Balance block for buildings

Sept. 17, 1935. j. f. j. bakker 2,014,643

BALANCE BLOCK FOR BUILDINGS Filed Aug. 31, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1

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2,014,643

Sept 17, 1935.

j. F. J. BAKKER

BALANCE BLOCK FOR BUILDINGS Filed Aug. 31, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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Patented Sept. 17, 1935

2,014,643

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

2,014,643

BALANCE BLOCK FOB. BUILDINGS Jacob F. J. Bakker, Lakewood, Ohio Application August 31, 1933, Serial No. 687,656

Claims.

My invention particularly relates to balance blocks which may be incorporated in building structures to insure non-injury to such structures, particularly large buildings, by reason of earth 5 tremors such as are occasioned by earthquakes. Essentially the invention comprises blocks of a particular construction mounted adjacently above and upon the building foundation and adjacently beneath the building superstructure and capable 10 of absorbing the horizontal movements of the foundation occasioned by the earth tremors during an earthquake without communicating these horizontal movements to- the superstructure.

The annexed drawings and the following de15 scription set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, such means disclosing, however, but a few of the various forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in vertical section, of the corner of a building with which is incorporated one set of my improved balance blocks;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of elements sim25 ilar to those shown in Figure 1, illustrating modified means for securing the lower balance block to the building foundation;

_ Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in vertical section, showing a modified form of balance block 30 also showing an electrically actuated device and wiring diagram adaptable for giving notice of any horizontal movements of the building superstructure, this view also suggesting the positioning of the balance blocks beneath an interior col35 umn of the building superstructure;

Figure 4 is a view, upon an enlarged scale, of the balance block feature of the elements shown in Figure 1 and the building elements immediately adjacent thereto, this view showing the several 40 elements during the normal position thereof;

Figure 5 is a plan section, taken in the plane indicated by the line 5—5, Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a view of the elements shown in Figure 4 in the several positions thereof when an 45 earth tremor has moved the building foundation horizontally laterally of its regular position; and Figure 7 is a fragmentary view of the balance blocks as shown in Figure 4, illustrating a modified form of structure serving as a grease-retain50 ing and protection shield.

Referring to the annexed drawings in which the same parts are illustrated by the same several numbers in the different views, and particularly referring to the structure shown in Figures S3 1, 4, 5 and 6, a building superstructure I of any (Cl. 72—77) suitable standard design is provided with a floor beam or sill 2 beneath one end of which, and for purposes of illustration, at a corner of the building, are disposed my improved balance blocks consisting of an upper bearing member 3 suitably « rigidly secured to the sill 2 and a lower bearing member 4 suitably rigidly secured to the building foundation 10. The upper and lower bearing blocks 3 and 4 are formed with opposed inner concave 'surfaces 5 and 6, respectively, which form jo a pocket 7 within which is positioned a bearing ball 8 adapted, in conjunction with a suitable number of other like bearing balls positioned at intervals in like sets of bearing members around the foundation 10, to support the weight of the ι,κ superstructure I. It will toe noted that the balls 8 are of such a size as to somewhat space, one from the other, the upper and lower bearing members 3 and 4.. It will also be noticed that .the horizontal dimensions of the pocket 1 are ma- ₂₀•terially larger than the diameter of the ball 8 so that lateral enlargements 9 of the pocket 7 are provided into which the ball 8, as hereinafter fully (explained, may roll .upon the bearing surfaces 5 and 6. g_g

In the form of invention shown in Figures .1, ⁴4, 5 and 6, the space between the contiguous end parts of the bearing members 3 and 4 is in part filled by a bearing plate 11 having a central hole 12 of a diameter 'substantially equal to that .of 30 the ball 8 so that the latter is fitted within _said hole with a close sliding fit which does .not interfere with the rolling movement of the ball upon the surfaces 5 and .6. The balance of the vertical space between the contiguous end portions of the 35 bearing members .3 and -4 is filled .by a ring of bearing balls 14 which rest in, and are adapted to roll in, and in part extend from, an annular ball race K3 formed in the periphery of the upper part of the lower bearing member 4.

'Referring particularly to Figures 4 and 6, it will be evident that upon the lateral movement of the foundation TO, due to earth tremors, the bearing block 4 will be moved correspondingly and hence the ball 8 will be rolled upon the sur- 45 face 6 -so as to climb such surface in a direction opposite to that which the foundation 10 moves, although actually the ball &lt; will be moved to a greater ,or less extent in the same direction as the movement of the foundation .40. Also, the 50 bearing plate LI will bemoved by and to the same extent and in the same direction as the ball .8, the . movement of the plate 41 being facilitated by the series of bearing balls 44 which.act as rollers. Furthermore, the ball 8 will roll upon the upper 55

2,014,643 the adjustment of the lower bearing member section 20 upon the field of balls 23.

