Abstract: A building assembly includes a floor frame, a roof, and walls extending between the floor frame and the roof and interconnected to define an interior and exterior of the building assembly. Each wall includes panels each defining an axis and having first and second ends, inner and outer sides, top and bottom surfaces, an upper notch formed through the top surface, and a lower notch formed through the bottom surface. Each notch is spaced inwardly along the axis from at least one end. The panels include first and second panels. The lower notch of the first panel mates with the upper notch of the second panel to form an interlocking joint to interconnect the first and second panels and form adjacent interconnected walls of the building assembly.

Abstract: A formed building element or “log” comprising a top filler section and a bottom filler section affixed on opposite sides of a center reinforcement member. The center reinforcement member may be a steel or metal rod or tube. The reinforcement member, which may be of approximately the same length of the filler sections, has one end extending out from the end of the building element. The extended end may have a vertical hole extending from top to bottom, adapted to accept a rod pin, which may or may not be threaded. Matching holes extend from the top to bottom of the filler section at the opposite end of the building element, so adjacent building elements may be attached end-to-end, and stacked vertically to form walls.

Abstract: An anchoring device including two reinforcements for applying a hooping stress to a tubular structure, each of the reinforcements having a main binding portion which bears against the surface of the structure over 2 turns, a first end arranged at the end of a first end portion, and a second end arranged at the end of a second end portion. The anchoring device includes a spacer including a main body and two pairs of anchoring openings for the two ends of each reinforcement. The first and second end portions extend from a radial plane, where the reinforcements are tangential to the surface, then extend away from the surface from the radial plane as far as the anchoring openings so as not to exert a harmful point force on the structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the construction of a prestressed concrete tank for the storage of liquids. The method includes erecting precast concrete panels on a foundation in a generally cylindrical shape while allowing an opening to allow the passage of people and equipment there through during the construction of the tank. Anchors are provided along both vertical edges of the opening. Strands are inserted into the anchors along both vertical edges of the opening and wire wrapped under tension over the outer surface of the inner tank wall. In one embodiment, a structural frame is secured within the opening and the strands are anchored to the vertical members of the structural frame. Once the opening in the tank wall is no longer needed, the opening is sealed with concrete panels. The sealed opening is then wire wrapped under tension using strands anchored to the anchors provided along both vertical edges of the opening.

Abstract: A device for the non-deleterious, passive aging of wine wherein the interior of the semi-permeable wall of the aging container, which provides the interface between the wine and the atmosphere, has a substantially larger interface area per unit volume of wine than does that of the prior art device. The device employs a polyhedron shaped aging container or vessel having a volumetric capacity of greater than 30 gallons; and, a relationship (ratio) of the interior surface area of the container to the volume of the container from 0.33 square inches to 1.0 cubic inch to 4.0 square inches to 1.0 cubic inch. In one advantageous embodiment, the container is a rectangular hexahedron. In another advantageous embodiment, the container is a trapezoidal hexahedron.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a wine vat having a metal hoop forming the top, end walls and bottom, and with wooden side walls pressed in sealing engagement with the side edges of the metal hoop. The seal is a compressible seal attached to the side edges of metal hoop, the wooden side walls being clamped to the metal hoop.

Abstract: Container for liquids, particularly for wine and spirits, characterized in that it has essentially a rectangular parallelepipedic or cubic shape and comprises six panels forming the faces of the container, i.e. a bottom panel, a top panel, a front panel, a rear panel and two side panels, the top panel having at the proximity of its front edge and substantially in the middle between the side panels a filling hole; the internal surface of the top panel forms with respect to a horizontal plane three corners, that is a first prismatic corner presenting a planar surface which is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane downwardly from the front panel towards the rear panel, and two side corners presenting each a planar surface which is inclined towards said inclined surface of the first corner from a point of the interior ridge formed by a corresponding side panel and the front panel up to the vicinity of the filling hole.

Abstract: A vat for the storage of wines and other liquids, the vat having a peripheral frame of metal forming the top, bottom and end walls. The side walls are formed of staves of timber in a frame, each side wall being clamped by its frame to a peripheral flange on the peripheral frame of the metal.

Abstract: A rectangular barrel having four flat sides. Each side comprises a plurality of board of substantially square cross section. Each board has right angular grooves extending laterally near the end and has a tongue on one edge and a groove on the other edge which interfit to form each side. Both end of the barrel are square with tongues extending into the right angular grooves of the boards and partially into the tongues and grooves of all the boards for sealing the ends of the barrel.

Abstract: An enclosure comprising four interconnected sides, two opposite sides being coupling sides and the other sides being doors. A channel shaped coupler secured to each side with a channel leg extending under a bottom edge of the side and spaced therefrom to provide a slot to receive an edge of a floor panel for said enclosure. Cleats on the channels on the coupling members to engage the battens of a pallet thereby the mount the enclosure to a pallet.

Abstract: Insulating panels or plates are formed along their opposite longitudinal edges with a cylindrically segmental projection and a cylindrically segmental groove receiving the projection, both of these formations being preferably formed as extruded polyvinyl chloride shells. The arc length of the groove is greater than 180.degree. but less than that of the projection so that the plates can be interfitted and angularly offset to fit around a vessel, the angular adjustability allowing the plates to be accommodated to greater and lesser curvatures of the vessel.