Robert Francis Dooley

US Patent:

7730839, Jun 8, 2010

Filed:

Feb 23, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/709734

Inventors:

James M. Bender - Bel Air MD, US
James M. Sands - Kingsville MD, US
Robert B. Dooley - Canton MA, US

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

F42B 8/00

US Classification:

102501, 102473, 248351, 2483543, 405288

Abstract:

An article and a process are provided for reducing the shear stress on an interface of a structural member in intimate contact with a compressive load. The article is in the form of a wedge that is forcibly placed against the sidewall of one end or both ends of the structural member. The wedge may take the form of a ring that can be placed on the inside or outside surface of a hollow cylindrical structural member. The process of forcibly placing a wedge against the sidewall at one or both ends of the structural member produces a transverse compressive stress upon the sidewall. The transverse compressive stress upon the sidewall attenuates the tendency of said sidewall to deflect when the structural member is subjected to a compressive load. A reduction in the deflection of the sidewall reduces the shear stress generated proximal to the interface of the structural member in intimate contact with a compressive load and increases the structural member load bearing capacity.