Abstract: The present disclosure relates to bearings, guide sleeves and head restraint assemblies for automobiles.

Abstract: A building having a security and safety function of the present invention may include: a house body that is configured to include an inner panel that defines an interior space, an outer panel that surrounds the inner panel to be spaced a predetermined distance from the outer surface of the inner panel, a heat insulating material that is installed between the inner panel and the outer panel, and an air flow passage that is formed between the inner panel and the outer panel to facilitate a fluid flow therebetween and to block the heat transfer with respect to the outside; an indoor entrance door configured to be installed on one side of the house body for entering the interior space; and an outdoor entrance door configured to be installed on the house body in front of the indoor entrance door.

Abstract: A system that automates the application of shingles to the roof of a building.

Abstract: The present application is directed toward fire-rated wall construction components and wall systems for use in building construction. Embodiments can include tracks for holding studs which incorporate various geometries capable of receiving fire-retardant material, flat straps for use between tracks and fluted wall components, fire sponges for use in fluted wall components, and tracks with protruding grooves or other structures which prevent unwanted air movement between a wallboard component and the track.

Abstract: An underlayment system is provided that includes a plurality of protrusions that extend from a common base member. The protrusions and base member can include an opening therethrough that allows for subsequent layers of material, such as adhesive, to interact and bond to each other. The protrusions are arranged in such a way to contain a wire, string, or heating element, within a receiving area. The arrangement of the protrusions allow for routing of the wire, string, or heating element in a variety of angles, bends, and other routing layouts.

Abstract: Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system on long and short edges allowing installation with vertical snap folding that could be accomplished automatically without tools and where the short edge locking system has a tongue made in one piece with the panel. The floor panels may have a first and a second connector at the long edges that are configured to obtain a minimum of friction facilitating a displacement, by a spring back force from the bending of a short edge locking strip, of a new panel in a horizontal direction along the long edge during the vertical snap folding action.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to bearings, guide sleeves and head restraint assemblies for automobiles.

Abstract: A modular construction system and method of assembly designed to provide the user with the flexibility to build a wide array of customized buildings and other similar items, while offering lifelike detail of construction materials in those items. The system and method include a number of stackable unique part shapes which may be used in different orientations to construct a building, partial building, sculpture, or other item. The pieces have an integrated system for attaching to one another, which is designed so that pieces may be oriented a number of different ways relative to one another, for example, in order to minimize the chance of pattern repetition in the texture of the walls of the final structure. The structural pieces of the product may contain only female receptacles for attachment. Attachment may be accomplished by inserting a double ended male piece into each of two abutting female receptacles.

Abstract: A home structure can have an integrated nautical garage and boat slip. The boat slip can be defined entirely under the home such that the boat can be located entirely under the home within the residential setback envelope for the home. The nautical garage can include a lift mechanism for lifting the boat out of the water. The lift mechanism can have a no profile deck that aligns substantially flush with the floor of the nautical garage when the boat is fully raised. The nautical garage can have a roll down shutter and/or door that can be closed to close off an opening of the nautical garage (e.g., once the boat has been navigated into the nautical garage). The boat slip can optionally be defined by a U-shaped culvert.

Abstract: A stay-in-place footing form assembly includes a plurality of inner form boards serially aligned and joined by inner joining brackets, a plurality of outer form boards serially aligned and joined by outer joining brackets, a plurality of lower spacing rails, each disposed between and connecting base brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally, and a plurality of upper spacing rails, each disposed between and connecting top brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally. The lower spacing rails include first rebar receptacle(s) for seating horizontal rebars on the rails, and the upper spacing rails include second rebar receptacle(s) for holding vertical dowel rebars therein. The inner and outer form boards are insulation boards that have an ability of absorbing lateral forces of earthquakes exerted to a concrete footing formed in the stay-in-place footing form, and an ability of insulating the concrete footing from surrounding temperatures.

Abstract: A spacer member, for allowing a walkable skylight with an insulating glass unit to be created with a structural glass panel and a thermal glass panel. The spacer member includes a slab part and a tube part having substantially the same thickness. The tube part is hollow, containing desiccant material for absorbing moisture within the insulating glass unit. The spacer members may be joined together to create a spacer frame. The spacer frame defines an inner rectangular region. When the spacer frame is sealed between the structural glass panels and the thermal glass panel, an air gap is created within the inner rectangular region. The desiccant material effectively removes moisture from air within the air gap.

