US2449292A - Building structure - Google Patents

Description

p 1948. w. GILLE'I'I' ETAL 2,449,292

BUILDIIIG STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Juno '1; 1944 mmvmns mum GILLETT y EDWARD LIN.

LER 4 ATTORNEYS Sept. .14, 1948. w. GILLEHT ETAL 2,449,292

aunmna snuc'runx Filed June 7. 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVHVTORS WILLIAM cum-:11 3y a bum) A. MILLER 7' ATTORNEYS Sept. 14, 1948. w. GILLETT ETAL BUILDING s'rauc'runs 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Juno 7, 1944 JNVENTORS WILUAM GILLETT EDWARD AJMLLVER ATTOR N EY S p 1943- w. s|LL|: rr EI'AL 2,449,292

aunmuc smucma Filed Juno 7. 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIGJS.

FIGJS.

INVENTORS WILLIAM GILLETT BY EDWARD AJMLLER ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 14, 1948 BUILDING STRUCTURE William Gillett, Grosse Pointe Park, and Edward A. Miller, Detroit, Mich., asslgnors to Detroit Steel Products Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 7, 1944, Serial No. 539,134

4 Claims. 1

The invention relates to building structures and refers more particularly to metallic building structures comprising prefabricated units which may be readily assembled to form the flooring, roofing and walls of a building.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide a building structure which is formed of units which may be economically manufactured and readily assembled.

The invention has for another object to so con struct the building structur that the installation of water or other conduits and electric wiring is facilitated.

The invention has for a further object to so construct the building structure that the assembly of the units is facilitated and the building structure has the main portions of its opposite faces in flush relation.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the'accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a unit employed in forming the building structure;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an assembly of units;

Figure 3 is an end view of a portion of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away and in section, illustrating a building structure embodying the invention;

Flgurefi is an enlarged cross section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating another building structure embodying the invention;

Figure 7 is a sectional view illustrating other installations of the unit;

Figure 8 is a sectional view illustrating another installation;

Figure 9 is a plan view illustrating a modified construction of unit;

Figure 10 is an end view thereof;

Figures 11 and 12 are views similar to Figures 9 and 10, respectively, illustrating another modifled construction of unit;

Figures 13 and 14 are views similar to Figure 9 illustrating other modified constructions of unit;

Figures 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 are views similar to Figure 10 illustrating other modified constructions of unit.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the unit which is employed to form the building structure, such as the flooring, roofing and walls of the building. Each unit i comprises the structural element 2 and the closure or cover 3. Th structural ele- 2 ment is formed of sheet metal and particularly sheet steel and comprises the spaced substantially parallel sheets 4 and 5 of different width and the stiffening web members 6 extending longitudinally of and between and secured to the sheets. The web members are channel-shaped and preferably open laterally outwardly of the unit and have their flanges adjacent the sheet 4 fixedly secured as by welding to this sheet adjacent its opposite side edges. The other flanges of the web members are fixedly secured as by welding to the sheet 5 with the flange of one member secured to the sheet 5 adjacent its side edge, which is in substantially transverse alignment with one of the side edges of the sheet 4. With this construction the sheet 5 extends laterally beyond one edge of the sheet 4 and th sheets 4 and 5 and the web members 6 form a longitudinal cell extending from adjacent the substantially transversely aligned side edges of the sheets.

The sheet 4 has at its opposite side edges the female parts 1 which are formed by the curved flanges 8 extending transversely of the sheet 4 and inwardly of the unit and opening transversely outwardly of the unit. The sheet 5 has at its opposite side edges the longitudinally extending complementary male and female parts 9 and iii, respectively, which are formed by the flanges ii and i2, respectively, extending transversely of the sheet 5 and inwardly of the unit. The flange I l is relatively plain, while the flange i2 is curved and opens transversely outwardly of the unit. .The construction is such that with the units extending side by side the male part 9 engages the female part ID of the adjacent unit and the units form v a channel or space extending longitudinally of the units between the adjacent web members 6 and open between adjacent sheets 4 for access to the joint formed by the male and female parts to facilitate their assembly and secure the desired flush relation of the opposite faces of the units. Furthermore, this channel or space provides for the ready installation of water or other conduits and electric wiring. The cover 3 has at its opposite side edges the like longitudinally extending male parts i3 which are formed by the transverse flanges i4 extending inwardly of the unit'and adapted to engage the female parts 1 of the ad- Jacent sheets 4, thereby closing the channel or space. Th construction provides for the outer faces of the sheets 4 and covers 3 of the units bein flush and also the outer faces of the sheets 5 of the units being flush.

