Abstract:
An improved connection between supported and supporting structural members, particularly for use in structures where the supported member needs to move with respect to the supporting member. The connector has an anchoring leg that allows for the back of the anchoring leg on either side of the sliding leg.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention belongs to a class of mounting clips that are useful in the construction of buildings, particularly commercial buildings where a non-load bearing, exterior curtain wall is connected to the load bearing elements of a building and the curtain wall needs to be able to move with respect to the load bearing elements. 
         [0002]    It is often advantageous to attach curtain walls systems to the load bearing elements of a building with connectors that permit a degree of relative movement between the wall system and other components of the building. There are many reasons for this. For example there can be extreme differences in temperature between the exterior curtain walls and the interior load bearing systems, and because the exterior curtain wall and the load bearing system often have different coefficients of expansion based on their different materials, under extreme temperature differences the curtain wall wants to shift with respect to the load bearing system. Exterior walls of buildings are also subject to deflection from wind and seismic forces. Furthermore, curtain walls are typically not designed to support vertical loads and must therefore by isolated from deflection of the primary load-bearing support structure of the building due to changes in live or dead loads carried by that structure. Providing a degree of freedom of movement within the wall and between the wall and the other components of a building can reduce stress and prevent fracture of connected parts due to the loading of the building, seismic and wind events or differences in the temperatures of the curtain wall and the load bearing elements. 
         [0003]    A number of slide, or slip clips that permit relative movement between structural members have been patented. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,566, issued in 1995 to Allan J. Swartz and Gregory A. Kulpa teaches a slide clip where a fastener having a washer or spacer is connected to the supported member, and the slide clip is attached to the supporting member and to the fastener with the washer in such a manner that the slide clip can move with respect to the supported member. To allow relative movement between the fastener and the slide clip, Swartz and Kulpa taught that the spacer or washer on the fastener should be received in slots in the portion of the slide clip lying against the supported member and the spacer or washer should be thicker than the receiving portion of the slide clip. Planar flaps or extensions which were part of the washer or spacer and disposed parallel to the receiving portion of the slide clip extend over the receiving portion of the slide clip and prevent it from pulling away. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,006, issued in 1999 to Terry L. Sharp and Richard C. Eldenburg also teaches a slide clip where a spacer or fixed bracket is connected to the supported member and a slide clip is attached to the supporting member and the fixed bracket in such a manner that the slide clip can move with respect to the supported member. Like Swartz and Kulpa, to allow relative movement between the fixed bracket and the slide clip, Sharp and Eldenburg taught that the fixed bracket should have an engaging component received by the portion of the slide clip lying against the supported member that is thicker than the receiving portion of the slide clip. Also, like Swartz and Kulpa, they taught that a planar securing component which is attached to the engaging component extended in parallel relation over the receiving portion of the slide clip. In Sharp and Eldenburg, their spacer or fixed bracket was a plate having a thickness that was greater than the portion of the slide clip that received it, thus the securing component that projected only outwardly from the top of the engaging component would not interfere with the movement of the slide clip in the plane of the supporting member but keep it from pulling away. 
         [0006]    Patents with similar teachings include U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,679, issued in 2001 to Frobosilo and Viola, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,080, issued in 1999 to DiGirolamo and Mountcastle. 
         [0007]    The slide clip of the present invention provides a uniquely shaped slide clip that is not prone to buckling under load. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A first aspect of the invention provides a slide clip that has a unique geometry to more optimally distribute loads among fasteners and thereby avoid buckling of the anchoring leg of the slide clip. In particular, a distal section of the anchoring leg projects away from both the front and back surfaces of the sliding leg, and the first fasteners attach the distal section of the anchoring leg to the supporting member, and at least one of the first fasteners engages a portion of the distal section that projects away from the back surface of the sliding leg, on the same side of the sliding leg as the supported member. This reduces the eccentricity of the connection to the securing member. 
