Bracket for attaching column to a structural support
A connecting bracket, for attaching a columnar building member to a structural support member, includes a horizontal ring-shaped base surface having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, with a plurality of spaced non-uniform apertures disposed along the horizontal ring-shaped surface. A vertical ring-shaped surface extends from the inner perimeter of the horizontal surface, with the perimeter of the vertical surface conforming to the inner perimeter of the horizontal surface, and with a plurality of spaced non-uniform apertures disposed along the vertical ring-shaped surface. The columnar building member is attached to the connecting bracket via a fastening device through one or more of the spaced apertures disposed along the vertical ring-shaped surface. The columnar building member and connecting bracket are attached to the structural support member via a fastening device through one or more of the spaced apertures disposed along the horizontal ring-shaped surface.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to brackets or connectors for building materials, and more particularly to a connecting bracket providing a comprehensive positive connection between a support column and a slab, pier, girder or structural frame of a building.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the escalating costs of building materials, especially lumber, many companies have developed pre-engineered polymer and fiberglass materials for use as support structures in commercial and residential construction.
At the same time, the monumental costs for rebuilding inferior structures after natural disasters has caused communities to enact tougher building codes and standards to minimize damage from future natural disasters, thereby hopefully lowering replacement costs and saving lives. Accordingly, building designers and engineers must now factor both cost and safety requirements into their new designs.
In particular, hollowed polymer and fiberglass columns are used extensively for porches, porticos, decks, as well as interior design appurtenances. A problem arises when a contractor seeks to secure these columns to the structural counterparts they transfer the loads to. While the particular column manufacturing company typically supplies a technical data sheet for installation, such data sheets are often incomplete, or provide minimal guidelines. Frequently, the contractor is instructed to check with local state and/or federal building codes for proper installation. In a bit of circular logic, many of the building codes themselves (e.g., the International Building Code or IBC) will state that a product should be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's product specification.
Left with minimal guidance and subjective standards, many contractors/installers resort to ad hoc or self-created connection mechanisms, with the result that such structures are not in compliance with building codes, and are inadequate to properly withstand the wind, seismic or other destructive forces experienced in natural disasters.
For example, as shown in
In any case, these “L” brackets provide limited axial load support, load transfer, lateral support and shear value from the column 80 to the structural counterpart 95. These concentrated point connections do not transfer the load around the entire circumference of the column, severely reducing the load transfer capabilities for wind, snow, seismic and lateral forces.
In another typical installation shown in
What is needed, therefore, is a connecting bracket that provides a shear connection around the entire circumference or perimeter of the column. What is also needed is a device that can connect and transfer the loads efficiently and with stronger lateral integrity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTo overcome the above described and other disadvantages of the prior art, embodiments of the invention provide for a collar-type connecting device with two surfaces; a vertical for attaching a support column to the connecting device and a horizontal surface for attaching the connecting device to a structural member.
More specifically, embodiments of the invention described herein provide for a connecting bracket, for attaching a columnar building member to a structural support member, including a horizontal ring-shaped base surface having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, with a plurality of spaced non-uniform apertures disposed along the entire horizontal ring-shaped surface. A vertical ring-shaped surface extends from the inner perimeter of the horizontal surface, with the perimeter of the vertical surface conforming to the inner perimeter of the horizontal surface, and with a plurality of spaced non-uniform apertures disposed along the entire vertical ring-shaped surface. The columnar building member is attached to the connecting bracket via a fastening device through one or more of the spaced apertures disposed along the entire vertical ring-shaped surface. The columnar building member and connecting bracket are attached to the structural support member via a fastening device through one or more of the spaced apertures disposed along the entire horizontal ring-shaped surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe above objects and other advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art.
Broadly described, an embodiment of the invention provides a means for connecting a support column to a slab pier, girder or structural frame of a building. Support columns used in construction today may be hollow or not, but the connecting bracket of the present invention can be used with any support column installation.
The connecting bracket 60 of the present invention provides a positive, secure and circumferential connection between the respective upper or lower ends of the support column 80 and the slab, pier, girder or other structural component. The connecting bracket 60 is designed to provide a connection that meets or exceeds the building code requirements, while still making it easier and quicker to install than existing methods and apparatus. The connecting bracket 60 can be used to secure any type of material, including but not limited to wood, polymer and aluminum materials. The connecting bracket 60 is secured to the column 80 and the structural member using a suitable fastening means 70, for example, nails, screws, lag bolts, nut/bolt combinations and other equivalent means.
While shown in a circular, collar-type configuration in
Note that the outer diameter or shape 63 of the horizontal ring-shaped surface 62 may be of a different shape to conform to a specific location. For example, if attaching a cylindrical column 80 at a corner structural location, the outer perimeter of the horizontal surface 62 may be triangular, while the inner diameter 61 would be circular to conform to the circumference of the column 80 (see
While
Also, the connecting bracket 60 shown in
In each of
In addition, as shown in
As described herein, the connecting bracket 60 can be used to install and secure the attachment point between similar or dissimilar building materials, whether conventional wood and aluminum, or modern polymers and fiberglass. The connecting device 60 also facilitates inspection and maintenance of the structural attachment point.
The connecting device 60 can be made of many different materials and material thicknesses, depending on the end use, environmental factors, and the anticipated load. For example, the connecting bracket can be manufactured with all gauges of stainless steel, hot-dipped zinc-coated galvanized steel, silicone, bronze, copper, fiberglass and plastics.
The vertical height and horizontal width of the bracket should be dimensioned to ensure the decorative base 210 (see
By spreading the load along and around the entire the circumference of the column, and providing a plurality of attachment points to thereby increase the shear connection, the present invention is also well suited for those circumstances where the center point load of a roof girder, for instance, is offset from the center point load of the columnar support.
While the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood to those skilled in the art that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A connecting bracket for attaching a columnar building member to a structural support member, comprising;
- a horizontal ring-shaped base surface having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, with a plurality of spaced apertures disposed along the entire horizontal ring-shaped surface; and
- a vertical ring-shaped surface extending from the inner perimeter of the horizontal surface, with the perimeter of the vertical surface conforming to the inner perimeter of the horizontal surface, and with a plurality of spaced apertures disposed along the entire vertical ring-shaped surface;
- wherein the inner perimeter of the horizontal surface, and the perimeter of the vertical surface conform to an outer perimeter shape of the columnar building member, and
- wherein the columnar building member is attached to the connecting bracket via a fastening means through one or more of the spaced apertures disposed along the entire vertical ring-shaped surface, and
- wherein the columnar building member and connecting bracket are attached to the structural support member via a fastening means through one or more of the spaced apertures disposed along the entire horizontal ring-shaped surface.
2. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the spaced apertures of the horizontal and vertical surfaces comprise uniform openings, and are uniformly spaced along the entirety of the respective surfaces.
3. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the spaced apertures of the horizontal and vertical surfaces comprise non-uniform openings, and are non-uniformly spaced along the entirety of the respective surfaces.
4. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the vertical ring-shaped surface extends for the horizontal ring-shaped base at perpendicular angle.
5. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the vertical ring-shaped surface extends for the horizontal ring-shaped base at non-perpendicular angle.
6. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the connecting bracket is comprised of a plurality of pieces.
7. The bracket of claim 6, wherein the pieces overlap at predetermined horizontal and vertical junctions, and are secured with a fastening means after placing the bracket in position around the columnar member.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 20, 2006
Publication Date: Oct 25, 2007
Inventor: Joesph Ehrhardt (Leonardo, NJ)
Application Number: 11/407,240
International Classification: A47B 96/06 (20060101);