US2403369A

US2403369A - Glass building construction

Info

Publication number: US2403369A
Application number: US491609A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Joseph C Huber
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1943-06-21
Filing date: 1943-06-21
Publication date: 1946-07-02
Anticipated expiration: 1963-07-02

Description

July 2, 1946. v J. c. HUBER, JR

' GLASS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 21, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l JUEEFH l1. HUBE J P July 2, 1946. J. c. HUBER.- JR 2,403,359

GLASS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION awe/rm JljEEPH E. HUBEPNV JP Patented July 2, 1946 Joseph C. Huber, Jr., La Porte, Ind.

Application June 21, 1943, Serial No. 491,609 g 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to building construction.

This invention has utility in the matter of assembly of strips, plates, panels and sheet elements into a structure; more particularly of vitreous material, as glass. Hereunder, in the instances from the fiat, with range for adaptation in dimension, there is eliminated involved details. Accordingly, one having the urge to build, may, consistently with the simplified program hereunder, proceed as to a desired lay-out or plan, set'such up for habitancy, out-building, or even into houslugs for factory, oflice building, hospital, church,

' school, theatre, or any other type of building. The glass building is sanitary, dust proof, vermin-proof, fire-proof, water-proof, permanent, requires no upkeep, will not deteriorate from rust, moisture, dry rotor other causes; and is susceptible to taking down and're-setting without loss, muss or rubbish. The re-construction may be of a similar structure at a different location, and can be added to,or remodeled. The desirability traits extend to insulating against any climatic condition in such multiple sealed air chambers for walls, floors and roofs, as experience demonstratesappropriate,

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation,-with parts broken away, of an embodiment' of the invention in a glass house;

Fig. 2 is a section on line IIII, Fig. 1, partly showing details of window location, and multiple sheet wall from foundation to roof;

Fig. 3 shows, fragmentarily, wall sheets in their assembly on studs, looking from the wal1 outer side;

Fig. 4 is a section on line IV-IV, Fig. 1, showing wall construction at a building corner, also interior partition adjoining;

Fig, 5 is a detail view of a stud assembly; and

Fig. 6 shows how side walls or plates may be set to enclose upper stories of. any building, and shows upper floor construction.

a ceiling '7' 2", a convenient prefabrication to supplyto the job may be glass studs therefor. To this end a pair /1" thick glass strips 4, wire reinforced wher necessary, are of a width of 3" and 7' 2" length. Parallel glass spacers therealong may be 3" long, A" thick and 1 /2" wide, thus giving dimensions 2" x 3" for studs. Spacing of studs may be 16" centers, more or less, as

Initial steps are taken according to the charmay be suited to dimensions of wall sheets. With studs more sparse, or to withstand more load, strips 4 may be /2" or more in thickness and any inch width; and likewise as to the number of spacers 5 and wire wraps. For economy in production and simplicity-for dimension material to be used hereunder, advantage arises in avoidance of special notching, or boring, and resultant weakening therefrom. Assembly of the strips 4 and the "spacers 5 into a stud is efiected by stiff or soft pliable rustproof wire, having wraps I about strips 4, and additional wraps 8 to position spacers 5 against shifting. Studs shall have /2"'ho1es 9 about every 18" for dowel anchors In which project outward 1" or more each way.

Spaced each side of the studs 4, 5, the foundation 3 shall have anchor wires II. There shall be a continuous base plate l2 stop foundation astride which the studs (Fig. 5) seat thereon. Upper free ends of wires I I as drawn taut against opposite sides of the studs 4, 5 have a twist I3 about protruding ends of an adjacent dowel Ill and around opposite sides of the studs 4, 5.

At the top of a row of studs 4, 5; are plates l4. Horizontally extending from on the plates M, are joists I5. These joists l5 are adapted to provide mounting for a floor thereabove and a ceiling at the under side.

The studs l, 5, provide a skeleton upon which may be mounted plates H; to form a wall with break-joint clearance l1 between the plates to occur at the studs. The lower edge of the bottom plate l6 may be bedded in elastic putty base I 8.

Wire end portions 2| from the wire wraps for the studs, are located to be accessible at the clearance regions l1 and there adapted to be twisted to form holding means for the plates l6 against the studs.

