Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Openwork; e.g. – truss – trellis – grille – screen – frame – or... – Components adjustably or collapsibly connected
Patent
1996-03-29
1997-12-30
Canfield, Robert
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Openwork; e.g., truss, trellis, grille, screen, frame, or...
Components adjustably or collapsibly connected
52640, 52639, 52646, 5274514, 527411, E04C 302, E04B 1343
Patent
active
057017131
ABSTRACT:
An adjustable truss is made up of a chain of truss elements sharing common edges. Pairs of adjacent elements are pivotally joined at their common edges, these shared edges acting as hinges. Tension cables are slidably received at the ends of each hinge. The truss can be erected by providing tensile forces in the tension cables. The precise angle of a specific hinge is controlled by actuators driving mechanical linkages connecting the adjacent truss elements associated with that hinge. The mechanical linkages serve to guide the amount of the forces from the cables which are applied to the hinge. In this way, the truss as a whole can be adjusted through an infinite range of configurational changes in three dimensions. The tension cables can be clamped at each hinge end, locking the selected hinge angles and pre-stressing the overall structure. In this way, the truss elements bear the compressive loads, while the cables bear the tensile loads. The truss can alternatively be erected using either the tension cables or the mechanical linkages alone.
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