Method of dry construction and set of elements for carrying out the same

3,076,293

ELEMENTS

Sheets-Sheet 1

Feb. 5, 1963 e. baudoux

METHOD OF DRY CONSTRUCTION AND SET OF , _x FOR CARRYING OUT THE SAME

Filed Oct. 30, 1958

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INVENTOR

EDMOND 3AUD0UX

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Feb. 5, 1963 e. baudoux 3,076,293

METHOD OF DRY CONSTRUCTION AND SET OF ELEMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE SAME

Filed Oct. 30, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2

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EDMOND J3AUD0UX ay

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Feb. 5, 1963 _E. baudoux 3,076,293

METHOD OF DRY CONSTRUCTION AND SET OF ELEMENTS . FOR CARRYING OUT THE SAME

Filed Oct. 30, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3

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INVESTOR

ESMOND JMUDOUX

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Feb. 5, 1963 e. baudoux

METHOD OF DRY CONSTRUCTION AND SET OF _J FOR CARRYING OUT THE SAME

Filed Oct. 30, 1958

3,076,293

ELEMENTS

Sheets-Sheet 4

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INVENTOR

EDMOND J3AUDOUX

By

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ATTORNEY

Feb. 5, 1963

METHOD OF

Filed Oct. 30, 1958

E. BAUDCUX

DRY CONSTRUCTION AND SET OF FOR CARRYING OUT THE SAME

3,076,293

ELEMENTS

Sheets-Sheet 5

ΨΓ9.27

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TTg.28

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INVENTOR ®y

EDMOND -BAUDOUX

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ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office _Palented„^⁶;²“

3,076,293

METHOD OF DRY CONSTRUCTION AND SET OF ELEMENTS FOR-CARRYING OUT THE SAME

Edmond Baudoux, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to „ Etablissement Die, Vaduz, Liechtenstein, a corporation of Liechtenstein

Filed Oct. 30, 1958, Ser. No. 770,833

Claims priority, application Switzerland Nov. 15, 1957 2 Claims. (Cl. 50—126)

The present invention has for object a method of dry construction (without mortar) utilizing elements of ordinary sizes and which is characterized by the fact that the walls and partitions with offset joints are mounted by setting up hollow elements of different lengths and which comprise ribs and- grooves which correspond and that the said ribs are fitted into the said grooves by bringing together the elements with respect to each other and by the fact that the sites for the openings and the spacings of the walls are determined by a modulation table, so that the said sites and spacings correspond to the required sites and spacings and that the mounting of the walls and partitions is effected solely by means of whole elements, such as delivered by the manufacturer.

The invention also has for object a set of construction elements for carrying out the method which is characterized by the fact that the-seating faces for the walls and partitions and the side faces for the floors, of two adjoining elements comprise parts which interpenetrate and which determine their exact relative position and ensure the evenness of the surface formed by their setting UP·

The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically and by way of example, two embodiments of constructions in the course of erection and the sets of construction elements utilized for. said constructions.

FIG. 1 is a partial·view of a construction being erected, certain parts being broken off for more clearness of the drawing.

FIG. 2 is a partial view in plan of the walls and partitions in the course of construction.

FIGS. 3 to 25 show various typical elements used in the construction according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 26 is a partial view in section of a frame showing the fixing of the stiles of the doors and windows.

FIG. 27 is a partial view in plan of a light construction in the course of erection.

FIG. 28 is a partial view in plan of the walls in the course of construction.

FIGS, 29 to 33 show elements utilized in the said light construction.

According to FIGS. 1 to 23, the construction is effected by means of elements of normal sizes; that is to say, that the elements necessary for the mounting of the construction do not exceed a weight of 20 kgs. (about 44 lbs.) and have a length less than 40 cm.’ (about 16 ins.)., (preferably 33 cm., i.e. about 13 ins.) and a height less than 30 cm. (about 12 ins.) (preferably 15 cm., i.e. about 6 ins.), while the width of the elements is chosen according to requirement.

FIGS. 3 to 25 of the accompanying drawing show a typical set of elements necessary and sufficient to permit the construction of a building according to the method, object of the Invention.

The. said set of elements comprises:

(a) Exterior primary wall elements or blocks A (FIG. 3) the facings 1 of which are rectangular, while the lower and upper seating faces 2 respectively comprise a groove 3 and a tapered and interlocking tongue 4. The said groove and the said tongue are of corresponding cross section and are disposed in the vertical symmetry plane of the building element or block A. The end faces of the said element comprise throats 5, 6 and ribs 7, 8 of corresponding shape, so that each element has a double interlocking female end and male end. The shapes of the cross sections of the tongues, ribs, throats and grooves are provided so as to to permit the interlocking of. the elements by merely bringing together the adjoining elements. The said element A also has, four recesses or chambers 9 disposed on either side .of a vertical wall 10 which carries the tongue 4 and the groove 3. The said chambers issue into the two opposite seating faces and are connected two by two by channels 11 provided, either on the upper seating face (FIG. 3) or on the lower.seating face.

