Framing member

A frame material that can be easily formed as a pillar or beam by appropriately adjusting the length and/or strength thereof, a joint portion of which is uniform and smooth, a residual portion of which can be used as a joint, and which can easily be combined with other building materials. The frame material is formed into an elongate shape, and a cross section crossing at right angles a longitudinal axis thereof is formed into a rectangular shape with the length of a shorter side of the rectangular cross section being made one-third of the length of a longer side. The frame material comprises in combination a frame material in which a pair of through holes (5,5) are provided at a predetermined pitch on a center line (4) of a front side whose lateral width (w) is constituted by the longer side of the cross section, the hole pitch of the pair of through holes being a half of the lateral width, and a frame material in which a pair of through holes (5, 5) are provided on a line crossing at right angles the center lines at a hole pitch of a half of the lateral width in such a manner as to be symmetric with respect to the center line, and pairs of through holes are provided along the center line (4) at the predetermined pitch. In this case, the pitch of the through holes (5, 5) on the center line may be provided so as to be equal to a module dimension of a building material.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to a jointing method of framing members mainly 
suitable for constructing housing and other structures. 
TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 
So far, as framing wooden members in, for example, housing and other 
structures, what is called "solid shafts" cut out from lumber have been 
generally available, but recently as much more attention has been paid for 
the saving of natural resources and overhead costs have increased, it has 
been very difficult to obtain such members at a reasonable price. 
Therefore, a various shape of members have been proposed for the market. 
One of them is formed by solidly securing a plurality of wooden plates 
facing each other at a certain interval of spacing. 
Framing members with such conventional construction are formed by solidly 
binding both members by adhesives or bolting after the end portion of one 
framing member is inserted into an opening in the other member. 
With the framing members according to the prior art, however, until the 
connection portions are completely tightened with bolts or solidly fixed 
with adhesive agent, the connection portions must be temporarily fixed or 
a delicate positional adjustment of the connection portions must be made, 
thereby requiring much more labor or tools, thus resulting in an increased 
cost. In particular when used at a poor scaffolding made of longer 
materials like house or other building site, the temporary fixing work of 
the framing members is very dangerous. 
To solve the above problems, this invention intends to provide a jointing 
method of framing members which can easily temporarily fix framing 
horizontal members to framing columns when building or assembling houses 
and other constructions. 
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
To achieve the foregoing target, the jointing method of the framing members 
prepares one piece of framing column which is made by facing two slender 
members having the same shape of butt end to each other so as to provide a 
given width of opening; two pieces of framing horizontal members having 
the same sectional shape as the foregoing framing column; an opening joint 
fixture for attaching one of the two foregoing framing horizontal members 
so that the end surface is jointed along the side surface of the opening 
of the foregoing framing column; and a side joint fixture for attaching 
the other framing horizontal member so that the end surface is jointed 
along the side surface at right angle with the side surface of the opening 
of the foregoing framing column, and joints the framing column and the 
framing horizontal members by way of the opening joint fixture and the 
side surface joint fixture so that both framing framing members are placed 
at right angle with the framing column. 
The foregoing opening joint fixture has a width equal to the opening, a 
fixing surface which fits into the opening of the framing column for 
attaching and a joint surface projecting from the opening side surface of 
the framing column. The joint surface has an introduction opening at the 
top edge, as well as a bolt receiving groove for holding a bolt at the 
groove bottom and a bolt through hole both disposed respectively at its 
upper and lower portions. 
The foregoing side surface joint fixture has a width equal to the opening, 
a fixing surface which is attached to the side surface of the framing 
column and a joint surface projecting from the both sides of the fixing 
surface. The joint surface has an introduction opening at the top edge, as 
well as a bolt receiving groove for holding a bolt at the groove bottom 
and a bolt through hole both disposed respectively at its upper and lower 
portions. 
The end portions of the both foregoing framing horizontal members have 
respectively a drilled upper bolt through hole and a drilled lower bolt 
through hole disposed so as to match the groove bottom of the bolt 
receiving groove and the bolt through hole. 
The opening joint fixture and the side surface joint fixture are fixed to 
the framing column by way of the common fixing bolts, while the fixing 
surface of the foregoing opening joint fixture is inserted so as to fit 
into the opening of the framing column and the fixing surface of the side 
surface joint fixture is pressed against the side of the framing column. 
