US2115264A - Load bearing glazed building block - Google Patents

Description

April 2 6, 193s.

A. HENDERSON LOAD BEARING GLAZED BUILDING LocK Filed Feb. 15, 1937 'ynaadavnlaazmaada z-sheets-sheet 1 mvENToR /berzL Heqderso/j mm/M April 26, 1938. v A. HENDERSON LOAD BEARING GLAZED-BUILDING BLOCK Filed F'eb. l5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 www# .u x

/yderso/Z INVENTOR Albert He Patented Apr. 26, 1938 l lUMTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Albert Henderson, Edgewood, Pa., assignor to William P. Witherow, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application February 13, 1937, Serial No. 125,575

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a building block to be used in the 'laying up of walls capable of transmitting light.

Light-transmitting walls have usually been composed either of glass tile or brick, although it has also been proposed to place glass vpanes over the ends of the usual voids extending through rbuilding blocks, and then lay the blocks on their sides to provide for the transmission of light through the wall. The cost of a wall composed of Aglass tile or brick is excessive, especially if the wall has to bear any load, and the amount of light transmitted' through a Wall composed of blocks having glass panes setl in the ends of the usual voids is relatively-slight. It is an object of my invention, therefore, to provide a relatively inexpensive wall construction capable of transmittinga substantial amount of light there-v' through. I l

In vaccordance with my invention, rI employ a building block of any suitable material, such as concrete, having one or.V more voidsfextendingl "therethrough from top to bottom. Iprovide Wind ow openings in one orjmoreof the yside Walls of ythe block and placeLi-langedglass lplates in said openings. 'The blocks 're laid up in a, wan with theirkvoids /vertica-hwhereby' the glazed side walls` are effective to transmit llight through the wall.

0 lIfhe glass plates are firmly embedded ln the block by the shrinkage of the concrete therearound and actually bear a substantial part of the load on the block.

I preferably manufacture the block of my invention by disposing anged glass plates in a mold with the plates themselves engaging a wall of the mold and the flanges thereof engaging a core extending through the mold. I -then pour a cementitious mix around the core and glass plates to form the complete block.

Further features of my invention will become apparent as the following detailed description thereof proceeds. The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment and practice with certain modifications. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of block according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of Ia flanged glass plate adapted to be incorporated in a block;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the block of Fig. l, taken along a medial horizontal plane;

Fig.y4 is a sectional view taken through a mold along a medial horizontal plane, illustrating the methodof manufacture;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a modified construction;

Fig. 6 is a fragment of Fig. 5 to enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of block;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional View taken through one of the windows in the block-of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a. perspective view of a further modication; 4

Fig. l0 is a sectional view thereof similar to l0 Fig. 8;

Fig; l1 is a sectional view taken through one form of wall construction in accordance with the invention; and

Fig'f12 is a similar view showing afurther form 15 of wall. y y

Referring now in detail 'to the drawings, a block I0 composed of concrete or other-suitable material hasvoids II extending vertically therethrough, leaving side walls I2, end walls I3 and a 20 center wall I4. The voids II' extend through the block from top to bottom thereof and are preferably formed by cores during the molding of the block. vWindow openings I5 are provided ina plurality ofthe side or end Walls I2 and I3. Fig'. 1` 25: A

shows such window openings inr botlrthe side Walls I 2 only. Flanged glass plates IlI overlie the openings I 5 and make a tight joint lwith the edges of the openings. The flanges I1 of the plates I6 taper inwardly and their outer surfaces 30 are serrated, as at I8, for a purpose which will appear presently. The bevel on the outside of the glass iianges permits their easy removal and replacement in case of breakage.

Fxg.4i11ustrates diagrammaticauy the method 35 which I prefer for manufacturing blocks of the type shown in Fig. 1. `A mold 20 of any suitable construction is provided with cores 2I preferably movable relative to the side Walls of the mold through suitable openings in a. pallet 22. With the cores 2 I in position, I dispose a plurality of plates I6, as shown in Fig. 4, with their at surfaces engaging the mold walls and their flanges engaging the cores 2l. Filler blocks 23 of any 45 suitable material are disposed between the glass plates and the cores to prevent seepage of the plastic material. Reinforlcing members 24 are positioned adjacent the bottom and top and ends of the lmold before and after the placing of the- 50 glass plates I6. Concrete or other suitable plastic material is then poured into the mold around the cores the glass plates. After partial setting, the pallet is raised to eject the block from the mold, by apparatus such as that shown and described in my copending application Ser. No. 62,965, filed Feb. 8, 1936, for Method and apparatus for making concrete articles.- After further setting, the filler blocks 23 are removed and the blocks are then cured. 'I'he serrations I8' on the flanges I1 of the plates I 6 cause the latter to form a rm bondwith the concrete. Also, the shrinkage of the cement grips the glass, thereby permitting the glass to help carry` the load.

Fig. 5 shows a modification in which the end walls `I3 and the middle web I4 of the block shown in Fig. 1 are provided with Window openings having plates I6 disposed therein. As shown in Fig. 6, the anges I I of the plates I6 are beveled adjacent their edges, as at 25. These .edges are thus adapted for contact with.r each other, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, as well as with the cores 2I.

Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate a further modiiied form of block composed of concrete or the like and having window openings therein. Each window opening is provided with a pair of plates I6 disposed edge to edge, as .shown in Fig. 8.

Figs. 9 and 10 show a block having single plates I6 seated in its windows.

Fig. 11 illustrates a wall composed of blocks I0. As there shown, the rays of light may pass through the wall at an angle because the voids II of the several courses of blocks are vertically alined. Transverse glass plates 26 may be disposed between courses to prevent any chance of dust or dirt settling on the glass.v

Fig. 12 shows the use of blocks, such as that shown in Figs. 9 and 10, to serve asintermediate courses or as a coping course in' a Wall composed of blocks, such as that shown at Ill.

The invention is characterized by numerous advantages over constructions previously known. The cost of a wall composed of the block shown is much less than that of a wall composed of glass tile or brick. As indicated in Figs. 11 and 12, furthermore, the invention permits light to be transmitted through the Wall at various angles. A much greater amount of light will thus be transmitted through a wall composed of a wall of my invention than through one composed of cored blocks having the ends of their voids ,only

glazed. The block of my invention, furthermore,-

has considerable structural strength. The glass plates themselves have a high compression strength and are firmly bonded to the concrete forming the block. The great strength of the glass in compression (100,000 lbs. per sq. in.) makes it safe to design the block with relatively thin walls of plastic material and large window openings, increasing the amount of light transmitted. The method ofI manufacture disclosed is simple and relatively inexpensive.

Although I hav-e illustrated and described but' a preferred form of the invention and certain modifications thereof, it will be understood that changes in the construction and practice described may be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wall composed of successive courses of blocks, each having spaced side walls and vertical voids therebetween, window openings in said side walls and window lights in said openings whereby a ray-of light may passf'throughl'a windowof one block, partially through the voids of said one block and a block in an- `adjacent course, and

then through a window of said last mentioned vertically therethrough, window openings in two opposite side Walls of the' block, and glass plates seated in said openings, the material of which the block is composed beingv firmly bonded to the edges of said plates whereby to transmit at least part of the load on the block to said plates.

ALBERT HENDERSOII?A

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