US3322018A - Connector plates - Google Patents

Description

y 30, 1 w. G. MOEHLENPAH ETALV 3,322,018

CONNEC TOR PLATES Filed Aug. 4, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WALTER G. MOEHLENPAHJ GEORGE F. EBERLE, "DAVID H. IMMING,

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CONNECTOH PLATES Filed Aug. 4, 1965 I s Sheets-Sheet :5

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United States Patent 3,322,018 CONNECTOR PLATES Walter G. Moehlenpah, Ladue, Mo., George F. Eberle, Palo Alto, Calif., and David H. Imming, Ferguson, Mo., assignors to Hydro-Air Engineering, Inc., St. Louis,

Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Aug. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 477,175 3 Claims. (Cl. 85-13) This invention relates to metal connector plates and more particularly to nailing plates of this class having a plurality of teeth struck from sheet metal, for driving into and securing together adjacent structural members composed of wood or the like.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a plate of the class described in which teeth struck therefrom are of an improved shape to be accepted in wood without tooth collapse but which upon being completely driven will be so disposed in the wood as to increase tooth withdrawal resistance; the provision in a plate of teeth of the class described which will also more efl'iciently resist applied tension, compression, shear and torsion forces in the structural members which are to be secured; the provision of a connector plate of the class described in which the teeth are arranged according to an improved array for taking best advantage of the holding action of the teeth and for efficiently distributing such holding action throughout the plate area; and the provision of low-cost connector plates of this class made of economical comparatively light-gage sheet metal. Other objects and 'features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated:

FIG. '1 is a broken plan view of a connector plate made according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view illustrating one corner of a plate shown as driven into a wooden member of a structural joint;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a tooth;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the tooth of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the tooth, being a rightside elevation of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 11 are cross sections taken on lines 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10 and 11-11, respectively, of FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 12 is a front elevation of a tooth;

FIG. 13 is a vertical central section taken on line 13-13 of FIG. 12; and

FIGS. 14 and 15 are transverse sections taken on lines 14-14 and 15-15, respectively, of FIG. 3.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawmgs.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown at numeral 1 a rectangular sheet-metal plate having an outer face 3 and an inner face 5 and from which elongate teeth 7 are struck. The plate may be cut from metal strip either after, before, or at the time the teeth are struck. A preferred thickness is approximately gage; but this is not to be considered as limiting. The teeth are struck out by appropriate striking and bending dies. The teeth 7 project in an upright direction from the face 5, each tooth leaving vacated an elongate opening or slot 9 which conforms generally to the peripheral outline of the tooth which has been struck out. p

The teeth 7 are struck from the plate material preferably in an array such as shown in FIG. 1. This array 3,322,018 Patented May 30, 1967 preferably consists of crosswise rows of teeth arranged in pairs of rows as indicated by broken lines R. The teeth 7 on the members of each pair of rows are oppositely struck. The elongate slots 9 vacated by these teeth remain in the interdigitated arrangement shown between pairs of rows R. The teeth are also arranged in longitudinal c01- umns C-1 and C-2, also indicated by :broken lines. The columns C-1 and C2 are arranged in bands of six each. A band is indicated by the letter B. There are three columns C-1 and three columns C-2 in each band B. The teeth in the three columns C-1 are punched and bent in a directionopposite to the direction in which the teeth are punched and bent in the three columns C-2.

Each tooth has the bent form shown in FIGS. 4-13. This form comprises a root or base portion 11 provided by two dihedrally related Wings 13 connected on a central bend line 15, thereby to obtain in horizontal cross sections a channel shape (see FIGS. 4, 5, 7 and 8). The wings 13 have generally quadrilateral forms. Side edges 17 of the wings 13 converge slightly in an upward direction. The quadrilateral shapes of the wings taper outwardly and upwardly to points 21. They are connected by a transition wall 27 joined with wings 13 on bend lines 19. The bend lines 19 connect with bend line 15 at a point 23. The transition wall 27 terminates the channel shape of the base 11 (see FIGS. 7 and 8). The wall 27 terminates in shoulders 29 and a transverse bend 31. Thus a pentagonal form of the transition wall 27 is outlined by the two bend lines 19, bend line 31 and shoulders 29. The bend lines 19 converge on bend line 15 and terminate it. At numeral 35 is shown a tongue which is connected to transition wall 27 on the bend line 31. The tongue 35 is angled backward on line 31 slightly from the vertical, preferably at approximately 1,5, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus it is bent away from the concave side of the channel formed by wings 13. The tongue has substantially parallel sides 36 and a converging end formed by a rounded portion 38. Convergence may also be obtained by pointing the end, if desired. The side edges 17, shoulders 29 and sides 36 have the aspect of a slight charnfer due to the operations which are performed by the die punch. This is illustrated by the double outlines on FIG. 5. A fillet 25 is also formed on the back of each tooth as it is bent out by the die.

As shown in FIGS. 7-11, ascending cross sections of the tooth start with comparatively deep channel-shaped sections in the dihedral base 11 (FIGS. 7 and 8), then change to more nearly flat cross sections in the transition wall 27 (FIGS. 9 and 10) and in the tongue 35 (FIG. 11). The bending operations eifect a slight offset at 22 in the sides 17 just below the shoulders 29.

