Building construction

Details Building construction Building construction

1999-03-25

2001-10-02

Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)

Static structures (e.g., buildings)

Preassembled subenclosure or substructure section of unit or...

C052S079500, C052S091100, C052S634000, C052S143000, C052S090100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06295766

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to building construction, modular buildings, portable buildings, a building module, and apparatus and methods for facilitating the correct alignment, connection, and stabilization of one building structure on another.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art discloses a variety of structures and methods for mounting an upper structure (another building, additional story of a building, roof structure, upper deck, etc.) on a lower or base structure. In one prior art system a second story module is emplaced on a first story module and corner beams or braces and/or intermediate members are secured to each story.
As shown in
FIG. 1A
a prior art system as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,227 discloses structure and methods for stacking one building core on another which are interconnected and secured together with metal angle members at their corners. The angle members serve as guides and supports and hold the cores in stacked condition during shipping.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,206 discloses a prior art system with stackable prefabricated building units having vertical corner casings extending into corner openings of a top wall. Bolts through an angle member and the top wall join the vertical casings to the top wall. Bolts through an adjacent unit and support beams join the adjacent unit to the top wall of a lower unit. In another aspect pieces of adjacent units are welded together. In another aspect attached sheet metal panels join together a series of units.
FIG. 1B
shows a prior art two-story building on a skid with a floor and upper and lower walls which are interconnected by connection members through which extend bolts or screws into each wall. A ceiling/second story floor is supported by the lower wall. The upper wall's interior side rests on the ceiling/second story floor.
Another common prior art system is the well known use of standard ISO containers and the stacking of such containers one on top of the other. Certain of these prior art systems have a relatively large footprint in use and in transport.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention, in certain embodiments, discloses a multi-story building or a building with a lower structure and an upper structure wherein the first floor or lower structure has at least one wall (or upright support, pillar, pole, or beam) with at least an upper enlarged portion which is sized to receive and hold a lower portion of an upper wall (or upper beam, pillar, pole support). In one aspect the entire length of the wall of the first floor or lower structure is enlarged and the upper wall's or upper support's lower portion is bolted to and within the lower wall and/or rests on one or more steps in the lower wall.
As desired, the upper and lower walls may be further secured together with interconnecting members, ribs, panels, braces, beams, etc. The upper wall may be a wall of an upper story or a support for an upper structure such as a truss or roof. Each lower wall may have an enlarged portion along its entire length; e.g. in a square or rectangular building all four lower walls may have the upper enlarged portion and all upper walls along their entire length may fit into the enlarged portions of the lower walls.
In another aspect, the lower structure initially includes no walls, but has at least one pillar (beam, support, pole, etc.) with an enlarged open upper end which receives and holds a smaller end of an upper pillar (beam, support, pole, etc.). In one aspect the lower structure includes four such lower pillars each with an enlarged or “funnel” upper opening for facilitating the reception into the lower pillars of a lower end of each of four upper pillars. Of course, any suitable number of structures, building units, pillars, etc. may be stacked and interconnected one on top of the other.
In one aspect the lower wall or lower pillar has a top funnel or enlarged portion which is sized so that the lower end of an upper wall or upper pillar fits in it and is held therein by a friction fit, with or without the use of a stop member or members in the lower wall or pillar on which rests the lower end of the upper wall or upper pillar. Any suitable stop member or members may be used; e.g. a bolt or bolts extending into the lower structure; a plate, strip, or strips secured across the interior of the lower structure; an amount of material glued to the interior of the lower structure; a plug, hollow or solid secured in the lower structure; or a cylindrical or semi-cylindrical member secured in a cylindrical pillar. Bolts, screws, glue, or other fasteners may be used through any upper and lower structure or members herein at an area of their overlap to secure them together.
In one aspect the present invention discloses a structure as described above with a lower pillar having at least a top portion which is hollow (and which in one embodiment may be hollow along its entire length) and an upper pillar similarly hollow. A connection member (solid or hollow) that fits within both pillars is disposed with a portion in both pillars and secured to both pillars, e.g. with glue, screws and or bolts. If the pillars are cylindrical, the connection member may be cylindrical, semi-cylindrical, or some portion of a cylinder. Such a connection member facilitates correcting positioning of an upper pillar with respect to a lower pillar. In one aspect the connection member is emplaced within the upper pillar; the upper pillar is moved over the lower pillar; and the connection member is lowered so that part of it extends into the lower pillar. Alternatively the connection member is originally disposed in the lower pillar and it is raised partially so its upper end extends into the upper pillar. In one aspect one or more stops are positioned in the lower pillar to support and position the connection member. In another aspect one or more spring-loaded detents initially holds the connection member in one of the pillars and then holds it in the other. In one aspect two spaced apart detents are used, one holding the connection member to a lower pillar and one holding it to an upper member.
In one embodiment, the present invention discloses a lower pillar with an upper funnel portion which is sized, configured and positioned for receiving a tapered lower nose of a connection member (solid or hollow) originally movably disposed in an upper pillar. The nose may be held in the funnel portion with a friction fit, glue, screws, and/or bolts. The funnel portion may be formed integrally of the lower pillar or it may be a separate piece or pieces disposed on and/or in the upper part of the lower pillar. The funnel portion may be made of the same material as the lower pillar (metal, wood, plastic, fiberglass) or of different material. In one aspect the funnel portion may have an upper lip or upper portion that serves as a shock absorber and/or seal or gasket between an upper and a lower pillar.
Any building unit or structure disclosed herein may be mounted on a skid, frame, truck, or trailer.
What follows are some of, but not all, the objects of this invention. In addition to the specific objects stated below for at least certain preferred embodiments of the invention, other objects and purposes will be readily apparent to one of skill in this art who has the benefit of this invention's teachings and disclosures. It is, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide:
New, useful, unique, efficient, nonobvious devices and methods for building units, interconnected supports including walls and pillars, methods to facilitate emplacement and positioning of an upper unit or pillar on a lower unit or pillar, and pillars (orwalls) with upper enlarged portions to facilitate reception therein of an upper member.
Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures and functions. Feat

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