Constructional Element

Abstract

Especially shaped constructional element for the assembly of light partition walls in gardens, parks, recreation grounds, in restaurants, or terraces and other similar sites. The building stone is composed of at least two frusta of cones or pyramides having axes inclined to each other.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to constructional elements useful in the assembly of walls, especially translucent partition walls and other like structures. Such partition walls are used to define the boundaries of a place or room or a part of it without producing a narrowing psychological effect.

Several types of constructional elements or building stones for partition walls are already known and used. Anyhow, if such partition walls are built in a dusty surrounding ugly dark stripes can often be seen during or after fog or rainy weather when deposited dust has become wet by fog and rain and is only partly washed away. There is an increasing tendency to avoid this annoying aspect owing to the increasing air pollution in many parts of the country.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a specially shaped constructional element which will overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of already existing partition walls.

The constructional element resides in a solid geometrical form which finds a basic application as a building block. However, as will be apparent to any one skilled in the art, this geometric form may be used in a wide variety of embodiments and applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a new constructional element comprising at least two frusta of cones or pyramides having axes inclined to each other and having a common base, partly penetrating each other in a zone adjacent to said common base, each of said frusta having a smaller terminal face parallel to said base, said smaller terminal faces being aligned. Conveniently the constructional element, according to the invention, comprises two frusta which are mirror images to each other and so oriented that the axes form an acute angle.

Advantageously the smaller terminal faces of all frusta have the same shape and are separated in the zone adjacent to said smaller terminal faces.

In accordance with a further embodiment of my invention, the constructional element comprises at least three frusta, having axes symmetrically arranged around a main axis being perpendicular to the common base and passing the center of said base, the angles formed between said axes and said main axis being identical.

According to a further feature of my invention, the constructional element comprises a further frustum on that side of the base opposite to the other frusta with a smaller terminal face of same shape and size as the smaller terminal faces of the other frusta, all terminal faces being oriented parallel to said base.

According to a still further feature of my invention the side faces of said further frustum are aligned with the corresponding sides of the other frusta, and the outer common side faces of the frusta have four outer common side faces which are shaped as plane congruent pentagons.

To facilitate the insertion of glass windows into an assembled partition wall of constructional elements, according to my invention, each of the upper inner side faces of two mirrorlike frusta are provided with a straight notch, and both notches are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the common base of said frusta.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first type of a constructional element according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second type of a constructional element according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modification of a constructional element of the second type illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another modification of a constructional element of the second type illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the first modification of a constructional element of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another modification of a constructional element of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further modification of a constructional element of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1 being provided with notches for inserting glass windows;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modification of a constructional element of the second type illustrated in FIG. 2 being provided with notches for inserting glass windows;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a still further modification of a constructional element of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a perspective partial view of an assembled partition wall using constructional elements of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a partial view of another type of an assembled partition wall using constructional elements of the first type illustrated in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the drawing identical reference numerals identify identical elements. Discussing now the drawing in detail and firstly the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, it will be seen that reference numeral 1 identifies a frustum of a pyramide and reference numeral 2 identifies another frustum of a pyramide, both frusta having a common base 3. The axes 4 and 5 of the frusta 1 and 2 respectively are inclined to each other and form an angle of about 60.degree.. Each of the frusta 1 and 2 has an upper terminal face 6 or 7 respectively. Both terminal faces 4 and 5 are smaller than base 3 and parallel to it. In a zone adjacent to said common base 3 both frusta penetrate each other as shown by broken lines.

In FIG. 1 the intersecting lines between the two frusta are shown, the one intersecting line facing the viewer is identified by reference numeral 8, illustrated by an uninterrupted line. The intersecting line on the back of the constructional element is indicated by a broken line. Both intersecting lines are inclined to base 3 which is in a horizontal position when used in walls. This inclined position of the intersecting lines has the advantage that dust falling in the region between the two frusta will not deposite there but glide off or be washed away by flowing of rain drops.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. The constructional element comprises two frusta of cones 11 and 12 having a common circular base 13. The axes 14 and 15 of both frusta form an angle of about 60.degree..

The embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are especially useful for the assembly of partition walls.

Other embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprise three frusta of cones or four frusta of cones respectively. These embodiments are especially useful for column-shaped constructions.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 all intersecting lines between the frusta of cones are inclined to the horizontal base 13 so that deposited dust will not remain there.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 and 6 all intersecting lines between the frusta of pyramides are inclined to the horizontal base 13 so that deposited dust will not remain there.

An assembled wall of constructional elements comprises a plurality of identically shaped constructional elements arranged in several lines one upon another having interstices or blank spaces between neighboring frusta. In some cases it is desirable to insert glass windows or other translucent materials between said frusta. In this way it is possible to achieve interesting architectonic and aesthetical effects especially if plates of colored translucent material are used.

FIG. 7 illustrates a constructional element, according to the invention, which is provided with straight notches or recesses 16 to facilitate the insertion of glass windows between neighboring frusta. The glass windows or sheets of other suitable material can be fixed there by known adhesives. The recesses 16 are arranged parallel to adjacent edges of the frusta.

Whereas FIG. 7 represents a modification of an embodiment according to FIG. 1, FIG. 8 represents an analogous modification of an embodiment according to FIG. 2. The notches or recesses 17 are parallel to the adjacent generatrix of the respective cone.

FIG. 9 particularly indicates the combination of three frusta of pyramides. Two frustra having axes 24 and 25 are composed according to FIG. 1. The third frustum 20 having an axis 21 is situated on that side of the base which is opposite to the other frusta. The side faces 26' of said third frustum 20 are aligned with the corresponding adjacent sides 26" of the other two frusta so that the resulting side faces 26 being composed of faces 26' and 26" are plane congruent pentagons.

Turning to FIG. 10 a part of a partition wall structure is illustrated to demonstrate the utility of the subject invention. A slightly modified arrangement of constructional elements according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 11. The abutting faces of adjacent constructional elements, especially the terminal faces, are provided with a suitable adhesive to fix the elements within the wall.

The complete element, would, of course, be manufactured as an integral unit by any of the known methods using any known and suitable materials.

Many possible modifications will become apparent from the foregoing without departing from the spirit of the present invention. However, the foregoing disclosure is presented in an illustrative sense rather than a limiting sense and the appended claims are relied upon to define the scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A structural element comprising at least two integral frustums having axes including an acute angle with each other and having bases located in a common plane so as to form a common base face, said frustums partly penetrating each other in the region adjacent said common base face, each of said frustums tapering in a direction away from said common base face and having spaced from said common base face an end face substantially parallel to said common base face.

2. A structural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least two frustums are mirror symmetrically arranged with respect to each other.

3. A structural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said end faces are located in a common plane substantially parallel to said common base face.

4. A structural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said structural element comprising at least three frustums having axes symmetrically arranged with respect to a main axis passing through the center of said common base face and substantially normal thereto, the angles between said axes and said main axis being substantially identical.

5. A structural element as defined in claim 1, and including a further frustum projecting from that side of said common base face which is opposite to the side from which the other frustums project, all of the end faces of said frustums having the same size and shape and being substantially parallel to said common base face.

6. A structural element as defined in claim 5, wherein said further frustum forms a stepless continuation of said other frustums.

7. A structural element as defined in claim 6, wherein said frustums are pyramid frustums and having four common side faces which are shaped as plain congruent pentagons.

8. A structural element as defined in claim 2, wherein said at least two frustums intersect each other in a common plane substantially normal to said common base face and wherein each of said frustums is formed at the outer surface thereof with at least one elongated notch in a common plane of symmetry substantially normal to said common plane.

9. A structural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said frustums are cone frustums.

10. A structural element as defined in claim 1, wherein said frustums are pyramid frustums.