US3393483A - Building structure with frame corner connector elements - Google Patents

Description

July 23, 1 J. D. NAILLON ETAL BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH FRAME CORNER CONNECTOR ELEMENTS I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 22, 1966 m 0 A TNM ww H W mma N D L w C R A JAY B TTORNEYS y 3, 1968 J. D. NAILLON ETAL 3,393,483

BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH FRAME CORNER CONNECTOR ELEMENTS Filed April 22, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JACOB D, NAILLON & ARNOLD N. LYERMAN ATTORNEYS July 23, 1968 NAlLLoN ETAL 3,393,483

BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH FRAME CORNER CONNECTOR ELEMENTS Filed April 22, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q INVENTORS JACOB D NAILLON a AWOLD N. SILVE RMAN T onm-zvs United States Patent 3,393,483 BUILDING STRUCTURE WITH FRAME CORNER CONNECTOR ELEMENTS Jacob D. Naillon, Walnut Creek, and Arnold N. Silverman, Burlingame, Calif., assignors to Dymo Industries, Inc., Emeryville, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Apr. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 544,593 5 Claims. (Cl. 52-263) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A modular building structure including a horizontal base frame with upwardly directed sockets and wall supporting columns having downwardly directed inserts receivable in the base frame sockets.

This invention generally relates to a modular form of building construction permitting rapid on-site erection or knockdown of the various building components. More particularly, the invention is directed to such a structure and its method of erection which facilitates compact shipment, and which reduces the required time and equipment for assembly or disassembly of the building components.

During the past several years, the use of relocatable building structures has been greatly expanded. The primary reason for such increase has probably been economic in nature, although other factors, such as the ability to move the buildings from one location to another to satisfy changing population or other requirements, have also been important. While the specific designs and the uses to which such buildings are put may have substantial variations, most of the buildings have certain common attributes.

By way of example, major building components such as entire roofs, floors, walls, etc. may be produced at a manufacturing facility, and then transported to the site location already wired, painted, or otherwise ready for connection to other components of the building. The site will usually be prepared with whatever grading or foundation work may be required, so that upon delivery of the components, an entire building, consisting, for example, of a full size classroom, about 30 feet by 30 feet in dimension, can be erected in about one days time and ready for occupancy. There are obviously a large number of ways in which building modules can be made, and in which the module components and/or the entire modules can be erected and secured together. However, heretofore, the type of construction and the erection methods utilized possessed a number of shortcomings which included, among others, costly transportation of the components to the building site due to the bulk of the unit, the necessity of having costly erection equipment, such as cranes, to handle and lift large building components, and substantial on-site fitting of the components to align and/or secure the same together.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a relocatable building structure whose individual separable components are all of substantially flat rectangular configuration thereby permitting the entire structure or the respective modules thereof to be stored and shipped in stacked flat relationship.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure of the type described in which the components may be stacked for storage and shipment in such manner as enables the erection crew to use each component as the same becomes accessible from the top of the stacked package.

A further object of the invention is to provide a struc- 3,393,483 Patented July 23, 1968 ture as above referred to in which the components, including a roof, may be erected without the use of any special cranes or lifting apparatus, other than a single simple fork lift truck, notwithstanding the fact that the roof unit may be an integral unit spanning an entire module of substantial size.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a structure and method of erecting the same which permits rapid connection of all load bearing units with a minimum of skill on the part of the erection crew.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a structure and method of erecting the same in which nonload bearing members, such as Walls or partitions, may be readily and conveniently hung or installed, irrespective of slight misalignment of the load-bearing members on which they are mounted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a system of the character described incorporating a rigid frame construction utilizing light gauge tubing and connector members which may be easily welded to such tubing without requiring back-up members or the like as is ordinarily required in welding such tubing.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, somewhat diagrammatic, of a building construction employing the teachings of the present invention, and illustrating a three module design.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a lower corner of the structure taken generally in the plane indicated by line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector elements shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is another view of a lower corner of the structure, taken generally in the plane indicated by line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, at right angles to the direction of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 55 of FIGURE 1, illustrating a typical joint between modules and the securing of walls to the load bearing columns.

FIGURE 6 is a view of a typical connection between modules, taken generally at the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of a floor beam taken in the plane indicated by line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a side elevational view, somewhat diagrammatic, illustrating the manner in which a roof section is erected on load bearing columns.

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 2, but illustrating an upper corner of the framework.

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, but illustrating an upper corner of the supporting framework.