For the purpose of securing an interlocking between the adjacent units and also an interlocking of the covers with the narrower sheets, the male parts formed by the relatively plain flanges are bossed at I! at spaced points longitudinally of the male parts and the openings of the female parts formed by the curved flanges have a width such as to require springing of either or both the female parts and the male parts when assembling the units.

While the gauge of the sheets I and 5, the web members 8 and the cover 3 may be the same, it is preferable to form them of different weights so as to secure structural economy and major value in the distribution of the metal. Since it is a well known engineering fact that compression mem-" bers in thin sheets are not fully effective in carrying loads due to the propensity of the sheets to wave and buckle, thi is taken into account in the design of the unit by using a relatively heavier gauge in the sheet 4 and balancing the unit with this function in mind. As shown in the present instance, the sheet 4 is twelve to fourteen gauge, the web members 6 are fourteen to sixteen gauge, and the sheet 5 and the cover 3 are sixteen to eighteen gauge.

As illustrated in Figure 4 and 5, the units are supported at their ends upon the beams i6 and, in addition to extending side by side, extend end to end and are in alignment so that the channels or spaces in one row of units are in alignment with the channels or spaces in the other row of units. In this building structure the adjacent ends of the web members 8 are cut away at I! to receive a conduit l8 which extends transversely of the units. The conduit 18 is formed of the generally channel-shaped trough I 9 resting on and carried by the web members and the closure or cover 20 preferably having snap engagement with the upper portions of the side walls of the trough. This construction is adapted particularly for use in installing wiring, the side walls of the trough being provided with knock-out plugs which may be punched out where desired for the passage of the wiring into the channels or spaces of the units. 2| is a subflooring supported by the units, including their covers; and by the transverse conduit, including its cover. 22 is the finish flooring resting upon the subflooring. Holes 23 may be made in the covers 3 to register with suitable outlets in the subflooring and finish flooring to provlde'for the passage of the wiring. The construction provides for a large range of positions of the wiring outlets.

Figure 6 illustrates another treatment embodying the units in which the wider sheets 21 of the units differ from the wider sheets of the units l by being perforated. These wider sheets carry the spacer grids 25 which support the sound deadening material 26 in spaced relation to the wider sheets.

As illustrated in Figure '7, the width between the opposite walls is not a multiple of the width of the units and, as a result, the flooring is completed by the unit 21 having a width less than that of the units I. As shown, the unit 21 is a starter unit adjacent the left hand wall and comprises spaced substantially parallel upper and lower sheets 28 and 29, respectively, and the reinforced web members 30. The flanges of the web members are fixedly secured as by welding to the sheets adjacent their side edges. The upper and lower sheets have corresponding side edges in alignment ransversely of the unit for extendin adjacent to or abutting the wall. The upper and lower sheets have at their other side edges the female and male parts 3! and 32, respectively,

which are formed in the same manner as the female parts I and male parts 9 of the units I and which engage the male part II of the adjacent cover 3 and the female part ill of the adjacent lower sheet 5. Figure 7 also shows a different treatment in which the assembled units form an outside curtain wall secured to the frame of the building. The units extend vertically and enclose insulation 33.

Figure 8 illustrates. another installation in which the elements form a wall diflering from that of Figure 7 essentially in having the covers 34 and the narrower sheets 35 perforated and in securing sound-absorbent material I! to th wider sheets 31 in spaced relation to the narrower sheets.

Figures 9 to 19, inclusive, illustrate various manners of reinforcing the units by strengthening the sheets which are under compression.

