Support system for building construction

Claim 2

A support system for a structure such as a building, said system comprising: (a) a plurality of structural members under tensile and/or compressive load, each of said structural members including an elongated first beam having a neutral axis, an elongated second beam spaced from the respective first beam and having a neutral axis, a plurality of inclined beams connecting the respective first and second beams and having respective neutral axes, and ribs on said elongated beams forming extensions of said inclined beams, and each of said structural members comprising at least one pair of neighboring inclined beams which converge in a direction towards a predetermined elongated beam of the respective structural member, the ribs which form extensions of neighboring converging inclined beams merging with one another substantially at the neutral axis of the respective predetermined elongated beam, and each of said structural members being constituted by a single casting of a ductile metallic material; and (b) connecting members connecting said structural members with one another.

Claim 3

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said connecting members is constituted by a single casting of a ductile metallic material.

Claim 4

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein each of said structural members is under tensile and compressive loads simultaneously.

Claim 5

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said material is gray cast iron with spheroidal graphite.

Claim 6

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting members releasably connect said structural members with one another.

Claim 7

A support system was defined in claim 1, wherein said structural members are substantially planar.

Claim 8

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some of said structural members are elongated in longitudinal direction of the structure.

Claim 9

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some of said structural members are elongated in transverse direction of the structure.

Claim 10

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated beams are located at the upper and lower sides of the respective structural members.

Claim 11

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said inclined beams have cruciform cross-sections.

Claim 12

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated beams have I-shaped cross-sections.

Claim 13

A support system as defined in claim 11, wherein each of said elongated beams comprises a pair of spaced flanges connected by a web and the widths of said flanges vary in longitudinal direction of the respective elongated beams.

Claim 14

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein the widths of said elongated beams vary in longitudinal direction thereof.

Claim 15

A support system as defined in claim 13, wherein the cross-sectional areas of said elongated beams vary in relation to said widths.

Claim 16

A support system as defined in claim 13, wherein the cross-sectional areas of said elongated beams are substantially constant in longitudinal direction thereof.

Claim 17

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein selected ones of said inclined beams have end portions in the regions of but spaced from the ends of selected ones of said elongated beams, each of said ends being connected with a respective one of said end portions by a web.

Claim 18

A support system as defined in claim 16, wherein said webs are substantially perpendicular to the respective elongated beams.

Claim 19

A support system as defined in claim 16, wherein each of said ends and each of said end portions has a boss on opposite sides thereof and a mounting passage extends between the respective bosses of each of said ends and each of said end portions.

Claim 20

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said elongated beams have ends and said connecting members include pairs of spaced flanges which respectively receive one of said ends.

Claim 21

A support system as defined in claim 19, wherein each of said pairs of flanges is provided with a set of mounting openings for the respective elongated beam.

Claim 22

A support system as defined in claim 19, wherein selected ones of said inclined beams have end portions in the regions of selected ones of said ends and the respective pairs of flanges of selected ones of said connecting members receive said end portions.

Claim 23

A support system as defined in claim 21, wherein each of said selected connecting members has a symmetry plane which is transverse to the respective flanges and spaced from the latter by a distance such that the neutral axes of the elongated beam and inclined beam received by each pair of flanges intersect in the symmetry plane of the respective selected connecting member.

Claim 24

A support system as defined in claim 21, wherein the respective pairs of flanges of said selected connecting members are provided with one set of mounting openings for the respective elongated beam and another set of mounting openings for the respective inclined beam.

Claim 25

A support system as defined in claim 23, wherein the sets of mounting openings in the respective pairs of flanges of said selected connecting members are arranged such that the elongated beams received by said selected connecting members are substantially horizontal.

Claim 26

A support system as defined in claim 23, wherein the sets of mounting openings in the respective pairs of flanges of said selected connecting members are arranged such that the elongated beams received by said selected connecting members are inclined to the horizontal at an acute angle corresponding to the calculated deflection under load.

Claim 27

A support system as defined in claim 19, wherein said connecting members have diametrically opposed pairs of spaced flanges which receive said ends.

Claim 28

A support system as defined in claim 19, wherein said connecting members have four pairs of spaced flanges which receive said ends.

Claim 29

A support system as defined in claim 19, wherein each of said flanges comprises a protuberance facing the respective end.

Claim 30

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting members are cruciform.

Claim 31

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said connecting members are substantially symmetrical.

Claim 32

A support system as defined in claim 30, wherein each of said connecting members has a receiving opening with an axis on the symmetry line of the respective connecting member.

Claim 33

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said system is prefabricated.

Claim 34

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said material is malleable cast iron.

Claim 35

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said material is cast steel.

Claim 36

A support system as defined in claim 1, wherein said material is cast aluminum.

Claim 37

A support system for a structure such as a building, said system comprising: (a) a plurality of substantially planar structural members under tensile and/or compressive load, each of said structural members including an elongated upper beam having a neutral axis, an elongated lower beam spaced from the respective upper beam and having a neutral axis, a plurality of inclined beams connecting the respective upper and lower beams and having respective neutral axes, and ribs on said elongated beams forming extensions of said inclined beams, and each of said structural members comprising at least one pair of neighboring inclined beams which converge in a direction towards a predetermined elongated beam of the respective structural member, the ribs which form extensions of neighboring converging inclined beams merging with one another substantially at the neutral axis of the respective predetermined elongated beam, and the widths of said elongated beams in longitudinal direction thereof varying substantially in relation to the longitudinal load distributing along the respective elongated beams, each of said structural members being constituted by a single casting of a ductile metallic material; and (b) connecting members releasably connecting said structural members with one another, each of selected ones of said connecting members being connected with a selected elongated beam and a corresponding selected inclined beam of a respective structural member, and each of said selected connecting members having a central plane extending transversely of the respective structural member, the neutral axis of a selected elongated beam intersecting the neutral axis of the corresponding selected inclined beam in the central plane of the respective selected connecting member, and each of said connecting members being constituted by a single casting of a ductile metallic substance.

Claim 38

A support system for a structure such as a building, said system comprising: (a) a plurality of substantially planar structural members under tensile and/or compressive load, each of said structural members including an elongated upper beam having a neutral axis, an elongated lower beam spaced from the respective upper beam and having a neutral axis, a plurality of inclined beams connecting the respective upper and lower beams and having respective neutral axes, and ribs on said elongated beams forming extensions of said inclined beams, and each of said structural members comprising at least one pair of neighboring inclined beams which converge in a direction towards a predetermined elongated beam of the respective structural member, the ribs which form extensions of neighboring converging inclined beams merging with one another substantially at the neutral axis of the respective predetermined elongated beam, and the widths of said elongated beams in longitudinal direction thereof varying substantially in relation to the longitudinal load distributing along the respective elongated beams, each of said structural members being constituted by a single casting of a ductile metallic material; and (b) connecting members releasably connecting said structural members with one another, each of selected ones of said connecting members being connected with a selected elongated beam and a corresponding selected inclined beam of a respective structural member, and each of said selected connecting members having a central plane extending transversely of the respective structural member, the neutral axis of a selected elongated beam intersecting the neutral axis of the corresponding selected inclined beam in the central plane of the respective selected connecting member, and each of said connecting members being constituted by a single casting of a ductile metallic substance.

Claim 39

A support system as defined in claim 36, wherein said material and said substance are cast iron with spheroidal graphite.