Method of erecting large halls and the like.

Application filed March 17, 1911. Serial No. 615,129.

To all whom it may concern.·

... Be. it known that I, Heinkich Holland, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Charlottenburg, in-the Kingdom of Prussia, • δ German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Erecting-Large Halls and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in 10 constructing· large halls and the method of mounting and dismounting the parts of the same. . : .

It is particularly adapted for use in the construction of large halls such as are'used15 for keeping air ships and other air machines. And the object of the improvements . is to provide a construction and a method of erecting the same which permits to mount or dismount the construction without using a 20 scaffold.

With this and other objects in view my' invention consists in the matters to be described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

For the purpose of explaining the invention an example embodying the same has been shown in the accompanying drawings, which example consists of an elongated hall of large dimensions which is- adapted, to re30 ceive an airship of the construction suggested by Zeppelin. According to the di₇mensions of the air ship the hall requires an inner circular cross-section of a diameter of about 25 meters and a length of about 160 ³⁵ meters. .

In the said dratvings—Figure 1, is a (Toss-section of about one half of the hall showing a front view of one half-of a truss in its complete-form, Fig. l^a, is a similar 40 cross-section showing the other half of the truss, Fig. 2, is a side view of the truss showing the method of erecting the. same, Fig. 2^a,. is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one of the angle plates on which the 45 partly 'mounted trusses are supported when being tilted, Fig. 3, is a plan of Fig. 2, Fig. 4, is a plait on a reduced scale of a larger part of the hall showing the bearing plates for the bottom joints and the tilting lines ⁵⁰ which are of importance in mounting the structure, which, lines have been indicated in the right and left .hand halves of the truss by the characters 1—1, 2—2, etc., to 7—^7, Fig. 5, is a diagrammatical view of a ⁵⁵ pair of simultaneously erected binders and their longitudinal connection, Fig. 6, is a diagrammatical view illustrating the manner of constructing the longitudinal connection between two adjacent complete sections of the hall and of applying the roof cover- go ing between the sections of the hall, Fig. 7, is a front view on an enlarged scale of the lower part of the truss as it . appears while ' the partly completed truss is being tilted upward, Fig. 8, is a side view of the longi- ¢5 . tudinal connection between two trusses forming a pair of cooperating trusses ami of the longitudinal connection between two adjacent sections of. the hall, arid Fig. 9, is a plan of Fig. 8. ₇₀

In the example shown in the drawings a hall is illustrated, in which the trusses consist of two arched halves which are jointed at their tops. The trusses are arranged at a distance of about 5 meters, and the first and 75 second ones, the third and fourth ones, the fifth and sixth ones, etc., are combined into cooperating pairs of trusses which pairs are ' provided apart from their longitudinal connections with diagonal braces, while the sec- 80 ond and third, the fourth and fifth, the sixth and seventh trusses are respectively connected only by longitudinal braces which permit, a certain longitudinal displacement of. the trusses relatively to each, other as is required 85 by reason of changes in the temperature. In’order to distribute the pressure of the wind which acts oil the front faces of the hall on a larger number of the trusses, the pairs of trusses which are near the front 90 faces are preferably braced with each other.

In the preferred form of the invention the trusses consist of a. number of complete sections of substantially the same length. Several trusses, 'for example six or. three 95 pairs thereof, are constructed at the same time, and the manner of construction is such, that the sections of each truss which are jointed at the top are at first connected with each other.' The longitudinal arid diagonal 100 connections of the pairs of. trusses, and the longitudinal connections between consecutive pairs of trusses are constructed, whereupon the outer faces are covered with canvas or the like. Now the roof which is thus 105 . constructed, is tilted upward on one of its ends, for-example on the ends of the right hand side, so that at the opposite side, that is at the left hand, side, the following section can in each truss be placed beneath the 110

1,032,284 elevated roof section and 'secui’ed thereto; Thereupon the said .sections which have been . secured to the roof section are braced, ih.e covering is applied thereto, and the body b. which has thus been produced is tilted about its left hand ends, so that the next section' can be secured (hereto. In the same way the construction is continued, until the whole section of the hall which is formed by the 10 said six trusses, is completed. In the' same way the adjacent section of the Hall is erecti. . ed. Finally the complete hall sections are braced by longitudinal connections, and the spaces between adjacent sections of the hall 15 are covered with canvas or. the like.