         [0009]    A second aspect of the invention provides a slide clip that has a unique slider that is used in one or more elongated slots in the clip to provide improved rotational support to the slide clip and thereby avoid buckling of the anchoring leg of the slide clip. In particular, the slider has a securing component, and the securing component has one or more generally planar upstanding flanges connected to and set at an angle to the one or more base components, such that a projection along the generally planar upstanding flange would intersect with the sliding leg. This tall flange disposed at an angle to the sliding leg improves the strength of the securing component to resist the sliding leg of the slide clip pulling away from the secured member. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the connection of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a detail perspective view of the connection of  FIG. 1 , taken along line  FIG. 3  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, detail perspective view of the connection of  FIG. 1 , taken along line  FIG. 4  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a slide clip of a connector of the present invention. The slider is not shown. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the slide clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a back view of the slide clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a top view of the slide clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is a bottom view the slide clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a left side view of the slide clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a right side view the slide clip of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a slider of the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a top view of the slider of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a bottom view of the slider of  FIG. 12 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a front view of the slider of  FIG. 12 . The back view is the same. 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a side view of the slider of  FIG. 12 . The other side view is the same. 
           [0026]      FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a connector formed according to the present invention. The slider is shown received by the slide clip. 
           [0027]      FIG. 18  is a partial, perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. The vertical stud or supported member is not shown. 
           [0028]      FIG. 19  is a partial, perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. The vertical stud or supported member is not shown. 
           [0029]      FIG. 20  is a partial, perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. The vertical stud or supported member is not shown. 
           [0030]      FIG. 21  is a partial, perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. The vertical stud or supported member is not shown. 
           [0031]      FIG. 22  is a partial, perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. The vertical stud or supported member is not shown. 
           [0032]      FIG. 23  is a partial, perspective view of a connection formed according to the present invention. The vertical stud or supported member is not shown. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0033]    The present invention is a structural connection  1  between a first building structural member or supporting member  2  and a second building structural member or supported member  3 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the supporting member  2  can be a horizontal beam and/or concrete flooring member  2  and the supported member  3  can be a vertically-oriented, channel-shaped wall stud  3 , although for purposes of the invention the supported member could be a horizontal beam and/or concrete flooring member and the supporting member could be a vertically-oriented wall stud. 
         [0034]    The connection  1  between the supporting member  2  and the supported member  3  is made with the slide clip  4  of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the slide clip  4  has an anchoring leg  5  fastened to the supporting member  2  and a sliding leg  6  connected to the supported member  3 . As mentioned above, the sliding leg  6  could be attached to the supporting member  2  such that the connection allows movement between the sliding leg  6  and the supporting member  2 . Preferably, the anchoring leg  5  and the sliding leg  6  are generally planar and joined at right angles to each other. The connection  1  is also made with a slider  7  that in combination with the sliding clip  4  make up the connector  8  of the present invention, and first and second fasteners  9  and  10 . In the most common embodiments, the slide clip  4  and slider  7  allow for relative vertical movement between the supporting and the supported members  2  and  3 , or a combination of vertical and horizontal movement between the supporting and the supported members  2  and  3 . A change in orientation of the components of the connection  1  would allow the connector  8  to permit different relative movements between the components. The slide clip  4  and the slider  7  are preferably made from cold formed sheet steel, bent, cut, embossed and punched on automated or semi- automated manufacturing machinery. As shown in the drawings, preferably, the supported members  3  are cold-formed steel structural members. Preferably, the supporting members  2  can be a concrete floor member or steel structural members. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in one embodiment of the invention, the anchoring leg  5  has a plurality of small fastener openings  11  and a plurality of enlarged fastener openings  12 . 