GB1568133A - Glass houses with triangulated frameworks - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO GLASS HOUSES WITH TRIANGULATED FRAMEWORKS (71) We, I. C. GRESHAM (APPLIED DESIGNS) LIMITED, of 8 Lancaster Avenue, Liverpool L17 3AZ, a British Company, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly desribed in and by the following statement:- The present invention concerns buildings for use as green- or glass-houses.

Normally greenhouses have a frame consisting of vertical and horizontal members which receive rectangular panes of glass.

Flexure of the frame leading to the openings becoming non-planar can lead to glass bieikage and so the frame has to be rigid and consequently heavy.

According to one aspect of the present invention a building for use as a greenor glass-house has at least one wall comprising a plurality of vertically spaced apart, substantially straight, horizontal members adjacent ones of which are joined by other, oblique, members so as to form a triangulated open framework, the horizontal members being held in spaced relationship so that the wall approximates to an arc of a cylinder by gable trusses at the ends of the wall and triangular panes of glazing material being sealingly received in the triangular openings of the framework.

The extra cost of the triangular panes is more than offset by the lighter framework and the reduced danger of glass breakage.

Whilst it would be possible to use rightangled triangular panes, it is preferred to use equilateral panes despite this involving a small increase in wastage since larger equilateral panes can be used.

Whilst it has been proposed to use triangular panes in hemispherical greenhouses, hemispherical greenhouses have disadvantages especially in large commercial greenhouses. They do not lend themselves to mechanisation and make poor use of sunlight; in the Ipeak mid-day sun, considerable areas of glass are so inclined to the sun's rays as to reflect rather than transmit the rays. The presesnt building can be positioned to make better use of the sunlight A terraced support unit for growing receptacles can be arranged to divide the space within the greenhouse into a growing zone between the unit and the glass and a storage zone below the unit.

The growing and storage zones can be independently heated or cooled so saving on fuel consumption. For examples, if the storage zone is used merely for storage of tools, the growing zone can be heated to the temperature required for the plants with the storage zone remaining cold or if the storage zone is used for propagation of seeds, the temperature of the storage zone can be boosted slightly without over forcing the plants in the growing zone.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic elevation of a first size of triangulated wall, Figure 2 is a similar view of a larger wall, 'Figure 3 is a similar view of a yet larger wall, Figure 4 is a schematic end view of a building incorporating a wall as in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a section through a horizontal member as used in Figures 1 to 3, Figure 6 is a detail showing the joint between a horizontal member and the oblique members shown in Figures 1 to 3, Figure 7 is a section showing the crosssection of the oblique members and the insertion of panes, Figure 8 shows a terraced support unit for use in a green house, and Figure 9 is a diagrammatic end view show- ing a door arrangement A wall as shown in Figures 1 to 3 com prises a plurality of horizontal members 11 connected each to its neighbours by oblique members 12. The openings 14 between the horizontal members and oblique members form equilateral triangles and receive tri angular panes of glass or other glazing material with a 2 metre side; a suitable glass thickness is 4 millimetre. The wall is not planar but is in the form of an arc of a cylinder or really a succession of chords subtending 15 at the axis. The wall is intended to be the south facing wall of a green house, the northern wall 15 of which is vertical and can be so constructed as to store solar heat or can be reflective.At the gable ends of the south facing wall, the wall is stiffened by a gable truss 16 as shown in Figure 4 which comprises a straight main beam 17 between the top and bottom of the wall and ties 18 and 19. The ties 18 follow the profile of the wall and complete the half-openings whilst the ties 19 brace the horizontal members 11 to the main beam 17.

Figure 4 shows the section of a horizontal member 11 as used mid-way in a wall, the bottom and top horizontal members differ.

There are two aluminium alloy extrusions 20, each with two flanges 21 arranged at 82t" to each other, bolted or otherwise fastened together with an elastomer sealing strip 22 therebetween. The bottom and top members consist of only a single extrusion 20. The horizontal members are tied to gether by T-section oblique members 12 to form a triangulated open frame work. The two forms of member can be connected together by suitably angled cleats or straps 23. Similar cleats or straps can be used to connect the horizontal members to the ties 18 and 19.The ties 18 are of right-angle sec tion and the ties 18, the horizontal members and the oblique members have flanges or lands lying in successive planes between each successive pair of horizontal members so that panes of glass can be secured in the various openings in those successive planes by means of simple H-section gaskets 24 as shown in Figure 7 with grooves 25 into which fit on the one hand the said webs or lands and on the other hand the Ipanes.

The greenhouses are basically intended for commercial horticultural use and are large.

