Background of the Invention

[0001] This invention relates to a connection between a steel I-beam member and a wooden panel, preferably in the form of a cross-laminated timber panel. In one form of the invention, the connection is made by providing openings in the top flange of the steel I-beam and then using angled washers inserted in the openings to direct screws at a selected angle through the openings and through the washes and into the wooden panel.

[0002] The present invention is particularly useful for creating composite roof or floor panels in a building. Combining one or more steel beams with the wooden panel strengthens the wooden panel which allows the wooden panel to be made larger and thus to allow for a single panel to span a greater distance.

[0003] Composite panels made from a combination of individual beams connected to a generally planar panel are well known in the art and the subject of a number of patents. New Zealand Patent 537,801 teaches a composite panel made by connecting timber or steel trusses to a panel made from concrete. US Patent 8,782,993, invented by Derek Trent Lawley and which issued on July 22, 2014, also teaches a composite panel where the panel is made from cement or concrete and the cement panel is connected to supporting trusses. The panel taught in Lawley is connected to the trusses by means of connectors that are embedded in the cement panel during its formation and protrude from the panel to attach to the trusses when the cement has set. Lawley believed this to be an efficient method of forming composite panels.

[0004] US Patent 4,495,688, invented by Francois Longpre et al and which issued on January 29, 1985, also teaches a composite panel where the panel is made from cement or concrete and the cement panel is connected to supporting trusses. The panel taught in Longpre et al is connected to the trusses by embedding the trusses in cement panel during the setting of the concrete. US Patent 3,210,900, invented by Conrad Sattler, and which issued on October 12, 1965, teaches a composite panel where the panel is made from cement or concrete and the cement panel is connected to supporting steel I-beams. The panel taught in Sattler is connected to the I beam by embedding studs which are welded to the I- beam in the concrete panel.

[0005] The connection of the present invention provides a reliable means by which the strength of a panel can be improved. The connection of the present invention improves on the prior art by incorporating a number of design features that make it lighter and cheaper to produce while withstanding sufficiently high loads.

Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention is a connection made between a panel made from wood and a beam, which is generally made from steel. Preferably, the beam is an I-beam. The connection is made with a plurality of separate fasteners and angled washers.

[0007] The present invention is a connection that is part of a building structure, which is made between a wooden panel, preferably made from cross-laminated timber, and preferably an I-beam, using a plurality of separate fasteners and separate washers. The wooden panel, has an attachment face, the I-beam is disposed in relatively close association with the wooden panel and has an anchoring face, the plurality of separate fasteners penetrate and are anchored in the wooden panel and the plurality of separate fasteners pass through openings in the upper flange of the I-beam and through openings in the separate, angled washers which are also received in the openings in the web of the I-beam.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, there is a first plurality of separate fasteners entering the panel through the beam and angled in one general direction, and there is a second plurality of fasteners entering the panel through the beam and angled in an opposed direction. According to the present invention, the elongated shanks of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners are disposed at non-orthogonal angles to the substantially planar attachment face of the panel.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the washers receiving the elongated shanks of each of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners has a portion that is at least partially received in an opening in the beam, and each washer has one or more through bores which receive an elongated shank of one or more of the separate fasteners of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the openings in the beams that receive the washers or at least a portion of the washers matingly engage with the washers to create a close fit, such that the orientation of the opening effets the orientation of the washer. In one embodiment, each portion of each washer that is received in each opening in the beam has a selected configuration, and each opening in the beam that receives each washers has a shape that closely corresponds to the selected configuration of the portion of the washer that is received in the opening such that each washers can only be set in one of a finite set of orientations with respect to the beam when the washer is received by the opening. In one preferred embodiment, the finite set of orientations in which a washer can be set with respect to the beam is two.

