Tension Tie

Abstract

A connection is provided in which the connector can act as a hold-down or tension tie to transfer tension, uplift or lateral loads between the secured and anchoring members. The connector is used in combination with a separate anchor and fastener. The anchor may be attached to a concrete foundation, other similar connectors, wood frame members, or similar structural members, or other supporting or anchoring members.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet metal connector for fixing a structural member to be fixed to a fixed structural member, and a connection produced thereby. The connector works in cooperation with one or more individual anchor members received by the fixed structural member, and individual fasteners for attaching the connector to the structural member to be fixed.

[0002] The present invention is particularly useful as a hold-down or a tension tie. As a tension tie, the connector is particularly useful for fixing joists to concrete walls.

Background Art

[0003] Hold-downs and tension ties are well known in the art and are the subject of multiple patents. U.S. Patent No. 8,555,580, issued October 15, 2013 and invented by Kashane Vilasineekul, teaches tension ties and hold-downs specifically designed for securing decks and deck members. The hold-down and tension tie taught by U.S. Patent No. 8,555,580 have a split back member that is joined to the seat member only through side members connected to the seat.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 4,321,776, invented by Arthur Delight and issued on March 30, 1982, teaches a hold-down in which a member is connected to a seat member and a side member is connected to both the seat member and the back member to reinforce the connection. U.S. Patent No. 4,744,192, invented by Alfred D. Commins and issued on May 17, 1988, teaches a tension tie in which a side member is connected to a seat member, a bend along the side member creates an overlapping back member, and the overlapping back member is connected to a back member extension strap. U.S. Patent No. 5,467,570, invented by William F. Leek and issued on November 21, 1995, teaches a tension tie in which a back member is connected to a seat, and a side member connected to the back member is bent to create a seat flange that overlaps with the seat member. U.S. Patent No. 5,979,130, invented by Robert C. Gregg et al. and issued on November 9, 1999, teaches a hold-down in which the sheet and side members are drawn from the metal of the back member, and the sheet is curved to reduce the deflection of the hold-down. U.S. Patent No. 6,250,041, invented by Campbell John Seccombe and issued on June 26, 2001, teaches a hold-down in which there are no side members at all, but the sheet has an upright flange facing the back member. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0165942, invented by Ben L. Schmid et al. and published on August 26, 2004, teaches a hold-down in which the sheet, side members and back member are all connected.

[0005] The connector of the present invention works to conform to standard installation practices, similar to most hold-down and tension ties of the prior art. The connector of the present invention improves upon the prior art by incorporating several design features that make it lighter and less expensive to produce while withstanding sufficiently high tensile loads, and by enabling a wider variety of installation options. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 8,555,580 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 4,321,776 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 4,744,192 [Patent Document 4] U.S. Patent No. 5,467,570 [Patent Document 5] U.S. Patent No. 5,979,130 [Patent Document 6] U.S. Patent No. 6,250,041 [Patent Document 7] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0165942 [Overview of the Initiative] [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a connection made by a connector that can function as a hold-down or tension tie and transmits tensile loads, uplift loads, or lateral loads between a fixed member and a fixed member. The connector is used in combination with individual anchors and fasteners. The anchors may be connected to a concrete foundation, other similar connectors, timber frame members, or similar structural members, or other support or fixed members.

[0008] The present invention relates to a connection, which is part of a building structure, between a fixed member and a fixing member, made of a connector, one or more individual anchors, and one or more individual fasteners, wherein the fixed member has a mounting surface, the fixing member is positioned in relatively close proximity to the fixed member and has a fixing surface, one or more individual anchors penetrate the fixing member and are fixed to the fixing member, one or more individual fasteners penetrate the fixed member and are fixed to the fixed member, the connector has a sheet member and a back member positioned at an angle to the sheet member while connected to the sheet member at a lateral juncture, the sheet member has an edge opposite to the lateral juncture and both side edges passing between the lateral juncture and the edge, the back member has an edge opposite to the lateral juncture and both side edges passing between the lateral juncture and the edge, the sheet member receives and is connected to one or more individual anchors, and the back member receives and is connected to one or more individual fasteners.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fixed member is an elongated member extending along the longest dimension of the fixed member in a direction parallel to a portion of the back member to which it is attached. The connector of the present invention may be fastened to a structural member nominally 5.08 cm (2 inches) wide by individual fasteners passing through its back member, or it may be fastened to a fixing member to be ideal as a tension tie for a 5.08 cm (2 inches) wide joist. A dry wood member nominally 5.08 cm (2 inches) wide may be as thin as 3.81 cm (1.5 inches). The dimensions of the connector are optimized so that the back member of the connector can be attached to the thin underside or top side of a typical joist that is horizontally positioned with its thin underside oriented downwards and its thin top side oriented upwards.

