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Martha E Phillips

Leo G Woerner

Roger A Dudik

An improved geodesic dome connector of the paired-opposed-arm type with 'swept-back arms', angled axially with respect to the central portion, has a central portion in the form of a cylindrical tube; respective adjacent arms of different pairs join the central portion in close proximity to each other preferably, and preferably also have conical taper on the axial ends of the central member, convex on the outer end and concave on the inner end, for fairing-in sheathing applied on the outer and inner faces by attachment to respective elongate members held between the pairs of arms.

Geodesic dome connector

A geodesic dome connector system of the type having a tubular polygonal hub supporting a radial array of arms provides for precision assembly of a variety of types of connectors by pre-assembly of respective arms to two peripherally extending faceted sections which form on resilient assembly about a template the tubular polygonal hub, the template being affixed as a gusset bracing the connector; structure defining apertures between tubular polygonal hub and template or gusset which permit looser tolerances on bending of the tubular polygonal hub parts and provide easier assembly with less distortion.

A plural-single-sweptback geodesic dome connector system for joining struts to arms of the connector provides a uniform circular hub periphery permitting assembly-connection of the arms at any selected peripheral angles to the hub; hub diameter may advantageously be 1.75 times strut width to provide laterally abutting bracing of struts for six-arm uniform-arm spacing connectors.

Connector system for geodesic dome struts

A geodesic dome structure tie-beam connector provides an axially swept-back, flexibly alignable, circular array of paired-jaw bolt-tightened vises for holding respective tenon-ends of tie beams; each vise jaw pair is on the end of and generally aligned with a respective radially deployed rib and the jaws of each vise-jaw are axially spaced relative to the connector axis so that they clamp in a direction radial to a geodesic dome in which employed and can provide through oversize holes a degree of circumferential adjustment of the associated tie beams relative to a geodesic dome while preserving structural stiffness in directions radial to a geodesic dome as for example, in resisting snowloads; clear wrenching access for all types of wrenches is provided by the vise orientation.

Geodesic dome structure tie-beam connector

A geodesic dome connector system includes a central ring of symmetrical truncate-pyramid shape having on respective facets thereof respective pairs of laterally opposed jaws radiating from the center; inclination of the facets perpendicular to the intended chords of the dome structure automatically aligns the rectangular-end jaws along the chords and fairs-in the top and bottom surfaces of the ring and the jaws with conventional elongate members held by the jaws and with any conventionally applied sheathing panels used in completing the dome; and close-coupling of the connector elements according to the design of the invention maximizes rigidity and strength while minimizing weight and cost.

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Baltimore, MD, United States of America

Martha E Phillips