GREENHOUSE, TOPPROFILE AND ENGAGE-PROFILE THEREFOR AND METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING A GREENHOUSE

Abstract: The invention relates particularly to a glasshouse of which at least one window is frameless on at least two of its sides and wherein a gripping member (13) of an opening mecha­ nism is attached to the window without drilling taking place through a glass plate.

Description: The invention relates in the first place to a glasshouse comprising a roof ridge profile component, extending logitudinally of a roof portion of said glasshouse and at least one window pivotably connected to said roof ridge profile component from a closed position into an opened position for ventilation, which window comprises a glass plate which is frameless on at least two of its sides, wherein at least one gripping member of a window opening mechanism is attached to this glass plate. Such a glasshouse is discussed in FR-A-2 614 638. In the known glasshouse of the above mentioned sort the gripping member is fixed to the glass plate using bolts extending through the glass plate. The drilling of holes in a glass plate is an expensive operation. Moreover such a drilling operation and/or a bolt extending through a hole causes uneven stresses in the glass plate, which can lead to breakage of the glass plate. The invention provides a glasshouse improved in this respect in that said at least one gripping member is attached to the glass plate without fixing means extending through the glass plate. In a particular embodiment of fixation at least one gripping member arranged on the lower edge of the glass plate is coupled via at least one tensioned pull member to a hinge profile arranged on the upper edge of said glass plate. In another embodiment of fixation at least one gripping member for pivotable connection of an opening mechanism is attached to a glass plate of a window by means of clamping means. In again another embodiment of fixation at least one gripping member for pivotable connection of an opening mechanism is glued to a glass plate of a window. With the known method the gripping member and the hinge profile are fixed to the glass plate during a manufacture operation in a factory. The transportation of the glass plate to the construction site must be carried out carefully with the necessary support means. In this respect the invention relates to and provides an improved method for building a glasshouse as specified in claims 1-8 which has the feature that a plurality of glass plates openable for ventilation are transported to the construction site without attached gripping members and that the hinge profile and the gripping member are connected to the glass plate on the construction site. In this case the flat glass plates can be transported to the construction site with little transportation volume and well supported. GB-A-693 805 discloses a glass horticultural shelter which can be erected around growing plants. This shelter is constituted by simple wire iron and frameless glass plates. It does not comprise windows which can be opened and closed by means of a window opening mechanism. The mentioned and other features of the invention will be elucidated in the description following hereinafter with reference to a drawing. In the drawings in schematic form: Fig. 1 and 8 each show a perspective top view of a glasshouse according to two different preferred embodiments according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows on a larger scale a partial, broken, vertical section along line II-II from figure 1; Fig. 3 shows a section along line III-III from figure 1 on a larger scale; Fig. 4 shows a section corresponding with figure 2 through another embodiment variant; Fig. 5 shows on a larger scale fraction V from figure 4 before fitting; Fig. 6 shows a broken away perspective view of yet another preferred embodiment of a window according to the invention; Fig. 7 is detail VII from figure 6 on a larger scale; Fig. 9 shows on a larger scale a perspective section along line IX-IX from figure 8; and Fig. 10 shows a section of detail X from figure 9 on a larger scale. During the building of a glasshouse, windows 1 are arranged at regular intervals in the roof portions thereof. Each window 1 consists as in figures 1 and 2 preferably of a glass plate 5 which has on its upper edge 7 a hinge profile 4 and on its lower edge 8 two gripping members 13. Both side edges of the glass plate 5 are frameless. Figure 2 shows a ridge profile 2 with a hinge edge 3, to which a window 1 is attached for swinging by means of its hinge profile 4. A plurality of glass plates 5 intended for use as windows 1 openable for ventilation are transported to the