BEAM

Abstract: Beam especially intended as a supporting member in buildings and the like. The beam (1) comprises two side members (2) provided with curvature, preferably of relatively thin plate, and two distance members (3, 5) preferably of wood, located between the side members and connected to these. The curvature of the side members (2) is made so that the beam (1) at half of its height has a width which is less than at its lower and upper edges. At their upper and lower edge regions along the beam (1) the side members (2) are provided with a double folding. The space (10) between the distance members (3, 5) is filled with a filling material. The invention provides a beam which can replace usual wooden beams, as it allows of nailing of crossbars and the like to it in a conventional way. Of course it can also replace metal beams.

Description: Beam This invention relates to a beam especially in¬ tended as a supporting member in buildings and the like, which beam comprises two side members provided with curvature and two distance members of a nail- able material located between the side members and connected to these, the curvature of the side members being such that the beam at half of its height has a width which is less than at its lower and upper edges, at least one part of at least one of the distance members forming part of the longitudinal outer surface of the beam- As supporting members in buildlnsrs beamsof wood or metal are normally used. At coarser dimensions wooden beams are extremely expensive, and there- fore metal beams have been used more and more. How¬ ever, metal beams have the disadvantage that cross¬ bars and the like cannot be directly nailed to these. It is the object of the invention to provide an attractive beam alternative not having said dis- advantages, and this object is achieved in that the beam has been given the characteristic features de¬ fined in the claims. As the beam comprises distance members of a material which can be nailed, e._r. wood, located between side members of metal, a conventional nail- in__ of crossbars and the like to the beam is made possible. Moreover, according to the invention it 1. ex ¬ tremely advantageous to provide the side ortions of the beam, preferably of thin plate, with each their curvature directed towards the centre of the beam. Besides, according to the invention the side members have in their edge regions along the beam a greater thickness than the material thickness of an intermediate region of the side member located between the edge regions. Thanks to the curvature the beam can supυort considerably higher loads before a permanent defor¬ mation appears than what is possible without cur- vature. Moreover, when the side member.- of the beams are made with double folding or triple folding in a region at their longitudinal edges the side mem¬ bers can be made in a considerably thinner plate thickness for a certain desired tolerance of the beam to loads than what should have been the case if double folding or triple folding had not existed. Thus, thanks to the curvature and double/triple folding considerable advantages as far as weight and economy are concerned are achieved by the in- vention. Illustrative examples of the invention will be described more in detail in the following with re¬ ference to the enclosed drawings. In which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the beam according to the invention; Figs. 2-b are end views on a larger scale of a corner of the beam in alter¬ native embodiments; Fig. 5 shows schematically beams according to the invention with crossbars .applied and Figs. 6 and 7 show examples of how the beams can be interconnected. It is apparent from Fig. 1 that a beam 1 accord¬ ing to the invention comprises two side plates 2 and two distance members 3 and 5 . which .all extend ;-.iort£ the whole beam 1. The side plates 2 are so arched that the width of the assembled beam is least in the region of half its height. Furthermore, the side plates 2 are provided with bendinars 6 so that bearing on part of the too surface 7 of the distance member ? and part of the bottom surface 8 of the distance member 5 is obtained. It is also apparent from Fie. 1 that the "side members 2 are doubly folded at their uυper and lower edge regions running along the beam 1 and, thus, have in their edge regions a greater thickness as compared with the material thickness of a central re- gioπ of the side member located between the edge regions. A strong connection between the side members 2 and the distance members 3,5 is also made possible by the double folding. 5 The side plates ? of the beaml shown In Fior. 1 are connected with the distance members "..5 by means of screws 9 but the connection can of course be carried out in a plurality of different ways, e.g. by nailing, glueing etc. 10 As is shown, the space 10 between the distance members 3,5 is preferably filled with some suitable filling material, e.g. pol urethane foam, plaster, light concrete, mineral wool or the like. It Is also possible to lay lines of different types in the space 15 10, which are then fixed with the filling material. Fig. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of a double folding of a side member 2'. Fig. 3 shows an example of how a triple folding of a side member 2"can be embodied. 20 The side members 2'" can e.g. at their lower edges also be embodied as shown in Fig. H- . In this way a surface 20 is obtained which can carrv υanels or the like. Thus, the design of the beam 1 allows of con- 25 ventlonal nailing and screwing to be made within the whole region of the externally visible surfaces of the distance members 3 and 5 and consequently, as is shown in Fig 5 . crossbars 12 can easily be applied on beams 1 of the invention. Besides, nailing and 30 screwing can of course also be carried out on the end surfaces of the distance members 3 » 5 » Fig. 6 shows an example of how to connect two beams crossing each other. Fig. 7 shows an example of a device 13 for connection of beams. The connect- 35 ing means 13 is preferably embodied so that it en¬ closes the outer contours of the beams. Of course it is also possible to achieve side members by other methods than the double or triple folding shown, which i "accordance with the inven- ■4-0 tive idea have a greater material thickness at their longitudinal edsre regions than-in the central region of the side member located between the edge regions. Thus, the Invention is not restricted to what has been shown and described but amendments and modifications thereof are possible within the scope of the following claims.

Claims: Patent Claims 1. Beam especially Intended as a supporting mem¬ ber in buildings and the like, which beam (1) com¬ prises two side members (2,2',2", 2'") provided with curvature and two distance members (3.5) lo¬ cated between the side members (2;2'; 2";2'") and consisting of a material which can be nailed, the curvature of the side members (2;2 ';2";2 '") being such that the beam (1) has a less width ' measure at half its height than at its upυer and lower edges, at least one part of at least one of the distance members (3 . 5) being a part of the longitudinal outer surface of the beam (l), c h a r a ' c t e r - 1 z e d in that each side member (2;2':2";2'") has a greater thickness at its upper and lower • edge region along the beam in comparison with the material thickness of a -central region of the side member located between the edge regions, and that a space limited by distance members (3 » 5) and side members (2;2 ';2";2 ' ") Is filled with a filling material. - 2. Beam as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d In that the thickened portion of the edge regions of the side members (2; ';2 "; '") along the beam is obtained In that a relatively thin plate, which forms each side member (2;2''; 2";2'"), Is folded at least doubly to bearing along its edges running in the longitudinal direction of the beam (1) . 3. Beam as claimed in claim 1 or ?, c h r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the side members (?;2';? ' ';2 " ') have within their thickened edge regions an appro¬ ximately right-angled longitudinal bend so that each thickened edge region of a side member (2;2';2 ' ' \2 ' ' ') will bear against two adjacent sides of one distance member. . Beam as claimed in one of claims 1-3, c h a r - a c t e r i z e d ln that the connection between the side members (2;2' ' \ 2 * " \ 2' "") and the distance mem¬ bers (3,5) is made by glueing.

Inventors: PERSSON SUNE, POSTI VEIJO, PERSSON, SUNE, POSTI, VEIJO
Applicants: PERSSON SUNE, POSTI VEIJO, PERSSON, SUNE, POSTI, VEIJO
Application year: 1984
Main classification: E04C3
IPC codes: E04C3