US3759006A

US3759006A - Metallic framework and floor resulting therefrom

Info

Publication number: US3759006A
Application number: US00060849A
Authority: US
Inventors: M Tamboise
Original assignee: ENTREPOSE
Current assignee: ENTREPOSE
Priority date: 1969-08-12
Filing date: 1970-08-04
Publication date: 1973-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 1990-09-18
Also published as: ES188063U; ES188063Y; FR2055971A5

Abstract

The metallic frame-work and floor resulting therefrom is composed of lengthwise extending frame members closed on at least part of their length by an added metallic strip, cross-pieces being secured to lateral sides of said frame members and Z-shaped terminal flanges connected to outer sides thereof.

Description

United States Patent [1 1 Tamboise 1 Sept. 18,1973

[ METALLIC FRAMEWORK AND FLOOR RESULTING THEREFROM {75] Inventor: Maurice Paul Jean Joseph Tamboise,

Crespieres, Yvelines, France [73] Assignee: Entrepose, Paris, France [22] Filed: Aug. 4, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 60,849

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Aug. 12, 1969 France 6927771 [52] US. Cl 52/406, 52/618, 52/627, 52/656 [51] Int. Cl E04b 2/20 [58] Field of Search 52/404, 406, 488, 52/618, 627, 628, 656, 664, 666, DIG. 4, 582

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,001,733 5/1935 Kellogg 52/404 2,039,601 5/1936 London 52/618 2,256,375 9/1941 Bonsall 52/404 2,744,589 5/1956 Jenkins et al.. 52/404 3,321,826 5/1967 Lowy 52/618v 3,378,974 4/1968 Bush, Jr. 52/D1G. 4

3,513,614 5/1970 Studzinski 52/404 l,7l0,6l0 4/1929 Duke 52/582 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 259,266 6/ 1964 Australia 52/406 542,955 12/1955 Belgium 52/664 1,133,369 3/1957 France... 52/404 1,224,162 6/1960 France 52/618 424,620 11/1933 Great Britain.... 52/618 642,520 9/1950 Great Britain 52/404 738,287 10/1955 Great Britain.... 52/618 860,426 2/1961 Great Britain.... 52/DIG. 4 994,124 6/1965 Great Britain.... 52/D1G. 4 247,743 10/1963 Australia 52/582 Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland Assistant Examiner-Leslie A. Braun A!torney-Browdy and Neimark [57] ABSTRACT The metallic frame-work and floor resulting therefrom is composed of lengthwise extending frame members closed on at least part of their length by an added metallic strip, cross-pieces being secured'to lateral sides of said frame members and Z-shaped terminal flanges connected to outer sides thereof.

17 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTED SEP1 8 I975 SHEET 2 OF 8 PATENTED SEP] 8 I973 SHEET 3 [IF 8 gala ga J w/ll PATENTED SEPI 8 I973 SHEET 8 [IF 8 Pic-31.11.

METALLIC FRAMEWORK AND FLOOR RESULTING THEREFROM The present invention relates to a new frame-work for floors made of thin folded iron sheets and which, in case of need, makes possible the whole prefabrication at plant of a floor which eventually may include the ground coating and the ceiling coating and further inserted pipe for circulating fluids.

Besides, due to the particular structure according to the invention, the floor, although made of metal has high sound proofing properties.

Moreover, the floor is such that it may be mounted only by laying on framing elements of a building, without the necessity of making use of securing means or of a layer of concrete orlike material.

A further advantage of the invention is that the floor may have a very long span between bearing points and thus makes possible the realization of very simple carrying structures and which participates to the resistance thereof.

According to the invention, the metallic frame work and floor resulting therefrom comprise lengthwise extending frame members constituted by steel sheets folded substantially in the shape of a trapezoid with the large base thereof directed downwardly and laterally extended by at least a wing, said frame members being closed on at least part of their length'by an added metallic strip constituting said large base, cross-pieces having in cross-section the shape of a trapezoid ex tended by a wing protruding from the large base thereof and the ends of which are diagonally cut-off and secured to the lateral sides of said frame members and at least Z-shaped terminal flanges connected to outer sides of said frame members and provided at the top'thereof with a bearing surface substantially aligned with the top of said floor.

