GB2507587A

GB2507587A - Lifting and latching device of modular building unit and method of use.

Info

Publication number: GB2507587A
Application number: GB1219947.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Troy Kidsley; Stephen John Jeacock
Original assignee: ECOPOD HOMES Ltd
Current assignee: ECOPOD HOMES Ltd
Priority date: 2012-11-06
Filing date: 2012-11-06
Publication date: 2014-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2032-11-06
Also published as: GB2507587B; GB201219947D0

Abstract

The lifting and latching device 16 for a stacking modular building unit 12 comprises: a tie having a head 17 and foot 16, the tie in use passing vertically through a building unit. The head defines an eye 26 for connection to a crane and the foot comprises a socket for engagement with the head of a tie on an adjacent unit below. The foot is adapted for connection to the base of a building unit to bear weight of the unit and the foot further includes a latch engageable with a head of said adjacent tie. In use the latch is adapted to engage with the eye of the adjacent tie and is preferably formed from a horizontally pivotable hook 32. Also claimed is a building module comprising several ties, and a building made from several said modules. Also claimed are methods for constructing and deconstructing buildings formed from the modules.

Description

Lifting and Latching Device of Modular Building Unit, and Method of Use This invention relates to a modular building unit intended for co-operation with another modular building unit in a vertical stack. The invention concerns a lifting and latching device for such a modular unit, and a method of assembling and dismantling of a modular building.

Modular buildings arc known, and comprise individual building units connected together at a construction site. Such buildings may be temporary or substantially permanent. Frequently such building units are stacked.

In the case of temporary buildings, such as used by construction workers on a construction site, an external skeleton on each building unit allows stacked units to be coupled in register; access is typically by an external stairway. The skeleton provides attachment points for a hoist, and transmits vertical load to the ground so that any building unit is isolated from the weight of another unit placed on top.

In the case of permanent buildings, such as for housing, a more sophisticated approach is required. For example internal stairways are required and external skeletons are not desirable. Accordingly each modular building unit must be self-supporting and capable of bearing directly the weight of other units placed on top.

Modular buildings units arc ideally manufactured in a factory under controlled conditions, and transported to a construction site for rapid assembly. The benefits of factory manufacture as compared with on-site building are well documented.

Typically such units must be sized for road transport, and thus the maximum external dimensions are generally within those of a standard shipping container (approximately l3mx 2.Smx 2.5m).

On arrival at the construction site individual building units must be lifted, without risk of damage, from a vchiclc to thc final site position, and connected to adjaccnt units in a secure and permanent manner.

Occasionally individual units may require to be disconnected without damage, for example for removal or re-configuration of a building, or insertion of an additional unit.

According to the invention there is provided a lifting and latching device of a stacking modular building unit, said devicc comprising a tic having a hcad and a foot, said tic being adapted to pass vertically through a building unit, said head being adapted for connection to a crane, and said foot being adapted to bear a portion of the weight of said building unit and comprising a sockct for cngagemcnt with an adjacent head of anothcr said tie, and said foot further comprising a movable latch for engagemcnt with the head of another said tie located in use in the socket thereof In one embodiment the head comprises an eye for engagement both with a crane hook and with said latch. The latch may comprise a tooth insertable in said eye, and said tooth may further include a cam surface movable to draw an adjacent head and foot into tight engagement Typically an uniform array of such ties will be distributed about a building unit, and together be adapted to bear the weight of the unit upon lifting via the heads thereof.

Building units which are intended to be stackcd will have a corresponding array of ties, so that the heads of one unit can provide positional registratioll of another unit stacked thereon. The latches may then be engaged to render the stacked units relatively immovablc, but ncvcrthelcss capable of disconncction if dcsired. Cam surfaces of the latches may draw adjacent units into tight engagement, and a lock for each latch may further be provided for security.

In one embodiment the latch is a hook pivotable in use about a horizontal axis through 90_1800, to engage a respective eye.

Thc tic may comprisc spaccd sidc mcmbcrs conncctcd by an uppcr spindlc at thc top, said spindle defining said eye, and connected at the lower end by a lower spindle defining an axle for said foot. The foot may comprise oppositely facing L' shaped scctions, thc vcrtical limbs bcing conncctcd to thc lowcr spindlc and thc opposcd horizontal limbs bcaring the rcquircd wcight of thc building unit.

