Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Preassembled subenclosure or substructure section of unit or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-16
2001-08-21
Kent, Christopher T. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Preassembled subenclosure or substructure section of unit or...
C052S092200, C052S092300, C052S093100, C052S640000, C052S641000, C052S646000, C052S653200, C052S655100, C052S693000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276094
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention broadly relates to a building system. Specifically the present invention is a light weight pre-engineered prefabricated modular building system. Art pertinent to the subject matter of the present invention can be found in various Subclasses of United States Patent Class 52.
2. The Prior Art
Numerable patents have been issued on modular building systems and components used in such systems. For example, many patents have been issued on building trusses. Pomento, U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,104, discloses a wooden truss member intended to connect a column and roof beam. Sheppard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,453, discloses a light gauge steel building system and truss design. Wilbanks, U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,160, discloses a truss assembly employing criss-crossed struts extending from a column to a mid point of an opposite rafter. Wormser, U.S. Pat. No. 3,462,895, discloses a symmetrical shelter truss commonly used for pavilions and the like. Davenport, U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,940 discloses a metal building truss employing top and bottom cords made of channel iron material. Funk, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 297,864, discloses a bolt together truss assembly employing channel iron members. Dividoff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,784, discloses a triangulated roof truss structure.
Many building systems employ specialized brackets for establishing joints between standardized, dimensional structural members. Brackets formed from sheet metal are popular for joining dimensional lumber. Such brackets are disclosed in Gilb, U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,448 and Southerland, U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,555. Two patents issued to Fritz, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,9041,496 and 4,930,268 disclose building brackets. The former is a two piece roof peak bracket and the latter a two piece post to roof beam bracket. Andrews, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,192, discloses brackets used to connect structural members with interlocking or indexing shapes. Dufour, U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,387, discloses a prefabricated joint used to join steel trusses and dimensional steel members. McElhoe, U.S. Pat. No. 4,041,659 discloses a metal building structure employing tabs and brackets for securing structural steel members. Hale, U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,480 discloses a set of brackets used to join rafters, at the peak, to the columns and the columns to a supporting surface. Solo, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,635, discloses a truss support system using a hinged or pivoted connector. Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,964 discloses a modular building frame system employing indexing tabs and stops to facilitate assembly. Matticks, U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,725 discloses a building comprised of interlocking components which employs few fasteners. Reid, U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,082, discloses a structural frame member. Geraci, U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,589, discloses a trihedrial clip and a variety of uses for the clip in steel frame construction.
The building industry has striven to provide a readily customizable building design. For example, Dean, U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,487, discloses a method for forming a rigid frame for construction.
The present Inventor previously developed a lightweight steel building system that utilized square steel tubing and five-sided ductile iron connectors. These connectors allow tubular structural members to attach from needed directions to create buildings in various sizes and configurations. A company founded by the present Inventor, Erecta Shelters, Inc. of Greenwood, Ark., has sold, designed, manufactured, and erected thousands of buildings using this tubing and ductile iron connector design.
The greatest demand for general purpose buildings is for sizes of fifteen to fifty feet in width, with eight to fourteen foot side wall heights, and lengths from twenty four to sixty feet. A large majority of these buildings are erected by the people who purchase them, not professional builders. This “Do It Yourself” trend is constantly increasing. The “Do It Yourself” portion of the building industry is undoubtedly the fastest growing part of the industry.
There are over one hundred steel building manufacturers in the United States; and customarily, lead time to fabricate a building is five to eight weeks. No manufacturer presently offers a pre-engineered prefabricated building available on the same day that the building is ordered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
My light weight pre-engineered prefabricated modular building system allows construction of a building employing easily inventoried interchangeable connectors, structural members, and components capable of producing multiple gable wall heights, widths and configurations. Roof designs include double pitch and cantilever. Building lengths are independent from the gable, wall and roof design chosen. This novel modular building system, emphasizes simplicity of erection, longevity of product, insurability, customer service, affordability, mass production and mass distribution. Buildings built using the present system are insurable at a lower rate than conventional wooden or wood-masonry structures.
The present embodiment of the modular system is comprised of nine pre-fabricated structural members and two connectors which create the entire building main frame system. The connectors make it possible to change roof pitch from a shallow pitch such as a two in fifteen ratio to a steep pitch such as a four in fifteen ratio utilizing the same connectors and structural members. This capability is extremely important for northern structures with heavy snow load requirements.
An integral part to my system is a multi-use principal structural member which is utilized as columns. Typical bay lengths are twelve, fifteen, eighteen and twenty-one feet using four inch members and connectors. Building load and wind requirements vary in different regions with each region having multiple load conditions for commercial, residential and agricultural. Various bay lengths may be utilized to meet required loadings resulting in the most affordable application. Increased bay lengths result in reduced cost per square foot. Proportionally larger members and connectors can be employed for larger scale applications providing greater open spans and wall heights. Conversely, proportionally smaller scale members and connectors can be used to construct smaller structures from storage buildings to play houses to model or toy building sets.
This building system lends itself to mass production and distribution. Due to its numerous configurations and applications utilizing so few components, this pre-engineered prefabricated modular building system can be carried as an “in-stock” item by dealers, distributors and/or franchisees.
Therefore, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a light weight pre-engineered prefabricated modular building system.
Specifically, an object of the present invention is to provide a modular building system which allows construction of a building employing easily inventoried interchangeable connectors, structural members, and components.
An object of the present invention is to provide a light weight pre-engineered prefabricated modular building system capable of producing multiple gable wall sizes and configurations.
An object of the present invention is to provide a modular building system which provides a choice of roof designs including double pitch and cantilever.
A related object of the present invention is to provide a modular building system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a modular building system in which building length is independent of the gable, wall and roof design.
Another object of my modular building system is to provide a simple to erect building which is conducive to use by a do-it-yourself builder.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an affordable modular building system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a modular building having a long life span.
An object of the present invention is to provide a modular building system capable of being mass produced and mass distributed.
Another object of the present invention is
Kent Christopher T.
Mahurin Jerry L.
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