Patent Publication Number: US-7895809-B2

Title: Support beam and attachment clevis assembly

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to structural beams and means for interconnecting structural beam ends to other structural members. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Structural beam and clevis attachment assemblies are known. However, such assemblies typically undesirably require the provision of separate clevis mount assemblies in addition to a longitudinally extending structural beam, or undesirably require ends of a structural beam to be cast or molded to includes clevis mounting arms or ears. 
     The instant inventive support beam and attachment clevis assembly overcomes the drawbacks and defects set forth above by providing a pair of “J” beams and “J” beam fastening means which economically and with mechanical simplicity create a functional and durable support beam having clevis mounts at either end. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A first structural component of the instant inventive support beam and attachment clevis assembly comprises a pair of “J” beams, each “J” beam having a stem and a tail. Each “J” beam&#39;s tail preferably has a distal end and a longitudinal extension, and each “J” beam&#39;s stem preferably has an upper end and a longitudinal extension. The longitudinal extension of each “J” beam&#39;s stem is preferably greater than that of said each “J” beam&#39;s tail. 
     A further structural component of the instant inventive support beam and attachment clevis assembly comprises fastening means. Preferably, the fastening means rigidly interconnects the pair of “J” beams so that the distal end of each “J” beam&#39;s tail contacts and cleaves to the upper end of the other “J” beam&#39;s stem. 
     Preferably, the fastening means comprises a plurality of blind rivets or pop rivets. Other fastening means which may be suitably used in place of the preferred blind rivets comprise sheet metal screws, helically threaded nut and bolt combinations, helically threaded screw and sheet metal aperture combinations, heat fusion welds, and adhesive bonds. 
     Where the fastening means comprises blind rivets, as preferred, the fastening preferably further comprises a quadruple of longitudinal aperture series, each aperture series among the quadruple of longitudinal aperture series preferably being arranged substantially identically with each other aperture series among said quadruple of series. Preferably, each aperture among the quadruple of longitudinal aperture series extends laterally through one of the “J” beams. Upon provision of such substantially identical longitudinal aperture series, and upon positioning of the pair of “J” beams so that the distal end of each “J” beam&#39;s tail contacts the upper end of the other “J” beam&#39;s stem, such aperture series may beneficially align with each other to allow a plurality of blind rivet fasteners to be extended therethrough for rigidly attaching the “J” beams to each other. 
     Upon such attachment, the “J” beam&#39;s stems excess longitudinal extensions may beneficially further function as ears of clevises. Preferably, such clevis ears are further identically apertured in a quadruple of clevis aperture series. The quadruple of clevis aperture series beneficially function for attachment of their devises to other structural members. 
     The instant inventive assembly is particularly amenable to mass production with materials and production steps economies resulting from repetitions of two basic parts, then being the “J” beam and the blind fastener. 
     Accordingly, objects of the instant invention include the provision of a support beam and attachment clevis assembly comprising identical multiples of components, as described above. 
     Other and further objects, benefits, and advantages of the present invention will become known to those skilled in the art upon review of the Detailed Description which follows, and upon review of the appended drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a preliminary configuration by one of the “J” beam components of the instant inventive support beam and attachment clevis assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is an end view of the instant inventive support beam and attachment clevis assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a partial upper plan view of the instant inventive support beam and attachment clevis assembly, the view further representationally depicting in dashed lines a clevis mounted “hat” beam. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring simultaneously to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a preferred embodiment of the instant inventive support beam and attachment clevis assembly is referred to generally by Reference Arrow  50 . The assembly  50  preferably comprises a pair of “J” beams which are referred to generally by Reference Arrows  1  and  1 A. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the first “J” beam  1  has a stem  6 , the stem  6  having an upper end  7  and having a lower end  9 . The “J” beam  1  preferably further comprises a tail which is referred to generally by Reference Arrow  3 . The tail  3  preferably comprises a web section  2  and a distal attachment flange section  13 . Preferably, a pair of 90° bends  10  and  12  span between and respectively interconnect the lower end  9  of the stem  6  of the “J” beam  1  with the proximal end of the web section  2  of the tail  3 , and interconnect the tail&#39;s distal attachment flange section  13  with the distal end of the web section  2 . 
     Referring further to  FIG. 2 , the remaining “J” beam  1 A among the pair of “J” beams is preferably configured substantially identically with the first “J” beam  1 . All reference numerals associated with “J” beam  1 A having a suffix “A” identify structures which are preferably configured substantially identically with similarly numbered structures of “J” beam  1 . 