[0010] The connector is preferably fastened to the joist with nails via its back member and secured to the wall of the building with self-drilling, self-tapping anchors or bolts.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the back member has a central longitudinal axis extending from the transverse joint to the edge of the back member, and a single central emboss extends along the longitudinal axis from a region adjacent to the transverse joint. The central emboss helps prevent the connector from breaking when under tensile load. The central emboss is preferably embossed 0.3429 cm (0.135 inches) upward from the sheet metal blank, with a width of 0.9525 cm (0.375 inches) and a length of 5.715 cm (2.250 inches). The central emboss preferably has rounded upper and lower ends, and the top of the emboss is about 29.84 cm (11 and 3 / 4 inches) below the edge of the back member. The lower end of the central emboss is bracketed by the side flanges formed on the back member, and the emboss extends beyond the range of the side flanges on the back member, up to approximately 1.27 cm (1 / 2 inch) upward, or approximately 120% upward from the range of the side flanges from the lateral joint.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a side flange reinforcing the sheet is formed on a portion of the side edge of the sheet member, and the side flange preferably extends along a portion of the side edge of the back member through the lateral joint.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connector is made from a sheet metal strip or blank. The sheet metal blank is preferably substantially rectangular in shape. The back member and the sheet member are formed by bending the sheet metal blank at the transverse joint such that the back member is generally oriented at the correct angle to the sheet member. The back member has a surface that faces the sheet member in the final bent form of the connector, and a back surface that faces away from the sheet member. Similarly, the sheet member has a top surface that faces the back member, and a bottom surface that faces away from the back member. The radius of the bend at the transverse joint is preferably 0.9525 cm (0.3750 inches).

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side flanges are formed by bending the side material of the blank upward near the transverse joint so as the sheet is formed by a drawing operation. The radius of the bend in the sheet metal for forming the side flanges is preferably 1.203 cm (0.4738 inches), which is the minimum radius of the bend at the transverse joint. When the formation of the connector is complete, the narrowest part of the connector is preferably the transverse joint. Preferably, forming the side flanges at the transverse joint narrows each side of the connector by 0.7701 cm (0.3032 inches). Preferably, the side flanges widen outward as they extend towards the edges of the back member and sheet member, decreasing in height and reducing their bending radius. The side flanges of the back member and sheet member are highest near the transverse joint, reaching approximately 1.27 cm (1 / 2 inch). The radius of the bend in the side flange between the back member and sheet member is 1.111 cm (0.4375 inches). The side flanges are designed to decrease in height as they extend away from the lateral joint, such that there are no side flanges at the edges of the sheet member and no side flanges approximately 6.826 cm (2 and 1 1 / 16 inches) above the top surface of the sheet member on the back member.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sheet member has at least one opening for an anchor member, having an upward-facing periphery that extends above the substantially planar sheet member. Preferably, the upper part of the upward-facing periphery of the opening in the sheet member extends perpendicular to the substantially planar sheet member.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sheet member is formed with a single circular opening for receiving a single anchor member such as a bolt, the center line of the single opening not more than 2.54 cm (1 inch) away from the surface of the back member. The single circular opening preferably has a diameter of 2.064 cm (1 3 / 16 inches) and is best suited to and can accommodate bolts having a diameter between 1.27 cm and 1.905 cm (1 / 2 inch to 3 / 4 inch). Preferred bolts used with the connector have a diameter between 1.27 cm and 1.905 cm (1 / 2 inch to 3 / 4 inch), and in light of the size of the bolts preferred to be used to reduce the deflection of the connector under tensile load, tests have shown that the center point of the single opening should be as close as possible to the lateral joint.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the back member is formed with a plurality of sets of fastening openings optimized for various dimensions of the member to be fastened. An opening belonging to a particular set is identified by the shape of that opening. One set of openings is formed close to the central longitudinal axis of the back member for attachment to the narrow face of a joist nominally 5.08 cm (2 inches) wide. When the connector is attached to a wider member, another set of openings is formed further away from the central longitudinal axis of the back member, and the spacing of these openings is optimized to prevent cracking of the member to be fastened if the member to be fastened is made of wood.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the length of the back member is 37.94 cm (14 and 15 / 16 inches), and the nearest opening in the back member for receiving fasteners to attach the back member to the fixed member is located approximately 8.89 cm (3 and 1 / 2 inches) from the lateral joint. While the fastening opening is preferably close to the lateral joint, in certain connections, a gap is provided between the lateral joint and the nearest fastening opening for other members that are located between the fixed member and the fixing member and are not secured by the connector.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the length of the sheet member is 7.461 cm (2 and 15 / 16 inches), the width of the sheet metal blank used to manufacture the connector is 6.509 cm (2 and 9 / 16 inches), and the connector is manufactured from 10-gauge galvanized sheet metal.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral edge of the single opening for the anchor member extends 1.032 cm (13 / 32 inches) from the lower surface of the sheet member. The peripheral edge of the opening is preferably extruded from the material of the sheet. The extruded peripheral edge of the single opening for the anchor assists in reinforcing the sheet member, so that the sheet member can more strongly resist the anchor head or the nut attached to the bolt that tends to pass through the sheet member when the anchor is under tensile load. The radius of the bent portion for forming the annular peripheral edge from the sheet member is preferably 0.0762 cm (0.0300 inches).

