Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
7f~
Background of the Invention
1. E`ield of the Invention
The present invention relates to building elements or members,
but more particularly the present invention relates to a composite
structural unit, its method of construction, and a method of
constructing or assembling the individual units of the present
invention so as to form structral arrays such as for example walls,
columns, slabs, ceilings and the lilce.
2. General Background
It is known to form structural building arrays comprised of a
plurality of individual units held together in load bearing abutment
to one another by means of overall tension members which extend
through or otherwise connect all the individual units in a dimension
of the assembled structural array. The tension members are
constituted generally of iron, steel or like tensile members with
externally threaded ends (or like suitable connections) which extend
to the ends of the assemblies of the units such as by the use of
plates, washers and nuts, or like end bearing connections. The so
constructed unit can be tightly drawn together and handled as a
complete structural load bearing unitO Such units are useful in the
in situ construction of walls, pre-fabrication of walls, floor
slabs, arches, beam and column forms, and the like.
Among the advantages offered by such structural units is that
there e~ists no necessity of using ~rout, mortar, or like
conventional connections between the units or rows of units. ~hus
the structure can be formed with a smooth, dry load bearing joint at
any place and transported from that place of assembly to the
location of its use as a complete load bearing self contained unit.
Whereas structural units of this type have generaliy attemDted
to solve the problem of providing a structurally sound unit which
can be asse~bled and transported, or in fact assembled at the job
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site without the use of grout, and attentive labor, a signiicant
deficiency nonetheless exists in the use of such structure units.
One problem which arises with structural units which are so
connected in the prior art, is that point stresses often develop at
the joints or faces of the units where these members are in
abutment, these stress points often being effected after
construction when the applied load is manifested. The points of
strain set up within the units often cause chipping, cracking, or in
fact fracture or failure. Such flaws can at least create an
unsightly appearance and worse can ~esult in a threatened stability
and utility of the structure itself.
A further problem seen with many prior art structural units is
that they require a substantial amount of initial bracing and
secondary support to the arrays or lndividual building units
themselves during construction and prior to the application of the
tension members to the structure. Such a need for secondary support
is time consuming, labor wasting~ and expensive. Oftentimes,
without the use of heavy construction equipment and construction
crews, this type of secondary structural support is out of the
question.
Some other prior art units are restricted to a single
structural array by their very nature, and cannot be combined into
several different forms as may be desired by the individual who is
constructing a specific planned building.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide
a new and novel structural building unit wherein a structural core
to the building unit is provided, having load-distributing surfaces
thereon to which point stresses can be applied without significant
damage.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a
structural building unit which is particularly useful in structural
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concrete applications, such as reinforced concrete, poststressed
concrete, concrete shells, and architectural applications.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a means
to more evenly distribute the load stress to the joints of abutting
individual structural members without the problem of fracture or
cracking.
A further and more speci,fie object of the present invention is
to provide structural building units of such character which do not
require the use of mortar to hold the units together and which have
partieular utility in the construetion on site or offsite of
structural arrays formed from a plurality of individual structural
units such as concrete walls, ~loor slabs, arches, beams, colurnns~
and the like.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a
composite structural unit which is provided with means for attaching
it to other like units in order to form an array, with the
connection means therebetween belng the only structural connection
necessary in order to form a ~inal and complete structural bond with
the individual unit to the array to which it is being attached
during construction itself - secondary structures and bracing being
unnecessaryO
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method
of construction of a composite structural unit, which constructed
unit requires no additional milling, filing or like refinement after
its casting.
These objects and others are achieved in accordance with the
present invention embodying an apparatus, or structural building
unit, comprised of a inner structural material and there being
provided thereon outer load-distributing surfaces to which
connection means can be attached without the problem of point
stresses creating cracks, chips, or the like.
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i7~35
3. Prior Art
The prior art discloses a number of patents which have been
issued on various building systems which atternpt to provide a final
array of individual building units in order to forrn walls, ceilings,
slabs and the like. A listing of some prior art systems which have
been patented is listed in the following table.
- Prior Art ~atents -
U.S. Patent NoO Inventor(s~ Issue Date
Re. 27,785 Ho Kobayashi ~ Oct~ 16/ 1973
2,102,447 D.D. Whitacre Dec. 14, 1937
2,684,589 A. Perreton- July 27, 1954
2,929,236 H.W. Steward et al Mar. 22, 1960
3,145,502 D. Rubenstein ~ug. 25, 1964
3,173,226 A. Solnick Mar. 16, 1965
3,260,025 C. Van Der Lely ~ July 12, 1966
3,378,963 G.K. Larger Apr. 23, 1968
Many of the devices or systems of the prior art which have been
patented provide various drawbacks in their attempt to solve t~e
aforementioned problemsl to which problems the present invention is
directed and which drawbacks and problems are solved by the present
invention over the prior art.