Gla ss furring plates 22 about /1" x 2" x 3"v may be set at studs on plates IS with transparent glue 23. All joints shall be sealed with elastic putty to form tight insulation spaces between glass plates. Stainless steel caps 26 are soldered 26' to wire 21 to pass through clearances 24, I1, 2|, and have wraps 28 about the dowel III.

with frieze strips 29 held by hooks 30 from the top of'the plates 25, outer finish downward has only vertical clearance lines 24 of V width, with caps 26 spaced therealong, and vertical joints filled flush with elastic putty 32, with bedding and finish bevel 33 at the foundation 3 (Fig. 2). The running of wires 21 from caps 26 through joints between the outer plates 25 must be at a register of crosswise joints.

Between the plates I6, 25, there is a dead air or insulation space 34. In some practice additional insulation spaces may be effected by inclusion of more plates and/or multiple Cellophane sheets between the wall of the plates I6 and wall of the plates 25; between wall of the plates 35 and wall of the plates 42; and between wall of plates 48 and wall 01' plates 50.

Upon completion of setting of plates for wall on outside of the studs, the erector may locate a group of plates 35 bedded at stud wire wraps with elastic putty on inner side of studs. Plates 35 and plates I6 may be similar. All joints should be sealed with elastic putty. After an-' chor wires terminate in a twist, they have their ends 38 spread flat against surfaces 35 drawing such wall layer into wall assembly. Hooks 39 caught over dowels II), with threaded portions 40 protruding through clearance 4I between generally horizontally extending inner wall finish plates 42, have plates, washers, caps 43 threaded with hook portion 46 as anchorage.

There is in the disclosure herein a four-ply wall with three air chambers for insulation. More air chambers may be used as climatic conditions require. Avoidance of register of joints at other than intersections between plates of one layer and of layers parallel thereto, contributes to maintenance of separation of air chambers and to stability. Joint sealing is a further carrying forward of full separation between chambars 34, stud spacing chamber 44 and chamber 45.

Appropriate non-skid glass plates 46 form the floor finish. Suspended glass plates 41 form the ceiling. To the extent insulation values are attained for side walls, there may be on joists I5 horizontal glass plates 48 with furring plates 49 spaced thereover at joints, with roof glass plate sections 56 thereon. Joints of floor, ceiling, roof and all insulation glass shall be sealed with elastic putty.

Glass hood 52 may be held by struts 53 at entrance door 54. Anchorage for metal posts 55 may position such posts to carry guard rails 56 as roof bounds for a deck provided by floor 50. A chimney 51 may have glass plates 58 as veneer over masonry. A cantilever joist structure 59 from chimney 51 may have transparent glass plate roof 60. To form sleeping room on main roof, curtains 6| may be lowered.

Window openings 62 are made of jamb plates 60 63 between

plates

25 and 42. Sill 64 has projection 65, two-ply insulation glass plate section 66, set with top and bottom clips and sealed with elastic putty 61. Other than to locate frames for swinging doors, there need be no wood or other casing, base or trim of any kind.

The glass. joist or beam- I5 is built up from plates 68 as strips of glass in on-edge parallel relation, with or without, as exigency requires,

, glass bottom plate I and upper plate I I. Interplate tension metal members [2 have metal supports at one or two points at bottom of glass in span length and metal blocks or washers I3 at upper supported ends of joint or beam, with nut or anchorage means I4 to hold ends of tension member or members 12 and wire wraps I about joist or beam to maintain the assembly. In some practice, the studs, joists, beams may be precast glass with metal reenforcing rods and wire wraps 5 inside. Some practice may give importance to the degree of translucency for the side walls as completed, even apart from the transparency of window space, and/or window space may be increased or entirely omitted.

Exposed glass edges are preferred to be finished rather than sharp cut. The structural set-up, where uniform thickness rolled or drawn sheet fiat glass faces are directly against each other, is desirable to have same set with transparent waterproof glue. The elastic putty used to seal joints may be cut flush to surfaces; while otherwise concealed, or as exposed to weather on chimney, or roof, it may be a slight excess.

