GEORGE W ACOCK
Architects in Columbus, OH

4608785, Sep 2, 1986

Feb 11, 1985

6/700254

James Rhodes - Columbus OH
Michael Wren - Rushville OH
Paul W. Lantz - Columbus OH
George W. Acock - Columbus OH

James A. Rhodes & Associates - Columbus OH

E04B 1345

52 2

An environmentally controlled building having a covered atrium. The atrium roof can be a conventional rigid roof or an air-supported, flexible, continuous membrane roof. A pressurization system pressurizes the building interior and the atrium relative to the ambient atmospheric pressure outside the building. When the atrium has a membrane roof, this pressure differential inflates the membrane roof to maintain the roof in the desired configuration. Such a membrane roof can be semi-opaque to permit passage of diffused sunlight, permitting some plants to grow, while inhibiting passage of direct sunlight. Air locks are provided at the building entrances and exits to maintain the pressure differential as people enter and leave the building. A barometric pressure sensor monitors the ambient atmospheric pressure outside the building, and a control unit controls the pressurizing system to adjust the air pressure within the building and the atrium in response to variations in the ambient atmospheric pressure outside the building in an inverse relationship. As a consequence, ambient atmospheric pressure changes are not so noticeable to people within the building and the atrium.

4696133, Sep 29, 1987

Jan 27, 1986

6/822491

Michael Wren - Rushville OH
Paul W. Lantz - Columbus OH
George W. Acock - Columbus OH
James A. Rhodes - Columbus OH

James A. Rhodes & Associates - Columbus OH

F04B 1342

52 80

A building includes an annular structure having inner and outer walls and a dome roof enclosing building units. An open space within inner wall is covered by air-supported fabric dome roof. Through selection of surface areas, thicknesses, and coefficients of heat transfer, for a given temperature difference the rate of heat flow through the inner wall is substantially equal to the rate of heat flow through the dome roof, providing optimum efficiency of climate control, including minimizing heat loss or gain, therefore minimizing power requirments for atmospheric control within the building and pen space. Preferably, the surface area of inner wall is substantially equal to the surface area of the dome roof.

4637176, Jan 20, 1987

Oct 15, 1985

6/786995

George W. Acock - Columbus OH

B66B 900

52 30

An air lock or transition chamber for controlling air pressure during ingress and egress from a multi-story building the interior of which is at an elevated air pressure. An elevator car is provided with a substantially air-tight seal on its door. Persons entering the building pass through an entrance lobby or an underground garage and enter the elevator. These locations are at ambient atmospheric pressure. The elevator doors close and the elevator moves to the desired floor, which is at an elevated pressure. As the elevator car moves, the pressure within the elevator increases, either substantially to the elevated pressure of the destination or to a pressure between ambient atmospheric pressure and that elevated pressure. Similarly, as the elevator car returns to the floor at ambient atmospheric pressure, the pressure within the elevator car decreases, either substantially to ambient atmospheric pressure or to a pressure between the elevated pressure and ambient atmospheric pressure.