GB2290567A

GB2290567A - Rapid on-site assembly portable building

Info

Publication number: GB2290567A
Application number: GB9512824A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Gray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-06-23
Filing date: 1995-06-23
Publication date: 1996-01-03
Also published as: GB9512824D0

Abstract

A rapid on-site assembly portable building comprises a primary framework (1) having a floor (2) and two opposing end walls (3, 4) the floor having one or more fold-out extension panels (8) which are hinged to the primary framework during folding out thereof to assemble the building, the primary framework being adapted to be transported on a wheeled trailer with the end walls erect. The building also has end wall extension panels (13). <IMAGE>

Description

RAPID ON-SITE ASSEMBLY PORTABLE BUILDING Field of the Invention The present invention relates to rapid on-site assembly portable buildings.

Background to the Invention Temporary building installations are required for a large range of applications, most commonly in the building trade to provide offices and shelter for the work force of construction work in progress. Other applications include military headquarters and hospitals, temporary emergency rescue headquarters, temporary factories and classrooms and temporary exhibition buildings.

For small scale temporary building structures numerous rapid assembly modular cabin systems have been developed. However, larger scale temporary buildings cannot be readily constructed from the modular cabin system and the predominant form of large scale temporary construction relied upon remains the tent structure.

Whereas tents are low cost in terms of materials and provide natural ventilation they suffer in terms of labour intensiveness of construction and their inherent low structural integrity.

Summarv of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a rapid on-site assembly portable building which comprises: a primary framework having a floor and two opposing end walls, the floor having a fold out extension panel which is hinged to the primary framework during folding out thereof to assemble the building, the primary framework being adapted to be transported on a wheeled trailer with the end walls erect; and the building having end wall extension panels.

Preferably the end wall panels are rigid, and most preferably, of box section.

Preferably the respective upper ends of the opposing end walls of the primary framework are joined by one or more rigid beams to which, suitably, winch means are mounted for winching the one or more hinged sections of the floor down into the folded out state or winching it back into the folded up state.

Preferably the primary framework lies at or near the central region of the assembled building, a respective section of the floor being hinged to each opposing side of the central framework during folding out of the floor.

Preferably the roof is mounted to the top of the framework, fastened thereto at one end of the roof and folded against the primary framework such that the roof may be drawn out and unfolded when required.

Advantageously where the roof is mounted to the top of the primary framework, it is drawn in and out by winch means mounted to beams.

The roof may comprise rigid sections, similar to the floor, at least one of which is hinged to the primary framework during folding out of the roof.

Suitably the roof and support columns are sufficiently rigid and strong to support at least one said portable building upon another.

In one particularly preferred aspect of the invention the building is adapted to have a shrapnel or bomb proof roof wherein the roof is formed of one or more sheets of elastomeric material. A suitable such material is KEVLAR.

The sheets are suitably slung from the framework and supported by outer corner posts such that the sheets are not fully taut, when the building is assembled, to provide a greater degree of resilient movement when struck by incoming projectiles.

Panels of material may be fastened to the underside of the roof such as to be able to drop down and provide partitions within the building. Suitably these panels of material may be fastened at their lowermost end to the floor by catches or other suitable means.

Most desirably three or more floor extension sections are hinged in a sequence extending outwardly from the primary framework. To allow for adequate articulation and nesting together of the innermost linked pair of sections these are suitably hinged together by hinges which have one leaf longer than the other.

Advantageously the hinges between the floor sections which are hinged together are removable therefrom to provide an uninterrupted floor surface.

Suitably at least one wall extension panel is hinged to another wall extension panel to enable the extended wall to change direction. Thus, for example, a first wall extension panel may extend the right hand side wall of the building and a second panel hinged to the outer end of the first extension panel may be swung into a position at right angles to the first panel and thereby provide an end wall to the building.

Where the primary framework is removably mounted upon a wheeled trailer the framework is suitably supported on a bed having hydraulic rams which will enable the bed to be raised from the trailer to enable the trailer to be withdrawn from there beneath once the primary framework has been sited as desired.

Hydraulic rams supporting the bed provide a useful means of raising the whole primary framework or raising the top portion of the framework to thereby enable the elevation of the floor or the elevation of the roof relative to the floor to be varied. By using telescopic hydraulic rams the height of the roof may be extended by between 10 and 18 feet or more.

Brief Description of the Drawings Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment in stowed state installed upon a trailer for transportation; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment in part assembled state; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the first embodiment at a later stage in assembly; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the building once fully assembled; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment having a floor of paired fold out sections in part assembled state; Figure 6 is a part cut-away perspective view of the second embodiment illustrating it's use as a dormitory; Figure 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment during assembly; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the third embodiment when assembled and stacked to form a multi-storey structure.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to figure 1, there are shown the stowed components of the building prior to assembly mounted upon a trailer behind a truck cab.

As illustrated, the stowed building comprises a primary, or core, framework 1 having a floor 2 and end walls 3,4. The end walls 3,4 are shown as open frames into which a panel may be fitted which comprises for example a door 5 as illustrated in figure 4.