As hereinabove mentioned the present invention is directed to a form of building construction utilizing factory produced components which may be rapidly and efiiciently connected together at a building site with a minimum of time and equipment to produce a permanent, yet relocatable structure.

For purpose of explanation, and to establish an environment for certain features of the invention which will be later described, FIGURE 1 of the drawings illustrates a generally square building formed of three modules, 16, 17 and 18. By way of example, each of the modules might be approximately ten feet wide and thirty feet long, and connected together along adjacent sides to produce a thirty foot square structure. Although each module might be made to serve as a self-contained unit, where the modules are connected together, as illustrated, the outer modules 16 and 18 will have end walls and one side or outer wall, while the center module 17 will only have end walls. Each module includes a floor 19, walls 21, and a roof 22, and the manner of connecting these components to the load-bearing structural frame members, and the interconnection of adjacent modules will be later described in more detail.

The framework of the various modules is the same and consequently, a description of the construction of the load-bearing unit of a single module will suffice. In broad terms, the framework includes a pair of longitudinally extending horizontal floor beams 24 and a pair of transversely extending horizontal floor beams 27. As here shown, all of the beams are positioned at the edges of their associated module, but where individual modules are to be used, or where for some reason it is not essential to provide a structural connection between the framework of adjacent modules, such beams might be disposed inwardly of such edges. Then, if adjacent modules were to be attached together, such attachment would have to be other than a side by side frame attachment.

As best illustrated in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, the ends of the beams 24 are rigidly connected to the ends of beams 27 through a socket connector member, generally designated by the numeral 31. All of the beams are preferably of tubular cross-sectional form, with the transverse beams 27 being of generally square configuration and the longitudinal beams 24 being of a narrower form of rectangular shape. For reasons of strength, the height of such a beam will obviously have the maximum dimension, for minimizing bending forces. As above mentioned, instead of merely securing the beam ends directly together, the connector element 31 is utilized, and in this connection, a dual purpose is accomplished. First, the nature of member 31 is such that a welded connection can be effected on relatively light gauge tubing members without requiring back up elements or the like inserted within the tubular beams. Secondly, the member 31 is utilized to provide a support for the posts or vertical load bearing column members, presently to be described.

Member 31 has a base 32, end walls 33, 34, and side walls 36, 37, the latter slightly converging from the base, with all of such members defining a generally rectangular pocket 38 having a maximum size at its upper open end, and a minimum size at the base. The base or bottom 32 may have a drain opening 39' therein. At least one of the side walls, such as wall 36 so provided with an outwardly extending square projection or boss 41 of a size and shape to be telescopically received within the end portion of beam 27. Such a boss will serve as a back up plate and permit a welding of beam 27 to the member 31 at the outer exposed juncture 42 between the beam and socket member. Similarly, one of the end walls 33 of the socket member 31 has an outwardly extending rectangular boss 43 having a size and shape to be telescopically received within the end portion of beam 24, and welded thereto in the manner just described.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that insofar as the flooring framework is concerned, a socket member 31 is provided at each of the four corners of the structure, the bosses 41 and 43 are inserted in the ends of their respective beams and welded to the same, and the beams are thus secured to each other in a rigid manner, and a socket or pocket 38 is provided at each corner for the purpose of receiving vertical columns 46.

The vertical columns or posts 46 are also preferably formed of tubular cross-sectional form of substantially the same size as the longitudinal floor beams 24. The

length, i.e., the height of such columns will depend on the desired roof height requirements. The important factor, however, is that each corner post or column 46 is provided with a socket insert connector member 47 at the ends thereof which is adapted to be received in the pocket 38 of its associated socket connector member to provide a rigid connection therebetween.

As illustrated, each insert member is in the form of a hollow tongue or blade having end walls 48, a bottom 49, and apposed side walls 51 and 52 converging from the bottom wall 49 in the same manner as socket walls 36 and 37. The insert has a flange 53 extending laterally beyond the end and side walls and extending axially beyond such flange is a boss 54 which is telescopically inserted in the end of column 46 so as to permit a welding connection therebetween, such as at 55, in the same manner that the socket members were inserted in and welded to the floor beams. With the blade or tongue insert 47 extending downwardly from the column 46, the latter is readily installed relative to the floor beams by merely dropping the insert 47 into the socket pocket 38. The bottom of the insert is provided with a drain opening 56 in alignment with the similar opening 39 in the socket member.

