EP0086201B1

EP0086201B1 - Portal frame

Info

Publication number: EP0086201B1
Application number: EP19820902361
Authority: EP
Inventors: William Ernest Miles; Trevor Harry Hough
Original assignee: KITPAC BUILDINGS Ltd
Current assignee: KITPAC BUILDINGS Ltd
Priority date: 1981-08-13
Filing date: 1982-08-04
Publication date: 1986-01-15
Also published as: EP0086201A1; DE3268543D1; BR8207820A; GB2115036B; GB2115036A; GB8309282D0; WO1983000518A1

Description

The invention relates to a portal frame for a building of the kind commonly referred to as a prefabricated building or buildings including such frames. The erection on site of known prefabricated buildings requires the attendance of workmen with special skills and experience, thereby increasing the building cost. Where such workmen are not available, prefabricated buildings may not be constructed within required safety standards.
United States Patent No. 2642825 describes a lattice truss which can be made up of two mirror sections which are individually foldable for transportation. French Patent No. 2367155 also describes a lattice truss which can be erected from a folded condition. United States Patent No. 3846953 describes a method of erecting a roof where two members are hinged together. One is lifted to a desired angle allowing the other to pivot vertically downwardly. From this position it can be pulled into the required angular relationship with respect to the first member.
From one aspect of the invention, there is provided a portal frame comprising a pair of roof members and a pair of support members, the roof members being interconnected by a plate, which allows pivoting of the roof members with respect to one another, and each roof member being connected to a respective support member by a further plate, the further plate being fixed to one of the pair of roof and support members and pivotally connected to the other whereby the frame can be transported in a folded condition, wherein the roof members lie between the support members in a generally parallel configuration, and whereby the frame can be erected by unfolding it such that the roof members are generally level with one another, lifting the roof members so that they are pivoted into a required angular relationship, fixing the roof members together by further fixing to the plate to maintain the angular relation, lifting the roof members a further amount so that the support members pivot into a required angular relation relative to the respective roof member and. fixing each support member to its respective roof member by fixing its respective further plate to the other of the pair of roof and support members.
The invention may be performed in various ways and a specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows one end of an erected building;
Figures 2 and 3 show on an enlarged scale connecting elements used in the building; and
Figure 4 shows a roof section of the building.