. Referring/now more^; particularly to the example illustrated in the’ drawings, a complete truss consists of two- symmetrical • arched halves a and δ 'provided with foot 20' joints, e and d and with a top joint e. - Each half of the truss is constructed of sections a¹, a², a³ . .·. u^s, and b\ b², b³ . . .-5⁸, which have substantially the same. length. Near their lower ends the sections a and & 25 are. connected by a tension element f³. · To the lower end of the lower girders of the truss sections a¹, a², a³ and te,A², b³ eyes»¹, g², g³ . . , and Λ·¹, A², h³ . . .. are secured which in the construction of the truss'can 30 successively be connected by tension ele- ments as f¹, f³ . . . The tension element f¹which is connected to the eyes ¢/¹ and λ¹remains in place, until, the truss or the section of the hall has been completed, where35 upon it is removed. In the example illustrated the tension element /¹ consists of two sections which are connected with each other •at their middle. After completing the construction of the truss or the section of the 10 hall, the said sections of the tension element are disconnected, -and the sections of the tension element are placed on a path way i provided below the top of the whole hall, as is indicated in dotted lines. The.bearings z 15 for the bottom joints are preferably supported on a grating constructed of ties or the like.' '

Before the- construction of the hall is begun the ground is carefully planned, and the >0 ‘bottom plates or bearings z for the bottom joints are exactly adjusted as to their alinement and height, as is shown in Fig. 4. Now the sections of the hall are successively erected. The breadth, of the sections of the >5 hall, or the number of the adjacent trusses forming such a section, and which are simultaneously erected depends on various conditions, and particularly . on the number of workmen engaged in the construction of the 50 hall, and the machinery which is available in the construction, particularly the hoisting machines.

In the position of the parts illustrated in Fig. 4, the section which consists of the 55 seventh to twelfth trusses is about to be erected. For this purpose, within, the planes of the said trusses the sections a¹ and δ¹ of each truss are mounted, and in each truss the eyes g' |.and are connected by the pension element f¹. ' In the present ex- 70 amplethe seventh and . the eighth, the ninth and the tenth,, and the,, eleventh and the twelfth trusses respectively provide a pair of braced trusses. Now the longitudinal and diagonal braces are mounted in each pair of 75 trusses, and the longitudinal braces between adjacent pairs of ..trusses and'the-elements which are afterward used for connecting adjacent sections of the hall are secured in place. Thereupon the body which is thus go produced is covered with a roofing material, such for’ example as canvas. Thereafter the body is tilted.upward about its right hand, ends, at the left of the body the truss sec- . tions a² are mounted and secured in'position, 35 and finally the'portion of the hall section which has .thus been enlarged is covered with canvas. Thereupon the body'is tilted about its’left hand end, and the . truss sections b² are secured to the right hand end 90 of the trusses, etc.· . 3....-:

3. The hall sections or the trusses which are gradually completed are tilted about tilting lines which are different in each tilting operation. For various reasons it is important, 95 that in each tilting operation the tilting axes of all the trusses which are combinedinto a hall section, and which are. simultaneously tilted upward are disposed within the same straight, horizontal line which’is 100 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hall, and that the tilting lines about which the successive, tilting operations are performed have exactly the prescribed position. If, for example, the point of support of. a 105 partly completed truss is disposed nearer the median line of the hall, or higher than the points of.support of the other trusses, the strain exerted on the said truss and the adjacent longitudinal braces caused by tilt- 110 ing the partly completed truss would be considerably-increased. Furthermore, if the tiltinglines are not exactly maintained over the whole length of the'hall, the . hall section would easily be turned or laterally dis- 1Ί5 placed, when gradually tilting the same upward. The errors made in each section are under circumstances summarized,· so that the complete hall has no continuous longitudinal axis, and the hall sections are not in 120 alinement with one another. To make the tilting operation more easy, and to fix and maintain the tilting line with accuracy the inner ends of the partly completed trusses are supported on angular plates k of cast steel 3125 or the like which are provided with lateral trunnions A¹ and Id and a notch Id through which the eyes A·¹ or A², or g^l or g² can be inserted, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 2¹. Each . of the said angle plates k is supported with ¹³⁰