(b) Female framing elements or filler blocks B₁₍ B₂(FIGS. 6 and 7) and male filler or framing-elements B₃, B₄ (FIGS. 8 and 9). One of the end faces of the elements Bi and B₂ shows the throats. 5 and the rib 7, while one of the, end faces, of the elements. B₃ and B₄ shows the throat 6 and the ribs 8. Thus the said end.faces fit into one or the other of the end faces of a wall element A, or into each other. The. said, framing, elements are also recessed and comprise chambers. 12 issuing into their opposite seating faces and are-also separated by a vertical wall 13 which is provided with the tongue 4 and the groove 3. The length b of the elements B_x and. Ba is greater than the length a of the, elements. B₂ and B₄, so as to permit a staggering of the . vertical joints j in, the. frontage. The second end face of, the elements Bj, Ba, B₃, B₄ is smooth and has a vertical recess 14 adapted to receive the stiles M (FIG. 26) of the windows and doors.

(c) An angle corner block element C (FIGS, 4 and 5) which, has two smooth outer facings 15 of rectangular shape and.forming an angle.of 90° between them. On the other hand, each of Its two end faces has. a vertical groove 16 bounded on the inner side by a rib 17 and on the outer side by a wing 18 forming a joint cover. The upper, and. lower; seating faces are respectively provided with a tongue 19 and a groove 20 (FIG. 5) of corresponding cross section and. capable of. fitting, one. into the other. The said, element, is also .provided with two semi-cylindrical channels 21 separated by a diametrical, wall· and issuing into the two. opposite, seating faces.

(d) Anchoring elements Di, D₂, D₃ (FIGS. 10 and 11). which, comprise s, lower seating face 22 provided with a groove 24 corresponding to.the tongues 4, of the wall elements A and. framing elements B_1; B₃, B₃, B₄. The said anchoring, element has two legs 25. and 26, approximately perpendicular to the seating face 22. and . which form between them a throat 27. The outer, face of the inner leg 25 has sheaths 28 parallel to the. seating surface 22. The inner and outer legs 25 and 26 of the element. D_x—provided for the internal partition-walls—are of. equal height h while the wing 26 of the element D₂—provided, for the outer walls—has a height hi greater than the height h of the wing 25. The wing 26 of. the element D₃ is furthermore provided with an acroterium 30 serving , as a low wall for the terraces.

(e) Closing elements E (FIG. 12) of a general T-square shape, and of which, the edge of one of. the wings comprises a fillet 31 adapted to fit into the groove 29 of the flange D₅ extending inwardly from, the bottom of the anchoring element. The second: wing of the said element constitutes a counterweight which tends to apply its edge 32 against the inner, face 33 of : the leg 25 of the anchoring element. The length d of the said elements D_x and D_aand E is preferably equal to 22 cm. (about 8.72 inches).

During the drawing up of the plan of. the building, the architect chooses by means of. a modulation table, the spacings of the supporting walls in such a way that the latter correspond to a whole.number of elements A and B, In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the length a of the elements B₂ and B₄ is equal to two thirds of the length

3,076,293 b of the elements Bj and B₃ which is equal to the length c of the elements A and the said length a is equal to the length d of the anchoring elements D. The said lengths are chosen so that the distance / of the joints / is equal for example to 33 cm. (about 12.87 inches) and that the distance g of an offset joint is equal, for example, to 11 cm. (about 4.29 inches). By fitting up the elements A, Bj, B₂, B_3j B₄ in the manner shown in FIG. 1, the outer supporting walls and the intermediate supporting walls (internal partition-walls) are mounted by providing at the desired places openings for the doors and windows the widths of which are also given by the modulation table.

As shown in FIG. 2, one begins by placing an angle element C, then one inserts into each of its grooves 16 the end provided with the groove 14 of a male or female framing element, long or short. The ribs 17 of the angle element fit into the grooves 14 of the said two framing elements and the wings 18 of the angle elements cover a part of the facing of each framing element. Wall elements A are then installed by fitting their male and female ends into each other, and in the ends of the said framing elements, then, at the place of an opening, one again places a framing element the smooth end face of which forms a part of the side wall of the said opening. On the first row of elements thus fitted up, is placed a second row of elements taking care to displace the joints j, which is easily done due to the framing elements of two different lengths.

