US3541744A

US3541744A - Portable dwelling structure

Info

Publication number: US3541744A
Application number: US757412A
Authority: US
Inventors: William J Maxwell
Original assignee: WILLIAM J MAXWELL
Current assignee: WILLIAM J MAXWELL
Priority date: 1968-09-04
Filing date: 1968-09-04
Publication date: 1970-11-24
Anticipated expiration: 1987-11-24
Also published as: BE757239A; FR2109226A5

Description

Nov. 24, 1970 I w. J. MAXWELL PORTABLE DWELLING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 4, 1968 //v|//vr0/? WILLIAM J. MAXWELL a i-Q L ATTORNEY United States Patent U.S. Cl. 52-73 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a portable dwelling structure that has one or more columns with a plurality of laterally extending supporting walls. The walls have vertically spaced parallel receivers for portable dwelling units. The dwelling units have mating receivers that are positioned in the supporting wall receivers to support the portable dwelling units in a cantilever fashion from the supporting walls. Suitable plumbing, electrical facilities, elevators and stairs are provided in the columns. The dwelling units are lifted into place by a crane, preferably mounted on the top of the respective column. With the mating receivers, the dwelling units can be quickly positioned on the supporting walls and also removed therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates to a dwelling structure with separate detachable dwelling units and more particularly to a dwelling structure that has a vertical column with laterally extending vertical walls onto which portable dwelling units are secured in cantilever fashion.

Description of the prior art Hammond patent #2,499,498 discloses a mobile housing unit that is of conventional construction in that it includes four walls encompassing the outer periphery of the housing structure. The side walls have a plurality of slidable panels or doors for indivdual cells that are arranged to receive separate dwelling units. The dwelling units are supported at their opposite ends in structural panel members and the slidable panels of the housing structure are positioned in receivers thereabove when a portable dwelling unit is positioned in the cell associated with the slidable panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, the dwelling structure includes one or more vertical columns that house the plumbing, electric, heating facilities, stairs and elevators. Extending laterally from the vertical columns are a plurality of vertical supporting walls. The walls have vertically spaced parallel receivers extending laterally therefrom on opposite sides of the vertical walls. Portable dwelling units have vertically spaced parallel receivers extending along one side adjacent the bottom and top of the unit. The units are supported on the walls at preselected elevations by positioning the receivers on the portable unit in the mating receivers on the supporting wall. The plumbing, heating and electrical facilities form the central column and are connected to the end of the portable dwelling unit abutting the vertical column. The structure thus includes only a vertical column with a plurality of laterally extending vertical walls. Secured to and supported by the walls in cantilever fashion are a plurality of portable dwelling units that may be positioned on or removed therefrom when desired.

With this arrangement, the construction of the supporting structure is inexpensive when the number of dwelling 3,541,744 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 units associated therewith is taken into consideration. The arrangement is versatile in that the portable dwelling units may be quickly and easily positioned at a desired elevation on the vertical walls and also quickly removed therefrom when desired. Another embodiment of this invention includes platforms extending laterally from the vertical walls on which the housing units are positioned.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide a dwelling structure having a plurality of vertical walls onto which housing units are detachably connected in overlying relation to each other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dwelling structure that includes a main tower with a plurality of vertical walls extending laterally therefrom with portable dwelling unit supporting members secured thereto in horizontally spaced parallel relation onto which separate housing units are secured and supported in cantilever fashion.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be more completely disclosed and described in the following specification, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my portable dwelling structure illustrating the portable dwelling unit secured to the laterally extending walls.

FIG. 2 is a plan view in section illustrating the portable dwelling units secured to the laterally extending walls and the vertical central column.

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section through one of the vertical walls illustrating the manner in which the portable dwelling units are supported thereon in cantilever fashion.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating another embodiment of supporting members extending laterally from the vertical wall for the portable dwelling units.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A portable dwelling structure generally designated by the numeral 10 includes a central tower :12 that has a generally rectangular configuration with

side walls

14, 16, 18 and 20. The tower 12 has a central vertical shaft or opening 22 in which elevators 24 and stairs 26 are positioned to provide ingress and egress through openings 28 at various elevations.

