US3616592A

US3616592A - Method of constructing building units

Info

Publication number: US3616592A
Application number: US9715A
Authority: US
Inventors: Irving Rothman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-02-09
Filing date: 1970-02-09
Publication date: 1971-11-02
Anticipated expiration: 1988-11-02

Abstract

THE SPACE BETWEEN THE LATERAL PARTY WALLS OF A SELECTED EXISTING DWELLING OF A ROW-HOUSE COMPLEX IS GUTTED AND THE ENTIRE SPACE CLEARED, AND A TRANSVERSE WALL DEFINING THE REAR END OF THE NEW OR REHABILATED UNIT IS ERECTED BETWEEN THE PARTY WALLS UP TO THE SECOND STORY CEILING LEVEL. FLOOR PANELS ARE INSTALLED ON TEMPORARY SUPPORTS AT THE SECOND FLOOR LEVEL SO AS TO EXTEND INWARDLY FROM THE REAR WALL, AND TWO PREFABRICATED MODULES ARE DELIVERED TO THE SITE, ONE CONTAINING A KITCHEN AND THE OTHER A COMPLETELY EQUIPPED BATHROOM, AND EACH EXTENDING THROUGH A HEIGHT OF ONE STORY. THE FORMER IS CONVEYED BETWEEN THE PARTY WALLS TO A LOCLATION ADJACENT THE FLOOR PANEL, AND AGAINST ONE OF THE PARTY WALLS APPROXIMATELY MIDWAY OF ITS LENGTH, AND THE LATTER IS PLACED UPON THE FORMER. THE FLOOR PANELS ARE THEN TIED TO THE REAR WALL AND THE REAR SIDE OF THE MODULES, AND THE REMAINDER OF THE UNITL, I.E., FLOORS, WALLS, PARTITIONS, ROOFING, ETC., IS THEN COMPLETED AROUND THE MODULES WHICH SERVE AS AN INNER CORE.

Description

N V- 1971 l. ROTHMAN METHQD 0F CONSTRUCTING BUILDING UNITS 7 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1970 1 l INVENTOR IRVING ROTHMAN ATTORNEY lll.

Nov. 2, 1971 I. ROTHMAN METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING BUILDING UNITS 4 sheet s sht 5 Filed Feb. 9, 1970 INVENIUE lRVING RDTHMAN Hf BY 44.44121,

ATTORNEY Nov. 2, 1971 V I. ROTHMAN METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING BUILDING UNITS 4 Sheetsifet 4.

Filed Feb. 9, 1970 INVENTOR 112v ING Roi HMAN' ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,616,592 Patented Nov. 2, 1971 US. Cl. 52-745 22 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The space between the lateral party walls of a selected existing dwelling of a row-house complex is gutted and the entire space cleared; and a transverse wall defining the rear end of the new or rehabilitated unit is erected between the party walls up to the second story ceiling level. Floor panels are installed on temporary supports at the second floor level so as to extend inwardly from the rear Wall; and two prefabricated modules are delivered to the site, one containing a kitchen and the other a completely equipped bathroom, and each extending through a height of one story. The former is conveyed between the party walls to a location adjacent the floor panel, and against one of the party walls approximately midway of its length, and the latter is placed upon the former. The floor panels are then tied to the rear wall and the rear side of the modules, and the remainder of the unit, i.e., floors, walls, partitions, roofing, etc., is then completed around the modules which serve as an inner core. a

My invention, in one of its aspects, is concerned with a method of rehabilitating a single house or dwelling unit of a rowhouse complex, wherein the first steps are to gut the space between the lateral party walls above the first floor level to completely clear this space, and to build a transverse wall which will constitute the rear wall of the rehabilitated unit.

It is an object of the invention to place floor panels at the second story floor level between said party walls and against the rear wall.

It is another object of the invention to utilize a pair of pre-fabricated one-story modules.

It is still another object to place said modules between the party walls, one superimposed above the other to form a two-story inner core.

It is still another object to build a new front wall across the front ends of the party walls, and to install a floor panel between the modules and the front wall at the second floor level and roof panels between the upper module and the front and rear walls, respectively.

