초록 ▼

An improved pipe-and-ball truss array for supporting a deck surface, such as a roof deck or a wall panel, thereon in a predetermined plane is provided in which the outer chord of the truss array comprises an outer hollow pipe element having a structural tee element extending radially outward from th

An improved pipe-and-ball truss array for supporting a deck surface, such as a roof deck or a wall panel, thereon in a predetermined plane is provided in which the outer chord of the truss array comprises an outer hollow pipe element having a structural tee element extending radially outward from the outer surface thereof in a plane normal to the plane in which the deck surface is to be supported on the truss array and an inner rod running through the pipe along the longitudinal axis thereof. A hollow substantially ball-like member, such as a hollow spherical member, is provided which is common to a plurality of truss members which truss members are joined to the spherical member by bolting. The structural tee element comprises a radially extending portion and a first planar extending portion normal thereto, with the first planar extending portion extending in a plane parallel to the deck surface supporting plane and being capable of structurally supporting the deck surface thereon above the outer hollow pipe element. The outer hollow pipe elements which have such radially extending structural tee elements are structurally stronger in bending than the outer hollow pipe elements which do not and preferably extend in a direction normal to the direction in which the deck surface to be supported runs. The structural tee element may also include a second planar extending portion disposed above and spaced from the first planar extending portion and extending in a plane parallel thereto for supporting the deck surface between the first and second planar extending portions. The deck surface can thereby be readily supported on the improved truss array, which is an improvement on the array disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,650.

대표청구항 ▼

In a pipe-and-ball truss array for supporting a deck surface thereon in a predetermined plane, said truss array comprising a plurality of truss members, at least one of said plurality of truss members comprising an outer chord of said truss array, at least a first hollow substantially ball-like memb

In a pipe-and-ball truss array for supporting a deck surface thereon in a predetermined plane, said truss array comprising a plurality of truss members, at least one of said plurality of truss members comprising an outer chord of said truss array, at least a first hollow substantially ball-like member portion common to said plurality of truss members and first means for joining said plurality of truss members to said first substantially ball-like member portion, each of said truss members comprising an outer hollow pipe element having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends with an inner rod element extending through said outer hollow pipe element, said inner rod element having first and second ends, said outer hollow pipe element having an outer surface, said first substantially ball-like member portion having a plurality of Spaced apart apertures extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, each of said inner rod element first ends having threads thereon and extending beyond said outer hollow pipe element first end and through an associated one of said first substantially ball-like member portion apertures, each of said outer hollow pipe element first ends bearing against said first substantially ball-like member portion exterior surface, said first joining means comprising first threadable nut means threadably mounted in said first substantially ball-like member portion interior on said inner rod element threaded first ends and bearing against the interior surface of said first substantially ball-like member portion for simultaneously placing said inner rod element of said truss member in tension and said outer hollow pipe element of the same truss member in compression for enabling applied tensile, compressive and axial forces to be transferrable between said joined truss members through said first substantially ball-like member for maintaining a force resistant three-dimensional prestressed truss array; the improvement comprising a structural tee element extending radially outward from the outer surface of at least one of said outer chord outer hollow pipe elements in a plane normal to the plane in which the deck surface is to be supported on said truss array, said outer chord having a configuration comprising said structural tee element, said structural tee element being structurally integral with said outer chord outer hollow pipe element outer surface and comprising a radially extending portion and a first planar extending portion normal thereto, said first planar extending portion extending in a plane parallel to said deck surface supporting plane and being capable of structurally supporting said deck surface thereon above said structurally integral outer chord outer hollow pipe element outer surface in a single layered support system, said outer chord inner rod element and first joining means being disposed in said outer chord configuration for eccentrically prestressing said outer chord configuration, said other outer hollow pipe elements without said structural tee element having said inner rod element and said first joining means associated therewith disposed for axially prestressing said other outer hollow pipe elements, said eccentrically prestressed outer chord outer hollow pipe element having said structurally integrated radially extending structural tee element being structurally stronger in bending in said force resistant three-dimensional truss array than said other outer hollow pipe elements without said structural tee, whereby said deck surface is structurally supported in said force resistant three-dimensional truss array on said structural tee element bearing pipe elements in said single layered support system.