Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-06
2001-07-03
Rice, Kenneth R. (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
C280S799000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254132
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to manufactured homes and more particularly to an improved frame for transporting a manufactured home that lowers the overall height of the manufactured home during the transportation thereof.
2. Background of the Invention
In recent years, the manufactured home industry has substantially increased the quality of materials and construction of manufactured homes. This increase in quality and construction has been the result of superior materials, superior construction techniques, and new innovations which have resulted in a substantial increase in performance with a reduction in cost.
In general, a manufactured home is erected in an automated manufacturing factory using modern patterns, assembly line, and modern assembly equipment. The use of these automation techniques substantially reduces the cost and the time of construction of the manufactured home. After the manufactured home is completed, the manufactured home is stored on supports to await transportation to a permanent site for the manufactured home.
The manufactured home is loaded on a transportation carrier for transportation to the permanent site for the manufactured home. The manufactured home is positioned onto the transportation carrier by crane or other lifting means. The transportation carrier comprises a steel frame assembly supported by plural axles and transport wheels. The transportation carrier includes a hitch for attaching the transportation carrier to a towing vehicle such as a truck for transporting the manufactured home to the permanent site.
After the manufactured home is towed to the permanent site, the manufactured home is removed from the transportation carrier by a crane or other lifting means and the manufactured home is positioned on a foundation at the permanent home site. After removal of the manufactured home, the carrier transport is towed back to the manufacturing factory by a towing vehicle such as a truck for use in delivering another manufactured home. Unfortunately, the carrier transport is returned to the manufacturing factory without a load thereby substantially increasing the overall cost of delivery of the manufactured home. It is estimated that the cost of returning the carrier transport to the manufacturing factory is approximately one dollar per mile. Furthermore, the task of moving the manufactured home from the carrier transport to the foundation at the permanent home site requires the use of a crane or other lifting means. Accordingly, the transportation and installation of manufactured homes requiring the use of a carrier transport substantially adds to the overall cost of the manufactured home.
Among the most significant construction innovations developed in the manufactured home industry is the use of a dual purpose flooring system for a manufactured home. The dual purpose flooring system for a manufactured home comprises plural longitudinally extending beams and a multiplicity of transverse cross beams. The plural longitudinally extending beams are preferably steel I-beams with the multiplicity of transverse cross beams comprising wooden trusses.
The dual purpose flooring system provides a first function for the manufactured home by providing a removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch assembly for transporting the manufactured home to the permanent home site. Preferably, a removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch assembly are secured to the plural longitudinally extending beams for transporting the manufactured home and eliminating the need for an independent transportation carrier. When the manufactured home reaches the permanent home site, the removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch assembly are removed from the manufactured home and are shipped to the manufacturing factory. Only the removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch assembly which comprise the most expensive portions of a transport carrier need to be returned to the manufacturing factory. In addition, the removable transport wheel assembly and a removable hitch may be returned to the manufacturing factory by a conventional freight carrier thus eliminating the need for using the towing vehicle as was the problem in the prior art manufactured home carrier transports.
The dual purpose flooring system provides a second function for the manufacturated home by providing a right floor for supporting the manufactured home at the permanent home site. The plural longitudinally extending beams remain with the manufactured home after removal of the removable transport wheel assembly and the removable hitch assembly to provide a rigid support to the permanently mounted manufactured home. The plural longitudinally extending beams remains with the manufactured home to add to the structural integrity and strength of the flooring system. Several examples of the aforementioned dual purpose flooring system are disclosed in the following U.S. Letters Patent of the presented inventor.
The dual purpose flooring system provides a third function for the manufactured home by reducing the overall height of the manufactured home when the manufactured home is being transported to the permanent home site. Since the removable transport wheel assembly and the removable hitch assembly are directly secured to the plural longitudinally extending beams of the manufactured home, the dual purpose flooring system reduces the overall height of the manufactured home, the dual purpose flooring system reduces the overall height of the manufactured home during transportation by the thickness of the frame of the carrier transport of the prior art.
Typically, the carrier comprises a steel structure fashioned from I-beams that are from ten to twelve inches in height. Typically, an axle is mounted on leaf springs which are secured to the bottom portion of each of the I-beams of the carrier. Accordingly, the frame of structure reduces the overall height of the building structure during transportation by the thickness of the carrier. Typically, the thickness of the carrier is ten to twelve inches.
The overall height of the building structure during transportation is extremely important since overall height of the building structure must be below the maximum permitted transportation height established by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The building structure must be below the maximum permitted transportation height in order to easily pass under typical roadway bridges, underpasses, tunnels and the like. Presently, the maximum permitted transportation height established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is thirteen feet six inches.
In the event the transportation height of a building structure exceeds fourteen feet, than the building structure must be preceded by a flag truck having a fourteen foot sensor to detect any roadway bridges, underpasses, tunnels and the like that would prevent the passing of the building structure thereunder. In the event the flag truck detects any roadway bridges, underpasses, tunnels and the like that would prevent the passing of the building structure thereunder this maximum permitted transportation height, the building structure must be routed to avoid this obstacle. Accordingly, the transportation of a building structure in excess of the maximum permitted transportation height adds significantly to the cost of the transportation.
The pitch or slope of the roof of a building structure is limited by the maximum permitted transportation height established by the U.S. Department of Transportation. A greater pitch or slope of a roof has a distinct advantage for building structures located in regions with inclement weather such as rain, snow or ice. Secondly, a greater pitch or slope of a roof approximates the pitch or slope of a roof of a site built home.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,299 to Lindsay discloses an improved floor assembly being incorporated into a mobile building. A pair of identical frame assemblies form the floor of the building each including a plurality of mi
Frijouf Rust & Pyle P.A.
Rice Kenneth R.
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