Plumbing, electrical and heating facilities are also positioned within the shaft 22 and have suitable connections (not shown) for each of the portable dwelling units, as later explained. Each of the

side walls

14, 16, 18 and 20 has a laterally extending

vertical wall

30, 32, 34 and 36. The vertical walls are suitably secured to the side walls of the tower 12 and provide support means for portable dwelling units secured to opposite sides thereof. FIG. 1 illustrates the

side walls

34 and 36 with the portable dwelling units secured thereto at various elevations. A roof 38 is secured to the top of the tower :12 and extends outwardly to the outer edge of the

vertical walls

30, 32, 34 and 36. The roof 38 is arranged to house various other facilities necessary for a multiple dwelling unit structure such as the hoist components for the elevators and the like. There are also provided a plurality of crane-like members 40 secured to the roof 38, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 1, to hoist the portable dwelling units into position on the respective vertical walls. The crane-like members 40 are arranged to move outwardly on suitable supports, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and engage a portable dwelling unit, lift the portable dwelling unit the desired elevation, then move inwardly until the portable dwelling unit is in abutting relation with the wall and suitably supported on the receiver devices.

The portable dwelling units generally designated by the numeral 42 have

side walls

44 and 46 and

end walls

48 and 50. The end wall 48 has an opening or door 52 therein that mates with the opening 28 in the tower walls to permit ingress and egress from the portable dwelling unit 42 to the internal portion of the tower 12. The side walls 46 and end wall may have suitable windows 54 and a transverse support beam 56 maintains the rectangular configuration of the dwelling unit 42 when supported as illustrated in FIG. 3.

The vertical wall 34, as illustrated in FIG. 3, has a plurality of supporting

members

58 and 60 extending from the side 62 and other supporting

members

64 and 66 extending from the opposite side 68. The horizontal supporting members are preferably arranged at the same elevation on opposite sides of the vertical wall 34 and each has an elongated upturned edge portion 70 that forms with the vertical wall 34 a channel shaped receiver 72. Thus, the

support members

58, 60 and 64 and 66 provide pairs of spaced upturned channel receivers at various elevations along the vertical wall 34. Similar upturned channel support portions are provided on the other

vertical walls

30, 32 and 36.

The portable dwelling units 42 have a first longitudinally extending securing member 74 adjacent the dwelling unit roof 76 and a second longitudinally extending securing member 78 adjacent the dwelling unit floor 80. Each of the

securing members

72 and 78 extends laterally from the dwelling unit side wall 44 and have depending edge portions 82 that are positioned in the upturned channel receivers 72 formed by the horizontal supporting

members

58, 60 and 64, 66.

The dwelling units 42 are supported from the vertical wall 34 in cantilever fashion by positioning the depending edge portions 82 of the securing members 74 and 78 in the upturned channel portions 72. The portable dwelling units 42 are thus supported in cantilever fashion from the vertical walls on opposite sides thereof and may be quickly positioned at various elevations on the respective vertical walls. As is illustrated in FIG. 1, the portable dwelling unit 42 is engaged by the crane-like member 40 and is hoisted to the desired elevation and then the cranelike member 40 is moved inwardly to position the securing members 74 and 78 above the channel shaped supporting members secured to the vertical wall. The crane-like member 40 then lowers the dwelling unit 42 until the depending edge portions 82 are engaged in the upstanding channel receiver. When desired, suitable pins, bolts or the like (not shown) could further secure the side wall 44 to the surface 68 as protection against high winds.

