Steel floor truss

Abstract

The present invention is a steel floor truss system for buildings, especially residential homes, wherein the truss includes a steel top member, or chord, extending between two vertical bearings. Typically, a vertical bearing is an inside (interior) or outside (foundation wall) steel stud, in which case, the steel chord is fastened to the top of the vertical steel stud, typically via a metal plate which overlaps and is screwed to both the chord and the stud. In some embodiments, however, a vertical bearing may be a concrete or cinder block (CMU) wall, and, in this case, the steel chord is fastened to the concrete or cinder block wall, for example, by being fastened to bolts extending up from the top or out from the side of the wall, or by interfitting into recesses made in the top of the wall. The truss of the present invention also includes a set of steel struts, or webs, each of which extends on one end of the web from a location on the steel chord away from an end thereof, down on the other end of the web to near the bottom of a vertical bearing. One of the webs extends from a first location on the chord nearer the foundation wall to near the bottom of the foundation vertical bearing. The other web extends from a second location on the chord nearer the interior bearing to near the bottom of the interior bearing. The webs are fastened to the chord and in the case where the vertical bearing is a steel stud, to the steel stud via metal screws. In the case where the vertical bearing is a concrete or cinder block wall, the web is secured to the wall, for example by being fastened to bolts extending out from the side of the wall, or by being placed in a corner between a top surface of a concrete pad at the bottom of the wall, and side surface of the wall at its bottom.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A metal floor truss comprising: 
 a vertical metal stud with a bottom end and a top end;    a horizontal metal top chord member supported at one end thereof by said top end of said vertical metal stud;    a metal plate connecting said one end of said horizontal metal top chord member with said top end of said vertical metal stud; and    a metal web connected at its top end to, and extending angularly downwardly from, said horizontal metal top chord member at a point away from said one end of said horizontal metal top chord member, and connected at its bottom end to said bottom end of said vertical metal stud.    
     
     
         2 . The metal floor truss of  claim 1 , wherein said vertical metal stud is adjustable at its said top end.  
     
     
         3 . The metal floor truss of  claim 1  wherein insulation is applied to the top of said truss.  
     
     
         4 . A metal floor truss comprising: 
 a horizontal metal top chord member adapted to be supported at one end thereof by a foundation wall;    a metal web connected at its top end to and extending angularly downwardly from said horizontal metal top chord member at a point away from said one end of said horizontal metal top chord member, and adapted to be supported at its bottom end by the bottom of said foundation wall.    
     
     
         5 . The metal floor truss of  claim 4  wherein insulation is applied to the top of said truss.