Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Openwork; e.g. – truss – trellis – grille – screen – frame – or... – Three-dimensional space-defining
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-08-28
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Openwork; e.g., truss, trellis, grille, screen, frame, or...
Three-dimensional space-defining
C052S098000, C052S656100, C403S002000, C403S003000, C428S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279288
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention are hollow structural metal or rigid members that are generally rectangular in cross sectional shape but with two opposing sides slightly wider than the other two opposing sides and with linear grooving formed near or upon the seams for the purpose of selective and controlled flaring of the tubing ends.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many modern greenhouses utilize elongated metal hollow tubing to construct various elements of the structure. Both square and rectangular cross-sectional shapes are utilized, as well as round and elliptical shapes. These are usually standard in cross sectional size, and typically measured by the outside dimensions of the cross-section.
Several wall thicknesses of steel are available in standard gauge dimensions (such as 12 gauge, 14 gauge, 16 gauge, etc.) to allow for a wide range of structural strength combinations. When hollow structural tubes are created from rigid materials that can be extruded, (such as aluminum or plastic), or from cold rolled, steel sheeting; the range of wall thicknesses is limitless.
Most of these structures are assembled on site, in an erector-set-like fashion. In many cases, erection is performed by employees of the owner of the building, who are non-experts the practice of building structures. They also usually have limitations on the tools available to them; although, standard wrenches, drills, saws, etc. needed to build an erector set are usually available and familiar. Because the height of walls and rough opening sizes for equipment needing to be installed usually vary from structure to structure, tubing members are usually shipped in long standard lengths. Measurements are then taken on site as the structure is built, and the standard tubes are cut down to the desired lengths.
A typical gable end of a greenhouse will usually be formed by a series of vertical hollow tubes being mated to horizontal hollow tubes to create openings for necessary fans, shutters and doorways. Most of these junctures of tubing members create 90° angled to interconnections, and usually employing 90° angle brackets. The typical angle bracket is usually first bolted, or otherwise fastened, to the side of a vertical post and then the horizontal member is fastened to the other side of the 90° angle bracket. If two angle brackets are used at a joint, this basically creates a two point mechanical junction at the joint (even if more than one fastener is used in each side of each 90° angle bracket).
The roof line of many greenhouses presents a Quonset-hut type or a bowed roof outline. When the vertical hollow tubing meets the outline of the roof bows, the junctions that are created form angles less than, or greater than, 90°. These angles change consistently along the roof bowing. The use of 90° angle brackets to form connections that are not 90°, are just not practical. In those cases, specially adapted end brackets are needed to join the vertical or horizontal members to the changing angles of the roof bow. These special brackets also rely on fasteners to clamp the special bracket to one or both sides of the bow, and then fasteners to connect the bracket to the vertical or horizontal structural member. This resulting connection of the prior art also usually results in a two point mechanical junction at the joint.
It is a principal object of the invention to provide a tubing member that can utilize an end portion of it's own length of material to readily construct an interconnection with another tubing member of the same cross-sectional size, using standard and readily available fasteners, but without the use of 90° angled or special brackets, and without the need for welding these members to each other.
It is another object of the invention to provide biasing grooves continuously along the longitudinal dimensions of the tubing, to selectively allow the end sides of the tubing to be split away and then flared outward, in a controlled manner, so as to create the fastening flanges that allow the two tubes to be reliably conjoined together at various angles of inclination.
A further object of the invention is to allow the internal dimension of two opposing longitudinal sides of the tube to be equal to, or slightly exceed, the external dimensions of the other two opposing longitudinal sides which will enable the two unflared ends of the tube to is span and overlap(?) the narrower dimension of the same sized tube.
A yet further object of the invention is to allow the person who is erecting the new structure to utilize one sized (squared or rectangular cross-sections) structural members to create both horizontal posts and vertical beams without needing various sized structural members, or various sized brackets, for accomplishing variously angled connections.
A still further object of the invention is to allow the installer to create end joints and tubing interconnections mechanically with simple fasteners that result in a three or four point mechanical interconnection on many junctures.
Another object of the invention is to create stable multi-rigid tubing interconnections that allow the external surfaces of the completed structure to be relatively free of protruding lugs and edge brackets, which protrusions would hinder fastening of sheet-like materials over the framed structure.
Still another object of the invention is to allow the tube to selectively allow the sides of the tubing to be split away and then flared outward, in a controlled manner, so to create the fastening flanges that allow the tube to be reliably conjoined with flat surfaces or the edges or corners of flat surfaces.
Still another object of the invention is to allow the tube to selectively allow the sides to of the tubing to be reliably conjoined with structural members that are rounded, elliptical, angular, larger, or smaller than the tube.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides improved hollow structural tubing members that are adapted to allow integral interconnection flanges to be easily fabricated from the longitudinal ends of the tubing, by selectively flaring out one or more of the sides of the tube. The tubing, in a preferred embodiment, will be made having a basically square, or rectangular, cross-sectional configurations. The internal corners will not have much of an internal radius so that they form substantially 90° corners. In the preferred embodiment, one pair of opposing internal sides of a given tubing will have an inside dimension that is the same as, or slightly exceeds, the external dimension of the other two opposing sides.
Elongate, linear grooves are formed into the longitudinal planar walls of the tube, either internally or externally, or both. These grooves will be located proximal to or at the elongate seams of the tube, along the elongated comers of the tube. Such grooves are specifically provided to weaken the tubing walls at precise points (edges) near the corner seams. This feature will provide shear line(s) along these grooves. A special flaring tool, will be employed, which will have a slotted chamber in the tool working face, that allows it to readily extend over the somewhat variable wall thickness of the tubing. When this special tool is inserted inside the longitudinal end of the tube, and is projecting over one of the sidewalls of the tube, and while the tube is held firmly in place, as in a vice, a levering force is exerted on the handle end of the tool in an outward arcuate direction from the tube. The grasped side of the tube will split outwards, breaking away cleanly from the two adjoining sides of the tube, that are otherwise integral, at 90° angles to the one side being split away. The linear grooves will assure that the side splits away along the weakening grooves, resulting in the tube end bending outwards (or flaring) of the side that is being split away. The angular degree to which such split side is flared out will readily conform to the angle desired for the flange to provide an interconnection with another structural member or surface, either at a right angle
A Phi Dieu Tran
Eglington A. R.
Friedman Carl D.
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