Oct. 7, 1952 K. W.

FUGE 2,612,854
THREE-HINGED ARCH TRUSS
Filed July 3, 1948 3 Sheets-Shegt I

INVENTOR.
((A/QL w Fuss
BY

ATTORNEY
Oct. 7, 1952 K. w. FUGE 2,512,854
' THREE-HINGED ARCH TRUSS
Filed July 3, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2

_ INVENTOR.

KAQL \AI. Fuss

A TTORNE Y
Oct. 7, 1952 K. w'. FUGE 2,612,854
THREE-HINGED ARCH TRUSS
Filed July 3, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5

. ' INVENTOR.

KARL W F065
BY
ATTO/QNE'Y
 Patented Oct. 7, 1952
2,612,854 '

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,612,854 ' . ,

THREE-HINGED ARCH'TRUSS _
Karl W. Fuge, Fort: Atkinson,.Wis'., 'assignor; to
J. ames; Manufacturing Company; vFort Atkinson,
Wis.,v a corporation of Wisconsin.
Application July"3, 1948, SerialiNo; 36,856
110mm. (01.. 108-1)
.1 I
The present invention relates to a novellbuilde offthepea-kof the assembly aszsh'own in Figural.
ing arch, and has for an object building acum ill-1g. 3 is a transverse. section taken. on line
plete arch in four elements, two of the elements
consisting of curved bridge type structures, and 4 illustrates fra'ctionally; one side. of a
the two other elements consisting of straight complete arch structure. as illustrated in Figure 1.
bridge type structures which are considerably Fig. I5 is an. enlarged transversese'ctional view
shorter than the curved structures, the straight taken-on lines 5-'-5iofFigure 4... _
elements being preferably detachably secured; to Fig. '6~is>an enlarged transverse sectional view
the curved elements. taken'on'ilines 6-6 of Figured ' r
Each element of my improved arch comprises 10' Fig; 7' is an' enlarged section taken on line
spaced apart channels with their ?anges turned 1--1j_or Figure 4.
inwardly, and being secured together by zigzag Fig. 8 i'san enlarged view of the base of one
brace bars with the ends of the brace bars of the arches illustrating its fastening to the
in juxtaposition. . a >
foundation. _
My improved arch when ready'toerect at vthe 15 Fig; 9} is a transverse-section taken on line
building site, consists of two half sections, their 9-410 1Figure"8.'
upper ends being connectedtogether preferably Fig; '10I-i's a diagrammatic drawing illustrat
hinge-like and their bases then secured to the ing a modi?cation.
' foundation preferably hinge-like, thus to form vIn the 'figures ~A designates the? right and 1 left
a three hinge arch. 20 hand archesshown in fulliin' Figure 1. 13-13
A novelfeature of my invention is the shape illustrates the-straight 1 portion of' the arches.
of- the arches when assembledintotwo half sec Thus a complete arch consistsrofitwo A members
tions, each section comprising one curved ele and two B members. 0 designates'ithe side foun-
ment and one straight element, the straight ele dationwalls of the building/and!) designates the
ment being rigidly but preferably detachablyrse 25 ?oor'of the building; Memb'ersC. and D gen
cured to the curved element, whereby-diiierent erally are concrete and have-preferably spaced
length straight elements may be used fordi?er anchor-bolts I0 for'the length of the building for
ent width buildings, andwhereby the straight anchoring the side walls of theibuildingtogether. '
elements may be dispensed with entirely; for. ex It'will be understood thatimembers C may be
ample, in Figure 1 a forty foot spanisillustrated, 30 made from heavy-timbers. mounted. on- a suit
or in other words a forty foot width buildingis able-foundation and that-member D may be
provided for, whereas in Figure. 1.0.the. straight otherwise designed. In anyevent'spaced anchor
elements are dispensed with and the: two :curved bolts H) are desirable in order to adequately sup
elements are fastened together at'theirrupper port'abuilding- of " the character. Members A
ends, thus-to form a twenty seyenioot'span; , and Bare clearly illustrated in. enlarged form in
Thus clearly I have provided-meansiorsim Figures .2 through 9. Members LA comprise two
plifying the "manufacture. of .my devicepby. vpro channels or beams ll and~l2lwithJtheir-?anges
vidingv straight elements of. different lengths. turned-inwardly'as" clearly illustrated in Figures
which can be used withone- length curved ele-' 5', Band '7. These channelsiaresha'ped as i1
ments for several sized buildings; . lustrated and "formed preferably, from ?at stock,
In designing myarch trussall possible weigh each having inwardly turned, projections It as
and wind pressures havesbeen considered" and a illustrated. These - projections; add. to the
factor of safety provided which insures against strength of the channels and" form .an excellent
injury to the building from any source at a surface't'o which the other parts of the-arches are
minimum weight and cost. It will be understood 45 secured preferably byjelectric welding. as fol
that because of thehinged structure as already lows: ~ > i

