U.S. patent number 3,919,814 [Application Number 05/480,267] was granted by the patent office on 1975-11-18 for openable panel structure suitable for use either as roofing or as a curtainwall for buildings.
Invention is credited to Achille Beretta, Giovanni Crippa.
United States Patent |
3,919,814 |
Beretta , et al. |
November 18, 1975 |
Openable panel structure suitable for use either as roofing or as a
curtainwall for buildings
Abstract
Openable panel structure comprises a rectangular frame to which
panels are hinged along their diagonal axes, in order to cause
overlapping of the sides of two adjacent panels with respect to
each other, and overlapping of the bottom edge of each panel with
respect to the bottom edge of the frame.
Inventors: |
Beretta; Achille (Barzago,
IT), Crippa; Giovanni (Casatenovo, IT) |
Family
ID: |
11259861 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/480,267 |
Filed: |
June 17, 1974 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
49/74.1; 52/207;
454/278; 52/473 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
1/344 (20130101); E04B 7/166 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
1/344 (20060101); E04B 7/16 (20060101); E04B
007/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/69,71,473,72,199,207,456,455,457,90 ;49/74,236,391
;98/121R,121A ;47/17 ;16/152,153,156 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Abbott; Frank C.
Assistant Examiner: Friedman; Carl D.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Brisebois & Kruger
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Panel structure comprising:
a frame having two parallel sides defining a plane, and
a plurality of panels supported by said frame, each panel being
mounted to swing about an individual axis diagonal to that panel
between a closed position in which said panels lie parallel to each
other in the plane of said frame and an open position in which two
adjacent sides of each panel lie on one side of said plane and its
other two sides lie on the other side of said plane.
2. Panel structure as claimed in claim 1 in which said panels have
edges transverse to said parallel sides of said frame which overlap
the adjacent edges of any adjacent panels when said panels are in
closed position.
3. Double pitch roofing section for buildings comprising at least
three parallel longitudinal stringers, with the central stringer at
a higher level than the other two stringers, and a set of panels
supported between each two adjacent stringers, each panel being
mounted to swing about an individual axis diagonal to that panel
between a closed position in which said panels lie parallel to each
other in the plane containing said two adjacent stringers and an
open position in which two adjacent sides of each panel lie on one
side of said plane and its other two adjacent sides lie on the
other side of said frame.
4. Double pitch roofing section as claimed in claim 3 in which said
central stringer carries a cover member and said panels have edges
adjacent said central stringer which project beneath said cover
member when the panels are in their closed position, and edges
adjacent said other stringers which overlie said other stringers
when in the panels are in their closed positions.
5. Double pitch roofing for buildings as claimed in claim 3 in
which each panel has edges transverse to said stringers which
overlap the adjacent edges of any adjacent panels when said panels
are in closed position.
6. Double pitch roofing as claimed in claim 5 comprising means for
swinging all of the panels in each set as a unit about their
individual axes.
7. Double pitch roofing as claimed in claim 6 in which the means
for swinging all of the panels in each set as a unit comprises a
lever arm carried by each panel, each lever being connected to a
longitudinally movable rod, and a piston connected to reciprocate
said rod.
8. Double pitch roofing as claimed in claim 3 comprising means for
locking said panels in their closed position, said locking means
comprising an arm attached to each panel, a rod attached to each
arm, means for reciprocating said rod between two positions, and
means for preventing swinging movement by said arms and
consequently by said panels when said rod is in one of said two
positions.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In many types of civil, agricultural and industrial buildings,
attempts have been made for some time to construct walls or roofing
with openable panels, for the purpose of greatly facilitating
aeration and air conditioning of the rooms under certain desired
conditions.
This occurs for example in areas used as verandas or solariums, in
animal quarters, in greenhouses and in industrial sheds used as
laboratories or stores.
At present openable panel structures are known, consisting
substantially of a frame which supports a series of adjacent panels
individually hinged along their longitudinal middle axis, and which
can be arranged either in the same plane as the frame, in the
closed position, or in perpendicular thereto in the open
position.
With this type of structure, the panels can be made to overlap only
along the edges parallel to the hinging axis, which are always
parallel to each other, but evidently it is not possible to make
the two remaining edges of the panels overlap the frame, otherwise
the panels would not be able to rotate in order to open.
Structures formed in this manner have two fundamental
disadvantages: firstly a perfect seal cannot to be obtained against
rain water, which always penetrates through the edges comprising
the hinges, and in the second place, with structures of this type,
it is not possible to obtain roof pitches because the edges of the
panels, when open, would lie above the roof ridge, which would thus
have to be raised in order to allow the panels to be opened.
The present invention proposes a solution which eliminates all the
aforementioned disadvantages and in addition offers the further
advantage of providing panels which, when closed, have the edge at
the highest level abutting against the inside edge of the base
frame, and the edge at the lowest level abutting against the
outside edge of the base frame, in such a manner as to guarantee a
seal even against sheets of water running along the top of the
panel structure when it is closed.
