Truss System

Abstract

A composite truss system useful in building applications for form work or permanent installation. Full section chords, struts, couplers, connectors and brace components of tubing are provided in standard sizes for cooperative interconnection and use to provide trusses of various length, height and inclination. Fastener elements may be used at selected positions or openings to provide desired adaptability for various job site requirements. Close interfit and telescoping of elements assures efficient load transfer, assembly and shipment. Job site handling of sectional deck forms is aided through use of a plurality of joined together truss sections mounted on roller or jack units providing height adjustment and form release features.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various truss systems have been designed and fabricated previously for use in building construction. A primary usage of composite type trusses has been in the construction of buildings as roof and deck supports. It is acknowledged that others have devised and provided components that could be used interchangeably in trusses of different size, length and design strength. Usually such interchangeable components are combined with custom made top and bottom chord elements that are individually fabricated for the separate job site installation. In addition to the uses of truss systems in permanent building installations, a more recent and extensive use of trusses has developed in connection with the fabrication of roof and deck forms for reinforced concrete construction. In such useage trusses of selected length have been used as supports for a section of deck or roof forms. The sectional forms are intended to be used repeatedly at a job site, and accordingly, the truss and form combination provides an assembly that may be moved conveniently as a unit from a first pour site to subsequent pour locations. While multiple useage on any job site is thus assured, these form sections are not readily adaptable for reuse at a subsequent job site where the required form section may be larger or smaller by reason of design characteristics for the intended building. Where the requirements of a new job are to be met only the struts or web components of present systems are available for reuse. Usually new chord components will be required that are of a length to fit the new form layout. Since the forms and trusses could have a useful life greatly in excess of the number of pours required at any one job site, the full utility of truss type form support systems has not heretofore been realized. The non-adaptability of prior systems to multiple job site situations seriously increases the cost of forming operations for all job installations and limits a more widespread use of truss supported forms as opposed to more conventional form shoring systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, the present invention provides a truss system in which the trusses to be used in permanent building installations or as form supports can be fabricated at the job site to meet widely varying requirements through use of standard components. Chords, struts, coupler and brace element pieces may be combined with the same or interfitting components to provide chords and struts of shorter or extended operative length. Through use of close interfitting and efficient load transmitting joints, the assembled trusses may be used to span long or short distances and to withstand widely varying load requirements. Both the top and bottom chords are of the same size and construction. These elements provide socket receptacles at spaced intervals adapted to receive the web or strut components that may be inserted and closety fit with respect thereto. Fastener openings are provided on a rigidly controlled schedule to assure efficient intercoupling of such components. Couplers may be used to join chord elements together in end to end relation to change the overall span for the trusses being assembled. Accordingly, through use of standard components, trusses of 25, 50, 100 or more feet may be fabricated in modular increments of five feet. Similarly, the height of any truss assembly may be modified to meet increased load or height requirements through use of strut connector and bushing components. The same components can provide a pitched truss configuration. By reason of these adaptability features, a contractor having the basic truss components can adapt on-hand equipment to meet new and changing job requirements. Assembled trusses can be easily handled at the job site or when being moved away therefrom. A plurality of trusses can be efficiently joined and cross-braced at a job site to provide support for an assembled form section that can thereafter be efficiently moved from a first to subsequent pour locations. After use the trusses can be disassembled for compact storage or shipment awaiting further reuse.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing a truss made up of joined chord components,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation similar to that of FIG. 1 showing a truss of extended height,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing features of the chord component,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a chord coupler,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a partial assembly of a chord, a strut bushing and strut,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a strut connector as used in FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 is an end view of paired trusses with cross-bracing applied,

FIG. 8 is a side elevation showing a truss of inclined pitch,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a truss supported form section,

FIG. 10 is a perspective illustration showing an extended strut connector and bushing,

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a telescoping cross brace,

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a roll-out support,

FIG. 13 is a perspective illustration showing a cross dolly, FIG. 14 is a perspective illustration showing useage of components of this invention,

FIG. 15 is a side elevation illustrating additional components used in accordance with principles of the invention,

FIG. 16 is a side view of a transition gusset plate,

FIG. 17 is a perspective illustration showing additional features of such gusset plate and its use,

FIG. 18 is a side elevation showing features of a heavy duty jack of the type shown in FIG. 15,

FIG. 19 is an exploded view showing features of a shoulder pin and a drift pin attachment therefor, and

FIG. 20 is an end cross-sectional elevation showing further features of said shoulder pin and its installation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying Figures. In FIG. 1 an assembled truss 11 is shown. This truss having a total length of 50 feet is made up of a plurality of chord components joined each to each. The assembled top chord 12 is made up of a pair of 25-foot long chord components each identified by the numeral 25. The bottom chord 13 is assembled using a 25-foot chord component and a 20-foot chord component identified, respectively, by the numerals 25 and 20.

