US2387659A - Building unit and construction - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1945.

M. O. HAFSOS BUILDINGiINIT AND CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 23, 1945. M. 0. HAFSOS 2,387,659

BUILDING UNIT AND CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvenior ma 5 I j I v Aiiar'neqi Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to structures made up of pre-formed units.

Numerous types of pre-formed buildings and other structures have been designed heretofore with the object of reducing Waste lumber and also facilitating erection, and while some of them have been practical many of them were so designed that they did not fit together tightly enough and didnot havesuificient strength for ordinary usage.

It is a general object of my invention to pro vide structural building units which are relatively simple in design and which can be easily assembled into extremely rigid and tightly fitted structures.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide panels made up of superimposed timbers having relatively wide and shallow tongue and groove connections and overlapping portions wherein the tongue and groove connections are designed to tightly draw the overlapping portion of one timber against a portion of the next adjacent timber.

Another object of the invention is to provide panels made up of a plurality of timbers and means for securely connecting the adjacent edges of the timber panels.

A further object of the invention is to provide panel connecting means which is positioned entirely within the panels so that they do not interiere with the application of any desired finish work and which further is concealed so that it is not unsightly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide building panels which can be made into ordinary building structures or can be adapted for other uses such as stock watering tanks.

. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of one of my panels;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section through several interconnected. panels showing a straight panel joint and a corner joint;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a fortyl five degree joint;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section through a panel portion;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation at a straight panel joint;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another type of construction forming a stock watering tank and the like; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the structure in Fig. 6 with portions broken away to better show the construction.

While I mention the individual units making up the panels as being timbers it should be understood that I am not limiting myself to wood construction but that term is merely used for 6 the purpose of convenience.

In the drawings I have shown a plurality of timbers 8. These timbers are placed one upon the other and are provided with interfitting tongue and groove connections. In the form illustrated best in Fig. 4 each timber 8 has a pair of upper tongues 9 which extend longitudinally of the timbers and which define an intermediate groove ID on the upper face of the timber. Cooperating with the tongues 9 are grooves ll formedin the underfaees of the timbers, and between the grooves ll on the underside of each timber 8 is a tongue 12 which fits into the groove It! on the upper face of the timber immediately therebelow.

Each of the timbers 8 is provided with an overlapping portion l3 which in combination with the righthand or outer groove H on the underside of each timber, asviewed in Fig. 4, fits around the outer and upper longitudinal edge of the timber below. It should also be noted that each of the tongues 9 and grooves II is provided with a side wall portion [4 which slants inwardly and downwardly away from the outer surface of the wall panel and also from the overlapping portion l3 on each timber 8.

As the timbers 8 are placed on each other they are nailed together. As shown in Fig. 4 and starting from the lowermost timber B it will be seen that three timbers are piled vertically and the pair of long nails or spikes l5 are driven in them to secure them together. I have then shown two more timbers placed in position and another pair of nails l5 driven through the fourth and fifth timbers from the bottom and into the 40 third timber. Of course, although I have shown that one particular arrangement of nailing it is understood that various lengths of nails can be used for more or less timbers nailed together as the panel is built up.

In order to further secure the timbers to ether and make a rigid panel I provide tie rods l6 which extend through the entire group of timbers comprising a panel. While only one tie rod I6 is shown in the panel in Fig. 1, of course, additional rods can be used as the type of construction demands. As one of the panels is assembled and the timbers are drawn tightly together by the nails [5 and tie rods [6 the slanting walls 14 in the tongue and groove connections. tend to shift the timbers inwardly relative to each other to pull the overlapping timber portions l 3 tightly against the timbers upon which they rest. This makes an extremely tight connection so that panels formed in the manner described are unusually wind and water proof making them suitable for any type of building the means used for drawing them tightly together the overlapping portions of the timbers make tight connections with adjacent timbers so that a strongtight jointed .paneLis produced. I have'provided strong and-simple edge connections for the panelsand have arranged the nels 18 are adapted to receive tenons 19 formed" on the ends of the timbers 8.. 'Tie'bolts Z'l'IEare shown in Figs. 2 and to be threaded at each end and said tie bolts 20 are embedded 'in'the panels and extend from the edge portionof one panel through its tenon I9 and through the connecting post I! and into the adjacent edge of theqnext panel. The panels are provided with cut-outs 4. 0 thatthe threadedends of the tie bolts 29 can-be reached so-that nuts 22 canbe threaded on the bolt z fl and tightened to draw the panel edges firmlyinto the channels l8 and the --c'onne'cting pests H. r

