US2175292A - Arch structure - Google Patents

Description

- P. B. HILL 2,175,292

ARCH STRUCTURE Filed June 14, 1932 v Wow ATTW Patented Oct. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARCH STRUCTURE Rock, Ark.

Application June 14, 1932, zSerial No. 617,212

6 Claims.

Arch or arch-like structures such as culverts, tunnel linings and well curbs, whose curvature is of short radius, and are designed as pipes of constant radius and uniform loading, have been made of curved steel plates, but their manufacture is costly because a separate die for pressing them is required for each curved plate radius and that means a multiplicity of dies, and though provided with flanges, as in the case of liner plates, .0 to impart strength, such flanges cannot be made deep enough to give adequate strength in long spans. With arch structures of steel of greater radius and long span, the loading may be and usually is eccentric to the axis and stresses occur that are too great for these flanged plates, and corrugated plates when corrugations are resorted to, to supply strength. Accordingly, it has been the practice to employ arched ribs to supply strength which is lacking in the plates. These arch structures of longer radius and great span are exemplified by bridges, roofs, concrete forms with curved surfaces, and the like, and my invention has for its aim to provide for steel arch structures of such description made up of pressed steel plate units which will have the important economic advantages coming from a form of unit which will not require a multiplicity of dies and which will require no arched ribs but which will have all structural strength in themselves as to require no arched ribs. To eliminate the need for a multiplicity of dies, my plates are flat and not curved so that the surface of the arch built up is a succession of adjoining flat plate units so assembledas to extend in a curve of the desired radius and which have side Webs of such form and depth as tosupply the requisite strength to render the structure independent of ribs which are necessary to supply strength that plates themselves inherently lack.

My invention consists in whatever is described by or is included within the terms or scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section of a portion of an arch constructed of pressed steel units in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in perspective of one of the units, such unit being of rectangular form;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of another unit embodying my invention, also of rectangular form;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a diamond-shaped unit embodying my invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 6 is a bottom view thereof;

' Fig. '7 is atop plan view of the blank from Which the unit shown in Figs. 4 to 6 is made;

Fig. 8 is a detail VieW'in horizontal section of the contiguous portions of four diamond-shaped units assembled;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of an arch roof of assembled diamond-shaped units;

Fig. 10 is a view in vertical section of a portion of an arch roof built up of fiat flanged pressed steel units and built-up ribs that support such units;

Fig. 11 is a section on the line I I-I I of Fig. 10.

The pressed steel units shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 have a rectangular flat plate member I0, which in assembly with similar units provides the arched or curved surface of the structure and which at each of its opposite sides has a vertical flange II, that constitutes a strength-furnishing web at each side and which is slightly longer than the flat plate I0, from end to end, and which unit at each end has a narrow, vertical flange I2, that reaches from side to side of the plate and projects at substantially right angles from the plate Ill, into the space between the two side webs II. These narrow flanges I2, stiffen the plate I0, and being provided with bolt holes i3, constitute the means for fastening together end to end adjoining units, the depth of the stiffening flanges I2, not being sufficient to hinder the curvilinear arch formation as shown in Fig. 1 in the direction of the units from end to end.

The supporting webs I I are provided with two sets of holes, one set I4, being adjacent the top and the other set I5, being adjacent the bottom for bolts to unite side by side adjoining units and the bolt holes I5, are closer together than the holes I4, to enable adjoining units to be placed with their plates ID, at an angle to one another to suit the radius of the arch. To give additional stifiness to the supporting webs II, of the unit at the edge away from the plate Ill, such edge may be provided, as shown in Fig. 3, with a narrow flange I6, the flangeon one web being outturned and the flange on the other web being inturned and sufliciently displaced so that it will clear theoutturned flange of the immediately adjacent unit. If desired, both flanges E6, of the same unit may be turned outward and or" another unit turned inward at levels that will permit overlapping when the units are placed side by side.

The vertical webs I I, besides taking stresses as structural elements or members, also stiffen the plate member.

The diamond shape unit, shown in Figs. 4 to 9, has in plan view'the diamond shape top or arch surface forming plate I00, and at each side a vertical flange I I0, these flanges constituting webs which form the structure supporting elements, as Well as stiffening means and means for bolting adjacent units in the assembled relation shown in Fig. 9, suitable holes being provided in the webs near the upper and lower edges thereof for bolts, and preferably each web at its free edge has an inturned narrow stiffening flange I60.

The axes passing through the apexes or points of the diamond are preferably of different length, the shorter axis being transverse of the arch, or parallel with the arch axis, and the webs at each apex on each of the two axes are divided by slits [1, that reach to the apexes of the surface-forming plate I00, so that the adjoining ends of the webs when they are formed by bending the blank shown in Fig. 7, will lap by one another and bring into alinement the bolt holes I8, adjacent the plate I90, and the bolt holes 19, near the opposite edge of the web, and byshortening the distance betweenthe bolt holes IQ, of the same web by bending the plate I00, on the short axis, the desired curvature of the arch produced by assembled units extending in line with one another on the long axis, will be produced. As shown in Fig. 8, overlapping webs of four adjacent units are joined by a singlebolt 26, that passes through registering holes 18 or l9, as the case may be, in the overlapped webs. The extremities of the webs at the apexes on the long axis are projected beyond the apex of the finished blank and those of one unit overlap and interlock as shown in Fig. 8, with those of an adjacent unit.

To enable variation in the degree of flexing or bending of the unit on its short axis, the bolt holes 18, are or may be elongated lengthwise of the web, that is be in the form of slots.