It is still another object to build a vertical shaft or duct between one side of said modules and one of the party walls for the accommodation of fines and utility conduits.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent in the light of the detailed description which follows in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one of the prefabricated modules about to be placed into the cleared space between the party walls;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first floor level showing the lower module in place;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the second floor level showing the upper module in place;

FIG. 4 is a view of the lower module mounted in a harness or sling prior to being conveyed to its installed position;

FIG. 5 is a view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view of the upper module in its carrying sling about to be deposited in its installed position on the top of the lower module;

FIG. 7 is a view along line 77 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of a composite floor or roof panel;

FIG. 9 is a vertical section through line 9-9 of FIG. 2, before completion of the upper half of front wall 33, and prior to moving floor panels 34 to their final position in engagement with module 1.

The invention, in one of its aspects, is concerned specifically with rehabilitation of the row-house type of housing which serves a substantial portion of the low-income population of many of our cities. It enables the complete rehibilitation of an individual dwelling unit independently of any other; it is readily compatible with conformance to existing building and fire prevention codes; it makes possible a substantially complete enclosure of the working area within a short time after operations have begun, whereby the interior may be heated and protected against the weather and whereby the job may be carried to completion without interruption; each job can be completed in a matter of a few days by employing a qualified crew of 15 to 20 men working in continuous shifts, thereby reducing hardship on displaced families as well as keeping vandalism down to a minimum. For these reasons, among others, I believe that my invention as described and claimed hereinafter can make an important contribution, at least for the short run, to any program which has among its purposes to counteract the steady erosion of available lowcost housing which is at work in our cities today.

A key feature of my invention is the utilization of prefabricated modules designated by

reference numerals

1 and 2 of the drawings. Module 1 is designed to serve as the lower half and module 2 as the upper half of the inner core of the rehabilitated dwelling unit. Each module is one story in height, the lower one containing a kitchen 3 with a sink 5 and cabinets 7 installed at the first floor level, and the upper one containing a bathroom 9 with plumbing fixtures installed at the second floor level. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the modules also include closets, doorways, doors, and hallways, as well as staircase 10, and a vertical duct 12 for conveying hot air from the heating unit in the cellar to outlet registers on the second floor. Also, the modules will come equipped with electrical and pumbing lines, together with fittings enabling quick connection to the water and power supplies in the cellar and to load circuits in the dwelling unit.

Module 1, details of which are shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, is provided at its bottom with a plywood subfloor 14, which will rest on the floor joists 32 at the building site. Covering the top of the module is a sheet of plasterboard, or the like, and above this a series of joists 16 spaced on 32-inch centers. In the lower end of each of the partitions 24 is incorporated a horizontal beam 26, as shown in FIG. 4, to lend strength and rigidity to the module during its conveyance to the installed position.

Module 2, as shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, has a plywood subfloor 20, below which are attached joists 22 on 32- inch centers and strength beams 25 at the two ends. End beams 25 and joists 22 at the bottom of module 2, provide the strength and rigidity required for the safe conveyance of module 2 to its installed position. The joists 22 of module 2 are staggered in relation to the joists 16 of module 1, whereby the two sets of joists will intermesh on 16-inch centers when module is deposited upon module, as can be seen in FIG. 6. Module 2 incorporates in its top section a series of joists topped by a sheet of plywood.

The existing dwelling unit selected for rehabilitation may be either two or three stories in height and may or may not include a cellar. Where a cellar is present, it will usually be necessary to build a new rear wall section below, as well as above the first floor level, since the rebuilt unit will be of a more compact design than its predescessor, and the old rear wall is often irregular in shape. Accordingly, at this stage the rear wall at the new location is built up to the first floor level. At about the same time, load bearing elements, including horizontal beams supported on vertical struts, are installed in the cellar for carrying the weight of the modules which will subsequently be placed thereabove. This is shown in FIG.

9, wherein the front and rear sides of the module 1 are shown in vertical alignment above and supported by beams 11 which, in turn, rest on vertical struts 13. (Throughout this specification, the terms front and rear are intended to denote directions toward the front and rear end of the house, respectively. In FIGS. 2, 3 and 9, the front end is at the right and the rear end at the left.) In those instances where there is no cellar and the existing unit rests on a foundation slab, bearing elements for supporting the extra weight of the modules will be installed in the slab.

Thereafter, all the existing structure, including the front and rear walls, located above the floor level of the first story and between the

lateral party walls

15, 17, forming part of the adjacent houses on either side, is demolished and removed, leaving a space between the party walls which is unobstructed in the forward, rearward, and upward directions. Any preparatory or repair Work deemed necessary with regard to the lateral walls, flooring, cellar joists, etc., may be performed at this time utilizing the conventional procedures known to practitioners of the building arts.

