Abstract: The present invention is a garage door system having durable, yet cost effective characteristics. In one embodiment, a garage door system is comprised of a frame and a garage door. The frame comprises a top jamb and two side jambs. Each side jamb has upper- and lower-jamb portions in an end-to-end relationship. The upper-jamb portions are constructed from a first material and the lower-jamb portions include a durable material made from at least one material different from the first material. The garage door comprises an upper portion consisting of a first material and a lower portion secured to the upper portion wherein the lower portion includes a durable material made from at least one material different from the first material. Associated hardware may also be added.

Abstract: A retaining wall with a series of differently sized, pre-formed blocks. Each block includes a projection and a recess, with the projection and recess arranged and configured so that each projection effectively engages a recess in an adjacent course to connect and align adjacent courses in registry. Retaining walls made of horizontal blocks may be stacked in columnar fashion or running bond fashion. The location of the indexing surface on a projection relative to the viewable surface of the block may be varied to enable adjacent courses to be coplanar or tiered in a variety of predetermined offset distances.

Abstract: A metallic receptacle is embedded in the concrete material of a burial vault. The receptacle contains archival quality paper that records information identifying the person interred in the burial vault and the precise location at which the vault was buried. The receptacle is sealed by a cap that may be removed to access the archival information without opening the vault.

Abstract: A wall assembly includes at least two panel elements which are configured for contiguous placement adjacent to one another. Each of the panel elements defines a hollow internal passageway. The panels are configured to permit a contiguous placement whereby the respective passageways of the panels are brought into registration with one another. A connection element is positioned within one of the passageways. The connection element is accessible through a slot defined within the sidewall of the panel wherein the connection element resides. The connection element is slidable whereby it may be displaced partially into the second panel element. The connection element is thereafter actuatable whereby its lateral dimension is increased to form a pressure fit union with the interior sidewalls of the two passageways. In its spatially expanded configuration, the connection element provides a means of interconnecting the two panel elements together.

Abstract: An erectable play structure for children including one or more enclosures or pods (10, 11, 12) which may be interconnected by one or more access tunnels (14) the whole structure being formed predominantly from a non-self supporting material thus to be collapsible for storage and adapted to be connected to an air pump (18) whereby the internal pressure within the structure may be slightly in excess of ambient pressure thus to maintain the structure in an erect condition. One or more access ports (15, 16) and/or blanking plates (17) may be provided in each enclosure to allow or prevent access to or exit from the enclosure. The access ports (16) are constructed such that after passage there through they resume a closed condition to resist escape of air therethrough. Hook and loop fasteners or the like are used to attach the enclosures, tunnels and access ports together in assembly of the structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for laying and mechanically joining building panels, especially thin, hard, floating floors. Adjacent joint edges (3, 4) of two panels (1, 2) engage each other to provide a first mechanical connection locking the joint edges (3, 4) in a first direction (D1) perpendicular to the principal plane of the panels. In each joint, there is further provided a strip (6) which is integrated with one joint edge (3) and which projects behind the other joint edge (4). The strip (6) has an upwardly protruding locking element (8) engaging in a locking groove (14) in the rear side (16) of the other joint edge (4) to form a second mechanical connection locking the panels (1, 2) in a second direction (D2) parallel to the principal plane of the panels and at right angles to the joint. Both the first and the second mechanical connection allow mutual displacement of joined panels (1, 2) in the direction of the joint.

Abstract: A process of retrofitting an existing window that uses a gasket to secure a sacrificial member and a glazing. The sacrificial member forms a replaceable protective barrier between the glazing and occupants of a vehicle such as a bus. The gasket is traditionally used to secure the sacrificial member and the glazing to the window. Over time, after several removal and re-installations during replacement of the sacrificial member or the glazing, the gasket typically becomes unfit for subsequent use. The gasket is replaced with a rigid retainer member that fits into an existing recess that receives the gasket. The retainer member secures the sacrificial member and the glazing to the window so as to permit repeated changes of the sacrificial member without removal of the retainer member.

Abstract: A solid shear panel for supporting a structure having an upper edge, a lower edge and two side edges. The upper edge is secured to a horizontal double plate mounted beneath a beam underneath a floor surface of a structure, while the lower edge rests on a sill plate above ground level. The shear panel contains a plurality of vertically extending support posts having the same length. Sawn lumber, laminated wood, engineered wood, a metal such as steel or another suitable construction material can be utilized to form the support posts. Two steel plates press against the side edges of the shear panel and thereby compact the support posts together into a solid grouping of posts. A plurality of horizontally extending connecting bolts hold the posts together near the upper and lower edges of the shear panel.

Abstract: Building element having two parallel welded wire grid mats (1, 2), of straight web wires (7) which hold the wire grid mats at a predetermined distance apart and are joined at each end to the two wire grid mats. An insulating body (8) is arranged between the wire grid mats, through which the web wires pass. At least one of the wire grid mats is in the form of a grid reinforcement mat which possesses a minimum strength of the weld nodes which complies with the static requirements applicable to the building element, corresponding mechanical strength of the grid mat wires (3, 4) and also corresponding diameters and mutual spacings of the grid mat wires. The web wires are arranged in predetermined directions relative to the wire grid mats, and the insulating body is held at a predetermined distance from each of the wire grid mats.

