BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the manufacture of timber framing for building, timber is assembled into a required truss shape and then the gang nails or nail plates are used to join the truss or wall framing member.

This process can be time consuming and an object of this invention is to provide a joining bracket for pieces of timber for the manufacture of trusses and other wall and roof framing members which is cheaper and simpler to use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In one form therefore the invention is said to reside in a timber mounting bracket including at least one socket, the socket having a gripping arrangement to engage a piece of timber when inserted into the socket, the socket being adapted to receive a piece of timber and for the gripping arrangement to engage into the timber to thereby assist in retaining the timber in the socket.

In one embodiment the socket is defined by a base and at least two orthogonal walls.

The gripping arrangement can include at least one fastening spike extending from the base within the socket and substantially parallel to the walls, the socket being adapted to receive a piece of timber and for the spike or spikes to engage into the timber to thereby retain the timber in the socket. Alternatively the gripping arrangement can includes a plurality of integral nails or spikes formed in wall of the socket.

Preferably the socket has four orthogonal walls to define a square or rectangular cross section socket adapted to receive the end of a piece of cut timber.

In another embodiment the socket has a pair of spaced apart walls to define a U- shaped cross section socket adapted to receive the side of a piece of cut timber. The spaced apart walls can include extension flanges adapted to be folded over the piece of timber and the extension flanges can include integral nails of flanges.

In an alternative form the invention is said to reside in a timber mounting bracket including at least one socket, the socket being defined by a base and at least two orthogonal walls and a plurality of fastening spikes extending from the base within the socket and substantially parallel to the walls, a socket being adapted to receive a piece of timber and for the spike or spikes to engage into the timber to thereby retain the timber in the socket.

It will be seen therefore that by this invention a timber joining bracket is provided which a length of timber need only be inserted into the socket in the bracket to be fastened.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the socket has four orthogonal walls to define a square or rectangular cross section adapted to receive the end of a piece of cut timber.

To assist with guiding of timber into the socket the walls may be flared at the end remote from the base to provide a lead in.

Preferably the spikes extend from the base to the flared portion so that once the timber has been guided into the socket the spikes engage into the timber. It may be noted that the timber may be an end grain where an end of a piece of timber is

inserted into the socket or a side grain where the side of a piece of timber is inserted into the socket.

Preferably the spikes include some form of barbs to assist with retention of the timber in the socket once inserted.

Further the spikes may be at least partially conical particularly adjacent to the base to cause the timber to spread as it enters the socket and thereby jam into the socket.

In an alternative form the invention is said to reside in a connecting bracket for timbers of a timber framework such as a truss, the connecting bracket having at least one socket adapted to receive an end of a timber beam, the socket having at least one tapered side and a gripping arrangement within the socket.

The socket may be provided by a substantially rectangular body having four walls and a base and an open end into which the timber can be inserted. There may be provided as discussed earlier a lead in or flared opening to the socket to assist with guiding timber into the socket. Preferably the socket is rectangular in cross-section to match a piece of machined timber from which the timber framework such as a truss may be manufactured.

The gripping arrangement within the socket may be provided by barbs or spikes extending from one or more of the inner walls of the socket.

At least one of the walls can include an inwardly facing locking tab adapted to engage into a recess formed in the timber to assist with retention of timber in the socket.

The gripping arrangement may be further provided by spikes or ridges within the socket and extending substantially parallel to the side walls of the socket which are

adapted to engage the timber and spread the timber tighter against the walls of the socket.

The taper may be provided on one, two, three or four of the walls of the socket and may taper inwards or outwards. The taper may extend for only part of the height of the walls. By such an arrangement as the timber is pressed into the socket the spike or ridge will cause the timber to tightly engage into the tapered ridge and securely hold the timber in the socket.

The brackets according to this invention may have two or more of the sockets of the type discussed above and be used for joining lengths of timber at right angles, butt joining and at joining angles to each other.

Where the bracket is used to join a length of timber to another length of timber there may be further spikes extending from one of the walls or the base or an assembly on the base. Alternatively the base may be mounted onto a plate or a series of plates which includes one or more spikes to fasten into another piece of timber. Such spikes may comprise or include nail plates or gang nails or the like. There may be used a nail receiving plate or a cleating plate into which the spikes or nails are received and bent over to provide positive retention.

The sockets may be all in the same plane or different planes. Such a socket may be used to construct more complex non-planar assemblies. Such assemblies may include for instance pyramidal roofs for gazebos.

In an alternative form the invention may be said to reside in a construction framing member manufactured from a plurality of lengths of timber, the timber being joined together by at least one timber mounting bracket of one of the types discussed above.

