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:
May. 05, 1998
Filed:
May. 31, 1996
Robert G Nystrom, Glastonbury, CT (US);
Metaltite Corporation, West Hartford, CT (US);
Abstract
A truss fastener for fastening a chord to a tubular member comprises a head and a shank extending from the underside of the head and terminating at a self-drilling distal tip. The shank comprises proximal and distal portions, each having a spiral buttress thread, that are separated by an unthreaded shaft portion. The length L.sub.1 of the self-drilling tip and the distal, shaft and proximal portions of the shank L.sub.2, L.sub.3, L.sub.4 are selected such that L.sub.2 +L.sub.3 is greater than the diameter of the tubular member cavity, L.sub.1 +L.sub.2 is less than the diameter of the tubular member cavity, and L.sub.2 and L.sub.3 are each greater than the total of the thickness T.sub.1 of the wall of the tubular member and the thickness T.sub.2 of the wall of the chord T.sub.1 +T.sub.2. Preferably L.sub.4 is also greater than T.sub.1 +T.sub.2. During installation, the shaft portion freely rotates within the entrance holes in the chord and tubular member as the self-drilling tip drills the exit holes. The buttress thread on both the distal and proximal portions of the shank engages the chord and tubular member to clamp the tubular member within the chord.