Abstract: A method is disclosed for erecting a cable stay roof structure. The cable stay roof structure is intended to be assembled above an existing open air stadium. The structure includes an A-frame which supports a plurality of radial beams via cable stays. A covering, preferably of glass, is mounted over the radial beam structure. The covering can have a partially retractable panels. The load of the roof structure is carried by the A-frame, rather than by the existing stadium walls.

Abstract: A conventional tower silo is converted to a limited oxygen feed storing silo with the use of an air impervious liner and a floor supporting a bottom unloader. The liner has plastic liner sheets attached to the inside surface of the silo side wall with fasteners, as adhesives and nut and bolt assemblies. An alternate liner comprising a tubular air impervious plastic member is located within the silo. The plastic member is not attached to the silo side wall. Supports mounted on the silo side wall under the roof carry the upper end of the liner. In one form, a plurality of springs connected to the supports and liner yieldably support the upper end of the liner in the silo. In another form, the upper end of the liner is yieldably supported with a plurality of counterweights connected to the liner with cables. An inside wall surrounding base aggregate supports the floor independently of the silo side wall. The floor has a radial trough accommodating the bottom unloader.

Abstract: An environmentally controlled building having a covered atrium. The atrium roof can be a conventional rigid roof or an air-supported, flexible, continuous membrane roof. A pressurization system pressurizes the building interior and the atrium relative to the ambient atmospheric pressure outside the building. When the atrium has a membrane roof, this pressure differential inflates the membrane roof to maintain the roof in the desired configuration. Such a membrane roof can be semi-opaque to permit passage of diffused sunlight, permitting some plants to grow, while inhibiting passage of direct sunlight. Air locks are provided at the building entrances and exits to maintain the pressure differential as people enter and leave the building.

Abstract: Disclosed is a shelter structure using a saddle-shaped cable dome system for a large-span, lightweight roof membrane. The structure uses the curvatures of a saddle surface, combined with two orthogonal cable nets separated by a set of compression struts, to create an efficient structural system confined by an edge ring loaded primarily in compression.

Abstract: The fabric roof structure comprises a pair of vertically spaced upper and lower peripheral compression rings, a central tension ring, a plurality of tensioned upper and lower cables extending radially of the rings, being connected adjacent inner ends to the central tension ring, and being connected adjacent outer ends alternately respectively to the upper and lower peripheral compression rings, and roofing fabric associated with the cables and rings and covering the area from the central tension ring outwardly to the peripheral compression rings.

Abstract: An earthquake resistant self-balancing dome structure is provided which employs a counter-balanced self-adjusting weight system to adjust tension in supporting cables to which the dome is attached. As ground movement, such as that caused by an earthquake, causes relative movement between the cable supports and the supported dome, the weight system operates to adjust the tensile force in the cables to bring the system into equilibrium.

Abstract: A center pivot irrigation machine having a swing arm for irrigating corner areas of a field. The swing arm has a steerable support tower which follows a buried cable to guide the swing arm into and out of the field corners. A double hinge connection between the main irrigation boom and the swing arm includes one hinge joint which accommodates pivoting of the swing arm and another hinge joint which controls the operation of the tower drive motors. A cam switch monitors the steering angle of the swing arm tower and turns the sprinklers of the swing tower on and off in accordance with the steering angle to achieve uniform water application. A secondary set of sprinklers on the main boom is deactivated and the entire machine is slowed when the steering angle indicates that the swing arm is covering a rapidly increasing area.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stack or a vertical pipe for the flow of gas, said stack or pipe comprising a suspension mast defining a vertical axis; at least one supple surface, open downwardly and upwardly, and symmetrical with respect to this axis; substantially horizontal, rigid hoops, viz. an upper hoop and a lower hoop respectively fast with the upper and lower periphery of the surface, each hoop being symmetrical with respect to said axis; supple bearing ties suspending the upper hoop from the mast; and stays connecting the lower hoop to a fixed lower point of the mast or the ground to stretch the supple surface in a vertical direction. The invention finds application in the entire production or extension of stacks or pipes such as atmospheric cooling towers.

Abstract: The cabling system comprises a latticework of crisscrossed cables with the cables which meet at a lower peripheral edge of the structure at opposite diagonal angles being formed from one continuous cable with an anchoring means comprising a sheave to permit adjustment in the length between the associated diagonal cables in response to unequal stresses.