Before fixing the opening joint fixture and the side surface joint fixture, 
the upper bolts are inserted into the upper bolt through holes of the both 
foregoing framing horizontal members, for temporary tacking. 
In jointing one framing horizontal member to the framing column, while the 
joint surface of the opening joint fixture is fit into the opening of the 
framing horizontal member, the upper bolt is dropped down onto the bottom 
of the bolt receiving groove, so as to temporary fix the framing 
horizontal member. In jointing the other framing horizontal member to the 
framing column, while the joint surface of the side surface joint fixture 
is fit into the opening of the framing horizontal member, the upper bolt 
is dropped down onto the bottom of the bolt receiving groove, so as to 
temporarily fix the framing horizontal member. 
Finally, the lower bolt is inserted into the lower bolt through hole and 
the matched bolt through hole of both framing horizontal members for 
fixing, while the foregoing upper bolt is fixed. 
Therefore, previously, the upper bolt should be inserted for tacking only 
into the upper bolt through holes of the framing horizontal members, and 
the joint fixtures should be attached to the framing column. When making a 
joint, while the joint surface of the joint fixture is being inserted into 
the opening of the framing horizontal members, the upper bolt is dropped 
down onto the bottom of the bolt receiving groove, so that the upper bolt 
of the framing horizontal members is introduced into the bolt receiving 
groove of the joint fixture, to temporarily fix the framing horizontal 
members to the framing column. 
Further, a further embodiment of the jointing method of the framing members 
joins a framing column and four framing horizontal members by way of the 
opening joint fixture and the side surface joint fixture, so that each of 
the four pieces of the framing horizontal members be disposed in cross 
shape with the framing member. The operation in the joint method of this 
embodiment is similar to the first embodiment.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Now, description will be made for embodiments according to the present 
invention, referring to foregoing drawings: 
FIG. 1 is an illustration showing a joint structure jointed by the jointing 
method of the framing members according to the present invention; In the 
drawing, Numeral 1 is a framing column; 2 is a front-side (framing) 
horizontal member; 3 is an end-side (framing) horizontal member; 4 is a 
front-side (side-surface) joint fixture; and 5 is an end-side (opening) 
joint fixture. 
The framing column 1 is a composite substructure of a pair of long-size 
slender members 6 facing each other. The width w of the slender member 6 
is three times the thickness t. The framing member 1 is formed by 
providing an opening s (s=t) in between the slender members 6, 6. In the 
lateral (or wider) surfaces of the column 1 (including the top end), a 
plurality of pairs of through holes 9, 9 for fixing the joint fixtures 
(fixture fixing through holes 9, 9) with a small pitch or spacing 8 (1/2 w 
long) are opened on the longitudinal center line 7 of the slender member 6 
at an interval of spacing or with a large pitch equal to the modular size 
10 of the construction members (See FIG. 2). In this connection, the 
foregoing slender member 6 may have one large pitch of, for example, 300 
mm equal to the modular size of the construction members (the total 
length=372 mm), two pitches, three pitches . . . , as far as eight 
pitches. Further, the modular size also may be, for example, 300 mm, 450 
mm, 600 mm, or 900 mm. The thicker the plate thickness of the foregoing 
slender members 6, the larger the strength, i.e., the longer the slender 
members. The slender members 6 may be made of solid material or pipe of 
wood, composite material, synthetic resin, FRP, aluminum, steel and so on. 
A composite substructure of the foregoing front-side horizontal member 2 
and the foregoing end-side horizontal member 3 is formed as follows: A 
pair of long-size slender members 11 (plate width w=three times the 
thickness t) are faced to each other with an opening s (equal to the plate 
thickness t) provided there between. In the lateral or wider surfaces of 
the front-side horizontal member 2 and the end-side horizontal member 3 
(including the end portion), a plurality of pairs of (upper) and (lower) 
bolting through holes 12a and 12b are (1) opened at right angles with the 
longitudinal center line 7 with a small pitch or spacing 8 symmetrically 
(up and down) to the center line 7, and (2) arranged on the longitudinal 
center line 7 at a large pitch or spacing 10 (equal to the modular size 
10) (See FIG. 2). In this connection, the foregoing slender member 11 may 
have one large pitch of, for example, 300 mm equal to the modular size of 
the construction members (the total length=372 mm), two pitches, three 
pitches, . . . , as far as ten pitches. Further, the modular size also may 
be, for example, 300 mm, 450 mm, 600 mm, or 900 mm. Further, before 
assembling the foregoing horizontal substructure as a framing horizontal 
member to the foregoing vertical substructure as a framing column, only an 
upper bolt 13a is inserted into the (end-side) upper bolt through hole 
12a, and temporarily tightened with nut via washer. The thicker the plate 
thickness of the foregoing slender members 11, the larger the strength, 
i.e., the longer the slender members. The slender members 11 may be made 
of solid material or pipe of wood, composite material, synthetic resin, 
FRP, aluminum, steel and so on. 
