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  Building trussThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070193130. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
I. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] This invention pertains to trusses for fabricating the roof of a building. More particularly, this invention pertains to a truss to provide enhanced storage beneath the roof of a structure. [0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art [0004] Trusses are well known in the construction trade. A truss is a prefabricated structure to be used in forming the roof of a building. Commonly, a truss includes ceiling joist which is a horizontal member having a length sufficient for ends of the joist to bear on opposing walls of a structure. Rafters extend up from the opposite ends of the joist and terminate at a ridge line usually above the center line of the joint. A trust will also include a plurality of bracing members which brace the members to the joists and which are fastened in place by metal braces. [0005] Not uncommonly, trusses are designed to have a central area which is generally unobstructed so that when a roof structure is completed, the unobstructed areas of the trusses are aligned to create an unobstructed volume which can be used either as an additional room or for storage space. Such storage space trusses are particularly useful above a garage to provide additional storage space for seasonal items. Unfortunately, not all trusses can provide adequate storage space. For example, the amount of the height of the storage area as well as its volume are highly dependent upon factors such as the span of the joist and the pitch of the roof. It is an object of the present invention to provide a truss for such limited environments which provides an enhanced headroom within the storage area. II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention a truss is disclosed for a roof of a building structure where the structure has opposing first and second sidewalls terminating in an upward elevation. The truss includes a lower span. The lower span has first and second horizontal joist portions on opposite ends of the truss. The first and second joist portions are adapted to be placed on upper ends of the first and second sidewalls and with the first and second joist portions extending toward one another in substantially linear alignment. The first and second joist portions have a combined length less than a distance between the sidewalls. At least a third joist portion is disposed between opposing ends of the first and second joist portions and beneath a plane defined by the first and second joint portions. The third joist portion extends parallel to and spaced from the first and second joist portions. A first bracing member connects a first end of the third joist portion to a first joist portion. A second bracing member connects a second end of a third joist portion to the second joist portion. A plurality of rafters are connected to the lower span and connect at an angle thereto to define a ridge above the third joist portion. A plurality of braces connect the joist portions and the rafters in a pattern leaving a substantially unobstructed area above the third joist portion. III. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a prior art truss showing an unobstructed area beneath a ridge of the truss; [0008] FIG. 2 is the view of FIG. 1 showing a person within the unobstructed area but constrained to stand at less than full height within the unobstructed area; [0009] FIG. 3 is a structure with a roof formed from the trusses of FIG. 1; [0010] FIG. 4 is a front elevation view of a truss according to the present invention; [0011] FIG. 5 is the view of FIG. 4 showing a person able to stand at full height within the unobstructed area of the truss of FIG. 4; and [0012] FIG. 6 is a structure with a roof fabricated with trusses according to the present invention. IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT [0013] With initial reference to FIGS. 1 through 3, a prior art truss 10 is shown with placement on a structure such as a garage 12 in FIG. 3. The garage 12 includes sidewalls 14 and 16 which terminate at upper elevation 15 and 17. In proper construction, the upper elevations 15 and 17 are aligned so that a true horizontal line stands between the upper ends 15 and 17. [0014] The roof of the structure 12 is formed by a plurality of trusses 10 aligned in parallel alignment and sheathed with a roofing material 18 to provide weather-tight sealing of the roof. The trusses 10 are conventional prior art trusses designed to create a storage space. The truss includes a unitary joist 20 having a length L equal to or greater than the distance between the sidewalls 14, 16 of the structure. [0015] Rafters 22 and 24 extend from the ends of the joist 20 extend upwardly at an angle to meet at a ridge point 26 which, in the example shown, resides substantially above the center of the joist 20. A plurality of vertical braces 28 through 31 extend between the rafters and the joists 20. Also angular braces 32, 33 extend from the joist 20 at the intersection of the rafter 22, 24 with the braces 28, 31 to create a triangulation for force distribution. A ceiling joist brace 34 extends between the vertical trusses 29, 30 beneath the ridge 26. [0016] The intersection of all members (i.e., rafters, braces and joists) are connected by metal plates 50 covering both intersecting members and including fasteners such as nails to complete the joinder of the members at the intersection. [0017] It will be noted there are no angular or other rafters within the area 36 defined by braces 29, 30, 34 and joist 20. Accordingly, this area is an unobstructed area such that when a plurality of trusses are placed in parallel alignment on a structure as shown in FIG. 3, the unobstructed area 36 combines to create an unobstructed volume which may be used for storage, occupation or the like. [0018] The amount of headroom (i.e., the distance between joist 34 and joist 20) varies with the length of the span of the joist 20 as well as the pitch of the rafters 22, 24. Pitch is the ratio of a unit height divided by the unit run (length of the rafter). [0019] For roofs with very low pitch or a short span L, the amount of headroom can be quite small such that an occupant cannot stand within the space as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 with the silhouette of a human H crouching in response to the restricted headroom. [0020] In certain construction sites, the height of a garage roof (i.e., from the floor of the garage to the rafters and joist 20) can be substantially greater than is necessary for vehicle storage and other uses. As a result, there is a substantial amount of wasted headroom within many garages due to grading and other factors at the construction site. Continue reading... Full patent description for Building truss Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Building truss patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Building truss or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Interlocking seawall construction and installation apparatus Next Patent Application: Acoustical panel ceiling system Industry Class: Static structures (e.g., buildings) ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Building truss patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.09049 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Novartis , Pfizer , Philips , Polaroid , Procter & Gamble , |
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