Detailed features embodied in all chord components are shown in FIG. 3, which may be considered as illustrative of the bottom chord component 13. The chords are made of rectangular tubing having flanges or sidewalls 14 and 16 and top and bottom webs or edges 17 and 18. A 5-foot intervals the top web is punched completely out to provide openings 19 and 21 separated by a tie strap 22, the center line of which is spaced exactly 5 feet from the next adjacent tie strap 22. The rectangular openings thus provided are adapted to receive and snugly engage the exterior sides of strut pieces 23, all of which are of identical length. The strut pieces 23 have holes 24 drilled transversely through the struts in position a slight distance away from the ends of the struts. With this arrangement the struts may be received in the openings 19-21, and the end holes 24 may be brought into registration with the holes 26 and 27 which are drilled transversely through the sides 14 and 16 of the chord component 13. A plurality of pins 28 are provided for engagement through the holes 26-27 and the aligned end holes 24 of the separate struts 23 to provide the assembly as shown in FIG. 1. All of the holes 26-27 and 24 are of a closely regulated diameter adapted to receive and snugly engage the pins 28. Pins 28 are of a distinctive diameter that will not ordinarily be available in common bolt sizes. For the trusses illustrated a pin diameter of just less than one inch has been successfully used. The diameter of the openings 24, 26-27 should preferably be just slightly smaller than the diameter of pins 28 to provide an interference fit of approximately 0.003 inches. With this type of interference fit the pins must be driven into and out of engagement, and good bearing characteristics are provided when the trusses are assembled. At the ends of all of the chord component pieces 20, 25, etc., a plurality of holes are punched or drilled for use when one chord section is to be joined to another. For the chord 13 as shown in FIG. 3 the paired end holes 31 and 32 are of spacing and pattern directly corresponding to the paired coupler holes 33-34 of chord coupler 36 seen in FIG. 4. These chord couplers 36 are of a size for close interfitting telescoped positioning within the chords 13 so that the paired end openings 31-32 may be brought into alignment with the paired coupler openings 33-34, respectively. When properly aligned, pins identical to the pin 28 are used for engagement through the holes to hold a pair of chord sections in aligned force transmitting arrangement. Through use of such coupler, the top chord segments 25--25 and the bottom chord segments 25-20 of FIG. 1 are joined each to each at the joints 37 and 38, respectively. It should be noted that the joints at 37 and 38 and the chord couplers used thereat in effect join two separable truss components to provide the composite assembled truss 11. If the composite truss is to be divided into its separate truss components, an auxiliary strut 23A that is connected to each of the separate trusses and that extends therebetween will be removed. Conversely, when any two separate previously assembled truss components are to be interconnected in end-to-end relation to provide a longer composite truss, two chord couplers and one additional auxiliary strut 23A will be required to preserve the strut spacing pattern and to maintain the strength characteristics for the composite truss. At the ends of an assembled truss the end openings 31 and 32 are exposed for further extension of the truss, or they may be used for attaching the truss to a plate disposed on top of a supporting wall or other fastener system as required.

For the truss embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the struts 23 are of selected lengths to provide the desired overall height for the total truss. In a system in which the chords are 3-3/8ths inches wide and 7-3/8ths inches high, struts of 52-inch length will provide a truss of 4-foot overall height. Struts of 63-inch length will provide a 5-foot high truss, and 74-inch struts will provide a truss height of 6 foot. The differential in length with respect to the desired height compensates for the change in angle between the chords and struts as the truss height is extended. The size of the openings 19 and 21 likewise accommodates such angular change. In this same described system the struts are of square tube shape having an external size of 2-7/8ths inches whereby the struts are received within the chords and the openings 19-21 therein with a close interfit. Once all of the strut, chord and coupler components have been pinned in place, the truss is rigid and of substantial strength adequate to span the 50-foot distance between plate support positions on the top chord.

