U.S. patent application number 12/049465 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-10 for wooden member support retrofit system and method.
Invention is credited to David R. Shelton.
Application Number | 20080163568 12/049465 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34376218 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080163568 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shelton; David R. |
July 10, 2008 |
WOODEN MEMBER SUPPORT RETROFIT SYSTEM AND METHOD
Abstract
A wooden member support retrofit system includes a wooden member
support having a support base and a wooden member supported by the
wooden member. The system also includes a shim disposed in a space
formed between the base and the wooden member due to relative
movement of the base and the wooden member over time. A process of
retrofitting a wooden member support system includes measuring a
space formed between a base of a wooden member support and a wooden
member due to relative movement of the base and the wooden member
over time. The system includes selecting a shim and placing the
shim in the space formed between the base and the wooden
member.
Inventors: |
Shelton; David R.; (Tahoe
City, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KELLY LOWRY & KELLEY, LLP
6320 CANOGA AVENUE, SUITE 1650
WOODLAND HILLS
CA
91367
US
|
Family ID: |
34376218 |
Appl. No.: |
12/049465 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10671898 |
Sep 25, 2003 |
7343712 |
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12049465 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/126.1 ;
52/702; 52/741.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04G 2023/0248 20130101;
Y10T 403/46 20150115; E04G 23/0218 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/126.1 ;
52/702; 52/741.1 |
International
Class: |
E04C 5/16 20060101
E04C005/16; E04C 3/12 20060101 E04C003/12; E04G 21/12 20060101
E04G021/12 |
Claims
1.-22. (canceled)
23. A wooden member support retrofit system, comprising: a wooden
member support including a base; a wooden member supported by the
wooden member support; a shim disposed between vertically extending
sides of the wooden member support and sized to substantially
prevent horizontal movement therebetween; and a ratchet mechanism
coupled to the shim and the base, wherein the shim maintains
contact with the wooden member through vertical expansion of the
ratchet mechanism so that the weight of the wooden member
translates through the shim and ratchet mechanism to be borne by
the base.
24. The system of claim 23, wherein a deformable knife tab or a
fastener rigidly attaches the shim to the wooden member.
25. The system of claim 24, wherein the fastener extends through an
aperture formed in the shim and into the wooden member.
26. The system of claim 23, including a non-load bearing lateral
fastener for securing the wooden member in the wooden member
support.
27. The system of claim 23, wherein the shim comprises a flexible,
compressible material that expands to maintain contact between the
wooden member and the ratchet mechanism.
28. The system of claim 23, wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises
a one-way vertically expandable ratchet.
29. A process of retrofitting a wooden member support system,
comprising the steps of: measuring a space between a base of a
wooden member support and a wooden member; selecting a shim sized
to substantially prevent horizontal movement when disposed between
vertically extending sides of the wooden member support, the shim
having a ratchet mechanism for maintaining contact of the shim with
the wooden member; and placing the shim and ratchet mechanism in
the space formed between the base and the wooden member so that the
weight of the wooden member is borne by the base of the wooden
member support.
30. The process of claim 29, including the step of adjusting the
ratchet mechanism to engage the shim with the wooden member.
31. The process of claim 30, wherein the adjusting step includes
the step of readjusting the ratchet mechanism to reengage the shim
with the wooden member due to relative movement of the wooden
member away from the shim over time.
32. The process of claim 29, including the step of attaching the
shim to the wooden member with a deformable knife tab or a
fastener.
33. The process of claim 32, including the step of inserting the
fastener through an aperture in the shim and into the wooden
member.
34. The process of claim 29, wherein the shim comprises a flexible,
compressible material that expands to maintain contact between the
wooden member and the shim.
35. The process of claim 29, including the step of securing the
wooden member to the wooden member support with a non-load bearing
lateral fastener.
36. A wooden member support retrofit system, comprising: a shim
sized to substantially prevent horizontal movement when inserted
between vertically extending sides of a wooden member support
supporting a wooden member; and a vertically expandable ratchet
mechanism coupled to the shim and supported by a base of the wooden
member support when the shim is disposed between the vertically
extending sides of the wooden member support; wherein the shim
maintains contact with the wooden member through vertical expansion
of the ratchet mechanism so that the weight of the wooden member
translates through the shim and the ratchet mechanism to be borne
by the base.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates generally to joist hangers and beam
supports. More particularly, the invention relates to a joist
hanger and beam support retrofit system.
