Glazing system

Claim 2

A glazing system for closing a relatively large opening in a building comprising upper and lower tiers of tempered glass which close said opening, said tiers comprising a plurality of tempered glass sheets having joining vertical edges, and a loose support framework positioned interiorly of said tiers of glass comprising a horizontal beam suspended from ceiling means by vertical hanger means, said vertical hanger means being spaced behind and free of direct contact with said glass sheets and positioned to be substantially directly in line with the joining vertical edges of said glass sheets in said upper tier, said glass sheets of said lower tier being anchored at the base thereof to floor means, said glass sheets of the upper tier being anchored at the top thereof to ceiling means, and said glass sheets of said lower and upper tiers meeting at and being anchored to said horizontal beam by anchoring means at points where a corner of four glass sheets join, said glazing system being free of supporting structure joining said ceiling means and said floor means thereby giving the appearance from the front view of being an all-glass system.

Claim 3

The glazing system of claim 1 wherein the glass sheets of said lower tier are anchored at the base by being inserted in channel means in said floor means.

Claim 4

The glazing system of claim 2 wherein said glass sheets of the upper tier are anchored to the ceiling means by means of an L-clamp associated with a second horizontal beam.

Claim 5

The glazing system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of glass sheets are notched at least at one corner thereof and said sheets anchored to said horizontal beam by a holding block positioned in the opening formed by the meeting of four notched corners of four notched glass sheets, said holding block being anchored to said horizontal beam, and cover means dimensioned to be slightly larger than the opening formed by said four notched corners fitted over said holding block and anchored to said holding block.

Claim 6

The glazing system of claim 1 Including a plurality of button means comprising first and second elements, said first element having protruding means and said second element having receiving means, said first and second elements being constructed and arranged in order that said protruding means mates with said receiving means, said first element extending through mating notches in two of said plurality of glass sheets into said second element.

Claim 7

A glazing system for closing a relatively large opening in a building comprising vertical hangers suspended from ceiling means and a plurality of tempered glass sheets having vertical joining edges forming an upper tier and a lower tier closing said opening, said glass sheets of said upper tier being shorter than the glass sheets of said lower tier, said glass sheets of the upper tier being anchored at the top thereof to ceiling means and said glass sheets of said lower tier being anchored at the base thereof to floor means, the corners of the top of said plurality of glass sheets forming said lower tier and the corners of the bottom of said plurality of glass sheets forming the upper tier meeting at the base of said vertical hanger and being anchored at said corners to said vertical hanger by a holding bracket, said vertical hangers being spaced interiorly of said glass sheets and positioned to be substantially directly in line with the vertical joining edges of a plurality of said glass sheets, said glazing system being free of supporting structure joining said ceiling means and said floor means thereby giving the appearance from the front view of being an all-glass system.

Claim 8

A glazing system for closing a relatively large opening in a building comprising vertical hangers suspended from ceiling means and a plurality of tempered glass sheets having vertical joining edges forming an upper tier and a lower tier closing said opening, said glass sheets of said upper tier being shorter than the glass sheets of said lower tier, said glass sheets of the upper tier being anchored at the top thereof to ceiling means and said glass sheets of said lower tier being anchored at the base thereof to floor means, the corners of the top of said plurality of glass sheets forming said lower tier and the corners of the bottom of said plurality of glass sheets forming the upper tier meeting at the base of said vertical hanger and being anchored at said corners to said vertical hanger by a holding bracket, said vertical hangers being spaced interiorly of said glass sheets and positioned to be substantially directly in line with the vertical joining edges of a plurality of said glass sheets, said glazing system being free of supporting structure joining said ceiling means and said floor means thereby giving the appearance from the front view of being an all-glass system.

Claim 9

The glazing system of claim 6 including a plurality of vertical supports extending from floor means to a height of approximately sixteen inches.

Claim 10

The glazing system of claim 7 wherein the glass sheets are notched at a corner thereof and anchored at the base of said vertical hanger by means of a holding bracket comprising a holding block anchored to said vertical hanger and fitting within the opening formed by the notched corners of four glass sheets, and a cover bracket positioned over said holding block and anchored to said holding block.