US3540173A

US3540173A - Expandable,transportable,prefabricated containerized buildings

Info

Publication number: US3540173A
Application number: US806005*A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stephen Johnides
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-02-28
Filing date: 1969-02-28
Publication date: 1970-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1987-11-17

Description

Nov. 17; 1 70 s, JOHMDES 3,540,173

EXPANDABLE, TRANSPORTABLE, PREFABRICATED CONTAINERIZED BUILDINGS Original Filed May 21, 1967 INVIL N'IUR w Jay/mos United States Patent O 3,540,173 EXPANDABLE, TRANSPORTABLE, PREFABRI- CATED CONTAINERIZED BUILDINGS Stephen Johnides, 20 W. 47th St., New York, N.Y. 10036 Continuation of application Ser. No. 634,422, Apr. 21, 1967. This application Feb. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 806,005 Int. Cl. E04b 1/343; E0411 N12 US. Cl. 52-79 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 634,422, filed Apr. 21, 1967, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a building structure which is composed of standard size containers and now used for transporting freight by rail, truck, sea, airplane and helicopter.

The most common standard freight container measurements are 8' X 8 X 10', 8 X 8 x and 8' X 8' x 40'. In accordance with the present invention containers will leave the factory with as much prefabrication such as windows, doors, etc. as needed for their practical use such as for vacation homes, rural and suburban homes, tourist dormitories and military barracks, hospitals, and other general purpose buildings. They will also leave the factory with completely prefabricated and installed items needed for their particular use such as kitchens, bathrooms, latrines and any other facilities needed. In the case of hospitals, surgery rooms, laboratories, and other hospital facilities are pre-installed. These containers will leave the factory with as much prefabricated, pre-installed plumb ing, wiring, lighting, heating facilities and any other facili ties required for their particular use. Items such as bedding, tables, chairs, etc. are collapsible and will be carried where space permits in the container in transit. Other supplies can also be carried in this fashion. When the con tainers are used for houses, vacation homes and tenement structures (described below) the containers will carry furniture items such as beds, tables, chairs, etc.

In addition to being transportable these prefabricated containerized buildings will expand and connect at the site to provide greater floor space than the floor space of the containers in transit. The height of the units remains constant at 8 feet (outside). However, multi-storied structures are created by the use of tracks, beams, and raised flanges. These buildings are for tenement replacement and billeting of troops. There are two types of containers: (1) end containers and (2) intermediate containers. Both these types of containers have a hinged panelling (or flaps) system. On the end container the panelling (or flaps) system is only on one of the lateral sides of the container. On the intermediate container the panelling (or flaps) is on both lateral sides of the container. The panels (or flaps) when opened become floors, ceilings and walls. When two end containers are placed laterally with the panels (or flaps) open and connected, a building with twice the floor space of the two containers in closed position is achieved. For example two 40 foot containers "ice create a building 40 feet in length, 32 feet in width and 8 feet in height. When intermediate containers are used much larger fioor space is created. For example three 40 foot containers create a building with open floor space of 40 feet by 56 feet. This can be repeated indefinitely. The posts and castings of the main body of the container are rigid and unmovable at the four corners. However some of the other posts of the containers are movable and will be set at various points at the juncture of the connecting panels (or flaps). When a second (or more) row of containers is attached to the first row of containers, using this system, the appropriate end panels of the containers can be removed and the appropriate folding panels (or fiaps) forming the walls can be eliminated also. In this way, with the exception of supporting posts an unobstructed single building with virtually unlimited floor space can be created. For the multi-story structure, prefabricated outside staircases are installed. Each staircase serves one vertical line of apartments. Where the hinged panelling system for expandability is not used, containers with all the prefabrication and transportability features mentioned above can be built at varying lengths, as single room structures or several room buildings. The height and width is constant at 8 by 8. These units can also be connected to form larger buildings. This is suited to vacation houses and motels. The principal advantages of this system are prefabrication, easy and fast shipment, expandability and economy.

Othe objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a pair of expanded end-containers according to the present invention, connected to one another in such expanded condition to form a continuous building module having a volume substantially equivalent to twice the initial combined volume of the end containers;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective illustration of a row of expandable containers illustrating in dashed lines the expanded conditions thereof and forming in such expanded condition a unitary continuous building structure; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of two pairs of end-containers such as illustrated in FIG. 1 positioned in expanded condition on top of each other to form a multi-storied structure and showing the manner of attachment of such building modules to each other and to vertical and horizontal support members.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the illustrated container A is of standard shipping container size, i.e., approximately 8 feet high, 8 feet wide and 10, 20 or 40 feet long. The container is formed with a top wall 1, a bottom wall 4,

