US2951311A

US2951311A - Model building

Info

Publication number: US2951311A
Application number: US655987A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bertil E Luther
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1957-04-30
Filing date: 1957-04-30
Publication date: 1960-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1977-09-06

Description

SLBM

B. E. LUTHER Sep. 6, i960 MODEL BUILDING Filed April 30, 1957 INVENTOR. Berri-i l E. Lu 'her BY @wfg 2,951,311 MODEL BUnniNG Berti! E. Luther, 6822 S. M St., Tacoma, Wash.

uned Apr. so, 1957, ser. N0. 655,987

`4 cram. (ci. als- 19) A This invention relates -to model buildings.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a disassemblable or knockdown model building of the class used by architects, contractors, and other interested in construction work for laying ou-t proposed buildings in order to study them and decide upon structural arrangements preliminary to erecting the buildings.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdown model building which may be used as an educational toy by children.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdown model building which is adaptable to the construction of a wide variety of buildings having varying floor plans and one or more stories.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdown model building which has provision for readily including doors, windows, chimneys, and other structural members in the finished model.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdown model building which lis provided with means Afor self-aligning the various pieces of which the model is built so that a true representation of the building is obtained.

it is another object of the present invention to provide a knockdown model building which is stable and self supporting when erected, but which may be readily disassembled when it has served its purpose.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this invention are accomplished will be apparent from Ithe accompanying specication and claims considered together with the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective, fragmentary view of the herein described model building, partly broken away to show the interior construction;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view in elevation taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1, illustrating the manner of interconnecting the floor joists and studs and of applying the siding;

Figure 3 is a sectional fragmentary view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail view, taken along Kline 4-4 of Figure 1, of a corner construction which may be included in the presently described model building; and

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, center and end exploded views further illustrating the construction of the herein described model building.

In essence, the hereindescribed model building comprises a plurality of oor joists releasably interconnected with a plurality of floor headers, and a plurality of ceiling joists releasably interconnected to a plurality of ceiling headers. Spaced studs mounted on the oor joists sup port the ceiling joists.

A plurality of rafters suitably supported by trusses are superimposed above the ceiling joists. A roof is superimposed on the rafters, and siding is mounted on the studs by magnetic attraction. All of the frame members are interlocked and assembled by releasable joints so that after a building having a first plan has been erected, it

Patented Sept. 6, 1960 2 may easily be disassembled a'nd rebuilt into a building having aditerent plan. Y

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particular reference to the drawings:

' As i's particularly manifest from Figures 5 and 6, the model building of my invention is supported on oor

joists

10, 12, 14 which are adapted -to lie on the supporting surface. Joists 10 are designed `for use in the central portions of the building. Their ends are formed with vertical tongue sections 16 and their intermediate segments carry the horizontal dowel pins `18.

Joists 12 are designed to lie at the ends of the building. Like joists 10, their ends are formed with vertical tongue sections, indica-ted at 20, and their intermediate por-tions carry horizontal dowel pins indicated at 22. In addition, their central upper faces carry dowel openings 24.

Joists 14 serve as end pieces and their inner faces are formed with dowel openings 26 dimensioned to receive pins 22 on joists 12.

The oor joists are spaced apart from each other and interconnected by a plurality of floor headers 28. The ends of Ithe headers are provided with longitudinal dowel openings 3() into which

dowel pins

18, 22 extending transversely of the joists, may be inserted.

The ceiling construction is somewhat similar to the Hoor construction in that it includes a plurality of transverse joists and longitudinal headers interconnected by suitable means such as dowels. Thus there are provided intermediate ceiling joists 32 which register with floor joists 10. The ends of these joists have tapered upper surfaces 34 arid are formed with vertical tongues sections 36. The central portions of the joists are formed with vertical tongue sections 38, and transverse openings 49 are provided to receive dowels 41.

Ceiling joists 42 at the ends of the building include tapered end 4surfaces 44, longitudinal grooves 46, and openings 48 dimensioned to receive dowel pins 50.

The ceiling joists are spaced apart and releasably interconnected by ceiling headers S2. The ends of these carry dowel pin openings 54 adapted to receive dowels 41, 50. p

The ceiling and roof assemblies are supported on the floor assembly by appropriately arranged stud members. These are of three classes. Studs 56 of the first class are placed along the sides of the building. Their upper ends are formed with grooves 58 adapted to receive tongues 36 on ceiling joists 32. Their lower ends are formed with grooves 60 dimensioned to receive tongues 16 on iloor joists 10.

Studs 62 of the second class are stationed along the ends of the building. Their upper ends are formed with grooves 64 for engaging a sidewall of Vgroove 46 on end ceiling joist 42. Their lower ends carry dowel pins 66 which may be inserted in openings 24 in floor joists 112.

Studs 68 of the third class serve as corne-r posts. Their upper ends are formed Iwith slots 70k in such a manner that -a sidewall of each slot maybe inserted as a tongue in groove 46 on ceiling joist 42. The lower ends of corner posts 68 are formed with grooves 72 which receive tongue sections 20 on iloor joists 12.

The studs carry means for applying the siding quickly and easily to the sides of the building. Thus the side stud members 56 are provided with exterior, centrally located, grooves into which are pressed bar magnets 74, which are magnetized crosswise of their length. The ends of studs 62 are provided with similar centrally located bar magnets, not illustrated. Vertically extending magnets 76 are glued in offset recesses in corner posts 68 in the manner particularly apparent in Figures 4 and 6.

