Architectural plate glass support system

摘要

A mechanical joint supports vertically extending plate glass using an articulated joint to accommodate some relative movement between the support joint and the plate glass. The joint includes a stem, one end secured to a support structure and the other being a solid sphere, and a head. The head has a spherical opening which mounts over the solid sphere. The plate glass has an opening sized to fit over the one end of the stem and onto the head. A jam nut threads onto the head to secure the plate glass between the nut and an enlarged outer end of the head. A resilient O-ring is mounted between the head and stem and acts as a shock absorber for pivotal movement of the head relative to the stem. The support structure includes prestressed cables connected to struts, the struts being pivotally connected to the stems. The invention provides substantially moment-free support of an array of glass plates positioned edge to edge while permitting limited deformation due to wind load.