U.S. Patent No. 2,102,447 by Donald D. Whitacre provides a
structural building system wherein there is the necessity to grind
the contact surfaces between individual structural units prior to
assembly. The present invention does not require the grinding or
milling of the surfaces of the individual structural units prior to
their use, but rather provides a method of construction by which the
contact suraces of the indlvidual units are by their nature
perfectly flat and aligned as is required before their use in
forrning an array.
The present invention provides a significan~ advantage over the
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3~
prior art in that there is no necessity o the use of secondary
structures or supplemental structures in order to support the array
prior to the application of the tensioning members thereto. In the
method of constructing the arrays of the present invention, the
tension is applied with the addition of each structural unit and
such tension member holds that individual structural unit in place
without the use of secondary steuctures, secondary bars, or
secondary supports in order to hold the unit until the entire
structural unit can be tensioned. The Kobayashi patent, ~.S.
Reissue Patent No. 27,7~5 provides the use of such a supplemental
structure until the concrete hardens. Such a device requires a
secondary structure until the curing time of concrete gives it the
desired strength.
UOS~ Patent ~o~ 3,173,226 issued to Abraharn Solnick requires
the use of extra supportive framework.
In contrast to U.S. Patent No. 3,145,502 issued to D.
Rubenstein, in the present case of plates or surfaces made of
plastic, the surface, if formed after the initial molding, is on the
abutting surfaces not on the facing surfaces as in the Rubenstein
patent.
The present invention does not require a complex system of rods
which can only be stressed after an entire row of units is laid,
such as is taught in the Perreton patent, U S. Patent No. 2,684,589
U.S. Patent No. 3,260,025, issued to C. Van Der Lely discloses
the ~se of facings which are formed of a plastic material to make a
seal. In the '025 patent, the object is to seal, not to distribute
the load evenly over the contact s~rface as is the case with the
present invention. The object of the present invention is to
distribute the load and hence the acing material has different
characteristics.
The rods with the present invention are not made continuous
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throuyhout the entire span as in the devices of the prior art, and
do not transmit unequal loads with expansion and contraction effects
of rods throughout a dimension of the entire structure.
Also a specific object is to provide a method of assembling the
units whereby one unit is placed in position and means of applying
compressive force to keep it in place is applied to that unit
suitably by the application of tension to rods one end of which is
anchored on a face of a unit already in place, that face being other
than the one abutting the unit just positioned and the other end of
the rod being attached to a face of the unit just positioned which
is not identical to the abutting face of the unit just positioned.
4. Discussion of the Present Invention
Thus the present invention provides a structural unit
construction which has inner structural load carrying capability,
with an outer load-distributing surface which distributes the
compressive load generated at the abutting surfaces o the
individual structural units over a wider area, and transmits the
loads through the interface formed between the facinq of the
structural unit and the face of the core material which forms the
body of the structural unit, which is by the method of formation of
the composite devoid of irnperfections in mating interface which lead
to point stresses.
By the use of hard or metal contact facings, the force is
transferred from the core inner surface of the material which forms
the structural unit to the meta~ surface of the contact plate which
it must of necessity exactly match since the surface of the body of
the structural unit was formed in contact with the facing. The
force is then transferred from one outer metal surface to the outer
surface of the metal or otherwise constituted facing of the abutting
structural unit and then through the facing to the outer facing of
the core body of the next structural unit. If there is unevenness
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of contact at the metal to metal interface the internal strength of
the facing (metal) absorb6 these stresses and distributes the force
more evenly over the face of the core body. This ability of the
facing becomes more and more important with the increase in
compressive loads encountered with high tension in the tension rods
and with greater height if the structural units are placed one atop
the other as in the construction of columns or walls.
The present invention can be manufactured using structural
units with clay as well as cement and like structurally sound
materials, with the facings being manufactured of a suitable
load-distributing material such as plastic, metal, and the like.