     Referring simultaneously to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , longitudinally extending dashed lines  10  and  12  are locationally representative of the 90° bends  10  and  12  appearing on  FIG. 2 . The “J” beam  1 , as depicted in  FIG. 1 , preferably is initially configured as a flat plate of sheet steel. Both the stem  6  and the tail  3  of the “J” beam  1 , have a longitudinal extension extending in the left/right direction according to the view of  FIG. 1 . The longitudinal extension of the stem  6  is greater than that of the tail  3 , the excess extension portions of the stem  6  being designated by Reference Numerals  6 E. Preferably, the left and right longitudinal extensions of the stem  6  extend equi-distantly beyond the longitudinal left and right ends of the tail  3 . Though the second flat plate which is preferably similarly formed to produce the second “J” beam  1 A is not depicted in  FIG. 1 , such second flat plate is preferably configured substantially identically with the flat plate depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring simultaneously to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the depicted bent plate formation of the “J” beams  1  and  1 A is preferred. However, “J” beams  1  and  1 A in their “J” configuration as depicted in  FIG. 2  are intended as being additionally representative of metal or plastic extrusions. Where the “J” beams are alternately extruded, the requisite excess left and right longitudinal extensions of the stem  6  are preferably produced by notch cutting of the tail  3  to shorten its longitudinal extension and to cause the stem  6  to present clevis mounting extensions. 
     Referring further simultaneously to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , fastening means are necessarily provided. The fastening means preferably position and interconnect the “J” beams  1  and  1 A so that the distal ends of their tails  3  and  3 A respectively contact and cleave to the upper ends  7 A and  7  of the stems  6 A and  6  of “J” beams  1 A and  1 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the inventive support beam and attachment clevis assembly, the fastening means comprise a quadruple of longitudinal aperture series. Referring to  FIG. 1 , laterally extending apertures  14  constitute a first such longitudinal aperture series among the preferred quadruple of aperture series. Similarly, laterally extending apertures  16  constitute a second such aperture series. The third and fourth longitudinal aperture series among the quadruple preferably extend through “J” beam  1 A. As shown in  FIG. 1 , each of the aperture series among the quadruple of longitudinal aperture series is preferably arranged substantially identically with each other longitudinal aperture series. Such substantially identical arrangement of series beneficially permits an orientation of “J” beams  1  and  1 A, as depicted in  FIG. 2 , wherein the longitudinal aperture series positioned at the distal attachment flange section  13  of the tail  3  aligns with longitudinal aperture series positioned at the upper end of the stem  6 A of “J” beam  1 A. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the longitudinal aperture series positioned at the upper ends of the stems  6  and  6 A of “J” beams  1  and  1 A constitute a first pair of aperture series among the preferred quadruple of longitudinal aperture series, and the longitudinal aperture series extending through the distal or attachment flange ends  13  and  13 A of tails  3  and  3 A constitute the remaining pair of aperture series among said quadruple of series. The fastening means which interconnect the pair of “J” beams  1  and  1 A preferably further comprises a plurality of blind rivets  20  and  22 A, each blind rivet among the plurality of blind rivets  22  and  22 A extending through both one of the apertures among the first pair of longitudinal aperture series and through one of the apertures among the remaining pair of longitudinal aperture series. The inverted alignments of longitudinal aperture series within the stems  6  and  6 A and tails  3  and  3 A of the “J” beams  1  and  1 A advantageously facilitates such utilization of such blind rivets as the fastening means. Notwithstanding, the blind rivets  22  and  22 A are intended as being additionally representative of sheet metal screws and other commonly known sheet material fastening means. 
     Referring simultaneously to all figures, extensions  6 E and  6 AE respectively extend longitudinally from the stems  6  and  6 A of the “J” beams  1  and  1 A, such extensions advantageously functioning as ears of clevis mount joints, such joints defining clevis mounting spaces  5 . The mounting spaces  5  may advantageously receive a “U” portion of an exemplary perpendicularly extending “hat” beam  26 , such hat beam  26  being representationally depicted in dashed lines. 
     Referring further simultaneously to all figures, in order to facilitate clevis mounted attachments of structures such as hat beam  26  to the clevis formed ends of the assembly  50 , a quadruple of clevis aperture series extending laterally through the “J” beams are preferably provided, each clevis aperture series among said quadruple preferably being positioned at an extreme longitudinal extension  6 E or  6 AE of the stem of one of the “J” beams. 
     Referring in particular to  FIG. 1 , laterally extending aperture series  18  and  20  which are respectively positioned at longitudinal extension sections  6 E represent a first pair of clevis aperture series among the preferred quadruple of clevis aperture series. Referring further to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the remaining pair of clevis aperture series extend through the longitudinal extension sections  6 AE of the stem  6 A of the “J” beam  1 A, preferably substantially identically with the aperture series arrangements depicted in  FIG. 1 . Each of the apertures among the quadruple of clevis aperture series may receive fasteners such as rivets, screws, or bolts (none depicted) for rigidly fastening the inventive assembly  50  to structures such as hat beam  26 . 
     Among numerous other uses and functions commonly serve by support beams, the instant inventive assembly may advantageously serve as a trailer load bed floor joist whose longitudinal ends are readily attachable to vertically extending wall studs. 
     While the principles of the invention have been made clear in the above described illustrative embodiment, those skilled in the art may make modifications in the structure, arrangement, portions and components of the invention without departing from those principles. Accordingly, it is intended that the description and drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in the limiting sense, and that the invention be given a scope commensurate with the appended claims.