US2406164A - Knockdown globular shell - Google Patents

Description

1946- I lsz' 1 2,406,164 v.

KNOCK-DOWN GLOBULAR SHELL- F'iled Sept. 1, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patentecl Aug. 20, 1946 KNOCKDOWN GLOBULAR SHELL Erwin Raisz, Cambridge, Mass, assignor to Global Press, Inc., New New York York, N. Y., a corporation of Application September 1, 1944, Serial No. 552,251.

7 Claims.

The present invention is concerned with knockdown globe-like structures particularl of the type useful for geographical or astronomical globes.

It is among the objects of the invention'to provide a globe-like hollow structure, built from a series of absolutel fiat blanks of sheet material and without resort to implements, or to fastening appliances such as nails, rivets, staples or to adhesive, but which may be assembled by hand, by direct interlock of the constituent blanks 'to each other and which in assembled relation is sufficiently rugged for practical purposes and not apt to come apart even under fairly rough handling.

The accompanying drawings in which is shown one of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. l is a side elevation of the globe, ing to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view on a larger scale of a portion of th globe as viewed from the interior.

Figs, 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views taken on line 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a sheet, showing the entire set of strips making up the globe-like accordstructure.

Referring now to the drawings, the globe-like structure, as best shown in Fig. 1 is made up of a sequence of segmental bands I0, I l,l l and l2, l2 the lateral edges of which are in substantially abutting relationship as at b, the circles of abutment lying in the enveloping geometrical globe indicated in dot and dash lines and to which the globe-like structure described is an approximation. a

As shown, each of the segments is of frustoconical form, the smaller of the segments l 2 being on a more shallow cone, that is, one with a larger apex angle than the segments H of larger diameter. The median segment I0 is preferably a cylindrical band as shown, that is, a frusto-conical band of zero apex angle. At one, or if desired, at each of the polar regions a closure cap it is affixed at its edge to the smaller periphery of the extreme frusto-conical segment 12.

While the globe-like structur may be made of a larger number of narrower segments, so as to approximate even more closely the conformation of a perfect sphere, it is sufiicient for practical purposes to conform the globe of the five segments shown in Fig. 5, with one or two of the end caps I3.

In the geographical application shown, the segments may be identified as follows: segment I!) as the Torrid Zone segment; segments II' and H of said strips and complementary extension.

as the Temperate Zone segments; segments 12) and I2 as the Frigid Zone segments. This terminology is used in the specification and certain of the claims merel for convenience, but it will be understood that the circles of contact-as at b between consecutive segment are not necessarily along those parallels of latitude which define the demarcation between the respective geographical zones above identified.

-In the preferred embodiment the globe-like structure is made up entirely of strips of. flexible sheet material. While inicertain.applications, it may be made of sheet metal, it is preferred for most purposes to make it of fairly stiff-paper, preferably of flexible paper board, which while limber has sufficient stiffness. In a preferred embodiment shown the Torrid Zone segment in is a generally rectangular band of length substantially equal to the equatorial periphery of the globe, and, of width, illustrativel shown in' the drawings as of 30 degrees, that is, of one-twelfth its length. Y

The strips making up the Temperate Zone bands, 1. e., the strips I l and I I constitute, each a sector of an annulus as shown. Each is illustratively of a width of 30 degrees, corresponding tothe width of band It and is struck on a radius readily determined, so that when closed into the frusto-conicalband form, it will fit into the geometrically spherical enveloping form suggested in Fig. 1. The larger outer or convex edge l5 of each Temperate Zone segment strips ll and! l is, of course, equal to the length of the Torrid Zone strip H).

Similarly each strip l2 and I2 making up a Frigid Zone segment is a sector of an annulus,

struck on much smaller radius, and extending for much more nearly the complete periphery than do sectors l l and H Each of sectors I2 and I2, when closed forms a frusto-conical Frigid Zone segment, with the larger base formed by convex edge It, equal in length and periphery to the smaller or concave base ll of the Temperate Zone segment; The polar cap. 13 is of diameter or periphery to fit the aperture'defined by the smaller or concave base iii of the Frigid Zone segment 12'.

While the ends of each strip may be attached together by any suitable means, to form the corresponding cylindrical or frusto-conical segment, as the case may be, it is preferable to provide a unitary dove-tail tongue 20 at one end of each tongues 2| and M at the opposite end; defining therebetween an undercut slot or gate 22 for ac:-

' consecutive segments are intermeshed at them-- ner face of the globe-like structure as best shown in Fig. 2. Thus, as shown, the consecutive segments will abut edgewise as at 24 and 25 and are held in assembled relation by the-intermeshing V dove-tail tongues.

