US1491404A - Building construction - Google Patents

Description

' A ril 22, 192 1,491,404

W. H. HOUGHTON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 11, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet l A ril 22, 1924. 1,491,404

W. H. HOUGHTON BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 11. 1920 2 SheetsSheet 2 3 '-f-r' z/y INVEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 22, 1924.

WILLIAM H. HOUGHTON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 11, 1920, Serial 1T0. 880,609. Renewed May 25, 1922. Serial No. 563,873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Honori- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los-Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Building Constructions, of which the following is a specification. Q

This invention is abuilding construction and has for its object the provision of a locking joint between the units of the com struction arranged to form a wedging joint between the units tending to more firmly connect one unit to another by the pressure exerted by one unit against another due to the weight supported by said units.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which-.-

Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a building construction constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the units of the building construction.

Fig. 3 is an end view ofthe same.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections through the same on the lines 44 and 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the building units used at the joint between flooring and walls of the building construction.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the tie blocks of the construction.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a beam of the building construction.

In the building construction illustrated in Fig. 1. the side walls and partitions of the building and the cross beams, flooring and roof of the building each consists of a plurality of blocks havingthe improved locking joint 'at their meeting edges for locking the various blocks together.

The building is illustrated as supported upon a foundation A. and includes cross beams B, outer side walls C, inner partitions D, flooring F. and roofing F. The beams of the building consist of a plurality of blocks 1 arranged end to end to form said beams and having the improved locking connection between meeting ends of adjacent blocks. The meeting ends of adjacent blocks are inclined relative to the sides of the blocks. thereby providing an overlapping inclined joint. The joint, preferably,

consists of a plurality of inclined end surfaces upon each block, as shown at 2 and' 3, this plurality of end joints being formed by off-setting one of the inclined end surfaces,

say the surface 3, relative to the inclined end surface 2, as shown at 4.

By this arrangement one end of each block comprises two tongues 5 and 6 each having an inclined face, and the other end of the block comprises similar tongues 5" and 6' reversely arranged with relation to the tongues 5 and 6, so that the recesses formed between the tongues at one end of a block will receive the tongues at the adjacent opposite end of the next block.

A stay 7 is, preferably, embedded in adjacent blocks of the beam construction for. providingadditional locking means between the blocks. This stay is shown as compris ing a web 7 arranged to extend lengthwise of the beam and having cross flanges 7 at its respective ends arranged to be received in the respective adjacent blocks. The

blocks for this purpose are provided attheir respective ends with a longitudinal recess 8 and a cross recess 9 arranged to'receive the Web and flange of the stay, respectively. Theserecesses extend from one 'of the sides of the blocks inwardly a sufficient distance so that the stay may be positioned within adjacent blocks with its inner edge approximately at the medial line of the blocks comprising the beam.

The portions of recesses 8 and 9 between the stay as this positioned and the surface of the blocks may be filled with a suitable locking'material, such as concrete as shown at 10. The beams, as thus constructed, are,

preferably, positioned with the portion thereof. in which the stays are embedded, turned downwardly sothat the weight supported by said beams will be exerted against said stays.

The flooring E and the roofing F support ed by beams B consist of a plurality of panels 11 arranged to. be laid upon the beams with the meeting side edges of adjacent panels provided with the improved locking joint. As an instance of this arrangement each pair of opposite side edges of a panel 11 consists of inclined surfaces 2 and 3 off-set by the surface 4,as previously described, the inclined surfaces at one of each pair of side edges being reversely arwalls connected by suitable tie blocks. These double walls-are each formed of panels 11, but the panels forming superimposed layers of the wall construction instead of meeting at adjacent edges are, preferably, separated by tie blocks 12 arranged to span the space between the two walls comprising the double side wall and partition construction. The tie blocks 12 may be either an appreciable width to form a double wall side wall construction in which the walls are separated an appreciable distance, or these tie blocks may be relatively narrow so as to form double wall partitions in which the walls have been slightly spaced apart.

The tie blocks are provided upon their upper and lower faces adjacent the respective side edges thereof with inclined surfaces 2 and 3 off-set by the surface 4, as pre viously described, in order to form a joint with the edges of the panels comprising the walls of the side walls and of the partitions. For this purpose the tongues 5 and 6 formed atone of the surfaces of the tie blocks are in alinement with the recesses formed between the tongues 5 and 6 at the opposite surface of the tie block, so that the tie block will be arranged to form locking joints with opposite ends of the panels above and below said tie blocks. Furthermore, the inclined surfaces 2 and 3 at the opposite side edges of a tie block are, preferably, reversely inclined outwardly toward the respective sides of the tie block and the edges of the panels forming the two walls of the double wall 'construction are similarly reversely inclined.

By this construction it will be seen that a joint is formed between the tie blocks and the two walls of the double wall construction in which the weight carried by thewa'lls will force the reversely inclined edges of the wall panels against the reversely inclined co-operating surfaces at the opposite edges of the tie blocks to firmly wedge the wall panels to the tie blocks.