Abstract: Disclosed is a structure of flexible tensile members which requires only two arrays of said members for obtaining lateral stiffness of said structure, the ends of each member being attached to contour elements and the members of each array having opposite curvatures for forming an axisymmetric geodesic network which is a section of a surface of revolution. The members of both arrays are prestressed and said network is geometrically arranged to be torque-balanced within said contour elements.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a stiff flat girder which basically consists of a top- and a bottom chord (4a, 3b), compression members (ab) between and diagonal bracings (1a, 3a, 2b, 4b) in the spacings (a, b), in which both chords and all diagonal bracings are made of flexible cable/rope. It is preferred to let the main cables (1a, 1b; 2a, 2b; 3a, 3b; 4a, 4b) continue uninterrupted from one end (L) to the other (R) between the fixed supporting mountings (Lp, Rp; Lq, Rq), whereby the main cables (1, 2, 3, 4) at least once follow the direction of a diagonal bracing (1a, 3a, 4b, 2b). Furthermore it is preferred to have one cable of the top chord continue endlessly in one cable of the bottom chord, the cable circuit (4a, 4b, 34R, 3b, 3a, 34L; 1a, 1b, 12 R, 2b, 2a, 12L)formed being guided round the fixed mountings with controlled friction. A stiff, intrinsically safe, light girder structure is formed, allowing a great variety of architectural shapes, applicable for small up to the largest spans.

Abstract: An apparatus for protecting structures from flood waters having a channel surrounding the structure to be protected, the channel having at least in part a bottom and side walls with reinforcement means therewithin or attaching a collapsible water-impermeable sheeting which, when not in use would be stored within the channel, and when in use would be raised to an erected position around the entirety of the structure. The sheeting would be sealably anchored within the channel on its lower edge by concrete, and therefore would prevent water from coming into contact with the structure. The apparatus would also have the means for allowing air to communicate between the exterior and the interior structure and a means for covering the channel to protect the sheeting while the sheeting is stored within the channel.

Abstract: A suspended roof is described, which mainly consists of a cable rope structure (20-27; 31-33, 35-37; 39, 40) coverable with a stiff weatherproof material. By the special way according to which the cables are led, passing over fixed mountings (8, 9, 10, 11) and/or other points-of-change-of-direction (8, 9, 10, 11; 28, 30, 37, 38), equalizing the tension in different cable parts (20, 21; etc.), together with the use of a minimum of stiff compression members (31; 43; 47) to form stiff girders after having tensioned the cable ropes to the design tension, a suspended roof is obtainable which is as stiff as a conventional stiff-girder-roof-structure. As a result a classic stiff roof covering may be applied to it. The ground plan coverable may have any shape, and need not be symmetrical.The described roof structure is stiff in contrast to the generally adopted tent-type suspended roof structure built from cable rope which is basically flexible.

Abstract: A canopy kiln system is provided in the form of a flat-topped tent of flexible material (lightweight canvas, etc.) having depending walls to form, when in use, an enclosure for housing one or more articles to be treated or cured, one example being in the curing of cast concrete pipe. One end of the roof of the tent is attached to a wall or the like and is stretched out overlying the articles and has its free end provided with a transverse stiffener, referred to as a strongback. The strongback is detachably connected to support structure remote from the wall and the sides or curtains of the canopy form walls. The folding mechanism comprises an overhead hoist that picks up the strong-back and moves it--and of course the canopy--toward the wall. During this movement, intermediate lift mechanism picks up an intermediate part of the roof to keep it from sagging.

Abstract: A waisted envelope for tubular building structures, such as cooling towers, is supported by way of a supporting structure, joined with its top end and responsible for a pulling or pretensioning force, on a system taking up the vertical component of the pulling force. The envelope is designed as a membrane made of material designed for supporting tension within its plane in all directions.

Abstract: A roof construction includes multiple hyperbolic paraboloid units joined together at adjacent peripheral edges to form a multi-unit roof span. These units include both horizontally extending edges and sloping edges, and vertical members to support the roof at the ends of only some of the sloping edges. Horizontally disposed and tensioned or compressed members connect ends of sloping edges that are unsupported by vertical members with ends of sloping edges that are supported by vertical members to transmit horizontal forces between the connected ends. This construction can be employed to form a large roof span without using interior vertical support members.