The north polar disk shown likewise has dovetail tongues '23 thereabout, which intermesh with .the corresponding dove-tail tongues .23 on the associated smaller base ['8 of the frigid zone seg- It will be understood that the opening 21 at the South Pole could be used for mounting ment l2.

the globe-like structure upon a pedestal or other .'suitable' support, orif desired,it could be closed by a south polar plate, similar to the plate I3 above described. V r

It will be understood that the various strips from which the globe is to be constructed may all be imprinted with their appropriate map segmerits: (not shown in Fig. 5), upon a single sheet 30 of paper board, as shown in Fig. 5, from which "the several strips 10,: H, H I2, I 2 and i3 e may be cut out by scissors or, if desired, the sheet peripherally for building up the'globe-like structul The dove-tail tongues" 23 will not only look the segments against direct separation and against relative rotary displacement but will also maintain the contiguous edges of consecutive segments against relative tilting and. they assure accurate edge to edge alignment.

joints are staggered with respect to the others as best shown in Fig. 2. The structure is mechanically strong, since each segment, especially those that are frusto-conical, withstands substantial compressive strain and the correlation of the segments results in a truss-like reinforcement along each diameter. The structure is sufficiently rugged to permit relatively rough handling without injury thereto or coming apart. It is understood of course that the edges of the segments may, if desired, be made to extend parallel to meridians, rather than to the equator, if desired. V

The term knock-down as applied to the globe-like structure is intended to define the relationship whereby the globe may be built up from fiat strips, as shown, and may be disassembled into flat strips for convenience of storage or shipment. The term knock-down is not intended to exclude the possibility however of stapling,

or otherwise securingthe' parts formed as Preferably the" strips 7 7 are 'so imprinted that at least some of the lateral lindrical band, av polar disk abutting the edge of shown in Figs. 1 and 2 into a permanent structure, if desired.

7 While the invention has its preferred applicability to geographical globes or to astronomical globes, it will'be understood that it is also useful for other purposes, as for instance, for lamp shades or ornamental displays.

7 As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1-. A' hollow, knock-downglobe-like structure of sheet material, comprising a median hollow bandflanked at each of its sides by a sequence of frustro-conical bands, said bands being releasably interlocked in a self-sustaining structure, the junction lines between consecutive bands lying substantially in the enveloping geometrical spherical surface. v

2. A hollow, knock-downglobe-like structure of sheet material, comprising a medianhollow band flanked at each of its sides by a sequence of frustro-conical bands, said'bands being releasably interlocked in a self-sustaining structure,

with the free edge of at least one of th extreme frustro-conical bands. 3. A hollow, knock-down globe-like structure, composed of fiat strips of flexible sheet material,

each forming an approximation to a segment of a globe surface, the ends of each strip being connected together to form the segment, the various segments being in laterally abutting relationship, the lines of abutment being on circles of the enveloping geometrical sphere, each strip having lateral dove-tail tongues unitary therewith and' in the plane thereof, the dove-tail tongues of contiguous segments intcrmeshing at the inner surface of the globe-like structure.

4. A hollow-knock-down globe-like structure comprising a median cylindrical band flanked, at eachof its sides by a sequence of frusto-conical bands, consecutive bands being laterally in edge to edge abutting relationship, the various boundary lines of said bands extending as circles in the enveloping geometrical spherical surface,xeach of said bands being com osed of a fiat strip of flexible sheet material, relatively stiii ,thereacross, each having lateral dove-tail tongues unitary therewith and in the planethereof, said tongues of the consecutive segments being intermeshed at the interior of the structure.

5. A' hollow, geographical knock-down globelike structure, comprising an equatorial cylinder band and duplicate sets of frusto-conical bands forming segments abutting in substantially edge to edge relationship at opposite sides of the cythe extreme frusto-conical band, the various tail tongues laterally protruding at one side thereof in the plane thereof and in-termeshed with those of the adjacent band at the inner face of the structure.

6. A hollow, geographical knock-down globe, composed of wholly fiat sheets of flexible paper board including a cylindrical Torrid Zone band, a series of sectors of annuli, forming a pair of frusto-conical Temperate Zone bands and a pair of frusto-conical Frigid Zone bands, .the larger base of each of the Temperate Zone bands being equal in circumference to that of the Torrid Zone band and the larger base of each of th Frigid Zone bands being equal in circumference to that of the smaller base of the Temperate Zone bands, the abutting demarcation lines between the respective bands comprising circles in the surface of the enveloping geometrical sphere, and a polar disk closing the smaller base of at least one of the Frigid Zone segments, each of said segments having unitary with the lateral edges thereof a sequence of dove-tail tongues, the tongues of each segment intermeshing at the inner face of the globe-like structure with the complementary tongues of the contiguous segment.

and a generally circular cap sheet, said rectangu lar sheet having means for securing the ends thereof together to form acylindrical shell, the annular segment sheets having like means to form frusto-conical shells, the larger base of the largest shells being substantially equal in periph ery to that of the cylindrical shell and the larger base of the next largest segmental shells being substantially equal in periphery to the smaller base of the largest frusto-com'cal shells, the cap disk being of periphery substantially equal to that of the smaller base of the smallest frustoconical shell, each segmental unit having dovetail tongues unitary therewith, protruding from the lateral edges thereof and in the respective planes thereof, the dove-tail tongues of the contiguous shells being interlocked in the interior of the structure.

ERWIN RAISZ.

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