opposite end walls

3 and 5, and an elongated side wall 2. Opposite the elongated side wall 2 the container A is formed with a plurality of movable panels 1a, 2a, 3a, 4a and 5a which are initially located within the confines of the 8 foot width dimension of the container A for purposes of shipping, i.e., during transport of the container, and which are preferably hingedly connected to the remaining portions of the container so as to swing outwardly into the expanded condition illustrated in dashed lines in FIG. 1, at the building site. In this manner the volume of the container A is doubled in size between its contracted-shipping and its expanded-use conditions. As illustrated, the appropriate panels may be formed with windows 21 and a door 31.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a container B (FIG. 2) is formed with a top wall 11, a bottom wall 14 and

opposite end walls

13 and 15, respectively. In lieu of opposite elongated side walls, and within the confines of the 8 foot standard container width dimension, the container B carries in each of the regions normally reserved for such side walls a plurality of preferably hinged

panels

11a, 12a, 13a, 14a, a and 11b, 12b, 13b, 14b and 15b, respectively. The intermediate container unit B can thus be expanded from its standard shipping container size to a volume three times the initial container size as illustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 illustrates a module A as described with respect to FIG. I joined with its mirror-opposite counterpart A to form a double-ended container structure having twice the volume of the original containers. It will be noted that by omitting the wall panel 2a and its counterpart 2a, a building structure having an uninterrupted internal space may be formed.

FIG. 2 illustrates a building module in which an intermediate container B is assembled with a pair of opposed, spaced end-containers A and A, respectively. It will be seen that a unitary building structure having an enlarged uninterrupted internal space, is formed. It will be understood that a pair of mirror-opposite building structures, may be connected laterally as well as longitudinally to form an expanded building structure of any desired size. Similarly, multi-storied building structures of any desired size may be formed as illustrated in FIG. 3.

Each story of the multi-storied structure illustrated in FIG. 3 is formed with a pair of mirror-opposite end containers A and A, respectively. According to one embodiment of the present invention the end containers may be provided, in the regions of their facing lateral sides, with a plurality of hinged panels 1a, 3a and 1a, 3a, respec tively. Thus the panels 3a and 4a forming an end wall and a bottom (floor) wall, respectively, are provided at one lateral face of container A while the panels 3a and 4a forming respectively another end panel and floor panel may be hingedly connected with suitable conventional hinges to the opposed lateral wall of a corresponding container A.

The lower story of the structure is similarly constructed. It will be seen that the panels may be hingedly connected in the manner illustrated with respect to panels 4a and 1a to swivel in the direction of the arrows (FIG. 3) the latter panels being connected to the containers A and A, respectively, and forming portions of the floor and roof, respectively of the enclosed space intermediate the said containers A and A.

In accordance with the present invention it is preferred to provide a base support or foundation 50 on which to mount the structures at the building site. This foundation 50 may be in the form of a pair of tracks or beams 51 laid on a level ground surface and adapted to support and be connected to the structures previously described. As illustrated in FIG. 3 a multi-storied building structure comprised of a plurality of modules A and A is supported on a foundation 50 which also has connected thereto, at substantially the mid-point thereof, a pair of vertical reinforcing bearns 52 which are spanned at different spaced elevations with a plurality of horizontal reinforcing beams 53. The latter beams are suitably connected to the respective floor-and-ceiling-forming panels such as

panels

1a, 1a and 4a, 4a, hinged to the container units A and A, respectively. FIG. 3 illustrates a manner in which a central support may be provided for the multistoried structure using the building modules illustrated in FIG. 1.

A plurality of containers may, according to the present invention form, for example, a dining hall and a kitchen such as could be useful for military purposes. It will be seen that with the use of a pair of end containers and a plurality of intermediate containers see, for example, FIG. 2, a complete military-type mess hall may be readily assembled to any desired size, i.e., length specifications in multiples of 8 feet. The height of such structure will also be in multiples of 8 feet and the width will be 10, 20, or 40 feet or a multiple thereof. The illustrated end-container, 'for example container A, may be prefabricated with complete kitchen equipment pre-assembled therein. The unit, namely end container A, is then transported with the kitchen equipment and utensils already assembled. When expanded, at its ultimate destination the inwardly facing lateral side of end-container A is open since the panels which were hingedly located at such inwardly facing side have been swiveled outwardly to form a portion of the floor, ceiling, and end panels of the space intermediate the end container A and the next adjacent container unit.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A building structure comprising:

a generally rectangular, box-shaped, container having dimensions generally compatible with being trans ported on highways by a transport vehicle, and having a pair of opposite generally rectangular open side faces and movable wall means located at each of said side faces;