The rear transverse wall 31 is now built above ground to its design height of two stories, and the front wall 33 is erected in part, i.e., up to a height of one story, as shown in FIG. 1. Appropriate openings for doors and windows are provided in the walls during the course of their erection. A series of horizontally aligned openings 28 is incorporated in wall 31 at the second floor level, as shown in FIG. 9, for a purpose to be presently explained.

Before the modules are brought to their position of installation, floor panels 34 are mounted on temporary supports 36 at the second floor level with their rear side adjacent the rear wall 31. Each panel comprises a prefabricated assembly of joists to which is fastened an upper sheet of plywood subflooring 38 as illustrated in FIG. 8. The joists extend beyond the plywood sheet at opposite edges thereof to terminate in projections 41 as shown in FIG. 8. The projections 40 at the rear sides of the panels are dimensioned and arranged so as to register with the previously mentioned openings 28 in wall 31. These projections are of such length as to permit a limited frontto-rear displacement of the panels while at the same time providing adequate interengagement between openings 28 and projections 41 to maintain support of the rear ends of the panels during such limited displacement. The panels are supported in their rear-most position by openings 38 and temporary supports 36 in order to insure adequate clearance for module 1 as it is being lowered into position.

The modules, having been previously assembled at the factory, are delivered to a location in front of the cleared space at the site. They are then moved by any suitable conventional means, e.g., a crane, over the partially erected front wall 33, to their ultimate location between the standing party walls. FIG. 1 shows the module 1 suspended by a supporting harness 23 and about to be moved to its ultimate position indicated by broken lines at 27.

The carrier or sling for conveying module 1 from its point of delivery to its installed position is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. It comprises a pair of steel I-beams 38 positioned underneath the module transversely of the beams 26, cable sections 40 connected to the I-beams and extending vertically therefrom to a rigid frame 42. and thence to a hook 44 secured to a crane or hoist cable 46. As the side 48 of the module must be clear of bstructions in order that the module may be placed against wall 17 the I-beams must not project beyond side 48 and the cable sections 40 at this end of the module must be located inwardly of side 48. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 4, holes '50 and 52 are provided in the ceiling element 18 and subfloor 14, respectively, through which two of the cable sections pass from frame 42 to I-beams 38. This arrangement will not disturb the balance unduly, since the center of gravity of module 1 is biased to the right in FIG. 1, by the plumbing lines and kitchen equipment incorporated in the left portion of the module.

It should be noted, at this point, that the loading of module 1 on I-beams 38, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is such that when the module is placed in its installed position the I-beams will be oriented in the same direction as, i.e., parallel to, the first floor joists 32. Thisenables the I-beams to pass between the joists 32 thus permitting the bottom of the module to come into contact with the top of joists 32, whereby there is a complete transfer of the weight of the module from the I-beams 38 to the floor joists 32. Once this condition has been attained, the cables 40 are disengaged from the I-beams 38, and the latter are removed and made available for re-use.

The sling or carrier arrangement with regard to module 2 is generally similar to that described with regard to module 1. However, in the case of module 2 there is no need for any of the vertical cables 40 to pass through the interior of the module. This is so because of the presence of joists 22 and beams 25 which are provided at the bottom of module 2, and which can be extended at both ends beyond the limits of the module, as shown at 54 in FIG. 7, thereby permitting the I-beams 38 and cable sections 40 to be located in the positions indicated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

After module 1 has been deposited in its ultimate location, module 2 is placed upon the top of module 1 in vertical alignment therewith. (FIGS. 6 and 7 show module 2 about to be placed upon module 1.) The rear roof panels 56 are now installed at the second story ceiling level between rear wall 31 and upper module 2. These panels are similar in construction to the floor panels 34, except that the rear projections 58 of the former are shorter than the corresponding projections 40 of the latter, since once the roof panels 56 have been placed in supported relation to rear wall 31 and upper module 2, there is no need for horizontal shifting of the roof panels. The front projections 60 of roof panels 56 will extend into recesses located in the upper portion of module 2.

Also at this stage of the operation, the floor panels 34 are shifted forwardly to their ultimate position wherein their projections 64 extend into the recesses located between the upper and lower modules and rest on the latter. This maneuver will obviously create a gap at the rear end of the subflooring; however, the gap is subsequently filled by the installation of a strip of plywood adjacent the rear wall 31.

