Tubular truss assembly

Abstract

A truss assembly for supporting a roof, floor, bridge or other structure, the truss having a plurality of work points spaced apart along a length of the truss, wherein at least one work point comprises a gusset plate secured directly between two parallel and adjacent members of a chord of the truss to join the two parallel and adjacent members of the chord, and the gusset plate also secured between first ends of two parallel and adjacent strut members of the truss to join the parallel and adjacent strut members to the chord at the gusset plate.

1 . A truss assembly wherein a section of the truss comprises:
 an upper chord assembly comprising first and second upper chords parallel and adjacent to each other;   a lower chord assembly comprising first and second lower chords parallel and adjacent to each other;   a plurality of upper and lower gusset plates spaced apart from each other and each gusset plate disposed along a length of either the upper chord assembly or lower chord assembly;   a plurality of strut assemblies comprising first and second struts parallel and adjacent to each other and extending between one of the upper gusset plates and one of the lower gusset plates;   wherein at least at one of the plurality of upper gusset plates is a first upper gusset plate and comprises the first and second upper chords secured to the first upper gusset plate and at least one of the plurality of strut assemblies being secured to the first upper gusset plate and extending in a downward diagonal direction to a first lower gusset plate of the plurality of lower gusset plates and at least one more of the plurality of strut assemblies being secured to the first lower gusset plate and extending in a upward diagonal direction away from the first lower gusset plate of to a second upper gusset plate of the plurality of upper gusset plates.   
     
     
         2 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  and further comprising:
 at least one upper tie gusset plate; 
 at least one lower tie gusset plate; and 
 at least one tie assembly comprising first and second ties parallel and adjacent to each other and extending between one of the upper gusset plates and one lower tie gusset plate or one of the lower gusset plates and one upper tie gusset plate. 
 
     
     
         3 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of upper gusset plates are offset vertically from each of the plurality of lower gusset plates as the gusset plates are spaced apart along the length of truss assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The truss assembly of  claim 2  wherein two of the plurality of upper gusset plates are spaced apart along a length of the upper chord assembly with one of the plurality of upper tie gusset plates therebetween. 
     
     
         5 . The truss assembly of  claim 2  wherein two of the plurality of lower gusset plates are spaced apart along a length of the lower chord assembly with one of the plurality of lower tie gusset plates therebetween. 
     
     
         6 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  wherein at least three or more of the plurality of upper and lower gusset plates are spaced apart a substantially same distance along the length of the truss. 
     
     
         7 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of strut assemblies comprises parallel and adjacent metal tubes. 
     
     
         8 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  wherein the upper chord assembly comprises parallel and adjacent metal tubes and the lower chord assembly comprises parallel and adjacent metal tubes. 
     
     
         9 . The truss assembly of  claim 8  wherein the metal tubes are steel tubes having a wall thickness of at least ⅛ inch and at least one cross-sectional dimension of at least ½ inch. 
     
     
         10 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  and further comprising at least one splice between two adjacent upper and lower gusset plates along the length of the truss to encapsulate a length of one or both of the upper or lower chord of the truss to connect two lengths of the truss in series or to reinforce one or both chords of the truss. 
     
     
         11 . The truss assembly of  claim 10  wherein each splice comprises at least one plate having one or more bends along a length of the plate. 
     
     
         12 . The truss assembly of  claim 11  wherein the splice further comprises a flat plate for securing directly between the two adjacent and parallel upper or lower chord members at the location of the splice. 
     
     
         13 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  and further comprising an end saddle for securing across terminal ends of the upper chord assembly of the truss assembly wherein the end saddle comprises an upper plate and a lower plate for encapsulating a perimeter of the terminal ends of the upper chord assembly. 
     
     
         14 . The truss assembly of  claim 13  wherein the end saddle further comprises a fastener for securing the upper plate and lower plate together and having fastener ends with a length sufficient for embedding the fastener ends into a building for installation of the truss assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first and second upper chords are welded directly to first and second opposing sides of the first upper gusset plate. 
     
     
         16 . The truss assembly of  claim 15  wherein the first and second struts are welded directly to first and second opposing sides of the first upper gusset plate. 
     
     
         17 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  wherein the first and second lower chords are welded directly to first and second opposing sides of the first lower gusset plate. 
     
     
         18 . The truss assembly of  claim 17  wherein the first and second struts are welded directly to first and second opposing sides of the first lower gusset plate. 
     
     
         19 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  wherein the truss is installed in a building to support a roof or floor. 
     
     
         20 . The truss assembly of  claim 1  and further comprising an end saddle for securing across terminal ends of the lower chord assembly of the truss assembly wherein the end saddle comprises an upper plate and a lower plate for encapsulating a perimeter of the terminal ends of the lower chord assembly. 
     
     
         21 . The truss assembly of  claim 20  wherein the end saddle further comprises a fastener for securing the upper plate and the lower plate together and having fastener ends with a length sufficient for embedding the fastener ends into a building for installation of the truss assembly.