Siding elements are provided having any suitable form and contour, for example the simulated lap siding pieces 80 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The inner faces of these elements carry pads or strips 82 of a metal having magnetic susceptibility, it being understood that if desired, the relative positions of Ithe magnets and metal inserts may be reversed, themagnets being carried on the siding and the metal inserts on the studs. Accordingly, the siding may be laid up on the studs where it is held releasably by the magnetic force exerted by the magnets.

In a similar manner various other structural assemblies may be applied to the side of the building. Such assem` blies include door frames 84 which may or Vmay not have side window frames 86; Window assemblies S8 of any desired size and shape; simulated fireplace chimneys, etc. These all may be'prefabricated, supplied with metal inserts, and applied to the studs in the manner indicated.

The roof assembly is supported by and centered on the ceiling joists and studs. To this end there are provided the vertical truss members 90 the lower ends of which are formed with grooves 92 which receive tongues 38 on ceiling joists 32. The upper ends of truss members 90 are formed with grooves 92 dimensioned to receive rafters 94. The rafters preferably are formed of two pieces placed end to end at any desired angle to form the roof peak. Their extremities are provided with grooves 96 which receive inwardly extending tongues 98 on gutter assemblies 100.

The upper surfaces of the rafters are formed with longitudinal grooves into which are pressed transversely magnetized bar magnets 102. These attract and hold the roof sections 104 which are prefabricated in any de sired style, and the under surfaces of which carry tabs, plates or strips of metal having magnetic susceptibility so that when they are applied to the rafters, they are maintained in place by magnetic attraction. It is to be noted further that the upper ends of the rafters are held securely in grooves 92 on trusses 90 while their lower ends are held securely in grooves 58 on the upper ends of the studs, which grooves also receive tongues 36 of the ceiling joists, making a compact, integrated union of the three parts.

To further finish off the ends of the building, gable ends 106 may be applied across the outer faces of the end rafters and a oor may be laid. Also, the corners may be completed by inserting vertical corner pieces 108 in Kthe angle between adjacent ends of the siding. These pieces may be held in place by suitable means, for example by means of metal tabs 110 connected thereto and made of magnetically susceptible metal so that when they are inserted beneath the siding, adjacent the magnets, magnetic attraction will hold the pieces in place.

In erecting the hereindescribed model building, the selected number of

floor joists

10, 12, 14 are connected with floor headers 28. The basic ceiling framework then is assembled, using

ceiling joists

32, 42 interconnected with ceiling headers 52. Gable ends 106 may be applied if desired.

Next studs

56, 62 and corner posts 68 are put into position and the ceiling assembly superimposed thereon. Trusses 90 are set in notches 3S, and ceiling joist 32 and rafters 94 put in place. The magnetically susceptible roof pieces 104 may then be layed on magnets 102 on the rafters, and magnetically susceptible siding pieces 80 placed over the magnets in the studs. The door, window and other finishing assemblies then may be placed over the magnets in the indicated positions to complete the assembly,

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the su'bjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A model building comprising a building frame including a corner post, a bar magnet fastened to an outer face of the post longitudinally thereof, siding pieces mounted on the outside faces of the post with their ends adjacent and forming an angular recess, a vertically arranged corner piece seated in the angular recess, and tabs of magnetic material fastened to the vertical corner piece and extending beneath the siding across the magnet for supporting the corner piece.

2. A knockdown model building comprising a plurality of floor joists having a vertically disposed tongue located inwardly from and adjacent each end thereof, a plurality of floor headers extending at right angles to the joists, dowel connections between the floor joists and iloor headers releasably interconnecting these members together, a plurality of ceiling joists having a vertically disposed tongue located inwardly from and adjacent each end thereof and having a central tongue, upper tapered portions on the ceiling joists adjacent the ends thereof, a plurality of ceiling headers extending at right angles to the ceiling joists, dowel connections between the ceiling joists and ceiling headers releasably connecting these members together, a plurality of studs having upper and lower end grooves releasably engageable respectively in a friction fit with the end tongues of the ceiling joists and the floor joists, a plurality of rafters, and truss members having upper and lower end grooves releasably engageable respectively in a friction fit with the rafters and the central tongues of the ceiling joists to support the rafters in inclined position, the upper end grooves of the studs being dimensioned Vto receive by a releasable frictional t both the tongue sections of the ceiling joists and the outer endsrof the rafters, the outer ends of the rafters engaging the tapered portion of the ceiling joists.

3. A knoclrdown model building comprising floor joists having a vertically disposed tongue located inwardly from and Iadjacent each end thereof, ceiling joists having a vertically disposed tongue located inwardly from and adjacent each end thereof, upper tapered portions on the ceiling joists adjacent the ends thereof, studs extending vertically between the floor and ceiling joists, the studs having upper and lower end grooves lfrictionally engageable respectively with the end tongues of the ceiling and oor joists, and rafters supported at their outer ends 011 the ceiling joists, the upper end grooves of the studs being dimensioned to receive by a releas'able frictional ft both the tongue sections of the ceiling joists and the outer ends of the rafters, the outer ends of the rafters engaging the tapered portion of the ceiling joists.

4. The building of claim 3 wherein the rafters have end grooves, and gutter means frictionally engageable with the end grooves to be mounted on the end of the rafters.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 390,296 Haldernan Oct. 2, 1888 797,640 'Thompson Aug. 22, 1905 1,236,234 Troje Aug. 7, 1917 1,421,299 Palen June 27, 1922 1,437,867 Sixta Dec. 5, 1922 1,492,560 Fisher May 6, 1924 1,535,035 Philipp Apn 30, '1925 1,673,788 Hobson June 12, 1928 2,760,275 Stein Aug. 28, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 992,318 France Oct. 17, 1951 670,705. Great Britain Apr. 23, 1952