US1962592A - Method of forming bridging and a brace therefor - Google Patents

Description

June 12, 1934.

E. SHEBELER ET AL METHOD OF FORMING BRIDGING AND A BRACE THEREFOR Filed May 28, 1931' ZNVE/VIaKS 6 H EBELER C.- BoEHM EDWARD 4 EDWA b Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES METHOD OF FORMING BRIDGING AND A BRACE THEREFOR Edward S. Hcbelcr, Williamsville, and Edward C. Boehm, Buffalo, N. Y

Application May 28, 1931, Serial No. 540,580

6 Claims.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that where metal joists are used in the construction of buildings, the combined strength of the floor is greatly increased by tying the joists together with, cross bridging in such a manner that the bridging will be subjected to not only tensional strains but also those ,-of compression. This has been attempted in a number of cases by braces which have clips or clamps at each end, and in some cases with a number of tabs in an attempt to make the braces adjustable. However, all of these have failed to meet the need in that if such braces are to be adjustable, they must be adjustable to minutely varying amounts, which a plurality of tabs makes impossible. Furthermore, many of such prior braces take only compressional strains.

It has been an object of our device to overcome the disadvantages above pointed out, and to provide bridging which can be adjusted to even the smallest variation of space between joists so that the bracing may take the load immediately without any lostmotion either in compression or tension.

Another object has been to provide a method of forming bridging by which the bridging may be cut and formed upon the job and at the time of use, so that the workmen can measure the distance between the joists where the brace is to be used, and then out such. brace to the length required.

Moreover, our method contemplates the use of welding for securing the bracing in place, which makes the brace an integral part of the joists to which it is attached, so that the load carried by the joists is distributed throughout the series of joists thus braced.

Another objecthas been to so cut and form the ends of the bracing that the welding area at such ends will be substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the brace.

Furthermore, our bracing is adjustable since when used with joists of I-beam cross-section or with any other section having horizontal flanges, one end of the bracing will contact with such horizontal flanges and may be secured in place wherever it lies after having had the other end of the brace secured in place.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary, sectional view of a number of joists with our bridging in place.

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged, fragmentary, per

spective view of a joist with one end of our bracing secured in place.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of our bracing when made of angle iron.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the end of an angle iron bracing.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a brace made of tubing, showing the formation of its end.

Our brace 8 is made preferably of angle iron, as shown in all of the figures, except Fig. 6, and is cut on the job to the desired length. The length of each brace when used with I-beam joists is less than the diagonal distance between the points of union of the flanges and webs of adjacent I-beams, and 'is preferably longer than the diagonal distance between the flange edges of two adjacent joists. Obviously, if desired, the braces may be made of a length substantially equal to the diagonal distance between the flange edges of adjacent joists. In cutting or shearing the bracing from the stock from which it is made, the angle iron is placed with the edges of its legs in contact with'one of the shears and with its apex in contact with the other shear. When sheared in this position the legs of the angle will be forced to a position where they will lie in substantially the same plane, and when the end has thus been deformed or reformed, it will be sheared off, as clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, thus forming a substantially straight surface 10 extending across the end of the brace, having a length equal to substantially the length of the two legs 11 and 12 of the angle which gives to the end surface 10 an area substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the brace.

When the. brace is used, it is assembled with its straight edge surfaces 10 arranged in planes which are substantially parallel to the planes of the flanges 13 and 14 of the I-beams 15. When so positioned, the upper end of the brace is preferably first secured to the edge of the flanges 13 of the I-beams by being welded thereto, whereby this upper end of the brace is substantially flush with the upper surface of the flange 13 of the I- beam. The other end of the brace is allowed to rest upon the flange 14 of the next adjacent I- beam, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, where it will adjust itself toany variation in the spacing of the joists, whereupon it also is welded in place and to the flange 14. Obviously, while we have shown and described the welding of the upper end of the braces to the edges of the flanges 13, if desired these may be welded to the edges of the lower flanges 14 or the braces may be made of such a length that they will reach across the edges and engage with the inner surfaces of each of 5 the flanges 13. and 14 of opposite joists, where they to the cross-sectional area of the brace.

will be weldedin place as above described.

'Instead of making the braces 8 of material having an angle iron cross-section, itis obvious that they may be'made of channel iron or of tubing 16, as shown in Fig. 6. When made of channel iron the flanges of the channel iron will be flattened out (not shown) in the same way as the legs 10 and "11 of the angle iron shown in the drawing and will lie in substantially the same plane as the body part of the channel iron, thus giving it end welding surfaces substantially equal When the tubular brace 16 is used, as shown in Fig. 6, the tubing is flattened at the ends, thus providing a flaring end'l'l the side walls of the tubing being brought together whereby a. surface 18 is provided which has an area equal to substantially the total area of the tubing.

Where in the claims we use the term structural shape, we mean all structural shapes, other than flats, and those which require cross sectional deformation of their ends in order to bring about a straight line contact with-the joists.

Obviously, some modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention or the scope of the appended claims, and we do not,

therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described, the form shown beingmerely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A brace for bridging joists, comprising a piece of material of structural shape of a length substantially equal to the diagonal distance between the edges of the flanges of adjacent joists, the cross section of the ends of the brace being deformed so as to provide a surface formed in substantially a straight line and having an area equal to substantially the area of the cross-section of the material forming the brace, whereby such braces may be welded to the joists and thus transmit compression and tension.

2. A brace for bridging joists, comprising a piece of angle iron of a length substantially equal to the diagonal distance between the edges of the flanges of adjacent joists, the legs of the angles at the ends being deformed so that they will lie in substantially the same plane and have a welding area equal "to substantially the total crosssectional area of the brace, whereby such braces face formed in a substantially straight line and having a Welding area equal to substantially the cross-sectional area of the material forming the brace, whereby such braces may be welded to the joists and thus transmit compression and tension.

4. A method of forming bridging, comprising cutting the braces to a length at least equal to the distance from the edge of one flange to the surface of the diagonally opposite flange of the adjacent joist, welding the upper ends of the braces to the edge of the upper flange of one joist, resting the lower ends of the braces on the upper surface of the diagonally opposite flange of the next joist, and welding such lower ends to the flange where they come to rest, whereby the braces transmit compression and tension.

5. A method of forming bridging, comprising cutting braces from material of structural shape to a length at least equal to the distance from the edge of one flange to the surface of the diagonally opposite flange of the adjacent joist, reforming the ends of the braces so as to provide a substantially flat surface such that it, together with the flange, will provide a welding contact having an area equalto substantially the area of the cross section of the material forming the braces, welding the upper ends of the braces to the edge of the upper flange of one joist, resting the lower ends of the braces on the upper surface of the diagonally opposite flange of 'the next joist, and welding such lower ends to the flange where they come to rest, whereby the braces transmit compression and tension.

6. The combination with metal joists, of bridging comprising a piece of material of structural shape of a length substantially equal to the diagonal distance between the edges of the flange of adjacent joists, one end of the bridging being welded to the edge of one of the joist flanges and the other end of the bridging being welded to the surface of the diagonally opposite flange of the adjacent joist, whereby the bridging will transmit compression and tension.

' EDWARD S. HEBELER.

EDWARD C. BOEHM.

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