Another embodiment of the support members for the portable dwelling units 42 is illustrated in FIG. 4. The vertical wall 34 has laterally extending platforms or parallel arms 84 and '86 on opposite sides thereof at various elevations. The portable dwelling units 42 are positioned on the laterally extending

platforms

84 and 86 with the dwelling unit side Wall 44 in abutting relation with the surface 68 of vertical wall 34 and the end wall 48 in abutting relation with the wall 18 of tower 12. The dwelling units 42 may be positioned on the

platforms

84 and 86 by means of the crane-like structure 40 illustrated in FIG. 1. Similarly, the wall 44 could be secured to the surface 68 of wall 34 by pins or other simple locking devices to fixedly position the dwelling unit on the platforms or

parallel arms

84 and 86.

It will be apparent from the previous description that it is now possible with the dwelling structure 10 previously described to quickly and easily secure portable dwelling units to laterally extending vertical walls of a tower 12. It will also be appreciated with this arrangement that portable dwelling units may be positioned on opposite sides of the same laterally extending vertical wall to provide multiple dwelling units in a minimum area. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the rectangular configuration of the tower 12 nor to four vertical walls associated with each vertical tower or column. It is within the scope of this invention to provide two or more spaced vertical walls along one wall of the main column or tower to increase the number of dwelling units associated with each tower.

It should be understood although the tower 12 has been described as having

vertical walls

30, 32, 34 and 36 extending laterally therefrom, the invention could be practiced with equal facility by securing the dwelling units 142 to the

side walls

14, 16, 18 and 20 of the tower 12 by the same supporting devices previously described.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of this invention has been explained, and what is considered to represent its best embodiments has been illustrated and described. However, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a dwelling structure the combination comprising,

a tower having a central opening to permit ingress and egress to various elevations through openings in said tower side walls,

said tower having a plurality of laterally extending unitary vertical walls,

horizontal receiver means secured to said unitary vertical walls at preselected elevations,

portable dwelling structures removably supported on said receiver means extending from said unitary vertical walls and in overlying relation to each other,

said portable dwelling structures having an opening therein connected to a mating opening in said tower side walls, and

said tower and said plurality of portable dwelling structures supported from said unitary vertical walls forming a multi-story, multi-unit dwelling structure with said dwelling structures being separately removable from said tower unitary vertical Walls.

2. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said horizontal receiver means include horizontal platforms extending laterally from said vertical walls at preselected locations,

said portable dwelling units positioned on said respective horizontal platforms with one side in abutting relation with said wall and an adjacent side in abutting relation with said tower.

3. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said horizontal receiver means comprise elongated supporting members having upturned longitudinal edge portions forming an upstanding channel receiver with the surface of said vertical wall,

a pair of said supporting members on the same side of said vertical wall arranged to support each portable dwelling structure,

said portable dwelling structures each having a longitudinally extending securing member adjacent the roof and the floor,

said securing members extending laterally from the side of said dwelling structure and having a depending longitudinal edge portion,

said depending longitudinal edge portions of both of said securing members positioned in mating up standing channel portions of said receivers to support said portable dwelling structure from said vertical wall.

4. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 3 in which, said horizontal receiver means are positioned on opposite sides of said vertical wall at the same elevation.

5. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 1 in which, said portable dwelling units are generally rectangular in shape and have side walls longer than the end walls,

one of said end walls having an opening arranged to be positioned in overlying relation with an opening in said tower,

said portable dwelling unit side wall positioned in abutting relation with-said laterally extending vertical wall and supported by said horizontal receiver means secured to said laterally extending vertical wall.

6. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said tower is generally rectangular in cross section and has four vertical side walls,

a vertical wall extends laterally from the center of each of said side walls and forms a supporting structure for portable dwelling units removably secured to opposite sides of each of said vertical walls.

7. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 6 in which,

said portable dwelling units each includes a pair of spaced parallel securing members extending laterally from one of the side walls, and

said tower laterally extending vertical walls each having upturned channel type receivers for said securing members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 3/ 1963 Canada. 8/ 1966 Denmark. 7/ 1961 France.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.