In the corner connections shown in the .lower part of .Fig. .2 there "is shown -a corner post 23 having 'a pair of vertical channels :24 disposed connections so that a neatly finished Wall "'ture results.

struc- 1 withoutwdepartingfrom the scope of my invenat-right-angles to eachother. Thechannels-Zfl,

of course, receive-tenons l9 onthe panels made up 50f the'timbers 8 and tie bolts 25 extend -.inwardly through the corner post 23 at rightangles to each other and to the edge portions of'the'wal-lpanels. .Asin-the case of 'the'tie-bolts 2B the 11301-16 25 extend into recesses 2-6 formed incentain of-thetimbers B so that the :nuts 21 canybe tightened. Fig. 3 showsa connecting post 28 which is so arranged as to provide for a wall angle or approximately forty-five degrees.

InFigs. 4 and 5 there is shown a foundation 29. The wall-panels made up of the timbers 8 are shown resting upon the foundation 29.. Brackets ifl are shown secured to the connectingiposts-d-Z by means of suitable bolts 3|, -and said .brackets 30 :have lower horizontally extending :portion-s connectedto anchor bolts 32, the lower=ends :of which are embedded in or otherwisesecurely fastened to the foundation 29. The brackets 30 are preferably .not secured to the walls until the panels have been placed on the foundation zbecause in some cases the panels may not rest :fiat upon the top of the foundation. With different types of foundation structures the brackets :38 would be .placed in :different positions.

In;1?igs.:6:and"7 I have illustrateda tank construction. The side walls'and bottomare made up of tinibersr8 which .are built up in panels in tion,

What is claimed is:

.1. A buildingunit comprising amember having I longitudinal grooves in its upper and-loweresurfaces,- one 'l-ower longitudinal edge .portione-frsaid unit-constituting an overlapflange adapted to, lfit closelyabout an upper longitudinal edge of a similarly constructed unit the inner side walls only of said grooves :being slanted downwardly-z and j means; fordrawing sai'd timbers tightly together;

much the same manner .as those described .in

Figs. '1 through .5. .The vertical tie rods l-6 are :used. As shown in Fig. '6 the longer side walls of the tank construction are provided with cut-outs 33 to receive tenons 3'4 which are formed at the edges of the shorter end walls. These joints are made tight by means of horizontal tie rodsBSlwhi-ch extend across the end walls and are connected betweenend plates 36. The bottomof the tank is connected to the side walls 'by :means of the tie rods 16, and in order to make this connection water tight I inserta strip 37 between the lowermost timber 8 in the side wall and the timbers which make up the bottom.

This prevents water from seeping out between the bottom of the side walland the tank bottom. From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a construction which is adaptable to many forms and uses and which can be pre-formed at the mill and quickly assembledon the site. walls of the tongue and groove connections and Because of the slanting 2. .A'panel construction comprising a plurality of timbers, certain edge portions of said timbers lying about :overlapping adjacent :edge portions ofadjacent timbers, slanting complementaryzcontacting portions of said timbers being slanted only-away from said overlapping'edge. and means for-drawing said timbers tightlyrtogether, said cont-acting slanting-portions ioffs'aid timbers being arranged to cause: said overlapping portions thereof to be drawn tightlyagainst'the adjacentportionsof the timbers which they :over- 3. A panel construction comprising, a plurality of timbers, said timbers having tongue and groove connections and being substantially menucarm shape, said timbers having longitudinal ed'ge'iportions overlapping the. outer upper? edges of, an jacent timbers; certain portions of .said tongue and groove connections including slanting side surfaces, all of said slanting side suriiaces slant ing away from said overlapping portions of said timbers, :and means for "tying said "timbers w: gether, said tying'means exerting forces on said slanting surfaces to draw said overlapping *por tions ofsai-d timbers tightlyagainst those portions of adjacenttimbers which they overlap. J

4. A building unit comprising, a pair ofsubstantially horizontal superposed-members, said members having adjacent surf'aces witli longitudi nal tongues and grooves therein, said adjacent surfaces of said membersbeing relatively-closely fitting, complementary side walls of =sa'id ton-gues and grooves in reachof said i rnem'bers being slanted,'the opposite 'wall'oi each of said tonguesand grooves being substantially vertical, the-'niin inium transverse measurements of said tongues and gro'oves'being at least substantially as great as

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