Patent Publication Number: US-6698152-B1

Title: Adjustable truss construction

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Residential and commercial buildings conventionally have horizontal floors supported atop underlying, horizontal joists. The joists usually comprise elongate members fairly uniformly spaced apart and having their opposite ends supported on suitable upstanding structures such as foundation walls or the like. In the construction of the building it is customary to form the foundation and then install the joists and flooring materials. A plurality of braces usually interconnect the joists and such braces conventionally extend obliquely from the lower edge of one joist to the upper edge of an adjacent joist. Such braces serve to maintain the joists in their upright positions and minimize sagging of the joists and the overlying flooring to some extent. 
     Following the installation of the joists, the flooring, and the braces it is conventional to bore holes in at least some of the joists for the purpose of enabling utility components, such as wiring, water pipes, heating ducts, air passages, sewer lines, and the like to extend through such openings, thereby avoiding placing such utility components at a level below that of the lower edges of the joists. Over a period of time squeaks may develop due to uneven settling of parts of the building, sagging of some of the joists, and separation between some of the joists and the overlying flooring. The squeaks usually can be eliminated by reinforcing the flooring, and one of the best reinforcements comprises a beam which parallels the joists and spans a distance corresponding to the length of such joists. However, the installation of such a reinforcing truss between a pair of adjacent joists is extremely troublesome and time consuming if utility components of the kind referred to above span the distance between two adjacent joists where it is desired to install the reinforcing truss. 
     A principal object of the present invention is to provide a reinforcing truss which may be installed quickly and easily in the space between two adjacent joists and without interference with any utility components which may occupy such space. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An adjustable reinforcing truss constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an elongate beam adapted to be interposed between a pair of spaced apart, parallel joists and mounted at its opposite ends on suitable, upstanding support members at such level that the beam underlies and bears against the lower surface of flooring supported atop the joists. Coupled to the beam is a plurality of V-shaped support members each of which comprises a pair of limbs joined at corresponding ends and diverging upwardly from one another to provide an open space between such limbs. 
     Each V-shaped support may be so positioned relative to the beam that any utility component which occupies the space between the two adjacent joists may be accommodated in the open space between the limbs of the support member or in the space between two adjacent supports. Once the support has been moved to a position in which the ends of the limbs are adjacent the beam, such ends may be coupled to the beam, thereby providing a unitary construction between the beam and the support members. 
     The joined ends of the limbs of each support are fixed so as to avoid rocking movement of one limb relative to the other. As a consequence, each support is rockable as a unit relative to the reinforcing beam so as to enable rocking movement of a support to transmit force to the flooring via the beam. 
     At the juncture of the joined ends of the limbs of each V-shaped support is an extension through which a threaded stabilizing rod extends. The stabilizing rod carries adjacent each extension a pair of correspondingly threaded adjusting nuts. The two adjusting nuts are operable in conjunction with one another to apply on the associated support via its extension forces to effect rocking movement of such support in a selected one of two opposite directions so as to exert vertical forces on the beam and, through the latter, to the flooring. 
     The construction and arrangement of the beam, the support members, the stabilizing rod, and the adjusting nuts are such as to enable adjustment of the individual supports relative to one another in such directions as to provide reinforcement of the flooring to overcome sagging and squeaking. 
    
    
     THE DRAWINGS 
     A preferred embodiment of the truss construction is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of a reinforcing truss installed between a pair of parallel, spaced apart joists and in underlying engagement with a floor supported on such joists; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded, isometric view of the reinforcing truss; 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating the truss in adjusted condition; and 
     FIG. 4 is an isometric, enlarged view of one of the V-shaped supports. 
    
