Inventors:
George F. Eberle - St. Louis MO
Karl L. Bickel - O'Fallon MO
John M. Denny - Renton WA
Assignee:
Lumbermate Company - St. Louis MO
International Classification:
E04C 317, E04C 3292
Abstract:
At each end of a top hung wood truss one or more end webs are attached to top chord by connector plates which not only embed in the end webs and the top chord in the region of the joint between them, but also extend outwardly beyond the joint in the form of legs that embed within the chord extension, that is the portion of the top chord which extends beyond the joint and rests on the bearing surface that supports the truss. Indeed, the outwardly projecting leg of each connector plate is located over the bearing surface, its lower margin being close to the underface of the chord extension to lessen the tendency of wood fibers in the top chord to crush in that region. The plate strengthens the top chord at its extension, enabling it to better withstand the shear forces and moments that are within the chord extension. Furthermore the axial forces which are transmitted longitudinally by the top chord and any oblique web at the end of the truss intersect well within the confines of the connector plates, so that extreme eccentricity and accompanying high moments do not develop in the plates.