Abstract: A horizontal diaphragm for the generation of floor and roof structures includes a plurality of construction units arranged in rows and integrated joists by clip ties, wherein a load transferring material fills spaces between adjacent construction units in a row, both transversely and longitudinally. Each construction unit includes a lip projecting toward an adjacent unit in the row and defining with the other construction unit a space for receiving the filler material. The clip ties are anchored in the joists and are movable from a position obstructing the placement of additional construction units on the joists to a position integrating the previous construction unit with the joists. The joists comprise U-shaped troughs filled with grout in which the clip ties are anchored at spaced locations. The structure defining the trough can be monolithic or can comprise a plurality of discrete units placed in alignment and connected by reinforcing bars.

Abstract: A furniture system for outfitting a building space, includes a plurality of partition frames, each having horizontally spaced apart uprights with opposing sides, and having horizontal frame members connecting the uprights. A top one of the horizontal frame members is one-piece and attached to a top of the uprights. The top one horizontal frame member includes opposing side faces that are spaced apart a distance greater than the opposing sides and that include cover-supporting connectors. Cover panels are provided having frame-engaging connectors extending horizontally beyond an inside surface of the frame. The frame-engaging connectors are configured to releasably engage the cover-supporting connectors. This allows the cover panels, when attached to the partition frames, to define an internal cavity in the frame that extends horizontally a width of the frame and vertically substantially the height of the frame.

Abstract: A collapsible tent frame is disclosed. The tent frame has a center pole used for stretching and sustaining a tent's roof when pitching a tent. A plurality of side poles are coupled to each other through a plurality of scissor-type ribs, with upper ends of the ribs being hinged to connectors provided at top ends of the side poles and lower ends of the ribs being hinged to sliders movably fitted over the side poles. The center pole is coupled to the connectors of the side poles through a plurality of center pole ribs. The above center pole ribs individually consist of two rib members, which are coupled to each other through a hinge joint. Each of the center pole ribs is also hinged to the slider of an associated side pole through a support link, thus being collapsible at the hinge joint in accordance with a sliding motion of the slider along the side pole.

Abstract: A dowel bar socket for concrete slab construction comprises a hollow elongate body (30, 31) having a mounting means (34) at a proximal end and a closed distal end (32). The socket is characterized in that the upper and lower portions of the body wall are parallel and provide a snug fit for a dowel bar to prevent movement in an upright direction. The hollow body tapers divergently from the distal end to the proximal end to permit limited lateral movement of a dowel bar as a curing concrete slab undergoes shrinking.

Abstract: A system for connecting a jack rafter to a main beam for forming a conservatory roof comprises a first part mountable on the main beam and a second part connectable to the jack rafter, the first and second parts being pivotally connected, whereby they are movable to achieve a desired position for the jack rafter relative to the main beam.

Abstract: An arrangement and method for reinforcing a structural component utilizes an elongated strip or lamina which is applied to the surface of the structural component and which has at least one end which submerges into a recess in the surface of the component and is anchored in that recess. This has been found to greatly increase the reinforcing effect of the strip on the structure.

Abstract: The present invention is a clip used in the construction of suspension grid ceilings that are either island ceilings or ceilings having floating edges. The clip provides a versatile means for attaching face trim, such as COMPASSO.TM. trim, to the ceiling edge created by the suspended grid beams. The clip mounting can be vertically adjusted so that the typical trim problems of gaps or inconsistencies between the face trim and the horizontal ceiling panels may be eliminated without resorting to traditional finishing procedures. The same clip may be used in several different mounting situations involving the grid beam arranged to the trim at angles ranging from parallel to orthogonal.

Abstract: In a method for installing tiles on a substrate, tiles, having a first surface and a second, machinable surface, are arranged in installed locations on the substrate with the second, machinable surface facing away from the substrate. The machinable surfaces are then machined to reduce tile-to-tile irregularities and adjust for the variations in the subfloor, and the tiles are turned over so that the first surfaces face away from the substrate. A decorative flooring unit is also provided having a tile with a shim layer on its underside, an edge member surrounding the tile and a substrate extending beneath the edge member and the tile. The tile is installed within the edge member with the shim layer facing away from the substrate. The tile may be reversed after sanding the edge member and shim layer.

Abstract: Interior construction system for a sanitary area which has plate-shaped wall elements made of glass. The wall elements can be either straight or curved into a radius. The wall elements are connected positively and non-positively to a load-bearing element or stay pipe. Fastening locators on the stay pipe pass through a boring in the wall element and secure the wall element by the use of a fastener on the end of the fastening locator. A panel profile is attached to the stay pipe to conceal the joint formed by the wall elements. The panel profile has an enlarged cross-section at the end of its legs wherein a gasket resides in a groove and forms a seal at the wall elements. The interior construction system for a sanitary area has glass wall elements which are attached to stay pipes at differing angles. The joints of the wall elements on the stay pipes are hidden and sealed by panel profiles which are attached to the stay pipes.

Abstract: The present invention is a wall framing system comprising upper beams, lower beams and a plurality of studs secured to the beams via a securing system. The securing system comprising a plurality of apertures located within the upper and lower beams. The studs include flanges extending outwardly and perpendicularly from there lower ends. The flanges are received within the apertures for providing the studs to be in a secured and fixed position. The studs are preferably made of plastic and include apertures for allowing wiring, plumbing and conduits to extend through each stud.

Abstract: Prefabricated functional elements that can be made to suit all cavity-type false floors, intended to allow the running of cables and any other ducting for fluids without having to cut whole floor panels. The cavity floor panels are made up of removable and demountable functional elements positioned inside or outside a frame itself having the dimensions of a multiple or a sub-multiple of the neighboring false-flooring panels and supported by crossmembers whose spacing is variable. The functional elements inside or outside the frame can be removed individually, all at once, or in any combination, and are interchangeable.

Abstract: A shelter having at least two spaced parallel longitudinal support rod members coupled to a sheet with the sheet carrying at least one transverse support rod members which assists in maintaining the longitudinal support rod members in spaced relation and in which the sheet and each transverse support rod member are slidable as a unit longitudinally relative the longitudinal support rod members. The longitudinal rod members may be rigid or flexible but preferably form an arched configuration. The longitudinal rod members are preferably received in elongate continuous sleeves coupled to the sheet but various other members for coupling may be provided including discrete sleeve segments or spaced loops.

Abstract: An anchorage assembly is formed by a first member and a second member. Each member is movable into and out of a channel, but when connected together, the interconnected members resist removal from the channel.

Abstract: A barrier assembly for mounting to the end of a folding bleacher assembly for blocking access to the area under the bleacher seats. The folding barrier panel may be constructed of a heavy-gauge fabric material. The rearward edge of the panel is attached to a stationary connection at the rearward end of the bleacher assembly, and the forward edge of the panel is attached to a moving connection at the forwardmost seat section, so that the panel is pulled out straight when the bleacher assembly is extended. A chain or cable along the lower edge of the panel member is also stretched out straight between the two connections, so as to prevent persons from lifting the lower edge of the panel and passing thereunder. The upper edge of the panel may be attached directly to the rearward edges of the stacked deck sections, or it may be suspended from the deck sections on a series of pendant chains.

Abstract: A roof shingle placement tool is provided. The roof shingle placement tool includes a support member adapted to be disposed generally horizontally on a roof to be shingled. An indexing member is connected to the support member. The indexing member includes a plurality of equally spaced stops. The indexing member is adapted to be indexed upwardly along the roof with succeeding stops engaging a fixed reference point on the roof such that a uniform exposure distance is provided by the support member for succeeding courses of shingles.

Abstract: A vertically sliding adjustable office panel system that allows each panel to change height individually or in unison by virture of a panel within a panel sliding assembly. The panels are connected side by side to form office cubicles. The space dividing system adjusts vertically by inserting or removing connectors. This system allows a closed office cubicle system to become a partially or completely open workstation by raising or lowering any or all of the panels.

Abstract: A one-piece fixture mounting block to be used in conjunction with a standard ceiling mounted electrical box for mounting a light fixture or ceiling fan in the center of a cathedral ceiling. The mounting block features vertical walls which offer an upper perimeter that conforms with an 18.degree. ceiling angle. The mounting block can easily be modified to conform to an 8.degree. ceiling angle.

Abstract: A thermal insulating or fire retardant construction element (1) is described, consisting of outer layers (5,6) of glass fibre reinforced concrete and a mineral wool layer (4) between the outer layers (5,6). At the back of the panel (1) a cavity (7) is formed to permit circulation of air between the panel (1) and the wall therebehind. A lead-through duct is also described for leading a smoke pipe from a fireplace to a chimney through the element, the external face of the duct communicating with the air space behind the element.

Abstract: A skylight window assembly comprises a curb frame having top edges for supporting a skylight window with glazing supported in a frame structure. Inside the curb frame an inner frame structure is arranged in floating suspension with respect to the curb frame to provide engaging means for panel members of an underlying shaft through the roof structure and at the same time to prepare for arrangement of an accessory like a screening device in connection with the window.

Abstract: The invention relates to a removable protective shelter. It comprises a substantially rigid frame and a substantially watertight cover. The frame and cover form a plurality of telescopic shelter elements, every shelter element being assembled on watertight slides with regard to another adjacent shelter element by means of at least another roller-guiding system allowing the overall and relative movement of all shelter elements with regard to each other in particular with no lateral play.