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the member to be fixed is a wooden member which is nominally 10.16 cm × 10.16 cm (4 inches × 4 inches) Douglas fir, the fixing member is a cementitious member, the connector is connected to the fixing member by a single anchor having a diameter of 1.27 cm (0.5 inches) embedded in the fixing member, the connector is connected to the member to be fixed by 12 fasteners which are nails with a diameter of 0.3759 cm (0.148 inches), 6.35 cm (2.5 inches) long and substantially embedded in the member to be fixed, the connector is manufactured from 10-gauge steel plate and has a width of 6.509 cm (2 and 9 / 16 inches), the back member has a length of 37.94 cm (14 and 15 / 16 inches), the sheet member has a length of 7.461 cm (2 and 15 / 16 inches), the connection has an allowable tensile load of 1,031.9226 kg (2,275 pounds) and deflects 0.03302 cm (0.013 inches) at the maximum allowable load. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] [Figure 1]It is a perspective view of the connection according to the present invention, showing a connector connecting a joist and a cementitious wall. A self-tapping concrete anchor that fixes the connector to the cementitious wall is shown. Not all fasteners used for forming a typical connection are illustrated. [Figure 2] It is a cross-sectional side view of the connection in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a side view of the connection in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a top view of the connection in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a side view of the connector according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a top view of the connector in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a cross-sectional side view of the connection according to the present invention, showing a connector connecting a joist and a cementitious wall. A bolt that fixes the connector to the cementitious wall is shown. Not all fasteners used for forming a typical connection are illustrated. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0023] The present invention provides a connection between a fixing member 1 and a fixed member 2 in a building structure. In this connection, a connector 3 is used in combination with one or more individual anchors 4 and one or more individual fasteners 5. The fixed member 2 has a mounting surface 6. Generally, the fixed member 2 also has an edge surface 7 that is joined to the mounting surface 6 by a side edge 8. The fixing member 1 is positioned in relatively close proximity to the fixed member 2 and has a fixing surface 9 that receives one or more anchors 4. One or more individual anchors 4 are fixed to the fixing member 1 by passing through the fixing member 1. One or more individual fasteners 5 are fixed to the fixed member 2 by passing through the fixed member 2. The connector 3 has a sheet member 10 and a back member 11 that is positioned at an angle to the sheet member 10 when connected to the sheet member 10 by a lateral joint 12. The sheet member 10 has an end edge 13 opposite to the lateral joint 12, and side edges 14 on both sides that pass between the lateral joint 12 and the end edge 13. The back member 11 has an end edge 15 opposite to the lateral joint 12, and side edges 16 on both sides that pass between the lateral joint 12 and the end edge 15. The sheet member 10 is connected to one or more individual anchors 4, and the back member 11 is connected to one or more individual fasteners 5.

