US1654522A - Method of insulating buildings - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3, 1928.

Original Filed Sept,

Patented Jan. 3, 1928.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD S. ASHENHURST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISfASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO INSULEX CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

METHOD OF INSULATING BUILDINGS.

Application filed September 10, 1924, Serial No. 736,893. Renewed March. 21, 1927.

My invention relates to a process for insulating and fireproofing the walls of buildings, and has for one ofits objects the provision of a new and improved process by which the insulation is prepared in the field, that is, at 'a point adjacent to the walls to be insulated. By this I intend to distinguish from aprocess in which the insulation is prepared in a distant factory, and ther after dried and shipped or transported to the place of use.

One of the objections to the method last described is that where insulating blocks composed of cementitious material are manufactured for shipment to theplace of use, such blocks must be fully dried in order to eliminate the excess weight of water before shipment and this requires time and space within which the drying is to take place. By my process this iseliminated,'- as the insulating blocks are formed on the job, and may be immediately-placed in position, the drying taking place thereafter. This has other advantages-also in that the blocks may be formed in the necessary shapes and sizes while the material is still soft, thus avoiding the necessity for sawing.

One of the important advantages in the use of a method by which the blocks are producedat the point of use is the elimination of breakage that results from handling and shipping. This element of breakage adds a definite and substantial item to the cost of production and is eliminated by my improved process.

flagration; it is substantially non-hygroscopic and is, therefore, suitable for walls of all kinds'of buildings. material of which the insulating blocks are composed provides an ideal plaster surface, this for several reasons. One reason is that the surface is composed largely of open cells such as those which appear throughout the body of the material and these cells provide an ideal key for the plaster.

The invention will be more readily understood by re'ference to the accompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a temporary form with a quantity of the block- -forming material therein I provide at a point adjacent to the wall to be insulated, a plane horizontal surface, such as a floor 9, and place thereon side members 10, 11, 12 and 13, thereby defining a shallow. rectangular, open-top space, the

lVhen in place the depth of the side members being preferably equal to the thickness of the blocks to be formed. I then place in the bottom of the space a strip of building paper 14., and pour thereon a plastic mass composed of gypsum as the major ingredient, and chemicals that in the presence of water will evolve a gas and cause the expansion of the mass. When the water is added the body becomes cellular throughout. A type of materials adapted for use for forming this mass is set forth in my prior patent, reissued as No. 15,952, on November 25, 1924. Iwish it distinctly un derstood, however, that I contemplate the employment of any material by means of w'luch a quick setting, light-weight block may be formed.

When the material has risen and before setting is completed, I may prefer to level ened and made more dense. I do not, however, wish to claim by this application either the method of screeding or troweling as above set forth nor the product produced by the practise of that method, since such subject matters are disclosed and claimed by my Letters Patent No. 1,613,639, granted January 11, 1927, and my co-pending application, Serial No. 736,892, filed September 10, 1924.

Shortly after the initial setting takes place, which occurs within or minutes after pouring, and while the material is still relatively soft and Wet, I subdivide the large block along the lines 15, into a plurality of 1 smaller blocks 15, of the desired size and shape. This is easily accomplished by em ploying a straight-edge and a thin blade that will pass through the cellular material and the paper at the bottom thereof. Thereafter I remove one or more of the side members, preferably the member 13, and lift the adjacent block fromits position. The paper ding and the paper.

14, adheres strongly to the block and serves as areinforcement. It will be understood that at this time the block is relatively soft, and without suflicient rigidity to resist any substantial shocks or strains.

Immediately thereafter, if desired, the blocks may be placed in a wall and in the drawing I have illustrated a plurality of studs 16, the space between which will preferably correspond to the width of the blocks. The blocks are removed from the adjacent mold and placed in superposed relation to complete the wall to the desired height. Preferably the blocks are placed in position against a wall or sheathing with the adhering paper outside. Thereafter a quantity of cement or plaster is forcibly thrown into the corners and will strongly adhere to the studlhis cement is indicated at 17.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a wall having an outer sheathing 18. suitably secured to the studding and theinsulating blocks are placed against this .whl-l with the paper backing on the exposed side. Of course. if desired, blocks may be formed of such thickness as to completely fill the space between the studding. but for ordinary purposes this. will be found unnecessary.

If it be desired to provide a wall to which plaster may be applied. the blocks, indicated at 15 in Fig. 4, are so placed that a surface other than the surface covered by the paper is placed flush of the wall.

emme with the surface of the studding. If strips of metal lath 19 are tacked to the studding, plaster 20 may readily be applied to theentire surface.