The construction framing member may be a truss, wall frame or more complex structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This then generally describes the invention but to assist with understanding reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings: Figures 1A to 1D show various views of a first embodiment of a timber mounting bracket according to this invention; Figures 2A to 2D show various views of an alternative embodiment of a timber mounting bracket adapted for butt joining timber according to the invention; Figures 3A and 3B show two views of a still further embodiment of a timber mounting bracket according to this invention; Figures 4A to 4D show various views of a still further embodiment of a timber mounting bracket according to this invention; Figures 5A to 5C show various views of a still further embodiment of a timber mounting bracket according to this invention; Figures 6A to 6D show various views of a still further embodiment of a timber mounting bracket according to this invention; Figure 7 shows a further alternative embodiment of bracket and further including a ail or cleating plate according to this invention; Figure 8 shows a still further embodiment of timber mounting bracket according to the invention as used joining two pieces of timber and incorporating a nail plate; Figure 9 shows a truss formed with timber mounting brackets according to the invention; and Figure 10 shows one embodiment of barb useful for the timber mounting brackets of the present invention; and

Figure 11 shows a perspective view of a further embodiment of construction bracket according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Figures 1A to 1D show various views of a first embodiment of a timber joining bracket according to this invention. In this embodiment the bracket comprises four walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 mutually at right angles or orthogonal to each other and a base 5 which together define a socket into which a piece of timber can be inserted in the direction shown by the arrow 6.

Within the walls and extending from the base and substantially parallel to the walls are a plurality of spikes 7 which when the timber is inserted into the socket engage into the timber to retain it.

Extending in the opposite direction from the base are a series of spikes 8 which enable the bracket to be mounted to another piece of timber. These spikes 8 may be provided with barbs or the like to assist with engaging into the other piece of timber.

At the upper end of the walls 1, 2, 3 and 4 is a flared portion 9 which provides a lead in for the piece of timber being inserted in the direction of the arrow 6. It will be noted that the spikes 7 have points which just extend to the beginning of the flare 9 so that they engage into the timber once the timber has been engaged in the flared portion 9.

Figures 2A to 2D show various views of a further embodiment in which two sockets of the type shown in Figure 1 are joined back to back for the butt joining of two lengths of timber. The sockets 20 and 21 have a common base 22 from which spikes 23 extend into the socket 20 and spikes 24 extend into the socket 21.

It will be noted that in this embodiment the spikes 23 and 24 are shorter than in the earlier embodiment. This may be useful for harder grained timbers.

Figures 3A and 3B show a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of socket according to this invention for joining two lengths of timber at an angle to each other. A first socket 30 and a second socket 31 are each of substantially the same form as the socket shown in Figure 1 and mounted in the same plane to each other but at an angle a° to each other and includes a bracing plate 32 extending from the edge of the base of sockets 30 and 31. The angle oc may be any angle in the range of 90 degrees to 180 degrees as required for a specific construction.

Figures 4A to 4D show various perspective and a cross-sectional views of a still further embodiment of the present invention.

In the bracket sockets 35 and 36 are facing out at right angles to each other. Each socket 35 and 36 has a set of integral nails 37 on its sides. When the end of a piece of timber is pushed into the sockets the integral nails 37 can be hammered or pressed into the side of the timber to retain it in the respective socket. Joining the sockets 35 and 36 and at 45 degrees to them is a U-shaped receptacle 38 with integral nails 39 on the sides of the U-shaped receptacle. On the U-shaped receptacle 38 are integral flanges 40 which can be folded over the side of a piece of timber when it is placed into the receptacle. Each of the integral flanges has a number of integral spikes 41 folded out from the flanges 40 which engage into the timber to retain it once the flanges are folded over the side of the timber.

Figure 4D shows the assembled bracket with a joist or rafter 43 and angled struts or braces 44 joined to it using the bracket of this embodiment of the invention. This form of bracket may be used for instance in the manufacture of building trusses.

Figures 5A to 5C show various views of a still further embodiment of a timber mounting bracket in which the bracket includes barbed spikes and an expanded base portion. In this embodiment socket 49 is formed with side walls 50 and 51 which are tapered outwardly towards the base 52 and end walls 53 and 54 which are substantially parallel. Within the socket there are spikes 56 with barbs 57 and each of the spikes 56 within the socket is larger in the wider region of the socket and narrower at the narrower portion. When the end of a length of timber is pushed into this socket the spikes 56 cause the timber to expand to engage the walls of the socket and as the timber is pushed further in it expands further as it engages the wider portion 58 of the spikes 56 to firmly engage with the socket. The barbs 57 on the spike assist in preventing the timber from being removed being removed.

Figures 6A to 6C show various views of a still further embodiment of a timber mounting bracket. In this embodiment the socket 60 has a spike 63 comprising a ridge extending from one end 61 to the opposite end 62 and parallel to the opposed sides 64 and 65. The opposed sides 64 and 64 are tapered out in the region 67 and then extend parallel again at 68 nearer the base 66. Also on each of the sides 64 and 65 above the region 67 an U shaped aperture 69 is partially cut out and a tab 70 folded in so that it is directed towards the base 66. Also a series of V-shaped notches 71 are cut into the tapered sides 67 and pushed in to form barbs 72 pointing towards the base.