The relation between the modules as finally positioned and the remainder of the fixed structure is clearly evident from FIGS. 2 and 3, which show the modules adjoining the party wall 17 approximately midway of the latters length, and being spaced from the opposite party Wall 15 so as to leave a space 29 therebetween. The space 29 will subsequently be closed by end partitions 45 to form a vertical chase for the accommodation of flues, vent lines, etc. In the plan views of FIGS. 2 and 3, only the

modules

1 and 2 and

walls

15, 17, 31 and 33 are shown in full lines, while other features to be installed, e.g., interior partitions, etc., are represented by bro-ken lines.

Normally two floor panels (or roof panels) will be employed to cover the span between the

side walls

15 and 17, i.e., two panels rear-Ward of the two modules and two forward of the modules, as I have found that for the average building unit this will result in a panel having a weight and size capable of being readily handled by four men. In FIG. 2 I have indicated at broken line 70 the plane of abutment between the two rear floor panels 'Which will be installed at the ceiling level of the first floor. It will be noted that because of the gap at 29 between module 1 and side wall 15, the inner side of one of the panels will be supported only partially by the module. To provide continuous support for the front side this panel, conventional framing is provided at the ceiling level in alignment with the rear partition shown in dotted lines at 45 of FIG. 2. This framing will serve to support those joist projections at the forward side of the panel which are not accommodated by the module. Similar framing installations at the front side of space 29 and at corresponding locations at the ceiling level of the second story will provide support for the remainder of those floor and roof panel projections disposed along the front and rear sides of space 29.

The work is continued at the front end of the building with the installation of floor and roof panels 66 and 68, which are similar to the previously installed rear roof panels 56 and are constructed as shown in FIG. 8. The front floor panels 66 will be supported by module 1 and partially built wall 33, while roof panel 68 is supported on temporary supports 72 and tied into the front of rndule 2 at the ceiling level of the second story. At this point erection of the front wall 33 is resumed and completed up to the second floor ceiling level and the joist projections at the front side of panel 68 are fixed upon wall 33 in supported relation thereto.

The stage of the job illustrated in FIG. 9, with both modules in place and the front roof panels in place on temporary framing or scaffolding, will generally be reached in a matter of hours after delivery of the modules to the site. At this stage the work area is enclosed except for the absence of the upper part of front wall 33. In order to make the enclosure substantially complete, a flexible weather curtain, shown at 74 in FIG. 9, made of clear plastic, may be hung from temporary supports 76 attached to the roof panels 68, pending completion of wall 33. This will insure early protection against the weather and permit heating the interior, thus avoiding interruptions during the remaining time re quired to complete the balance of the work.

I have indicated hereinbefore that the method of my invention is particularly suited to the rehabilitation of existing dwelling units. However, it will be appreciated that the invention can be readily applied to the construction of new dwelling units. In such instances the side and rear walls and part of the front wall will be erected in the course of the new construction, and the steps of my method may then be carried out in the manner set forth above.

My method may also be employed for projects not including cellars, e.g., wherein the first floor of the unit rests directly on a concrete slab. In this situation the slab would be suitably reinforced at the points of support for the module; and a utility room would be incorporated in the lower module to accommodate space heater and water heater units. Also, recesses would be provided in the slab for receiving the I-beams on which the lower module is carried so as to permit the bottom of the module to come into contact with and tobe directly supported by the slab. The I-beams would be left to remain permanently under the module after being disengaged from the carrier cables.

In the foregoing exposition I have refrained from describing numerous additional steps and procedures which, although necessary to the completion of the finished dwelling unit, are such as would require no more than the exercise of routine skill and knowledge within the capacity of competent practitioners in the building arts. The omission has been made in the interests of brevity and clarity, as it relates to matters not directly relevant or necessary to an understanding of my invention.

I claim:

1. In the construction of a two-story building unit utilizing pre-existing structure comprising first and second spaced, parallel, vertical side walls interconnected at one end by a transverse wall, said walls being of a height adequate to accommodate a two-story building unit, the