In order to bestow greater rigidity on the construction, concrete (on occasion reinforced) may be poured in the channels 21 so as to constitute angle posts (FIG. 2).

Concrete (on occasion reinforced) may also be poured into tire empty spaces 9 of the elements A of which two out of four coincide along the whole height of the wall, so as to form stiffening posts 23α.

The tongues 4 of the wall and framing elements engage in the grooves 3 of the wall and framing elements of the higher row. Similarly, the tongues 19 of the angle elements engage in the corresponding grooves 20. Thus, each wall element is in contact with its six adjoining elements, so that there is obtained sufficient rigidity and imperviousness to render superfluous the use of mortar generally utilized in order to bind the elements one with the other.

The intermediate supporting walls are mounted in the same manner (FIG. 2) and it will be seen that due to the fact that the spacings of the outer walls have been chosen from the modulation table so as to correspond to a whole number of typical elements, the said inner walls may be mounted without it being necessary to cut the elements in their length. Openings may also be provided in the intermediate supporting walls the dimensions of which are given by the modulation table, as well as their positions.

In the case of many storied buildings, pillars N may also be provided, disposed at regular intervals or not, in the outer and intermediate supporting walls. The said pillars are formed by means of pillar elements (FIG. 25) which constitute in fact shutterings. The said element N comprises a channel 74 of large dimensions, issuing into its two opposite seating faces. The upper seating face has two tongues 4 and 4α situated in the extension of each other and the lower seating face comprises two corresponding grooves 3 and 3α. The interpenetrating slots and tongues of the superposed elements define the relative positions of the elements in two perpendicular directions, so that the opposite side faces 75 of the said elements are all situated in two parallel vertical planes, while the end faces 76 are situated in two parallel vertical planes but perpendicular to the planes of the side faces 75.

As shown in FIG. 2, the said elements of a length a of 44 cm., that is about 17.10 inches (in the case of wall elements of 33 cm. i.e. about 12.87 inches) may be fitted in a supporting wall, its two end faces being respectively in contact with an element B₂ of 22 cm. (about 8.72 inches) and an element B₃ of 33 cm. (about 12.87 inches). The channel 74 is filled with reinforced concrete. The said pillar elements are placed on the sites determined by the modulation table.

On the top of the said outer and intermediate supporting walls are placed clamping or floor anchoring elements Di or D₂ the groove 24 of which fits upon the tongues 4 of the v/all and framing elements. Concrete is then poured up to the height of the legs 25 in the continuous throat 27 formed by the said anchoring elements Dj and D₂ by sinking in the concrete one or several stiffening irons 34 (FIG. 1). In this manner, all the supporting walls are tied one to the other and to the angle posts 23. In the angles of the outer walls, angle elements D₄ (FIG. 13) are placed in order to avoid the mounting of a shuttering and so that the outer frontage of the construction has a homogeneous aspect.

The lintels L (FIG. 1) covering the openings made in the said walls are produced by means of anchoring elements shown generally as D₅ (FIG. 11) wherein the flanges comprise a fillister 35 necessary for the fixing of the woodwork.

The lower side of the openings left in the outer walls for the windows is lined by means of supporting elements F (FIG. 14) the width o of which is also chosen so that in each opening of a dimension obtained by the modulation table, a whole number of elements may be laid. The said supporting elements have a seating face 37 provided with a groove 38 engaging on the tongues 4 of the wall elements, so that the inner face 36 of the said supporting element is automatically maintained in the plane of the inner face of the wall.

The floors comprise the following elements:

(1) Beams P (FIG. 1) formed by beam elements p (FIG. 15) placed side by side and having a general U shape in the throat of which is poured concrete in which stiffening irons 39 are sunk. The said beams, preferably prepared in advance, are placed on supporting faces constituted by the edges 40 of legs 25 of the anchoring elements. The outer faces of the U-shaped wings, formed by each beam element, have a supporting surface 41.

(2) Transoms H (FIG. 16) whose end faces are of a shape corresponding to the outer side faces of the beams P and are also each provided with a supporting face 43. Each transom comprises a central core 44 situated in its horizontal median plane, and parallel channels 42 issuing upon its two side faces. The central core is provided at one of its ends with a tongue 45 and at its other end with a groove 45 of corresponding shape.