[0011] In one embodiment of the invention, being able to set the washer in a finite number of possible orientations is determined by forming each washer that is received in an opening in the beam with a first length along a first axis with the first axis being parallel with the substantially planar attachment face of the panel and forming with a first width along a second axis with the second axis being normal to the first axis and parallel with the substantially planar attachment face of the panel, with the first length being longer than the first width. Correspondingly, the openings for receiving the washers have a selected configuration, and the selected configuration of the openings has a first length along a first axis with the first axis being parallel with the substantially planar attachment face of the panel, and they have a first width along a second axis with the second axis being normal to the first axis and parallel with the substantially planar attachment face of the panel, with the first length being longer than the first width.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, when each washer is partially received in the opening in the beam, and the washer receives a separate fastener of one of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners, each separate fastener so received is set at a selected non-orthogonal angle to the substantially planar attachment face of the panel.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners are self-drilling wood screws, the panel is made from cross-laminated timber, and the beam is a steel I-beam and the openings for receiving the washers are disposed in a top flange of the I-beam which is in close contact with the attachment surface of the panel.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the I-beam has a web and the top flange has portions disposed to either side of the web, and the openings for receiving the washers are divided into a first group of openings disposed on one side of the web and a second group of openings disposed on the other side of the web.

[0015] In a preferred form of the invention, the panel has a first end and a second end with a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end and a longitudinal mid-point between the first end and the second end on the longitudinal axis, and the panel has a first side edge and a second side edge with a lateral axis extending between the first side edge and the second side edge and the I-beam extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the panel, and the openings for receiving the washers in the first group of openings and in the second group of openings are arranged so that each of the openings in the first group of openings is aligned with a corresponding opening on the other side of the web in the second group of openings on a line parallel with the longitudinal axis of the panel.

[0016] In a preferred form of the invention, the first plurality of separate fasteners received by the panel is disposed between the first end and the mid-point and the second plurality of separate fasteners received by the panel is disposed between the second end and the mid-point, and the elongated shanks of the first plurality of separate fasteners are disposed with the tip and leading portion of each fastener disposed closer to the first end of the panel than the distal portion of the same fastener, and the elongated shanks of the second plurality of separate fasteners are disposed with the tip and leading portion of each fastener disposed closer to the second end of the panel than the distal portion of the same fastener.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] Fig. 1 is a bottom, perspective view of the connection of the present invention, showing the I-beam attached to the underside of a panel.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a top, perspective view of the beam used in the connection.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a top, perspective view of a washer used in the connection.

[0020] Fig. 4 is a bottom, perspective view of the washer shown in Fig. 3.

[0021] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional, side view of the washer shown in Fig. 3.

[0022] Fig. 6 is an end view of the washer shown in Fig. 3 .

[0023] Fig. 7 is an end view of the fastener used in the connection. [0024] Fig. 8 is a side view of the fastener used in the connection.

[0025] Fig. 9 is bottom perspective view of the connection of the present invention. The shanks of the fasteners received in the panel are shown in dotted lines.

[0030] Fig. 10 is a top perspective view showing the fasteners as they would be received through the top flange of the beam of Fig. 2.

[0026] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the connection shown in Fig. 1.

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0026] Fig. 1 shows the connection 1 between a beam 2 and a panel 3 made with a first plurality of separate fasteners 4 and a second plurality of separate fasteners 5. The panel 3 has a substantially planar attachment face 6. The beam 2 is disposed in close association with the substantially planar attachment face 6 of the panel 3 and has a substantially planar connection face 7 as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 8, 10 and 11, the first plurality of separate fasteners 4 have elongated shanks 8 with a tip 9 and a leading portion 10 of each of the first plurality of separate fasteners 4 penetrates and is anchored in the panel 3 and a distal portion 11 of each of the first plurality of separate fasteners 4 passes through and is anchored in the beam 2. Similarly, the second plurality of separate fasteners 5 have elongated shanks 8 with a tip 9 and a leading portion 10 of each of the second plurality of separate fasteners 5 penetrates and is anchored in the panel 3 and a distal portion 11 of each of the second plurality of separate fasteners 5 passes through and is anchored in the beam 2. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the elongated shanks 8 of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners 4 and 5 are disposed at one or more selected, non-orthogonal angles to the substantially planar attachment face of the panel 6. [0027] As shown in Figs. 9 and 11, the elongated shanks 8 of each of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners 4 and 5 are also received by one or more washers 12 shown in Figs. 3 - 6. In the preferred embodiment, each of the washers 12 receiving the elongated shanks 8 of each of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners 4 and 5 only has a portion that is partially received in an opening 13 in the beam 2. As shown in Fig. 5, each washer 12 has a through bore 14 which receives the elongated shank 8 of one of the separate fasteners of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners 4 and 5.