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 , the anchoring leg  5  has a distal section  13  and a proximal section  14  that are preferably substantially planar members that are preferably rectangular and are disposed in substantially the same plane. The proximal section  15  extends or projects away from the front surface  35  and the supported member  3 . The distal section  9  has an inner edge  15 , an outer edge  16 , a left side edge  17  and a right side edge  18 . The proximal section  14  has an inner edge  19 , an outer edge  20 , a left side edge  21  and a right side edge  22 . The juncture between the distal and proximal sections  13  and  14  of the anchoring leg  5  at the outer edge  20  of the proximal section  14  and the inner edge  15  of the distal section  13  is shown as a dotted line in  FIGS. 3, 5 and 8 . Preferably, the distal and proximal sections  13  and  14  are joined at the outer edge  20  of the proximal section  14  and the inner edge  15  of the distal section  13  with the inner edge  15  of the distal section  13  being longer than the outer edge  20  of the proximal section  14  such that the distal section  13  is wider than the proximal section  14 . Preferably, the right side edges  18  and  22  of the distal and proximal sections  13  and  14  are aligned, and the left side edge  21  of the proximal section  14  intersects with the inner edge  15  of the distal section  13 , and if the left side edge  21  of the proximal section  14  were to extend through the distal section  13 , the left side edge  21  of the proximal section  14  would divide the distal section  13  into left and right portions  23  and  24 , as shown in  FIGS. 3, 5, 8 and 9 . As shown in  FIGS. 8, 9 and 11 , the sliding leg  6  is attached, preferably by a bend  25 , to the left side edge  21  of the proximal section  14 . 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention the anchoring leg  5  is shaped so that fastener openings  11  and  12  are provided on both sides of the sliding leg  6 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , preferably, the sliding leg  6  is a substantially planar member defining a first plane  43  and the anchoring leg  5  is a substantially planar member set orthogonally to the sliding leg  6  with the projection of plane  43  defined by the sliding leg  6  intersecting the distal section  13  of the anchoring leg  5  and dividing the distal section  13  of the anchoring leg into a left portion  23  and a right portion  24 . 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , the distal section  13  of the anchoring leg  5  extends or projects away from both the back and front sides or surfaces  35  and  36  of the sliding leg  6 , and, if all specified fasteners are used as shown in  FIG. 1 , the first fasteners  9  attach the distal section  13  of the anchoring leg  5  to the supporting member  2  and at least one of the first fasteners  9  attaches a portion  24  of the distal section  13  that extends or projects from the front side or surface  36  of the sliding leg  6 , and at least one of the first fasteners  9  attaches a portion  23  of the distal section  13  that extends from the back side or surface  35  of the sliding leg and on the same side of the sliding leg  6  as the supported member  3 . It is to be noted that sliding leg  6  does not itself intersect with the distal section  13  of the anchoring leg  5 , and it is the projection of first plane  43  that intersects with the distal section  13 . Preferably, the fastener openings  11  and  12  are arranged in the distal section  13  of the anchoring leg  5  in pairs with a first fastener opening of each pair being disposed in the left portion  23 , and a second fastener opening of each pair being disposed in the right portion or section  24 . As shown in  FIGS. 22 and 23  the anchoring leg  5  is attached to a metal member of the supporting member  2  by welds  9 . The weld  9  on the right portion  24  is shown and a similar weld  9  would attach the left portion  23 . 
         [0039]    As shown in  FIGS. 18 and 19 , multiple sets or pairs of fastener openings  11  and  12  are arranged in the distal section  13  of the anchoring leg  5  so that the connector  8  can be placed at different locations on the supporting member  2  to accommodate different distances between the supported member  3  and the supporting member  2  while still allowing for proper placement of the first fasteners  9  that attach to the supporting member  2 . Preferably, the first fasteners are spaced a sufficient distance from the edge of the supporting member  2  and from each other, while being as close as they can be to the supported member  3 . 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the sliding leg  6  preferably has an inner edge  26 , a top edge  27  and a bottom edge  28 , and an outer edge  29 . The sliding leg is formed with one or more openings  30  to receive the slider. Preferably, the openings  30  of the sliding leg  6  are a plurality of elongated slots  30  disposed in parallel arrangement. Each elongated slots  30  has a major axis  31  along which the slots are elongated, and a minor axis  32  that is disposed orthogonally to the major axis  31 . Preferably the slots  30  are parallel with respect to their major axes  31 . The inner edge  16  of the sliding leg  6  intersects the top edge  17  at a first corner juncture  33 . The outer edge  29  of the sliding leg  6  intersects the top edge  17  at a second corner juncture  34 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the major axes  31  of the elongated slots  30  project along the direction in which relative movement between the connector  8  and the supported member  3  is desired. Typically, the desired movement is vertical movement. As noted above, preferably, the sliding leg  6  is a substantially planar member; however, the sliding leg  6  need only have aligned, substantially planar portions  44  and  45  to the sides of the one or more openings  30  for receiving the slider  7 . The aligned, substantially planar portions  44  and  45  to the sides of the one or more openings  30  also define first plane  43 , and the front and back surfaces  35  and  36  of the sliding leg  6 . In the preferred embodiment, the substantially planar portions  44  and  45  are to the left and right of the openings  30  on the minor axis  32  of the openings  30  and the substantially planar sections  44  and  45  extend a substantial distance upwardly and downwardly along the major axes  31  of the openings  30 . 