Further characteristics of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure.

Some typical embodiments of the invention are shown, as not limited examples, in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a partial prospective view illustrating the frame-work of the box-shaped floor of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial end section of the floor unit.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the frame-work roughly made along line III-'III of FIG. 1.

-FIG."4 is a perspective view of the completed floor.

FIG. 5' is a perspective view showing a further application of the invention. 7

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view showing the structure of the floor frame-work according to a modification.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the floor shown along line VII-VII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a transverse sectional view along line VIII- -VIII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the floor being completed.

FIG. 10 is a schematic partial perspective view illustrating a further development of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a detail of FIG. 10.

The floor frame-work is constituted of frame members 1, la, lb made of folded steel sheets, having in cross-section the shape of a trapezoid, the large base of which is extended by side wings 2 clearly shown on FIG. 3. i

The frame members I which have their concavity downwardly directed are closed on their whole length or on a part thereof by means of iron plates 3, so that it is possible to regulate the moment of inertia of said frame members, of which the resistance to mechanical forces to which they are submitted may, thus be adjusted to have a very high value although the sheets used for the manufacturing of the frame members are very thin (for example about 1.5 mm).

The frame members are connected together from place to place by means of cross-pieces 4, made exactly like the frame members by folded trapezoid shaped iron sheets. The ends of said cross-pieces are obliquely cut in order to bear on the sloped sides of the frame members 1, while wings 4a thereof bear on the wings 2 of two consecutive frame members as clearly shown on FIG. 3.

Connection between the cross-pieces 4 and the frame members is preferably made either by means of welding scams or, eventually, by electric welding between wings 2 and 4a.

At their ends, the frame members and eventually the iron sheets 3 secured to said frame members engage the base plate 5 of terminal flanges 6, having towards the outside of the floor a protruding edge 7 extended by a raising edge 8 (FIG. 2) whereby the terminal flange 6 has substantially a Z-shape extended by the raising edge 8.

An angle iron 9 is connected to the flanges 6 in order to coverthe top of the frame members which are thus boxed-up in the terminal flanges 6 to which they are secured by any suitable means.

by the reference number 10 and are making up the side flanges of the floor. The height of these side flanges is equal to the height of the frame-members.

From the above description, it will be seen that when the frame-work of the floor is assembled, said framework have the shape of a frame delimited by the side flanges l0 and the terminal flanges 6, and that cells are delimited in the thickness of the frame, by frame members l and cross-pieces 4.

In order to provide a completed floor suitable to be prefabricated the above described frame-work is provided on its top with a wide-waved ribbed sheet 11 (FIGS. 2 and 4). Lathes 13 made preferably of wood are disposed in the hollow ribs 12 of said ribbed sheet, these lathes extending across the direction of the frame members. In that manner, said ribbed sheet 11 shows a flat top surface since the lathes 13 are completely filling up the hollow ribs 12.

The ends of said ribbed sheets are fixed to the terminal flanges 6 and the sides thereof to the flanges 10. Moreover, the sheet may be connected by means of screws both to the members I and to the cross-pieces 4. The lathes 13 are consequently used as filling material for the screwing of bolts, screws and the like.

It will be seen that, by such means, the covering sheet 11 is evenly distributing the loads on the whole area of the floor-frame, particularly since the ribs thereof extend transversally to the direction of said frame members.

The protruding edge 7 of the terminal flanges 6 is used as a bearing surface for making the whole of the floor to bear upon the top of supporting girders, such as girders 14 shown on FIG. 2. The width of the protruding edge is provided, for instance, to overlay only one half of the girder 14, so that two floors may be endto-end joined.

The above described floor, when provided to be prefabricated in factory, includes advantageously the constitutive elements of a ceiling, said ceiling being made of slabs or wall-tiles 15, of square or rectangular shape, which are fixed under the frame members and under the cross-pieces, for example, by means of self tapering screws 16.

By properly choosing the nature of the material of the slabs, an additional fire-guard screw may be obtained.