construction site as a stack of plates lying flat on top of each other. The chance of glass breakage is thus slight, while the transport volume is small and the packaging material simple. The windows 1 are assembled on the construction site by a U-profile piece 10 of the hinge profile 4 being arranged around the upper edge 7 with interpositioning of an elastic strip 9. U-pieces 11 of two gripping members 13 are arranged around the lower edge 8 with interpositioning of elastic strips 12. The hinge profile 4 further comprises a hinge profile piece 14 with the form indicated in figure 2 in addition to an L-shaped attachment edge 15. This attachment edge 15 has slots 16 at the required locations for passage of a pull member 17, for instance a tensioning cable. A plug 18 fixed to the end of the pull member 17 is arranged behind the attachment edge 15. Each gripping member 13 consists of a profile piece, which apart from the U-piece 11 has a triangular tube 19 at a short inward distance from said U-piece 11, a flange 20 and a coupling piece 21. Pushed through the flange 20 is a threaded hook 22 which grips onto the pull member 17 and which is tensioned by a nut 23 using a torque wrench so that the pulling cable 17 attains an adjusted tension. In this way the window 1 is firmly mounted without fixing means passing through the glass plate 5. The pull member 17 grips onto the hooks 22 at a distance a under the glass plate 5, whereby the glass plate 5 is biased under a bending moment. The glass plate thus always remains in contact with the edge 25 of the gripping member 13, also during upward wind suction force, which prevents breakage through gusts. The window opening mechanism 27 grips onto the coupling piece 21 by means of a coupling pin 26. The window 1 is sealed watertight at the upper edge 7 by the hinge profile 4 running along it's whole length and at each side edge 29 because of a tubular elastic profile 33 that is arranged in a bar 31 extending between the ridge profile 2 and a gutter profile (fig. 3). Two bars 31 bear a window edge profile 32, in which is arranged a tubular elastic profile 33 which at the location of each gripping member 13 is either cut away or is so amply dimensioned that it can be pressed in somewhat more strongly at the location of each gripping member 13. In preference there are two pull members 17 tensioned in a V-form each having two plugs 18 present, as well as two gripping members 13. Other numbers are however conceivable. In the variant of figure 4 each gripping member 13 has a broader U-shaped gripping profile piece 41 of slightly thicker material than in figure 1, which, with the inter positioning of a rubber U-shaped sealing strip 42 in the non-deformed state, is deformed from the open shape shown with dashed lines in figure 4 to the closed state drawn with full lines in figure 4 using a strong clamping tool. In this simple manner the gripping member 13 is firmly fixed to the glass plate 5. In preference an additional pressure force is exerted on the glass plate 5 above the edge 25 of the triangular tube 19 in order to hold the glass plate 5 continually in contact with the edge 25. The U-shaped profile piece 10, which in this case is thicker, is clamped by deformation around the upper edge 7, whereby a thick U-shaped rubber strip 9 is arranged around the upper edge 7. According to figure 5 each gripping member 13 is connected to the glass plate 5, since this is clamped fixedly by a screw clamp 50 with the interpositioning of elastic material 51. The gripping member may optionally be glued into place on the lower edge 8 with a U-shaped profile piece. The glass plate can be manufactured of so-called hardened glass, which is slightly more elastic than normal glass, and can have a thickness of for instance 4, 5 or 6 mm. Common glass is preferably used, for instance with a thickness of about 5 mm or a thickness of about 4 mm. This applies to glass plate dimensions in the order of magnitude of 225 to 350 cm X 80 to 100 cm. The glass house from figure 6 has a window 1 substantially consisting of a glass plate 5 of common glass with a thickness of 4 mm, a hinge profile 4 and a gripping profile 52. These two profiles 4 and 52 extend along the whole length b of one side of the glass plate 5, so that the four corners of the glass plate 5 are reinforced against break damage. The side edges 53 are not held in profiles or frames which would obstruct light. The two profiles 4 and 52 are mutually connected by a number of, for instance two, three or four pull members 17 which are arranged either perpendicular to the profiles 4 and 52, or in a slanting direction. As figure 6 shows, two plugs 18 per cable are arranged at slots 70, while the