The present invention provides such an individual structural unit
which can be bound in face-to-face relationships in order to form
constructive arrays. The units are self supported upon attachment
using a suitable tension means such as an elongated metal rod, or a
plurality thereof, preferably constituted of iron, steel, or like
tensile material which is passed through a plurality of openings or
perforations through the units themselves~ The end portions oE the
rods can be externally threaded and adapted for threadable
engagement with a plate, nut, or the like; however, any suitable
means of connecting units to~ether by affixing the end portions of
the rod can be used.
~94'7~5
Brief Description of the Drawinys
For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the
present invention, reference should be had to the following detailed
description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in
which like parts are given like reference numerals and wherein:
Figure 1 depicts a top plan view of a mold used in the method
of construction of the preferred embodiment of the composite unit
apparatus of the present invention - the composite unit shown
therein in phantom lines;~
Figure 2 depicts a composite structural building array formed
from a plurality of units of a first embodiment of the present
invention, the array being characterized of one modular unit which
constitutes the building described by reference to Figure 3;
Figure 3 is an elevational view of various sizes of composite
units of the first embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a slab section formed from an
assembly of the second embodiment of the composite unit structure of
the present invention held together by suitable tensioning means;
Figure 5 depicts a cross sectional view taken along lines 5-5
of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of a typical slab formation
using the third embodiment of the composite unit structure of the
present invention;
Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating a fourth embodiment
of the composite unit structure of the present invention being
attached to form a structural column;
Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along lines 8-~ of Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along lines 9--9 of Figure 8;
Figure 10 is a side elevational view and partial section of a
single isolated unit of the fourth embodimellt of the composite unit
structure of the present invention as employed in the structural
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4~Y~
array dep.icted by reference to Fi~ures 7 and 8;
Figure 11 depicts in plan a slab formed by mernbers of a fifth
alternative embodiment of the unit of the present invention;
Figure 12 is a perspective view of a single unit of the
alternative embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention as
forms of the structure depicted by reference to Figure 11; and
Figure 13 is a top sectional view of the unit of Figures 11 and
12~
7(15
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the mold 10 of
the present invention which can be used to manufacture units 12 in
accordance with the teaching of the present invention. ~s can best
be seen by an inspection of Figure 1, there is provided a shaped
mold 10 having inner walls defining a shape corresponding to the
desired shape of the individual unit 12 to be formedO
In Figure 1, there is shown in phantom lines composite unit 12
which is comprised generally of an inner structural material 14 and
outer load-distributing surfaces in the form of plates 160
As can be seen in Figure 1, in order to construct composite
unit 12, outer load-distributing plates 16 are first placed in a
desired position along the inner walls 11 of mold 10 such that when
a suitable flowable material such as concrete, plastic, clay or the
like is added to form inner core 14, it will exactly conform to the
space provided between the load-distributing plates 16. If the mold
10 is properly constructed, inner walls 11 will act as a "jig" which
will exactly position load-distributing plates 16 so that their
outer surfaces 17 will not require additional filing or milling
before use. The surfaces will easily fit together in face-to-face
relationshipr being compatible when several units 12 are combined to
form an arrayO The connection or adhesion o plates 16 to unit 12
can be augmented using projections (not shown) attached to plate 16
wh~ch would act as anchors when inner core 14 "sets". Any suitable
chemical bonding agent could likewise be used to augment the
adhesion of the load-distributing plates to the struct~ral core.
Inded, it is also possible, though time consuming to apply the
load-distributing plates after the structural core material has
"set" if the chemical bonding agent has the ability to withstand the
compressive loads and, like the structural core material, at some
point during vr following its application, flows to confotm to the
surfaces which it bonds, thus again not forming point stresses.
7~5
~ further inspection of Figure 1 will reveal the presence of a
plurality of bores 1~ which are provided through the center portion
of unit 12. These bores 18 form openings through which tension
means (which can be in the form of elongated metal rods) can pass so
as to eventually fasten a plurality of units 12 together. There is
further provided as is shown in Figure 1, a recess 20 on the
opposite ends of each bore 18 which provides an enlarged area to
facilitate the location of a suitable fastener such as a bolt, or
the like.
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the use o~ completed composite units
12 to orm a structural array such as a wall or the like. In Figure
2, there can be seen three units 12 as is shown duriny their
construction in Figure 1. The completed units 12, it will be noted
from Figure 2, do not require any additional milling, planing, or
surface treatment, in order that they may mate together in a perfect
fit upon assembly. In Figure 2l units 12 can be seen each having
load bearing plates 16 on their load bearing surfaces~ The inner
core 14 is shown having been cast and hardened into the proper
position as was illustrated in Figure 1 with mold lOo Now, the
inner core 14 is suitably hardened and has desirable compressive
strength characteristics which of course are designed after
considering the desired load carrying characteristics of the
structure being built.