method comprising the steps of placing floor panels on temporary supports between said side walls in a horizontally oriented position at the floor level of the second story and in contact with said transverse wall, placing between said side walls a modular structure in the form generally of a rectangular parallelepiped extending through a height of two stories so that it occupies a position against one of said side walls and wherein one of its sides is adjacent one side of said panels, adjusting said panels so that they are supported at opposite sides by said transverse wall and said modular structure, respectively, and removing said temporary supports.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said modular structure is composed of a first and a second prefabricated module, each extending through a height of one story, and wherein the step of placing said modular structure between said side walls comprises the sub-steps of depositing said first module in its installed position and depositing said second module upon said first module in vertical alignment therewith.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the pre-existing structure contains a cellar and including the additional step of installing load transmitting structural members between the cellar floor and ceiling in vertical alignment with the installed position of said modular structure prior to said step of placing said modular structure, whereby the weight of said modular structure will be borne by said members.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each of said floor panels has horizontal projections extending outwardly at the front and rear sides thereof, and wherein said trans verse wall is formed with openings at the second story floor level positioned to register with the rear projections of said floor panels, said rear projections being of sufficient length to permit a limited horizontal front-to-rear displacement of said panels while maintaining said rear projections in supported relation to said openings, said step of placing said floor panels on temporary supports being characterized by placing said floor panels in their rearmost position with said rear projections engaged in said openings, and said step of adjusting said floor panels being characterized by shifting said floor panels forwardly to engage said forward projections with said modular structure in supported relation thereto.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said floor panels has horizontal projections extending outwardly at the front and rear sides thereof, and wherein said transverse wall is formed with openings at the second story floor level positioned to register with the rear projections of said floor panels, said rear projections being of suificient length to permit a limited horizontal front-to-rear displacement of said panels while maintaining said rear projections in supported relation to said openings, said step of placing said fioor panels on temporary supports being characterized by placing said floor panels in their rearmost position with said rear projections engaged in said openings, and said step of adjusting said floor panels being characterized by shifting said floor panels forwardly to engage said forward projections with said modular structure in supported relation thereto.

6. In the construction of a two-story building unit utilizing pre-existing structure including a pair of parallel vertical side walls interconnected at one end by a trasverse wall, said side walls being at least two stories high and said transverse wall being one story high, the method comprising the steps of placing between said side walls a modular structure in the form generally of a rectangular parallelepiped extending through a height of two stories so that it occupies a position against one of said side walls and spaced from said transverse wall, and mounting floor panels at the floor level of the second story between and in supported relation to said modular structure and said transverse wall.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said modular structure is composed of a first and second prefabricated module, each extending through a height of one story, and wherein the step of placing said modular structure between said side walls comprises the sub-steps of depositing said first module in its installed position and depositing said second module upon said first module in vertical alignment therewith.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the pre-existing structure contains a cellar and including the additional step of installing load transmitting structural members between the cellar floor and ceiling in vertical alignment with the installed position of said modular structure prior to said step of placing said modular structure, whereby the weight of said modular structure will be borne by said members.

9. In the construction of a two-story building unit utilizing pre-existing structure including first and second parallel, vertical side walls interconnected by a first transverse wall at one end and a second transverse wall at the other end, said first transverse wall being two stories high, and said second transverse wall being one story high, the method comprising the steps of placing floor panels on temporary supports between said side walls in a horizontally oriented position at the floor level of the second story and in contact with said first transverse wall, placing between said side walls a modular structure in the form genorally of a rectangular parallelepiped extending through a height of two stories so that it occupies a position against.

said first side wall and spaced from said transverse walls, and wherein one of its sides is adjacent one side of said panels, adjusting said panels so that they are supported at opposite sides by said first transverse wall and said modular structure, respectively, mounting additional floor panels at the floor level of the second story between and in supported relation to said modular structure and said second transverse wall.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said modular structure is composed of a first and a second pre-fabricated module, each extending through a height of one story, and wherein the step of placing said modular structure between said side walls comprises the substeps of depositing said first module in its installed position and depositing said second module upon said first module in vertical alignment therewith.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said first mentioned floor panels have horizontal projections extending outwardly at the front and rear sides thereof, and wherein said first transverse wall is formed with openings at the second story floor level positioned to register with the rear projections of said first mentioned floor panels, said rear projections being of suflicient length to permit a limited horizontal front-to-rear displacement Willie maintaining said rear projections in supported relation to said openings, said step of placing said first mentioned floor panels on temporary supports being characterlzed by placing said first mentioned floor panels in then rearmost position with said rear projections engaged in said openings, and said step of adjusting said first mentionedfloor panels being characterized by shifting said first mentioned floor panels forwardly to engage said forward pro ections with said modular structure in supported relation thereto.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the installed position of said modular structure is such that said modular structure is spaced from said second side wall, and includ ing the additional step of enclosing the space between said modular structure and said second side wall with vertical partitions to form a shaft extending through two stories for accommodating fiues and utility conduits.