Extending between the upper ends of the end walls, or end wall frames 3,4 are one or more beams which support a winch mechanism 6 operated by a hydraulic or pneumatic motor 7. This winch mechanism serves to winch out extension sections 8a-f of the floor 2.

The floor extension sections 8a, 8d nearest to the floor 2 of the primary framework 1 are hinged to the floor 2 by removable hinges (not shown).

The winch mechanism 6 is illustrated in figure 3 to be connected to the outer edge of the innermost floor extension panel 8a by belts of webbing 9 which pass through respective removal loops 10 mounted to that edge. By using belt webbing 9 rather than cable and by pivotally mounting the loops 10 to the outer edge of the panel 8a the panel 8a may be raised or lowered without undue risk of jamming of the winch system and with a balanced evenly distributed motion.

Prior to lowering the innermost panel 8a, the outermost panel 8c will have been lowered by means of loops 11 on the outermost edge of that panel 8c.

The floor extensions once lowered slide forward under gravity over girders 12 which are placed upon the ground for that purpose. Where the ground is uneven the girders may be propped by wooden chocks or any other suitable means.

As indicated in ghost lines in figure 2, end wall extension panels 13a-f are suitably provided to extend from the respective sides of the respective end walls 3,4 of the primary framework 1.

The panels 13a, 13c, 13d and 13f which abut the end walls 3,4 of the primary framework 1 are suitably hinged to the edges of those end walls 3,4 which they abut. This enables those extensions to be swung outwardly from a folded state in which they overlie the folded floor panels 8 to the position as shown in figure 4 whereby they define the outer walls of the building once assembled. The end wall extensions 13b, 13e farthest from the primary framework 1 may be hinged to the inner extensions 13a or 13d, respectively.

Once in their extended position to form the outer boundaries of the building they may be secured in place to corner pillars 14.

The corner pillars 14 may locate in sockets provided in the corner extremities of the extended floor or may be positioned external to the floor.

It is not essential that the wall extension panels 13a-f are hinged together and to the primary framework 1. They may alternatively be hooked or otherwise fastened together once the floor has been lain and the end pillars fixed in place.

Although, as illustrated, the side wall extension panels 13 are outermost in the stowed state, they may be stowed inwardly of the floor extension panels 8 by adapting the configuration of the hinge attachments to the primary framework 1 or using other means of fastening the panels in place.

The roof 20 of the building may comprise sheets of material which are mounted to the outer periphery of the upper end of the primary framework 1 to be unfolded and extended to fasten over the corner pillars 14. The roof 20 may be stretched taut or may be allowed to sag slightly, especially where the building is to be used for military purposes since this will enhance the resilience of the roof 20 to resist incoming projectiles.

Suitably the roof is provided with more than one layer of material such as to provide a cavity therebetween for insulation or for enabling provision of an air conditioning system. These last provisions are suitably in conjunction with cavities provided in the end wall extension panels to enable the building to be used in a wide range of differing climates. The panels may be constructed of fibre glass or of any other suitable light weight and strong material and may be of box section with the cavity being filled with glass fibre wool or any other suitable form of insulating material.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, where it is desired to provide a rigid flat roof 20 having a clearly defined box section 20 a-d this may be achieved by using hinged roof sections which may be winched into position in a manner similar to the floor by the same or preferably another winching mechanism To this end, rails may be provided along which the outer edges of the roof may be run to extend the roof fully.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A rapid on-site assembly portable building which comprises: a primary framework having a floor and two opposing end walls, the floor having a fold out extension panel which is hinged to the primary framework during folding out thereof to assemble the building, the primary framework being adapted to be transported on a wheeled trailer with the end walls erect; and the building having end wall extension panels.

2. A portable building as claimed in Claim 1, wherein at least two floor extension panels are hinged to the primary framework.

3. A portable building as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein each end wall panel is a unitary construction forming a complete end wall of the building.

4. A portable building as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the end wall extension panels are operatively hinged to the primary framework to be folded outwardly therefrom during assembly of the building.

5. A portable building as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the respective upper ends of the opposing end walls of the primary framework are joined by one or more rigid beams to which winch means are mounted for winching the floor extension panel down into the folded out state or winching it back into the folded up state.

6. A portable building as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the primary framework lies at or near the central region of the assembled building, a respective floor extension panel being hinged to each opposing side of the central framework during folding out of the floor.

7. A portable building as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the roof is mounted to the top of the framework, fastened thereto at one end of the roof and folded against the primary framework such that the roof may be drawn out and unfolded when required.

8. A portable building as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein panels of flexible material are fastened to the underside of the roof such as to be able to drop down and provide partitions in the building.

9. A portable building as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein three or more floor extension panels are hinged in a sequence extending outwardly from the primary framework.

10. A portable building as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the innermost linked pair of floor extension panels are hinged together by hinges which have one leaf longer than the other.

11. A portable building as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the hinges between the floor extension panels are removable.

12. A portable building as claimed in any preceding Claim in combination with a support bed having hydraulic rams to enable the primary framework to be raised from a trailer on which the primary framework is mounted during transportation for the trailer to be withdrawn from therebeneath.

13. A rapid on-site assembly portable building substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any suitable combination of the accompanying drawings.