US1800984A - Night and day stadium - Google Patents

Description

' April 14, 1931- F. w. ERICKSON 1,800,984 i NIGHT AND DAY STADIUM Filed July 31, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 17711877213? Frederic wizrz'cksan A}...li 14, 1931. F. w. ERICKSON NIGHT AND DAY STADIUM Filed July 31, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 177216 77 "2'07" Freya m'c Mlrzicirson 5y L 62 i Zarrzey Patented Apr. 14, 1931 IBEDEBIG W. ERIGKSQN, OI LARCHMONT, NEW YORK NIGHT AND DAY STADIUM Application filed July 31, 1930. Serial No. 472,012.

This invention relates to structures quite commonly known as stadiums which are large enclosed areas used for games such as base ball, and frequentl employed for other 5 exhibitions and assemb ages.

Base ball is a fast game, and the central object of interest is a ball of such small diameter that it must be handled in a strong light not only to enable the players themselves to see and keep track of it, but also that the spectators may follow the plays from the most distant points in the stadium.

As a whole, my resent invention relates to the same type 0 structure as that illustrated and described in Letters Patent No. 1,711,994, issued to me May 7, 1929, to which reference ma be had for detailed descriptions of the o jects and advantages attained by a stadium structure that can be used at night and regardless of ordinarily inclement weather. As in the structure of said patent, the roof cano y of my present invention comprises a plurality of flexible sheets or strips of material such as canvas, and my present invention has particular reference to the supporting structure of said stri s and the method of handling the same. 0 far as concerns the rest of the structure, such as the playingfield and the seating arrangements, the stadium ma well be the same as in said patent, and t e lighting arrangements may be the same,

With the main object of the present invention being to improve the arrangement of the roof canopy strips and the handling thereof, the said invention consists in the structure and combinations of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings 2- Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of so much of the stadium as is included in the present invention.

Figure 2 is an end view, omitting the lower portion of the stadium.

Figure 3 is a view similar to a vportion of t Figure 2, on alarger scale.

a Figure 4 is a side elevation of one of the storage drums.

Figure 5 represents a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4 on a larger scale.

the upper portions of the canopy strips supported thereby in their'marginally overlapping relationship.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts or features in all of the views.

So far as the playing field and the seating arrangements are concerned, they may be of any well-known or preferred type; Figure 1 illustrates, at opposite sides of the field 12, lower seats 15 and upper seats 16, with protective roofing 17, and towers or columns 19 along opposite sides of thefield. As so far referred to, the structure ma be the same as that of the parts or members aving the same reference numerals in the patent refrerred to. 7

In carrying out my present invention, the tops of the towers are connected by taut cables 20 which support the trucks to. enable the latter to be adjusted back and forth from the towers topositions over the longitudinal center of the playing field, as hereinafter described. i a

Each truck comprises side frame members 21 having upper shafts 22 for wheels 23 running on the cables 20 (Figs. 2, 3 and 6), and a lower shaft 24 havingsheaves 25. A cross bar 26 connecting the frame members 21 is coupled at 27 to acable 28 extending in opposite directions therefrom and running over,

pulleys 29 at the tops of two 0 posite towers, and down to any suitable win ing drums not necessary to illustrate. I As indicated by comparing Fi ures 2 and 6, there are two cables 28 for eac 1 pair of trucks that are mounted to meet each other on the cables 20, one of said two cables being for one truck and the other cable for the other truck of the pair. This is to enable the trucks to be shifted in opposite directions.

Mounted on the sheaves 25 of each truck are endless cables 30 the lower ends of which are mounted on sheaves 31 supported by brackets 32 projecting from lower portions of the towers 19. Said cables maybe actuated manually or by suitably applied power, as preferred.

A strip 33, of suitable substantially rigid material, connects the two cables 30 of each,

Figure 6 illustrates three of the trucks and truck (Figs. 2 and 6), and to each such strip or bar there is connected the upper transverse edge of a flexible strip 34 of such mate rial as canvas, the upper end portion of each of such strips of canvas having sections of waterproof material indicated at 3 5 in Figure 1.