[0002] There is a great need for stable and secure support of
wooden framing members, in the form of wooden beams or joists, held
within hardware designed to support such beams or joists. Typical
examples of hardware designed to provide support are `post caps`
which attach the top of a post to a girder, or `joist hangers`
which attach joists for floors or decks to girders or walls. In
addition to the support hardware, most wood framed structures
require fasteners, in the form of nails or bolts, to connect
different structural members. For example, these fasteners are
inserted laterally through both the joist and joist hanger or beam
and beam support. The fasteners are intended only to secure the
joist and joist hanger or beam and beam support to each other and
not intended to support the joist within the joist hanger or the
beam within the beam support. In each case, the capacity of these
fasteners or connectors is calculated by the shear strength of the
nails or bolts required and the bearing capacity of the support
hardware. The bearing capacity of the support hardware is
determined by the area of the hardware the lumber rests upon and
the compressive strength of the wood.
[0003] The basic assumption is that a bottom of the joist or beam
rests upon a base plate, also referred to as the `seat` or `saddle
bottom` of the hardware and is held in place by the fasteners.
However, this is rarely seen in practical situations. Usually, a
joist or beam made of wood shrinks after installation and a gap
results between the plate of the hardware and the bottom of the
wood member or beam the hardware is supposed to be supporting. As a
result, the fasteners end up supporting the wood member. However,
as discussed above, the fasteners were not designed to support the
joists or beams and the bearing capacity of the hardware was not
based solely on the fasteners.
[0004] This situation is common wherever one examines a wooden
members or beam that has been in service for a year or two.
Millions of wooden members have been installed over the decades, if
not centuries, and many more are installed each day. Shrinkage
cannot easily be controlled or accurately anticipated.
[0005] A conventional metal joist hanger 20 and wooden joist 22 are
shown in FIGS. 1-4. When the joist 22 is initially placed within
the joist hanger 20, the joist 22 rests within the joist hanger 20
and is supported on a base plate 24 of the joist hanger 20.
Non-load bearing lateral fasteners 26 are used to secure the joist
22 in the joist hanger 20. With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the
joist 22 and the joist hanger 20, are shown after a gap or space 28
is formed between the base plate 24 and the joist 22. The space 28
results from shrinkage of the wood forming the joist 22 over a
period of time, thus causing relative movement of the base plate 24
and the joist 22 over time. This causes a load to be placed upon
the fasteners 26 for which they were not designed.
[0006] Many different types of joist hangers have been employed to
support beams. However, such systems use screw assemblies to adjust
the location of the supporting plate of the joist hanger. For
example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,623 discloses an adjustable joist
hanger for supporting concrete decks. However, the screw assembly
disclosed therein is intended to allow assembly and disassembly. In
another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,962 discloses a joist hanger
for supporting beams that includes a screw assembly for changing
the elevation of joists. However, the joist hanger lacks an
integral saddle plate and the screw assembly disclosed therein is
held in place by lateral fasteners which results in the lateral
fasteners supporting both the screw assembly and the joist.
[0007] While methods such as those described above may provide
means of providing support for beams, such methods can always be
improved to provide better and more simplified means of providing
support.
[0008] Accordingly, there is a need for relieving the stress upon
lateral fasteners caused by the shrinkage of wood joists. What is
also needed is method to retrofit conventional joist hangers. There
is a further need for a means to provide additional support that
compensates for the shrinkage of wood. There is an additional need
for filling the gap caused by the shrinkage of wood that is
relatively compact in size and inexpensive. The present invention
satisfies these needs and provides other related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A process and system for retrofitting a wooden member
support, such as joist hanger or beam support. This system is
usable in any situation where wooden joists and joist hangers or
beams and beam supports are employed. These situations can occur
anywhere there is a need to construct a frame, structure or the
like.
[0010] A wooden member support retrofit system includes a wooden
member support having a support base and a wooden member supported
by the wooden member support. The system also includes a shim
disposed in a space formed between the base and the wooden member
due to relative movement of the base and the wood member over time,
so that the weight of the wooden member is borne by the base of the
wooden member support.
[0011] The shim has a component for securing the shim to the wood
member. This component may come in various forms such as a
deformable knife tab or an aperture for a fastener. The component
may also be such that the shim maintains contact between the wood
member and the base as the wood member moves such as a spring or a
one-way, ratchet mechanism which increases in thickness as the wood
member moves. The component may be in the form of a flexible,
compressible material that expands to maintain contact between the
wood member and the base as the wood member moves.
[0012] The system includes a non-load bearing lateral fastener for
securing the wooden member in the wooden member support.
[0013] A process of retrofitting a wooden member support system
includes measuring a space formed between a base of a wooden member
support and a wooden member due to relative movement of the base
and the wooden member over time. The process further includes
selecting a shim and placing the shim in the space formed between
the base and the wooden member so that the weight of the wooden
member is borne by the base of the wooden member support.
