US847692A

US847692A - Building construction.

Info

Publication number: US847692A
Application number: US32071806A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles A Reed; Allen H Stem
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1906-06-08
Filing date: 1906-06-08
Publication date: 1907-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 1924-03-19

Description

PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907. G. A. REED 6r, A. H. STEM.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION;

APLIoATI'oN FILED` JUNE 8,-1906.

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No. s47,692.

PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907. G. A. REED '& A. H. STEM.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

I APPLICATION ,FILED JUNEhS. 1906.

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vNTTD STATES TENT oEEioE. 3

CHARLES A. REED, oE NEw YORK, N. Y., AND ALLEN n. STEM, oE sT. PAUL,

MINNESOTA,

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.zlatented lVIarch 19, 1907.

Application filed .Tune S, 1966. Serial No. 320,718.

sota, have invented certain new and usefuly Improvements in Building Construction, of

which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of buildings; and the principal object of the invention is to provide a building having a large auditorium that may be quickly changed into a small auditorium provided with a stage by moving certain parts of the building which will harmonize and form a part of the architectural ei'i'ect of the building when used for either purpose.

The invention consists generally in providing an auditorium with horizontal movable wall-sections including seating or other desirable parts of an auditorium.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a building with an auditorium or audience-room having a removable proscenium wall or arch, which may be placed in position when the room is divided into two parts by the horizontally-movable seating-sections and which may be removed when the room is converted into a single auditorium.

Other objects of the invention will appear -from the Jfollowing detailed description,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a horizontal section ofan auditorium embodying our invention, the movable box and balcony-section being in position to permit the entire room to be used as a single auditorium and the proscenium wall and arch being removed. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the movable box and balcony- Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the balcony in its forward position and the proscenium wall and arch in position. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the balcony in its back position and the prosceniumwall and arch removed. Figs. 5 land 6 are details of the movable balcony.

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the means for receiving the proscenium-arch when the same is not in use. Figs. S and 9 are detail sections showing means for removing the proscenium-walls while the arch is permanently fixed in position.

In all of the drawings, 2 represents an au" dience-room or auditorium of any preferred size and shape. This room may be used as a single auditorium, as shown in Fig. l, or we may divide it into two parts, one part forming a small auditorium and the other part forming a stage. Any suitable seating arrangement may be provided for either part of the room. The part of the room marked 3 in the drawings formsthe stage, and the part marked 4 forms a small auditoriumwhen the room is divided. We have here shown the part 3 of the room surrounded on three sides by suitable boxes 18, and we have also shown this part of the room provided above the .boxes with a balcony 19, having the floor 20 thereof arranged in steps, upon which suitable seats may be placed. The part 4 of the room is also preferably provided with boxes on three sides and with a gallery 21 and 'a balcony 22, the balcony 22 being preferably on the same level with the balcony 19. Y

For the purpose of dividing the room into two parts when a small auditorium and stage are desired we provide upon each side of the room a horizontally-removable seating-section '23. This is preferably formed with boxes 25 below, corresponding to the fixed boxes 18, and with a balcony-section 26 above the boxes, corresponding to the

balconies

19 and 22. 'These movable'sections may be swung back against the wall of the building, as shown in Fig. 1, where they stand parallel with said wall, or they may be swung forward into the position shown in Fig. 2, where they serve to divide the large room into two parts, with a stage-opening between their innermost portions. These'movable seatingsections provide an architectural feature common to both the large auditorium and the small auditorium, and they permitthe change from one to the other to be uickly made. They also harmonize and orm a part of the architectural effect of the building when used for either purpose. While we have shown these movable sections provided with boxes below and balcony-sections above, it will be understood that any seating arrangement may be provided therein that will conform to the seating arrangement of the other part of the building. We also prefer to provide in connection with `the hori- IOO zontally-movable seating-sections movable proscenium walls 6 and arch 7, and we prefer to make these walls vertically movable. Ve have shown and prefer to use a pit 8, arranged directly below the proscenium walls and arch and adapted to have said walls and arch lowered into it, thereby bringing the top 9 of the arch on a level with the floor 10 of the part 3 of the room` The top of the arch closes the pit when the walls and arch are lowered into the pit. The portion of the pit that receives the arch has preferably a level floor and serves as an orchestra-pit when the proscenium walls and arch are in use. l/Ve prefer to employ an I-beam 11, which forms a support for said walls when lowered into the pit. (See Fig. 7.) 7e prefer also to counterbalance said walls and arch by means of weights 12, attached to suitable cords or cables 13, that pass over pulleys 14, and we also prefer to provide a suitable windlass 15, having a cord or cable 16, provided with a hook 17, adapted to engage a suitable stud or other connection in the top of the arch, whereby by turning said windlass the procenium walls and arch may be raised and lowered together.

When the movable seating-sections are moved inward to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the proscenium walls and arch are in their elevated position, the part 3 ol the room may be used as a stage, and this part of the room is therefore preferably revided with a level or substantially level i'loor 10, while the part 4 of this room is provided with an inclined or sloping floor, which slopes toward the proscenium-wall and is adapted to have suitable seats supported thereon.

Instead o1e providing the removable proscenium walls and arch we may, if preferred, provide a lived arch or a iixed cross-piece at the top of the proscenium-opening, in which case we employ vertically-movable wall-sections 32. These sections may be raised above the ceiling of the room or may be lowered into pits provided below the floor to receive them. (See Figs. 8 and 9.) In each instance we prefer to counterbalance the wall-sections and to provide a suitable windlass for raising and lowering the same.

l/Ve also prefer to provide the part 3 of the room, or at least the part of it adjacent to the proscenium walls and arch, with a higher ceiling than is provided for the part 4 of .the room, so that a suitable stage-loft may be arranged in the rear of the proscenium-walls and above the part of the i'loor 10 that con stitutes the stage.

When the movable seating-sections are moved forward and the proscenium-walls are in position, the part of the room in the rear of the proscenium-walls serves as a stage and the part 4 of the room forms a medium-sized auditorium.

The building is then adapted for use as a regular theater. When the movable seating-sections are moved back against the side walls, the boxes 25 are in line with the xed boxes at the sides of the room and the movable balcony-sections are in line with the iixed side balconies and the proscenium-walls are removed. By placing a false floor over the inclined Vlloor in the part 4 of the room a single auditorium with. its main floor practically level, with boxes` around the four sides and. with balconies over the boxes extending back over the corriders and with a gallery at one end above the balcony, (which gallery may also extend over the foyer of the building,) is provided.

The main level lloor may be furnished with seats, or this i'loor or any part or" it may be used as an arena for horse-shows or other exhibition purposes.

Il preferred, the ends of the movable seating-sections that are toward the part 3 of the room may be provided with closed walls, in which case these walls will form the proscenium-walls when the seating-sections are moved. forward to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. ln other words, the proscenium-walls and the movable sections may be made integrally, in which case the proscenium-walls will move horizontally with the movable seating-sections. This is an obvious modification that is clearly within the scope of our invention.

We claim as our invention- 1. The combination, in an auditorium or audience-room, of horizontally-mevalle seating-sections arranged. upon opposite sides ol' the room and adapted to be moved toward or from each other, whereby the room may be divided into two parts with the space between said movable sections forming a stage or proscenium opening.

2. The combination, in an auditorium or audience-room, of horizontally-swinging seating-sections arranged upon opposite sides ci' the room and adapted to be moved toward or `from each other whereby the room may be divided into two parts with the space between said movable sections l'orming a stage or proscenium opening.

3. The combination in an auditorium or audience-room, ol' horizontally-swingin g scating-sections arranged upon opposite sides oi' the room and adapted to be moved toward or from each other, whereby the room may be divided into two parts with the space between said movable sections forming a stage or proscenium opening, and movable proscenium-walls provided in connection with said swinging seating-sections, substantially as described.

4. The combination in an auditorium or audience-room, with horizontally-movable seating-sections adapted to be moved toward or from each other to divide the room and form a comparatively small audience-room oramphitheater and a stage, the space be lOO IOS

llO

tween said movable sections forming a proscenium-openmg, and movable proscenlum- Walls and an arch provided in connection with said movable seating-sections.

5. The combination, vin an auditorium or audience-room, with movable prosceniumwalls, of horizontally-swinging balcony-sections adjacent to said walls, for the purpose speci'lied.

6. The combination with an auditorium or audience-room having seating-sections around the room, two of the opposite sections being capable of movement toward one another and out of line with the contiguous seating-sections to divide the room into two parts and form a stage, and a comparativelj,T small audience-room, the space between said movable sections forming a stage or proscenium opening, and vertically-movable proscenium-walls provided in connection with said seating-sections, and means for raising and lowering said walls.

7. The combination, with an auditorium or audience-room, of ,movable seating-sed tions arranged to be moved toward one another to divide the room into a smaller amphitheater and stage, the space between said movable sections forming a stage or proscenium opening, prosceniumwalls and an arch provided in connection with said movable seating-sections and adaptedto be moved vertically to an operative or inoperative position, and means for raising and lowering` said walls and arch.

8. rThe combination, with an" auditorium or audience-room of vertically-movable proseenium-walls dividing said room into two parts, a pit arranged beneath said proscenium-walls and forming an orchestra-pit when the walls are raised, and means Jfor lowering said walls into said pit, for the purpose specified.

9. The combination, with an auditorium or audienceeroom, of vertically-movable proscenium walls and arch dividing said room into two parts, a pit arranged beneath said walls and arch and forming an orchestra-pit when the walls and. arch are raised, and means for lowering said walls and arch into said pit and said arch when lowered closing the top of said pit, for the purpose speciiied.

10. The combination, with Ian auditorium or audience-room,' ofhorizontally-movable seating-sections and -movable prosceniumwalls dividing said room into two parts, a level floor in the part of the room at the rear of said' walls, and an inclined iioor sloping toward said walls in the other part of the room .and means for raising and lowering said walls,

for the purpose speeiiied.

11. rIhe combination in an auditorium or audience-room with horizontally-movable seating-sections arranged upon opposite sides of the room and adapted to be moved toward or from each other to divide the room into a smaller audience-space and a stage, the space between said movable sections forming a stage or prosoenium opening, and movable proscenium-walls provided in connection with said movable sections.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 16th day of April, 1906. A

CHARLES A. REED. ALLEN H. STEM. Vitnesses as to Charles A. Reed:

HENRY HoUGrrroN, HARRY O. AUsTiN. Witnesses as to Allen H. Stem:

RALPH Mari-1ER, C. E. VANKiN.