1.032.284 ' its trunnions Id and Jd within a.-suitable' bearing Z. To secure the exact- and uniform height and the exact horizontal position of all the tilting lines about which ifi the suc5 cessive tilting operations each truss is tilted, to enable the truss sections which are being secured in place to be easily and speedily * brought in place, and to transmit the load which comes into action when tilting the 10 trusses on a broad surface, each bearing I is : mounted on a low truck m, and below each truss a track is arranged, the axis of' . which is within the perpendicular median plane of the truss. The said track, extends a 15 certain, distance beyond the plan of the con- struction and at both-sides thereof, so that the truss sections can be loaded on the said trucks m outside the plan of the construction, and two adjacent truss sections can be 20 connected to a pair of truss sections on two adjacent trucks and can simultaneously be moved into position to be tilted. ''

In. the plan illustrated in Fig. 4, in which the hall section formed by the seventh to 25 twelfth binder is about to be erected the rails disposed below the trusses have been indicated by the letter n. If the said rails have been carefully leveled, and if the.trucks m have no springs, the geometrical axis of . 30 all the trunnions k¹ and Id is always at the same level and horizontal and parallel to the longitudinal axis of. the hall. Instead . of the rails ties may be disposed below the * trusses .in construction, the surfaces of which, are disposed within the same plane.In this case the tilting bearings are. directly arranged on the said ties. Furthermore the ti'ting line about which the trusses of a hall section are tilted must be in alinement with 40 one another which line must be the correct . line, of construction.· These tilting lines) about which the partly) completed trusses are successively tilted with their sections δ¹, a², δ², a³, 5^s, etc., have been shown in Fig. 4, 45 and ip part also in Figs. 2' and 3, and the said lines have been indicated, on the right •and left hand.sides of the construction, with the numerals 1—1,. 2—2, 3—3,. .. 7—7. Before beginning .the construction of the hall, 50 the said lines are -fixed by sighting points, as has been indicated in Fig. 2. Thereupon the bearings I can easily and speedily be sighted, from the said points, so much the more, as the trucks m can easily and speedj ⁵⁵ ily be displaced. . .

In Figs. 2 and 3 an end view and a plan of' a hall section are shown in the course of conf struction. In these figures the- truss sections a¹, a², a? of the left hand truss section ⁶⁰ and the truss sections δ¹, δ², δ³ of the right' hand truss section are shown as being connected with each other, and in each truss-, apart from, the tension element ./¹ which remains in position to the end of the erection 65 of the hall section, the tension element f’· has been-secured to the eyes cf· and Id. The longitudinal and diagonal braces between the trusses forming a pair, and the longitudinal braces between consecutive pairs of trusses have been mounted, as far as the ₇₀. trusses' or pairs of trusses have been built, and the connecting elements 'which prepare . the longitudinal connection between consecutive-hall sections have likewise been secured in'place. The roof covering has been ₇₅applied to the hall section which has so far ' been erected^ Preferably the roof covering ' consists of -canvas, a separate strip being provided on each side, of the hall for each field lie tween two consecutive trusses. The _g0strip v for a field of the left side of the hall is suspended from the right of the top of the hall along the line v¹, and the strip w for the right hand side of the hall is suspended from the left of the top along the 35' line w\ The canvas is brought on the hall in the form of rolls, which are gradually unwound and .secured to the binders and the longitudinal braces as the construction of the truss' proceeds. The hall section, which 90 lias so. far been completed·,must nOw be tilted' about the right hand bearing points. For this purpose the last truss sections δ³ of. the. right hand truss halves are each supported on one of the previously described angle 95 . plates k provided with lateral trunnions. All the trunnions of the angle plates k are exactly adjusted within the line 3—3 of the' right hand half of the hall.