Obviously, to suit special conditions of the arch, half diamond units are provided, the line of division being along either the short or the long axis and in that case the unit will be a triangle whose base is. either the short axis or the long axis. Thus, the triangle whose base is the short axis may advantageously be used at the arch abutments, or to create or frame rectangular openings necessary in the body of the arch; and the triangle whose base is the long axis is advantageously used at the face of the arch with the base, of course, outermost, and it may be used to provide rectangular openings in the body of the arch. And two similar triangular units obviously may be bolted together to form the diamond shape unit. The stifiening flange corresponding to the flange 559 in Figs. 4 to 6 need not be employed with the half diamond unit where the long axis is the base of the triangle, or in other units where the stresses in the webs do not demand.

In arch structures made wholly of the pressed steel units, the webs and flanges may project downward from the flat or top plates, or toward the arch center, or may project upward from the flat or top plates, or away from the arch center, for in either case, the webs act the same and are the essential supporting elements of the structure. For instance in concrete structures, the units may be inverted to serve as casting forms for the concrete and they may be left in place so that the webs and flanges form reinforcement for the concrete, or in roof structures, the space between the upturned webs and flanges may be filled with insulating material and covered with roofing material,

Referring to what is shown in Figs. 10 and 11, I employ pressed steel units which include a long comparatively narrow, rectangular or oblong plate 2|, with downturned flanges 22, at each side and at each end, there being correspondence only in this general respect to the units shown in Figs. 1 to 3, but these units are not self-supporting by themselves when united in an arch and, accordingly, with them, girders are employed. To the vertical web of these guides at the top the short ends are bolted or riveted and the long side flanges of adjoining units are bolted together, these flanges being so shallow as not to interfere with the arch curvature produced by giving a curved upper edge or top to the supporting girders. These girders are made of pressed steel and include a web member 23, and outturned flange 24, at the bottom, made in similar units of suitable length and bolted or riveted together with the webs back to back and breaking joints and so that the flanges 24, at the bottom project in opposite directions and lengthwise extend at the necessary incline to form the arch. This provides an inexpensive and strong but light structure and one which enables the employment of flat topped cover units in the erection or production of an arched structure.

What I claim is:

1. An arch-forming unit of pressed steel comprising an arch-forming plate that has a flat surface and vertical webs integral therewith extending entirely along side edges of such plate and having dimensions that make them the vertical stress-receiving members of the structure composed of similar joined units, the vertical side webs extending beyond the ends of the flat surface to overlap the vertical webs of an adjacent joined unit.

2. An arch forming unit as in claim 1 in which the plate has on its edges at right angles to said webs flanges that extend into the space in rear of such extensions and which are narrow compared with the Vertical dimensions of said side webs.

3. A tubular structure composed of a plurality of abutting substantially diamond shaped plates, each of said plates having a pair of edges of uniform length converging to a point and forming one pointed end for the plate, and having two other edges of the same length as the aforesaid edges, said two other edges also converging to a point and forming a second pointed end for the plate, the points of said ends being disposed in a plane at right angles to the length of the tubular structure, all of said edges being provided throughout their lengths with lateral flanges, and bolts securing the flanges of the various plates together, whereby half the number of said flanges are pitched in one direction and the others are pitched in the other direction to effectively brace the tubular structure.

4. A tubular structure composed of diamond shaped plates disposed in annular series with the pointed ends of the plates of any series disposed in a single plane at right angles to the axis of the tubular structure, the plates of any of said annular series being in abutting relation with the plates of the adjacent annular series, all of the converging edges of said plates being of uniform length and provided throughout their length with lateral flanges, said flanges of each annular series of plates being bolted to the flanges of the adjacent annular series, whereby half the number of said flanges are pitched in one direction and the other half are pitched in the other direction to effectively brace the tubular structure.

5. A tubular structure composed of a plurality of side by side substantially diamond shaped plates, each of said plates having a pair of edges of uniform length converging to a point and forming one pointed end for the plate, and having two other edges of the same length as the aforesaid edges, said two other edges also converging to a point and forming a second pointed end for the plate, the points of said ends of the plate being disposed in a plane at right angles to the length of said structure, all said edges being provided throughout their length with lateral flanges, and bolts securing the flanges of the various plates together, whereby half the number of flanges are pitched in one direction and the other flanges are pitched in the other direction, said plates being so positioned that any one of said flanges lies throughout its length alongside substantially the full length of an adjacent flange of an adjacent plate, whereby half the number of said flanges form reinforcing members pitched in one direction and the other flanges jointly form reinforcing members pitched to the same extent in the other direction to effectively brace the structure.

6. A tubular structure composed of diamond shaped plates disposed in annular series with the pointed ends of the plates of any series disposed in a single plane at right angles to the axis of the tubular structure, the plates of any of said annular series being in side by side relation with the plates of the adjoining annular series, all of the converging edges of said plates being of uniform lengths and provided throughout their lengths with lateral flanges, said flanges of each annular series of plates being bolted tothe flanges of adjacent annular plates, whereby half the number of said flanges are pitched in one direction and the other flanges pitched in the other direction, said plates being so positioned that any one of said flanges lies throughout its length alongside substantially the full length of an adjacent flange of an adjacent plate, whereby half the number of said flanges form reinforcing members pitched in one direction and the other flanges jointly form reinforcing members pitched to the same extent in the other direction toeffectively brace the structure.

PHILIP B. HILL.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,17 5 292. October 10, 1959.

' PHILIP B. HILL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of" the above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows: Page 2, sec-- 0nd column, line 10, for the word "guides" read girders; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with. this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this lhth day of November, A. D. 1959.

(Seal) ,Henry Van Arsrlale,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

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