recited there will be no unnecessarystresses in Diagonal bars or braces Mid 4 are positioned
the assembled arch. I about 'as'shown in Figure'; consisting of pref
To these and other useful ends. not already erably squ'arel-in cross. sectiombars of steel of
' recited, my invention consists of partsfcombina 50 different- lengths,- their ends;being, welded lto
tions of parts or their equivalents andmethodof projections I3," andIY-being ini juxtaposition as
manufacture and assembling as hereinafter-de shown. ' These braces 14 may be made from single I
scribed and claimed and shown in the accom piecesof a-co'ntinuous length: of steel by bending
panying drawings in which: as at ''l 5, theyimay be-insinglei'v shaped elements,- _'
Fig. 1 is an end view- of vmy; improved 2' arch 55 or from-single 1-pieces of straight bars. Members
truss including a. fraction of the roof or cover ll and-I2 ofelementsAxarelicurvedi and shaped
structure and sectioned directly in front of the aboutasshownin?'Figure 1. ' I
arch and illustrating the: fraction of the, roof At 'i'th'elbottom end of: members :Afl'I secure an
structure in perspective; _ andhor plate is andi'w'eld- this'iplate jito=projections
Fig. 2- illustrates an emargedi'fractionaL view 60 l 3 and-ensue longitudinal centers thereon-1 Plate
' ' _' 2,612,854