Abstract: A tension structure having a curved surface comprises a group of metal strips to form the curved surface and each of the strips is pre-stressed under tension for stabilizing the structure. The tension is produced in the strips by a group of tension members generally having a curvature opposite to that of the strips, the strips and tension members being arranged to effect tension indirectly on each other through an intermediate means such as a group of intermediate members disposed therebetween or air serving as the intermediate means or directly. In some instances, the ground surface regarded as having an indefinite radius is utilized as equivalent to the tension members. The erection of the structure is available by the application of tension and the conventional scaffold usually required may be omitted.

Abstract: The roof structure includes a pair of cables (10, 12) intersecting at right angles to provide four cable segments and four quadrants, and clamping means clamping adjacent corners of four fabric panels (80) in the four quadrants, the clamping means including four elongated base plates (24, 34, 44, 54) mounted respectively on the four cable segments, each base plate (24, 34, 44, 54) having a pair of elongated lower clamping plates (60, 70) extending respectively along opposite longitudinal edge portions thereof, and each lower clamping plate (60, 70) having an elongated upper clamping plate (64, 74) secured thereto and clamping an edge portion of one of the fabric panels (80) therebetween. Only one end portion of each of the base plates (24, 34, 44, 54) is secured to its cable segment, and clearances between parts adjacent the cable intersection allow a limited amount of relative movement between the parts to provide stress relief in the fabric panels (80).

Abstract: A large scale solar heat collector system which utilizes a building design to permit substantial areas of perforated heat collector sheets to be mounted and through which sheets air is passed to transfer the heat from the collector sheets to the air. The collector sheets are supported and mounted in a manner so that they can expand and contract under thermal variations even when exceedingly large areas are used to thereby permit mounting collector sheets that have a substantial area in a low cost, economical wy to permit large amounts of heat to be collected and stored in a single installation.

Abstract: Fabric restraining cables are anchored at opposite ends to a concrete ring of a roof structure. Each cable has a plurality of bearing plates spaced longitudinally therealong and secured to the upper portion thereof by U-bolts. Clamp mounting base plates also secured at one end by the U-bolts span the spaces between pairs of the bearing plates. Each base plate has a pair of lower clamp plates secured respectively along opposite edge portions thereof. Each lower clamp plate has an upper clamp plate secured thereto and clamping a beaded edge portion of a fabric panel along with upper and lower gaskets therefor. In several embodiments, each upper gasket is extended transversely outwardly from the cable, looped back over the respective row of upper clamp plates, and releasably joined to the opposite extended and looped back upper gasket to provide a joint cover between the opposite fabric panels.

Abstract: A cooling tower including a jacket composed of a non-self-supporting shell, a spacer ring and a ground support between which the shell is stretched, a mast composed at least in part of a metallic material, a main lifting ring attached to the mast, and cables connected between the spacer ring and the main lifting ring for supporting the spacer via the main lifting ring, is further provided with an auxiliary lifting ring attached to the mast, and the mast, the main lifting ring and the auxiliary lifting ring are each provided with a row of spaced bores, with the bores of each lifting ring being located adjacent the respective bores of the mast, and the bores of the mast extending at regular intervals from the top of the mast and over a significant portion of its height.

Abstract: An air or frame supported hall made out of synthetic sheeting, especially a hall having an outer heat insulation consisting of a number of adjacent mats covering substantially the entire hall, each mat consisting of a core of soft cellular synthetic, each flat side of said core being laminated with an unreinforced soft flexible synthetic sheet material.

Abstract: A weather seal assembly for an air supported roof structure which has a plurality of flexible sheets forming roof panels whose edges are joined together by clamping assemblies comprising pairs of clamping members. The clamping assemblies are sealed by a plurality of cross-shaped sealing strips which are attached to the clamping assemblies and a plurality of flexible membranes each of which is congruent with perimeter of a roof panel. Each clamping member holds one edge of a membrane the opposite edge of which is reversely folded over the clamping member and inserted into a channel in the sealing strip.