Similarly this type of truss may be conveniently used in connection with concrete forming operations to provide support for deck or girder forms. FIG. 2 is provided to show the adaptability of the system as well as the features of additional components. In this Figure truss 60 is 60 feet long and greater than 6-foot high, since each of the strut components 23 is provided with an extension, such as the strut bushings 39. These bushing pieces 39 are of rectangular tubing identical with the struts 23, and the bushing ends are provided with a hole 41 for engagement by the pins 28 passing through such openings 41 and the chord openings 26-27. When the bushings 39 are to be used, a strut connector 42 is disposed within the bushings 39. See FIGS. 5 and 6. When assembled, a through opening 43 at one end of the connector 42 is aligned with a chord opening 26-27 and the opening 41 in the end of bushings 39. Strut connector 42 has a plurality of additional bolt openings 44 passing through the connector 42 at right angles to the through openings 43. One set of these openings 44 are drilled to correspond with similar openings 46 in the ends of the struts 23, while an opening 47 in the end of bushing 39 is aligned with a further opening 44. With this arrangement through bolts 48 and 49 may be applied to hold the struts 23, strut connectors 42 and bushings 39 in assembled relation. Since the bushings 39 may be of increment lengths, any desired height of truss may be assembled. For installations such as shown in FIG. 8 where it is desired to provide an inclined truss 51, bushings of different length could be used or an extended strut connector may be provided.

A preferred type of combination is shown in FIG. 10 where a standard strut bushing 39 is shown as adapted for use with an extended strut connector 52. In this extended strut connector bolt openings 44 are provided at one end and thereafter a plurality of additional bolt holes 54 are continued on a regular pattern whereby the effective length of any particular strut may be increased by incremental distances corresponding to the space between the spaced bolt holes 54.

Trusses made up utilizing the described standard components may be conveniently used in building construction to provide trusses of length adapted to any building width in modular 5-foot increments. The trusses may also be conveniently used in concrete forming operations for the support of form sections that are to be moved repeatedly to various pour locations. Such a form section is shown in FIG. 9. Here the completed form section 61 is inclusive of a plywood deck 62 made up of a plurality of separate pieces of plywood 63 laid in flat side by side relation and joined to supporting joists 64 or other supports. A pair of trusses made in accordance with this invention are disposed beneath the joists with the top chords 12 of the trusses being joined to the joists 64. The top and bottom chords 12 and 13 are joined together by a plurality of struts 23 and the associated pins 28. The trusses themselves provide a rigid structure and secure support for the deck form section 61. Since the length of the strut combinations used may be changed over a wide range, the total height of the truss can be regulated to provide convenient support for the next deck that is to be poured above a ground support or an already poured deck. Where an 8-foot ceiling space is to be provided, trusses of 5 or 6-foot height may be conveniently used.

In practice the form sections are made up at a specific job site with the deck form components joined securely to the trusses. With this arrangement the trusses and deck may be moved unitarily at the job site from one pour location to the next. To facilitate such job site movement and further to speed the placement or removal of the entire form section 61, the lower chord may be joined to roller supports so that the entire form section may be moved horizontally along a supporting deck to its next pour location. Further, in order to facilitate use of the form sections at a job site, it is desirable that provision be made for lowering the deck away from a poured and cured concrete floor. Combination jack rollers, such as those shown in FIG. 9, may be used. This unit provides a top channel 65 to be engaged with the bottom chords 13. The channel is joined to an extension jack 66, the height of which may be adjusted with respect to its base 67. The base 67 is itself mounted on rollers 68. Ordinarily the rollers will have their axis disposed transversely to the length of the bottom chords 13. Preferably the rollers should be movable to other orientations, however, so the form section 61 can be moved laterally as well as in directions aligned with the trusses. Where a screw jack is used, the necessary pivoting can be provided by the jack itself as the screw is moved with respect to its base 67. Since ordinarily any turning of the rollers will only be required when the form section is being moved, any attendant extension or retraction of the screw will not be bothersome. For conditions where this extension must be avoided, a swivel can be provided by the jack or at a position intermediate the base and roller.