The mounting of the flooring is carried out as follows:

The beams P are laid on the supporting faces 40, and then are placed the transoms H, the supporting faces 43 of which rest on the supporting faces 41 of the beams, while the tongue 45 and the groove 46 of the adjoining transoms fit into each other. The thickness i of the transoms is equal to the height k of the beams and the supporting faces 41 and 43 are so disposed that the lower faces of the transoms are situated exactly in the plane of the lower faces of the beams. Consequently, the upper faces of the transoms are also exactly in the plane of the upper faces of the beams, and it follows that there is automatically obtained a smooth and clean floor and ceiling, so that it is no longer necessary to provide a plastering of the ceilings and that by taking care to place sufficient stiffening irons in the concrete of the beams, the compression capping generally cast in order to form the floor may be eliminated.

The floor being laid, between the ends of the transoms face to face and between the ends of the transoms and the legs 26 of the anchoring elements, concrete is poured in which are sunk irons 47 to which are hooked the ends of the stiffening irons 59 of the beams P. The said concrete binds itself to that of the beams P, partly penetrates into the channels 42 of the transoms and binds itself to tire concrete poured into the semi-cylindrical channels 21

3',076j2’93 ⁵ of the angle elements C. Consequently, the said anchoring elements bind the angle posts 23 one to the other and to the beams P of the floor, so that an extremely rigid unit is produced.

It is obvious that the length r of the beam elements p g as well as the length m and the width n of the transoms are chosen so that each beam P is constituted by a whole number of elements p whatever the spacing of the supporting walls, so that a whole number of transoms H may be laid on the beams P between the supporting walls, and ₁₀so that a whole number of transom spans may be placed between the supporting walls. Thus, the modulation table also gives the number of spans, the number of beam elements p in each beam and the number of transoms in each span. 15

FIGS. 17 to 22 show the elements provided for the construction of the partitions. The said elements are the following:

(1) Partitions elements Fj and F₂ (FIGS. Ί7 and 18) which comprise a male end face ..provided with a rib 48 20 and a female end face having a throat 49. The said throat and the said rib are disposed symmetrically relatively to a longitudinal symmetry plane of the element. Channels 50 cross the said element and issue upon its two opposite seating faces which are respectively pro- 25 vided with a tongue 51 and a correspondingly shaped groove 52 (FIG. 19).

The elements Fi have a length .equal to double the length of the elements F₂ in order to permit the mounting of the partitions with crossed joints. The elements Fi 30 are of a length equal to the wall elements A.

(2) Top elements Gi and G₂ (FIGS. 20 and 21) for the production of the door openings. The said elements have a female end face comprising a throat 53 adapted to fit upon the ribs 48 of the male ends of the elements 35 Fi and F₂. The second end of the said elements is provided with a groove 49 adapted to secure the stiles of the doors. The opposite seating faces of the said elements are provided respectively, with the groove 52 (FIG. 19) and the tongue 51. 40 (3) A framing element I (FIG. 22) of greater width than the elements Fi, F₂ and Gi, G₂ and which comprise a female end face having a throat 54 the width q of which corresponds to the width of a partition element. Its other end is provided with, a groove 55 for securing 45 the woodwork, The seating, faces of the said element are respectively provided with the groove 51 and the slot 52.

As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting of the partitions is carried out in the same manner as the mounting of the supporting walls by fitting up the various elements de- 50 scribed above according to the modulation table with a view to adapting the openings of desired dimensions to the desired sites by means of . a whole number of typical elements.

The vertical walls of the openings are formed either 55 by means of the top elements Gj, G₂, or by means of the framing elements I.

Stiffening posts may be provided by pouring concrete on Occasion reinforced, into the channels 50 of the partition elements, of which one out of two correspond to each 60 other along the whole height of the partition.

Anchoring posts 57 may be poured at right angles with the connections between the partitions, internal partition walls, outer walls (FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 1, installation piping 58, on occa- 65 sion insulated, is laid, on the one hand horizontally in the service duct formed oy the channels 28 of the flanges D₅ and in the channels 42 of the floor transoms which may communicate with the said channels of the service duct and, on the other hand vertically in the channels 9 70 of the wall elements. At the place of a junction 59, the anchoring element Di or D₂ is replaced by an anchoring element D₆ (FIG. 23) which has no grooves, in order to provide a larger space for the mounting of the junction 59. A closing element E_x provides, together with said 75 anchoring element D₆, a service duct, and permits of sealing the recess 60 of the junction.

In order to avoid making holes in the wall for the passage of the piping to the tap system, special wall elements Aj (FIG. 24) comprising a sealing plate A₂ are provided to be inserted into the wall at the places indicated by the architect. A notch, made during the mounting in the lower or upper edge of the plate A₂, offers a passage for the pipe. Similarly, iron fittings 61 for supporting the sinks, the washstands, etc. may be laid during the mounting of the walls and partitions by cutting into the bearing faces of the wall elements, in order to provide a housing for the said iron fittings which are maintained in place without sealing, merely by the weight of the elements covering the same.