The lower edge of each strip 34 is connected to a winding storage drum illustrated as a whole at 36 in-Figure 1. The drums 36 are of skeleton structure as presently described, to reduce liability of'the canvas, when wound thereon, becoming unduly .wet during inclement weather. And of course when the strips include theu per sections of waterproof material, sai sections become protective wrappings ofthe coils of canvas wound on the drums. l

As illustrated by Figures 2, 4 and 5, each storage drum comprises a tubular shaft 37 mounted in bearings in brackets 38 supported by the towers 19. Mounted on theshaft 37 are two spiders 39 the multiple arms of which have recessed tips in which cables 40 lie, the ends of said cables being secured to hubs 41 adjustably secured to the shaft s that said cables can be maintained taut and thereby provide a skeleton core upon which the canvas can be wound for storage when the stadium ishaving its canopy removed from overhead location. In Figure ean'd shaft 37 is illustrated as having'a pinion 42 which maybe engaged by a suitable driving pinion not necessary to illustrate.

An im ortant feature of the present invention is-t e making of the canopy strips 34 of such Width, and so connecting them with the canopy-adjusting trucks, that they alternate in side-byside closely overlapping re lationshi as indicated in Figure 1 and more clearly i lu'strated by Figure 6. In other Words, both side edgesof every strip excepting'the two end ones extend either over or under the edges of both of the'next strips at opposite sides thereof, thereby ensuring to the utmost a canopyforthe playing field which 7 canopy can be adjusted to position to effectually prevent the admission of any appreciable amount of rain down to the playing inclement weather; the strips are drawn u to the positions indicated in'Figure 2, the upper end edges being then so close together that little or norain can enter between them. But when the can- .opy is not needed, the strips can be drawn down and wound on the drums 36. If itis' desired to have some of the canopy open and other portions closed, thestrips can be individually operated to effect whatever ex- 7 p osure may be desired.

Ifsom'ehappening such as the approach of a violent storm renders it desirable to remove the entire canopiyfromoverhead position, the trucks can e quickly shifted to .ly connected with said. movable membe positions" close to the towers, and the canvas strips wound up on the storage drums, resulting in the cables 20 being the only ermanentrigging left over the playing fiel And this may, and preferably usually will be, the

condition of the parts during daylight in good weLathe'rfiEor .useiofftheistadium at night, interior 1 lightingarrangements are I made'such as explained in the patent here- -inbefore-r eferred to Having now described my invention, I

"c1aim:r

1. A structure for use with a field for games and other events, said structure having cable's crossing thefield, movable members m ountedjon said cablesfsaid member being movable to and from abuttin relations'hi 'f, and flexible canopy'j'sections lie up ertn s of which are connected to said movable mem bers. v

1.2. A str i 1cture' ,for use withalfieldfor games andother events, said structure havin tall towers at opposite sides" of the "field, cable's crossing the field and supported by's'aid towers, movable members mounted on'said' cables, said member being. movable .to'and which areconnected to'saidamovable members, and means connected with the other ends of said' fsections for winding themnp. structure for 3 use a'q' field. for games and other events, saidstructureihaving cables crossing the field mo'vable 'mem-' bers mounted on said. cables, said' member bein'g'movable to and" from abutting relationship, flexible canopy sections the upper ends of which arefconnected -to said-"movable members, means connected withthe oth-- er ends of saidsections fonwindin'g them up, and means for shifting 's'aidmovable memportingfcables.

T bers to different positionsalong their sup- 7 v5. A structurefor usewith afield for and other events, said structurehaving'cables crossing the Qfield; movable members mounted, on said cables, said me nberf being movable to and from abutting relationship I and fiexibl'e'canopy sejsctions overlappingeach other along their side edges andloperative- 6. A roof canopy j'comprisin ,a' plurality of flexible strips, and means orjsup orting them in alternating sidef byfsiderelat onship with both side edgesiof every strip excepting the end ones extending eitherunder orover the ed es of bothstrips at 'opposite 'sides 'th'er'eof?" t v 7. A roof canopy--coinprisingja' -plurali tK of flexible strips, means for supporting t em in alternating side-by-side relationship overlap ing at both edges with both side edges 0 ever strip excepting the end ones extendin eit er under or over the ed es of both strips at opposite sides thereo and means for independently shifting said strips in the direction of their lengths.

8. A roof canopy structure including a plurality of flexible strips having waterproof sections at one end, and winding drums to which the other ends of the strips are c0nnected.

9. A roof canopy structure including a plurality of flexible strips, adjustable supports for the upper ends of the strips, said supports bein movable to and from abutting relationship, and winding drums to which the other ends of the strips are connected.

10. A structure for use with a field for games and other events, said structure having overhead horizontally movable members, oppositely inclined cables connected to said overhead members, flexible strips connected at their upper ends to said cables, and winding drums to which the lower ends of said strips are connected. 4

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

FREDERIG W. ERICKSON.

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