US3882650A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Pipe-and-ball truss array
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-05-21
•
Granted: 1975-05-13
•
Expires: 1994-05-21
Abstract
Abstract A pipe-and-ball truss array comprising a plurality of truss members which each comprise an outer hollow pipe and an inner rod running through the pipe along the longitudinal axes thereof, and a hollow spherical member common to the plurality of truss members, which truss members are joined to the spherical member by bolting. The outer pipe bears against the exterior surface of the spherical member and the inner rod extends beyond the ends of the outer pipe and through an aperture in the sphere into the interior thereof. The ends of the inner rod are threaded and a nut is threadably mounted thereon within the interior of the sphere and tightened so as to simultaneously place the inner rod element of the truss member in tension and the outer hollow pipe element of the same truss member in compression whereby applied tensile, compressive and axial forces are transferrable between the plurality of joined truss members through the spherical member. In order to allow for different compressive or tensile loads within the structure, the truss members may have a different outer or inner diameter for the outer hollow pipe depending on the compressive load to be carried by the particular truss member or the inner rod may have a different diameter dependent on the tensile load to be carried by the particular truss member or any combination thereof dependent on the loads to be carried by the various truss members. If desired, the spherical member may comprise two hemispheres which are joined together, such as by bolting, or may comprise a substantially unitary sphere. The truss array may be a two dimensional space truss or a three dimensional space frame constructed from a plurality of interconnected truss modules.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul F Gugliotta
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 11:02
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04B; E04B1/00; E04B1/18; E04B1/19; E04B1/1903; E04B1/1906; E04B2001/1924; E04B2001/1927; E04B2001/1957; E04B2001/196; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/34; Y10T403/347
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
242 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array comprising a plurality of truss members, at least a first hollow spherical member portion common to said plurality of truss members and first means for joining said plurality of truss members to said first spherical member portion, each of said truss members comprising a outer hollow pipe element having a longitudinal axis and first and Second ends and an inner rod element extending through said outer hollow pipe element along said longitudinal axis, said inner rod element having first and second ends, said first spherical member portion having a plurality of spaced apart apertures extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, each of said inner rod element first ends extending beyond said outer hollow pipe element first end and through an associated one of said first spherical member portion apertures and having threads thereon, each of said outer hollow pipe element first ends bearing against said first spherical member portion exterior surface, said first joining means comprising first threadable nut means threadably mounted in said first spherical member portion interior on said inner rod element threaded first ends and bearing against the interior surface of said first spherical member portion for simultaneously placing said inner rod element of said truss member in tension and said outer hollow pipe element of the same truss member in compression, whereby applied tensile, compressive and axial forces are transferrable between said joined truss members through said first spherical member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
242 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array comprising a plurality of truss members, at least a first hollow spherical member portion common to said plurality of truss members and first means for joining said plurality of truss members to said first spherical member portion, each of said truss members comprising a outer hollow pipe element having a longitudinal axis and first and Second ends and an inner rod element extending through said outer hollow pipe element along said longitudinal axis, said inner rod element having first and second ends, said first spherical member portion having a plurality of spaced apart apertures extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, each of said inner rod element first ends extending beyond said outer hollow pipe element first end and through an associated one of said first spherical member portion apertures and having threads thereon, each of said outer hollow pipe element first ends bearing against said first spherical member portion exterior surface, said first joining means comprising first threadable nut means threadably mounted in said first spherical member portion interior on said inner rod element threaded first ends and bearing against the interior surface of said first spherical member portion for simultaneously placing said inner rod element of said truss member in tension and said outer hollow pipe element of the same truss member in compression, whereby applied tensile, compressive and axial forces are transferrable between said joined truss members through said first spherical member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
220 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 1 further comprising at least a second hollow spherical member portion spaced apart from said first hollow spherical member portion, said second hollow spherical member portion having at least one aperture therein extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, at least one of said plurality of truss members extending between said first and second hollow spherical member portions, said one truss member outer hollow pipe element second end bearing againt said second hollow spherical member portion exterior surface, said one truss member inner rod element second end extending beyond said one truss member outer hollow pipe element second end and through said second hollow spherical member portion one aperture and having threads thereon, said truss array still further comprising second joining means for joining said one truss member to said second spherical member portion, said second joining means comprising second threadable nut means threadably mounted in said second spherical member interior on said one truss member inner rod element threaded second end and bearing against the interior surface of said second spherical member portion for simultaneously placing said inner rod element of said one truss member in tension and said outer hollow pipe element of said one truss member in compression between said first and second spherical member portions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
254 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 2 further comprising at least one additional truss member, said one additional truss member comprising an outer hollow pipe element having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends and an inner rod element extending through said outer hollow pipe element along said longitudinal axis, said one additional truss member inner rod element having first and second ends, said second spherical member portion having another spaced apart aperture extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, said one additional truss member outer hollow pipe element first end bearing against said second hollow spherical member portion exterior surface, said one additional truss member inner rod element first end extending beyond said one additional truss member outer hollow pipe element first end and through said second hollow spherical member portion other aperture and having threads thereon, said truss array still further comprising third joining means for joining said one additional truss member to said second spherical member portion, said third joining means comprising third threadable nut means threadably mounted in said second spherical member interior on said one additional truss member inner rod element threaded first end and bearing against the interior surface of said second spherical member portion for simultaneoUsly placing said inner rod element of said one additional truss member in tension and said outer hollow pipe element of said one additional truss member in compression, whereby applied tensile, compressive and axial forces are transferrable between said joining truss members through said spherical members.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