Referring further to the modification shown in Figure 3,1 therein illustrate how my improved balance blocks are adaptable for use under any 5 column in any part of the building, the base plate 24 of said Figure 3 being a base for an interior column to which and adjacently beneath which is secured the upper bearing member 3 of the balance blocks, 10

The lower bearing member 4 of my improved balance blocks may be secured to the foundation 10 in any approvide desired manner. In Figure 1, I have shown the securing thereof to reinforcing beams contained within the concrete foundation 15 10, and in Figure 2 I show the securing of the lower bearing member by anchor bolts 26 to a plain concrete foundation, a base plate 25 being interposed between said concrete foundation and the lower bearing member 4. 20

In order that minor earth vibrations may be absorbed, I interpose material between the superstructure and the upper bearing member 3, and between the foundation 10 and the lower bearing member 4, which is capable of absorb- 25 ing slight tendencies of the lower bearing member 4 to- move laterally and of the superstructure I to move vertically, such as the paper liners 27, clearly indicated in Figures 4 and 6.

I provide means for indicating the earth 30 tremors, as shown by the movements of the foundation iO, and for indicating any sidewise movements of the superstructure I, if perchance the intensity of the earth tremor is such that all of the sidewise movement of the foundation 10 is 35 not absorbed by the balance blocks. The indicator for the foundation movements is suggested in Figure 4, and the indicator for the sidewise movements of the superstructure ί forms a part of Figure 3. These indicator means 40 form no part of the invention claimed in this application.

Referring first to the indicator for the lateral foundation movements, Figure 4,1 provide spring contact plates 28 secured to, and at spaced points 45 around, the lower bearing member 4, and extended upwardly so as to intersect the path of the periphery of the bearing plate 11, when the relation of said plate and the lower bearing member 4 is changed, due to the lateral movements 50 of the foundation ί 9 and the lower bearing member 4. These plates 28 are electrically connected to short conductors 28', adaptable for connection to a main conductor and other suitable signal mechanism (not shown). 55

Referring particularly to- the electrical device for signalling the sidewise movements, if any, of the superstructure I, I provide a circuit 32, Figure 3, which includes a battery 38 and an alarm 39 and is connected at its ends respectively 60 to the floor sill 2 and to a terminal 34 of a housing mounted upon the floor sill 2 and having an insulating exterior wall, such as the glass wall 35, which is seemed at its upper end within a flange 34' of the top terminal 34 and at its lower 65 end in a lower terminal 33 by which the housing is mounted upon the floor sill 2. An upwardly extended wire spring 36 is mounted in the base member 33 in contact with the floor sill 2 and extends adjacently near the upper terminal 34 70 but is spaced somewhat therefrom. The spring 36 is closely wound and preferably is provided with a slight amount of initial tension. If the floor sill 2 and hence the superstructure I of the building partakes to any appreciable extent of the ‘⁶ bearing surface 5 in a direction corresponding to that of the movement of the foundation 10. However, the upper bearing member 3 which is rigidly secured to the superstructure I will not 5 be moved except slightly vertically, this vertical movement being due to the travel of the ball 8 from its two-point contact with those opposed points of the bearing surfaces 5 and 6 most widely spaced to a two-point contact with said sur10 faces less widely spaced. In the illustration shown in Figures 4 and 6, the capacity for relative movement of the several parts is shown and it is presumed that the foundation 10 has been moved by the earth tremor somewhat to the left 15 of its normal position, such as illustrated by the normal position in Figure 4 and the shifted position in Figure 6; that the ball 8 has traveled upwardly upon the right hand side of the lower bearing surface S and downwardly upon the left 20 hand side of the upper bearing surface 5, thus compensating for the left hand movement of the •foundation 10 without inducing a corresponding movement in the upper bearing member 3 secured to the superstructure I, the latter being 25 unaffected except for the slight vertical movement thereof, clearly shown in Figure 6. During the relative horizontal movements of the bearing blocks 3 and 4 and the consequent slight vertical movement of the upper bearing block 3 30 and the superstructure mounted thereon, the series of bearing balls 14 are not subject to the weight of the building but act only as rollers for the movement of the bearing plate 11 and tne large ball 8.

