Patent ID: 7735294

Claim:
A method of forming a roof truss assembly, the method comprising the steps of: providing a coil of substantially flat sheet metal; cutting a plurality of lengths of the sheet metal; forming structural members from each of the lengths of metal, wherein the structural members include a first top chord, a second top chord, a bottom chord, and a web member, each structural member comprising a planar base terminating in longitudinal edges, planar legs extending from the longitudinal edges of the base and terminating in longitudinal edges, the legs extending the length of the base such that the base and the legs define an open longitudinal channel, and a flange integral with the longitudinal edges of each leg, each flange having a planar first portion extending outwardly from the legs and terminating in longitudinal edges, and a planar second portion extending from the longitudinal edges of the first portion of the flanges and terminating in longitudinal edges, the flanges selectively extending the length of the legs; removing a portion of the flanges from an end of the first top chord; inserting the end of the first top chord into the channel defined by the legs and the base of adjacent one end of the second top chord so that the outer surface of the legs of the first top chord are adjacent the inner surface of the legs of the second top chord for forming an apex of a top chord assembly; removing a portion of the flanges at both ends of the bottom chord; inserting each end of the bottom chord into the top chord assembly into the channels defined by the legs and the base adjacent the free ends of the first and second top chords so that the outer surface of the legs of the ends of the bottom chord are adjacent the inner surface of the legs of the first and second top chords; removing a portion of the flanges at both ends of the web member, inserting the one end of the web member into the channel defined by the legs and the base of the bottom chord so that the outer surface of the legs of the web member are adjacent the inner surface of the legs of the bottom chord and the other end of the web member into the channel defined by the legs and the base of one of the first or second top chord so that the outer surface of the legs of the web member are adjacent the inner surface of the legs of the one of the first or second top chord.