The foregoing end-side joint fixture 5 is used as an opening joint fixture 
for fitting the end-side horizontal member 3 so that the end surface comes 
along the side surface of the opening of the foregoing column 1. On the 
contrary, the foregoing front-side joint fixture 4 is used as a 
side-surface joint fixture for fitting the front-side horizontal member 2 
so that the end surface comes at right angle with the side surface of the 
opening of the foregoing column 1. Finally, using the front-side joint 
fixture 4 and the end-side joint fixture 5, the front-side horizontal 
member 2 and the end-side horizontal member 3 are jointed to the framing 
column 1 so as to be at right angles with each another. 
As shown in FIG. 3, the foregoing front-side joint fixture 4 is formed into 
a fixture essentially like a Japanese katakana letter "ko" comprising (1) 
a plate having a fixing surface 14 with a width t for another framing 
member to be connected to a side of the column 1, and (2) two plates 
having two joint surfaces 15, 15 folded at right angle with and from the 
fixing surface 14 so as to project out from the side surfaces of the 
column 1 with a spacing t. In the foregoing fixing plate 14, fixture 
fixing through holes 16, 16 are opened so as to match the fixture fixing 
through holes 9, 9 of the column 1. 
In order to have a joint with the foregoing front-side horizontal member 2, 
along the longitudinal center line of the foregoing joint plates 15, 15, 
bolt receiving grooves 17 and bolt through holes 18 are opened 
longitudinally up and down with a spacing or a small pitch 8 so as to 
match the foregoing upper bolt through hole 12a and the lower bolt through 
hole 12b. An introducing opening 19 is cut in the bolt receiving groove 17 
so as to reach the top edge of the joint plate 15. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the foregoing end-side joint fixture 5 is provided with 
(1) two fixing plates 20, 20 having fixing surfaces with a spacing t to 
each other so as to be inserted into the opening s in the column 1, and 
(2) two other fixing plates 21, 21 having fixing surfaces with the spacing 
t to each other so as to continuously project out one-sideways from the 
side surface of the opening in the column 1. The fixing plates 20, 20 are 
connected to each other at their bottom edges so as to form essentially an 
English letter "U". In the fixing plates 20, 20, fixture fixing through 
holes 22, 22 are opened so as to match the fixture fixing through holes 9, 
9 in the column 1. In the fixing plates 21, 21, formed are bolt receiving 
grooves 17, introduction holes 19 and bolt through holes 18. 
With the foregoing joint fixtures 4, 5 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, pitches or 
spacings between the groove bottom axial center of the bolt receiving 
groove 17 and the bolt through hole 18, as well as between the fixture 
fixing through holes 22, 22 are set to the same size, and to the same 
level. 
Then, when the fixing surface 14 of the foregoing front-side fixing fixture 
4 is pressed against the side surface of the column 1, and when the fixing 
surfaces 20, 20 of the end-side joint fixture 5 are inserted into the 
opening s of the column 1, the front-side fixing fixture 4 and the 
end-side joint fixture 5 both are fixed to the column 1 with common fixing 
bolts 23, 23. 
Now, description will be made for the jointing method of the framing column 
1 and the front-side and end-side horizontal members 2, 3 shown in FIG. 1 
as follows: 
First, the front-side and end-side joint fixtures 4 and 5 are fixed to the 
top end portion of the column 1 with common fixing bolts 23, 23. As they 
are fixed, the front-side horizontal member 2 is placed at level, and this 
end is placed along the side surface of the column 1, while directing 
upward the head of the upper bolt 13a which has been beforehand inserted 
into the upper bolt through hole 12a for tacking. The joint surface 15 of 
the front-side joint fixture 4 is inserted into the opening s of the 
front-side horizontal member 2, so as to have the front-side joint fixture 
4 drop down. 
