US3925949A

US3925949A - Structural member and method of making the same

Info

Publication number: US3925949A
Application number: US510480A
Authority: US
Inventors: Tom T Mikulin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-09-30
Filing date: 1974-09-30
Publication date: 1975-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-16

Abstract

An elongated structural member such as a tower or a beam is fabricated from a plurality of identical sidewalls. The structure is made up of sections secured together in end to end relationship. Each of the sections comprises at least three sidewalls, hingedly secured together, and adapted to be arranged in coplanar relationship. When the walls are coplanar the sections may be stacked by accordion folding the sections so that a compact bundle may be formed. The structural member may be formed from the stack of sections by connecting the free edges of the outer sidewalls of each section and securing the same together by means of a single hinge pin running the length of the structural member.

Description

United States Patent Mikulin 14 1 Dec. 16, 1975 1 1 STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Tom T. Mikulin, 1469 Bellevue Ave., Burlingame, Calif. 94010 Filed: Sept. 30, 1974 Appl. No.: 510,480

Inventor:

US. Cl. 52/581; 52/582; 52/637;

160/229 Int. CI. E0411 12/00 [58] Field of Search 52/637, 581, 582, 143, 52/578, 588, 587,593, 594; 160/229 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1916 Hughes 160/229 R 3/1943 Arthur I 52/582 X 2,321,566 6/1943 Wilson 52/582 X 2,728,276 12/1955 Greulich 52/581 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 997,182 9/1951 Francc 52/582 Primary Eraminew-J. Karl Bell Altar/20y, Agent, or FirmGordon Wood [57] ABSTRACT An elongated structural member such as a tower or a beam is fabricated from a plurality of identical sidewalls. The structure is made up of sections secured to- 8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures STRUCTURAL MEMBER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME,

This invention relates to structural members and more particularly, to a structural member such as a tower or elongated beam which is adapted to be erected from a plurality of identical elements and which elements may be stacked in a convenient compact bundle for transportation.

In many situations it is desirable to be able to construct an elongated structural member such as a microwave tower or the like, so that the same may bereadily erected at a desired site and subsequently disassembled into a compact form to facilitate transporting the structure to a different site. The main object of the present invention is the provision of a novel structural member such as a tower which may be quickly erected at a desired site and which may be converted into a com pact package without requiring time consuming disassembly of the various parts.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following specification and from the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a small scale side elevation of a tower constituting one form of the invention with a portion of the length broken away.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of one of the sidewalls from which the structural member is formed.

FIG. 3 is a reduced scale side elevation of three sidewalls swingably connected together to form a section. The sidewalls are shown in coplanar relationship.

FIG. 4 is a larger scale end elevation of a section with the sidewalls secured together to form a prism.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section of one of the hinge knuckles as taken in a plane indicated by lines 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a section of another knuckle taken in planes indicated by lines 66 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a section showing another hinge knuckle as taken in a plane indicated by lines 77 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of one end of the structural member showing one method of carrying out the final assembly step.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the compact package from which the structural member may be formed.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the invention lends itself to the formation of an elongated structural beam or tower and other like structures. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is a tower which may be used for supporting microwave receivers or similar apparatus. The tower comprises a plurality of similar sections generally designated 1 which will now be described in detail.

Each section 1 is formed from three or more similar sidewalls, one of which is shown in FIG. 2 and generally designated 3. Each sidewall 3 may be formed from a generally rectangular sheet of preferably high strength material such as corrosion resistant steel or high tensile aluminum. The weight of each sheet is preferably reduced by providing lightning holes such as those shown at 5, 6. Along one edge the sheet is formed to provide equally spaced hinge knuckles 9 (see FIG. 6). Along the opposite edge of the sheet the same is provided with similar knuckles 10 which are identical to knuckles 9 but in staggered relationship with respect thereto so that two sidewalls may be swingably connected together as shown in FIG. 3 with the knuckles 10 entering the spaces between the knuckles 9. Along one of the narrow edges there are provided a plurality of knuckles 12 (see FIG. 7) which are different from

knuckles

9, 10 in that the center line of the knuckle is in the plane of one side of the sidewall 3. It will be noted from FIG. 2 that another identical sidewall is adapted to be hingedly secured to the sidewall shown by means of knuckles 12 since the knuckles of the identical additional sidewall will be in staggered relation relative to the knuckles I2 shown in FIG. 2 when the two sidewalls are in alignment.