Abstract: Supporting structure for a large natural draft cooling tower consisting of a central tower support in the form of a hollow column of reinforced concrete and hyperboloid-shaped cooling tower mantle supported by the central tower support with the aid of cables and tie rings at the top and bottom of the cooling tower mantle. The upper tie ring is suspended from the top of the central tower support by means of a series of inclined supporting cables and the lower tie ring is connected to the upper tie ring by means of two sets of oppositely diagonally inclined mantle supporting cables, under a downwardly directed preload, forming a hyperboloid-shaped cable grid. To this grid are attached the section panels of the cooling tower mantle. The cable preload is provided by means of holding cables extending between the lower tie ring and a series of ground anchors, or by means of the diagonally inclined cables themselves which may be attached to the ground anchors.

Abstract: A hanging prestressed roof structure comprising a polygonal member receiving a supporting ring inscribed therein. Cable nets span the ring and have cables lying along chords of the ring.

Abstract: A shelter construction includes a series of upstanding posts secured to the ground, and a group of tensile lines interconnecting the upper portions of the posts for supporting a thin flexible sheet of imperforate material overlying the group of tensile lines. The sheet is attached to the tensile lines, and the periphery of the sheet is fixed to the ground. The posts are arranged in a plurality of concentric imaginary rings, and they are of different heights with groups of the posts of substantially the same height being arranged along the same rings and being arranged with posts of progressively shorter heights along the rings with progressively increasing radii to enable the shelter to assume a dome shape.

Abstract: A cooling tower with a non-self-supporting envelope which is supported by a net of cables and by pulling elements extending from a portion of a supporting post which portion protrudes upwardly beyond the outlet opening of the cooling tower mantle, in which annular means surround the outlet opening of the mantle and are connected to the supporting post by elements extending in a spoke-like manner from the supporting post and at least partially subjected to pull only.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a support framework or truss having at least one suspension element arched in one direction and serving as a roof construction, formed from concrete poured at the site or from prefabricated components, comprising forming a reinforcement construction taking-up the horizontal forces and composed of two horizontal supports arranged in spaced relationship from one another and extending transversely with respect to the arching direction of the suspension element, and which horizontal supports are laterally interconnected by means of reinforcement components, and supporting the thus formed reinforcement construction upon supports. Tension elements for the suspension element are arranged in a spatial curve extending in a catenary configuration between the horizontal supports and are anchored at the region of the supports at the reinforcement construction.

Abstract: A flexible dock seal for closing an opening such as a loading dock with respect to a truck or trailer takes the form of an inverted U-shaped flexible structure normally positioned in extended relation to the loading dock opening by resilient devices and yieldable upon engagement therewith by the truck or trailer so as to form a satisfactory closure between the dock and the truck or trailer.

Abstract: A wind-damage-resistant structure for producing shade comprises a perimeter of spaced uprights surrounding a tract of land; interior uprights within the perimeter; a lower network of supporting cables fastened to the land outside of the perimeter and supported by the uprights, a shade-producing fabric cover fixed at its edges to the upper parts of the perimeter uprights and supported by the lower network of cables, an upper network of restraining cables also fastened to the land outside of the perimeter and supported by the uprights, the lower network and the cover, and holddown cables at intervals within the structure, fastened at their lower end to the land and passing upwardly through the lower network, the cover and attached to the upper network so as to restrain wind-induced upward motion of the cover.

Abstract: A hyperboloidal cooling tower has a central post from which is suspended an upper horizontal ring centered on the post. A network of cables strung from the upper ring define a generally hyperboloidal surface, with the cables criss-crossing and the intersections clamped together with clips. A plurality of corrugated aluminum plates is secured inside the array of cables at the clips with the corrugations of the plates extending upwardly. The corrugations of each plate are spread to a greater and lesser extent at different regions along the plate together so that these plates may form a uniform three-dimensional shape. Each of the plates is secured at its central region fixedly to at least one clip and otherwise secured to the clips via stringers which can slide on these clips so as to allow thermal expansion of the plates relative to the cable network and relative to one another.

Abstract: A tower structure and a method of erecting same wherein said structure comprises a series of rings stacked in end to end relationship with sealing means between adjacent rings to form a tubular section, anchor means are provided exterior and interior of said section and stabilizing means connect said section at spaced locations along its length to said anchor means.