[0028] As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, each portion 15 of each washer 12 that is received in each opening 13 in the beam 2 has a selected configuration and each opening 13 in the beam 2 that receives each washer 12 has a shape that closely corresponds to the selected configuration of the portion 15 of the washer 12 that is received in the opening 13 such that each washer 12 can only be set in one of a finite set of orientations with respect to the beam 2 when the washer 12 is received by the opening 13. In the preferred embodiment, the finite set of orientations in which a washer 12 can be set with respect to the beam 2 is two.

[0029] As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the selected configuration of the portion 15 of each washer 12 that is received in the opening 13 in the beam 2 has a first length 16 along an axis with the axis being parallel with the substantially planar attachment face 6 of the panel 3, and the selected configuration of the portion 15 of each washer 12 that is received in the opening 13 in the beam 2 also has a first width 17 along an axis with that axis being normal to the axis of the first length 16 and parallel with the substantially planar attachment face 6 of the panel 3, with the first length 16 being longer than the first width 17.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 9, when each washer 12 is partially received in the opening 13 in the beam 2, and the washer 12 receives a separate fastener of one of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners 4 and 5, each separate fastener so received is set at a selected non-orthogonal angle to the substantially planar attachment face 6 of the panel 3.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 8, the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners 4 and 5 are self-drilling wood screws. As shown in Fig. 11, the panel 3 is made from cross-laminated timber. A typical cross-laminated timber panel is built up of multiple layers of boards joined together with the long orientation of the boards in one layer set at a orthogonal angle to the layers of boards above and below them.

[0032] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the beam 2 is an I-beam 2 and the openings 13 for receiving the washers 12 are disposed in a top flange 18 of the I-beam 2 which is in close contact with the substantially planar attachment surface 6 of the panel 3. The I-beam 2 has a web 19 and the top flange 18 has portions disposed to either side of the web 19, and the openings 13 for receiving the washers 12 are divided into a first group of openings 13 disposed on one side of the web and a second group of openings 13 disposed on the other side of the web.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 1, the panel 3 has a first end 20 and a second end 21 with a longitudinal axis 22 extending between the first end 20 and the second end 21 and a longitudinal mid-point 23 between the first end 20 and the second end 21 on the longitudinal axis 22, and the panel 3 has a first side edge 24 and a second side edge 25 with a lateral axis 26 extending between the first side edge 24 and the second side edge 25. As shown in Fig. 2, the I-beam 2 extends parallel to the longitudinal axis 22 of the panel 3, and the openings 13 for receiving the washers 12 in the first group of openings 13 and in the second group of openings 13 are arranged so that each of the openings 13 in the first group of openings 13 is aligned with a corresponding opening 13 on the other side of the web 19 in the second group of openings 13 on a line parallel with the longitudinal axis 22 of the panel 3. As is also best shown in Fig. 2, the openings 13 for receiving the washers

12 have a selected configuration, and the selected configuration of the openings

13 has a first length T1 along an axis with the axis being parallel with the substantially planar attachment face 6 of the panel 3, and the selected configuration of the openings 13 also has a first width 28 along an axis with the axis being normal to the length axis and parallel with the substantially planar attachment face 6 of the panel 3, with the first length being longer than the first width.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 10, the first plurality of separate fasteners 4 received by the panel 3 is disposed between the first end 20 and the longitudinal mid-point 23 and the second plurality of separate fasteners 5 received by the panel 3 is disposed between the second end 21 and the longitudinal mid-point 23, and the elongated shanks 8 of the first plurality of separate fasteners 4 are disposed with the tip 9 and leading portion 10 of each fastener disposed closer to the first end 20 of the panel 3 than the distal portion 11 of the same fastener, and the elongated shanks 8 of the second plurality of separate fasteners 5 are disposed with the tip 9 and leading portion 10 of each fastener disposed closer to the second end 21 of the panel 3 than the distal portion 11 of the same fastener.