Tornado-Proof House With Tail

The idea, from an 1890 patent, was to make the house aerodynamic (long and narrow) and then attach it to a turntable, so that it could turn to face the wind.

I'm sure there must be some basic flaw in the concept. I imagine the entire house being spun like a top by the wind.





Source: Popular Mechanics - Apr 1910
     Posted By: Alex - Wed Nov 04, 2015
     Category: Inventions | Patents | Nineteenth Century





Comments
At least you'd know where to find the furniture after the tornado passed. Glued up against the walls.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/04/15 at 09:48 AM
Water, sewage, electric, cable/internet/phone, gas, etc. hookups sound like a challenge, unless you're going to build a generator and storage tanks into the turntable and lock it up to refill them every so often.

Also, the roof is still gonna get lifted off.
Posted by *daha* on 11/04/15 at 10:39 AM
But, daha, this is from 1910. Water and sewage are outside, where they belong, and what are all those other things?
Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 11/04/15 at 11:53 AM
It probably would have worked, just who wants to live in a glorified stock tank?
Posted by Miles on 11/04/15 at 12:19 PM
@Miles: Look at this.
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/04/15 at 12:26 PM
I can't imagine how strong the wind would have to be to turn that thing. Even when it has good bearings, a large weather vane takes a stiff breeze to point it.

@daha -- Rotary connectors for electricity and water are fairly standard. Internet would probably be best handled by wi-fi from the base. Sewage uses nested U-channels to provide a water seal. Or just put all the utilities in the center hub and let the rest of the house swing around it.
Posted by Phideaux on 11/04/15 at 12:37 PM
And for a Hallowee'en prank the kids could spin the house until all inside threw up.
Posted by KDP on 11/04/15 at 12:45 PM
@KDP -- let's hope they're no more creative than pushing it around by hand. You used to be able to buy military surplus jato rockets fairly cheap . . .
Posted by Phideaux on 11/04/15 at 12:51 PM
@ Expat: I'll take the grain silo over the stock tank any day!
Posted by Miles Noell on 11/04/15 at 02:42 PM
@Phideaux: Not in 1910! My grandfather was still using a buckboard as the main means of transportation!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/05/15 at 01:04 AM
@Miles: Yea, I, finally, got my head on straight and remembered what a stock tank was. D'ho! (It's only been 45 years)
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/05/15 at 01:05 AM
It looks like a trailer with a tail to help the tornado pick it up better.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 11/05/15 at 08:21 PM
It is possible to build a tornado-proof house; see http://www.tornadoproofhouses.com for one approach. Apparently people would rather live dangerously.
Posted by John Ayer on 11/06/15 at 12:04 PM
How would living in a cement box effect our exposure to radon gas?
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 11/06/15 at 03:01 PM
Been doing it for over 40 year and WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEE OOOOOOOKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOWWWWW. :gulp:
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/07/15 at 12:08 AM
At least I know what you've been sniffing honey.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 11/07/15 at 12:19 AM
I love the smell of radon in the morning!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 11/07/15 at 12:29 AM
When a blizzard is raging, I sometimes work on the design of my hurricane proof Caribbean house. I don't buy lotto tickets so there is no chance.
Posted by BMN on 11/07/15 at 04:57 AM
They put a glorified treehouse on an old backhoe frame on TV and it turned fairly easily by hand so I imagine a strong steady wind could move this thing around.
This time of year we get wind directions changing frequently so I can see us waking up each morning facing a different direction.
Posted by GFinKS on 11/09/15 at 02:18 PM
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