Abstract:
A truss construction especially adapted for use in reinforcing and/or restoring sagging flooring of a building to a substantially horizontal position comprises a plurality of individual truss units arranged in a row and coupled to one another in such manner as to enable adjacent units to rock relative to one another in opposite directions and bow upwardly the truss formed by the assembled truss units. The individual truss units from which the assembled truss is formed are separable from one another and the components from which such units are formed are separable to enable such units to avoid interference with utility materials such as wiring and plumbing components during placement of the truss units in operative condition.

Description:
[0001]     This invention relates to an adjustable truss adapted to underlie a flooring supported on horizontal, spaced apart joists as to reinforce and/or restore the floor to a substantially horizontal position.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Residential and commercial buildings conventionally have horizontal flooring 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 a foundation wall or the like. In the construction of a 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 to some extent sagging of the joists and the overlying flooring.  
         [0003]     Following the installation of the joists, the flooring, and the braces in a building 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 having to place 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 flooring, 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 truss having 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 braces and utility components of the kind referred to above span the distance between two adjacent joists where it is desired to install the reinforcing truss.  
         [0004]     In some instances it is desirable to reinforce an area of the flooring on which a heavy load is to be placed, thereby minimizing the possibility of causing damage by overloading such area. The installation of such reinforcements is subject to the same difficulties referred to earlier.  
         [0005]     A truss construction which overcomes a great deal of the difficulties in reinforcing flooring is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,152. Such truss has a relatively long beam that is adapted to be placed between a pair of adjacent joists and supported at its ends in such manner as to bear against the lower surface of the flooring. The beam is pivoted to a plurality of longitudinally extending, V-shaped reinforcing members which can be attached to the beam following installation of the latter. The V-shape of the reinforcing members enables them to be attached to the beam in such manner that the utility components occupy the space between the V-forming limbs, thereby avoiding having to cut or remove any of the utility components. Following installation of the V-shaped reinforcements they may be adjusted relative to one another in such manner as to enable the beam to bear firmly against the lower surface of the flooring and prevent further sagging thereof. In some instances, it is possible to restore sagging floor sections to their original, substantially horizontal conditions.  
         [0006]     Although the truss construction disclosed in such patent functions satisfactorily in many cases the provision of such a long beam makes it difficult, in some instances, to position the beam in the proper location to provide the desired reinforcement of the floor.  
         [0007]     A principal object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable truss which retains the advantages of the patented truss, but avoids the difficulties encountered with such truss.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     An adjustable truss constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a plurality of individual truss units adapted to be placed between adjacent floor joists and joined to one another to form an elongate truss. Each truss unit is of generally triangular configuration having an upper, elongate member and a pair of underlying limbs having corresponding ends fixed to each support bar. The opposite ends of such limbs are coupled to a common connector that also underlies the upper support bar. The limbs converge in a direction toward the common connector, thereby forming an open space between the limbs of each support member as well as an open space between the limbs of adjacent support members. The limbs of each support member removably may be secured to the upper support bar either before or after the latter is joined to an adjacent support, thereby avoiding having to cut or disconnect any utility component or brace which may extend between adjacent joists.  
         [0009]     Following the joining of a sufficient number of truss units to span the distance between the foundation walls or other supports, force applying means may be installed between the common connectors and adjusted to enable adjacent truss units to rock relative to one another and bear against the bottom of the flooring with sufficient force as to prevent sagging thereof or, if desired, to lift and raise the flooring and restore it to a substantially horizontal position. 
     
    
     THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]     Apparatus constructed in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a side elevational view, partly in section, of one embodiment of the invention installed beneath a sagging floor;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but illustrating the truss in adjusted position so as to restore the floor to a substantially horizontal position;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , but illustrating a second embodiment of the invention;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , but illustrating the truss embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged, exploded, partly sectional and partly elevational view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , but illustrating the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]     Apparatus constructed in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  5  is adapted for use with a commercial or residential structure having upright foundation walls, footings, or other supports  3  on which a plurality of spaced apart, substantially horizontal joists  5  are supported so as to underlie flooring  7  and provide support therefor. In  FIG. 1  the flooring  7  is shown as having an exaggerated sag. The exaggeration is for clarity of illustration.  
         [0018]     An elongate truss  9  is composed of a plurality of identical, substantially triangular truss sections  11 . Each section comprises an elongate, angle bar support member  13  having an upright wall  14  at each end. In each wall  14  is an opening  16 . Each truss section also includes a pair of limbs  18  fixed at their upper ends to a right angular or L-shaped coupling  20  having a lower flange  21  and an upstanding flange  22  through which extends an opening  24 . The limbs  18  converge downwardly toward and are fixed to one another and to a common connector  26  having a trough-like body or housing  28  provided with end walls  30  and a top wall  32 , but no bottom wall. Each end wall  30  is provided with an opening  31 .  
         [0019]     The coupling members  20  are spaced apart a distance such as snugly to straddle the bar  13  with the openings  16  and  24  in alignment. A threaded bolt  34  having at one end a head  35  may extend through the aligned openings  16  and  24  and a correspondingly threaded nut  37  fitted to the free end of the bolt so as to join the upper ends of the limbs  18  to the bars  13 .  
         [0020]     As is best shown in  FIG. 5 a  force transmitting rod  38  is threaded at its opposite ends for passage through aligned openings  31  in the walls  30  of two adjacent common connectors  26 . Those ends of the rod  38  within the connectors  26  may be fitted with a washer  40  and a threaded nut  42  which enables the distance between adjacent couplings  26  to be adjusted.  