In order to avoid the ceiling, of which sizes may be important, for example ranging about 6 meters in length per 1.80 meter in width, to be damaged during handlings, said ceiling is advantageously provided -with a removable cover 17 made of steel sheet or synthetic resin sheet said cover fitting on the floor flanges and thus covering entirely the ceiling.

Likely it is possible to provide the floor during manufacturing with ceiling elements; said floor may also receive the ground coating and, in this case, as shown by FIGS. 2 and 4, it is provided to fix previously on the upper surface of the sheet 11, a sheet or plate 18 made of relatively flexible material such as a felt or a rubbery product or the same on which is laid the final ground coating, referred 19. I

It is advantageous to provide respectively the side edges of the ground coating with groove and tongue joints, this making possible the interlocking at the time of laying two contiguous floors.

From the above description, it will be seen that the covering sheet 11 delimits with the floor frame-work channels and recesses 20 either for the passage of pipes, or used directly for the circulation of a gaseous fluid such as ventilating air.

The frame-floor such as above described may particularly be easily adapted to a building with a very deep sound proofing, and this in spite of its all metallic structure. Actually, the cells delimited between the frame members and the cross-pieces as well as the hollow bodies delimited by said frame members and crosspieces are, preferably, tilled-up with sound deadening material which is thus divided, this division improving the sound proofing qualities of the used materials.

The cells and hollow bodies are, preferably, filled-up with glass-wool compressed on a support, made for instance of bituminous kraft paper, thus making-up sound insulating panels which are stacked into said cells in such a manner that the supports are arranged in opposition with respect to the floor median plate 21 (FIG. 3). In this way, a reflective effect of the sound waves will be obtained simultaneously with a damping of said waves.

Outside faces of lateral flanges will advantageously be coated with synthetic resin or with a glue and, if necessary, fitted with a plastic joint in order that two adjacent floor elements be jointly assembled, this avoiding any alternated bending effect, whereas said resin or joint is making up an expandion element. f FIG. 5 illustrates a further development of the inve htion according to which the frame-work comprises at the ends thereof cross-pieces 4, one of these having wing 4a, flushing with the ends of the frame members.

It is moreover provided intermediate wedges 2 2, similar to cross-pieces 4, but these wedges comprise on their top surface a plate 23 in order to make possible their fixing, for instance by screwing together on the wings and on the top of lateral frame members of two adjacent frame-work elements, as for example elements A and C on FIG. 5.

By this means, a continuous girder is obtained at the ends of the successive frame-works of the floor and it is thus possible to join two

successive uprights

24 and 25 only by means ofa folded sheet 26 of which the wing 26a closes the girder formed by the floor-frame. Said wing which may bereinforced as shown at 27 fairly increases the bending moment of said girder.

By providing some of the wedges 22 with an upright as shown by reference numeral 28 for the wedge 22a, it is possible to combine the mounting of the frame-work with the mounting of the floors and thus obtaining an homogeneous unit.

On FIGS. 6 11, the frame-work includes three frame members 1,, la, and lb, made of folded iron sheet. The median frame member 1a, is similar to those described above and has in cross-section the shape of a trapezoid of which the large base is extended by lateral wings 2. 1

Lateral frame members 1, and lb, (FIG. 7) have the shape of a right angled trapezoid and are provided with only one lateral wing 2,. Frame members 1 have their base closed on the whole or on part of the length thereof by means of iron sheets 3 for the median member la, and by means of iron sheets 3, and 3, for the lateral right angled trapezoid shaped members. Iron sheets 3, and 3 are folded at right angle in order to form a rising edge soldered within the volume delimited by said frame members 1, and 1b,.

Frame members are connected from place-to-place by cross-pieces but, as shown on FIGS. 6 8, the crossmembers are made of iron sheets 30, cutin the shape of an isocelestrapezoid and folded in an obtuse angle, in order to be applied on the sloped sides of the frame members while, by means of their wings 31, they bear on the top of said frame members, and by means of their wings 31a they bear on the frame member wings.

