Method and apparatus for assembling a lightweight stackable truss

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention enables the fabrication of a lightweight truss for use in temporary, demountable constructions for use in presentations such as exhibition, display, and concert staging.
It simplifies the fabrication of the truss by reducing the number of parts required and by simplifying the assembly process.
The truss is assembled from precut lengths of elongated support members such as hollow tubes (chords) prefitted with end connectors and "V-shaped" members.
A bracket is associated with the apex of each V-shaped member and with each leg outer end for receiving a corresponding elongated support member.
In one embodiment, the bracket is a hollow cylindrical duct segment or boss that can slidably receive a precut length of hollow tube through corresponding ones of the hollow cylindrical duct segments on the V-shaped member to form the V-shaped stackable truss.
Aligned orifices can be formed in each of the hollow cylindrical duct segments and its corresponding hollow tube and a removable pin inserted in the aligned orifices to rigidly connect each of the hollow tubes to its corresponding V-shaped member.
In a second preferred embodiment, the bracket means associated with the apex of each V-shaped member and with each leg outer end is an arcuate segment with a plate extending outwardly from the arcuate segment.
Each of the hollow tubes has spaced, aligned slots therein.
In this manner, a precut length of the hollow tube can be placed on corresponding ones of the arcuate segments on the V-shaped member such that the vertical plate is inserted in the corresponding aligned slot.
Again, aligned orifices in each of the plates and its corresponding hollow tube enable a pin to be removably inserted in the aligned orifices to rigidly connect each of the hollow tubes to its corresponding V-shaped member.
Thus, in each of the embodiments, a triangular truss of equilateral cross section is designed that does not require bracing in the bottom plane.
Because there is no bracing in the bottom plane, trusses may be stacked on top of each other in a nested manner