In detail and as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the narrower compression sheet 38 of less width is provided with the depressed longitudinally extending staggered ribs 39 and 40 spaced from its opposite side edges and with the depressed diagonally arranged ribs 4| and 42 which extend fran the spaces between the ribs 39 to the spaces between the ribs 40, the arrangement, in effect, providing a triangular ribbing. As a result, the narrower sheet is reinforced both longitudinally and transversely.

As illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, the narrower sheet 43 of each unit is provided with the depressed longitudinally extending rib I which extends from end to end of the sheet and longitudinally reinforces the sheet.

Figure 13 shows the narrower sheet 45 provided with the depressed transversely extending ribs 40 which are spaced apart longitudinally of the sheet and serve to reinforce the sheet transversely.

As shown in Figure 14, the narrower sheet 41 is formed with the depressed diagonal ribs II which extend from adjacent one side edge to adjacent the other side edge and which serve to reinforce the sheet both longitudinally and transversely.

Figure 15 illustrates the unit win its narrower sheet 0 and also its cover Ill each formed with a depressed longitudinally extending rib 5| which forms a groove for receiving the nailing strip 52' having its outer face flush with the outer face of the sheet and the cover.

In Figure 16 the unit is shown as having its cover 61 depressed longitudinally from adjacent its opposite side edges to form the longitudinally extending channel 54 which is adapted to receive concrete and produce, in efiect, a reinforced girder.

As shown in Figure 17, the bottom 55 of the depressed portion of the cover 56 is formed with the upstanding dovetail projection 10 for firmly anchoring concrete in the cover.

Figure 18 shows the depressed portion ll of the cover 59 provided with the reinforcing grid 00 which may be suitably secured in the channel formed by the depression, as by being welded in place, and which serves to reinforce the concrete. I

Another manner of reinforcing the unit is shown in Figure 19 in which II is an angleshaped member preferably formed of sheet metal extending longitudinally of and secured to the inner side of the narrower sheet 82 substantially midway between its side edges.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A building structure comprising a plurality of units extending side by side and end to end in substantially longitudinal alignment each having a structural element comprising spaced substantially parallel sheets of different width and stiffening members between and secured to said sheets, and a closure, the wider sheets having at their side edges complementary male and female parts for engagement with the female and male parts of the wider sheets of adJacent units, the narrower sheets having at their side edges female parts, the closures having male parts at their side edges f'r engaging the female parts of the narrower sheets of adjacent units, and a conduit extending transversely of said units and located between adjacent ends thereof, said conduit comprising a trough supported on said stiffening members and adapted to communicate with the spaces closed by said closure, and a closure for said trough.

2. A building structure comprising a plurality of units extending side by side and end to end in substantially longitudinal alignment, each having a structural element comprising spaced substantially parallel sheets of different width, and stiffening members between and secured to said sheets. the wider sheets having at their side edges complementary male and female parts for engagement with the female and male parts of the wider sheets of adjacent units, and a conduit extending transversely of said units and located between adjacent ends thereof, said conduit comprising a trough supported on said stiffening members and adapted to communicate with the spaces between said stiffening members, and a closure for said trough.

3. A building structure comprising a plurality of units extending side by side and end to end in substantially longitudinal alignment, each having a structural element comprising spaced substantially parallel sheets of different width, and stiffening members between and'secured to said sheets, the wider sheets having at their side edges complementary connecting means for effecting an interlock with the corresponding connecting means of the wider sheets of adjacent units, and a conduit extending transversely of said units and located between adjacent ends thereof, said conduit comprising a trough supported on said stiffening members and adapted to communicate with the spaces between said stiffening members, and a closure for said trough.

4. A building structure comprising" a plurality of units extending side by side, each having a structural element comprising spaced substantially parallel sheets of different width, and stiffening members between and secured to said sheets, the wider sheets having at their side edges complementary male and female parts for engagement with the female and male parts of the Wider sheets of adjacent units, and a conduit extending transversely of said units and located at the ends of a row of said units, said conduit comprising a trough supported partly on said stifiening members and adapted to communicate with the spaces between said stiffening members, and a closure for said trough.

WILLIAM GILLE'T'I. EDWARD A. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,867,433 Young July 12, 1932 2,031,631 Bemis Feb. 25, 1936 2,099,211 Lucius Nov. 16, 1937

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