[0024] An opening 17 is preferably provided in the back member 11 to receive a nail 5 or a self-perforating and self-threading screw fastener 5 driven into the fixed member 2. One or more openings 18 are preferably provided in the sheet member 10 to receive one or more anchors 4. Preferably, only one anchor 4 is used with the connector 3, and when the anchor 4 is received by the cementate fixing member 1, the anchor 4 received by the opening 18 of the sheet member 10 is preferably a bolt 4. The anchor 4 is preferably used with a washer 19 between the head 22 of the anchor 4 or a nut 20 attached to the anchor 4 and the sheet member 10 of the connector 3. The washer 19 may be integrally formed with the anchor 4.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the fixed member 2 is an elongated member extending along the longest dimension of the fixed member 2 in a direction parallel to a portion of the back member 11 to which the fixed member 2 is attached. In a typical installation, the fixed member 2 is a joist. The fastener 1 may be a joist or a cemented wall from which the fixed member 2 is suspended. The connector 3 of the present invention may be fastened to a nominally 5.08 cm (2 inch) wide joist or structural member 2 by individual fasteners 5 passing through the back member 11, or it may be fastened to the fixed member 2 by anchors 4 passing through a sheet member 10, making it ideal as a tension tie for a 5.08 cm (2 inch) wide joist attached to a cemented wall. A nominally 5.08 cm (2 inch) wide dry wood member may be as thin as 3.81 cm (1.5 inches). The dimensions of this connector 3 are optimized so that the back member 11 of the connector 3 can be attached to the narrow bottom or top surface of a typical joist that is horizontally positioned with its narrow bottom surface oriented downwards and its narrow top surface oriented upwards.

[0026] As shown in Figure 5, the sheet member 10 preferably has side flanges 23 formed thereon that reinforce the sheet member 10 and extend upward from the side edges 14 on both sides. The side flanges 23 preferably pass through the lateral joint 12 and extend along the side edge 16 of the back member 11 for at least a selected distance.

[0027] Preferably, an emboss 24 is formed on the back member 11. The emboss 24 may extend through the transverse joint 12 to the sheet member 10. As shown in Figure 6, the emboss 24 is formed close to the transverse joint 12 but does not extend through the transverse joint 12. The central emboss 24 is preferably embossed upward from the sheet metal blank for 0.3429 cm (0.135 inches), with a width of 0.9525 cm (0.375 inches) and a length of 5.715 cm (2.250 inches). The central emboss 24 preferably has rounded upper and lower edges, and the top of the emboss is about 29.84 cm (11 and 3 / 4 inches) below the edge 15 of the back member 11. The lower end of the central emboss 24 is sandwiched and surrounded by the side flange 23 formed on the back member 11, and the emboss 24 extends beyond the range of the side flange 23 of the back member 11 to about 1.27 cm (1 / 2 inch) upward, or to about 120% upward of the range to which the side flange 23 extends above the lateral joint 12.

[0028] Connector 3 is preferably manufactured from a 10-gauge steel sheet by punching and bending the sheet. The steel may be stainless steel or plated / coated with zinc or other corrosion-resistant material. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a side flange 23 is formed on a portion of the side edge 14 of the sheet member 10 to reinforce the sheet, and the side flange 23 preferably extends through the transverse joint 12 along a portion of the side edge 16 of the back member 11. The radius of the bend in the transverse joint is preferably 0.9525 cm (0.3750 inches).

[0029] The connector 3 is preferably fastened to the joist 2 with nails 5 via its back member 11 and to the wall 1 of the building with self-perforating self-threading anchors or bolts 4.

[0030] In one embodiment of the present invention, one or more anchors 4 are self-perforating and self-threading threaded members that are directly drilled into the fixing member 1.

[0031] In one embodiment of the present invention, the back member 11 has a central longitudinal axis 21 extending from the lateral joint 12 to the edge 15, and a single central emboss 24 extends upward along the back member for a selected distance along the longitudinal axis 21 from a region adjacent to the lateral joint 21. As shown in Figure 1, the emboss 24 extends slightly further than the side flange 23 extends to the back member. The emboss 24 extends for a short distance to a substantially planar portion of the back member where the opening 17 for the fastener 5 is provided.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a side flange 23 is formed on a part of the side edge 14 of the sheet member 10 to reinforce the sheet member 10, and preferably the side flange 23 passes through the lateral joint 12 and extends along a part of the side edge 16 of the back member 11.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connector 3 is made from a sheet metal strip or blank. The sheet metal blank is preferably substantially rectangular in shape. The back member 11 and the sheet member 10 are formed by bending the sheet metal blank at the transverse joint 12 such that the back member 11 is oriented at a generally correct angle relative to the sheet member 10. The back member 11 has a surface 25 that faces the sheet member 10 in the bent form of the connector 3, and a back surface 26 that faces in the opposite direction from the sheet member 10. Similarly, the sheet member 11 has an upper surface 27 that faces the back member 11, and a lower surface 28 that faces in the opposite direction from the back member 11.