This is rendered possible, according to the invention by the fact
that each individual panel is not pivoted along any longitudinal
axis, but is instead pivoted along a diagonal axis in such a manner
that two diametrically opposite corners of the panel are
substantially fixed during opening operations, while the two
opposing edges of the panel are rotated towards the inside and
towards the outside of the base frame respectively.
In this manner not only is it possible to form an overlap between
the edge of the panel and the edge of the frame, this overlap being
on opposite sides of the frame for the two opposing edges, but in
addition the sides of the panel rotate in pairs while always
remaining on the same side of the frame.
This enables the structure to be used as roofing in double pitch
roofs, in that the roof ridge may be made fixed without further
constructional complications.
The operational and constructional merits and characteristics of
the invention will be more evident from the detailed description
given hereinafter referring to the figures of the accompanying
drawings, which illustrate one preferred embodiment of the
invention, given purely by way of example in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention applied to
roofing;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of it with the panels completely open;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of portion of the
invention shown on an enlarged scale;
FIG. 4 is a partial vertical section through a shed in which the
structure is also used for the side walls;
FIG. 5 is a partial schematic sectional of the central part of the
roofing with the panel locking devices in the closed position;
and
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one of the panels forming the
structure.
The aforementioned figures show the support frame 100 for the
roofing comprising substantially two longitudinal side stringers 2
and a longitudinal central stringer 1 at the ridge.
The two roofing pitches are supported between the stringer 1 and
the stringers 2, and each comprise a plurality of panels 3, each
composed of a welded metal tubular frame 4 which supports a sheet 5
of corrugated material which may either be of sheet metal or
plastic laminate.
Each of the panels 3 comrpises two hinging bosses 6 and 7 on one of
its diagonals, and aligned along said diagonal.
The boss 6 of each panel is supported by a suitable pivot pin 66
carried by one of the stringers 2, while the corresponding opposing
boss 7 is supported by a like pivot pin 77 carried by the central
stringer 1.
It is evident that the pivot pins 66 and 67 supporting the bosses 6
and 7 respectively are aligned with each other.
The fixed concave ridge 8 is positioned above the central stringer
1 along the entire length of the roofing, and is formed of the same
corrugated material as the sheets 5.
Because of the aforementioned arrangement, each panel 3 of the
roofing may be disposed either horizontally or vertically, to close
or open the roofing. Furthermore in its vertical open arrangement,
the panel 3 has no parts extending above the level of the ridge 8,
which can thus remain fixed, and the two end edges 33 of the panel
are parallel to the stringers 2 in the closed position, and are
always above the stringer 2 and always below the central stringer 1
respectively.
Furthermore, because of the aforementioned arrangement, each panel
3 is rotated about axis an which does not correspond with the lines
of maximum slope of each roofing pitch, but is inclined to said
lines.
It is evident that in the closed position, the edge 33 at the
highest level abuts against the underside of the ridge, while the
lower edge 33 abuts against the upper edge of the stringer 2, so
ensuring a seal against sheets of water.
Where the invention is applied in the formation of side curtain
walls in sheds, its characteristics remain unchanged, as is better
evident in FIG. 4, and enable the upper edge 33 of each panel to be
always kept inside the shed and the lower opposing edge always
outside the shed, so avoiding any infiltration of water on to the
floor.
Where said panels are to form a curtain wall, the pivot pins 66 and
77 supporting each panel are located respectively below the upper
side stringer and at the lower projecting edge defining the side
wall.
Each individual panel also comprises an arm 9 close to the hinge at
the stringer 2, its purpose being to control the rotation of the
panel.
All the arms 9 are connected together by connecting rods 10, the
last of which is connected to a cylinder-piston unit 11 which
rotates all the component panels of one pitch.
Below the central stringer 1 there are two rods 12, each of which
is associated with the series of panels forming part of a single
pitch, and which support a plurality of equidistant arms 13, their
distance apart being equal to the distance apart of the pivot pins
77.
The rods 12 can slide axially, supported in a series of rings not
shown in the figure, and the movement of translation of each rod 12
is controlled by a cylinder-piston unit 14.
The stroke of said cylinder-piston unit is equal to the distance
between two consecutive pivot pins 77.
Under these conditions, in one of the limiting position of the
cylinder-piston unit, the arms 13 are in a position below the pivot
pin 77 and thus enable the panels 3 to be rotated.
When the panels 3 are to be locked, the cylinder-piston unit is
simply moved into the opposite limiting position so that each arm
13 becomes engaged under a projection formed on the edge 33 of each
panel, thus preventing said edge from being lowered.
The invention is not limited to the single embodiment heretofore
described, and modifications and improvements may be made to it
without departing from the scope of the invention, the fundamental
characteristics of which are summarised in the following
claims.
* * * * *