Abstract: The invention relates to L-shaped sheet metal parts 21 with an angled longitudinal recess 23 as well as a reinforced concrete/prestressed concrete component with at least one upper and at least one lower longitudinal reinforcement layer and a shear force reinforcement guided in its dimension over the uppermost and the lowermost longitudinal reinforcement, which is formed from the L-shaped sheet metal parts 21 according to the invention with stirrups 30 fastened in the longitudinal recess 23. The reinforced concrete/prestressed concrete component according to the invention is suitable for increasing the punching shear resistance in the region of slab columns of flat slabs.

Abstract: Floor panels are provided with a mechanical locking system including a flexible locking element in a locking groove which during a horizontal motion is displaced vertically. A panel system including a plurality of rectangular panels with long and short edges which are mechanically connectable to each other along at least one pair of adjacent edges, said panels each being provided with a tongue and groove formed in one piece with the panels for mechanically locking together said adjacent edges at right angles to the principal plane of the panels, thereby forming a vertical mechanical connection between the panels, said panels being provided with a first locking element at one first edge formed in one piece with the panel and a locking groove at an opposite second edge, the locking groove being open towards a rear side or a front side of the panel.

Abstract: An underlayment system is provided that includes a plurality of protrusions that extend from a common base member. The protrusions and base member can include an opening therethrough that allows for subsequent layers of material, such as adhesive, to interact and bond to each other. The protrusions are arranged in such a way to contain a wire, string, or heating element, within a receiving area. The arrangement of the protrusions allow for routing of the wire, string, or heating element in a variety of angles, bends, and other routing layouts.

Abstract: A curved pathway including a double helix form with no center support column includes a plurality of segments, wherein each of the segments is formed from a plurality of rods coupled to a plurality of connecting nodes. The plurality of rods are arranged in a skewed tetrahedral geometry, which causes the plurality of stair segments to form a helical structure when the plurality of segments are coupled together. The plurality of rods form a spine on an underside of the plurality of stair segments. A pathway surface is coupled to each of the segments. In alternate embodiments, the curved pathway may be formed from sheet metal creased to form a plurality of linear support locations and connecting nodes.

Abstract: Disclosed is a precursor for a clip and a clip formed by the precursor. The clip is configured for mounting a furring channel to a load-bearing member and is a generally U-shaped member having a pair of sidewalls, each of which includes a pair of tabs projecting therefrom. The clip is arranged to receive the load-bearing member between its sidewalls, such that the tabs can be snap-fit under inwardly directed flanges of the furring channel. Also disclosed is a method of forming the clip from the precursor, by bending portions of the precursor to form the sidewalls of the clip, and a method for mounting a furring channel onto a load-bearing member using the clip.

Abstract: A construction system using core blocks having a horizontal front mounting recess in the front surface defining a core detent lip, and face blocks having a horizontal rear mounting recess defining a face detent lip, and connectors for supporting stacked courses of the face blocks suspended on the front surfaces of stacked courses of core blocks, the connectors having a rear hook and a front hook, wherein the face blocks are each supported by their rear surfaces with at least one connector, by engagement of the front hook with the face detent lip and engagement of the rear hook with the core detent lip.

Abstract: A floor joist including a first piece of lumber including a first set of fingers and a first set of grooves is provided. A second piece of lumber including a second set of fingers and a second set of grooves is also provided. A finger joint is formed by a combination of the first second of fingers with the second set of grooves and a combination of the second set of fingers with the first set of grooves. A first set of pockets are formed between the combination of the first second of fingers with the second set of grooves, and a second set of pockets are formed between the combination of the second set of fingers with the first set of grooves.

Abstract: The invention is for a modular building unit (10, 200, 210) for use in constructing a building. The building unit (10, 200, 210) has a planar body (12) having two major side faces (12.1) and two ends (12.2) between each side face (12.1), and a connection interface (28, 30) provided at each of the ends, for connecting similar building units (10, 200, 210) with complemental connection interfaces. The body (12) comprises three walls (14, 16, 18) arranged side-to-side and transversely spaced from each other, the three walls (14, 16, 18) thus defining two planar spaces (20, 22) therebetween, and a plurality of reinforcing webs (24) in the first space, for providing structural support to the building unit (10, 200, 210). The second space (22) defines at least one hollow cavity for receiving a matched insulation insert (25) thereby to impart insulating properties to the building unit (10, 200, 210).

Abstract: The invention relates to a joint and welding configuration used during repair of metal and metal alloy plates specifically for providing a means of joining metal plates and filling voids in metal plates where access from one side is restricted. A joint arrangement suitable for repairing a void in at least one element, wherein said at least one element has a first surface and a second surface, wherein the thickness of the at least one element is at least 10 mm, further comprising two or more insert elements, each of said two or more insert elements each being friction stir welded at their abutted surfaces to said at least one element, characterized wherein said at least one element comprises at least one recess portion, wherein a Friction Stir Weld is caused from the direction of said first surface.