Selectively Adjustable Roof Bracket

Abstract

Apparatus applicable to the roof beams of a building under construction and having selectively adjustable means for supporting rafters of varying sizes and at varying angular positions or pitches in a way that uncut rafters can be applied by unskilled workmen.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The selectively adjustable roof bracket of the present application is an extension of the structures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,333,875 and 3,423,898, and that of allowed application Ser. No. 729,857, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,635.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the construction or fabrication of the roofs of buildings and particularly to apparatus employed in the construction of the roof for facilitating the application and fastening of rafters extending between roof beams and the upper portions of the walls of buildings including roofs of varying pitches.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Many and various types of devices have been employed in an effort to construct buildings, and particularly the roofs thereof, with less skilled labor, more expeditiously, and at lower costs. Such devices have been expensive, complicated and difficult to use, particularly by unskilled craftsmen. The bracket of the present invention is an extension or different from the bracket in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,333,875 and 3,423,898 and allowed application Ser. No. 729,857.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND OBJECTS

The present invention is a universal or selectively adjustable roof bracket for use in the construction of the roof of a building and which roof bracket has numerous uses and advantages over other brackets including those listed above although it likewise is of simple construction, applicable in a minimum of time with minimum effort, by unskilled labor, and will accommodate rafters of various sizes at different angles or pitches. The bracket of the present invention has a central portion, a pair of outwardly disposed generally parallel wings with openings for the selective receipt of fasteners or support members, and such bracket is adapted to be nailed to a rafter at the desired angle before it is put up and attached onto a hip beam and after it is nailed to the rafter the bracket with the rafter attached is put on the hip beam until a tab on the bracket accurately locates the same, after which the bracket can be nailed to the hip beam so that the parts will be fastened together in the proper relation. The end of the rafter is supported by the hip beam while the opposite end is supported by the wall of the building.

It is an object of the invention to provide a selectively adjustable or universal roof bracket, of simple and inexpensive construction, which can be readily stamped from a single piece of metal, bent as required, and applied by an unskilled person to a rafter before being placed in its final attaching location against a hip beam, and with indicating means to insure its being placed in the proper location, after which it can be fastened in place in such location.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a roof of a building under construction and illustrating multiple uses of the invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged fragmentary detail on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, an enlarged part sectional fragmentary detail on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a vertical section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2 of the bracket applied or in use;

FIG. 5, a similar view on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6, an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating the bracket in use and applied prior to the fastening of the same to the hip;

FIG. 7, a perspective of the bracket itself;

FIG. 8, a view of one side of a stamping prior to its being bent to shape; and

FIG. 9, a similar view from the opposite side.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, a building is provided having upright sidewalls 10 on which are cap members 11 that support hip beams 12, jack rafters 13 and rafters 14 which carry a ridge beam 15. Thus the roof may be of the desired configuration. The several rafters may be attached to the cap members 11 by generally U-shaped brackets 16. In order to save labor and time in construction of a roof by unskilled workmen, it is desirable to avoid the cutting of rafters, and in order to connect beams and rafters the selectively adjustable or universal roof bracket 17 of the present invention is provided. It can be readily stamped or otherwise fabricated from sheet metal or other relatively strong bendable material and then bent to receive the upper end of a rafter to which it is to be attached before being applied to and allowed to rest on and be fastened on a hip, ridge or other beam or support.

The bracket of the present invention has a central portion 18 with generally coextensive wings or side members 19 and 20 adapted to be bent along the lines 21 and 22 to form the finished bracket of FIG. 7. The angularity of the wings 19 and 20 is, of course, dependent upon the angularity of the rafter or rafter beam or member to which it is to be applied.

