US560137A

US560137A - Godfrey knoche

Info

Publication number: US560137A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1896-05-12
Anticipated expiration: 1913-05-12

Description

(No Model.)

G. KNOCHE. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

No. 560,137. Patented May 12, 1896.

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GODFREY KNOCHE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,137, dated May 12, 1896.

Application filed January 3l, 1895. Serial No. 536,830. (No model.)

T all whom it Wray concern:

Be it known that I, GODFEEY KNocHE, a subject of the Emperor of Germany,and a resident of New York city, New York, have invented certain Improvements in Building Construction, of which the followingis a specitication.

My invention relates to ireproof iioors or roofs composed of artificial stone or cement, the object of my invention being to so construct such a floor or roof as to largely or entirely dispense with the heavy metal beams now employed in making the same, and thereby not only very materially cheapen the structure, but also greatly decrease the weight of the same. This object I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional diagram illustrating the opposite walls and the floor of a building constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view taken in a plane transversely to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating an additional feature of the invention. Fig. et is a View illustrating a system of bracing which is preferable in some eases. Fig. 5 is a view of part of the floor on a larger scale than the other figures. Fig. G is a perspective view of part of one of the bracing or strengthening strips employed, and Figs. A7 and 8 are respectivelya transverse section and a sectional plan or top view of part of the structure shown in Fig.

In Figs. l and 2, A A represent the opposite walls of a building, and B a door supported thereby and consisting of a bed of artificial stone or cement. Usually such floors are stiffened and strengthened by means of vertical I-beams embedded in the cement and extending from wall to wall; but these I-beams are so heavy and so expensive as to preclude the use of ireproof oors in very many structures, such as dwellings, cheap tenements or apartment houses, small factories, and the like where their employment would otherwise be extremely advisable. rIhe deiiection of a cement floor, however, can be guarded against by simply stitenin g the same against tensile strain-that is to say, strain tending to pull it apart-for a cement or artiiicial-stone composition can be employed which is amply strong enough to resist any compressive strains to which it is likely to be subjected. This being borne in mind, it will be seen that the upper half of a vertical I-beam is practically of but little value in adding strength to the door, for all portions of the mass of the iioor above the central or neutral axis of the same are under compression when the floor is so weighted as to cause deflection, and the cement compound can be amply strong enough to resist this compression strain without the metal beam, the latter being of value in resisting the tensile strain to which that portion of the mass of the floor below the central or neutral axis is subjected when the floor is deflected by overloading.

In carrying out my invention, therefore, I stiften the mass of cement composing the iloor by inserting therein, as close to the bottom of the mass as is consistent with proper lireproofing, bars or strips ct, extending from wall to wall, as shown in Fig. l. These bars or strips can be placed as closely together as desired, and the strips can be made of light sheet metal, so that thedesired strength can be gained at very slight expense, extreme lightness of the bars or strips not being inconsistent with the possession of all of the tensile strength necessary to resist the strains to which they are subjected, the bars or strips being wholly relieved from any compressive strain, owing to the fact that they are located wholly below the central line or neutral axis of the mass of the iloor.

In order to increase the hold of the cement upon the strips, I prefer to strike up from the same spurs or barbs b, some of thesebarbs projecting from one face of the strip and soine from the opposite face of the same, as shown in Figs. 5 and In some cases I may combine with the bars or strips a one or more Ifbeams d, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the mass or bulk of the oor will be in a measure subdivided, in order to prevent unregulated cracking of the same, which is likely to follow shrinkage in a single mass of cement of large area. If in the floor shown in Fig. 3 there is any cracking of the cement due to shrinkage, the lines of cleavage will follow the beams d, owing to the decrease in the bulk of cement at these point-s and the consequent lessened resistance to cleavage at such points. In this case it IOO will be well to tie the beams d together by transverse tie-rods d', which are preferably carried beneath the bars or strips a, so as to provide a support therefor, and in order to provide on the light beams d a suihcient mass of metal for the proper connection of the tierods I secure to one or both sides of said beam a bracket cl2, through which, as well as through the web of the beam, the tie-rod passes. (See Figs. 7 and 8.) The brackets and tie-rods may be disposed at any suitable distance apart throughout the length of the beams d, thereby to a certain extent subdividing the mass of cement both transversely and longitudinally. The use of the projecting brackets on the beams also very materially stiii'ens the ioor by forming between the beams rectangular masses of cement engaged at the corners by the brackets, these masses of cement thus confined at the corners acting somewhat in the same manner as groined arches to resist pressure from above. I may also in some eases for greater security use two sets of bars or strips at right angles to each other-as shown, for instance, at a in Fig. et; but in most cases a single set of bars or strips will be all that is necessary. In all cases, however, the bars or strips are located below the central or neutral axis of the mass composing the floor, and the strips are by preference always disposed latwise or horizontally, as shown, so that they may be of any desired width, and yet, while contained wholly in the lower portion of the mass, can be amply protected from the eiects of iire in the room or apartment beneath.

Having thus described my invention, I clailn and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A floor or roof consisting of a mass of artificial stone or cement having strengthening bars or strips of metal embedded therein and located below the central or neutral axis of the mass, beams or channels of metal disposed at intervals throughout the mass, and tie-rods extending from beam to beam, the ends of said tie-rods passing through the webs of the beams and being provided with retaining-nuts, and the rods being embedded in the mass of cement between the beams, substantially as speciiied.

2. A floor or roof consisting of a mass of artificial stone or cement having' strengthening bars or strips of metal embedded therein and located below the central or neutral axis of the mass, beams or channels of metal disposed at intervals throughout the mass, and tie-rods extending from beam to beam and passing beneath the strengthening bars or strips, the opposite ends of said tie-rods passing through the webs of the bea-ms and being provided with retaining-nuts, substantially as speciiied.

3. A floor or roof consisting of a mass of artificial stone or cement having strengthening bars or strips of metal embedded therein and located below the central or neutral axis of the mass, beams or channels of metal disposed at intervals throughout the mass, brackets secured to said beams, and tie-rods connecting the beams and passing through the webs of the same and through the brackets, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GODFREY KNOCHE. `Witnesses JOSEPH H. KLEIN, FRANK E. BEcHToLD.