7, wherein only one tie piece is used between the point oi crossing of the brace members and the ends thereof.

Figures 9 and ll are plan views showing further modified forms of slitted blanks.

Figures l0 andl2 are perspective viewsV of the joist braces made respectively Jfrom the blanks shown inV Figures 9. and ll.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several ligures ot the drawings.

AS previously indicated it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a brace adapted for use in connection with joist,-studding or other building elements which is not only lighter; provides a wider range of manipulation and adjustment in installing; but also provides a stronger construction since the locati' on and arrangement of the tie piece avoids weakening at the center, thereby preventing any tendency of the brace members to buckle or bend at this point. Also the present type ot brace pro-V vides thenecessary clearances to permit of, and facilitate, the installation of plumbing, wiring, gas pipes, etc. y Y Accordingly, with the above considerations in View the present invention Yproe vides 21..)oistv brace ,which may be formed from blank sheet metal stock-material of suitable. gauge. and designated generally. as A; FigureA... This. blank.. A. isformed vvtlija. plurality of. longitudinally disposed slits?. Bal-icl. wlcliare-located out AOffluri mennen disal. ed, arldlarrangedn suitably lOG lnarrow bendable tie-pieces 3.`

spaced relation while the slits C may be united by a relatively short transverse slit D, thereby to form the bar-like brace members l and E2 and the connectingl tongues or tie-pieces 3. The slits B which detine the inner sides of the members l and 2 are located substantially at the center or central portion of the blanlr .ci and may be continuous or discontinuous, and the relatively short slits C which are usually arranged parallel-with the slits l are located between the said latter slits and the outer edges ot the brace members l. and 2. The ends ot the members l and 2 are preferably termed with the perforated attaching ears i which may be bent into oilfset relation as shown in Figures l and i2 thereby to facilitate the attachment ot the brace to the joist or other structural building element.

As will be obseri'ed from Figures l to fi inclusive the etlect ot the novel slitting of the blank A, is to Yterm the brace members l and 2 and the connectingtie-pieces 3 from a single metal blank whereby the said members l and are integral with the relatively Also, the tie-pieces 3 are relatively long and lie in a plane parallel to the plane oi movement whiz h brings the brace members l and 2 into crossing relation. Theretore. in this construction the axes ot the tie-pieces 3 lie in a plane substantially parallel to the brace members l and 2 as distiinijuished treni a tie piece whose axis occupies a relatively transverse position with respect to the brace members. and has the advantage ot permitting the location o the tie pieces away from the cent-cr of the brace. Furthermore, by reason of the relatively narrow and elongated characteristic of the tongues or tie pieces 8, it is not only possible to move the brace members l and 2 in a vertical plane parallel to their inside cut edn'es but also to permit of the said members beiney separated laterally, within reasonable limits. thereby to permit of the separation of the brace members in planes at right angles to each other.

The function ot the tie pieces 3 is to hold the members l. and 2 in assembled relation during' shipping and handling preliminary to installation at the point ot use, and to hold the two braces together as a pair and therefore these members need be no stronger than necessary to serve as a connector or tie piece -for these members until they are ready to be put in service. Ly making the tongues 3 which constitute the tie pieces relatively narrow and parallel with the members l and 2 a plurality of bending; points are provided, thereby avoiding the focusing ot all of the bendingstrain at one point as in the case of brace members connected by a single intermediate web. That is to say, the bending of the tie pieces 3 is distributed to the points ai, g/ and .e (Fig. and in view of the relative narrowness of these tongues the bending is not necessarily confined to axes located in the original flat plane ot the blank, but may also manifest itself in axes located at right angles to said plane thereto permit of the relative lateral separation ot' the members for the purpose heretofore indicated.

From the foregoing' it will be apparent that the distinc ie feature ot the present invention resides in the provision ot a connectinjar tongue or tie piece located at one side ot the point of cossing ot the brace member, that is between the point ot crossing' and the ends o; the members, or near an end thereof. find, by way of illustrating the range of modification in which this teature of the invention may find embodiment, reiterence may be had to Figs. to 1Q inclusive of the drawings which illustrate examples ot evcral oi' the different iorms of embodiment.

ln Figures 5 and 6 the brace members l and 2 are termed `trom the blank A havine: the disalined longitudinal slits B and C which torni the tie pieces 31. In this embodiment the brace mei bers l and 2 may be provided with the atta hing feetal-l as indicated.

Figures 7 and S show a brace comprisina` the members lb and 2b toi-med -from a blank 2 having the longitudinally disposed disalined slits B2 and C2 and the attachingr end portions el. In this arrangement the single.

connecting; tie piece is located near the` ends ol the brace members, and has the advantage of permitting the brace members to cross at any selected point between their ends.

Figures 9 and 10 show a device including the brace members le and 2C formed from a blank f 3 by the disalined longitudinal slits B3 and C3 thereby to form the connecting tie pieces 8C. This construction is substantially the formation shown in Figures 'T and S but with the tie pieces 3C located near the oii'set attaching ends 4C at both ends ot the brace members.

Figures l1 and 19. illustrate a further modification of the construction ii'ivolvingq the location of the tie pieces 3d near both ends of the brace members 1d and 2d. The tie pieces and brace members in this instance are termed from the blank A4 of Figure ll by the disalined longitudinal slits B4 and C4 and the transverse slits Dt. rlhe relatively short slits C in this form of the invention are somewhat obliquely disposed but nevertheless retain the characteristic of lying between the relatively long longitudinal slit Bt, and the outer edge of the brace members.

llithont further description it is thought that the many features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to .those skilled in the art and it will of course bey understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

l claim:

l. A joist brace including brace members adapted to be brought into crossing relation, and a tie piece uniting said members between the point of crossing and the ends thereof.

2. A joist brace including brace members adapted to be brought into crossing relation and an integral tie piece` uniting' said members between the point of crossing and the ends thereon 3. A joist brace including` brace members adapted to be brought into crossing relation, and lan integral tie piece presenting a plurality of bending points and located between the point of crossing oi said members and the ends thereof.

t. A joist brace including brace members, and an integral tie piece connecting` said members, said tie piece consisting of a relatively thin metal tongue located between the transverse center` and the end of said members adapted to be bent 'to permit the brace members to be swung in crossing relation or separated laterally.

V5. A joist brace including two elongated members which cross at their mid portions, and a tie-piece connecting said members between the point of crossing and the ends, said members and tie-pieces being formed from a metal blank having disalined slits .formed between and substantially parallel with the outer sides of said members.

6. A joist brace including a pair of brace members crossing at their mid portions, and a tie-piece connecting said members between the point of crossing and the ends, said members and tie-piece being formed Jfrom a blank having relatively long slits and shorter slits arranged between said long slits andthe sidel edges of said members,

7. A joist brace formed from a single blank o sheet metal and having a plurality of longitudinally disposed and disalined slits, and elongated brace members and a connecting tie-piece formed by said slits, the said tie-piece being located between the transverse center and the ends 01"' said brace members.

8. A brace including separable brace members formed from a common blank by partially longitudinally slitting the same and provided with terminal attaching means at their Vends, said brace members being adapted to be twisted into crossing rela-tion, and tie-piece connecting said members near one end.

9. A brace including separable brace members formed from a common blank by partially longitudinally slitting the same and provided with terminal attaching means at their ends, said brace members being adapted to be twisted into crossing relation, and a pair of tie-pieces connecting said members adjacent their ends.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

WILLIAM C. CORYELL.

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