As seen in the drawings, the tongue insert while freely insertible in the socket, forms a taper fit when the same is fully seated, and accordingly is capable of resisting all loads other than a direct vertical force which would tend to separate the two connector elements 31 and 47 from each other. Accordingly, there is provided a plurality of bolt-receiving apertures 58 extending through the side walls of the socket member, and similar apertures 59 extending through the side walls of the blade insert. With the insert fully seated in the socket pocket (as shown in FIGURE 2) the apertures 58 and 59 will be in alignment. Bolts 61 may then be inserted therethrough and engaged by nuts 62 to effectively releasably secure the connector elements together. The bolts 61 may be readily inserted into the apertures 58, and thence through the other aligned apertures. However, after insertion, the threaded ends of the bolts will be within the beams 27. For this reason, the outer surface wall of such beams is preferably provided with a continuous slot or opening 64 normally covered by a plate 66. By removing the plate, the nuts 62 mav be readily attached to the bolts.

It should also be noted that connector elements 31 and 47 are each provided with an enlarged central aperture 67 and 68 respectively, and such apertures will be aligned upon operative engagement between the elements so as to permit an electrical conduit (not shown) to be passed through the beams 27, and the associated connector elements.

The foregoing description has been primarily directed towards the floor framing and vertical columns for a single module, and same attention should now be directed towards the roof structure, and the method of connection of such structure to the columns so as to be supported thereby.

As shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, and as above suggested, the upper end of each of the four columns 46 is provided with a male connector element 47, and in this case, the blade extends upwardly therefrom, i.e., with the portion 49 thereof at the upper end and adapted to be inserted in a downwardly directed socket element 31 carried by the roof framework. The latter may be constructed in a manner similar to the floor framework with a pair of longitudinally extending beams 71 and a pair of transversely extending beams 72. The socket connector elements 31 are inserted in and welded to the roof beams 71 and 72 in the same manner as on the floor beams 24 and 27, except that for the roof beams, the members 31 will be positioned with the pocket 38 downwardly directed. As shown in the drawings, the actual roofing 22 may include an overhang beyond the perimeter of the building as defined by the beams 71 and 72. Accordingly, additional roof headers 74 may be provided as such spacing and with such pitch as the roof specification requires.

As will be understood, the floor beams 24 and 27, the floor beam socket connector elements 31, and the flooring 19 may be made as an integral unit at a factory. Likewise, the male connector elements 47 are secured to the ends of the columns 46, and the roof module consisting of the roof beams 71, 72, the socket elements 31, headers 74, and roofing 22 is constructed. The floor section may be placed in a flat bed trailer, or otherwise mounted on wheels for transportation to the building site. The posts may be laid on the flooring, and the roof section likewise laid on the flooring during such shipment. Upon arrival at the building site, after the flooring section is deposited in position, a fork lift truck may lift up one end of the roof section to provide access to the four columns 46. Such columns are then inserted in the corner sockets 31. The fork lift may then raise one end of the roof section (as shown in FIGURE 8) until the two sockets 31 may be dropped onto the upwardly extending connectors 46 at the top of the posts. Due to the angular inclination of the roof beams 71, the connector elements cannot be fully seated, but the blade enters the socket pocket 38 a sufficient distance so that the roof end will be supported thereby. Then, the fork lift may raise the other end of the roof section until the other two socket members 31 may be lowered with the subjacent blade connectors 47. As the roof beams 71 achieve a horizontal disposition, the blade members 47 will become fully seated in the pockets 31. It is important to note that due to the nature of the connectors, the roof may be raised, one end at a time in distinction to the usual raising of a roof section by maintaining the same horizontal, with accompanying heavy duty lifting equipment.

After the roof connector elements are seated, bolts 61 and nuts are utilized as above explained to releasably lock the columns to the roof frame structure. Access to the nuts may be had through a continuous opening 76 provided on a face of beam 72.

The particular form or arrangement of the flooring 19 or roofing 22, and the manner of its connection to the floor or roof frame is not of any particular significance in an understanding of the instant invention, so no detailed showing has been made. Suitable flashing 78 may be provided for the flooring, and likewise, in order to cover the heads of bolts 61 at the corners of the structure, a cover plate 79 may overlie the outer face of the socket.