The stiles M of the doors and windows are fixed in the grooves 14 of the framing elements, by means of pressure devices (FIG. 26). The stile M, of a door or of a window, is engaged in the groove 14 and its position inside the said groove is determined by a supporting face 62 of an iron fitting 63 the end of which bears against the bottom of the said groove. A jack 64, comprising a base 65, a bolt 66 and a nut 67 permits of wedging the stile M in the said groove 14. A moulding 71 engaged in a groove 70, made in the stile M and nailed into the joints of the framing elements, wholly seals the groove 14.

When a light and very cheap building is to be constructed, it is possible to simplify yet more the production as shown in FIGS. 27 to 33.

For such light constructions, it is sufficient to provide the following construction elements:

(1) Wall elements A₅ and A_e (FIGS. 29 and 30) of a very similar conception to the partition elements F above described, but of a greater width, for example 5 inches and which comprise a central core like the wall elements A. The element A₅ has a length which is double that of the element A₆ so as to permit the mounting of the-walls with crossed joints.

(2) A framing element B₅ (FIG. 31) comprising an end face provided with a groove 72 in which may slidingly fit the male or female side of the elements A5 and A₆. The other end face comprises the groove 14 for fixing the woodwork.

(3) An angle element C₅ (FIG. 32) each end of which comprises a groove 73 into which may fit the male or female end of the elements A_s and A₆.

(4) Anchoring elements D₇ and D₈ (FIG. 33) similar to the anchoring elements D_x and D₂ described above, but without grooves or a flange.

The fitting up of the said various elements is effected as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and as clearly shown in FIGS. 27 and 28.

Hie floors are supported as in ordinary construction by beams Pi in wood the ends of which rest on the edges of the legs of the anchoring elements. One could however also lay a floor such as described above.

In practice, all the elements described above and used for construction are moulded of the same material so as to obtain clean surfaces and clear ridges, as well as dimensions which are practically , constant from one element to the other. There is thus obtained a perfect installation of the various elements with the fitting of adjoining elements by merely bringing the same together. Moreover, the tongues engaged in the grooves automatically determine the relative positions of the various elements,' so that the outer and inner surfaces of the construction are absolutely plane.

The inner surfaces may consequently remain rough and on occasion be covered with a coating of very small thickness (some tenths of a millimeter, i.e., one or two tenths of an inch), or with a paint.

Satisfactory results have been obtained with the coating or the paint known under the trade name of Anaplan.

For the frontages, if it is desired to retain the natural aspect of the material in the case of hollow joints, it is

3,076,293 sufficient to proceed with a jointing (on occasion with a coloured mortar), and then apply a waterproof paint based on silicon, for example, After jointing one may Obviously consider colouring the whole of the frontages by application of a paiiit, for example.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the anchoring elements always have sharp joints, as well as the angle elements, which stresses the architecture of the whole.

On the Other hand, the accuracy ensured by the method permits the preparation iri the workshop Of the less important work, thus limiting the work oil the building site to the joining of the various pipings and to the trials of the latter.

As a result of the finish of its constitutive elements, the flooring appears to be the ideal support for plastic or similar floors al so,for moquettes. Furthermore, the said flooring permits of doing without the plastering of the ceilings, which is always a reason for delay in the forwarding of the work. The said ceilings may be covered with a coating such as the one applied to the walls and the partitions (Anaplan).

All the said particularities permit of reducing, to a great extent, the duration of the carrying out of the construction as Well as its total cost as compared with the methods of construction employed up to the present.

The elements described permit the execution of the Whole range of constructions, from the simple garage or outbuilding, to the building with numerous stories.

The simplicity of the fitting up of the elements permits the use of non specialized man-poWer and cuts down the importance of the specialized trade associations for the finishing work.

Due to the relatively small lengths of the construction elements which are of the current size of agglomerate blocks used actually and which should not exceed 40 cm. (about 15.6 inches), it is possible, while preserving for the whole execution of the building a well determined modulation, to satisfy practically all requirements, so that the architect is not hindered in the architectural conception of the building and may obtain all the effects desired and as varied as in actual conceptions. On the other hand, all the mounting is effected according to a pre-established plan, which facilitates the provisioning of materials and accelerates the construction.

It goes without saying that the method of construction described may also be applied to the execution of models, with the help of the construction elements described, moulded, for example, in synthetic material in reduced sizes, for example, one tenth or one twentieth of normal size. In this manner, models are produced which are the exact replica, but to a reduced scale, of the construction. Similarly, the set of elements described, but of reduced size, may be used as a toy permitting the production of various constructions, according to the method described.