Structural beam

• US 3,904,380 A
• Filed: 07/24/1973
• Issued: 09/09/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marjorie Ann M. Smith
• Original Assignee: Marjorie Ann M. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Marjorie Ann M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutledge, L. Dewayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crutchfield, O. F.
• Application Number:
  US05/382,185
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 72/324 29/193 280/16T 52/732,735
• US Class Current: 428/582
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 11/00 Bending not restricted to forms of material mentioned in only one of groups B21D5/00, B21D7/00, B21D9/00; Bending not provided for in groups B21D5/00 - B21D9/00 corrugating or bending into wave form B21D13/00, B21D15/00; flanging B21D19/00; Twisting
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 53/061 of flat bed or low loader type or fitted with swan necks detachable swan necks B62D53/065; swan neck-fifth wheel couplings B62D53/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12264 having outward flange, gripping means or interlocking feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12354 Nonplanar, uniform-thickness material having symmetrical channel shape or reverse fold [e.g., making acute angle, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12361 having aperture or cut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1241 Nonplanar uniform thickness or nonlinear uniform diameter [e.g., L-shape]

Abstract

A structural beam in the form of a channel, preferably of generally Z cross-section, having a central web and oppositely directed flanges along the longitudinal edges of the web is bent to an angle by cutting a slot through one flange and the web in a plane normal to channel axis to split the web and flange into separate sections having adjacent ends and then bending the other flange along a bend line in the plane of the slot to effect relative displacement of the web and flange section ends toward and into overlapping relation with one another. The overlapping section ends may be welded to one another to provide a rigid angleshaped beam. One web section may be slotted substantially in the plane of its flange section to provide a flange portion which may be bent to parallel and may be welded to the other web section. Alternatively, the end of one flange section may be offset lengthwise of the channel from the end of its web section to provide clearance for and may be welded to the other web section.

Claims

1. A STRUCTURAL BEAM COMPRISING:

A CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING A WEB AND FLANGES ALONG THE LONGITUDNAL EDGES OF AND NORMAL TO SAID WEB, SAID MEMBER HAVING A FIRST SLOT EXTENDING THROUGH ONE FLANGE AND SAID WEB IN A PLANE NORMAL TO SAID WEB AND TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE MEMBER AND SPLITTING SAID WEB AND ONE FLANGE INTO TWO SEPARATE SECTIONS HAVING ADJACENT WEB AND FLANGE SECTION ENDS, RESPECTIVELY SAID MEMBER HAVING A SECOND SLOT EXTENDING THROUGH ONE WEB SECTION FROM SAID FIRST SLOT SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WEB AND SAID ONE FLANGE AND DEFINING A BENDABLE PORTION OF SAID ONE FLANGE BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID SECOND SLOT, AND SAID CHANNEL MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BBE FORMED TO AN ANGLE BY FIRST BENDING SAID BENDABLE FLANGE PORTION AWAY FROM THE OTHER FLANGE ABOUT A BEND LINE NORMAL TO SAID WEB AND THEN BENDING SAID OTHER FLANGE ABOUT A BEND LINE IN SAID PLANE TO BRING SAID FLANGE AND WEB ENDS INTO OVERLAPPING RELATION.

2. A structural beam according to claim 1 wherein:

said channel member has a generally Z cross-section.

3. A structural beam comprising:

a channel member having a web and flanges along the longitudinal edges of and normal to the web, said flanges having inner sides presented toward said web, said web and one flange being split into separate sections having adjacent ends by a slot extending through said web and one flange in a plane normal to said web and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the member, the other flange having a bend aligned with said adjacent web ends and defining an oblique included angle between the inner flange surfaces at opposite sides of the bend, said web section ends being disposed in overlapping relation, and said flange section ends being disposed in overlapping relation.

4. A structural beam according to claim 3 including:

welds joining said overlapping web section ends and said overlapping flange section ends.

5. A structural beam according to claim 3 wherein:

one of said web sections has a second slot extending from said first slot substantially in the plane of the corresponding flange section of said one flange to define a bendable flange portion between the adjacent flange section end and the closed end of said second slot, and said flange portion is bent away from said other flange about a bend line passing through said slot end normal to the respective web section to a position wherein said flange portion is disposed in close parallel relation to the opposite flange section.

6. A structural beam according to claim 5 including:

welds joining said overlapping web ends and said flange portion to said opposite flange section.

7. A structural beam according to claim 3 wherein:

said end of one flange section is offset lengthwise of said latter section from said end of the respective web section and is disposed in close proximity to the other flange section.

8. A structural beam according to claim 7 including:

welds joining said overlapping web section ends and said offset flange section end to said opposite flange section.

9. The method of forming to an angle a structural beam comprising a channel member having a web and flanges along the longitudinal edges of and normal to the web, comprising the steps of:

cutting a slot through one flange and said web of said member in a plane normal to said web and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the member to split said web and one flange into two separate sections having adjacent ends, and bending the other flange of the member about a bend line in said plane and in a direction to effective relation displacement of the adjacent web and flange section ends into overlapping relation.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein:

said channel member has a generally Z cross-section.

11. A structural beam according to claim 3 wherein:

said channel member has a generally Z cross-section.