         [0041]    The left side edge  21  of the proximal section  14  of the anchoring leg  5  is joined to the bottom edge  28  of the sliding leg  6  at bend  25 . Preferably, bend  25  is  90  degrees. 
         [0042]    As noted above, the substantially planar sliding leg  6  is preferably formed with a preferably planar front surface  35  a preferably planar back surface  36  facing in the opposite direction. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the back surface  36  of the sliding leg  6  faces the supported member  3  and interfaces with a preferably planar portion of the supported member  3 .. Similarly, the substantially planar anchoring leg  5  has a top surface  37  and a bottom surface  38  facing in the opposite direction. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the bottom surface  38  interfaces with the supporting member  2 . The top surface  37  can also interface with the supporting member  2  as shown in  FIG. 19 . 
         [0043]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , in a preferred embodiment, the sliding leg  6  is connected to the supported member  3  by means of a slider  7 . The slider  7  is rigidly secured to the supported member  3  such that it cannot move with respect to the supported member  3 . The slider  7  connects the sliding leg  6  to the supported member  3  such that the sliding leg  6  can move with respect to the supported member  3 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , the slider  7  preferably has one or more base components  39  that are disposed in the one or more elongated slots  30  of the sliding leg  6  and at least one securing component  40  that prevents the sliding leg  6  from disengaging from the supported member  3 . The base components are formed with fastener openings to receive the second fasteners  10 . The securing component  40  rises from the one or more base components  39  and overlies portions of the front surface  35  of the sliding leg  6 . The one or more base components  39  are of a smaller dimension, both in the directions of the major axes  31  and the minor axes  32 , than the one or more elongated slots  30  so that they can be received in and move with respect to the slots  30 . Preferably, the one or more base components  39  fit closely within the elongated slots  30  along their minor axis  31 , while the base components  39  are preferably considerably smaller than the slots  30  along the major axes  31 . The one or more securing components  40  preferably have containment surfaces  41  that are in close proximity to the front surface  35  of the sliding leg  6  to prevent the sliding leg  6  from substantially pulling away from the supported member  3 . Preferably the containment surfaces  41  are disposed on either side of the slots  30 . Preferably the securing component  40  is formed as one or more generally planar upstanding flanges  46  connected to and set at an angle to the one or more base components  39 , such that a projection along the generally planar upstanding flange would intersect with the sliding leg  6 . Preferably, the upstanding flanges  46  are disposed generally orthogonally to the base components  39  and the sliding leg  6 . Preferably the one or more upstanding flanges  46  have an outer edge  47  and the upstanding flanges are formed with lateral bends  48  or embossments to provide additional strength to the flanges  46 . Preferably, the containment surfaces  41  are formed on the bottom edges  49  of the flanges  46 , as best shown in  FIGS. 12 and 14 . The bottom edges  49  are generally opposed to the outer edges  47  of the flanges  46 . The bottom edges  49  of the flange  46  are interrupted by one or more projecting arms  50  that extend to and connect the one or more upstanding flanges  46  to the one or more base components  39 . 
         [0044]    Preferably, there are two base components  39  and the one or more securing components  40  connect the two base components  39   
         [0045]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the anchoring leg  5  of the sliding clip  4  includes a first embossment  42 . The first embossment  42  is located close to the inner edge  19  of the proximal section of the anchoring leg  5 . The first embossment  42  reinforces the anchoring leg  5 . 
         [0046]    Preferably, a first plurality of fasteners  9  attaches the anchoring leg  5  to the supporting member  2 . A second plurality of fasteners  10  preferably attaches the slider  7  to the supported member  3 . Preferably, the fasteners  10  of the second plurality of fasteners  10  are screws  28 . The preferred fasteners  9  for attaching the anchoring leg  5  to a supporting member  2  made from steel are hex-head screws  9 , automated power-actuated gun-driven fasteners  9  or, alternatively, welds  9 , as shown in  FIGS. 22 and 23 . The preferred fasteners  9  for attaching the anchoring leg  5  to supporting member  2  made from concrete are concrete screws or anchors  9 .