Successive cross-pieces are arranged at intervals as well shown on FIG. 6 and on FIG. 8 and it is the reason why the cross-pieces, which are used as cross-braces between the frame members, extend respectively at nearly regular intervals without any narrow passage be found as it was the case in the above-described exampics, in which cross-members were manufactured with two sheets 30 bound together. The connection between the frame members and the cross-pieces is made by welding, prefrably by electric welding or autogenous weld fillets.

From the above description, it is obvious that the main difference of the frame-work which has just been described with respect to the frame-work illustrated in the preceding figures is to manufacture the end frame members in the shape of a right angled trapezoid and thecrosspieces portion by only folded iron sheets.

Frame members are, at their ends, placed on the base plate 5 (FIG. 6) of the Zrshaped terminal flanges 6 having, towards the outside of the floor a protruding edge 7 extended by a raising edge 8.

A wedge of absorbing or damping material as for example the material known under the same of neoprene is fixed under the edge 7, as'shown in 7a, in order that said wedge insulates the floor from the metallic or concrete supports 47 (FIG. 8) on which said floor bears by means of said edge 7.

FIG. 8 shows that supports 47 provide a clearing with the flanges 6, this avoiding sound transmissions and making possible the compensation of building tolerances frequently important in the building manufacturing. An angle iron 9 is fixed upon each flange 6 in the purpose of covering the frame members top surface, so that said frame members are wholly surrounded by the terminal flange 6 to which they are connected by any suitable means.

Owing to the right angled trapezoidal shape of lateral frame members 1 and 1b,, then said frame members are forming the lateral sides of the floor without the necessity of mounting of connecting any other part.

In order to establish a complete floor structure, able of being wholly prefabricated and having a high grade of sound proofing and heat insulation, the top surface of the above described frame-work is covered by plates 32, preferably made of compressed rock-wool, said plates being besides themselves covered with a panel 33 made of agglomerated material making possible the further fixing of any kind of desired ground coating.

As shown on FIG. 9, the volume extending from the bottom of the plate (or plates) 32 up to the iron sheets 3, 3, and 3 closing the frame members is entirely filled with

panels

34, 34a 34n arranged both between and inside the frame members, said panels being, for example made of rock-wool coated in a casing forming a spacer diaphragm between the various panels.

According to the invention, it has been found that the whole of said diaphragms extend respectively at the same level within the thickness of the floor, while successive panels such as 34 and 34a may have the same thickness or a different thickness.

By this means, reflective screens are constituted spacing the absorbing coating forming the panel of rock-wool or similar material thereby preventing propagation of sounds in a very unexpected manner, owing to the slight mass of the floor with respect to a conventional floor composed of heavy elements, for instance made of concrete, and spaced by light elements made of felt or synthetic resin.

Sheets 3, 3,, 3, are used for fixing, under their bottom surface, strips 35 also preferably made of agglomerated rock-wool, said strips being, for example fixed by gluing by means of a glue made of synthetic resin. Strips 35 are provided within their thickness, are particularly shown on FIG. 7, with magnetic parts 36 made for example of soft iron which are embedded within the thickness of the material of which said strips are made. By this means, it is possible, when the floor is mounted to easily secure on its bottom surface one ornamental ceiling made of panels 37, having a square or rectangular shape, said panels being fitted with small magnets 38 arranged at some places in correspondence with the soft iron parts 36 of the strips 35.

The strips 35 make that, between the ceiling and the insulating panels 34 34n, free spaces 39 are delimited FIG. 7) in which it is possible to lay out various pipes and eventually to set some fluids circulation.

rectangular floor panels with a thickness of 12 to 20 cm and having a length possibly reaching about 6 meters and a width 2.5 meters while using for the manufacture of such frame-works thin iron sheets of about 1.5 mm in thickness.

A further object of the invention is to make possible theautomatic assembling of two adjacent floor-panels and, for this purpose, as shown on FIGS. 10 and 1 l, the frame members lateral edges 3 are fitted with strap shaped gussets 40, each of said gussets having a small bar 41 (FIG. 11) fixed thereinto. As a complement, frame members 3 are provided with lugs 42 forming a tongue 43 bounded by a folded edge 44.