Except in instances where a single truss might be used to provide support for the pouring of a girder, a plurality of trusses will ordinarily be used for the support of form sections. To provide lateral support for the trusses, cross braces are used. A cross brace system is shown in FIG. 7 joining separate trusses. A cross brace system is made up of identical cross braces 71 which extend from a top chord of one truss to the bottom chord of the adjacent truss. A type of telescoping tubing has been conveniently used for these cross braces 71. Telescoping sections, as shown in FIG. 11, make it possible to provide braces of any required length. An exterior tube 72 is adapted to telescopically receive interior tube 73. Each of the tubes have a plurality of regularly spaced openings 74 and 75, respectively, so that the effective length of the cross brace may be changed as desired. A pair of cross braces can be installed on the described trusses in such manner that one brace will overlap the other at a center position so a center bolt 76 may be applied. These braces can be brought to such relation without bending of the cross braces when the ends of the braces are bolted directly to laterally extending faces of the struts 23 as by use of the openings 46 at the ends of such struts and through bolts 49. If three ends of the paired cross braces are positioned on the same relative sides of the end struts 23, and the fourth end of the paired cross braces is joined at the back of one of the struts 23, this desirable fit may be obtained. With cross braces at end and intermediate positions a sturdy structure is provided. Where additional rigidity may be required, other braces may be extended transversely from one chord component to another. As shown in FIG. 3, center openings 77 are disposed in the top and bottom flanges 17 and 18 of each of the chord components at positions intermediate the strut attachment points. Since these openings themselves are on a 5-foot schedule, a plurality of supplemental braces may be provided. These same openings can provide convenient attachment points for purlin components as well as cross bracing when the trusses are to be used in building construction.

Additional features of a combined truss support and form support system and of specific equipment items used in conjunction therewith are shown in the remaining FIGS. 12-20 presented herewith. In FIG. 12 a roll-out support 78 is illustrated. This unit may be used together with a cross dolly 79 when a form section, such as the form section 81, is being moved from a building level above which a floor has already been poured to a higher building level that is yet to be formed. In connection with such operations an entire form section 81 is moved laterally or in angular directions on its cross dolly supports 79 to an edge of a supporting slab 82. The cross dollies 79 may be used at all four corners of a form section 81; or when the form section is to be moved, it may be installed at a central or balanced position along the length of an assembled truss 83. If positioned at the center, the entire form section may be rocked on the central cross dolly 79, and thereafter the roll-out supports 78 may be placed under the lower chords for the trusses 83. With the roll-out support 78 positioned adjacent the edge of the already poured slab, the lower chords and entire section 81 may be moved in endwise direction outwardly to overhang the poured slab. Bearing supports 84 and a roller 86 are provided on a roll-out support 79 to facilitate longitudinal movement of the truss chords and, accordingly, of the entire truss section 81. A lower pivot 87 joins two channel sections 88 and 89 of the roll-out support together in a manner facilitating tilting movement of the top channel section 89 with respect to its lower channel support 88. This tilting feature facilitates handling of the assembled truss section 81 and permits removal of the cross dolly 79 when a substantial portion of the weight of the form section 81 is cantilevered outwardly past the roll-out supports 78. Where an overhead deck has already been poured, the truss section 81 can actually be extended a distance greater than half its length, since the upper decking 91 can be moved into contact with the already poured deck positioned thereabove. In such extended position cable slings may be attached to the form section 81 or to the hand rail 92 and other components thereof, and the form section as a unitary whole may be raised to its next pour location.

The cross dolly illustrated in FIG. 13 provides a bed 93 having cross slots 94 and 96, either of which are adated to engage and snugly receive a chord element of the truss system. A plurality of swivel wheels 97 are provided so that the cross dolly can actually be moved in any direction. The cross slots facilitate convenient engagement with the chords of trusses and provide a minimum clearance type of support therefor. In installations where chords of different size may be used, the slots 94 and 96 can be of varied width to provide secure engagement. For many installations a plurality of cross dollies can provide support for form sections 81 even at times when concrete is to be poured thereon. For some useages jack elements, such as the jack shown in FIGS. 15 and 18, may be used to support the truss sections in their installed positions.