Thc latch may bc pivotcd about an axis passing through thc vertical limbs bctwccn thc lower spindle and the horizontal limbs.

In use the spaced side members may be formed from flat strip steel, the foot may be formed from 1' section steel strip, and the spindles may be formed from shouldered bolts or studs.

Other features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment shown by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 illustrates in schematic side section a three storey building incorporating the invcntion.

Fig. 2 shows the foot of a tie according to the invention.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional end elevation of one tie according to the invention conncctcd to anothcr similar tic.

Fig. 4 shows the ties of Fig. 3 in side elevation.

With reference to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a three storey building 10 in side elevation, and comprising three modular building units 11-13 stacked one upon another. Each building unit is rectangular in plan, and has a footprint corresponding approximatcly to the sizc of a standard 13m shipping containcr (2 TEll). In onc embodiment each unit has a floor dimension of 12m x 4m, and a height in the range 2.7 to 3.5m As illustrated the lower building units 11,12 comprise rectangular boxes whereas the uppermost unit 13 has an apex 14 defining opposite slopes 15 of a roof Within the opposite side walls of each unit are provided lifting and locking devices in the form of vertical steel ties 16. The ties are distributed along each side, and the number is selected to suit the weight of the heaviest building unit of a building. As illustrated four identical such ties are provided along each respective side wall, so that eight identical ties are provided for the lower building units 11,12. The upper building unit 13 has shortened ties at the front and rear, so as not to protrude above the roof line.

Figs. 2-4 illustrate one embodiment of a tie according to the invention.

Each tie 16 consists of an assembly, and defines at the upper end a head 17, and at the lower end a foot 18. The foot 18 defines a socket adapted for close fitting ently of the head of another tie along the longitudinal axis of the tie, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The foot 18 is attached to the lower end of stringer 19 by a through bolt 21 secured by a nut 22.

Each stringer 19 consists of two flat steel strips 23 spaced at regular intervals by annular spacers 24. In one embodiment the strips have a 5mm x 2mm section, and the spacers are at approximately 300mm centres. The overall length of each tie is such that when one building unit is placed upon another, each tie protrudes sufficiently to engage within a corresponding socket, as will be frirther described. The annular spacers 24 serve both to act as a spacer for the strips 23, and to accommodate through fixings of vertical components of the building unit. At the head 17, two solid steel cross members 25 define a lifting and latching eye 26, and act as spacers for the strips 23.

Each foot 18 consists of two U scction steel side members, typically 10mm thick, having rectangular horizontal portions 31, and tapering upright portions 32. The foot 18 is in one example 225mm high, and has a base perimeter of 140mm x 140mm.

The through bolt and nut 2 1,22 pass through the lower spacer 24 and retain the side members on the stringer 19; they may also permit relative pivoting for self-alignment in use, but without end float. The horizontal portions are attached to the base of a building unit, in usc, so as to bear a fair share of the weight thereof when lifted; for this purpose through holes 33 for bolts, screws or the like are provided.

Pivoted between the side members is a hook 34 having a tooth 35 engageable in the eye 26 of a lower tie, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The tooth is tapered so as to draw the eye 26 upwardly with respect to the foot 18. Rotation of the hook through about 1800 is envisaged, and Fig. 4 shows the non-engaged condition in dotted outline.

The stringers 19 are of inexpensive construction, and the length thereof may be selected according to the design of the building unit; the foot 18 is of standard form along with the hook 34, and may comprise a sub-assembly to which suitable length stringers are attached.

The stringers may be secured to the side walls of the building unit along the length thereof, at intervals.

Steel is preferred as a construction material for the tie, but other materials are suitable.

Steel components are typically protected against corrosion by plating or painting.

Use of the ties of the invention is as follows.

A building unit is constructed of any suitable material so as to be self-contained and self-supporting. The unit is designed with stacking in mind, and capable of bearing the weight of one or more similar units. The unit may be finished and fitted internally to any desired standard, and may have windows and a weatherproof exterior skin.

