US1745588A - Arched building structure - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 4, 1930. J. G. sHoDRoN ARCHED BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 3, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet III/l Ilils l INVENTOR.

A TTORNE YS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb 4, 1930. J. G. sHoDRoN ARCHED BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 5, 1927 I VENTOR. Byd. J5; 'M l dm-fw! .f TTORNEYS.

.Felix- 4, l 930. J, Q SHODRQN AHCHED BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 5, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INI 'ENTOR .-l TTORXEYS Patented Feb. 4,` V19130 UNITED STATES PATENT` OFFICE JOHN G. SHODRON, OF FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES 'MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF FORT ATKINSON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- CONSIN ABCHED BUILDING STRUCTURE Application led November 3, 1927. Serial No. 230,706.`

This invention relates to improvements in arched poultry houses and similar structures in which minimum cost of material in proportion to capacity, strength and durability 5 are primary considerations.

Objects of this invention are to so organize the structural elements of a building as to reduce the Wall areas to a minimum in proportion to the capacity of the building; to

10 utilize the primary structural elements to the best advantage for the support of inexpensive insulating material such as loose straw, chaffor other materials which are not ordinarily regarded as available because'of their ten- 15 dency to settle, leaving uninsulated voids in the interspaces which they are intended to fill; to organize the lstructural elements for mutual support and reinforcement in a manner to obtain maximum strength and resistance to distortion in proportion to the character and weight of the material used; to provide an arched building structure in which the roof or covering may be adequately supported by a minimum number of arches and the bases of the arches may be securely anchored to a foundation such as a concrete slab or wall with minimum expense for labor and material; and to provide a building structure which may'have impervious or nonabsorbent vermin proof interior walls such as concrete or metal walls, Without the precipitation or condensation of moisture upon such surfaces which has heretofore led to a condemnation of such materials for use in poultry houses and stables. Also to provide a wall of progressive upwardlyincreasing resistanceA to heat radiation.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a poultry house embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a' view of a portion thereof partly in perspective and partly in vertical section, a portion of the roof covering being also broken away.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged detail views of successive arch fragments with associated roof portions illustrated in transverse section.

Figure 6 is a detail view of 'the anchor plate.

The bed portion 10 of my improved building may beassumed to be composed of concrete or simllar material with marginal walls 11 extending above the bed portion 10 and capped by anchored sill portions 12 preferably of wood. These sill portions 12 may be secured to the Walls at intervals by bolts 13, the heads of which are embedded in the walls. Metal anchors are employed as seatings for the bases of the arches and are formed with portions 13 to engage the sill on the inner side, plate portions 14 to rest thereon and thrust receiving portions 15 projecting upwardly along the outer surface of the associated arch.

The base portion of each arch is formed of a series of strips 16, 17, 18 and 19 which are preferably composed of wood. The lower ends of the strips 16 and 17 are spread by a wedge block 20, and a counter wedge 21 is inserted between the strips 17 and 18, whereby the lower end portion of the strip 17 is held by these wedge blocks 20 and 21 along a line which is nearly tangential to the curve of the arch above the wedges. The portion of the strip 17 between the wedges therefore extends downwardl and divergently from the strip 16 across t e intervening space into 18.` The latter and also the stri 19 are neary ly parallel with the strip 16, alt ough divergent therefrom in an upward direction along the curve line of a higher arch, i. e.-an arch whichis higher in proportion to its diameter and therefore not strictly concentric to the inner arch curve. The strip 19 preferably conforms to the outer surface of the/strip 18,

and above the wedge blocks 20 and 21 thev strip 17 conforms to the strip 16 to the top of the arch.

Above the wedge blocks 20 and 21, at suitable intervals, the pairs of strips or laminations 16 and 17 are spaced from the pairs of strips or laminations 18 and 19 by spacing blocks 25, 26 and 27, each spacing block being slightly wedge tapered toward its lower end and each successive block being of correspondingly increased thikness along the radii of the arch in conformity with the divergence of the inner and outer strips. But the block 27 has a lower or inner surface which conforms to the curvature of the inner arch, i. e.-of the strips 16 and 17, and its/ outer surface is tangential to a curve line of the outer arch or arch wall where it intersects .the lower outer corner of the block. The.

larger end of this block 27 abuts and is secured to the corresponding end of a similar block 27 on the opposite or descending side of the arch, whereby the outer arch strips 18 and 19 on the respective sides of the top of the arch form a peak at the point of intersection of lthe tangentially directed portions of the upper ends of the outer strips. A.

vmetal tension bar 28 preferably connects the inner faces of the blocks 27.

