Patent Publication Number: US-9903118-B2

Title: Temporary interlocking spacer bar for truss-wall installation

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application is a Divisional of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/210,737, filed Mar. 14, 2014 to Steve Ventling, entitled “Truss-Wall Installation System and Related Methods,” currently pending. This Application further claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/781,765 filed Mar. 14, 2013, to Steve Ventling entitled “Truss-Wall Installation System and Related Methods.”The entire disclosures, including the specifications and drawings, of all above-referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL BACKGROUND 
     Conventional wood framing typically involves pre-building walls on a cement or wood subfloor and then manually lifting the walls up and securing with bracing, nails, and/or anchor bolts attached to a concrete slab. Depending on the size of the building, the pre-built walls may need to be lifted and set into place in sections. Once the walls are lifted and set into place on the bottom plate, it is securely braced from numerous angles to ensure it does not collapse or fall due to winds. Without the assistance of heavy equipment, such as a forklift or a crane, the process of lifting and setting pre-built walls is dangerous due to the weight and instability of the walls. 
     Once the walls are set and braced, heavy equipment, such as a crane, is used to set trusses on top of the walls. The truss is lifted over the walls and maneuvered into place, requiring many workers. The process can be a dangerous, time consuming, and expensive process. 
     SUMMARY 
     The system includes truss-wall stud units, which are connected to bottom plates on a foundation using hinge brackets. Once connected to the hinge brackets and bottom plates, the truss-wall stud units are hoisted upright into a substantially vertical position using a cable hoisting system with a cable support system. An end wall unit is braced, for example, with a telescoping bracing bar attached to a stationary object, for example, a pickup truck. Temporary interlocking spacer bars are optionally used to separate and brace the upper truss members of the truss-wall stud unit at predetermined intervals, for example 24″ intervals. 
     In one or more embodiments, a method for installing a truss-wall stud includes coupling a set of bottom plates with a foundation, coupling a set of hinge brackets with the set of bottom plates, coupling a first partial truss-wall stud with a second partial truss-wall stud to form a truss-wall stud unit, coupling the truss-wall stud unit with the bottom plates and hinge brackets, and hoisting the truss-wall stud unit into a substantially vertical position with use of a cable hoisting system, cable support system, and temporary interlocking spacer bar. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Embodiments of the invention are disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings and are for illustrative purposes only. The invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction or the arrangements of components illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various other ways. Like reference numerals are used to indicate like components. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a top plan view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system at a job site in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a top plan view perspective view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a top plan view of a hinge bracket of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a top plan view of an end hinge bracket of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a top plan view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a side elevation view of a portion of a truss-wall stud unit and folding beak peak bracket of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 6A  illustrates a front view of a portion of a truss-wall stud unit, standard gusset plate, and bottom-chord splice bracket of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a top plan view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a side view of the cable system, the telescoping bracing bar, and the end truss-wall stud unit of the truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates a side view of the cable system, the telescoping bracing bar, and the truss-wall stud unit(s) of the truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates a side view of the cable system, the telescoping bracing bar, and the truss-wall stud unit(s) of the truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 11A  illustrates a perspective view of a temporary interlocking spacer bar of a truss installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 11B  illustrates a perspective view of a temporary interlocking spacer bar of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 11C  illustrates a side view of a temporary interlocking spacer bar of a truss installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 11D  illustrates a perspective view of a temporary interlocking spacer bar of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an end view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 12A  is a partial view of the end view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 12B  is a partial view of the end view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 13  illustrates an end view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 14  illustrates a side view of a pulley of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates a side view of a portion of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates a side view of a cable system of a truss-wall stud installation system in accordance with one or more embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The following detailed description includes references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are also referred to herein as “examples.” The drawings and following detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     A truss installation system and related components and methods are described herein. The truss installation system includes truss-wall stud units that are connected to a bottom plate using novel hinge brackets that are affixed to the bottom plate. Once connected to the hinge brackets and bottom plate, the truss-wall stud units are hoisted upright into place using unique cable hoisting and support systems designed to pull a cable through part of the truss-wall stud unit, where the cable hoisting system hoists the truss-wall stud unit, and the cable support system supports the unit as it is being hoisted. The system further includes a temporary interlocking spacer bar which is affixed to a top of the unit prior to hoisting of the unit, and assists in bracing the unit at predetermined positions. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-16 , the system  100  is used with a foundation  102 , and includes a truss-wall stud unit  110 . The truss-wall stud unit  110  is formed of two or more partial truss-wall stud units  118 , and can further include an end truss-wall stud unit  120 . The truss-wall stud units are formed of a series of web units  112  that are coupled together to form the truss-wall stud unit. The truss-wall stud units  110  can have a variety of shapes. For example, the truss-wall stud units can have an outer wall, central support, truss support, or a roof line. The truss-wall stud units can be pre-assembled at a factory, for example, prior to delivery at a construction site. The partial truss-wall stud units  118  can be fastened together at the job site, for example, using a folding peak bracket  190  as shown in  FIG. 6  along the top portion of the truss-wall stud unit, and a lower connection plate  194  along the lower portion of the truss-wall stud unit  118 . The folding peak bracket  190  includes a passage  192  therethrough for the cable system. In one or more embodiments, the passage  192  may be located in another location other than in the folding peak bracket  190 . For example, the cable may be routed through another location or another part, such as, but not limited to, a location lower on the truss. Alternatively, the partial truss-wall stud units  118 , can be fastened together at the job site, for example, using a standard gusset plate  251  and a bottom chord splice plate  250  as shown in  FIG. 6A . 