The bracket includes tab portions 23 and 24 at the extremities of the central portion 18, having openings 25 and 26 for receipt of suitable fasteners, and the wings are provided with openings 27 and 28 for a similar purpose. The wings also are provided with side inspection openings 29 and 30, and a driving opening 31 so that a nail can be driven through an opening 32 to fasten the intermediate portion of the center strip 18 to a vertical support surface of a rafter. The bracket also is provided with a pair of locating tabs 33 and 34 adapted to be bent to form indicating means when the bracket is applied to a hip beam 12, ridge beam 15, or other beam.

The selectively adjustable bracket of the present invention not only connects the rafter to a hip beam, to a reverse type or valley beam, and also to a ridge beam, but facilitates the assembly in that it is applied to the rafter on the ground or in easily accessible position and then is elevated so that the end of the rafter with the bracket on it is in its final position with the indicator tabs 33 and 34 bent to determine the final position so that the associated tab portion 23 or 24 can be readily fastened in place. In other words, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the bracket is applied to the beam on the ground or in easily accessible position, then the end of the rafter with the bracket attached is placed in the final position where it will be supported on a hip beam, valley beam, ridge beam or the like and nailed in place through the openings 25 and 26 in the tabs 23 and 24.

An important additional feature of the present invention are the pitch lines 35 and 36 interrupted respectively by inspection openings 29 and 30. These pitch lines are of two sets, one for 2.times. 4 timbers, and the other for 2.times. 6 timbers, and at different angles. Since the bracket is mounted on the rafter before the rafter is attached, the bottom of the rafter is aligned with the pitch line running from the outer edge of the bracket through the appropriate inspection opening.

As will be apparent from an observation of FIGS. 7 and 8, the central portion 18 of the bracket is provided with bend lines 35 indicating the angularity at which the end portions 23 and 24 are bent so that they will lie flat upon the supporting member to which they are applied. This bending may be accomplished simultaneously with the application of the bracket to the rafter while on the ground, or it can be bent after being attached to the rafter and upon application of the bracket to its support member prior to the application of fasteners through the openings 25 and 26.

It will be understood from the foregoing that a selectively adjustable or universal roof bracket is provided which may readily be stamped of sheet metal and easily applied at either side of a hip or valley bracket, as well as to a ridge beam at the predetermined desired pitch and thus the rafter may be securely fastened in place by an unskilled workman.

Claims

I claim:

1. A selectively adjustable roof bracket for mounting a rafter onto a beam at a predetermined pitch comprising an elongated central portion of a width substantially corresponding to the width of a rafter, a pair of wings integrally connected to said central portion along predetermined bend lines, means for connecting said central portion to the beam, each of said wings having at least one relatively large inspection opening located in a predetermined position and a plurality of relatively small fastener-receiving openings spaced at random throughout said wings, each of said wings having indicia indicating a plurality of pitch lines disposed in nonparallel relationship and at predetermined angles to each other, said pitch lines extending from said inspection opening to the edge of said wing remote from said central portion, and said wings being bent substantially along said bend lines to a position substantially parallel with each other, whereby when said bracket is applied to a rafter with the wings on opposite sides, and the bottom edge of the rafter is disposed along one of the pitch lines and is visible through said inspection opening, the wings are secured to the rafter by fasteners extending through certain of said relatively small fastener openings to secure the bracket onto the rafter at said predetermined roof pitch before the rafter is connected to the beam.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said means for connecting said central portion to the beam includes an end portion at each end of said central portion and extending outwardly beyond said wings, at least one of said end portions adapted to be bent to a position overlying said beam, and means for connecting said end portion to said beam.

3. The structure of claim 1 including a tab on at least one of said wings, said tab adapted to be bent to a position generally normal to the plane of the wing for indicating the position of the bracket relative to the beam.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which at least one of said wings includes a relatively large opening adjacent to said central portion to permit a fastener to be driven through said central portion into said beam.

5. The structure of claim 1 including a plurality of spaced inspection openings in each of said wings, pitch-indicating indicia extending from each of said inspection openings to the edge of said wing remote from said central portion so that said bracket will accommodate rafters of different sizes.