13. The method of claim 12 including the step of installing horizontal framing members at the ceiling levels of the first and second stories across said space and in alignment with the front and rear sides of said modular structure, and wherein said steps of adjusting and mounting said panels are characterized by placing into engagement with said framing members some of the projections of those panels located adjacent said second side wall.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the pre-existing structure contains a cellar and including the additional step of installing load transmitting structural members between the cellar floor and ceiling in vertical alignment with the installed position of said modular structure prior to said step of placing said modular structure, whereby the weight of said modular structure will be borne by said members.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said first mentioned floor panels have horizontal projections extending outwardly at the front and rear sides thereof, and wherein said first transverse wall is formed with openings at the second story floor level positioned to register with the rear projections of said first mentioned floor panels, said rear projections being of sufiicient length to permit a limited horizontal front-to-rear displacement while maintaining said rear projections in supported relation to said openings, said step of placing said first mentioned floor panels on temporary supports being characterized by placing said first mentioned floor panels in their rearmost position with said rear projections engaged in said openings, and said step of adjusting said first mentioned floor panels being characterized by shifting said first mentioned floor panels forwardly to engage said forward projections with said modular structure in supported relation thereto.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the installed position of said modular structure is such that said modular structure is spaced from said second side wall, and including the additional step of enclosing the space between said modular structure and said second wall with vertical partitions to form a shaft extending through two stories for accommodating flues and utility conduits.

17. In the rehabilitation of an existing row-house extending through at least two stories and occupying a space whose lateral boundaries are defined by first and second spaced, parallel vertical side walls, the method comprising the steps of detaching all the fixed structure located in the space between said walls above the floor level of the first story, clearing said space, erecting a rear transverse wall between said side walls to a height of two stories, erecting a front transverse wall between said side walls to a height of one story, placing floor panels on temporary supports between said side walls in a horizontally oriented position at the floor level of the second story and in contact with said rear transverse wall, placing between said side walls a modular structure in the form generally of a rectangular parallelepiped extending through a height of two stories so that it occupies a position wherein its rear side is adjacent one side of said panels and its front side spaced from said front transverse wall and wherein another of its sides lies against said first side wall, installing roof panels at the second story ceiling level between said modular structure and said rear transverse wall, placing additional floor panels at the floor level of the second story between and in supported relation to said modular structure and said front transverse wall, placing additional roof panels at the second story ceiling level on temporary supports between said side walls and in front of said modular structure, tying said additional roof panels to the front side of said modular structure, adjusting said first mentioned floor panels so that they are supported at their front and rear sides by said modular structure and said rear wall, respectively, completing said front transverse wall up to the top of the second story, tying the front side of said second fioor panels to said front transverse wall, and removing said temporary supports.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said modular structure is composed of a first and second prefabricated module, each extending through a height of one story, and wherein the step of placing said modular structure between said side walls comprises the sub-steps of depositing said first module in its installed position and depositing said second module upon said first module in vertical alignment therewith.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the installed position of said modular structure is such that said modular structure is spaced from said second side wall, and including the additional step of enclosing the space between said modular structure and said second wall with vertical partitions to form a shaft extending through two stories for accommodating hues and utility conduits.

20. The method of claim 19 including the step of installing horizontal framing members at the ceiling levels of the first and second stories across said space and in alignment with the front and rear sides of said modular structure, and wherein said steps of placing and adjusting said panels are characterized by placing into engagement with said framing members some of the projections of those panels located adjacent said second side wall.

21. The method of constructing a two-story building unit on a rectangular site comprising erecting first and second side walls lengthwise of said site to a height of two stories, erecting a first transverse wall interconnecting one end of said side walls to a height of two stories, erecting a second transverse wall interconnecting the other end of said side Walls to a height of one story, placing floor panels on temporary supports between said side walls in a horizontally oriented position and in contact with said first transverse wall, placing between said side walls a modular structure in the form generally of a rectangular parallelepiped extending through a height of two stories so that it occupies a position against said first side wall and spaced from said transverse walls, and

wherein one of its sides is adjacent one side of said panels, mounting additional floor panels at the floor level of the second story between and in supported relation to said modular structure and said second transverse wall.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said modular structure is composed of a first and a second prefabricated module, each extending through a height of one story, and wherein the step of placing said modular structure between said side walls comprises the substeps of depositing said first module in its installed position and depositing said second module upon said first module in vertical alignment therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,168,725 8/1939 Whelan 52-236 2,841,975 7/1958 Bruckmayer 52236 3,533,204 10/ 197-0 Wallace 52-236 FOREIGN PATENTS 216,579 1958 Australia 52-236 1,138,751 1957 France 52-262 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5279, 236