FIG. 15 provides an additional showing of the versatility of the overall system. Here a high type of truss 101 is shown combined with a low truss 102. The top chords of the trusses are joined together with a transition gusset 103, while a single extended lower chord 104 is supported by heavy duty jacks 105. The heavy duty jacks 105 shown in FIGS. 15 and 18 include a base 106, a pedestal support 107, an upright standard 108, a screw element 109, a head 111 and a channel piece 112. The head 111 is secured to the jack screw 109 by a ball swivel 113, as illustrated in FIG. 18. A top collar nut 114 is threaded internally to receive the jack screw 109. The standard 108 is essentially a pipe or tubing section; accordingly, different lengths of pipe may be used for such standard in order to provide jacks of different overall height. Since the standard 108 is snugly received in a socket provided by the pedestal 107 and since the collar nut 114 may be applied to the end surface of any similar pipe section, heavy duty jacks of various heights may be easily fabricated at a job site.

When an offset is to be formed or when floor levels are to be poured at extended elevations, panel jacks 116 may be positioned on the top chords of the truss system. These panel jacks have the same screw and nut elements shown in FIG. 18, but the standards thereof are supported by plates 117 that are spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the chord sections. Openings are provided through such plates so that pins 118 may be driven directly through such plates, the chords and the associated struts to hold all of the elements in assembled relation. Where panel jacks are to be used, the pins 118 are of slightly longer length than the pins 28 previously illustrated or the standard pins shown in the preferred embodiments of FIGS. 19 and 20.

Further features of the transition gusset installation are shown in FIG. 17. As here illustrated, a pair of gusset plates 103 are joined to the ends of aligned top chords 121 and 122. A chord coupler, identical with the chord couplers 36, is inserted in the end of one chord 121, and a bushing 123 of cross-sectional size identical with that of the chords is applied over the exposed end of such coupler. If a full offset is to be used in place of the partial offset afforded by the central holes 124, a second bushing 123 will be placed in position for engagement through said holes 124 to strengthen the gusset connection. Pins, such as the extended pins 118 used for mounting the panel jacks 116 in FIG. 15, will be applied through all of the provided holes 124, 126 and 127 to complete a secure installation. Where the transition gusset plates 103 and the side plates 117 for panel jacks 116 are of equal thickness, the extended pins 118 will provide a secure and strong assembly.

A preferred type of standard coupler or pin 128 is shown in FIGS. 19 and 20. This type of standard pin is used to join a chord component, such as chord 13, and a standard strut 23 in operative position with the struts 23 inserted through the openings 19 provided in the top surface 17 of the chord. As illustrated, the shank 129 of pins 128 between the head 131 and the end shoulder 132 are of length corresponding to the exterior width of the chord 13. A nut 133 is provided for application on the threads 134 of reduced diameter to hold the pins 128 securely in position. Since the nut itself has a recess 136 of size adequate to accommodate the shoulder 132, a secure and tight engagement having full bearing support is provided. The holes 26 and 24 in the chord 13 and strut 23 are actually of a size slightly smaller than the diameter for the shank 129. Accordingly, the pins 128 are usually driven into engagement to assure the desired full bearing contact. A drift pin extension 141, as shown in FIG. 19, is used to facilitate alignment of these and other pin holes. Such drift pin extension 141 has a socket end 142 threaded and adapted to mating engagement with the threads 134 of the pins 128. When the trusses are being assembled, the drift pin extension 141 will be threaded on the pins 128, and the pins will then be driven into their positions of engagement. A rod may then be inserted through the cross holes 143 to facilitate removal of the drift pin extension so that the recess nuts 133 may then be placed. When the trusses are to be disassembled or when the length of trusses are to be shortened or lengthened, the drift pin extensions 141 can again be applied to the pins so that hammer blows may be applied against the ends 144 of extensions 141 to facilitate removal of the pins 128.

The load bearing capacity of the present truss system is largely dependent on the mechanical efficiencies attained by all fastening systems and elements. The use of an essentially oversize pin for application through drilled or punched holes or openings of non-standard size contributes materially to the attainment of high load bearing characteristics. Further, where the pins are driven into place, a truss may be expeditiously and securely assembled by placement of the pins alone. Application of the recess nuts can be accomplished after the trusses and complete form sections have been fully fabricated.