In this manner, and taking into consideration FIG, 10, when the floor A is laid on suitable bearing blocks, it is enough to let down the floor B, so that the tongues 43 get into the gussets 40, the folded edge 44 being springly stressed as it passes along the bar 41 and then recovering its original position, whereby forming with said bar 41 a lock preventing any displacement of one of the floors one with respect to the other.

In order to avoid any possibilityof vibrations transmission from one floor to the other,

gussets

40 and 42 are at least for a part sunk into plates made of absorbing material made of agglomerated rock-wool; said plates being arranged on the lateral sides of frame members 3 and 3 as shown under reference number 45 on FIG. 2.

It is important to notice that the vertical stresses applied to the floor incline to apply thereto a bending stress; but, owing to the position of the edges 7 of flanges 6, said edges constituting the floor bearing points, this position is situated in the close vicinity of the floor top surface and thus the bending stresses caused said surface working like the surface of a girder center fiber and then, said stresses are, chiefly absorbed by the plates 3, 3,, 3,, supporting a tensile stress, this constituting the best working conditions for metal.

I claim:

1. A' frame-work having an upwardly directed load bearing surface and a downwardly directed surface comprising: a plurality of individual lengthwise extending frame members constituted by steel sheets folded substantially in the shape of a trapezoid having an open large base directed downwardly and provided with at least one laterally extending wing, said frame members each being closed'along at least part of its length by an added metallic strip at said large base;

a plurality of cross-pieces secured in spaced relationship between lateral sides of said frame members and separating said frame members thus delimiting a hollow rigid cellular structure; and

a Z-shaped terminal flange connected to each end of said frame members, the top thereof being a bearing portion substantially aligned with the top of said frame members for supporting a floor.

2. Frame-work as set forth in claim 1, wherein crosspieces are further provided at the end of said frame members as well as wedges shaped like said crosspieces and having small securing plates for connection with said frame members-whereby a continuous hollow girder is formed by said cross-pieces and wedges at the ends of several adjacent floor frame-works lying on a folded iron sheet having a wing closing the bottom of said girder.

3. Frame-work as set forth in claim 2, wherein some of said wedges constitute bearings for uprights connecting two successive frame-work levels.

4. Frame work as set forth in claim 2, comprising further connecting means for lateral flanges of two adjacent frame-works.

5. Framework as set forth in claim 1, further including a ribbed iron sheet supported on the upper surface of said frame members, said iron sheet having ribs which extend transversely with respect to said frame members and said sheet being provided in those parts directing their concavity upwards with packing means for connection of a floor coating, and wherein the framework further includes ceiling panels mounted on the bottom surface of said frame members and crosspieces whereby the whole of the framework with ceiling panels and floor coating may be completely prefabricated.

6. Framework as set forth in claim further including a removable protecting member means for surrounding at least said terminal flange and for covering the whole of the ceiling panels before mounting of said floor.

7. Framework as set forth in claim 1 further including a plate made of agglomerated sound absorbing material covering the top of said frame members, and a panel for carrying a ground coating supported on said plate.

.8. Frame-work as set forth in claim 1, including further plates fixed under said frame-members, said plates being provided with fixing means for fixing prefabric'ated plates constituting a ceiling.

9. Frame-work as set forth in claim 8, wherein said plates fixed under the frame-members are made of agglomerated sound absorbing material and contain pieces made of magnetic material, cooperating with parts also made of magnetic material, at least one of said parts being a permanent magnet, and being fixed to said panels constituting the ceiling.

10. Frame-work as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the lateral frame-members is providedwith gussets and the other with lugs engaged in gussets of an adjacent frame-member.

11. Framework as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a small bar enclosed by said gussets, and wherein-lugs delimit a resilient folded edge engaging said small bar for interlocking adjacent frame-works.

12. Framework as set forth in claim 1, comprising two lateral frame members having in cross-section the shape of a right angled trapezoid having a large base directed downwardly.

l3. Framework as set forth in claim 1, wherein space between the upper plane and the lower plane deferred by the top and bottom of the frame members and associated cross-pieces is at least partly filled with panels of absorbing material respectively arranged in parallel relationship in successive layers, said panels of absorbing material being spaced apart by spacer diaphragms, whereby a reflective effect of the sound waves is obtained together with a damping thereof.