In Figure 2, there is seen a plurality of tension members which
are in the form of connecting rods 22. In Figure 2, each connecting
rod 22 can be an elongated rod of a material such as steel, iron, or
like suitable tensile material~ Rods 22 can be threaded being
provided with threads 23 at their respective end portions as is
known in the art. There can further be provided bolts 24 which
threadably engage and attach to connecting rods 22 at threads 23.
If desirable, washers 25 can be ~rovided which are placed between
bolt 24 and load bearing plates 16. It will be seenr that when
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1~34'~)5
connecting rod 22 is in its proper position, connecting together any
two of units 12, bolts 2~ will assume a flush position within recess
20 theeeby not interfering with the addition of c,ther units as the
construction continues. The connection can be completed with a
desired tension or stress to rod 22 by use of a connectional torque
wrench to guarantee uniformity and consistency throughout the
structure.
When constructing the device in this manner, it can be seen
that by beginning with a single unit (designated as unit "A" in
Figure 2) it is easy to add additional units (such as "B" and "C" in
~igure 2) without any additional structural support other than rods
22. Thus, if one began by placement of unit A resting against a
base slab 30 as is shown in Figure 2, unit B could be added and
attached thereto permanently and structurally by connecting rods 22
as is shown~ In Figure 2, every other bore 18 in unit 12 is
provided with a rod 22 to connect units A and B together Note,
however, that in the alternate openinys 18 the connecting rods 22
are connected only to unit B and pro~ect outwardly therefrom a
distance which will allow the addition of a further unit when it is
added after A and B are secured together. Such an arrangernent is
important, because each unit is completely affixed to the structural
array upon bolting, but additional units 12 can always be added if
desired. It is also important that the aligned tensile rods are not
connected one to the other because unequal stresses are created
within the array decreasing its strength.
In a like manner, there can be seen at the connection between
units A and C, the use of every other or alternating connecting rods
22 in order to form the structural connection between A and C, with
the alternate or other rods 22 being connected to C only and
projecting a distance out therefrom in order to add another
composite unit. The projection distance of the rods which will be
used to add additional units 12 is designated by the letter V in
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Figure 2.
Alternatively, the rods ~2 need not be placed within unit C so
that they pro~ect a distance D for the attachment of additional
units 12, not shown. Instead, the additional unit 12, not shown,
may be placed in abutment with unit C and then the rods 16 which
attach it to unit C may be inserted through holes 18 and by suitable
means anchored or attached at one end to the facing 16 of unit C
which contacts facing 16 of unit A and attached at the other end to
the vertical facing 16 of the unit.l2, not shown, which is not in
contact with a facing 16 of unit C.
Figure 3 illustrates a structural array which can be for
example a wall, and is designated generally by the numeral 40 in
Figure 3. There it can be seen that array 40 is constructed of a
plurality of individual units 12, each being attached by means of a
]5 plurality of connecting rods 22 which can be threadably mounted (or
like suitable connection) to the units as was described more fully
above~ Note in Figure 2 that each alternating rod 22 is "staggered"
so that there will always be a projecting amount of rod 22 beyond
the surface of the previously connected unit so that additional
units 12 can be added as needed. In Figure 3, it can be seen that
units 12 can be of varying dimensions within the teaching of this
invention. Note smaller units 12a as they appear above door 32 and
window 34 in Figure 3. Likewise, units 12b are of a shorter
dimension than units 12 which are substantially the height of array
~0 which forms a wall in Figure 3.
With the method of construction as described more fully above,
it should be appreciated that there is no necessity for extra
bracing or like supplemental support in order to apply the
tensioning members 22 and connect additional units 12 to the array.
To the contrary, each unit 12 when added to the structure and
fastened into place ~sing connections 22 is totally and completely
structurally sound with the array 40 as a whole and forms its
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structural part thereof without necessity of grout, concrete,
supplemental supportsl or the like; thus offering a significant
economic advantage over the prior art with a significantly decreased
possibility of the creation of point stresses found in the prior art
in a more economic manner than in the prior art.
However, grout or mortar may be injected into the void area of
the bores 15 between the rods and the wall of the bore to give an
additional measure of strength if desired as is known in the art.
~owever, such is not necessary and renders the structure more
permanent.
