US2856644A - Joist brace - Google Patents

Description

C. O. DUNHAM Oct. 21, 1958 JOIST BRACE Filed July 5, 1955 INVENTOR.

CLflYToN o. DUN/ HM mamym H TTORNEVS United States Patent JOIST BRACE Clayton 0. Dunham, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Royal J. Ahlberg, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application July 5, 1955, Serial No. 520,024 8 Claims. (Cl. 20-05) This invention relates generally to a bracing unit for supporting members such as joists and the like.

Frequently structure-suporting members require reinforcmg bracing at intermediate portions thereof to substantially eliminate deflection due to a stress thereon.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a bracing unit for supporting members such as joists and the like to reinforce intermediate portions thereof against deflection due to stress thereon.

It is another object to provide a bracing unit particularly adapted for reinforcing joists and the like wherein an adjustable elongated tying member is anchored at its upper ends in longitudinally spaced apart relation on opposite sides of the joist and extends angularly downwardly therefrom to pass under an intermediate portion of the joist to form a sling support for said intermediate portion and eliminate deflection thereof. 7

It is still another object of my invention to provide a multiple section bracing unit particularly adapted for easy assembly and adjustment which will usually be provided in the form of a single bracing unit made up a plurality of interconnected bracing elements with takeup adjustment means at the respective points of interconnection but if necessary may be provided in the form of a double bracing unit to provide additional reinforcement for the support member being braced.

These and other objects and advantages of invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of an alternative form of my invention;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing portions thereof in front elevation;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

As best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, I provide an elongated reinforcing bracing unit which, in the form shown, is designed to provide intermediate reinforcement for a supporting member such as the floor joist 11. The entire reinforcing unit, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is designated by the numeral 10 and, in the form shown, this bracing unit 10 isconstructed of three elongated inter connected bracing elements 10a, 10b and 100. The outer end elements 10a and 100 are respectively anchored at their upper ends by brackets 12 which are fixed on op- 2,856,644 Patented Oct. 21, 1958 posite sides of the joist 11 in longitudinally spaced apart relation as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

One end portion of each of the end elements 10a and has a hook 10d formed therein. The end anchoring brackets 12 are constructed to receive either the hook end of the elements 10a and 10c or the other end thereof which is threaded as shown in the drawing to receive a take-up nut 10:: thereon. In order to facilitate the adjustable tensioning of the bracing unit 10, it is desirable to permit the position of the take-up adjustment element to be selected whereby access thereto will be maintained.

The two end elements 10a and 100 are connected at their lower ends to the intermediate element 10b as by the interconnectors 14. These interconnectors are, in the form shown, made from sheet metal initially doubled back upon itself to form a loop or sleeve 14b and thereafter bent around to form the loops or sleeves 14a and 14c as best shown in Fig. 3. The entire interconnector is, of course, made from a single piece of relatively stiff sheet material and a pair of web elements 14d are formed between the two sleeves 14a and 140. One end of the intermediate element 10b has a hook 10d formed therein and the other end thereof is threaded to receive an adjustment take-up nut 10e as illustrated. Each interconnector 14 is slipped over one of the bracing elements in a manner to permit the hook 10d thereof to positively interconnect and stabilize the two end sleeves 14a and as best shown in Fig. 3. This positively prevents distortion of the interconnector 14 even though the same is made from relatively light sheet metal and permits the take-up nut 10:: to be positioned for easy access. In Fig. 3 the end element 1011 has the hook thereof engaged with the anchoring bracket 12 which is constructed with a saddle element 12a with a notch at the hook receiving end thereof. The hook end 10d of the intermediate member 10b is interconnected with the threaded end of the end member 1011 by one of the interconnectors 14.. The other end member 100 has the threaded end thereof disposed upwardly adjacent the other anchor 12 which,

in the form shown, is reversed to permit the easy turning of the take-up nut and the threaded end of the intermediate element 1% is connected with the hook end of the end element 100 by the other interconnector 14 whereby the take-up nut 10c on element 10b is positioned for easy access adjacent said interconnector.