Abstract: A modular housing system in which a plurality of housing units are mounted on and between two parallel load bearing longitudinal members. The load bearing longitudinal members can form a part of two partition walls and the housing units are supported on the load bearing longitudinal members at roof level. Each housing unit comprises a load bearing roof and a floor which is suspended from the roof by collapsible load bearing members which are preferably flexible cables. The roof can include two side beams which form a pressurized fluid system for conveying the units along the load bearing longitudinal members.

Abstract: A lightweight economical and portable structure for small aircraft includes fixed upright tail and wing tip posts and a lightweight generally horizontal boom extending forwardly from the tail post bisecting a line between the two wing tip posts. Cross arms parallel to the boom are secured to the wing tip posts. A similar cross arm extending at right angles to the boom is attached to the tail post. From the ends of the cross arms and points on the boom, the structure is rigged with rope and strong lightweight fabric is cut, sewn and laced on the rope rigging and is supported thereby in overhead relationship to an aircraft beneath it on the ground. Additional wing booms may be suspended beneath the wing covering fabric sections for added stability.

Abstract: A tower structure wherein said structure comprises a series of rings stacked in end to end relationship with sealing means between adjacent rings to form a tubular section, anchor means are provided exterior and interior of said section and stabilizing means connect said section at spaced locations along its length to said anchor means.

Abstract: An assembly for lining a support means thereby forming a structure having generally curved surfaces comprises connector means adapted to be joined to the support means via an intermediate mounting means, the connector means having two clamping means and filling means therebetween to regulate the distance between the individual clamping means, and covering means elastically retained by the connector means and being shaped to cover the support means, the covering means comprising a fabric cover having a spatial double curvature and being under tensile stress.

Abstract: An exceptionally long, segmented, high-altitude flue of flexible, light-weight material suspended vertically at its upper end from a gas-filled balloon and including at its lower end an open-bottomed hood. The hood segment tapers upwardly from an extremely large bottom opening to its junction with a stack segment. The stack segment is of uniform cross-section throughout and is formed from a plurality of tubular sections permitting the stack to be adjustably raised to any desired height. For field burning purposes, the stack and hood segments are made of a fire-proof material and the bottom hood opening is surrounded by a refractory, rigid-walled enclosure elevated above ground level by skid-type supports. Refire grids of refractory material are provided within the apparatus to minimize the escape of incompletely combusted particulate matter suspended in the hot gases which rise through the hood and stack.

Abstract: A sealed joint construction for connecting membrane segments covering a domed framework of rigid trusses. The side edges of adjoining segments are connected to brackets overlying the outer chord of the truss and the segments are tensioned by cables extending between the truss members and along the bottom edges of the segments. The joint is weather sealed by an overlying coextensive membrane strip having tensioning cables in its edges anchored to the foundation and resisting uplift loads on the membrane segments.

Abstract: A hoisting apparatus mounted on a building structure has parallel-extending upper and lower tracks attached to the building structure and supporting a respective upper and lower traveling block movable thereon by a propelling device, a hoisting cage supported by and between the traveling blocks and a hoisting device for raising or lowering the cage between the traveling blocks.

Abstract: A moderately flexible, daylight transmitting and insulated curtain wall that lends itself to industrialized mass-production, is delivered to the site in a large roll and connected on minor attachments to building columns. Curtain walls consist of corrugated or flat metal sheet with large percentage of openings which are covered by transparent plastic film or sheet on outside and inside, spaced apart by strips of insulating foam. Major structural elements are wire ropes which are embedded in the corrugations of the sheet metal or merely mechanically attached and fastened to the inside of non-corrugated sheet metal.

Abstract: A plurality of posts are mounted upright from a supporting surface and arranged in longitudinally and transversely aligned rows to form a series of adjacent rectangles. A plurality of parallel and substantially uniformly spaced wires extend longitudinally of said posts and are connected to the upper ends of the longitudinally aligned posts, the opposite ends of said longitudinal wires being anchored at said supporting surface. A plurality of parallel and uniformly spaced transverse wires are connected between each pair of adjacent longitudinal wires at uniform intervals therealong, which intervals are only a fraction of the distance between the adjacent longitudinal wires, said transverse wires being substantially coplanar. A plurality of elongated, spaced and parallel elements are connected by flexible means so that said elements can be stored in a roll which can be mounted upon and then unrolled along a pair of said transverse wires between a pair of longitudinal wires.