The main advantage of the present system is embodied in the fact that all of the described components may be readily assembled or dismantled. Accordingly, the trusses and/or all of the components are adapted for convenient shipment, storage and handling. Where the trusses are disassembled for movement from one job site to another, the separate components may be bundled for convenient loading. At a new job site the same components can be used to provide trusses of different length, or height, or strength.

A concrete contractor using this type of system is assured of many reuses of all components. At any one job site the assembled trusses will provide sturdy support for fabricated form sections that may be conveniently and expeditiously moved to new pour locations. Further, components used on one job can be moved efficiently to subsequent job sites for reuse even though the required form sections may be of substantially different length or configuration.

Claims

I claim:

1. A composite truss for use in connection with building construction operations comprising at least two truss components interconnected each to each in end-to-end relationship; each of said truss components having top and bottom chord elements, a plurality of struts for maintaining said chords in vertically spaced apart positions, said top and bottom chord elements providing a plurality of strut engagement receptacles in paired disposition at equally spaced panel points along said chords to facilitate the interengagement of said chords and the ends of each of said struts, said chord elements further having the panel points and the paired receptacles thereat that are adjacent the ends of each chord element disposed a distance away from the chord ends equal to one-half the regular panel point spacing interval, said struts further providing holes through the lateral sides thereof to facilitate the interengagement of said chords and struts when in the operative assembled relation, assembly pin elements interconnecting said chords and struts for the transmission of the forces to be carried by said truss component and for holding the chords and struts in an operative assembled relation wherein the panel point positions for top chords are vertically and longitudinally offset one-half of a regular panel point spacing interval with respect to the position of the panel points for the bottom chords; and additionally comprising at least two chord coupler elements interconnected to and joining the ends of the top and bottom chords for said separate truss components for the transmission of loadings therebetween, and an additional discrete strut element interconnected to each of the separable truss components and extending therebetween to complete a regular pattern and disposition of strut elements whereby the assembled composite truss has uniform strength and loading characteristics.

2. The truss system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said chords are of hollow rectangular tubing and wherein said strut receptacles are inwardly disposed openings provided in said tubing and extending laterally to the sidewalls of the chord section.

3. The truss system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the struts are of rectangular tubing for close mating engagement in said openings in contact with said lateral sidewalls.

4. The truss system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the assembled truss is of added height and further comprising extensions for said struts to increase the length thereof.

5. The truss component as set forth in claim 1 wherein struts are installed to extend in "V" pattern between the strut receptacles of the bottom chord and the strut engagement receptacles of the top chord whereby at least one strut receptacle is unused at each of the opposite ends of each said truss component.

6. The truss component as set forth in claim 5 wherein the unused strut receptacles at opposite ends of the truss component are on the same chord.

7. The truss component as set forth in claim 5 wherein the unused strut receptacles at opposite ends of the truss component are on separate chords.

8. The truss system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the chord couplers at the ends of said chords provide holes therethrough with mating holes being provided in the lateral sides of said chords, and further comprising additional pin elements for engagement through the mating holes of couplers and chords for holding the chords of the plurality of truss components together.

9. The truss system as set forth in claim 8 wherein the chords and struts are of rectangular tubing and at least two of said truss components are of unequal height providing an offset configuration, and further comprising transition gusset plates for disposal on opposite lateral sides of one chord to be joined, an additional chord coupler applied in the end of a second chord to be joined, and a bushing component on the outwardly extending end of said additional coupler, said additional chord coupler, bushing and gusset plate components providing mating holes therethrough whereby the transition gusset plates are effectively joined to each of said chords.

10. The truss system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said struts are of hollow rectangular tubing and further providing a strut connector to fit telescopically within said strut, and a bushing element of outer size corresponding to the size of said strut for fitting engagement over the end of said coupler.

11. The truss system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said chords and chord coupler are of rectangular cross-section for mating telescoping engagement.

12. The truss system as set forth in claim 10 wherein said bushing and connector have lateral holes therethrough and further comprising lateral holes through said chords for mating alignment with the holes through said bushing and connector.

13. The truss system as set forth in claim 12 and further comprising an extended strut connector for use with said truss components, said extended strut connector providing a plurality of length adjusting bolt holes therethrough whereby the struts and extended connectors at successive positions along the length of the chord may be of increasing effective length to provide an inclined truss.