267 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 3 further comprising at least a third hollow spherical member portion spaced apart from said first and second hollow spherical member portions, said third hollow spherical member portion having at least one aperture therein extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, at least said one additional truss member extending between said second and third hollow spherical member portions, said one additional truss member outer hollow pipe element second end bearing against said third hollow spherical member portion exterior surface, said one additional truss member inner rod element second end extending beyond said one additional truss member outer hollow pipe element second end and through said third hollow spherical member portion one aperture and having threads thereon, said truss array still further comprising fourth joining means for joining said one additional truss member to said third spherical member portion, said fourth joining means comprising fourth threadable nut means threadably mounted in said third spherical member interior on said one additional truss member inner rod element threaded second end and bearing against the interior surface of said third spherical member portion for simultaneously placing said inner rod element of said one additional truss member in tension and said outer hollow pipe element of said one additional truss member in compression between said second and third spherical member portions, said first, second and third spherical members and said joined truss members comprising a truss module which is interconnectable with adjacent modules for transferring compressive, tensile and axial loads between said truss members to a support for said truss array.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
216 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 4 wherein said third spherical member portion includes another spaced apart aperture extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, at least another of said plurality of truss members extending between said first and third hollow spherical member portions, said other truss member outer hollow pipe element second end bearing against said third hollow spherical member portion exterior surface, said other truss member inner rod element second end extending beyond said other truss member outer hollow pipe element second end and through said third hollow spherical member portion other aperture and having threads thereon, said truss array further comprising fifth joining means for joining said other truss member to said third spherical member portion, said fifth joining means comprising fifth threadable nut means threadably mounted in said third spherical member interior on said other truss member inner rod element threaded second end and bearing against the interior surface of said third spherical member portion for simultaneously placing said inner rod element of said other truss member in tension and said outer hollow pipe element of said other truss member in compression between said first and third spherical member portions, whereby compressive, tensile and axial forces are transferrable between said joined truss members through said spherical members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance wtih claim 4 wherein a plurality of said interconnected truss modules comprises a space truss.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 4 wherein a plurality of said interconnected truss modules comprises a space frame.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
283 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first hollow spherical member portion comprises a first hemisphere portion, said truss array further comprises a second hemisphere pOrtion joinable with said first hemisphere portion to form a sphere, second means for joining said first and second hemisphere portions together, at least one additional truss member, and third means for joining said one additional truss member to said second hemisphere portion, said additional truss member comprising an outer hollow pipe element having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends and an inner rod element extending through said outer hollow pipe element along said longitudinal axis, said inner rod element having first and second ends, said second hemisphere portion having at least one aperture extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, said one additional truss member inner rod element first end extending beyond said one additional truss member outer hollow pipe element first end through said second hemisphere portion one aperture and having threads thereon, said one additional truss member outer hollow pipe element first end bearing against said second hemisphere portion exterior surface, said third joining means comprising second threadable nut means threadably mounted in said second hemisphere portion interior on said one additional truss member inner rod element threaded first end and bearing against the interior surface of said second hemisphere portion for simultaneously placing said inner rod element of said one additional truss member in tension and said one additional truss member outer hollow pipe element in compression, whereby applied tensile, compressive and axial forces are transferrable between said joined truss member including said one additional truss member through said joined first and second hemisphere portions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 8 wherein said first and second hemisphere portions each include at least one additional aperture extending from the exterior surface thereof to the interior thereof, said second joining means comprising third nut means extending through both said first and second hemisphere portion additional apertures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of truss members has at least a different outer diameter for said outer hollow pipe element than another one of said plurality of truss members, said outer diameter being at least dependent on the compressive load to be carried by said truss member, said one truss member and said other truss member at least carrying different compressive loads.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
72 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of truss members has at least a different thickness for said outer hollow pipe element than another one of said plurality of truss members said thickness being at least dependent on the compressive load to be carried by said truss member, said one truss member and said other truss member at least carrying different compressive loads.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
69 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of truss members has at least a different diameter inner rod element than another one of said plurality of truss members, said diameter being at least dependent on the tensile load to be carried by said truss member, said one truss member and said other truss member at least carrying different tensile loads.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 1 further comprising spacer means within the interior of each of said outer hollow pipe elements for supporting said associated inner rod element within said associated outer hollow pipe element.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
76 words
A pipe-and-ball truss array in accordance with claim 1 wherein said outer hollow pipe element is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, concrete, wood, fiberglass and plastic; said spherical member is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, concrete, wood, fiberglass and plastic; and said inner rod element is formed from a material selected from thE group consisting of steel, aluminum, wood, fiberglass, and plastic.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-05-12 | 1978-11-11 | 1979-05-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-05-12 | 1982-11-11 | 1983-05-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-05-12 | 1986-11-11 | 1987-05-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |