Clevis and Turnbuckle Assemblies

Clevis and Turnbuckle Assemblies are produced at The Steel Supply Company as part of our Round Bar Threading and Anchor Bolt manufacturing process.

If you were just starting out as a structural steel fabricator, it wouldn’t be long before you saw a tie rod, hanger rod, or cross brace assembly called for on a building plan. Typically, these assemblies are used in conjunction with a clevis, or more commonly two clevises, and a turnbuckle. While we go into depth on tie rods, clevises and turnbuckles in other articles, today we are focusing on a particularly unique clevis rod order that The Steel Supply Company fulfilled.

Hillside Washers can function in the basic form shown in Figure 1. All the necessary features are in place, along with the load strength to ensure durable performance.

The typical Hillside Washer, also known as a Bracer Rod Washer, is made from ductile iron and serves the purpose of providing a perpendicular surface regardless of the angle of the Turnbuckle Rod they are anchoring. As shown in the illustration, the oval surface will allow a nut and washer to seat itself at the proper angle just by the tension created when tightening the turnbuckle.

The Clevis Rod and the Turnbuckle Rod offer the ability to provide tensile strength by increasing their tension as they are tightened. The tightening is done by opposingleft and right hand threaded rod connections. In the Clevis Rod drawing shown below rotating the threaded rod overhand towards the installer it will draw the two Clevises closer, creating more tension. Rotate the Rod overhand away from the installer will move the clevises away from each other, relieving tension.