- thereto and these boards are employed to support a roof covering 31 which, for the pur` pose of this disclosure,

.composed of ordinary roofing paper. The interlocking tongue and groove connections they extend tangentially andform a ridge Matched roof boards 30 are applied to the outer strip 19 and nailed or otherwise secured may beassumed to be of the lmatched boards as indicated at 32 secure all the roof boards together in the form of a continuous arch exceptt at the top where 35, and these interlocking connections between the individual 'boards produce an integrally arched roof which cannot sag be'- tween the supporting arches. The supporting arches may therefore be set at considerable distances apart without danger of any sagging of individual roof boards between such arches. The interlocked roof boards .also furnish a more adequate lateral support cof for the arches than would be the case if ordinary roofing boards were used. The arches cannot tilt or tip longitudinally of the build' .ing and arranged with the marginal rib of one plate overlapping the marginal rib of the next as shown at 42 in Figure 3. These ribs 41 -provide on the concealed faces of the plates 40 means adapted to interlock with the filler, later to be described. As will be observed, the ribs form channels 0r grooves 41 extending horizontally and lengthwise of the structure.

. The spaces between these sheathing plates 41 .and the roof boards are lled with insulating 'material 43, which preferably comprises loose straw, hay, leaves, or other similar inexpensive material'or lfibrous refuse of light weight and high heat insulating value both by virtue of its composition and also by reaythe anchorage of the filling material in the cavities 44 between the spacing blocks of the supporting arches, and the interlacing and adhering connections between the lower portions of the material and that in the upper portion, which has no tendency to slide, all cooperate in preventing shifting of the insulation or the formation of voids or uninsulated zones. Moreover, the grooves or channels 41 receive the filler and thus interlock therewith to resist sliding and settling of the filler. yIt'will be observed that the grooves provide an interlocking means which does not extend across the space between the sheathing 40 and roof boards 31, and a locking means of this character is desirable, since any means which projects across and closes the space between the roof boards 'and sheathing would interfere with introduction of the filler, and would also eliminate the heat insulation at that point.

' It is thus possible to employ a loose fibrous filling of very efl'ective heat retaining qualities, but of'such character as to be almost invariably available at substantially no expense. With a filling ofstraw, it has been demonstrated that the temperature of the metal sheathing 40 may be kept so nearly at the temperature of the air within the 'enclosure that no objectionable precipitation occurs. While it hasbeen possible heretofore to provide metal lined' building walls with non-heat conductive materials in the form of sheets, adhesive coatings and fillings of cellular material which Will not settle and form voids in vertical wall spaces, yet the expense of such heat insulation is such as to preclude their use in the construction of poultry houses and stables for domestic animals where the cost burden must be replaced by resulting profits. I believe I am the first to provide means for not only reducing the cost burden of the building structure, but also for obtaining such adequate heat insulation as to make possible the use of metal linings without objectionable condensation of moisture thereon and a reduction of heat radiation to a point where the bodily heat of the inhabitants will be sufficient to maintain comfortable living temperatures within well ventilated structures under all but the most rigorous of winter temperatures and weather conditions. This result is obtained, not only by `the arch formation, but by the use of duplex arch walls, which/converge downwardly and require concentration of any material which tends to settle. In this manner I also provide for an insulating layer of progressively increasing thickness in direct proportion to the increased heat radiating tendency at the higher elevations.

I preferably construct my improved building with a concrete floor, and to prevent loss of heat by conduction, and accumulation of moisture in the floor by capillary action, I interpose a layer46 of tar, tar paper or similar imperviousl non-heat conducting material between the lower portion or sub-floor 47 and an upper layer or top vfloor 48 of fine concrete having a relatively large content of cement. The windows are preferably set in metal l.box-like frames, the sides 5() of which are suiiiciently wide to be engaged with or clamped tothe outer or roof covering along their outer margins and to theA metal lining along their inner margins. The structural features of these window frames are not claimed in this application, and therefore it is deemed sufficient for the purposes hereof to point out that these box-like frames form cross walls across the space within which the loose heat insulating filling is placed as above described. Ordinary end walls are used.

Their small area makes the use of any insula-- tion possible at little added cost.