The left hand side of the hall section 100 which has so far been constructed is how uniformly elevated into the position shown in Fig. 2. For consecutively lifting the. sides of the. hall .sections hoisting frames 0 are disposed on either side of the hall see- 105. tions, which frames preferably extend over . two tracks, and more particularly over those tracks which belong to a -pair of trusses. To the ends of the trusses which must be lifted, . and more particularly to the outer section. 110 of each truss, and in the present case to the. outer end of the truss sections, a³ an angle’ .piece p is secured which is embraced by. the ¹ forked end. of a block carrying a pulley q.

About the rollers q which belong to a pair 115 of trusses a chain q¹ is laid. The. free ends of the said chain ate suspended from the lower pulley blocks of two differential tackles r which are attached above the ... trusses, to. a hoisting frame 0 extending over I²⁰the pair of trusses. By thus suspending the trusses the load of tile latter is uniformly distributed to both. tackles, even if one of the tackles is operated a» little in advance of the other one. As .the trusses in each pair I²⁵are braced against each other, the-uniform . distribution, of the load is of importance, because otherwise the strain on the construction or -the load of one of the tackles would be unduly increased. Notwithstanding the ^13€

1,032,284 arrangement described, it will still be advisable to operate the six tackles as uniformly as possible, though small inaccuracies are unavoidable. However, between the two 5 trusses of -a pair the said inaccuracies will ; be balanced by the arrangement of the pulleys q and the chain ql·. θ^η the other hand, slight inaccuracies in the operation of lifting the different pairs' of trusses are. not 10 injurious, because the connection between the pairs of trusses allows of a slight displacement.

While the left hand side of the hall section is lifted, the truss sections a⁴-have been 15 placed on the trucks m located at the left hand side of the construction. Furthermore for each pair of trusses two. parts· «⁴have been connected with each other, and the trucks have been so advanced, that the 20 tilting axes are exactly in the line 4—4 at the left hand hall section. In this position the trucks are braked. If necessary,' the trucks can be further secured in place by means of : suitable-claws which embrace the heads of 25 the rails. After the left side of the hall section- has been lifted into the position shown in Fig. 2, the. truss sections a⁴, or the connected sections a⁴ of the pairs of trusses, are tilted into the position shown in dotted 30 lines in which they have the correct position for. being secured do the trusses by means of screws, wedges, and the-like, and the longitudinal connections are secured to the adjacent pairs of trusses.' .Furthermore to both 35 ends of the hall section brackets are secured^, to which- afterward: the longitudinal connections with the adj acent hall sections are secured.

• The intermediate connections s for. con40. necting the trusses of a pair of -trusses, and also the intermediate connections s' for connecting adjacent pairs of trusses, and the brackets u at both ends of the hall section are secured to the trusses by means of an-⁵ gle irons t. Furthermore the brackets u are held by braces u¹. The brackets u of two . adjacent hall sections project beyond their trusses so far, that the space deft, between the same is just· sufficient to enable the hall ⁵⁰ sections to be erected, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6. After completing the hall this small space is filled up by short pieces ® which are secured to the said brackets by means of plates y. Now. the covering ma⁵⁵ terial is unwound from its roll, and the surface of the hall section is covered as far as possible. The pieces w by means of which adjacent.‘hall sections are united may in advance be secured at one side to the brack⁶⁰ ets u by means of plates y, so that they are gradually lifted together with the hall section. After the sections a? and a⁴ have been connected with, each other, the angle pieces p can be removed from the. trusses ⁶⁵ a³ and secured to the lower ends of the trusses a⁴, .and the hoisting frame g at the left of the construction can be shifted toward the left, until the tackles r are again above the angle pieces p or the pulleys q. Now' the bearings I at the left of the hall 70 are used as tilting bearings. But before ’ the right hand side of the hall· sections is lifted, the tension element ./³ is disconnected from the eye y³, and the said tension element, which for the purpose of avoiding 75 bending of the.same is preferably suspended from ropes, is lowered, until it is in line with the eyes and y⁴, whereupon to the left hand end of the said element a further piece is secured, so that the eyes Λ³ and g³ go can be connected by the said tension element. Now the hall section can be lifted at its. right hand end. Immediately after lifting has begun the trucks m are free of . the load of the construction, so that they §5 can be moved backward into the. position shown in Fig. 2 in dotted lines, in which the truss sections δ⁴ can be mounted thereon. Before the hall section has been elevated into its end position, the trucks m 90 with the trusses or truss' sections or pairs of truss sections mounted thereon are again, moved to the left, where they are exactly adjusted in position, so that all the trunnions are exactly within the line 4—4.. The 95 truss sections or sections of pairs of trusses δ⁴ are now secured to the sections δ³, the longitudinal connections are made, the roofing is applied thereto, the tension element is disconnected from the eye Λ·³, the, tension 100 .element is lowered, and, after being enlarged by a suitable extension, secured to the eye A⁴, so that now the eyes gⁱ and 7U are connected with each other.