     The foundation  102  can include a cement slab, cement footings, or traditionally used building foundations with treated timber bottom plates affixed therein with anchor bolts. The bottom plates  130  are used in conjunction with bottom hinge brackets  150 ,  151  ( FIGS. 2-4, 8 ) to support the truss-wall stud units  110 . The bottom plates  130  are assembled to the foundation  102  with anchor bolts. 
     The hinge brackets  150  are installed on the foundation offset from the anchor bolts. For example, the anchor bolts can be installed at odd intervals, and the hinge brackets  150  at even intervals and the end hinge brackets  151  are installed at the outer portions of the foundation  102 . 
     The hinge bracket  150 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , includes two main portions  153 A and  153 B, a first inner portion  152 , a second inner portion  154 , within the main portions  153 A and  153 B, and an outside tab  156 . The first inner portion  152  and the second inner portion  154  are disposed at least partially within the main portions  153 A and  153 B and are foldable relative to the main portions  153 A and  153 B. The hinge bracket  150  further includes an intermediate portion  158  disposed between the first inner portion  152  and the second inner portion  154 , and the first and second inner portions  152 ,  154  are hingedly coupled relative to the intermediate portion  158  along a fold line  155 . The hinge bracket  150  includes a number of nailing holes allowing for the hinge bracket  150  to be secured to the bottom plate. The fastener holes on the brackets, in one or more embodiments, are elongate in order to position and center the bracket for installation, and to account for inconsistencies in the concrete slab or foundation. 
     The first inner portion  152  and the second inner portion  154  are adapted to be folded up along fold lines  155  (i.e. slotted holes) and attached to a truss-wall stud unit leg. The outside tab  156  is further configured to be folded up along a fold line  155  (i.e. slotted holes) and attached to the truss-wall stud unit leg. The first inner portion  152  is opposite the second inner portion  154  with the intermediate portion  158  therebetween. After the first main portion  153 A is affixed to the bottom plate, the first inner portion  152  and the intermediate portion  158  are assembled to the truss-wall stud unit leg prior to lifting into vertical position, and the second inner portion  154  is assembled to the truss-wall stud unit leg after the truss-wall stud unit is lifted toward the vertical position. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an end hinge bracket  151  which differs from the hinge bracket  150  in that the second main portion  153 B attaches to the bottom plate by folding down vertically along the end of the bottom plate. The first inner portion  152 , second inner portion  154 , and outside tab  156  are foldable like a hinge relative to the main portions  153 A and  153 B. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 11A and 11B, 11C and 11D , the system  100  includes temporary interlocking spacer bar  220 , where the figures illustrate variations for the spacer bar  220 . The temporary interlocking spacer bar  220  includes a first side  254  and a second side  256 , with the second side being opposite the first side  254 . The temporary interlocking spacer bar  220  includes an elongate member  222  extending from a first end portion  224  to a second end portion  226  and having an intermediate portion  228  therebetween. The first end portion  224  and the second end portion  226  of the temporary interlocking spacer bar  220  have a retention member  230 , where the retention member  230  is sized to receive and retain a truss member therein. In an example, the retention member  230  includes a U-shaped member  236 . The first and second end portions  224  and  226  are sized to space two or more truss member studs. In an embodiment, the temporary interlocking spacer bar  220  includes an outer curved portion  232  opposite the retention member  230 , allowing for the temporary interlocking spacer bar  220  to ride over a portion of an adjacent truss-wall stud unit before it slips securely into place during the hoisting ok the truss-wall stud unit. 