[0014] The selecting step includes the step of choosing a shim
having a component for maintaining contact between the wooden
member and the base as the wooden member moves. This component may
be selected from a group of various components such as a deformable
knife tab, an aperture for a fastener, a flexible and compressible
material, a spring, and a one-way ratchet mechanism.
[0015] The process includes the step of securing the wooden member
and wooden member support together with a non-load bearing lateral
fastener.
[0016] Other features and advantages of the invention will become
more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way
of example, the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such
drawings:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a joist and joist
hanger;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the joist and joist
hanger of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the joist and joist
hanger of FIG. 1 after the joist has shrunk to form a gap between
the joist and joist hanger;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of the joist and joist
hanger of FIG. 3;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded side elevation view of a
joist, joist hanger and shim embodying the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a joist, joist hanger and
shim embodying the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of FIG. 6;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a partially exploded orthogonal view of a joist,
joist hanger and shim embodying the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 9 is a partially exploded orthogonal view of a joist,
joist hanger and shim embodying the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of FIG. 9;
[0028] FIG. 11 is an orthogonal view of a shim embodying the
present invention;
[0029] FIGS. 12 and 13 are front elevation views of the shim of
FIG. 11 expanding to maintain contact between the joist and joist
hanger as the joist shrinks;
[0030] FIGS. 14 and 15 are front elevation views of a shim with a
one-way, ratchet mechanism expanding to maintain contact between a
joist and joist hanger as the joist shrinks;
[0031] FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of a beam and beam support
combination;
[0032] FIG. 17 is a front elevation view of the beam and beam
support of FIG. 14;
[0033] FIG. 18 is a side elevation view of the beam and beam
support of FIG. 14 after the beam has shrunk to form a gap between
the beam and beam support and a shim embodying the present
invention filling the gap; and
[0034] FIG. 19 is a front elevation view of the beam, beam support
and shim of FIG. 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0035] The present invention is useful in a variety of applications
involving shrinkage of wooden joists or beams and other members
where shrinkage may occur. The present invention relieves the
stress upon lateral fasteners caused by the shrinkage of wooden
members. The present invention also provides a method to retrofit
conventional joist hangers and beam supports. The present invention
additionally provides additional support that compensates for the
shrinkage of wood and fills the gap caused by the shrinkage of wood
that is relatively compact in size and inexpensive.
[0036] A process and system for retrofitting a joist hanger and
beam support are illustrated and described that maintain contact
between the joist and joist hanger or beam and beam support even
after relative movement of the wood member over time. This system
is usable in any situation where wooden joists and joist hangers or
wooden beams and beam supports are employed. These situations can
occur anywhere there is a need to construct a frame, structure or
the like.
[0037] As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the
present invention resides in a joist hanger and beam support
retrofit system. With reference to FIGS. 1-13, a joist hanger
support retrofit system 30 includes a joist hanger 20, a joist 22
supported by the joist hanger 20, and a shim 32. The joist hanger
20 includes the support base plate 24. The shim 32 is disposed in
the space 28 formed between the base plate 24 and the joist 22. The
shim 32 fills the space 28 and provides contact between the joist
22 and the joist hanger 20, allowing the weight of the joist 22 to
be borne by the base plate 24 of the joist hanger 20, as seen in
FIGS. 5-7 instead of by the fasteners 26.
[0038] Shims 32 are generally rectangular and planar but may be
available in a multitude of shapes and sizes to fit the spaces 28
formed by the smallest joists and by the largest girders. Shims 32
may be made of a variety of materials including, without
limitation, thin gage rolled steel, plastic, rubber, a flexible,
compressible, expandable material or a material with a compressive
strength greater the compressive strength of the wood used for the
wooden joist 22. The shim 32 could even be comprised of an epoxy
type hardener which is injected into the space 28. Likewise, the
shim 32 could be comprised of a material such as concrete injected
into the space 28.
[0039] Several shims 32 could be combined to fill larger spaces 28
but still be collectively referred to as `a shim`. The number of
individual shims 32 used can vary from joist 22 to joist 22 due to
varying rates of shrinkage or the like (e.g., two or three
individual shims 32 could be used to fill the space 28 below one
joist 22 while four shims 32 may be used to fill the space 28 below
a neighboring joist 22).
[0040] FIG. 8 shows a shim 32 that includes a deformable knife tab
34 for securing the shim 32 to the joist 22. The deformable knife
tab 34 is driven up into the bottom of the joist 22 to keep the
shim 32 in place.
