Patent ID: 8800239

Claim:
A three-dimensional jacket-plate connector to connect at least two I-beam members, each member comprising a steel I-beam section, the jacket-plate connector comprising a first three-dimensional jacket plate; and a second three-dimension jacket plate that is a mirror image of the first three-dimensional jacket plate, the two jacket plates bolted to opposite sides of a joint connecting a continuous primary I-beam member and one or more connected secondary I-beam members, wherein a jacket plate comprises one or more branching secondary C-channels connected to a continuous primary C-channel that intersect to match angles of the joint formed between a longitudinal axis of the one or more connected secondary I-beam members and a longitudinal axis of the continuous primary I-beam member, at least one threaded tension rod installed through the depth of the cross section of the primary C-channel of the jacket plate to transfer bending moments and shear forces across the joint, and at least one steel plate stiffener welded between the flange portions of the primary I-beam member to counteract the compression forces caused by the at least one threaded tension rod.