The wall of Figure 1 has a plan area with length and breadth dimensions of 6 metres and 3.62 metres, that of Figure 2 of 8 metres and 4.73 metres and that of Figure 3 10 metres and 5.76 metres. Figure 8 shows a terraced support unit 26 for use in the greenhouse including the wall of Figure 3. This has 'shelves' for growing troughs 27 which are conveniently 2 metres long by one metre wide with a depth of 15 centimentres and with suitable drainage holes in the base. The shelves are basically runners for the troughs rather than solid shelves. Automatic sprinkling or other watering systems can be provided to supply water and fertilisers.The risers 28 between the shelves can be used as solar heat collectors and/or radiant heaters.. by having the shelves terraced, each line of troughs receives sunlight with the minimum of shading from the plants in other lines of troughs. The support unit is also used to divide the greenhouse into a growing zone 29 between the unit and the glass and a storage or propagation zone under the unit. The storage or propagation zone 30 could be allowed to be at a different temperature than the growing zone thus saving on heating costs. Ventilation of the growing zone could be achieved automatically or manually by fans or louvres possibly in the rear vertical wall of the green house.

So far no mention has been made of the ends of the green house apart from the gable trusses 16. These gable trusses have predrilled holes in them for receiving fasteners whereby end closures such as illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 9. These end closures can be glazed or opaque as desired end each preferably comprises an array of sliding doors at least one of which is full height to allow human entry to the green house but others could be merely to allow lines of growing troughs to be pushed in or pulled out The greenhouse is intended for assembly on hard or soft standing and suitable provision must be made to anchor it down.

Two or more greenhouses can be joined.

end to end by means of the gable trusses after removal of the end closures. It is also possible to have two greenhouses back to back and dispense with the back wall.

The horizontal members extend the full length of the wall and will tend to bow slightly but this is resisted by the crossbracing provided by the oblique members and the gaskets will cater for some degree of bowing. The horizontal members must be stiff enough taking into account the cross bracing to limit the degree of bowing to the ability of the gaskets. The 60 angle of the oblique members is desirable from the angle of the strength of the Ipane (i.e. it allows the largest possible surface area of a pane) and from the viewpoint of the strength of the frame work (i.e. it allows the framework to be lighter for the same rigidity). The 823" angle between the flanges is chosen so that, using standard horizontal members for the entire range and with identical height and depth dimensions (i.e. the wall makes the same angle with both the horizontal and vertical), the minimum slope of the panes in the upper of even five rows of panes is 18t" to the horizontal so that rain will flow down the wall to surface drainage rather than requiring guttering on the wall, and with fewer rows of panes the angle is even greater.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A building for use as a green- or glasshouse having at least one wall comprising a plurality of vertically spaced apart, substantially straight, horizontal members adjacent ones of which are joined by other, oblique, members so as to form a triangu- lated open framework, the horizontal memhers being held in spaced relationship so that the wall approximates to an arc of a cylinder by gable trusses at the ends of the wall and triangular panes of glazing material being sealingly received in the triangular openings of the framework.

2. A building according to claim 1 wherein each horizontal member extends continuously for the length of the wall.

3. A building according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the oblique members are at 60" to the horizontal members.

4. A building according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the gable trusses include ties completing the half openings at the wall ends and wherein the ties, the horizontal members and the oblique members have flanges or lands which between any pair of horizontal members lie in a common plane.

5. A building according to claim 4 wherein the panes are sealingly received in the framework by H-section gaskets or sealing strips engaging said flanges or lands.

6. A building according to any one of the preceding claims wherein end closures are attached to the gable trusses.

7. A building according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least two of the open framework walls are joined end-toend by means of the gable trusses at the adjoining ends.

8. A building according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a solid rear wall and the open framework wall, the rear wall being vertical and the open framework being inclined.

9. A building according to any one of the preceding claims containing a support unit for plants grown therein which support unit is arranged to divide the interior of the buildjng into two independent temperaturecontrollable zones.

10. A building substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. with fewer rows of panes the angle is even greater. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A building for use as a green- or glasshouse having at least one wall comprising a plurality of vertically spaced apart, substantially straight, horizontal members adjacent ones of which are joined by other, oblique, members so as to form a triangu- lated open framework, the horizontal memhers being held in spaced relationship so that the wall approximates to an arc of a cylinder by gable trusses at the ends of the wall and triangular panes of glazing material being sealingly received in the triangular openings of the framework.

2. A building according to claim 1 wherein each horizontal member extends continuously for the length of the wall.

3. A building according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the oblique members are at 60" to the horizontal members.

4. A building according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the gable trusses include ties completing the half openings at the wall ends and wherein the ties, the horizontal members and the oblique members have flanges or lands which between any pair of horizontal members lie in a common plane.

5. A building according to claim 4 wherein the panes are sealingly received in the framework by H-section gaskets or sealing strips engaging said flanges or lands.

6. A building according to any one of the preceding claims wherein end closures are attached to the gable trusses.

7. A building according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at least two of the open framework walls are joined end-toend by means of the gable trusses at the adjoining ends.

8. A building according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a solid rear wall and the open framework wall, the rear wall being vertical and the open framework being inclined.

9. A building according to any one of the preceding claims containing a support unit for plants grown therein which support unit is arranged to divide the interior of the buildjng into two independent temperaturecontrollable zones.

10. A building substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.