What are the benefits of this joint

[garethharvey]

We stayed in a small hotel over the bank holiday, the place was very old, built approx. 400 years ago. In our room (in the loft) there were some odd looking joints. Any idea why they are like this?

This was the view from the one side, I was expecting the other side to be the same, that way they would lock together. But the other side was just straight through.

 

[AJB Temple]

It looks like a shouldered through tenon. You do see them on some buildings instead of mating both rafters against an apex beam. Often the protrusions on the top (can't really see here on my phone) are used to support a ridge timber. I don't know why some builders use this method though.

 

[Bodgers]

Isn't it just a lap.joint with pins through it?

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[garethharvey]

Isn't it just a lap.joint with pins through it?

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But why is the bottom cut at an angle? This is the bit I don't get

 

[garethharvey]

I can understand it on this joint, this is a sort of dovetail which would hold the truss in place.

 

[andersonec]

Stops the right hand piece slipping upwards when downwards pressure is applied.

Andy