The side walls G are, preferably, supported at the first floor of the building construction upon the flooring and upon a suitable water bench resting upon the foundation A and extending around the outside of the construction. For this purpose the upper surface of the water bench and the panels of the flooring upon which the two walls of the side wall construction rest are provided with inclined surfaces 2 and 3'separated by the off-set surface 4, as previously described, to provide memos tongues 5 and 6 and intermediate grooves arranged to receive the tongues 5 and 6' of the panels of the walls. In similar manner the floor panels upon which are supported the panels of the double wall partition construction are provided with reversely inclined sets of tongues 5 and 6 formingrecesses, as previously described, and arranged to receive the tongues 5 and 6 of the panels forming the walls.

Windows H and doors I may be set in the walls as thus formed. For this purpose the frames of the windows and the frames of the doors are constructed of a plurality of units shown at 15 and 16 respectively, these units being provided with meeting ends similar to the meeting ends of the beam units 1, as previously described, for providing a looking joint between the units forming the frames. The surfaces of the units 15 and 16 which are engaged by the edges of the panels forming the walls are provided with tongues 5 and 6 formed therein, as previously described, and suitably positioned so as to form locking connections with the wall panels.

In practice it will be found desirable to make the tie blocks 12, which are used in the side wall construction, hollow as shown at 17 to reduce the weight of the side walls, and in the construction of the partitions D it may be found desirable to insert a layer of suitable material 18 between the slightly spaced apart walls of the double wall partitions.

The beams at the roof of the first floor of a building construction are provided upon their, under surface with suitably positioned sets of inclined tongues 5 and 6' and recesses separated t ereby arranged to receive the tongues 5 an 6 of the upper, panels of the wall construction. When a building is to be constructed of a height greater than one story, the flooring of the second floor is provided with recessed surfaces, as previ-' 'ously described, for supporting the panels of the walls of the second story, and the upper surfaces of the floor beams are similarly recessed for this purpose.

In like manner the beams of successive stories of the building and the flooring thereof are provided with recessed surfaces to form the locking connections with the wall panels,and the panels forming the roofing F are, preferably, similarly recessed to support extensions of the side walls of the building rising above the roofing and, preferably,

terminatingin a coping J. This coping may consist of a plurality of units 20 having lockingjoints attheir meeting ends similar to the locking joints of the beam units, one of the under surface of the coping units being also recessed, as previously described, to form locking connections With the panels of the side wall extensions. It will be understood that the surfaces of the floors, roofing and walls of the building, as thus constructed, may be finished in any suitable manner, and it will also be obvious that the units forming the building construction may be formed of any suitable'material such as concrete, iron or wood.

While I have shownthe improved looking connection as employed between various units of a building construction, it will be obvious that the locking connection is applicable to a great variety of uses beyond the specific embodiments of the invention which I have illustrated and described. Thus, for example, the locking connection may be used in all construction work including cellars, foundations and so forth, and is also applicable for pipe construction, the building of sidewalks, fence construction, the manufacture of boxes, and in fact wherever it is desired to unite two units so that the weight thereupon will tend to more firmly connect the parts.

will form a positive lock between any two units upon which it is employed when pressure is exerted against said connection. The locking connection is always arranged so that the pressure exerted against the same will tend to move the two units toward one another so that the inclined surfaces of one will slide over the inclined surfaces of the other to more firmly wedge one unit against another. The pressure exerted against such a locking connection acting against the same at the top of the inclined abutting surfaces of the connection will in effect provide a flat arch construction in which said pressure is exerted along the inclined surfaces.

The double wall construction forming the side walls and partitions of the building shown in Fig. 2, and the double wall of the construction such as shown in Fig. 3 also carry out this principle of a flat arch construction by means of the arrangement whereby the meeting edges of the panels of the respective walls are reversely inclined relative to one another so as to provide reversely inclined joints between the panels of the double wall constructions, these double walls being arranged so that the pressure exerted against the same and caused by the weight resting upon said walls will cause a tendency of the inclined surfaces of the respective panels to be shifted relative to one another so as to more firmlly wedge onepanel against an adjacent ane It will be further observed that the looking connection which I have provided includes means for accurately alining one unit relative to another by means of the cooperating tongues and recesses upon adjacent units. By this arrangement the locking connection in effect forms means whereby the units are self-alined thereby insuring a proper alinement of walls or other surfaces formed from units. having the improved locking connection.

Various changes may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed:

1. Units for a building construction having co-operating recesses and tongues each including a side inclined relative to the surfaces of said units, and a stay embedded in.

the ends of adjacent units and spanning the meeting ends thereof for holding the assembled units against relative displacement in a longitudinal direction. The locking connection which I provide 2. Units for a building construction having co-operating recesses and tongues each including a side parallel to the surfaces of said units and a side inclined relative-thereto, and a stay embedded in the ends of adjacent units and spanning the meeting ends thereof for holding the assembled units rl against relative displacement in a longitudinal direction. 7

3. Units for a building construction having co-operating recesses and tongues each including a side inclined relative to the surfaces of said units, the meeting Tends of adjacent units having slots extending therein from one of the surfaces of said units and terminating short of the opposite surfaces, and stays received within said slots so as to span said meeting ends and hold said units against relative displacement in the longitudinal direction.

4. Units for a building construction having co-operating recesses and tongues each including a side inclined relative 'to the surfaces of said units, the meeting ends of adjacent units having slots extending therein from one of the surfaces of said units and terminating short ofthe opposite surfaces, stays received within said slots so as to span said meetin ends and hold said units against relative displacement in a longitudinal direction, and a plastic filler in said slots against said stays.

In testimony. whereof I have signed my name to this specification. 1

Images