Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A SYSTEM FOR USE IN FABRICATING, TRANSPORTING AND PLACING A
PREFABRICATED BUILDING UNIT AT ITS PLACEMENT SITE.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well known to fabricate a building under mass
production assembly line conditions, thereafter to transport the
prefabricated building unit to its building site and to lift the
prefabricating building unit into place on a prepared foundation
at the site.
Examples of assembly line techniques for prefabricating
building units such as house structure are to be seen in United
States Patent Nos. 3,805,365, 3,820,216 and 3,994,060.
Specialized units for transporting the building unit
through the assembly line during fabrication are to be seen, for
example, in United States Patent Nos. 3,962,773 and 4,450,617.
An example of transporting modular home sections from
the fabricating assembly line to the placement site, by means of
flatbed trucks, is to be seen in United States Patent No.
4,512,120.
Finally, lifting devices for use with cranes to lift the
prefabricated unit and place it in its final place are to be seen,
for example in United States Patent Nos. 3,800,493 and 4,501,098.
Such systems suffer from the disadvantage that the
assembly line is located remote from the building site. These
previous arrangements have also suffered drawbacks in that the
building unit during fabrication has required a great deal of
handling on the assembly :line and the systems for moving the units
being fabricated though the assembly line have been complex, or
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
(YRS/ne) 90718-2
suffered from handl ina =::9rawbac, when moving the prefabricated
structure on to a truck to transport it to the building site.
Also the devices for lifting the prefabricated building units
into position have been complex and somewhat difficult to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to mitigate the
drawbacks of the prior art by providing a method and system
for use in fabricating, transporting and placing the building
units on foundations, all. being effected on site.
According to the present invent ion there is provided
a system of fabricating, transporting and placing a building
unit at a site, comprising: at least one production line for
fabricating a building unit having an input end and an output
end and including a transport device having a flatbed, said
transport device being movable from the input end to the
output end of the production line through a series of
workstations, said building unit being fabricated on an upper
surface of said flatbt=d, said flatbed having an anti-friction
surface on the upper surface thereof for permitting sliding
movement of said building unit relative to said transport
device; a first transport means to transport said building
unit from the output end of said product: ion line to a
preselected foundation, said first transport means having a
flatbed with an anti-friction surface on the upper surface
thereof for permitting sliding movement of said building unit
thereon; a means to slide the building unit from the flatbed
of said transport device when said transport device is at the
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
= (KRS/ne) 90718-2
output: end of said production line to the flatbed of said
first transport means; second transport means to transfer
the transported building unit from the flatbed of said first
transport means to said preselected foundation of said site.
According to a preferred feature, the system
includes a base membe, upon which said building unit is
erected, said base member comprising a rectangular metal frame
at least two opposing sides of which are L-section, inwardly
directed to provide, on said opposing sides, a marginal shelf
and a marginal outer wall upstanding from said marginal shelf;
aligned cross-beam receiving brackets inwardly directed from
said opposing sides; cross-beam members received in said
brackets and secured to said frame; and building unit lifting
lugs attached to, and projecti.m outwardly from, said
rectangular frame.
Preferably the device of the system for transporting
the base member during fabrication of the building unit
comprises a flatbed for support Ii ng the base member; rail
engaging wheels beneath the flatbed, and an anti-friction
surface on the f :l at bed (such as a roller conveyor) to permit
the fabricated building unit to be slid off the flatbed after
completion of fabrication.
According to still a further feature of the
invention, a prefabr_icalc'd hrn ....ing unit 1_i_ft ing frame is
provided for attachment to the base member and preferably the
lifting frame comprises a rectangular structure, crane hook
attaching elements on the structure, and a plurality of
building unit lifting c.:.rd, straps, or Me members on the
structure, the cord or like members
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
- 4 - 90718-1/LEH/fs
having lifting lug engaging attachments. According to one
preferred feature of the invention the lifting cords or like
members may be of unitary configuration.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following is a description by way of example of one
preferred embodiment of the invention reference being had to the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is plan view of an assembly line for assembling
prefabricated building units;
Figure 2 is a perspective sketch of the transportation
device which carries the building unit through the assembly line
during its fabrication;
Figure 3 is a perspective sketch of the device for
transporting the prefabricated structure to the building site and
the means for lifting the prefabricated unit into place on its
foundations;
Figure 4 is a detail, to an enlarged scale, of the
system shown in Figure 3;
Figures 5, 6, and 7 are details, to an enlarged scale,
of the items circled and numbered 5, 6, and 7, in Figure 4; and
Figure 8 is a schematic view of a subdivision building
plan.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning now to the drawings. in Figures 1 and 2 a
fabricating production line 10 is a factory-like facility in which
two parallel production lines, 1.1 and 12, are placed side by side.
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
- 5 - 90718-1/LEH/fs
The production lines each include its own railway track 14, 15
extending through the assembly facility past a basic construction
area 16 and then past.. a plurality of bays 18 providing storage
space for light construction and finishing materials such as
window frames and doors, plumbing and electrical supplies.
Running on the tracks 14 and 15 are a plurality of transporting
devices 20 each comprising a flatbed 21 (see Figure 2) having a
series of railway track engaging wheels 22 therebeneath and anti-
friction surfaces, such as roller conveyors 24, on the upper
surfaces of the flatbed.
As the devices 20 proceed from left to right, as seen in
Figure 1, the building unit 30 is erected on the base member of
the system, which base member will be described in more detail
hereinafter with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6. Fabrication of
the building unit 30 continues throughout the production line
until finally it is rolled out to a loading bay 25 on the right
hand side of Figure 1. Here a means to transport the
prefabricating building unit to the building site is provided in
the form of a flatbed truck 26 which is dimensioned so that the
building unit 30 can be slid off the roller conveyors 24 on the
flatbed 21, onto the flatbed 27 of the truck 26 which itself has
an anti-friction surface on top of its flatbed, which anti-
friction surface may be a roller conveyor 28 similar to the roller
conveyor 24.