After two adjacent hall sections have 105 been erected, the brackets u are connected to the other hall section by means of the plates y. If desired the said brackets have before been jointed with one of their ends . to the. outside of one of the hall sections. 110 Now a covering of roofing material is brought on the space between consecutive hall sections beginning from the top of the said sections, . which covering has the breadth of the distance between the said 115 hall sections. The said covering is secured in-place so that the intermediate space is covered. If, for the purpose of talcing up the pressure of the wind on the end faces of the hall, the pairs of trusses are braced 120 against each other’ by diagonal braces, the' latter are preferably elevated-with the construction of the hall section. But the said braces are but loosely held in place and are rigidly secured at the end of the construe- 125 tion, in order to avoid excessive strains caused by inaccuracies in the lifting operation of the different trusses.

It will readily be understood, that the whole hall can be built in a comparatively 13θ

1,032.284 short time without.. :any .scaffolding,’ .The last part of the .work,·.which, consists.in securing the connections between, the . hall sec.-: tiqlis and in covering the spaces between the. 5 said sections, can be. done by one' man who.

descends from the top .of the. hall, .on the outer face thereof. .This, part of the ,work does, not require the lifting of parts;.of,any. considerable weight. . ....

When building a . hall, in. the . manner described a number of trusses tis,.erected at . a time. When lifting one. side ,qf a hall section the truss sections.’.to. .be..secured thereto are. already complete .and 15 placed on the trucks ah j. combined. .intp pairs and set in the correct, position.. The tilting axes are adjusted on the ground,and not at a height. The tilting lines .can easily, be adjusted and fixed, parallel.with,the Ion-.

gitudinal axis:'of the hall ,by sighting the. same as described and by moving the.trucks, For these reasons , the erection of the hall requires a minimum of.time.

As the hall, sections are always, tilted ²⁵ about the. correct tilting lines, the complete hall sections assume, the correct positions in iilinement.with each other, .and .in the..course of construction the . sections are,, always .ad.-, justed anew, so that within the .construction ³⁰ of the individual trusses and of the hall sections errors of the construction are. not summarized- and. departures .from the.,.,desired form of the hall· sections can not occur. Therefore it is not-necessary to adjust the ³⁵-hall after_ the construction..is. completed, and the, work connected·, there with, and the increase in the strain on the.consfruction are avoided. The hall is dismounted in the same way and with- the same machinery.

⁴⁰ At first the narrow pieces of covering, material which cover the spaces intermediate the hall sections are wound up, and by dismounting the intermediate pieces u the whole hall is divided into hall sections.

⁵ Each hall section is dismounted by being slightly lifted at one side or’ tilted about the foot joints at the opposite side. Thereafter the lowermost truss sections are removed and this side of the hall is'lowered.

^υ in the tilting bearings after the same have been brought into the correct position, Now the right hand side is' slightly lifted, the lowermost trusses at the right hand side are removed, and the right hand side is lowered on the tilting bearings after the same have been set in the correct position, etc.