In view of the above, it will be seen that there is established a tooth which is strong in shear and torsion. When the plate is initially driven into the wood, the tongue 35 will pierce without the tongue or any other part of the tooth collapsing. Toward the end of the piercing operation, as resistance of the Wood increases, the tongue 35 will be bent on line 31 from its initial 15 position. Bending is in a direction away from the convex side of the channelshaped base. The result is that the tongue will assume a position in the wood at about 45 or more to the plane of the plate 1. This is best illustrated in the FIG. 14 central tooth section which also shows the resulting sinuosity in the tooth, which favors a high withdrawal resistance. In FIG. 15 is shown the disposition of a part of the tooth adjacent to the tongue 35. It will beunderstood that the exact shape of the tooth in wood is not always the same and depends upon the type of wood. Thus it will be understood that the tongue angle shown is also somewhat variable, and that the sinuosity of the tooth will vary.

Referring to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the array of teeth in columns and rows as above described results in zig-zag diagonally related tooth pairs P-1 and P-2 in a given band of teeth B. This provides an effective distribution of the holding action of the. teeth in the wood over the rectangular area of the plate. Also, where opposed bending actions occur, as between tooth pairs P1, and where the grain of the wood is pierced by oppositely bent tongues, the plate is strongest, being free of any openings throughout its entire width. On the other hand, where the cross section of the plate between tooth pairs P-Z has had metal removed because of the interdigitated holes the grain of the wood has not been pierced by any bent tongues and is strongest. Thus there is prevented a condition wherein a joint will have any excessively weak areas therein. V

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other ad- 'vantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

' What is claimed is:

1. A connector for securing together adjacent wood structural members comprising a metal plate having a plurality of upright teeth struck out therefrom, each of said teeth comprising a base portion having a central upright bend line to form a dihedral connection between lower portions of side wings to produce a cross-sectional channel shape in the base portion, a transition wall transversely connected with upper inner portions of said side .wings by outwardly angled bend lines, the outside of each wing and its respective angled bend line tapering the wing upwardly and outwardly to spaced points, the surface of said transition wall being angled with respect to the tapered portions of the wings to terminate said channel shape, a tongue connected with said transition wall by a transverse bend line located above said spaced points of the side wings, said transition wall being outlined by said angled bend lines, by said transverse bend line and by angled shoulders extending up from said spaced points to endwise points of said transverse bend line, said tongue being angled on the transverse bend line in a direction away from the concave side of the channel shape.

2. A connector for securing together adjacent wood A. structural members comprising a metal plate having a plurality of upright teeth struck out therefrom, each of said teeth comprising a base portion having a central upright bend line to form a dihedral connection between side wings to produce a cross-sectional channel shape in the base portion, each of said side wings being of quadrilateral shape tapering upwardly and outwardly to an elevated point, a transition wall transversely connected with said side wings by outwardly angled bend lines extending from the upper end of said central bend line to said points respectively, the surface of said wall being angled with respect to said wings to terminate said channel shape, a tongue connected with said transition wall i by a transverse bend line located above said points of the side wings, said transition wall being outlined by said angled bend lines, by said transverse bend'line and by angled shoulders extending up from said points to said transverse bend line, said tongue being angled on the transverse bend line in a direction away from the concave side of the channel shape.

3. A connector for securing together adjacent wood structural members comprising a metal plate having a plurality of upright teeth struck out therefrom, each of said teeth having a form comprising a root portion having a bend to form equally shaped quadrilateral side wing portions and a channel shape in cross section, said side wing portions tapering upwardly and outwardly to terminate in sidewise locations, a tongue, at cross wall carrying the tongue on a transverse bend which angles the tongue away from the concave side of the channel shape, the shape of said cross wall in elevation being of pentagonal form defined first by the bends between it and the wings, second by said bend of the tongue, and third by angular shoulders converging from said sidewise locations toward the tongue, said tongue having a convergent end and substantially parallel sides, said shoulders meeting the tongue at the ends of said bend from which the tongue extends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CARL W. TOMLIN, Primary Examiner.

R. S. BRITTS, Assistant Examiner,

Claims (1)

1. A CONNECTOR FOR SECURING TOGETHER ADJACENT WOOD STRUCTURAL MEMBERS COMPRISING A METAL PLANE HAVING A PLURALITY OF UPRIGHT TEETH STRUCK OUT THEREFROM, EACH OF SAID TEETH COMPRISING A BASE PORTION HAVING A CENTRAL UPRIGHT BEND LINE TO FORM A DIHEDRAL CONNECTION BETWEEN LOWER PORTIONS OF SIDE WINGS TO PRODUCE A CROSS-SECTIONAL CHANNEL SHAPE IN THE BASE PORTION, A TRANSITION WALL TRANSVERSELY CONNECTED WITH UPPER INNER PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE WINGS BY OUTWARDLY ANGLED BEND LINES, THE OUTSIDE OF EACH WING AND ITS RESPECTIVE ANGLED BEND LINES, THE OUTSIDE OF EACH UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY TO SPACED POINTS, THE SURFACE OF SAID TRANSITION WALL BEING ANGLED WITH RESPECT TO THE TAPERED PORTIONS OF THE WINGS TO TERMINATE SAID CHANNEL SHAPE, A TONGUE CONNECTED WITH SAID TRANSITION WALL BY A TRANSVERSE BEND LINE LOCATED ABOVE SAID SPACED POINTS OF THE SIDE WINGS, SAID TRANSITION WALL BEING OUTLINED BY SAID ANGLED BEND LINES, BY SAID TRANSVERSE BEND LINE AND BY ANGLED SHOULDERS EXTENDING UP FROM SAID SPACED POINTS TO ENDWISE POINTS OF SAID TRANSVERSE BEND LINE, SAID TONGUE BEING ANGLED ON THE TRANSVERSE BEND LINE IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE CONCAVE SIDE OF THE CHANNEL SHAPE.

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