US 12,168,866 B2
Beam coupler operating as a seismic brake, seismic energy dissipation device and seismic damage control device
Richard Frazao, Dollard-des-Ormeaux (CA)
Assigned to QUAKETEK INC., Saint-Laurent (CA)
Filed by QUAKETEK INC., Saint-Laurent (CA)
Filed on Jul. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/865,094.
Application 17/865,094 is a division of application No. 16/900,122, filed on Jun. 12, 2020, granted, now 11,396,746.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/861,676, filed on Jun. 14, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0364351 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. E04B 1/24 (2006.01); E04H 9/02 (2006.01)
CPC E04B 1/2403 (2013.01) [E04H 9/0237 (2020.05); E04B 2001/2406 (2013.01); E04B 2001/2415 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A beam coupling comprising:
a first beam element and a second beam element mounted side by side, the first beam element and the second beam element extending both in a first orientation parallel to each other with the first beam element and the second beam element having respectively a facing surface parallel to and facing each other;
a plurality of beam couplers mounted to the first beam element and to the second beam element for coupling the first beam element and the second beam element, the plurality of beam couplers extending in a second orientation coupling the first beam to the second beam, the beam couplers extending parallel to each other, at least one of the beam couplers comprising:
a central plate mounted to the facing surface of the first beam element, the central plate comprising:
two central-plate side faces; and
a central-plate hole providing a passage connecting the two central-plate side faces;
a pair of side plates mounted to the facing surface of the second beam element, each one of the side plates comprising:
an interior face neighboring one of the two central-plate side faces;
an exterior face; and
a side-plate hole providing a passage connecting the interior face with the exterior face; and
compression means applying an inward preload over the central plate and the side plates, the compression means comprising:
a body extending through the central-plate hole and the side-plate holes,
wherein the central-plate hole has an oblong shape, thereby defining an oblong hole that has a width and a length greater than width, wherein the length extends in the first orientation, and
wherein the oblong hole allows displacement of the body of the compression means therein in the first orientation upon displacement of the central plate and the side plates relative to each other resulting from a deflection of the beam elements,
wherein the beam couplers maintain a constant distance between the beam elements upon the deflection of the beam elements.