As described above, the upper bolt 13a for the front-side horizontal member 
2 is guided down from the introduction opening 19, so as to engage with 
the lower bolt receiving groove 17. At this time, both positions of the 
lower bolt through hole 12b located at the lower side of the front-side 
horizontal member 2 and the bolt through hole 18 at the lower side of the 
front-side joint fixture 4 agrees with each other, so that the lower bolt 
13b is inserted therein and temporarily tightened with nut via washer. 
Next, the end-side horizontal member 3 will be jointed to the end-side 
joint fixture 5 in the column 1 as follows: 
In the same way as above, the fixing surface 21 projecting out from the 
column 1 is inserted into the opening "s" in the end-side horizontal 
member 3, so as to first engage the upper bolt 13a with the bolt receiving 
groove 17, and then to insert the lower bolt 13b into the lower bolt 
through hole 12b for tacking. 
Finally, the upper and lower bolts 13a, 13b are fixed to each other. 
FIG. 5 is an illustration showing a joint structure jointed by the jointing 
method of the framing members according to a further embodiment of the 
present invention: The same construction components as those described in 
FIG. 1 are attached with the same numerals, thus omitting their own 
description. 
This joint structure comprises (1) one piece of framing column 1; (2) four 
pieces (in total) of two pieces of front-side horizontal members 2, 2 and 
two pieces of end-side horizontal members 3, 3 respectively having the 
same sectional geometry as the one of the column 1; (3) one piece of 
end-side joint fixture 24 (for jointing the opening) for jointing the 
end-side horizontal members 3, 3 extending in an identical direction so 
that the end surfaces come along the both side surfaces of the opening in 
the column 1; and (4) two pieces of front-side joint fixtures 4, 4 (for 
jointing the side surfaces) for jointing the front-side horizontal members 
2, 2 so that the end surfaces come along the both side surfaces at right 
angle with the side surface of the opening in the column 1. The horizontal 
members 2, 2, 3, 3 respectively jointed to the column 1 so that they cross 
the column 1 totally via the front-side joint fixture 4, 4 and the 
end-side joint fixture 24. 
As shown in FIG. 6, the foregoing end-side joint fixture 24 has (1) fixing 
plates 20, 20 (with a spacing t) at the central portion, which can be 
inserted into the opening "s" in the column 1 for fixing, and (2) joint 
plates 21, 21 which are formed by extending both-sideways the fixing 
plates 20, 20 so as to project out in both directions from the side 
surfaces of the opening in the column 1. 
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a beautiful wooden indoor display rack 
properly constructed by way of using a variety of the foregoing jointing 
methods of the framing members and a variety of the foregoing substrutures 
according to the present invention. 
In FIG. 7, Numeral 25 is a shelf formed by placing slender members 27 (cut 
out from a horizontal member) on a pair of parallel horizontal members 26, 
26 in duck board shape. In this connection, the foregoing horizontal 
member 26 and slender members 27 are adhered to each other using surface 
fastener. 
Using the above described procedures, housing and others can be constructed 
in the same way. 
So far, a variety of typical embodiments have been described, but possible 
configurations of the present invention are not limited to those, even if 
some modifications are applied to the embodiments provided that there be 
no deviation from the purport of the present invention. 
For example, the above embodiments used the joint fixtures made of metal or 
lumber, but, instead of them, an integrated combination of metal and 
lumber and FRP may be used. 
The above embodiments used the slender member 6 as columns, and the slender 
member 11 as horizontal members, but the slender member 6 may be used as 
horizontal members, and the slender member 6 may be used as columns. 
In addition to housing constructions and indoor display racks, the jointing 
methods of the framing members according to the invention can be used for 
constructing or assembling such housing accessories as benches and 
clothes-drying balconies; such interior goods as chairs, desks, furniture 
and two-stage bedding; and such outdoor goods as campstools, planting 
platforms, decks, gates, fences, pergolas and garages. 
INDUSTRIAL AVAILABILITY 
As described above in detail, since the jointing method of framing members 
according to the present invention has the foregoing configuration, the 
framing horizontal members can be easily fixed temporarily to framing 
columns when jointing them, so that heavy constructions and 
multiply-jointed constructions of housing and the like can be easily and 
safely assembled.