In Figs. 1,2 and 8, an alternative form of my invention is illustrated whereby conventional type turn buckles 13 are provided for tensioning the tying or bracing units 10. Similar anchoring brackets 12 are provided for the ends of said units and, in the form shown, double units may be criss-crossed under the joist 11 to provide additional support if necessary.

It will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple yet highly efficient bracing unit for reinforcing inter mediate portions of supporting members such as joists and the like whereby deflection thereof can be easily controlled. In the form shown, multiple element tying units are provided but obviously these units could be preformed single elongated members extending continuously from one anchoring bracket 12 to the other. This, of course, would position the take-up nuts in a relatively inaccessible location and would, therefore, be somewhat inconvenient. Obviously after the bracing unit has been applied to a joist or beam for a period of time, additional tension may be applied thereto to further adjust the deflection thereof and any desired tension may, of course, be obtained on the bracing unit.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement, and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention which generally stated consists in the tions of a joist in longitudinally spaced apart relation and disposed on opposite sides of the joist from each other, an elongated tensioning member having the ends thereof respectively connected to the anchoring members and passing angularly downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said joist and including a bottom portion passing under an intermediate portion of the joist and extending from one side thereof to the other to interconnect the portions of said tensioning member disposed on opposite sides of the joist.

2. A joist bracing assembly comprising a pair of anchor ing brackets constructed and arranged to be mounted in fixed relation to the upper portions of a supporting member in longitudinally spaced apart relation and disposed on opposite sides of said supporting member from each other, an elongated tensioning unit including a pair of end members and a center interconnection member, said end members having their upper ends respectively anchored to said anchoring brackets and extending angularly downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of said supporting member, means interconnecting the upper ends of said center member with the lower ends of said end members, said center member being so constructed and arranged to pass under an intermediate portion of the supporting member and extending from one side thereof to the other to be braced and form a supporting cradle therefor.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2 and adjustable take-up means for varying the tension on the interconnected tensioning unit.

4. A brace for joists and the like comprising an elongated bracing unit having a lower intermediate portion constructed and arranged to underlie an intermediate portion of a joist in engagement with an intermediate portion of the lower edge thereof and extending from one side thereof to the other, said bracing unit also having a pair of upwardly inclined end portions extending upwardly from the intermediate portion on opposite sides of the joist, anchoring means for securely anchoring the upper ends of said end portions to said joist and adjustable- 4 take-up means for varying the tension on said bracing unit to control the deflection of said joist under stress.

5. A reinforcing brace for joists and the like comprising a plurality of elongated interconnected tying elements, interconnectors respectively interconnecting adjacent ends of said tying elements to form an elongated tying unit with an intermediate portion underlying a portion of said joist to be braced and extending from one side thereof to the other, means for anchoring the ends of said tying unit to opposite sides of the joist in longitudinally spaced apart relation, and adjustable take-up means for varying the reinforcing tension in said tying unit.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5 and said interconnectors comprising at least three hollow elements for receiving the ends of said tying elements to be interconnected, at least one of said tying elements having a hook formed on one end thereof to be received in a pair of adjacent hollow elements to stabilize and reinforce the same, and means for anchoring the end of the other tying element to the other hollow element of the interconnector,

7. The structure set forth in claim 6 and said last mentioned means comprising an adjustable take-up mechanism for varying the tension in said joist reinforcing tying unit.

8. The structure set forth in claim 6 and said interconnector being formed from a single piece of stiff sheet material doubled back upon itself to form the last mentioned hollow element with the other two hollow elements being formed from the end portions thereof to provide a web structure therebetween, said hook of the tying element receiving said web structure to positively reinforce and stabilize the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 424,318 Lane Mar. 25, 1890 809,264 Humphreys Jan. 2, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS 168,419 Austria June 11, 1951 169,601 Great Britain Oct. 6, 1921 OTHER REFERENCES Engineering News Record, December 4, 1919, page 934.

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