14. Frame-work as set forth in claim 13, wherein each of the layers of the absorbing material arranged in the thickness of the frame is of equal thickness on the whole surface of the said framework, while successive layers are indifferently of same or different thickness.

15. Framework as set forth in claim 1, wherein the spaces defined between said frame members and crosspieces are filled with an insulating material.

16. Frame-work as set forth in claim 15, wherein the insulating material is made of a mineral wool compressed on a support acting as a diaphragm and in that panels made of insulating material are stacked upon one another with said diaphragms respectively in opposed relationship from the median symmetrical plane of said floor frame-work.

l7. Framework as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bearing surface of the terminal flange is underly provided with an absorbing insulating wedge thus preventing transmission of sounds from the floor supported on said framework to a structure'supporting said framework.

* i II UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N 3.759Loo6 Dated September 18', 1273 Inventor) Maurice Paul Jean Joseph TAMBOISE It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Page l Item [30] the Foreign Application Priority Data should be corrected to read as follows:

1.2, Franceoooooo ooo00000000692777]. (1st Addi.)January 30, 1970 France. .7003367 Signed sealed this 29th day of January 197M..-

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.F-LETCHER, JR. Attesting Officer RENE D. TEGTMEYER I Acting Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 FORM PO-IOSO (10-69) '1 cs. COVFRNHENT PRINTING OFFICE nu o-aas-sal

Claims

1. A frame-work having an upwardly directed load bearing surface and a downwardly directed surface comprising: a plurality of individual lengthwise extending frame members constituted by steel sheets folded substantially in the shape of a trapezoid having an open large base directed downwardly and provided with at least one laterally extending wing, said frame members each being closed along at least part of its length by an added metallic strip at said large base; a plurality of cross-pieces secured in spaced relationship between lateral sides of said frame members and separating said frame members thus delimiting a hollow rigid cellular structure; and a Z-shaped terminal flange connected to each end of said frame members, the top thereof being a bearing portion substantially aligned with the top of said frame members for supporting a floor.

2. Frame-work as set forth in claim 1, wherein cross-pieces are further provided at the end of said frame members as well as wedges shaped like said cross-pieces and having small securing plates for connection with said frame members whereby a continuous hollow girder is formed by said cross-pieces and wedges at the ends of several adjacent floor frame-works lying on a folded iron sheet having a wing closing the bottom of said girder.

5. Framework as set forth in claim 1, further including a ribbed iron sheet supported on the upper surface of said frame members, said iron sheet having ribs which extend transversely with respect to said frame members and said sheet being provided in those parts directing their concavity upwards with packing means for connection of a floor coating, and wherein the framework further includes ceiling panels mounted on the bottom surface of said frame members and cross-pieces whereby the whole of the framework with ceiling panels and floor coating may be completely prefabricated.

6. Framework as set forth in claim 5 further including a removable protecting member means for surrounding at least said terminal flange and for covering the whole of the ceiling panels before mounting of said floor.

8. Frame-work as set forth in claim 1, including further plates fixed under said frame-members, said plates being provided with fixing means for fixing prefabricated plates constituting a ceiling.

10. Frame-work as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of the lateral frame-members is provided with gussets and the other with lugs engaged in gussets of an adjacent frame-member.

11. Framework as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a small bar enclosed by said gussets, and wherein lugs delimit a resilient folded edge engaging said small bar for interlocking adjacent frame-works.

13. Framework as set foRth in claim 1, wherein space between the upper plane and the lower plane deferred by the top and bottom of the frame members and associated cross-pieces is at least partly filled with panels of absorbing material respectively arranged in parallel relationship in successive layers, said panels of absorbing material being spaced apart by spacer diaphragms, whereby a reflective effect of the sound waves is obtained together with a damping thereof.

15. Framework as set forth in claim 1, wherein the spaces defined between said frame members and cross-pieces are filled with an insulating material.

17. Framework as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bearing surface of the terminal flange is underly provided with an absorbing insulating wedge thus preventing transmission of sounds from the floor supported on said framework to a structure supporting said framework.