     In one or more embodiments, the temporary interlocking spacer bar  220  is plastic, metal, or similar material. In another embodiment, the temporary interlocking spacer bar  220  further includes rib supports  234  disposed near one or more end portions  224  and  226 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7-10, 12, 12A, 12B, 14, and 16 , the system  100  further includes a cable system including a cable  202 , a winch  204 , a telescoping bracing bar  206 , a pulley  212 , and weights. The cable system is used to hoist, stabilize, and support the truss-wall stud unit  110  into the vertical position as further described below. 
     Referring generally to  FIGS. 1-16 , a method of use of the system  100  is as follows. For ease of shipping and handling, in an option, truss-wall stud units  110  are shipped to a job site, for example in halves. Each half includes a stud leg, which is affixed to half of a roof truss with truss fasteners, such as gang nails. In one or more embodiments, engineered webbing under a peak of the truss is split in half at the bottom chord for shipping. Optional notches are cut into each stud leg at intervals for placement of the lateral bracing, as shown in  FIG. 12 . A top notch is cut into the peak of each partial truss-wall stud  118  for placement of the folding peak bracket, including a passage, such as a grommet, for a lifting cable to pass therethrough. Alternatively, adjoining portions such as halves have a small gap when joined, allowing the cable grommet to be attached to brackets or plates that allow the lifting cable to pass therethrough. 
     Anchor bolts are used to set bottom plates at a foundation, such as, but not limited to, a cement slab. The anchor bolts are set at intervals, for example, at odd measured intervals. Hinge brackets are affixed to the bottom plates, for example, by fastening to a portion of the bottom bracket. The hinge brackets are set offset from the anchor bolts, for example, at even measured intervals, preventing interference between the anchor bolts and the hinge brackets. 
     To set the first end wall  120 , partial truss-wall stud units, such as two halves are placed on the foundation with the peak tips together and the ends of each stud resting on top of the end wall bottom brackets. The folding peak brackets  190  are then positioned on the peak halves and fastened from the top side. Alternatively, a bottom-chord splice bracket  250  may be used. The bottom side is fastened during the hoisting process. The partial truss-wall stud units are connected together to form an end wall truss-wall stud unit. 
     After affixing the first main portion  153 A of the end-wall hinge bracket to the bottom plate, the stud ends of the end wall truss-wall stud unit  120  are fastened to the end-wall hinge bracket  151  by bending the intermediate portion  158  and the second inner portion  154  of the end-wall hinge bracket  151  up over the stud of the truss-wall stud unit, and fastened thereto. The end wall is hoisted, and the second main portion  153 B of the end-wall hinge bracket is affixed vertically to the bottom plate end. The truss-wall stud unit is set to plumb and securely braced so that the subsequent truss-wall stud units can be correctly set. 
     In order the hoist the end wall, the cable system, which includes a winch  204 , is used. The winch  204 , for example, mounted to a receiver hitch on a vehicle, is moved to a location near the end wall, for example approximately five to ten feet from the end wall. Cable  202  is released from the winch to pass the cable through the passage  192  in the peak of the truss-wall stud unit as it is lying on the ground, or alternatively through the passage  250  mounted on the bottom-chord of the truss-wall stud unit. Once the cable is passed through the passage  192  of the bracket  190 , or alternatively  250 , the pulley  212  is installed in the grommet of the passage under the cable in order to allow free movement of the cable as subsequent truss-wall stud units  110  are hoisted into place. 
     After the pulley is installed in the end wall, the end of the cable (which is hanging underneath the grommet on the ground) is attached to the three point weighted cable lifting device ( FIGS. 12, 12A, 12B, and 16 ). For instance, two hooks, for example J shaped hooks, on the ends of the three-point weighted cable lifting device are then hooked under each of the eaves of the truss-wall stud unit as it lies on the ground ( FIGS. 12, 12A, and 12B ). A telescoping bracing bracket is clamped to the bottom chord and attached to a pivoting receiver on a support, such as a vehicle hitch. The device will end and pivot up as the truss-wall stud unit is hoisted into a vertical orientation. 
