Patent ID: 6151835
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: E04B,E04H

Abstract:
A structural deck plank capable of carrying a load through the span of its length and also through its width by interconnection with adjacent, parallel, similar deck planks, comprising:an integrally extruded, elongated metal plank having a generally flat deck section at an upper side and stiffening means extending downwardly from the deck section and extending longitudinally, for stiffening the plank,the extruded metal plank having tongue and groove connection means at opposed edges of the deck section, including a tongue flange formed at one edge of the deck section and a groove formed at the opposite edge of the deck section, both the tongue and the groove extending longitudinally along the length of the plank,and the plank further including hooked, rotation connection means extending from the stiffening means below the deck section, for engaging the lower ends of adjacent connected planks together against pulling apart when a load is placed on the top of the connected deck planks, including an arcuate hook connector on one side of the plank, arcuate in cross section with an arched top and positioned to extend laterally toward an adjacent plank, and including a socket on the opposite side of the plank, the socket being arcuate in cross section and open laterally toward the position of an adjacent plank so as to be capable of closely receiving the hook connector of an adjacent plank, and the arcuate hook connector and the socket having sufficient arcuate length such that when hooked together the hook connector extends arcuately deep enough into the socket that the hooked, rotation connection means will not pull apart when a stress is placed on the assembled deck planks tending to separate the rotation connection means,whereby adjacent structural deck planks can be connected together by first inserting the arcuate hook connector of one plank into the arcuate socket of the adjacent plank while one plank is tilted laterally downwardly relative to the other, then the one plank can be rotated upwardly as the arcuate hook connector slides into the socket to a position wherein the deck sections of the two planks are generally coplanar and in which the tongue enters the groove at the upper sides of the planks.