Patent ID: 7607273

Claim:
A building member, comprising: a male portion including: a first beam having a first pair of wings being joined together by a first crosspiece; a first bracket having first opposed ends each of which being affixed to a respective one of said first pair of wings so as to define a first slot between said first crosspiece and said first bracket; and, a tongue having an inner end being affixed to said first crosspiece and an outer end, remote from said inner end, extending through said first slot and outwardly from said first beam, said outer end being provided with a first hole; a female portion being releasably connected to said male portion, said female portion including: a second beam being adapted for end-to-end abutment with said first beam, said second beam having a second pair of wings being joined together by a second crosspiece, and said second crosspiece being provided with a second hole being adapted for registration with said first hole in said tongue when said first beam and said second beam abut one another end-to-end; and, a second bracket having second opposed ends each of which being affixed to a respective one of said second pair of wings so as to define a second slot between said second crosspiece and said second bracket, said second slot being adapted to slidably receive said outer end of said tongue; and, a first threaded fastener extending through said first hole in said tongue and said second hole in said second crosspiece for releasably connecting said male portion to said female portion.