In order to facilitate the easy movement of the ball 8 and the series of balls 14, the pocket 1 is filled with grease, and a flexible shield 16 is secured by one of its edges to the upper bearing member 3 and by the other edge to the lower ib bearing member 4 to serve as a grease-retaining member and to prevent the entrance of dirt between the meeting surfaces of the balance block members. .

In Figure 7, I illustrate a modified form of • shield which consists of two continuous circular members II and 18, both of which are secured in a dirt-excluding manner to the respective upper and lower surfaces of the bearing plate 11 and also respectively secured, one to the upper 50 bearing member 3 and the other to the lower bearing member 4.

In Figure 3,1 illustrate a modified structure for the lower bearing member. In this form of structure, this lower bearing member comprises two 55 complementary sections 19 and 20 formed respectively with concave and convex surfaces to accommodate a series of balls 23 positioned in the ball race 22 formed by said opposed concave and convex surfaces. The balls 23 completely fill a 60 circular field whose diameter is that comprehended by the series of balls 23 shown in Figure 3. In this form of device, the lower bearing member section 19 is a concavo-convex member, of which the concave face serves for the bearing surface of ⁶⁵ the large ball 8 and the convex face serves as one side of the ball race for the series of balls 23. A compound action of the balance blocks of the form shown in Figure 3 results from an earth -β tremor which laterally moves the foundation 10 ^7U in that a part of said foundation movement is communicated through the base plate 21, the bearing member section 20, the balls 23 and the bearing member section 19 to the comparatively 75 large central ball 8, and a part is absorbed by

2,014,643 forming a ball-race therebetween, and a series of balls m the ball-race.

5. A building structure comprising a superstructure and a foundation, bearing members secured respectively to the superstructure and 5 the foundation and having opposed concave segments forming an interior ball pocket, vibrationdampening means interposed between the superset ucture and the foundation and their respective bearing members, a ball mounted in said pocket 10 m rolling contact with the segments, the pocket being larger than the ball in horizontal dimensions to permit relative movements of the bearing members and relative movements of the latter and the ball, one of the bearing members being 15 lormed with a ball race encircling its pocket segment, a series of balls in said race subject to the οο?ίοη^θί f^hfu ^{bearing msm}ber in the normal position of the bearing members, said series of balls being movable relatively to said other bear- 20 mg member, and bearing means connected to series^ bSf_s^{ed baU aM reStlng upon said}

6. Balance blocks for buildings comprising bearing members having opposed concave seg- 25 ments formmg an interior ball pocket, a ball &lt;™^{ted ir}L^{the pocket in rolling} contact with the segments, the pocket being larger than the ball ^{dMOnS to permit relat}ive movempnft nr IS® ^bsarmg members and relative move- 30 ments of the latter and the ball, one of the bear- ,“^{embers being for}med with a ball race enc rclmg its pocket segment, a series of balls in said race, and bearing means contacting the other member in the normal position of the 35 onTn^S members, said means being connected to series o^Sften^ntrt°^{ned b}+t! ^and movable upon said senes of balls during the relative movements of the bearing members, said series of balls acting as rollers for said means. ₄₀

7. Balance blocks for buildings comprising hemme members having opposed concave seg? ments forming an mterior ball pocket, a ball mounted m the pocket in rolling contact with the segments the pocket being larger than the ball 45 ment?nf^b^alb^{lmensions to permit} relative movements of the bearing members and relative movements of the latter and the ball, one of the bear^be?.^{g f}°^{rmed Witb a} ball raceen^{lts p}°cket segment, a series of balls in 50 ^md race, a plate supported by one face upon said series of balls and having its opposite face in ^{Wltb the other} bearing member in the normal position of the bearing members.

8. Balance blocks for buildings comprising 55 bearing members having opposed concave segments forming an interior ball pocket 1 ball mounted in the pocket in rolling contact with the segments, the pocket being larger than the ball ments nf £?^aldimensions Permit relative move- 60 ments of the bearing members and relative movements of the latter and the ball, means forming rollers mounted upon one of said bearing mem- and⁸ „^e3£^terl?^rIy the pocket segment thereof, snnnAr? n^art^{ng pIa}}^{e connected} to said ball and 65 supported by said rollers and subject to ths weight of the other bearing member in the normal position of the bearing members.

JACOB F. J. BAKKER. 70 sidewise movements of the foundation 10 induced bi ^thn ^eart? ^tremor’ the spring 36 will vibrate laterally and contact the inside face of the flango 34 of the terminal 34 and close the circuit thus ⁵ thTrid ^{the alarm 39 t0 give audible} notice of staict fr_P^{W1Se movement of} the building superowl IaUuLII c.