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the side flange 23 is formed by bending the side material of the blank upward near the transverse joint 12 to form the side flange 23. The radius of the bend in the sheet metal for forming the side flange is preferably 1.203 cm (0.4738 inches), which is the minimum radius of the bend at the transverse joint 12. The side flange 23 widens outward as it extends toward the edges 13 and 15 of the back member 11 and the sheet member 10, and the narrowest part of the connector 3 when the formation of the connector 3 is completed is preferably the transverse joint 12. Preferably, when the side flange is formed at the transverse joint, each side of the connector narrows by 0.7701 cm (0.3032 inches). Preferably, the side flange 23 widens outward as it extends toward the edges 15 and 13 of the back member 11 and the sheet member 10, and its height decreases. The side flanges 23 of the back member 11 and the sheet member 10 are tallest near the transverse joint 12, reaching about 1.27 cm (1 / 2 inch). The radius of the bend in the side flange 23 between the back member 11 and the seat member 10 is 1.111 cm (0.4375 inches). The height of the side flange 23 decreases as it extends away from the lateral joint 12, such that there is no side flange 23 at the edge 13 of the seat member 10, and there is no side flange 23 approximately 6.826 cm (2 and 1 1 / 16 inches) above the top surface 27 of the seat member 10 on the back member 11.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sheet member 10 has at least one opening 18 for the anchor member 4, which has an upward-facing periphery 29 extending upward above the substantially planar sheet member 10. Preferably, the upper part of the upward-facing periphery 29 of the opening 18 of the sheet member 10 extends perpendicular to the substantially planar sheet member 10.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sheet member 10 has a single circular opening 18 for receiving a single anchor member 4, such as a bolt, the center point of which is not more than 2.54 cm (1 inch) away from the surface 25 of the back member 11. The single circular opening 18 preferably has a diameter of 2.064 cm (1 3 / 16 inches) and can accommodate a bolt having a diameter between 1.27 cm and 1.905 cm (1 / 2 inch to 3 / 4 inch). Preferred bolts used with the connector have a diameter between 1.27 cm and 1.905 cm (1 / 2 inch to 3 / 4 inch).

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the back member 11 has a plurality of sets of openings 17 for fasteners 5, which are optimized for various dimensions of the member to be fastened 2. An opening 17 belonging to a particular set is identified by the shape of that opening 17. One set of openings 17 is formed close to the central longitudinal axis 21 of the back member 11 for attachment to the narrow face of a joist nominally 5.08 cm (2 inches) wide. When the connector 3 is attached to a wider member, another set of openings 17 is formed at a greater distance from the central longitudinal axis 21 of the back member 11, and the spacing of the openings 17 is optimized to prevent cracking of the member to be fastened 2 when the member to be fastened 2 is made of wood.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the length of the back member 11 is 37.94 cm (14 and 15 / 16 inches), and the closest opening 17 in the back member 11 for receiving the fasteners 5 to attach the back member 11 to the fixed member 2 is located no more than 6.826 cm (2 and 11 / 16 inches) from the lateral joint 12.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the length of the sheet member 10 is 7.461 cm (2 and 15 / 16 inches), the width of the connector 3 is 6.509 cm (2 and 9 / 16 inches), and the connector 3 is made from 10-gauge galvanized sheet metal.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upward-facing periphery 29 of the single opening 18 for the anchor member 4 extends 1.032 cm (1 3 / 32 inches) from the lower surface 28 of the sheet member 10. The radius of the bend for forming the annular periphery 29 from the sheet member 10 is preferably 0.0762 cm (0.0300 inches).

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, the member to be fixed 2 is a woody member made of Douglas fir wood nominally measuring 10.16 cm × 10.16 cm (4 inches × 4 inches), the fixing member 1 is a cementitious member, the connector 3 has a diameter of 1.27 cm (1 / 2 inch) and is connected to the fixing member 1 by a single anchor 4 embedded in the fixing member 1, the connector 3 is 6.35 cm (2.5 inches) in length and substantially embedded in the member to be fixed 2 with a diameter of 0.3759 cm (0.148 inches) The connector 3 is connected to the fixed member 2 by 12 fasteners 5 which are nails, the connector 3 is made of 10 gauge steel plate and is 6.509 cm (2 and 9 / 16 inches) wide, the back member 11 is 37.94 cm (14 and 15 / 16 inches) long, and the seat member 10 is 7.461 cm (2 and 15 / 16 inches) long, the connection has a permissible tensile load of 1,032 kg (2,275 pounds) and deflects by 0.03302 cm (0.013 inches) at the maximum permissible load.