[0041] FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a shim that includes an aperture
36 for securing the shim 32 to the joist 22 by a fastener 38. The
fastener may be in the form of a bolt (threaded or non-threaded),
nail, screw or the like. The shim 32 is inserted into the space 28
between the bottom of the joist 22 and the base plate 24 of the
joist hanger 20 until the aperture 36 of the shim 32 is aligned
with above hole 42 in the joist 22. The fastener 38 may then be
inserted through the aperture 36 and into the bore hole 42 in the
joist 22 that is either pre-existing or created after the shim
aperture 36 is positioned. The bore hole 42 may be created by
drilling, hammering a nail into the joist 22, screwing a screw into
the joist 22 or the like. Alternatively, if the base plate 24
includes an aperture (not shown), then the shim 32 may be
positioned so that the aperture of the base plate 24, the aperture
36 of the shim 32, and the bore hole 42 are aligned.
[0042] FIGS. 11-13 show a shim 32 that includes a spring 44 that
expands to maintain contact between the joist 22 and the base plate
24 as the space 28 between the joist 22 and joist hangar increases.
A similar application exists for beams.
[0043] A shim 32 may also include a one-way, ratchet mechanism 46
which can be increased in thickness to match the shrinkage of the
joist 22, as illustrated in FIGS. 14-15. When the shim 32 is
initially inserted into the space 28, the ratchet mechanism 46 is
adjusted so that the shim 32 maintains contact between the joist 22
and the base plate 24. As the space 28 between the joist 22 and
joist hanger 20 increases, the ratchet mechanism 46 is again
adjusted so that the shim 32 maintains contact between the joist 22
and the base plate 24.
[0044] A conventional wooden beam 48, beam support 50 and lateral
fastener 26 arrangement is shown FIGS. 16 and 17. As the wood
shrinks, a shim 52 made of steel, plastic, rubber, a flexible
compressible material, an epoxy hardener, concrete or a material
with a compressive strength greater than the compressive strength
of the wood used for the wooden beam 48 is inserted into a space 54
formed between the beam 48 and beam support 50, as seen in FIGS. 18
and 19. The shim 52 expands to maintain contact between the beam 48
and a base plate 56 of the support 50 as the space 54 between the
beam 48 and the beam support 50 increases. The shim 52 used may
also be similar to those illustrated with respect to shim 52 in
FIGS. 5 and 8-15.
[0045] In use, the process of retrofitting a joist hanger 20 or
beam support 50 begins some time after a wooden joist 22 or beam 48
is initially placed within the joist hanger 20 or beam support 50
and non-load bearing lateral fasteners 26 inserted to secure the
joist 22 and joist hanger 20 or beam 48 and beam support 50
together. The joist 22 or beam 48 initially rests upon a respective
base plate 24, 56, of the joist hanger 20 or beam support 50 and
the base plate 24, 56 bears the weight of the joist 22 or beam
48.
[0046] Retrofitting of the joist hanger 20 or beam support 50
begins after a space 28, 54 begins to form between the base plate
24, 56 and the bottom surface of joist hanger 20, or beam support
50 after the wood of the joist 22 or beam 48 begins to shrink. A
user measures the space 28, 54 formed between the base plate 24, 56
and the bottom surface of the joist 22 or beam 48.
[0047] The user then selects a shim 32, 52 to fit within the space
28, 54. A number of shims may be stacked one atop another to fill
the space 28, 54. This group of stacked individual shims 32, 52 may
be collectively referred to as `a shim`; the number of individual
shims used depending on the size of the space 28, 54. The shim 32,
52 is then placed in the space 28, 54 formed between the base plate
24, 56 and the joist 22 or beam 48 so that the weight of the joist
22 or beam 48 is once again borne by the base plate 24, 56 of the
joist hanger 20 or beam support 50.
[0048] When the user selects a shim 32, 52 the user can select a
simple shim 32, 52 or one that includes a component for maintaining
contact between the joist 22 or beam 48 and the base plate 24, 56
as the joist 22 or beam 48 moves. This shim component can come in
the form of a deformable knife tab 34, an aperture 36 for a
fastener 38, a spring 44, and a one-way ratchet mechanism 46 or
member made of a flexible compressible material. The shim 32, 52
can be selected from a variety of materials such as steel, plastic,
rubber, a flexible compressible material or a material with a
compressive strength greater than that of the wood being used. The
shim 32, 52 could even be comprised of an epoxy type hardener which
is injected into the space 28, 54. Likewise, the shim 32, 52 could
be comprised of a material such as concrete injected into the space
28, 54.
[0049] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are
illustrative only and not limiting. It will thus be apparent to
those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may
be made without departing from this invention in its broader
aspects. Therefore, the appended claims encompass all such changes
and modifications as falling within the true spirit and scope of
this invention.
* * * * *