The prefabricated unit 30 is then conveyed to the
building site by the truck 26 where it is lifted into position by
means of a crane 32 (see Figure 3) onto the building foundation
33. In order to provide a means by which the crane 32 can lift
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
- 6 - 9C)718-1/LEH/fs
the unit 30 and set it into place, the system of the present
invention provides a lifting frame 35 (see also Figure 4). The
lifting frame 35 is a rectangular structure 36 provided at its
corners with crane hook attaching elements, such as eye bolts 37
which receive crane cables 34. Attached to, and depending from
opposite sides of the rectangular structure 36 are a series of
building unit lifting cord members 39. Lifting cord members 39
may be of any suitable configuration such as cables, or straps, or
the like and the cord members terminate in lifting attachments 40
which will be described more fully hereinafter. The lifting cord
members 39 are shown in Figure 4 as of unitary configuration, that
is to say they are a single unit from their point of attachment to
the rectangular structure 36 to the attachment elements 40,
passing through prefabricated slots 41 in the roof 42 of the
building unit 30. However, it is to be understood that in some
forms of construction it may be desirable to split the cords above
their slots 41 such as at point 45 in Figure 4, the upper part of
the cord 39a being disconnectably connected at the point 45 to the
lower end of the cord 39b. By having the cords 39 detachably
attached in this fashion it is possible to leave the lower part of
the cord 39b in place after the building unit 30 has been arranged
on its placement site.,
Turning now to Figures 4, 5 and 6, these Figures show in
more detail the base member 50 which provides the uniting feature
of the system and on which the building unit 30 is assembled. The
base member 50 comprises a rectangular steel frame 51 at least two
opposing sides 52 of which are of inwardly directed L-section to
provide on opposite sides a marginal shelf 54 and a marginal outer
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
- 7 - 90718-1/LEFT/fs
wall 55 upstanding from the shelf. Preferably all four sides of
the rectangular frame are of similar inwardly directed L-section.
Lugs 56, only one of which is shown in Figure 5, upstand from the
shelves 54 to receive a cross-beam 60, preferably of I-section
wood. Spacer members, seen here as two plank-like wooden elements
62, rest on the shelves 54 at opposite sides of the rectangular
metal frame inside the marginal outer walls 55 and carry aligned
cross-member- receiving brackets 65. The cross-members 60 are
positioned firmly in the brackets 65 and span the rectangular
steel frame 51, as seen in Figures 5, 6 and 7. The ends of the
cross-beams 60 are received in the receiving brackets 65 and a
bolt 67 is passed through the lugs 56 and through holes in a pair
of filler blocks 69 :Located one on each side of the I-beam 60. A
nut 68 engages the bolt 67 and is tightened to clamp the cross-
beam 60 to the frame 51 in the brackets 65.
It will be understood that in Figure 5 although the
frame 50 appears to be in place on the foundation with the bolt 67
and nut 68 disconnected, this is for the purposes of illustration
only. Obviously the cross-beams 60 will be well secured as an
early step in fabrication of the base member 50 and before the
rest of the building unit 30 is assembled on the base member 50.
Building unit lifting lugs 70 are provided on the
opposite sides of the rectangular metal frame 51. These lugs
receive lifting lug attachment elements 40 at the ends of the
straps 39.
It will be noted that when the elements 40 are hooked
onto the lugs 70 the entire building unit can be lifted on its own
base frame 50.
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
- 8 - 90718-1/LEH/fs
In order to decrease any tendency for the rectangular
frame 51 of the base :member 50 to be warped during assembly and
transportation of the building unit, a plurality of tensioned
members 72 (see Figures 4 and 7) are detachably attached by
suitable means such as hooks 74 to eyes 76 fixed to the opposing
sides of the frame. The members 72 extend parallel to the cross-
beams 60 and are preferably provided with turnbuckles '78, or the
like, whereby the tension in the member 72 can be controlled.
When the building unit 30 has been arranged on its placement site
and bolted to its foundation 33, the turnbuckles 72 can be
slackened and the members 70 removed for reuse.
It will be understood that although the lugs 70 have
been shown of U-shape with the attachment elements 40 of hook
configuration, different shapes of lug and hook could be provided
to accommodate different situations.
Thus the base member 50 provides a jig upon which the
fabrication of the unit 30 takes place, provides for cooperation
with the transporting device 20 for ease of movement through the
assembly line and transfer onto the flatbed truck 26, and provides
the means whereby the lifting frame 35 can lift the building unit
from the truck and deposit it on its foundation 33, thereby
achieving a smooth unitary flow from fabrication through
transportation, to final placement.
The plan of Figure 8 shows a land subdivision or site 80
25 parcelled into indiv:.dual building lots 82 and including a
parkland area 84. Prefabricated units 30 are located each on a
lot 82 which has a foundation,33. Production line 10 is erected
on parkland area 84 and the service roads 86 of subdivision 80 are
CA 02139622 2003-05-23
- 9 - 90718-1/LEH/fs
used to transport each building unit 30 from the production line
to a preselected lot ;92 and foundation 33. When the placement of
building units 30 on lots 82 has been completed, production line
30 may be dismantled and parkland area 84 converted to its true
use.
It will be seen from the layout of Figure 8 that by
locating production line 10 on site 80 the time and cost problems
associated with transporting the building units 30 to foundations
33 are avoided.