[0042] [Table 1]

Claims

1. A connection that is part of a building structure, made between a fixed member and a fixing member, comprising a connector, one or more individual anchors, and one or more individual fasteners, wherein the connection is a. The fixed member having a mounting surface, b. The fixing member is positioned in relatively close proximity to the fixing member and has a fixing surface, c. One or more individual anchors fixed to the fixing member, d. One or more individual fasteners fixed to the member to be fixed, e. The connector comprising: a sheet member and a back member positioned at an angle to the sheet member while connected to the sheet member at a lateral joint; the sheet member having an edge opposite to the lateral joint and both side edges passing between the lateral joint and the edge; the back member having an edge opposite to the lateral joint and both side edges passing between the lateral joint and the edge; the sheet member receiving one or more individual anchors and connected to the one or more individual anchors; and the back member receiving one or more individual fasteners and connected to the one or more individual fasteners, f. A side flange is formed on a part of the side edge of the sheet member to reinforce the sheet member, and the side flange extends through the lateral joint portion along a part of the side edge of the back member. g. The embossing is formed on the back member in the center of the back member between the side edges on both sides of the back member, the back member has a central longitudinal axis extending from the lateral joint to the end edge, and the embossing extends along the central longitudinal axis. h. A connection wherein the embossing is formed in close proximity to the lateral joint and extends along the back member in a direction toward the lateral joint from the edge of the back member, rather than extending through the lateral joint.

2. The connection according to claim 1, wherein one of the one or more individual anchors is received by the opening of the sheet member.

3. a. The connection according to claim 1, wherein the emboss has an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the emboss is sandwiched and surrounded by the side flange, and the emboss extends upward beyond the range of the side flange of the back member.

4. The connection according to claim 1, wherein the side flange has a bending radius of 1.203 cm (0.4738 inches) between the side flange and the sheet member near the lateral joint.

5. The connection according to claim 1, wherein the side flange widens outward as it extends toward the edge of the back member and the sheet member, and the thinnest part of the connector is the lateral joint.

6. The connection according to claim 1, wherein the side flange expands outward and decreases in height as it extends toward the edge of the back member and the sheet member.

7. a. The opening of the sheet member that receives the single anchor has an upward-facing periphery that extends upward above the sheet member. b. The connection according to claim 2, wherein the sheet member is substantially planar, and the upper part of the upward periphery of the opening extends perpendicularly to the substantially planar sheet member.

8. a. The back member has a front surface and a back surface, b. The connection according to claim 7, wherein the opening of the sheet member receiving the single anchor has a center point, and the center point is not more than 2.54 cm (1 inch) away from the surface of the back member.

9. The connection according to claim 8, wherein the emboss has an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the emboss is sandwiched and surrounded by the side flange, and the emboss extends upward beyond the range of the side flange of the back member.

10. The connection according to claim 9, wherein the side flange widens outward as it extends toward the edge of the back member and the sheet member, and the thinnest part of the connector is the lateral joint.

11. The connection according to claim 10, wherein the side flange expands outward and decreases in height as it extends toward the edge of the back member and the sheet member.

12. The connection according to claim 11, wherein the side flange has a bending radius of 1.203 cm (0.4738 inches) between the side flange and the sheet member near the lateral joint.

13. The connection according to claim 1, wherein the width of the mounting surface of the fixed member does not exceed 3.81 cm (1 and 1 / 2 inches).

14. The connection according to claim 1, wherein one of the one or more anchors is received by the opening of the sheet member, and the opening has an upward-facing periphery extending upward from the sheet member.

15. a. The connector is made from a 10-gauge steel plate, the sheet member is 7.461 cm (2 and 15 / 16 inches) in length, and the connector is 6.509 cm (2 and 9 / 16 inches) in width at its widest point. b. The fixed member is a wood-based member having a minimum cross-sectional dimension of 7.62 cm × 8.89 cm (3 inches × 3 1 / 2 inches) and being made of either Douglas fir or Southern pine grade wood. c. The connector is connected to the fixing member by a single anchor having a diameter of 1.27 cm (1 / 2 inch) and embedded in the fixing member. d. The connector is connected to the fixed member by twelve nail fasteners, each 6.35 cm (2 and 1 / 2 inches) long and substantially embedded in the fixed member, each 0.3759 cm (0.148 inches) in diameter. d. The connection according to claim 1, wherein the connection has a permissible tensile load of 1032 kg (2275 pounds), and the connection deflects by 0.03302 cm (0.013 inches) under the maximum permissible tensile load.

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