     The winch is retracted, for example using a remote controlled device, and hoisting the entire truss-wall stud unit, which is lifted, and steadily supported by the cable system. The end truss-wall stud unit is lifted towards a vertical orientation such that the bottom of the folding peak bracket  190  and the flat bottom chord bracket  194  can be installed, or alternatively bottom-chord splice bracket  250  and standard gusset plate  251 . The end truss-wall stud unit is further lifted until positioned in the vertical orientation. Once in the vertical position, the first inner portion  152  of the end hinge bracket  151  is bent up and fastened against the stud leg, and the outside tab  156  is bent up and fastened to the stud, for instance, to the outside edge of the stud. 
     After the end hinge brackets are completely fastened to the stud, the end truss-wall stud unit is measured for plumb, for example through use of a laser leveling device or plumb bob on the foundation slab under the peak of the truss-wall stud unit. Once the unit is plumb, a telescoping bracing bracket  206  is secured, and temporary bracing members are affixed diagonally from the outside stud legs of the bottom plate. The temporary braces and the telescoping bracing bracket remains in place and clamped to the end wall bottom chord and braced against the stationary vehicle. The winch  204  is reversed to release the cable lifting device from the eaves and center of the end truss-wall stud unit and lowered back to hoist the next truss-wall stud unit. 
     Two or more partial truss-wall stud units  118  are placed together, such as truss-wall stud unit halves, and secured near the peak for example on a top side of the peak with folding peak brackets and fastened along the top side of the bottom chord with the flat bottom chord bracket  194 . Alternatively, two or more partial truss-wall stud units  118  may be secured at the peak for example on a top side of the peak with a standard gusset plate  251  and fastened along the bottom chord with the bottom chord splice bracket  250   
     After affixing the first main portion  153 A of the hinge bracket to the bottom plates, the bottom hinge bracket  150  are fastened to the truss-wall stud unit legs by bending the intermediate portion  158  and the first inner portion  152  of the hinge bracket up over the stud and fastening thereto. One or more temporary interlocking spacer bars  220  are fastened to a top member of the truss-wall stud unit, for example on each side of the peak of the truss-wall stud unit, approximately 3-5 feet from the peak, as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     After the temporary interlocking spacer bars are fastened, the cable is passed through the passage  192  and attached to the three point weighted cable device of the cable system. The weighted cable device is coupled with the truss-wall stud unit, for example by coupling J shaped hooks on ends of the three point weighted cable device under each of the eaves of the truss-wall stud unit as it lies on or near the foundation or ground (see  FIGS. 12, 12A, and 12B ). The winch is retracted, for example, using a remote controlled device, and the truss-wall stud unit  110  is lifted toward the vertical orientation. 
     The truss-wall stud unit is hoisted about 5-6 feet and paused, enabling fasteners to be affixed to the bottom side of the folding peak bracket and flat bottom chord bracket. The truss-wall stud unit is then hoisted into vertical position. As it is hoisted, the temporary interlocking spacer bars  220  ride over the top of the previous truss-wall stud unit until they slip securely into place onto the previous truss-wall stud unit. 
     Once the truss-wall stud unit is in the vertical position, the second inner portion  154  of the hinge bracket  150  is bent up and fastened against the stud leg of the truss-wall stud unit, and the outer tab  156  is bent up and fastened to the outside edge of the stud. The winch is reversed, releasing the weighted cable lifting device from the peak and eaves of the truss-wall stud unit, and lowered back to the ground to hoist the next truss-wall stud unit  110 . The process is repeated for subsequent truss-wall stud units until the final end wall is set. 
     Once a sufficient number of truss-wall stud units are set, for example 14-16 linear feet of truss-wall stud units, 2×4 lateral bracing is installed and fastened into optional pre-cut notches in the wall studs. After the lateral bracing is installed, the braced part of the structure can be sheeted with plywood in order to increase lateral shear strength. The process is repeated for every 16 linear feet until the entire perimeter of the structure is laterally braced and sheeted. 
     The above Detailed Description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The various embodiments are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as some embodiments can be combined with one or more other embodiments to form new embodiments. For example, the above-described embodiments (and/or aspects thereof) embodiments may be combined, utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
     The methods described herein do not have to be executed in the order described, or in any particular order, unless it is otherwise specified that a particular order is required. Moreover, unless otherwise specified, various activities described with respect to the methods identified herein can be executed in repetitive, simultaneous, serial, or parallel fashion. 
     terms “a” or “an” are used, as is common in patent documents, to include one or more than one. The term “or” is used to refer to a nonexclusive or, unless otherwise indicated. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, in the following claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are open-ended, that is, a system, device, article, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed after such a term in a claim are still deemed to fall within the scope of that claim. Moreover, in the following claims, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc. are used merely as labels, and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.