Composite building column

Claim 1

A decorative building column for use with houses and the like to withstand substantial compression loads along the longitudinal axis of the column without buckling comprising: a thin-walled hollow non-load-bearing shell having a longitudinal axis and a cross-sectional configuration of a first dimension formed of at least one sheet-like means of relatively thin lightweight metal such that the edge portions of said sheet-like means loosely interfit with one another to form said thin-walled hollow column; a plastic foaming means disposed in the interior of said shell for laterally expanding against the thin wall for laterally expanding said cross-sectional configuration of said thin-walled hollow shell to a second dimension slightly greater than said first dimension for placing said shell in laterally outward tension, the lateral expanding of said plastic automatically positively locks the edge portions of said sheet-like means along a longitudinal seam and the expanding plastic adheres to the interior walls of said shell, said second dimension exceeds said first dimension by about two to four percent; a substantially hollow, socket-type portion having a central aperture therein adapted to retainably receive one end of said building column therethrough, said socket-type portion shaped so as to have a top surface portion and side walls integral therewith and extending therefrom so as to form a generally hollow central portion, said central aperture dimensioned to corespond to the cross-sectional configuration of the end portion of said building column adapted to be received therethrough, said socket-type portion further includes a substantially dish-shaped disk of relatively thin lightweight metal, a rim portion of said dish-shaped disk being adapted to be received within the end portion of said building column which is received within said socket-type portion, anchoring means adapted to retainably secure the dish-shaped disk in a predetermined position on a support surface for retainably securing said building column in a predetermined position on said support surface, and additional plastic foaming means disposed within said hollow interior of said socket-type portion for forming a passage for receiving the inserted end portion of said column therethrough and strengthening said socket-type portion, said additional foaming means placing said socket-type portion in lateral outward tension and said additional foaming means adhering to the interior surfaces of said socket-type portion and the exterior surface of the inserted end portion of said column so as to further secure the column; whereby said column including the shell and the foamable plastic withstand compression loads along said longitudinal axis without buckling said shell and without crumbling said plastic.