Thus, it can be seen that utilizing the apparatus and method of
construction of the present invention there can be constructed an
array ~0 of units 12 to form a wall simply by use of connecting rods
22 within the teaching of ~he present invention~
~igures ~ and 5 illustrate a second embodiment of the apparatus
o~ the present invention. In Figure 5, there can be seen a slab 50
constructed between columns 52. Slab 50 can be constructed of a
plurality of units 53 using connecting rods 54. Units 54 in the
second ernbodiment have generally diagonal load-distributing plates
56 which aid in the structural integrity of slab 50 which is
subjected to high shearing forces as is apparent to one skilled in
the art.
The use of diagonal plates 56 illustrates but a second
embodiment of the teachiny of the present invention, though the
method of constructing units 53 would be by use of a mold 10 as was
described more fully above and with reference to Figure lo The rnold
10 used to cast units 53 would provide inner walls 11 which would
create a "jig" effect to orient bearing plates 56 into a desired
spaced relationshi? so that no additional ~illing, cutting, or
forming o~ plates 56 would be required when the casting was
completed. Openings would be provided through structural units 53
in the same manner as they were provided in the first embodiment
~3'~'7~3~
discussed above so that connecting rods 54 could be "staggered"
enabling the assembly of slab 50 without the necessity of extra
structural supportsr external bracing, grout, concrete, or the like.
There is seen in Figure 5 a plurality of openings 58 through which
tensile connectors could pass in a direction traverse to the rods 54
shown in Figure 5. Such traverse openings 58 would provide
connection to slab 50 in a direction normal to the connection rods
54 shown in Figure 5 so that the slab 50 could be braced in both
directions as would be desirable. Note that ln Figure 5 there is
shown recesses 59, 59' which allow a space into which bolts 60 or
like connections can be placed so as not to interfere with the
interface between successive structural units 53.
Figure 6 illustrates a third embodiment of the composite
structural unit of the present invention. The embodirnent shown in
Figure 6 provides a slab structure desiynated generally as 62
attached to column 64 which utili~es a plurality of structrual units
66 which are constructed within the teachiny of the present
invention using a suitable mold 10 giving the desired structural
unit geometry. Units 66 provide diagonal load--distributing plates
Ç8, each plate provided with a pair of recesses 69, 70 which can be
used for the placement of a bolt 72 or like connective member at the
end of a tension rod 74 as shown in the drawinqs. In Figure 6, it
can be seen that there is likewise provided a second cooperative
bearing plate 75 which abuts and fits comfortably against plate 68
so as to form a mate therewith. Likewise, bearing plate 75 is
provided with recesses 76 for the accompanyment of bolt heads 72 or
like connectors. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, there can be
provided two connective rods 7~ in separate horizontal layers as is
illustrated in the drawing. In the embodiment shown in Yigure 6,
connective rods 74 could be of any high tensile material such as
steel or the like, and the inner core 77 of units 6~ could be formed
of concrete for example. There is likewise provided openinys 80
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3 5
traverse to that direction o rods 7~ in Fiyure 60 Openings 80 and
corresponding recesses 82 could be used to accompany rods 7~ and
bolts 72 respectively within the teaching of the present invention.
In order to suitably anchor the first unit as added to colurnn
6~, there could be provided an initial anchor rod 73 as is shown in
the drawing, with the length of rod 73 being l'developed" by its
embedment into the concrete column 6~ a desired distance as is known
in the art. In Figure 6 there is an alternat`ing arrangement oc rods
74 in the plane of the drawing. However, i-t should be understood
that the alternating arrangement, which allows subsequent units to
be added to the array, may be in a direction normal to the rods 7
shown in Figure 6, the same effect being achieved.
Figures 7-10 illustrate a fourth embodiment of the composite
structural unit of the present invention. There can be seen in
Figures 7-10 a block 82 having load-distributiny plates 83, 84,
respectively, on its lower and upper portions as viewed in Figure
10. Unit 82 would likewise be formed having an inner core 85 of a
suitable material having the necessary compressive strength, and
plates 83, 84 providing a surface which would have load-distributing
characteristics necessary in order to transmit the compcessive
forces generated by connecting rods 90 to unit 8~. In Figure 7,
there can be seen a column 92 constructed of a plurality of units
a2. Column 92 would be merely a single array having individual
units 82 "stacked" thereon as shown ln the drawings. There would be
provided a plurality of openings 86 through which connecting rods 90
could be placed as is shown best in Figures 7 and 8. Likewise, as
with the previous embodiments of the present invention, there could
be provided recesses 87 which would provide a space for bolts 93
which could be threadably connectable to the end portions of rods
90.