each of said wall means including a pair of substantially rectangular wall panels hingedly connected to opposite longitudinal edge portions, respectively, of the corresponding one of said container side faces, each of said wall panels corresponding in size to the corresponding side face of the container and movable between a folded position, in which said hinged wall panels are located substantially within the confines of said container and substantially fully overlie each other and the corresponding open side face for forming at such side face a double wall closing said side face and reinforcing said container during transport, and an extended position in which said hinged wall panels extend outwardly of said container in a direction transverse to the plane of said side face for forming a portion of an enclosure for the space exterior of said container adjacent the corresponding side face thereof.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 wherein each of said side faces of said container is defined by an upper and a spaced lower edge portion extending between a pair of spaced generally vertical edge portions of said container, each of said wall panels having a first and a spaced second longitudinal edge portion, said first edge portion of one of each pair of said wall panels being substantial ly coextensive with and hingedly connected to the upper edge portion of the corresponding one of said side faces and said first edge portion of the other of each of said pair of wall panels being substantially coextensive with and hingedly connected to the lower edge portion of the corresponding one of said side faces.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2 wherein, in said folded condition of said wall panels, said second longitudinal edge portion of said one of said wall panels is substantially coextensive with and located adjacent to the corresponding lower edge portion of the container and said second longitudinal edge portion of said other of said wall panels is substantially coextensive with and located adjacent to the corresponding upper edge portion of the container.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising a second generally rectangular, box-shaped, container having dimensions generally identical with those of said first mentioned container and having a generally rectangular open side face facing one of said side faces of said first mentioned container and said containers being spaced apart a distance substantially equal to twice the width dimension of one of said containers; movable wall means located at said open side face of said second container, said movable wall means of said second container including a first rectangular wall panel having a first and a spaced second longitudinal edge portion, said first edge portion being substantially coextensive with and hingedly connected to the upper horizontal edge portion of said open side face of said second container for movement of said first wall panel with respect to said second container between a folded position in which said first wall panel is located substantially within the confines of said second container and an extended position in which said first wall panel extends outwardly toward the first mentioned of said containers, said movable wall means of said second container including a rectangular second wall panel having a first and a second longitudinal edge portion, said first longitudinal edge portion of said second container being substantially coextensive with and hingedly connected to the lower longitudinal edge portion of said open side face of said second container for movement of said second wall panel between a folded position in which said second wall panel is located substantially within the confines of said second container and an extended position in which said second wall panel extends outwardly toward said first mentioned container; said pair of wall panels of said second container having in extended position thereof, their second longitudinal edge portions substantially coextensive with and closely adjacent to the corresponding edge portions, respectively, of the adjacent pair of wall panels of said first mentioned container, in their extended position for interconnection therewith for together forming the roof and floor, respectively, for the space intermediate said pair of spaced containers, whereby said adjacent first and second wall panels of said pair of containers cooperate, in extended condition thereof, to form said pair of spaced containers into a unitary building structure occupying a space which substantially ex ceeds the space initially occupied by said pair of containers.

5. The arrangement according to claim 4 further comprising a third generally rectangular, box-shaped, container having dimensions substantially identical to those of said first mentioned container and having a generally rectangular open side face facing the other of said side faces of said first mentioned container and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to twice the width dimension of one of said containers, said third container having movable wall means located at said open side face thereof, said movable wall means of said third container including a first rectangular wall panel having a first and a spaced second longitudinal edge portion, said first edge portion being substantially coextensive with and hingedly connected to the upper edge portion of said open side face of said third container for movement of said first wall panel with respect to said third container between a folded position in which said first wall panel is located substantially within the confines of said third container and an extended position in which said first wall panel extends outwardly toward the first mentioned of said containers, for connection with the oppositely extending corresponding wall panel thereof, said movable wall means of said third container including a rectangular second wall panel having a first and a second longitudinal edge portion, said first longitudinal edge portion being substantially coextensive with and hingedly connected to the lower edge portion of said open side face of said third container for movement of said second wall panel between a folded position in which said second wall panel is located substantially within the confines of said third container and an extended position in which said second wall panel extends outwardly toward said first mentioned container for connection with the oppositely extending corresponding wall panel thereof whereby said three spaced containers form a unitary building structure occupying a space which is substantially equal to seven times the space initially occupied by one of said containers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 935,744 10/ 1909 Cosgrove 5269 1,156,693 10/1915 Koger 5279 X 2,247,340 6/1941 Webster 5279 3,005,205 10/ 1961 Breen 5279 X 3,118,187 1/ 1964 Alimanestiano 52236 X 3,229,431 1/ 1966 Paul 5279 X 3,289,382 12/1966 Van Der Lely 5279 X PRICE C. FAW, JR., Primary Examiner US Cl. X.R. 52236