cable 17 is further placed through a draw bolt 71 which is placed through openings 72, 73 of the gripping profile 52 and is tensioned with a nut 75. The gripping profile 52 of extruded aluminium has a U-piece 11 for receiving the lower edge 8 of the glass plate 5, a support piece 54 with which it supports on a spacer bar 55 via a sealing strip 57 arranged in a cavity 58 of the spacer bar 55, and a gripping edge 59 lying in the window opening. At the location of two opening rods 60 of the opening mechanism a cut-away portion 61 is arranged in the gripping edge 59. Here a hinge sleeve 62 is placed through a hinge eye 63 of the opening rod 60 and pushed over the gripping edge 59 as a bridge, while the ends 64 thereof are fixedly clamped around the gripping edge 59. The glass plate edges 7 and 8 may or may not support against a rubber strip 9, 12. The window 1 of the glasshouse from figures 8-10 comprises a hinge profile 4 and a gripping member 13 formed as a profile which extend along the whole length of the window 1, which are mutually connected and pulled toward one another by only two threaded rods 76 with screw thread and nuts 77. The threaded rods 76 grip onto a flange 78 of the hinge profile 4 and onto an anchor element 80, which grips with an anchor piece 81 into an anchoring cavity 82 of the gripping member 13 and which has prongs 83 with a bolt channel 84 for receiving a winged bolt 85. An opening rod 86 grips with a screw thread onto the winged bolt 85, so that through turning of the winged bolt 85 the opening rod 86 can be adjusted in the arrow directions 87 in order to adjust the angle of the slightly opened window 1, so that all windows 1 are open the same distance. After adjustment the winged bolt 85 can be fixed in position with a nut 89.

Claims: Glasshouse comprising a roof ridge profile component (2) extending longitudinally of a roof portion of the glasshouse, and at least one window (1) pivotably connected to said roof ridge profile component (2) from a closed position into an opened position for ventilation, which window (1) comprises a glass plate (5) which is frameless on at least two of its sides, wherein at least one gripping member (13) of a window opening mechanism (27) is attached to this glass plate (5), characterized in that said at least one gripping member (13) is attached to said glass plate (5) of said window (1) without fixing means extending through said glass plate (5). Glasshouse as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one gripping member (13) arranged on the lower edge (8) of the glass plate (5) of said window (1) is coupled via at least one tensioned pull member (17) to a hinge profile (4) arranged on the upper edge (7) of said glass plate (5). Glasshouse as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hinge profile (4) is provided with an attachment edge (15) for at least one pull member (17). Glasshouse as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the window (1) has on its lower edge (8) at least one profile piece which in addition to a U-shaped gripping piece (11) gripping onto the lower edge (8) of the glass plate (5) comprises a triangular tube (19) at a short inward distance from said U-shaped piece (11), a flange (20), and a coupling piece (21) coupled to an opening mechanism (27). Glasshouse as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one gripping member for pivotable connection of an opening mechanism (27) is attached to a glass plate (5) of a window (1) by means of clamping means (50). Glasshouse as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at least one gripping member for pivotable connection of an opening mechanism (27) is glued to a glass plate (5) of a window (1). Glasshouse as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the window (1) comprises a glass plate (5) of common glass, which preferably has a thickness of 4 to 5 mm. Glasshouse as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the window (1) consists substantially of a glass plate (5) of common glass with hinge profile (4) and gripping profile (13) extending substantially along the whole length of the upper and lower edges of said glass plate (5). Method for building a glasshouse as specified in any preceding claim, characterized in that a plurality of glass plates (5) for windows (1) openable for ventilation are transported to the construction site without attached hinge profile and without attached gripping member and that said hinge profile and said gripping profile are connected to the glass plate on the construction site.

Inventors: BOM, PETRUS LEONARDUS JOSEF
Applicants: P.L.J. BOM BEHEER B.V.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A01G9
IPC codes: A01G9