Hurricane framing tie

1. A unitary framing tie, for use in securing wooden framing members together, comprising:

a base comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced apart, coplanar plates, having side, central and terminal edges, said central edges defining a first gap, and a pair of substantially parallel, opposed flanges, downwardly depending from the side edges of the plates, whereby the base defines an open-ended three-sided first channel sized to receive a first framing member;

one said flange extending continuously along one side edge of the plates to join them, the other said flange forming a second gap aligned with the first gap; and

a pair of substantially parallel, opposed sidewalls, each side wall extending upwardly from the first gap along the central edges of the plates and having two side edges and a top edge to form an open-ended second channel to receive a second framing member between the side and top edges of the sidewalls.

2. The framing tie as set forth in claim 1 wherein, the upwardly extending sidewalls are substantially perpendicular to the plates.

3. The framing tie as set forth in claim 2 wherein the upwardly extending sidewalls are sufficiently spaced to receive a plurality of framing members.

4. The framing tie as set forth in claim 3 wherein the downwardly depending flanges are substantially perpendicular to the plates.

5. The framing tie as set forth in claim 4 wherein the flanges are of sufficient length to receive a plurality of framing members.

6. The framing tie as set forth in claim 5 wherein the opposed sidewalls extend opposite from, and perpendicular to, the downwardly depending flanges.

7. The framing tie as set forth in claim 6 wherein the plates, the flanges and the sidewalls comprise a plurality of apertures for receiving fasteners to affix the first framing member to the second framing member.

8. A unitary framing tie, for use in securing together two wooden framing members, comprising:

a base comprising two coplanar side plates having central, terminal and side edges, wherein the central edges are spaced apart to form a first gap and a pair of substantially parallel opposed flanges, depending downwardly from the side edges of the plates, whereby the plates and flanges together form an open-ended three-sided first channel for receiving a first framing member;

one said flange extending continuously along one side edge of the plates to join them, the other said flange forming a second gap aligned with the first gap; and

a pair of upwardly extending sidewalls extending from the central edges of the plates, each sidewall having two side edges and a top edge, wherein the sidewalls form a second channel sufficiently spaced to receive a second framing member between the side and top edges;

wherein the plates, the flanges and the sidewalls comprise a plurality of apertures for receiving fasteners.

9. The framing tie as set forth in claim 8 wherein the upwardly extending sidewalls extend in the opposite direction and substantially perpendicular to the downwardly depending flanges.

10. The framing tie as set forth in claim 9 wherein the upwardly extending sidewalls are sufficiently spaced to receive a plurality of stacked second framing members.

11. The framing tie as set forth in claim 9 wherein the downwardly depending flanges are sufficiently long to receive a plurality of stacked first framing members.

12. The framing tie as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the open-ended second channel is adapted to receive the second framing member in a direction from the top edges of the sidewalls towards the base.

13. The framing tie as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the second channel is adapted to receive the second framing member in a direction from the top edges of the sidewalls towards the base.