For door hood, floor tile, roof or deck, or any other parts requiring same, wire glass may be adopted.

The exterior wall construction (glass studs with exterior and interior glass finish plates and insulation chambers), the floor construction (glass joists with glass floor and ceiling plates), roof construction (glass joists with glass roof and ceiling plates and insulation chambers), and interior partitions (glass studs and Walls) may -all be used for buildings of few stories, the same as described for the bungalow. Similarly, all

this construction may be used for the completion of multi-storied buildings of steel framing, or other skeleton framing.

The showing (Fig. 6) is a metal beam, joist or girder I9 with a continuous Z-bar 8|] welded thereto. Z-bar 8n, is here shown to carry outer plates 25 for each story upward.

At exposed'outer corners of the building, angle caps BI may have wires 82 therefrom to wend through joints between plates 25 and I6, thence around a stud outer side to have twist anchorage 83 at dowels ID or around any wrap wires of studs. With each angle cap 6| thus pulled taut each way and anchored to corner studs, there is 5 completed rigid assembly.

In view of the possibility hereunder of glass practically throughout, the resultant structure avoids hazard from lightning, and with translucency affords maximum light. Razingand reconstructing does not involve loss, waste nor rubbish. The glass building is airtight, dry, avoids moisture problems, and there is no seasoning, drying out or shrinkage. The glass will come to job ready to set in place, with but the simplest of labor and only two tools required for erection-pliers and putty knife. The glass once set, the structure is completed, with no need for many involving materials and trades, as the in-' terior and exterior are of themselves finished.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A building unit comprising a plurality of framing elements, and facing panels applied to opposite faces of said elements, each framing element comprising a pair of elongated strips,

means for maintatining said strips in spaced parallel relation, pins extending through said strips and bridging said space, said elements being positioned with their long edge faces directed to- 70 ward the facing panels; adjacent panels being positioned with their end edge portions overlying a space between a pair of the strip forming a framing element, said edge portions there being in substantial-abutment, and means having a part engaging the outer faces of adjacent wall panels posed rigid and another part extending between said abutment-approaching edge portions and attached to said pins for securing said panels in assembled relation with said framing elements.

2. A building unit comprising aplurality of framing elements, and facing panels applied to opposite faces of said elements, each framing element comprising a pair of flat side strips, intermeans resting against opposing fiat sides of the pair of strips to maintain the strips in spaced parallel relation, said elements being positioned with their long edge faces directed toward the facing panels; adjacent panels being positioned with their edge portions overlying a space between a pair of the strips forming a framing element, said edge portions of the panels there approaching substantial abutment, and ,means having a part engaging the outer faces of adjacent wall panels and extending therefrom between said abutment-approaching edge portions and provided with anchorage connection with the assembled strips of the framing element.

3. A building unit comprising a plurality of framing elements, and facing panels applied to opposite faces of said elements, each framing ele- 'ment comprising a pair of elongated flat strips,

rectangular fiat plates with their bounding edges determining planes transversely of the extent of the strips for maintaining the strips in spaced parallel relation, pins extending through said strips to protrude from opposite sides thereof and bridging the space, said elements being positioned with their long edge faces directed toward the facing panels; adjacent panels being positioned with their end edge portions overlying a space between a pair of the strips forming a framing element, said edge portions there approaching substantial abutment, and mean engaging the outer faces of adjacent wall panels and extending therefrom between said abutmentapproaching edge portions and attached to said pin for securing said panels in assembled relation with said framing elements.

4. A building unit comprising a plurality of framing elements and facing panels of flat glass applied to opposite faces of said elements, each framing element comprising a pair of elongated fiat glass strips, flat glass spacing block for maintaining the strips in spaced parallel relation, said framing element strips having perforations in alignment, pins extending through said perforations of the respective strips and bridging the space, said elements being positioned with their long edge faces directed toward the facing panels; adjacent panels being positioned with their end edge portions overlyinga space between a pair of the strips forming a framing element, said edge portions there approaching substantial abutment, and wire means having a part engaging the outer faces of adjacent wall panels and another part extending between said abutment-approaching edge portions and attached to said pins for securing said panels in assembled relation with said framing elements.

JOSEPH C. HUBER, J n