Figure 8 helps illustrate the method of construction oE the
present inYention to construct column 92 of Figure 70 In Figure 8
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there is seen a base slab 9~ which has embedded therein a plurality
of connectors 90 so as to form a spot for "beginning" column 92.
After tlle first structural unit is placed over the initia~ rods 90,
successive units can be added by "staggering" the rods 90 so as to
always provide an exposed portions "A" and "~" of rod 90 on units 82
as desired. It is within the teaching of the present invention that
the pattern may be altered so that the individual rods 90 and the
connecting rods of the other embodiment may be of sufficient length
to pass through any number of structural units less than the nurnbér
of structural units required for the entire eventual span creating a
slightly different but basically similar interlocking pattern
although Figure ~ shows that number to be three~ Note in Figure 8
there are provided rods 90 which project a distance A above the
uppermost unit 82~ These rods 90 which project a distance A, would
initially bolt or attach and hold the next unit added to the stack,
whereas there is also Provided rods 90 which project a second
distance B above the last added unit shown in Figure 8. When a
second unit were to be added to the stack as shown in Figure 8, the
rods which project a distance B would be utilized to secure that
particular unit into its position~ Thus, there can be seen a method
of construction shown with the column of Figures 7 and 8 which
provides a connection of each successive unit to the column, with
each connection forming a complete integral structural connection
with the previous unit, there being no need for supplemental
bracing, or other structural supports.
As in the first embodiment of the present invention and in all
embodiments of the present invention the tensilë rods 90 of Figures
7 and 8 need not project distances B and A~but m~y be inserted as
reguired to attached successive structural units 82 to the columnar
array 92 after placement of a structural unit in positlon on the
columnar array.
Figuce 9 illustrates a top view of the colu~n shown in Figure
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8, whereby it can be seen a plurality of openings 86 through which
rods 90 can pass, and there can also be seen recesses 87.
Figures 11 through 13 illustrate a fifth embodiment of the
apparatus of the present invention. In Figure 12, hexagonal unit
100 is made to appear as a plurality of stacked solid layers 102,
104, and 106. It should be understood, however, that the exemplary
number of three (3~ layers provided to unit 100 as shown in Figure
11 is not absolute. Each layer represents generally a line of
force through which connectlons can be made through ~arious abutting
units so as to form an array as shown in Figure 12, thus varying
numbers of layers 102, 104, 106 could be provided.
In Figure 1~, there can be seen connection holes 110 through
which suitable connecting rods (not shown) can be attached. Bearing
plates 114 are provided at the outer edges of each layer 102, 104,
106 as is the case with previous units within the teaching of the
present invention as was described more fully heretoforea The units
100 can be connected to form an array as shown in Figure 11, with
the rods 112 being alternatively arranged so that each unit 100 can
be securely connected to the preceding unit 100 or to the array in
the manner as depicted for the single structural unit 90A in Figure
11. In Flgure 11, unit 90A is connected at its edges to units goa,
90C, 90D, 90E, 90F and 90G. Tensile connectors 91, 92, 93, 94, 95
and 96 secure the array as is shown in Figure 11. Thus an
interlocking repeating pattern is formed. In Figure 12, there is
shown attached to the individual hexagonal structural unit 100 a
load-distributing plate 103 with holes 101 passing through it and
the structural core of the unit 100 with recesses 105 which allow
the usage of the structural unit at the same time as both an element
in a vertical array of a column, similar to the fourth embodiment of
the invention described in conjunction with Figures 7 through 9, and
an element in the horizontal two-~imensional array of a slaba Thus,
the horizontal two-dimensional array of the slab and the one
7(~1S
dimensional array of a column are integrally connected.
The structural un-ts 100 can be formed much in the same way as
the previous teachings of this application, in which a mold 10 is
utilized havin~ geometrically desirably arranged inner walls 11 to
which walls there can be affixed bearing plates 114 prior to the
addition of a desired 10wable "setting" material. When the settiny
material hardens (for example in 28 days or so with concrete), the
mold can be removed and the unit is ready for its operational use in
a structural array or the like.
Because many varying and different embodiments may be made
within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught, and because
many modifications may be made in the embodiments herein detailed in
accordance with the descriptive requirements of the law, it is to be
understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as
ill~strative and not in a limiting sense.
What is claimed as invention is:
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