GB2103696A - Improvements relating to buildings - Google Patents

Abstract

A small building, such ass greenhouse, is packaged in kit form. The package (5, 6, 7, 8) itself can be dismantled and reassembled to make one or more moulds in which concrete or cement slabs (2) are cast. Parts (6, 7) of the package an also be used as shuttering to define the area of the foundations. Concrete is poured into this area, and when set the shuttering can be removed and used yet again for shelving within the building. Likewise the slap moulds can be reutilised for shelving. The slabs can be erected to form a low wall, and the parts in the original package can be fitted together to form a superimposed framework which, in the case of a greenhouse, is then glazed. The slabs may also be formed into water tanks and storage lockers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to buildings This invention relates to buildings, and is particularly concerned with small ones erectable by one man from a kit of parts, such as greenhouses.

When a building is sold as a kit of parts, it is generally packaged in robust cardboard or wood, which is subsequently thrown away. This is expensive and wasteful, and the aim of the present invention is to contrive such packaging so that it can be used in the construction of the building, and eventually as part of it.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a packaged kit of parts for constructing a building, wherein at least some of the package is adapted for reassembly into a mould for casting cement or concrete panels which are dimensionally compatible with the parts in the package, so that those parts can be assembled with the panels to form the building.

At least some of the package may be adapted for reassembly into shuttering or formers for use when pouring a concrete foundation, and later into shelving installable in the building. After use, the mould may also be transformed into staging.

The kit is primarily intended for building a greenhouse. The parts in the package will then be predominantly framing for glazing and doors, which will be mounted on walls constructed from the panels.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a building employing a packaged kit of parts as defined above, wherein at least some of the package is reassembled into a mould, cement or concrete panels are cast using said mould, the panels when set are assembled into a wall, and the parts in the package are assembled together on said wall.

In the completed building some of the panels may be arranged to form double wall sections.

These may be made waterproof to serve as tanks to receive and store rain water from the roof of the building, and some may be provided with a lid to form a dry storage area accessible externally of the building.

For a better understanding of the invention one constructional form will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a greenhouse, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a packing case in which parts of the greenhouse are sold, Figure 3 is a perspective detail of shuttering for preparing foundations, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a mould for casting a wall panel, and Figure 5 is a perspective detail of the assembly of such panels into a wall.

Referring to Figure 1 , the greenhouse is built on a concrete foundation 1 with a solid lower wall constructed from slabs 2. Above this there is a glazed frame structure 3, with a sliding door 4 in opposite sides. There is a gap between slabs 2 at each door frame. A similar structure, indicated in outline, can be joined onto one of the walls with a door to elongate the greenhouse. Indeed, further extensions can be added onto either end to lengthen the greenhouse indefinitely.

The parts of the frame structure 3 and other elements are sold in a packing case as shown in Figure 2. This is a shallow rectangular box with large panels 5, side walls 6 and end walls 7. The junction between the panels 5 and the side walls 6 is made and protected by angle section members 8. The case is screwed together or fastened in such a manner that it can be taken apart without injury to its component pieces.

These are used when making the greenhouse as described below.

Referring to Figure 3, the side and end walls 6 and 7 of the box are used in conjunction with further boards or planks supplied with the kit of parts in the box to form shuttering for concrete foundations. In addition, the ends of the panels 5 can be cut off along lines 9, up to the members 8, to provide further strips used in this shuttering, or as cross-bracing for it. These are connected together by angle brackets 10 and fish plates 11, and held apart by spacer tubes 12. The inner and outer shuttering walls are braced together by bolts 1 3 extending through these tubes. These parts 10 to 13 are provided in the kit and ere reusable later.

Before the concrete is poured, of course, the shuttering is levelled off using bits of brick or wedges. This technique applies both to the main foundation and that for any extension. When an extension is built on later, there will be holes formed by the spacer tubes through the original foundation by which brackets to hold the new shuttering can be secured, as shown by the broken lines in Figure 3.

The solid lower wall is built from slabs of cast cement or concrete, two moulds being constructed from the packing case. As can be seen in Figure 4, the main panels 5 form the bases of the moulds, and the angle section members 8 the side walls. The end walls are provided by further angle section members 14 screwed to the panel.

This can be pre-drilled or clearly marked so that an exact dimension is obtained without difficulty.

Since these slabs are to be bolted together, and since some slabs will require door framing to be fixed to them, arrangements are made for each cast panel to have ready-made holes, thus avoiding subsequent drilling. Therefore at various piaces on the panel there are upstanding studs 1 5 secured by screws 1 6 through holes in the base, again either pre-drilled or clearly marked for drilling. It is advisable to reinforce the panel, and this may be simply done by a rectangular frame of steel bar 1 7 near the periphery and temporarily supported on blocks for the casting.

Generally it will be preferred to use sharp sand rather than aggregate in the cement mix, and for easy release the shallow tray-like mould may be lined with plastics sheeting. The mix is poured, levelled off and allowed to set. It is then released from the mould, which can be used for casting further panels, possibly with a different arrangement of holes for bolts.

Referring to Figure 5, these panels are assembled together to form a low wall, rectangular in plan, with gaps in two opposite sides where the doors are to be. The other sides of this structure have a double wall arrangement, held to the single wall slabs by brackets using the holes whose formation has just been described.

These may include the brackets 10 used in constructing the foundation shuttering. For additional support, these double walls are centrally braced by a bolt and spacer tube arrangement 1 8. The slabs can be secured to the foundations using the holes through the foundation left by the spacer bolts 13 and the fish plates 11.

The double end walls form containers or tanks which have various possible uses. In one form they can be made waterproof, being lined with plastics sheeting for example, and used as rainwater tanks, the rain from the glass being drained straight into them. Alternatively, they may be lidded and used for dry storage.

The giazed frame structure and doors will not be described in detail. However, once they are in place the greenhouse may be equipped with slatted shelves and staging using the packaging material. The panels 5, being slightly longer than a slab (see Figure 4) will need trimming to fit across a greenhouse of single slab width as in Figure 5.

But the offcut, and the side and end walls 6 and 7 now no longer required for shuttering can provide a substantial amount of shelving. The angle section members 8 and 14 can also be employed to help support such shelves and staging.

Claims (14)

1. A packaged kit of parts for constructing a building, wherein at least some of the package is adapted for reassembly into a mould for casting cement or concrete panels which are dimensionally compatible with the parts in the package, so that those parts can be assembled with the panels to form the building.

2. A kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the package is adapted for reassembly into shuttering or formers for use when pouring a concrete foundation.

3. A kit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least some of the package is adapted for reassembly into shelving installable in the building.

4. A kit as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the mould is serviceable as staging.

5. A kit as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the shuttering or formers are serviceable as shelving.

6. A kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the building is a greenhouse and the parts are predominantly framing for glazing and doors to be mounted on walls constructed from same panels.

7. A packaged kit of parts substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A method of constructing a building employing a packaged kit of parts as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least sorne of the package is reassembled into a mould, cement or concrete panels are cast using said mould, the panels when set are assembled into a wall, and the parts in the package are assembled together on said wall.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein sorne of the package is initially reassembled into shuttering or formers and set out on the ground to define the area of foundations for the building, concrete then being poured therein.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein some of the package is reassembled and installed as shelving int he building.

1 A building constructed from a kit of parts as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, and/or by the method of claims 8, 9 or 10.

12. A building as claimed in claim 1 wherein the panels are arranged to form double wall sections.

1 3. A building as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one double wall section is made waterproof to serve as a water tank, being arranged to receive rainwater from the roof of the building.

14. A building as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein at least one double wall section is provided with a lid to form a dry storage area accessible externally of the building.