         [0021]     Upright angle bar supports  44  are provided at each end of the truss  9  formed by a plurality of the truss sections or units  11 . Each upright has a foot  46  which rests atop a support wall  3  and a flange  48  having an opening therein for the accommodation of one of the bolts  34 .  
         [0022]     To condition a truss section  11  for use with a plurality of other such units in those instances in which there are braces (not shown) or utility elements  50  and  52  adjacent the wall  3  and which span the distance between adjacent joists  5 , the angle bar support member  13  adjacent a wall  3  may be disassembled from the limbs  18  and manually placed against the lower surface of the flooring  7  so as to avoid interference between the member  13  or a limb  18  with any of the utility elements  50 ,  52 , as is shown at the right hand end of  FIG. 1 . Once the support member  13  is placed against the lower surface of the flooring  7  the limbs  18  may be recoupled to the member  13  by placing the ends of the member  13  on the flanges  21  with the flanges  22  straddling the walls  14  of the member  13 . A bolt  34  then may be extended through the opening  24 , the opening  16 , and the opening in the upright flange  48  so as to connect the right-hand end of a truss unit  11  to the support  44 . The opposite end of the member  13  similarly may be joined to the other coupling  20  so that the flanges  22  embrace opposite ends of the member  13 . A bolt  34  then may be extended through the openings  16  and  24 .  
         [0023]     Following assembly of the endmost truss unit with an upright  44  the endmost unit temporarily may be supported by any suitable support, such as a ladder or adjustable jack (not shown).  
         [0024]     An adjacent truss unit  11  then may be assembled with the endmost unit in substantially the same manner, if there are braces or utility components which must be permitted to extend through the space between adjacent limbs. However, if there are no braces or utility components to contend with, a fully assembled unit  11  may be joined to the endmost unit simply by extending a bolt  34  through aligned openings  16  in adjacent walls  14  and the nut  36  rotated to couple the adjacent units  9  to one another and provide a desired space  50 , or no space, between the confronting walls  14  of the adjacent support units  11 .  
         [0025]     Additional truss units  11  may be assembled with one another to span the distance between the support walls  3 , and the opposite endmost unit  11  coupled to the opposite support  44  in the manner described and as is shown in  FIG. 1 . The ladder(s) or jack(s) then may be removed since the assembled units  11  will be supported by the foundation walls  3  and the couplings between adjacent units  11 .  
         [0026]     A force transmitting rod  38  may be used as shown in  FIG. 5  to couple each adjacent pair of truss units  11  to one another. Following the accommodation of the opposite ends of each rod  38  in adjacent common connectors  26 , the nuts  42  may be rotated so as to draw the two adjacent common connectors toward one another. This movement will cause the two adjacent truss units  11  to rock in opposite directions. That is, the right-hand unit  9  shown in  FIG. 5  will be rocked clockwise, whereas the adjacent left-hand unit will be rocked counterclockwise. Such rocking movements will cause the confronting ends of the support members  13  to be moved upwardly, as shown in  FIG. 2 , thereby enabling the flooring  7  to be forced upwardly to remove whatever sag exists.  
         [0027]     Other adjacent units  11  may be similarly adjusted until such time as the flooring  7  is adequately reinforced or occupies a substantially horizontal position. In connection with the illustration of the flooring  7  in  FIG. 1 , it should be understood that opposite ends of the flooring at all times will be supported by the subjacent sections of the joists and that the curvature of the flooring as illustrated in FIG.  1  is exaggerated for purposes of clarifying the explanation of the result of adjusting the truss sections in such manner as to place the flooring  7  in substantially horizontal position. When this occurs, the completed truss  9  will be arched upwardly, as is shown in  FIG. 2 . The curvature of the arch also is exaggerated for clarity.  
         [0028]     The apparatus illustrated in  FIGS. 3, 4 , and  6  is similar in many respects to the earlier described embodiment. Accordingly, those components which are the same are identified by corresponding reference characters. The assembled truss is identified by the reference character  51 , and the individual truss units are identified by the reference character  52 .  
         [0029]     The principal difference between the two embodiments is that, in  FIGS. 3, 4 , and  6 , a common connector  53  comprises an elongate angle bar  54  provided with upstanding walls  56  at its opposite ends. The walls have openings  58  for the accommodation of headed bolts  60  which may be accommodated in correspondingly threaded nuts  62 . The overall length of the common connector  53  corresponds to the overall length of the support bar  13 .  
         [0030]     The support bars  13  are assembled with the common connector bars  53  in the same manner as has been described heretofore in connection with the bars  13  and the common connectors  26 . In assembling the members of the second embodiment, however, a space  64  may be provided between confronting walls  14  of adjacent members  13  and another space  66  provided between confronting walls  56 . The spaces  64  and  66  are shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . By providing the space  66  the force exerted on the confronting walls  56  by the bolts  60  and the nuts  62  will cause the confronting walls to move toward one another and reduce the size of the space  66 , thereby causing adjacent truss units  52  to rock in opposite directions so as to arch the assembled truss upwardly and restore the flooring  7  to a substantially horizontal position.  
         [0031]     The bolts  60  and the nuts  62  therefore constitute not only means for connecting adjacent truss units to one another, but also force transmitting means for rocking such truss units. The provision of the space  64  between the confronting walls  14  of the support members  13  facilitates such upward arching of the assembled truss because such space permits relative movement between adjacent confronting walls  14 .  
         [0032]     As is the case with the first embodiment, the sagging of the flooring  7  and the upward arching of the assembled truss are exaggerated for illustrative purposes.  
         [0033]     The disclosed embodiments are representative of presently preferred forms of the invention, but are intended to be illustrative rather than definitive thereof. The invention is defined in the claims.