US2214987A - House model - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 17, 1940. v F. BOLHUIS 2,214,987

HOUSE MODEL Filed Feb. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Rank .BollzuiJ yqqxmaiw a $73!;

17, 1940. BQLHUIS 2,214,987

HOUSE MODEL Filed Feb. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet Rania Bo llzu ia Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

The present invention relates to house models,

and more particularly to structures adapted for a use by architects, contractors, or lumber companies for demonstration and selling purposes.

5 This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 190,385, filed February 14, 1938; and also relates generally to the subject matter of my Patent No. 2,118,338, issued May 24, 1938.

The primary objects of the present invention are to provide such a house model having an improved frame for the reception and retention of interchangeable floor plan panels and wall panels, said frame being extensible in length and breadth; to provide improved frame elements which are so constructed that they are readily adaptable for assembly into a rectangular frame or into a frame of irregular configuration depending upon the character of the house to be portrayed; to provide improved means whereby realistic representations of windows and doors may be provided in the wall panels; and, to provide such a structure whose constituent parts are of simple and economical 25 construction and of especial adaptability for their intended use.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a house model, theparticular model there illustrated being of extremely simple design and being but one example from a great variety of such models which might be built upon the same frame;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of .the house 35 modelillustrated in Figure 1, the roof. and certain wall panels being omitted to disclose the skeleton frame of ,the structure;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of a corner portion of the skeleton frame per se;

Figure 4 is a top plan view thereof and showing wall panels associated therewith;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a top plan View similar to Figure 4 but showing a recessed corner;

Figure '7 is a side elevational View of a corner portion of a two-story skeleton frame;

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view on lines 8-8 of Figures 1 and 9; and 50 Figure 9 is an enlarged sectional view on lines 9-9 of Figures 1 and'8.

Referring then to these drawings in which like numerals designate like parts in the several views, the house model illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a skeleton frame generally designated ill, a floor plan panel H, a front wall panel I2, a rear wall panel l3, and end wall panels l4 having upwardly inwardy tapered por- 'tions 15 supporting a removable roof it. As shown in Figure 1, the front wall panel i2 is 5 provided with a portal ll secured thereto in any suitable manner as by glue or brads, and a gable I8 is removably disposed on the portal Ill and roof l6.

The skeleton frame ii] is supported at the cor- 10 ners thereof by vertically disposed corner posts 19 each of which comprises a pair of corner rails 20 having medial portions 2| secured together as by spot welding. Parallel flanged portions 22 of each corner rail 20 form a longitudinal panel 15 receiving slot 23 therebetween, the oppositely disposed slots of adjacent corner posts 59 being adapted to receive and retain the opposite ends of a wall panel l2, it or M bearing thereon a representation of the wall of a house.

Frame corner members 24 comprise web portions and outer side flanges 25 which laterally depend from said web portions and which are secured as by spot welding to the angularly meeting inner surfaces of the corner ports I9 25 adjacent the upper and lower ends of these posts 19. The several lower corner members 24 form a support for the floor panel II removably disposed thereupon and bearing on its upper surface the floor plan of a house.

The frame corner members 24 are each further provided with a pair of inner side flanges 26 laterally depending from the web portions and whose inner side surfaces are disposed at right angles to each other, and a sleeve 27 pro- 35 jects laterally from each flange 26 and is secured thereto as by passing the reduced end portion 28 of the sleeve through an aperture in the flange and riveting over the extreme end of the sleeve.

Rods 29 forming the side rails of the skeleton frame have their opposite ends slidably fitted in the sleeves 2! of the frame corner members 24 secured to adjacent corner posts l9, and set screws 30 threaded in the sleeves 21 provide means for securing the rods in adjusted positions relative to the sleeves. By this arrangement the skeleton frame is rendered extensible in length and breadth to accommodate floor plan panels of different sizes and shapes and wall panels of different widths.

Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which a recessed corner may be built into the structure.

A bent rod 29 is here shown connecting the adjacent sleeves 21 of similarly disposed frame cor- 56 ner members 24, and a wall panel 3i is received and retained in the slots of corner posts l9 and comprises two sections 32 and 33 secured together at right angles as by brads 3Q.

It will readily be seen that by the use of rods 29 of different lengths and rods 29 likewise of different lengths and bent at any desired angles, the structure is adaptable for portraying houses of virtually any configuration.

In portraying a two story structure, longer corner posts i9 are employed as illustrated in Figure 7, and the wall panels used bear representations of the walls of a two story structure. If desired, frame corner members 2 3 having outer side flanges 25 and inner side flanges 26 of identical construction as the frame corner members 25, may be secured to the corner posts I9 intermediate the ends thereof, and a second fioor plan panel H may be removably disposed on and supported by said corner members 24 It will further be seen that the number of stories in the structure may be increased by using still longer corner posts, appropriate wall panels, and a greater number of floor plan panels and supporting frame corner members therefor.

Figures 1, 8 and 9 illustrate improved means for realistically representing windows in the various wall panels. A preferably stamped sheet metal frame generally designated 345a comprises a sill portion 35, side casing portions 36, a head casing portion 3?, side J'amb portions 38 having vertical grooves 39 therein for the reception of a glass plate 10 bearing thereon a painted or otherwise applied representation of a divided window, and springable side flanges 4! adapted to bear against the sides 32 of a rectangular opening 43 in a wall panel I2 to thus removably secure the frame within said opening. Similar frames are provided for the door openings which extend to the floor panels, the plates 40 in such door frames bearing the representation of a door.

It will be seen that the representations of windows and doors in the selected wall panels conform to the indications of Windows and doors on the selected floor plan, so that upon removal of the roof I6, prospective builders may readily form a mental picture of the interior of a proposed house simulated by the house model.

It will further be seen that the various parts of the structure may be interchanged, rearranged, substituted for by similar parts, or added to with similar parts to form a great variety of house models to aid prospective builders in the selection of a home. Moreover, the various parts are ruggedly and reasonably economically constructed, may be conveniently assembled, and are particularly well adapted for their intended use.

While but several specific embodiments of the invention have been herein shown and described,

it will be understood that certain details of the constructions shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprising a plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a frame corner member having a horizontal web portion and a pair of inner side flanges depending from said web portion and disposed at an angle to each other, and means secured to and projecting laterally from each inner side flange adapted to slidably embrace a side rail of the skeleton frame.

2. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprising a plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a frame corner member having a horizontal web portion and a pair of inner side flanges depending from said web portion and disposed at right angles to each other, and

'means secured to and projecting laterally from each inner side flange adapted to slidably embrace a side rail of the skeleton frame.

3. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprising a plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a frame corner member having a horizontal web portion and a pair of inner side flanges depending from said Web portion and disposed at an angle to each other, and a sleeve secured to and projecting laterally from each inner side flange adapted to slidably em- Ibrace a rod forming a side rail bf the skeleton frame.

4. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprising a plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a frame corner member having a horizontal web portionand a pair of inner side flanges depending from said web portion and disposed at an angle to each other, a sleeve secured to and projecting laterally from each inner side flange adapted to slidably embrace a rod forming a side rail of the skeleton frame, and a set screw threaded in each sleeve and adapted to secure the rod in'adiusted position relative to the sleeve.

5. In a skeleton frame for a structure of the class described comprising a plurality of angularly disposed side rails, a vertically disposed corner post having angularly disposed inner surfaces, a plurality of vertically spaced frame corner members each having a horizontal web portion and a pair of outer side flanges depending from said web portion and secured to the inner surfaces respectively of said corner post, and means secured to some of said frame corner members adapted to slidably embrace a side rail of theskeleton frame.

FRANK BOLHUIS.

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