Prefabricated all weather dome-type shelter

Claim 1

A prefabricated shelter comprising a plurality of self supporting panels, each in the form of a spherical segment; each panel having a concave inside wall surface and a convex outside wall surface bound by spaced apart top and bottom edge portions, and spaced apart side edge portions; each said panel being made up of fiberglass impregnated with a plastic resin, and a layer of foamed plastic superimposed on one surface of said fiberglass panel, with the foamed plastic forming the concave surface of the panel while the fiberglass shell forms the convex side of the panel; an anchor ring; said anchor ring circumferentially extending about the base of said shelter; means by which said bottom edge portion of each panel is attached to said anchor ring; said bottom edge portion of each panel defining a marginal part of a relatively large equatorial circumference, said top edge portion of each panel being turned vertically upward to define a marginal part of a relatively small equatorial circumference, said side edge portions converging towards a common apex and terminating at said top and bottom edge portions; an upper ring, means for attaching said top edge portion of each panel to said upper ring to thereby provide an apex of the shelter; a ventilation cap, spaced apart links, said links having journal means at each opposed end portion thereof with one end portion being journaled to an edge portion of said cap and the remaining end portion being journaled to said ring; each said side edge portion of said panels being in the form of a radial flange formed by turning a marginal edge portion of the panel laterally to the surface area of the panel; each adjacent panel being joined together by adjacent said radial flanges which abut one another; means for holding the adjacent flanges together including a metal clip; said clip having spaced legs biased towards one another; each said leg adapted to engage a flange so as to force the flanges together; a longitudinally extending split tube encapsulating the last said means and said flange, and extending along the side edge portions; and means forming a doorway in at least one said panel.