Itwill be seen from FIG. 3 that three identical sidewalls 3 may be swingably connected together by means of hinge pins 14 (FIG. 9) which pass through

knuckles

9, 10.

The remaining side edge of the sidewall 3 is provided with relatively large knuckles 16 (FIG. 5) by which the sections may be connected in end to end relationship by means of hinge pins 17 (FIG. 9).

Inaddition it will be noted that a plurality of sections 1 may be swingably connected together by means of knuckles 12 and hinge pins 13 and also by means of knuckles l6 and hinge pins 17. It will be noted from FIG. 1 that the ends of the section having the large knuckles 16 are in alternating relationship relative to the ends of the sections having the smaller knuckles 12. This permits the entire stack of sections to be accordion folded into a stack, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 9.

It will be noted in FIG. 9 that the use of the large knuckles 16 and large hinge pins 17 not only promotes strength of the structure, but also permits the

knuckles

9, 10 to fit within the space between adjacent sidewalls to achieve a compact stack.

The sections may be stacked as shown in FIG. 9 and when it is desired to assemble the structural member the sections may be unfolded without disconnecting them so that the same are all extending horizontally in a line on the ground. Thereafter the outer sidewalls may be swung to the position of FIG. 4 so that the knuckles 9, ll) of the outer sidewalls 3 are in registration. In this position a hinge pin 20 may be inserted through the

knuckles

9, 10 to provide a rigid structure.

In view of the fact that the structure, such as the tower shown in FIG. 1, may exceed feet in length, a device schematically indicated in FIG. 8 may be employed for inserting and withdrawing the hinge pin 10. Such device may include a pair of

drive rollers

21, 22 driven from a source of power (not shown) and adapted to drive the wire constituting the hinge pin 20 along the entire length of the structure to complete the assembly.

When it is desired to move the structure it is a simple matter to withdraw the pin 20, swing the outer sidewalls to the coplanar relationship of FIG. 3, and to accordion fold the sections to form the stack shown in FIG. 9.

Although the structure shown is a three sided prism, it will be understood that four sides or more may be employed if desired.

The invention also contemplates the use of steel strips formed with hinge knuckles and which strips may be riveted or otherwise secured to the sidewalls.

I claim:

1. The method of forming an elongated structural member comprising the steps of:

providing a section of said member comprising a plurality of rectangular sidewalls swingably secured together about longitudinally extending parallel axes,

providing a second similar section in end to end relation with said first section and securing the adjacent ends of said sections together,

arranging the sidewalls of both sections by swinging the same about said axes to form a prism of a length equal to the length of both sections and with the opposite parallel free edges of the two outer sidewalls of said plurality of both sections in engagement, and thereafter,

connecting said free edges of both sections together.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said sections are hingedly secured to permit folding said sections together in face to face relation.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein additional sections are hingedly secured in end to end relation and all of said sections are accordian folded together to permit stacking said sections in face to face relationship.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said free edges of all of said sections are formed with hinge knuckles and one hinge pin is inserted through all of said knuckles to so connect said free edges.

5. An elongated structural member, comprising:

a plurality of similar sections,

means for securing said sections together in end to end relation,

each of said sections comprising at least three sidewalls swingably secured together about longitudinally extending axes, and

means for securing the opposite free edges of the outer sidewalls of all of said sections to form an elongated prism.

6. A structural member according to claim 5 wherein said sections are swingably connected together for accordion folding said sections into superposed stacked relation when said sidewalls are coplanar.

7. A structural member according to claim 5 wherein said sections are swingably connected by means of hinges.

8. A structural member according to claim 7 wherein the hinges at one end of each section are substantially larger than the hinges at the opposite end to permit said accordion folding.

Claims

1. The method of forming an elongated structural member comprising the steps of: providing a section of said member comprising a plurality of rectangular sidewalls swingably secured together about longitudinally extending parallel axes, providing a second similar section in end to end relation with said first section and securing the adjacent ends of said sections together, arranging the sidewalls of both sections by swinging the same about said axes to form a prism of a length equal to the length of both sections and with the opposite parallel free edges of the two outer sidewalls of said plurality of both sections in engagement, and thereafter, connecting said free edges of both sections together.

5. An elongated structural member, comprising: a plurality of similar sections, means for securing said sections together in end to end relation, each of said sections comprising at least three sidewalls swingably secured together about longitudinally extending axes, and means for securing the opposite free edges of the outer sidewalls of all of said sections to form an elongated prism.