Figure 6D shows a cross sectional view of placement of the end of a piece of timber into the socket shown in Figures 6A to 6C. As an end 75 of a piece of timber 76 timber is pushed into the socket 60 the end of timber 75 is caused to split and spread by engaging the ridge 63 and expand into the wider portion of the socket and be more tightly be retained within the socket 60 in much the same manner as a wedge would expand an axe handle within an axe head. The barbs 72 engage into the timber to also assist with retention. Also the timber can have a notch 77 cut into each side of it and this notch 77 engages with the tabs 70 to assist with retaining the timber

into the socket 60. This tab 70 engaging into the notch 77 can provide a very positive retention for the timber 76 into the socket 60.

Figure 7 shows an embodiment of bracket suitable for forming wall frames and joining roof trusses. The bracket generally shown as 80 includes a socket 81 of the same type as the socket 60 in Figures 6A to 6C and including a cut out and tab arrangement 82 and V-shaped barbs 83. A piece of timber 84 is pushed into the socket 81 to retain it therein.

On the base 87 of the socket 81 is a U-shaped receptacle adapted to receive the edge of a piece of timber pushed into the receptacle 88 with the pins 89 extending from the base 90 of the receptacle 88 passing through the timber in use to be engaged into a nail plate or cleating plate 92. The nail plate or cleating plate 92 has a plurality of holes 94 and once the pins 89 have passed through the timber the nail plate is placed onto the pins 89 and the pins are then bent or cleated over to retain the nail plate onto the timber and hence to prevent the nails 89 from pulling out of the timber.

The U-shaped receptacle 88 is adapted to receive a horizontal beam of a wall frame.

Above the U-shaped receptacle 88 are a pair of upstanding transverse flanges 95.

These flanges are adapted to receive one of the beams of a roof truss and nails or bolts can be placed to the apertures 97 in the plates 95 and through the timber placed therein to retain the roof truss to the wall frame. Generally it can be seen that this bracket arrangement can provide very positive retention of timber which may make this bracket suitable for cyclonic areas for instance.

Figure 8 shows an alternative version of bracket according to this invention. The bracket includes a socket 100 substantially of the type shown in Figure 6A to 6B. On the base 102 of the socket 100 extend nails or pins 104. A horizontal beam 106 is pushed onto the pins 104 and then a nail plate 108 is placed over the pins or nails and the pins are bent over or cleated to firmly retain the beam 106 onto the bracket 100.

By this arrangement part of a wall frame can be made where it is not necessary to join a roof truss on.

Figure 9 shows a roofing truss construction as one example of the type of timber joining arrangement can be done with the brackets of the present invention.

In Figure 9 a roof truss is shown which is formed from a main beam 110 and a pair of angled principle rafters 112 and 114. The ends of the beam 110 are joined to the principle rafters by means of brackets 116 and the principle rafters 112 and 114 are joined at the apex of the truss by a bracket 118. A king post 120 extends from the main beam 110 to the apex of the principle rafters. Struts 122 and side posts 124 provide extra reinforcement for the roof trusses. Brackets 126 which are the type of bracket shown in Figure 8 are used to connect the struts and side posts to the principles rafters. Brackets 1 to 8 are used to connect the side posts 1 to 4 to the main beam.

Figure 10 shows an alternative embodiment of spike for the sockets of the various embodiments discussed above. In this embodiment a spike generally shown as 130 extends from a base 131 of a socket. The spike 130 has a conical tip 132 and a substantially parallel sided body 133 with barbs 134 at intervals along the body.

Towards the base there is a conical expansion 135 and a wider portion 136 nearer the base. As the spike is pushed into timber and the timber reaches the conical expansion portion 135 it is caused to expand more and stays expanded in the section 136 so that timber is caused to expand more as it reaches the base of the socket and is therefore gripped tighter into the socket.

Figure 11 shows a still further embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment a right angled strut or cross brace 150 is joined to a joist or rafter 152 by means of a bracket 154. The bracket 154 has a socket 156 with an open end 158 into which the strut or cross brace 150 can be inserted. Integral barbs 160 cut out of the sides of the

socket 156 engage into the timber to hold it in place once inserted. Side flanges 162 extend down from the sides of the socket 156 and are arranged to fit over the joist or rafter 152. Integral nails 164 on the side flanges 162 can then be pushed or hammered into the timber 152 to hold it in place. The bracket shown in this embodiment may be used to construct roof trusses of wall frames.

Throughout this specification various indications have been given as to the scope of the invention but the invention is not limited to only one of these but may reside in two or more of these combined together. The examples are given for illustration only and not for limitation.