Wood and Steel Beam Composite Panel

Abstract

A connection is provided where angled fasteners connect a beam and a wooden panel to make a composite panel.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A connection between a beam and a panel made with a first plurality of separate fasteners and a second plurality of separate fasteners, the connection comprising:
 a. the panel, having a substantially planar attachment face;   b. the beam disposed in close association with the subtantially planar attachment face of the panel and having a substantially planar connection face;   c. the first plurality of separate fasteners having elongated shanks with a tip and a leading portion of each of the first plurality of separate fasteners penetrating and anchored in the panel and a distal portion of each of the first plurality of separate fasteners passing through and anchored in the beam;   d. the second plurality of separate fasteners having elongated shanks with a tip and a leading portion of each of the second plurality of separate fasteners penetrating and anchored in the panel and a distal portion of each of the second plurality of separate fasteners passing through and anchored in the beam; and wherein   e. the elongated shanks of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners are disposed at one or more selected, non-orthogonal angles to the substantially planar attachment face of the panel.   
     
     
         2 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the elongated shanks of each of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners are also received by one or more washers.   
     
     
         3 . The connection of  claim 2 , wherein:
 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 a through bore which receives the elongated shank of one of the separate fasteners of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners.   
     
     
         4 . The connection of  claim 3 , wherein:
 a. each portion of each washer that is received in each opening in the beam has a selected configuration; and   b. 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.   
     
     
         5 . The connection of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the finite set of orientations in which a washer can be set with respect to the beam is two.   
     
     
         6 . The connection of  claim 4 , wherein:
 a. the selected configuration of the portion of each washers that is received in the opening in the beam has a first length along a first axis with the first axis being parallel with the substantially planar attachment face of the panel; and   b. the selected configuration of the portion of each washer that is received in the opening in the beam also has 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.   
     
     
         7 . The connection of  claim 4 , wherein:
 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.   
     
     
         8 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners are self-drilling wood screws.   
     
     
         9 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the panel is made from cross-laminated timber   
     
     
         10 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the beam is an 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.   
     
     
         11 . The connection of  claim 10 , wherein:
 a. the I-beam has a web and the top flange has portions disposed to either side of the web;   b. 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.   
     
     
         12 . The connection of  claim 10 , wherein:
 a. 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;   b. 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.   
     
     
         13 . The connection of  claim 12 , wherein:
 a. 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   b. the selected configuration of the openings also has 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.   
     
     
         14 . The connection of  claim 1 , wherein:
 a. 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   b. the beam extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the panel.   
     
     
         15 . The connection of  claim 14 , wherein:
 a. 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   b. 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.   
     
     
         16 . The connection of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the elongated shanks of each of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners are also received by one or more washers.   
     
     
         17 . The connection of  claim 16 , wherein:
 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 a through bore which receives the elongated shank of one of the separate fasteners of the first and second pluralities of separate fasteners.   
     
     
         18 . The connection of  claim 17 , wherein:
 a. each portion of each washer that is received in each opening in the beam has a selected configuration; and   b. 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.   
     
     
         19 . The connection of  claim 18 , wherein:
 a. the selected configuration of the portion of each washers that is received in the opening in the beam has a first length along a first axis with the first axis being parallel with the substantially planar attachment face of the panel and parallel with the longitudinal axis of the panel; and   b. the selected configuration of the portion of each washer that is received in the opening in the beam also has 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 and parallel with the lateral axis of the panel, with the first length being longer than the first width.   
     
     
         20 . The connection of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the panel is a cross-laminated timber panel.