3 4
I8 has an opening IQ for the reception of a bolt plication. Roof members 55 are preferably a
as will hereinafter appear. On the other end of short distance apart at their tops, (see Figure 1)
members A I secure a plate 20 by electric welding the upperedges having a roof plate or cap 51
(see Figure 7), the left side of this plate being in which is shaped preferably as shown.
alignment with the centers of projections l3 for When the roof coverings 55 are joined together
a purpose which will hereinafter appear. . transversely by an inverted U shaped member 58
Thus I have described arches A in their en (see Figure 2) I provide two plates 59-59 which
tireties. Members B, as illustrated in Figures 1 lie'on the top of members 58 and are secured
and 4 have straight channels or beams 25 and 25 thereto and to the purlins by means of extra long
which are shaped in cross section exactly like 10 nails, each member at its lower edge having a
channels II and I2 and are secured together by downwardly and inwardly extending extension
means of brace members I4 similar to members A. 60 which are out to fit between members 58 and
On the upper ends of members B I secure pref having at their inner edges curved portions 6|
erably by electric welding, plates 21. The inner which are adapted to lie together about as shown
side of these plates are in alignment with the 15 in Figure 2 so as to make the peak of the roof
center of projections l3 for a purpose which will wind and water tight but permit independent ex
hereinafter appear. Plates 2! are provided with pansion and contraction of roof covers 55.
openings 28. On the other end of member B I When it is desired to cover all or a part of the
secure a plate 35, preferably by electric welding. arch truss on the inside, members E may be se
Plate 35, as shown in Figure7 has its right side 20 cured to beams i2 and 26 for supporting this
in alignment with the center of projections l3. covering in the same'manner as members 55 are
Each plate 20 and 37 has a number of openings supported.
36 arranged in two rows as illustrated in Figure 4 rlhus it Will be seen that my improved arch
for the reception of bolts 31. Therefore members truss is simple, easily manufactured at low cost,
A and B will be detachably held together by plates strong and pleasing in appearance and easily
20 and 35 with the beams in alignment, thus erected by any man of ordinary intelligence.
forming a complete arch as illustrated .in Figures Clearly minor detail changes may be made in
the design shown without departing from the
1 and 4. . v ,_
Members l8 as illustrated in Figure 9, are cen spirit and scope of my invention as recited in the
trally positioned in the channels and weldedto appended claim.
projections l3. Member 21 is offset as described Having thus shown and described my invention,
so when the two arches are fastened together by I claim: '
means of a bolt 40 the bolts passing through A structural support for a covering for build
openings 28, the inner ends of'inembers 25 and ings of the character described, comprising in
25 will be held in alignment. It Will be seen that combination, four structural elements, each com
members 20, 35 and 21 form substantial fastenings prising a pair of spaced apart channels formed
with which to connect members A and B and the from ?at stock, with their ?anges turned toward
peak of members B together. , each other, each channel at its transverse center
I provide base plates 45 which may be anchored having inwardly pressed relatively small projec
to foundation members C by means of bolts 46 or tions, braces secured to and forming a connection
otherwise. Members 45are providedwith spaced between projections, two of said elements being
plates 4'i?l adapted to closely embracemem considerably longer than the other two, and being
bers i8 (see Figure 9). Members 45 and 4'1 are formed in easy curves in the same direction with
provided with openings as illustrated for there the ends of the channels closer together than the
ception of bolts 48, whereby members l8 and 41 center portion thereof, the other two elements
may be ?rmly held together and the bottom of being straight, plates secured to the projections
the arch trusses firmly anchored to the founda of one end of said two long elements and to the
tions C. ' , -, ; v
projections on both ends of said straight elements
I will now describe my preferred design of with means for removably securing short and long
means for fastening the roof or covering to the elements together, and for securing the plates
arch truss and a means for fastening the ceiling together on the other end of said short elements
by means of a single bolt, for forming the apex
to the arch truss. I prefer to use nail grippurlins
designated in the drawings in their entireties by of a building closure support, the other end of
reference character E, preferably as illustrated said long elements having plates secured to said
in a copending application, Serial Number 55 projections, pads secured to a building foundation
767,420, ?led August 8, 1947,. Waterman et a1. and having projections embracing said last plates
Members A and B have secured thereto pref and held thereto by means of single bolts.
erably by electric welding spaced anchor blocks
50. Purlins E rest on blocks 50 as clearly illus KARL W. FUGE.
trated in Figure 2, the blocks being suitably se
cured to members H and 25 at the factory so it REFERENCES CITED
is a simple matter to position the purlins and se The following references are of record in the
cure them to members i i and 25 as follows: file of this patent:
Purlins E are supplied with openings 5| which
are positioned as illustrated in Figure 3. I pro ,UNITED STATES PATENTS
vide L iron clips 52-52 having openingswhich Number Name Date
register with openings 51- for the reception of 1,866,583 Spencer __________ __ July 12, 1932
bolts 53. The lower lips of members 52 are pro 1,879,295 Kahn ____________ __ Sept. 27, 1932
vided with hooks 54 which are adaptedto ?rmly 2,308,080 Herr _____________ __ Jan. 12, 1943
hold the purlins to channels H and 2-5, thus the 70 2,458,606 Knabe ____________ __ Jan. 11, 1949
purlins will be ?rmly held in spaced relation on v _' FOREIGN PATENTS
the arch truss and provide suitable means for
supporting the roof plates ,55, the plates being Number Country Date
secured to the purlins preferably in a manner as 233,611 Germany ________________ __ 1911
described in the above referred to copending ap 75 707,699 France __________________ __ 1931