The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 17, 1979
Filed:
Nov. 11, 1977
Paul F Gugliotta, New York, NY (US);
David Hoffmann, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Other;
Abstract
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.