In Fig. 3 a construction is shown in which the outer sheathing or covering has not been applied. However, metal lath, indicated at 19, has been applied to the inner surface of the studding and the blocks 15 are placed 'thereagainst. It will be understood that the open side of the wall will be completed in any, desired manner.

While I have shown a Wall having studs between which the blocks are received, it will be understood that-I contemplate the insulation of a wall in the described manner regardless of the structural characteristics It is practical in some instances to build the wall without studding, merely placing the blocks in proper relation, one upon another. It is also possible to construct a Wall having relatively narrow studding and to completely imbed the studding in the blocks by shaping the blocks around the studding l in the process of. building. Such construction is claimed in a copending application Serial No. 736,891, filed September 10. 1924. It will be understood that while I have illustrated a method by which the blocks are formed by subdividing a largerv block that is cast in the field, a desirable result might be secured by separately casting blocks in the field in the described manner.

The blocks formed as described and a sound proof wall composed of the so-formcd blocks, are the subjects of copending appli- -cations.for patent Serial No. 12,882, filed March 3, 1925, as a division of this application, and Serial No. 736.891, filed September 10. 1924, respectively, and are not specifically claimed herein.

I have obtained very ood results in the practise of this invention by the use of the materials as set forth in my Reissue Letters vPatent No. 15,952. the same being prepared by mixture on the job with sufficient water for making a free flowing paste, such materials comprising 100 poundsof calcined gyp sum, 2 ounces of commercial retarder, 3 pounds of a suitable carbonate, such as calcium carbonate, and 8 pounds of aluminum sulphate containihg water of crystallization, all of such ingredients being finely ground and thoroughly mixed in a. dry state.

By the use of my invention, the cost of manufacture of the blocks is very materially reduced. eliminating the trouble and expense of drying and storing the blocks which are placed immediately in the wall after their formation. cutting down the freight charges materially. preventing breakage "of the blocks. eliminating the necessity for sawing the blocks and very materially assisting in the proper fitting of the blocks in lit) 1. The method of making insulating" blocks in the field, which consists in providing an open top space, then pouring thereinto a plastic mass that will expand to substantially fill said space, then subdividing the material after it has expanded and set, then immediately applying the subdivisions to a wall.

2. The method of forming insulation blocks in the field, which consists in providing a horizontal plane surface, and side members defining an open top space, then casting therein a quantity of plastic material that will expand and set, then permitting said material to expand to substantially the height of the side members, then subdividing the expanded material after it has set, then immediately applying the sections to a wall.

3. The method of insulating the walls of a building, which consists in casting a section of cellular material, then subdividing said section before the material thereof is dry then immediately applying the subdivisions between the structural elements of the building.

l. The method of insulating buildings, which consists in providing a relatively large, shallow, open top space, pouring thereinto a plastic mass that will expand and set to form a cellular material, then cutting said cellular material before it is dry and immediately applying the separate sections between structural elements of a building.

5. The method of insulating a building wall, which consists in providing a molding space and delivering thereinto a, quantity suflicient to substantially fill said mold, of a material that will expand and set, the dimensions of a finishedfsection of said finished material being such as'to require the section to be forced between the structural elements of said wall, said sections being removed from the mold and applied to the wall before the material composing the sec-.

said walls.

7. The method of insulating a building wall, which consists in casting in the field a. section of cellular material composed of a substance that will set, then removing the cast section before final'setting has taken place and applying the section between the structural elements of a building while the material composing the section is relatively soft and yielding and permitting final setting to take place in its ultimate position.

8. The method of insulating a building wall,which consists in casting a relatively large section of cellular material adapted to set, the depth of the section being equal to the thickness of the insulating blocks to be formed, then subdividing said section to provide a plurality of blocks of a size to fit snugly between the structural elements of a building,the subdividing being done while the material is still wet, then immediately applying the subdivisions to the said wall and permitting the final setting to take place with the material in its ultimate position.

'9. The method of making a wall, which consists in applying to a support a plastic block of porous insulating composition immediately-after ithas expanded. and set from the molding operation.

10; The method of making a wall, which consists in casting a plastic body that will expand and set to form a porous block of insulatin material in the field, then applying said lock to said wall immediately after the material has expanded and set.

11. The method of. insulating buildings, whichcomprises the step of applying to a support a block of insulating material while still plastic after the operation of molding ter the operation of molding it.

13; The method of'insulating buildings, which comprises fitting together in a wall a plurality of blocks of insulating material while still plastic after the operation of molding them. I V I y '14. The method of insulating buildin s, which comprises the steps of forming bloc of light porous insulating material by'a molding operation in contact with reinforcing members, and then placing such blocks in a wall formation while still plastic after the molding operation.

tion for final setting in rigid relation to the Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 3rd-day of September, 1924.

HAROLD S. ASHENHURST.

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