Modular rim board for floor and rafter systems

Abstract

An engineered perimeter rim board with machined or otherwise-formed modular recessed receptacles receives and secures I-joists and other manufactured joists at pre-designated spaces along the length of the rim board. The rim board provides pre-measured joist securement locations and structural enhancements by “locking” the joists into position. Receptacles machined/cut into the rim board may be of various shapes, such as a rectangular recess with a flat planar back wall, a profiled recess with curved top and bottom compartments, and/or an angled recess wherein two sidewalls converge to create a recess without a back wall for receiving joists at positions other than perpendicular to the rim board. The preferred 90-degree receptacle profile provides an I-joist web receiving slot for additional lateral support to help prevent joists from buckling, twisting or rolling over.

1 . A rim board for a flooring or rafter system, the rim board having: 
 a front surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, a transverse depth between said top edge and bottom edge, a first end, a second end, a length between said first end and second end, and a plurality of generally I-shaped recesses in said front surface for receiving an I-shaped end of an I-joist.    
   
   
       2 . A rim board as in  claim 1 , wherein each of said recesses extends from the top edge to the bottom edge.  
   
   
       3 . A rim board as in  claim 1 , wherein each of said recesses has a top compartment near said top edge and having a width, a bottom compartment near said bottom edge and having a width, and a slot connecting said top compartment and said bottom compartment and having a width that is less than the width of the top compartment and less than the width of the bottom compartment.  
   
   
       4 . A rim board as in  claim 3 , wherein said top compartment and said bottom compartment of each recess are shaped and sized the same so that said recesses are configured for an I-joist to be reversible top-to-bottom in each recess.  
   
   
       5 . A rim board as in  claim 3 , wherein said top compartment has a flat back wall.  
   
   
       6 . A rim board as in  claim 3 , wherein said top compartment has a back wall with a curved portion.  
   
   
       7 . A rim board as in  claim 3 , wherein said bottom compartment has a flat back wall.  
   
   
       8 . A rim board as in  claim 3 , wherein said bottom compartment has a back wall with a curved portion.  
   
   
       9 . A rim board as in  claim 3 , wherein said front surface lies substantially on a front surface plane, and said top compartment has a back wall with a curved portion that curves outward toward the front surface plane near a transition between the top compartment and said slot.  
   
   
       10 . A rim board as in  claim 3 , wherein said front surface lies substantially on a front surface plane, and said bottom compartment has a back wall with a curved portion that curves outward toward the front surface plane near a transition between the bottom compartment and said slot.  
   
   
       11 . A rim board as in  claim 3 , wherein said top compartment has a back wall with a curved portion and said bottom compartment has a back wall with a curved portion.  
   
   
       12 . A flooring or rafter system comprising: 
 a rim board having a front surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, a transverse depth between said top edge and bottom edge, a first end, a second end, a length between said first end and second end, and a plurality of generally I-shaped recesses in said front surface; and    a plurality of I-joists, each having a generally I-shaped end extending into one of said plurality of said generally I-shaped recesses in the rim board.    
   
   
       13 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 12 , wherein each of said I-shaped recesses comprises a top compartment receiving a top flange of the I-joist, a bottom compartment receiving a bottom flange of the I-joist, and a web-support recess connecting said top compartment and said bottom compartment and receiving a web of the I-joist.  
   
   
       14 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 12 , wherein each of said generally I-shaped recesses has a generally I-shaped back wall.  
   
   
       15 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 12 , wherein the front surface of the rim board lies substantially on a front surface plane, and each of said generally I-shaped recesses further has side walls extending into the rim board transverse to the front surface plane.  
   
   
       16 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 13 , wherein said web-support recess has a width equal to 1/16 th  inch greater than the width of the I-joist web and the top compartment has a width equal to 1/16 th  inch greater than the width of the top flange of the I-joist, and the bottom compartment has a width equal to 1/16 th  inch greater than the width of the bottom flange of the I-joist.  
   
   
       17 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 12 , wherein the I-joist comprises a top flange, a bottom flange, and a web connecting the top flange and the bottom flange, and the system further comprises a support block connected to the I-joist, the support block having a support portion attached to the web of the I-joist and a load-jack portion extending from the support portion and along a side surface of the top flange to near said top edge and along a side surface of the bottom flange to near said bottom edge.  
   
   
       18 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 17 , wherein the load-jack portion has a depth dimension parallel to the depth of the I-joist, said depth dimension of the load-jack being in the range equal to, and up to 16 th  inch greater than, the depth of the I-joist for bearing a compressive load.  
   
   
       19 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 17 , wherein said support portion has a depth dimension parallel to the depth of the I-joist that is less than a distance between said top flange and said bottom flange.  
   
   
       20 . A flooring or rafter system comprising: 
 a rim board having a front surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, a transverse depth between said top edge and bottom edge, a first end, a second end, a length between said first end and second end, and a plurality of generally V-shaped recesses in said front surface spaced along the length of the rim board; and    a plurality of joists, each having opposing first and second sides that are parallel to each other and parallel to the length of the joist, and an end with an end surface perpendicular to said first and second elongated sides;    wherein the end of each of said joists is received in one of said V-shaped recesses, and the joist extends from the rim board with its length being at an angle other than 90 degrees to the length of the rim board.    
   
   
       21 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 20 , wherein said V-shaped recesses each extend all along the depth of the rim board from top edge to bottom edge.  
   
   
       22 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 20 , wherein each of said V-shaped recesses consists of two walls meeting each other at a rearmost extremity of the V-shaped recess.  
   
   
       23 . A flooring or rafter system comprising: 
 a rim board having a front surface, a top edge, a bottom edge, a transverse depth between said top edge and bottom edge, a first end, a second end, a length between said first end and second end, and a plurality of pairs of generally V-shaped recesses in said front surface spaced along the length of the rim board, said pairs each comprising a generally V-shaped top recess near said top edge and a generally V-shaped bottom recess near the bottom edge; and    a plurality of I-joists, each having a top flange, a bottom flange, and a web, wherein the top flanges of said plurality of I-joists are received in the top recesses and the bottom flanges of said plurality of I-joists are received in the bottom recesses;    wherein the I-joists extend from the rim board at an angle other than 90 degrees.    
   
   
       24 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 23 , wherein each of said V-shaped top recesses consists of two curved walls.  
   
   
       25 . A flooring or rafter system as in  claim 23 , wherein each of said V-shaped bottom recesses consists of two curved walls.