It will, of course, be understood that the lend Walls will have an intermediate layer of heat insulating material indicated at 51 in Figure 2,v exterior to the metal lining 52, wherebyl the entire interior surface of the building is composed of impervious non-absorbent material, and protected in all areas by a layer of non-.heat conducting material. The curvature of the arches is such as t0 per mit ready access by human beings to all portions of the floor space and sufficient head room in the central portion to allow them to stand upright. But the total wall area or surface exposed to heat radiation is considerably reduced as compared with that of ordinary buildings having upright walls and i inclined roofs and this saving in radiating area, combined with the effective means for preventing heat losses and maintaining the temperature of the inner surfaces of the'wall and floor at substantially that of the air in the enclosure, makes it possible to eifectually prevent condensation Within a building havling suitable ventilators as indicated at 53 in Figure 1.

Great importance is attached to the structural features which make possible the use of loose or loosely compacted heterogeneous fillings that may be thrown into the downwardly narrowing wall spaces promiscuously,

combination with a foundation, of a continuously arched wall resting upon said foundation, an outer arched wall divergent from' the inner wall from the foundation to the top portion of the arch, supporting spacing arches `disposed at intervals between the walls, and

a yloosely compacted filling of brous material between said arched walls supported in part upon ythe inner Wall and having anchorage contacts with the downwardly convergent inner and outer Walls and supporting arches, the spaces receiving said filling being of sufficient length along the lines of the arches to permit development of said anchorage contacts.

2. A building structure comprising a series of supporting arches, and longitudinally extending arch covering strips secured to the supporting arches, the abutting strips being substantially continuously interlocked with each other throughout their length to prevent independent movement of the strips and maintain the arch contour between the supporting arches, an inner arched Wall and arches of loose filling material between the inner arched Wall and the outer interlocked strips, said filling material being anchored to both the inner wall and the covering strips.

3. In an arched buildingstructure designed to provide downwardly tapering cavities for foundation, of a sill anchored thereto and serving as a footing for the spacing arches, and a metal anchor piece having a portion engaging the inner face of the sill, a portion extending across the top of the sill and a portion extending upwardly in a position to engage the outer surface of `the base portion of the arch. f

5. A building structure having an impervious ioor including an embedded layer of '5 non-heat conducting material and a metal lined arched wall formed with substantially continuous and substantially unobst-ructed arch-like cavities provided with apromiscuously placed filling of non-heat conducting material exterior to the metal lining, and arranged with the wall members so disposed as to prevent void forming, settling or shift'- ing movements of the filling.

6. A building structure having an arched wall provided with spaced `inner and outer sheathing, and interposed supporting and spacing arches forming continuousl archy cavities between the supporting arches, and a loose promiscuous filling in said arched spaces, held against settling tendencies by frictional anchorage with the sheathing and arches, said inner sheathing having anchorage means for interlocking engagement with the filling. Y

7. A building structure comprising a series of supporting arches and longitudinally extending arch covering strips secured to the supporting arches, the abutting margins of said strips being substantially continuously interlocked with each other throughout their llength to prevent independent movement of the supporting arches and maintain the arch contour between the'supporting arches,l an

inner arched wall secured to said supporting arches, and intermediate arches of material having lower heat conductivity than either the outer or inner arched walls.

8. A building for animals, birds, etc., havto form a ridge peak, intermediate supporting and spacing arches and intermediate arches of nonheat conducting material between said inner and outer Walls, said nonconductive arches having greater insulating effectiveness in the upper portions than in the lower portions thereof.

9. A building for animals, birds, etc., having a housing space provided with an im ervious non-heat conducting floor enclosed y an inner metallic wall in the form ofl an arch, and an outer non-metallic wall also in the form of an arch spaced from the inner wall and extending from substantiall the side margins of the tloor upwardly an divergently from the inner wall to a peak above the central portion of the floor, and a loose promiscuously placed filling of non-heat conducting material extending in the form of a substantially con- 65 tinuous arch from the vicinity of the floor level on one side to the vicinity of the floor level on the .other side, said filling being of greater thickness and insulating effectiveness in the upper portions than in the lower portions of the arch. e

10. A building for animals, birds, etc., having a housing space provided with a i'loor and enclosed by an inner Wall having the form of an arch in combmation with an outer wall 1n the form of an arch of less curvature and spaced from the inner wall with increasing` divergence therefrom from substantially the floor level tothe top, supporting and spacing tling and void forming movements of portions of said material.'

JOHN G. sHoDRoN.

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