Method of connecting post to joist

Abstract

A bracket having a long leg and a base having three layers. A preferred bracket has support sides connecting the long leg and the base. Any bracket may be used to attach any portion of a structure which would tend to be separated from the remainder of the structure by a pulling or pushing force by laterally attaching the long leg to the main portion of the structure and laterally attaching the base to the portion of the structure which would tend to separate. A preferred use is a method of operatively connecting guard rail posts to deck joists or other structural elements.

1 . An “L”-shaped bracket having a long leg and a base wherein the base is made up of exactly three layers. 
   
   
       2 . The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein supporting sides connect the base and the long leg. 
   
   
       3 . The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein each of the long leg and the base has at least one hole therethrough for the passage of attachment devices. 
   
   
       4 . The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein the bracket is metal and the metal has been treated to resist chemical deterioration. 
   
   
       5 . A method of attaching an upstanding post to a structural element so that the upstanding post is capable of resisting moment and so as to be compliant with the building code testing protocol of 500 pounds capacity at a guard height of 36 inches by virtue of the fact that a bracket transmits lateral and rotational loads from the post to the structural element, which method comprises the steps of operatively connecting the upstanding post to one or more lateral anchors using mechanical connectors and attaching the one or more lateral anchors to the structural element using horizontally positioned mechanical connectors, 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the lateral anchor is an “L”-shaped bracket. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the “L”-shaped bracket has a base which is made up of a plurality of layers. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the bracket has a base which is made up of exactly three layers. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the bracket has supporting pieces connecting the long leg and the base. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the long leg of the “L”-shaped bracket is laterally attached to the structural element and the base of the “L”-shaped bracket is laterally attached to the upstanding post. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of the long leg and the base of the bracket has at least one hole therethrough for the passage of connector devices. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the upstanding post is an upstanding deck post and the structural element is a deck joist. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the mechanical connectors are bolts, nails, or screws.