Figure 1 shows an erected building of the ridge roof variety and comprises at least two roof sections 10 and 11 and at least two side wall sections 12 and 13. The building is shown standing on a concrete base 14. The number of sections in the roof depends on the length of the building and the number in the side walls is equal to the number in the roof.
Figure 4 shows an elevation of the roof section 10. Each roof section is formed of two corrugated panels 25 fitted on a framework of elongate members. In the completed building, the corrugations are perpendicular to a ridge 24 formed by the sections. Channel section members 26a and 26b are fitted about respective corrugations at the side margins of each panel. Members 26a are riveted back-to-back in the assembled section. Cross beams 27a and 27b secured to members 26a and 26b at opposite ends thereof strengthen the section.
Connecting elements shown in Figures 2 and 3 are used for connecting respective sections. Figure 2 shows an apex plate 15 used for connecting roof sections 10 and 11 together at respective margins of these sections which are required to be adjacent to the apex of the building. Figure 3 shows an eaves plate 16 for connecting roof section 10 with wall section 12 at respective margins of these sections which are required to be adjacent to the eaves. An identical eaves plate 17 is used for connecting roof section 11 with wall section 13. The connecting elements 15,16,17 are suitably formed of steel.
Three apex plates 15 are rigidly connected to the roof section 11 adjacent to that cross beam 27a which is required to be adjacent to the apex of the building in such a manner that the plates project beyond the adjacent margin of the roof panel. Two of the apex plates are disposed at respective further margins of the section 10 so that the margin which is required to lie adjacent to the apex extends between the plates. The third apex plate 15 is engaged between the pair of channel section members 26a to project from the apex margin of the section. The surfaces of the apex plates are in face-to-face contact with surfaces of the members 26 and are substantially perpendicular to the ridge formed by the roof sections in the erected building.
Three eaves plates 16 are rigidly connected in a similar way to the roof section 10 adjacent to the margin 19 of that section which is required to lie adjacent to the eaves of the building. Three eaves plates 17 are secured in a similar manner to the roof section 11 to project from the roof section in the manner shown in the drawings. The apex plates 15 project from the section 11 generally in a direction beyond the end of that section; whereas the eaves plates 16 and 17 project from the sections 10 and 11 in a direction which is a downward direction in the completed building and is thus transverse to the lengths of the roof sections.
Prior to erection each apex plate 15 is connected by several bolts to the roof section 11; whereas a single bolt 25 may connect the apex plate to the section 10.
The assembled roof sections 10 and 11 are then raised from their horizontal attitudes by means of lifting apparatus. The sections are suspended from the lifting apparatus at points on the apex plates which are adjacent to the members 26b. As the apex plates are raised, the sections 10 and 11 undergo relative pivoting until they are mutually inclined at the required angle. The connection between the apex plates and the section 10 is then changed so that further relative pivoting is restrained. Additional bolts are used to secure the apex plates to the section 10. Since, at this stage of assembly, the roof sections are still near to the ground, the bolts can be inserted by workman standing on the ground. Workmen standing on the ground can also apply caps to the ridge defined by the sections 10 and 11 to close any gap between them.
The assembly of roof sections and wall sections is then raised by the lifting apparatus until the wall sections are substantially vertical. Further bolts are then used to fix the eaves plates 16 rigidly to the wall sections 12 and 13. The wall sections are then fixed rigidly to the concrete base 14.
When the structure comprising roof sections and wall sections has been completed, ends can be fitted to the building. One or both ends may comprise a door or shutter (not shown). The procedure of erecting the building can be reversed to disassemble the building for transport to a different site.
Thus a number of units, each comprising a pair of roof sections 10, 11, apex plates 15, a pair of wall sections 12, 13 and eaves plates 17 are made up, preferably at the site where the panels are produced. In each unit, the eaves plates are rigidly connected with the roof sections but are each connected by means of a respective single bolt with a corresponding wall section so that the wall sections can pivot relative to the eaves plates.
Each of the apex plates is connected to each roof section by a respective single bolt so that both roof sections can pivot relative to the apex plate. The sections rest one on the other with the roof sections lying between the wall sections so that the unit has a compact configuration with substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces. These units can be stacked one on the other for transport to a site where the building is to be erected. Each unit is unloaded from the transport vehicle and placed on the ground with one wall section lowermost and the other wall section uppermost. The uppermost wall section and the immediately adjacent roof section are then pivoted together relative to the other roof section until both wall sections rest on the ground. The eaves plates of the unit are then raised until the required angular relation is established between the roof sections and the apex plates. The roof sections are then made rigid with the apex plates by use of additional fasteners. Subsequently, the roof sections are raised further and the procedure hereinbefore described is followed to complete erection of the unit and a number of additional units are erected, according to the required length of the building.
When the required angular relation has been established between the roof sections, one or more tie bars may be connected to each roof section at a position between the eaves and the apex of the roof to stiffen the structure.
Whilst we prefer to secure the elongate members 26a and'26b to panels 25 to form sections, prior to erection of the elongate members on the building site, it is within the scope of the invention to pivotally connect a pair of elongate members 26b by means of an apex plate 15, to raise the apex plate and then secure the pair of elongate members against relative pivoting, pivotally connect further elongate members one with each of the members 26b and further raise the apex plate until the further elongate members are vertical, thereby forming a portal frame, erecting a further portal frame in a similar manner and then mounting panels on the portal frames to span the gap between them.

Claims

1. A portal frame comprising a pair of roof members (10, 11) and a pair of support members (12, 13), the roof members being interconnected by a plate (15), which allows pivoting of the roof members (12, 13) with respect to one another, and each roof member (12, 13) being connected to a respective support member (12, 13) by a further plate (16), the further plate (16) being fixed to one of the pair of roof and support members and pivotally connected to the other whereby the frame can be transported in a folded condition, wherein the roof members (10, 11) lie between the support members (12, 13) in a generally parallel configuration, and whereby the frame can be erected by unfolding it such that the roof members (10, 11) are generally level with one another, lifing the roof members (10, 11) so that they are pivoted into a required angular relationship, fixing the roof members (10, 11) together by further fixing to the first-mentioned plate (15) to maintain the angular relation, lifting the roof members (10, 11) a further amount so that the support members (12, 13) pivot into a required angular relation relative to the respective roof member (10, 11) and fixing each support member (12, 13) to its respective roof member (10, 11) by fixing its respective further plate (16) to the other of the pair of roof and support members.

2. A portal frame in accordance with claim 1; wherein the roof members (10, 11) are lifted at or in proximity to the point of connection.

3. A building including a pair of portal frames as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 and roof panels (25) and wall panels extending between the frames.

4. A building as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least an edge of a panel is surrounded by a channel section (26b).