Inflatable roof support systems
OwnerRobert R. Simensinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sports stadium or building complex is covered by a huge fiberglass fabric dome that is supported by an inflatable dual-membrane bladder on a hollow compression ring with a diameter of 800 to 1200 feet. A central vertical spreader having upper and lower tension rings connected to the membranes of said bladder is supported from above or below by separate suspension cables in a position above the compression ring. Containment cables limit the expansion of and shape said bladder to provide a closed pressurized air space of narrow lenticular cross section and can include 40 or more radial ceiling cables and the same number of radial hold-down cables of the same length.
Claims26
A roof structure for covering a sports dome with a clear span of at least about 500 feet, peripheral compression means surrounding the dome, ceiling cable means connected to said compression means to form a suspended ceiling below the dome, central connecting means near the upper portions of the done, a series of closely and evenly spaced radial hold-down cables connected to and extending between said central connecting means and said compression means, inflatable bladder means covering said ceiling and providing a closed pressurized air space between said central connecting means and said compression means, inflatable bladder means covering said ceiling and providing a closed pressurized air space between said hold-down cables and said ceiling, blowe means supplying air to said air space to maintain tension in said hold-down cables, said bladder means having an upper fabric membrane at the outer surface of the dome, and means for limiting the vertical separation of said ceiling and said central connecting means to limit the volume of air in said air space.
A roof structure according to claim wherein said bladder means has upper and lower fabric membranes defining said closed air space, said upper membrane having outer marginal portions connected to said compression means to hold membrane taut, and wherein said radial hold-down cables engage the upper fabric membrane of the dome at regularly-spaced locations while allowing the tensioned membrane to expand the bulge outwardly between adjacent cables.
A roof structure for covering sports stadiums, building complexes and the like comprising a peripheral compression means, a fabric dome with a clear span of at least about 500 feet, central connecting means located near the top of the dome, ceiling cable means connected to and supported by said compression means to form a suspended ceiling under the dome, a multiplicity of regularly spaced radial hold-down cables connected between said central connecting means and said compression means, and inflatable bladder means covering said ceiling and having upper and lower fabric membranes providing a closed pressurized air space between said hold-down cables and the suspension cables of said ceiling, said upper fabric membrane being expanded against the hold-down cables to maintain tension in the cables.
A building structure of the character described having a central dome with a span of at least about 800 feet and outer peripheral walls with vertical supports, a hollow compression ring carried by said supports providing an air conduit extending around the periphery, a series of closely spaced radial hold-down cables extending radially inwardly from said ring toward the central portion of said dome to limit the upward expansion, cable means supporting the dome and forming a ceiling below the dome, inflatable bladder means covering said ceiling and providing closed pressurized air space between the dome and the ceiling that supports the dome with air pressure, and blower means supplying air to said space to maintain an air pressure sufficient to support the dome.
A roof structure for for covering a sports stadium comprising a dome, and outer compression ring surrounding said dome, central spreader means having an upper connecting ring and a lower connecting ring, a series of evenly spaced radial suspension cables extending between said compression ring and said lower connecting ring to form a ceiling, a series of evenly spaced hold-down cables extending between said connecting ring and said upper connecting ring, inflatable bladder means between said ceiling and said hold-down cables to shape the dome while maintaining tension in said cables, and means for supporting said spreader means.
A roof structure comprising an outer compression ring, a central connecting means providing a hub means above said ring, a multiplicity of evenly spaced radial hold-down cables connected between said compression ring and said connecting means, a multiplicity of radial suspension cables connected between said compression ring and said connecting means below said hold-down cables, inflatable bladder means below said closed pressurized annular air space between said hold-down cables and said suspension cables to maintain tension in said cables and to form a dome, and means for supporting said central connecting means and the radially inner end portions of said suspension cables above the plane of said compression ring so that said annular air space has a lenticular cross section.
A roof structure comprising a dome, an inflatable bladder means supporting said dome and forming a closed pressurized air space, a compression means with a diameter or width of at least 500 feet surrounding said dome, connecting means below the central portion of said dome having upper and lower tension rings, suspension means for supporting said bladder means and said connecting means below said dome, containment cable means shaping and limiting the expansion of said bladder means to provide the pressurized air space with a narrow/enticular cross section, said cable means including a series of spaced ceiling cables supporting said bladder means above said ceiling cables and means compression and a series of spaced radial hold-down cables engaging the outer portions of the dome, said radial cables being connected to said compression means and said tension rings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.