In one embodiment each unit comprises a timber frame housing unit, three of such units being assembled vertically in use to provide a dwelling. Several dwellings may be arranged side by side to form pairs of semi-detached houses, or a terrace. One unit may alternatively act as a self-contained student flat, care home unit or the like, and be accessed via an external communal staircase. The building units may be stacked up to eight high.

It will be understood that it is possible to enlarge such a dwelling after initial construction by adding another building unit to the stack, for example by removing the roof unit, adding a prefabricated unit to give another storey, and replacing the roof unit.

A sufficient number of ties according to the invention are provided in each building unit, for example in the peripheral wall cavity. The foot of each tie is attached to the base of each unit so as to bear a fair proportion of the weight thereof when lifted. The head of each tie protrudes sufficiently to engage the socket of the next uppermost unit, in use. Ties of building units which are intended to be fitted together are of course placed in register.

For lifting, the protruding heads are connected to a crane, typically via a conventional frame to ensure purely vertical loads on the ties. The crane may lift each unit onto a vehicle for delivery, or onto the construction site.

After placing the first (lowermost) unit on site, the next unit is lowered on top so that heads 17 enter respective sockets 18. The units are then drawn together and latched by rotation of the hooks 34, typically by box spanner engaging a corresponding hexagon 37 of the hook.

Building continues until the roof section is lowered into place, the length of the stretches being selected to lie just below the roof line, so that they can be covered by roof tiles or the 111cc (Fig. 1). Building is completed by connecting services such as electrical and plumbing circuits between the units. The roof covering, or the majority thereof could be pre-fitted in a factory, with only the access points to the ties being covered on site. The kind of roof covering is not limited, and single sheet membranes and the like may be most suitable.

The fixing provided by the hooks 34 and eyes 26 is semi-permanent, and it will be understood that the assembly process can be reversed in order to dismantle or to reconfigure the building.

Modifications and additions to the ties of the invention are envisaged, within the scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

SClaims 1. A lifting and latching device for a stacking modular building unit, said device comprising a tie having a head and a foot, said tie being adapted to pass vertically through a buflding unit, said head defining an eye for connection to a crane, and said foot defining a socket for engagement with the head of an adjacent said tie, wherein said foot is adapted for connection to the base of a building unit to bear weight thereof, and wherein said foot further defines a latch engageable with the head of said adjacent tie.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said latch is adapted to engage the eye of the adjacent said tie.
3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said latch comprises apivotable hook.
4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said hook has a single tooth narrowing toward the free end thereof to provide a cam action on an eye whereby building units are drawn together in use.
5. A device according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said hook is pivotable in said foot about a horizontal axis, in use.
6. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said tie comprises a rigid stretcher vertical in usc, and defining at onc cnd said cyc, and having said foot pivotally attached about a horizontal axis at the other end.
7. A device according to daim 6, wherein said stretcher comprises two steel strips separated by spacers to define said eye.
8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said foot comprises two steel members respectively fixed on opposite exterior sides of said stretcher, each of said members comprising a vertical portion defining onc side of said socket, and a horizontal portion for attachment to a building unit.
9. A building unit incorporating a plurality of devices according to any of claims 1-8, respective feet being attached to the base of said unit.
10. A modular building comprising a plurality of building units according to claim 9, the said devices of each unit being arranged in register.
11. A building comprising a plurality of building units according to claim 9, the heads of said devices of each lower unit being engaged in respective sockets of each upper unit, and said latches being engaged.
12. A method of constructing a modular building of stacked building units, the method comprising the steps of providing in each unit a plurality of devices according to any of claims 1-8, in register, lifting each unit into position solely via the heads of said devices, engaging the said sockets of each upper unit with the said heads of each lower unit, and latching each upper unit to each lower unit tie latches of each said device.
13. A method of dismantling a modular building constructed by the method of claim 15, the method comprising the steps of; unlatching the topmost unit from the next lower unit by releasing said latches; lifting off the topmost unit solely via the heads of said devices; and repeating said unlatching and lifting steps until each building is sufficiently dismantled.
14. A lifting and latching device substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
15. A modular building substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
16. A building substantially as described herein with rcfercnce to the accompanying drawings.