The foregoing description has been directed to the construction and/or erection of a single module, and same attention should now be directed to the manner of securing adjacent modules together. As best shown in FIG- URES 1, 6 and 7, floor frames of adjacent modules are positioned with the respective beams 24 in contiguous relationship, thereby placing the outer faces of socket Walls 37 in side by side position, with the beams 27 in alignment. After the columns 46 are placed in the respective socket elements bolts 81 may be passed through both sets of connector elements, and connected by nuts 82, thus not only locking each male and female connector against displacement, but likewise securing adjacent modules together to provide a rigid unitary frame structure. As previously explained, since the outer surface of the beams 27 is provided with the opening 64, access is readily available to permit insertion of the bolts and nuts. Thereafter the cover 66 and flashing 78 may be installed to enclose the same. Connection of the roof framing is performed in the same manner as for the floor framing.

In addition to the bolts 81 and nuts 82 provision is made for securing the columns 46 together along the length thereof. With reference to FIGURE 5, it will be seen that bolts 96 and nuts 97 pass through suitable openings 98 in the juxtaposed walls 99 of the channels. By using sufficient bolts along the length of the channels there is provided an effective cross-sectional area substantially stronger than any individual channel. Acess to the bolts and nuts may be made through aligned holes 101 in the outer walls of the channels.

Although the flooring and roofing will normally be constructed on their associated frame at the factory, it is preferred that the walls 21 be shipped flat and installed as non-load bearing members after the on-site erection of the framework. The walls are preferably built, e.g. as about ten foot modular sections of any desired utilitarian function, i.e., plain wall, wall and window, wall and door, etc. These sections are shipped with the floor and roof modules and adapted for connection to the columns 46 after the framing is completed. As best shown in FIG- URE 5, each wall section 21 includes an extrusion 86 along the vertical edges thereof having an outwardly extending flange 87. Secured to the outer edge of each column 46 is an extrusion 88 having a flange 89 generally parallel to flange 87 and provided with a tapped screw receiving boss 91. The flange 87 is slotted as indicated at 92, so that the wall section 21 may be placed in position and then being in such position by passing screws (not shown) between the flanges 87 and 89, the slot 92 permitting adjustment of the wall section to accommodate slight misalignment or irregularities in either the framework, the wall panel sections, or both.

After the walls are hung, a vertical filler 93 may be placed over the inner edges of the columns, and vertical clips 94 positioned as illustrated to provide a suitable interior trim.

From the foregoing description, it should be clear that the structure just described is extremely simple and inexpensive insofar as initial manufacturing costs are concerned. In addition, the construction permits on-site erection of the various components in a minimum of time, with a minimum amount of equipment or skilled rigging personnel, and nevertheless produces a stronger building than that heretofore available.

What is claimed is:

1. A building structure including a plurality of modules, each of said modules including a generally horizontal frame, said frame including a corner connector element having an upwardly directed socket, a column including a bottom connector element having a downwardly directed insert received in said socket, means defining apertures extending horizontally through said elements whereby upon placing of modules in adjacent relationship and placing of said column elements in said frame elements, all of said apertures will be in alignment, and fastener means extending through said aligned apertures securing adjacent modules and adjacent columns together.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 in which said column is provided with an upper connector element having an upwardly directed insert, and a horizontally disposed roof frame including a downwardly directed socket receiving said latter insert for supporting said roof frame.

3. A structure as set forth in claim 1 including a Wall member, means releasably supporting said wall member between adjacent columns in selected positions of adjustment therebetween.

4. A structure as set in claim 1 in which said horizontal frame includes angularly related tubular beams with said socket element being disposed at each corner thereof, said socket element having bosses extending from angularly related faces thereof telescopically receivable in said beams, said insert element having a boss thereon telescopically receivable in said column, at least one of said beams having an opening in a face thereof providing access to said apertures for attachment of said fastener means.

5. A connector arrangement for releasably securing a tubular column member to a tubular beam member including a female socket element and a male insert element received in said socket element, each of said elements having a boss extending from a surface thereof and telescopically received by an end portion of the respec- 7 8 tive tubular members, means securing said elements to References Cited their respective members, said socket element and said UNITED STATES PATENTS insert element having a generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration, said socket element having a pair of 3103709 9/1963 B911; 52' 79 X normally related bosses extending from adjacent surfaces 5 3221837 12/1965 Flsher 52 646 thereof and telescopically received by end portions of 3279132 10/1966 Slayter 52-49 X perpendicularly related beam members, said insert ele- FOREIGN PATENTS ment being secured to the lower end of said column mern- 149,014 1952 Australia her, and said insert being of generally flat rectangular configuration. 10 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner.

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