    
     THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     An adjustable truss constructed in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment of the invention is designated generally by the reference character  1  and is adapted to be installed beneath the floor  2  of a building having upstanding foundation walls  3  on which is supported an exterior brick or other wall  4 , horizontal bearing members  5 , and a plurality of parallel, horizontal, spaced apart joists  6  which span the foundation members  3  and underlie and support the floor  2 . Perimeter members  7  are mounted on the bearing members  5  and provide support for external insulation  8  and supports  9  for the opposite ends of the reinforcing truss  1 . 
     In a typical installation the flooring  2  may be sheets of plywood or particle board which normally rest directly upon the upper surfaces of the joists  6 . In some instances floorboards, linoleum, or other material (not shown) may rest upon the upper surface of the flooring material  2 . In some instances a base  10  overlies the marginal edges of the flooring  2  for supporting vertical studs  11 . 
     Over a period of time the joists or the flooring  2  may shift relative to one another so that a gap exists between some part of the flooring and the upper surfaces of the joists. This may be due to warping of the joists or flooring, uneven settling of some parts of the foundation walls, or some other reason. In any event, the presence of the gap makes possible vertical movement of the flooring relative to the zone where such gap exists. In such cases subjecting the flooring above the gap to downwardly directed forces, such as occur when a person walks across the flooring, may cause squeaking and such squeaking not only is annoying, but also can lead to deterioration of rugs, carpets, linoleum, and tile overlying the flooring. 
     When squeaking of a floor in response to a person&#39;s walking across it occurs, it is not unusual to attempt to overcome the squeaking by reinforcing the flooring so as to prevent or minimize relative movement of the flooring and the supporting joists. However, if utility components are supported by the joists and extend through openings formed in the latter, as is customary, difficulties are encountered in reinforcing the flooring in the necessary areas. Examples of utility components that frequently are supported by joists include water pipes  13 , electrical wiring  14 , conduits  15 , and sewer lines  16 . The listed components are not exhaustive; others may be included. In any event, such components conventionally span a space between adjacent joists and, therefore, prevent the installation of a truss structure unless the components are cut and subsequently spliced. These problems are overcome by the reinforcing truss disclosed herein. 
     The preferred embodiment of a reinforcing truss comprises an elongate beam  18  which can be a single member, but preferably is composed of a pair of parallel, spaced apart rails  19  and  20  each of which has a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings  22 . The dual rails minimize any tendency of the part of the beam to twist. The truss also includes a plurality of V-shaped support members  24 , all of which are alike. Each support member has a pair of limbs  25  and  26  joined at corresponding ends by a junction block  27  having upstanding and depending extensions  28  and  29 , respectively. Fixed to the upstanding extension  28  and to each of the limbs  25  and  26  is a brace  30  which rigidifies the assembly of the limbs and junction block. The ends  31  and  32  of the limbs  25  and  26 , that is, those ends which are remote from the junction block  27 , are provided with openings  33  and  34 . The bore size of the openings  33  and  34  corresponds to the bore size of the openings  22 . 
     The braces  30  are accommodated in slots in the limbs  25  and  26  and in the extension  28 . Pins  35  secure the braces to the limbs and extension. 
     The adjustable truss construction also includes a threaded stabilizing rod  36  which extends through an opening  37  formed in the depending extension  29  of each of the supports  24 . On opposite sides of each of the extensions  29  is an adjusting nut  38  which bears against the extension  29  and is adjustable longitudinally of the rod  36 . The actuating nuts may be flat, as indicated in FIG. 2 or wingnuts as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3. 
     Coupling means  39  is provided for removably coupling the supports  24  to the beam  18 . In the form shown, the coupling means comprises a headed, threaded bolt  40  which may be extended through any selected opening  22 ,  33 , and  34 . Each bolt  40  includes a locking nut  41 . 
     To condition the apparatus for use, the beam members  19  and  20  are positioned between a pair of joists  6  and parallel thereto so as to underlie the flooring  2  at a zone where the flooring has been distorted or squeaks. The beam-forming members  19  and  20  are of sufficient length to enable the mounting surfaces at their opposite ends to rest upon the abutments or supports  9  and span the distance therebetween. Following placement of the beam a selected number of supports  24  may be assembled with the beam by aligning the openings  33  and  34  in the adjacent limbs with the appropriate openings in the beam members and extending the bolts  40  through the openings whereupon the supports  24  are suspended from the beam. If any utility components underlie the flooring at the zone where the supports  24  are required, the open space between the limbs  25  and  26 , and the open space between adjacent supports, enable the utility components to be accommodated in such spaces as the supports are moved into coupled relation with the beam, thereby avoiding any interference between the supports  24  and the utility components. 
     When the supports  24  are coupled to the beam they form a plurality of triangles at the apex of each of which is the junction block  27 . The stabilizing rod  36  may be extended through the openings  37  with the nuts  38  straddling the extensions  29 . It then is possible to manipulate the adjusting nuts in such manner as to rock any selected one of the supports either clockwise or counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 1, thereby enabling the associated portions of the beam  18  to be deflected vertically upwardly or downwardly as may be required to cause the beam to bear against the lower surface of the flooring  2  and provide auxiliary support therefor. 
     In cases in which there is severe warping or sagging of the flooring and joists, some of the support members coupled to the single beam  18  may be rocked clockwise, whereas others may be rocked counterclockwise as may be required to provide adequate support for the floor. 
     The components of the truss may be formed of wood, metal, or suitable plastic materials so as to provide appropriate flexibility for the beam members  18  and  19  with adequate strength for the limbs  25  and  26 . 
     The disclosed embodiment is representative of the presently preferred form of the invention, but is intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.