US4180950A — Dome structure

Claim 1

Independent Claim 266 words

A building unit comprising a panel of quadrilateral shape having an outwardly facing surface, a first pair of adjacent edges of equal length and converging towards a first apex of the panel, a second pair of adjacent edges also of equal length and converging towards a second opposite apex of the panel, four upstanding walls connected to and extending the length of the four edges of said panel, the walls which are upstanding from said first pair of edges being simple flanges extending upwardly on the same side of the panel as said outwardly facing surface and generally perpendicular thereto, and the walls which are upstanding from said second pair of edges being, in cross-section, inverted U-shaped flanges comprising an upstanding flange which extends upwardly on the same side of the panel as the outwardly facing surface, and generally perpendicular thereto, and which turns outwardly, away from the panel and downwardly to form a U-shaped channel having a recess constructed to receive a said simple flange of another similar panel, said apices of said panel being truncated such that the ends of the pairs of flanges converging to the apices are spaced apart, such that a plurality of such units can be assembled together in successive horizontal courses to form a wall wherein the inverted U-shaped flanges of one panel in a first course are engagable with the simple flanges of contiguous units in a second lower course and such that said second truncated apex of said one panel in the first course over-laps said first truncated apex of a panel in a third lower course.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 266 words

A building unit comprising a panel of quadrilateral shape having an outwardly facing surface, a first pair of adjacent edges of equal length and converging towards a first apex of the panel, a second pair of adjacent edges also of equal length and converging towards a second opposite apex of the panel, four upstanding walls connected to and extending the length of the four edges of said panel, the walls which are upstanding from said first pair of edges being simple flanges extending upwardly on the same side of the panel as said outwardly facing surface and generally perpendicular thereto, and the walls which are upstanding from said second pair of edges being, in cross-section, inverted U-shaped flanges comprising an upstanding flange which extends upwardly on the same side of the panel as the outwardly facing surface, and generally perpendicular thereto, and which turns outwardly, away from the panel and downwardly to form a U-shaped channel having a recess constructed to receive a said simple flange of another similar panel, said apices of said panel being truncated such that the ends of the pairs of flanges converging to the apices are spaced apart, such that a plurality of such units can be assembled together in successive horizontal courses to form a wall wherein the inverted U-shaped flanges of one panel in a first course are engagable with the simple flanges of contiguous units in a second lower course and such that said second truncated apex of said one panel in the first course over-laps said first truncated apex of a panel in a third lower course.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 50 words

A building unit as defined in claim 1 in which the said panel is bent along a line which joins the points at which the first pair of edges meet the second pair of edges to form two triangular planar sections, such that a curved wall structure can be assembled.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 15 words

A building unit as defined in claim 1 in which the said panel is curved.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 43 words

A building unit as defined in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3 in which the distance between the sides of the inverted U-shaped flange corresponds to the thickness of the said simple flange to provide interlocking engagement between contiguous assembled panels.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 39 words

A building unit as defined by claim 1, which further includes a bore in said panel adjacent each of said first apex and said second apex whereby said unit may be connected by fastening means passed through said bores.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 17 words

A building unit as defined in claim 5 further including sealing means associated with said fastening means.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 50 words

A dome structure comprised of an assembly of building units according to claim 1 wherein said building units in each successive higher course are of reduced size and the units in each course are curved in a direction parallel to the axis joining said first apex and said second apex.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 73 words

An assembly comprised of a plurality of building units according to claim 1, wherein the building units are arranged with said first apices uppermost with their two inverted U-shaped flanges overlying and receiving in their channels simple flanges of two adjacent similar building units on a second lower course and with their two simple flanges received within channels of inverted U-shaped flanges of two adjacent similar building units on the next higher course.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 43 words

An assembly according to claim 8, wherein the inverted U-shaped flanges of each building unit extend downwardly far enough to pass over the upper edge of the U-shaped flanges on the same panels as the simple flanges which they receive in their channels.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1982-12-31	1983-07-02	1984-01-01	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1986-12-31	1987-07-02	1988-01-01	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1990-12-31	1991-07-02	1992-01-01	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Dome structure

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