Abstract: A door for refrigerator which is sophisticated in design and provided at a lower production cost. The door for refrigerator is composed of a door panel made of metal and an inner plate combined with the door panel in a facing manner, a door cap which fits into the door panel and the inner panel in an upper portion, and a handle which fits into the door panel and the inner panel in a bottom portion. In addition to that, the door for refrigerator has a heat insulating form material injected inside. Then, the door for refrigerator is provided with draw forming at a position near to the edge of at least either side of the door panel.

Abstract: A conservatory framework has an eaves structure from which the roof is supported, at least one comer and/or in-line joint in the eaves structure being two connector parts which are angularly adjustable relative to one another. The first and second elongate frame members, e.g. a hip bar and jack rafter, are coupled together in angular relation relative to one another by a coupling arrangement. The coupling arrangement includes a plate with an upstanding pivot post, a channel associated with and extending longitudinally of the first frame member for receiving the plate and maintaining it captive against separation from the first member in a direction generally transverse to its elongation, and an arm adapted to be coupled to the pivot post and to the second frame member. A roofing structure has a support structure, e.g.

Abstract: In a method for designing a multi-step tension prestressed girder, prestress is appropriately introduced with respect to a relationship between a load and stress, for each step of construction, so that the height of a profile of the girder can be reduced. In a method for fabricating a multi-step tension prestressed girder, prestress is appropriately introduced with respect to a relationship between a load and stress, for each step of construction, so that the height of a profile of the girder can be reduced.

Abstract: Floor covering, including hard floor panels which, at least at the edges of two opposite sides, are provided with coupling parts, cooperating which each other, substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction (R) perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels, and provide a snap-action coupling.

Abstract: A window glass, particularly for installation by adhesive bonding in an opening of a vehicle bodywork, comprises a sheet of glass with a profiled bead that is fixed at least to the main surface of the sheet of glass facing toward the interior in the installed state and that rests against at least part of the opening. The use of such a window glass makes it possible, once the window glass has been installed in the bodywork opening, to obtain a visible space less than 5 mm between the opening and the edge face of the window glass.

Abstract: A selection room display facilitates a casket selection by a customer of a funeral home. The display includes a vertical back wall and a pair of vertical, spaced apart wing walls cooperating with the back wall to form an alcove. A plurality of casket portions are displayed in the alcove. A vertical signage column may be positioned in the alcove. Information modules are also displayed in the alcove. The modules correspond to the casket portions. The casket portions are supported on shelves which are removably secured to the back wall. The information modules are similarly removably secured to the back wall. The display may incorporate “themes” to feature the various casket choices. The theme technique may also be utilized in the funeral home viewing room.

Abstract: A versatile modular building element, made from the agglutination of three pairs of symmetrical prisms in three overlapping tiers, provides an arched component that can be congruently meshed with a similar one in several different ways. The prism may have rectangular or obliquely parallelogrammic sides or a combination of both while keeping their triangular end walls equilateral and side walls of the same width allowing for up to eight different configurations of the building element. Elements of the same or different types can be combined to construct and infinite variety of structures exhibiting high compressive strength, stability and resistance to multi-directional stresses.

Abstract: The present invention is an exterior window covering or exterior shutter that is comprised of layers of materials to form a sandwich. The sandwich material has a layer of polycarbonate material. An embodiment of the sandwich material is comprised completely of synthetic materials that are resistant to the adverse effects of sunlight, humidity, rain, heat and wind. The polycarbonate material yields an exterior shutter that retards flying objects and withstands substantial stresses from wind loads.

Abstract: A swivel joint apparatus for supplying utilities to a rotating building rotatable about a central axis has an inner, fixed spindle for securing to a fixed base of the building to extend co-axially with a central axis of rotation of the building, and an outer casing rotatably mounted on the spindle for securing to the rotatable part of the building. The spindle has a series of spaced annular flanges defining a series of annular chambers and at least one ring seal mounted on the peripheral edge of each flange for rotatable sealing engagement with the outer casing so that the casing forms an outer wall of each of the annular chambers. A lower end wall of the spindle has a plurality of ports for connection to fixed utility lines in the base for fluid supply to and from the building, each port connected through the spindle to a respective annular chamber.

Abstract: Cementitious exterior sheathing products are provided which include a rigid support member affixed to a cementitious layer. The rigid support member includes at least one nailing flange disposed along one of its lateral sides for allowing the sheathing product to be affixed to an exterior wall of a building. Preferred mechanical and adhesive bonding techniques are suggested for combining the cementitious layer and rigid support member together to form an integrated product. Such products are lighter in weight and are more crack resistant than currently available fiber cement trim boards.

Abstract: A ridge vent for tile roofs. The vent includes first and second sub-flashing portions for spanning air gaps provided between the upper reaches of a roof deck and below a centrally located ridge beam. A plurality of ventilation apertures are provided in each of the sub-flashing portions. A top cap flashing is provided for attachment above the ridge beam. Included in the top cap flashing are a plurality of ventilation apertures defined by edge wall portions. A tile roof is provided, of the flat, low profile undulating, or of the S-tile (undulating) type. Tiles are provided in rows up to the edge of the sub-flashing. The gap between the top of the tiles and the bottom of the top cap flashing is preferably provided with a weathertight seal. Ridge cap tiles are provided in conventional stacked fashion running along above the top cap flashing.