Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02601317 2010-01-14
HOUSING MANUFACTURING SYSTEM AND METHOD
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] The present application claims priority from Canadian Patent
Application 2,563,187,
filed October 11, 2006 and United States Published Patent Application
2008/0086976 filed
February 16, 2007.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to construction and in
particular to a
housing manufacturing system and method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Housing is a critical aspect of social living. The construction of
houses and other
dwellings is therefore a well-known and highly refined art. Construction
techniques and
esthetic styles are well known for single family dwellings, detached and semi-
detached
houses, condominiums, apartment buildings, town houses, and the like.
[0004] Automation is also broad reaching and used heavily in a broad range of
industries
and is used to build cars, trucks, planes, electronics, appliances and many
other products.
Automation techniques are increasingly being applied to the housing industry,
and indeed are
used heavily in the manufacture of modular and panelized homes. Modular and
panelized
homes are well suited to automation due the fact that each unit is
substantially identical and
therefore an automated assembly facility can be designed to build each unit in
substantially
the same way using substantially the same components for each unit.
[0005] Far more vexing, however, has been the application of automation
techniques to
conventionally site-built homes. Conventionally site-built homes are typically
built on the final
construction site. They are often favoured over modular and panelized homes as
they can be
uniquely designed, both on the exterior and interior, to reflect the
individual tastes of the
homeowner. Many agree that a community of conventionally site-built homes is
also far more
aesthetically pleasing than a monotonous matrix of identical modular or
panelized homes.
[0006] The uniqueness and size of each conventionally site-built homes is
anathema to
prior art automation techniques. The uniqueness of each home makes it
difficult to manage
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and store stock. The size of each home makes it difficult to transport the
home from the
manufacturing facility to the site of the dwelling.
[0007] The prior art reveals several attempts to automate the construction of
conventionally site-built homes. In 1978, US4110952 to Blachura, proposed a
technique for
constructing individual houses in a factory and delivering them to prepared
foundations on a
large tract of land. The issue of size was addressed by locating the factory
near the final tract
of land where the house would be situated, thereby minimizing the traveling
distance from the
factory to the final site of the dwelling. More recently, US6253504 to Cohen
et al. proposed a
movable manufacturing facility. The movable manufacturing facility of Cohen
intended to bring
standard size home building comprehensively within a controlled factory
environment. Cohen
disclosed that the main structure of the movable manufacturing facility was
sufficiently tall to
allow assembly and movement of standard size homes within. Cohen proposed
multiple
independent production lines to each produce portions of the dwelling in the
form of
subassemblies.
[0008] Unfortunately, the prior art has not proposed a practically feasible
automation
method for conventionally site-built homes. Since the facilities must be
located close to the
site for each house, the prior art facilities cannot produce enough homes to
justify the capital
investment required for the associated facility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In an aspect of the invention a system for manufacturing homes is
provided. The
system includes a sub-assembly plant for assembling planar sections of a home,
such as walls
or floors, according to a production schedule for custom homes. The system
also includes at
least one final assembly facility located proximal to a subdivision where a
plurality of the
custom homes are to be situated. The final assembly facility is for receiving
the planar
sections from the sub-assembly plant and for constructing the homes from
planar portions
according to the production schedule. Each home in the production schedule can
be different.
[0010] The sub-assembly plant of the system can include an assembly line for
producing
at least a portion of the planar sections.
[0011] The sub-assembly plant of the system can include at least one of a
framing station,
a drywall application station, a mechanical services station, an insulation
station and a
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covering station. The insulation station can comprise an injector and a
flowable closed cell
foam dispenser for injecting the foam into a cavity defined by a frame and a
drywall covering of
the frame.
[0012] The planar sections can comprise wall sections that are provided with a
plurality of
removable hangers.
[0013] The system can include a truck for transporting the wall sections which
includes an
overhead rail for receiving the hangers. The truck can include a plurality of
floor rails, one floor
rail corresponding to each overhead rail. The floor rails are complementary to
skates, and a
plurality of skates can be used to move each wall section.
[0014] The final assembly facility of the system can include at least one area
for building a
roof for each home and an overhead crane for placing the roof on a respective
home
according to the production schedule.
[0015] Another aspect of the invention provides a truck for transporting
planar sections of
houses including a plurality of substantially parallel overhead rails for
receiving hangers
disposed within the sections.
[0016] The truck can include a plurality of floor rails, with one floor rail
corresponding to
each overhead rail. The floor rails of the truck are complementary to skates,
and a plurality of
skates can be used to move each planar section.
[0017] Another aspect of the invention provides a sub-assembly plant for
assembling
planar sections of a home according to a production schedule for custom homes,
the sub-
assembly plant providing the planar sections to at least one final assembly
facility located
proximal to a subdivision where a plurality of the custom homes are to be
situated. The facility
is for receiving the planar sections from the sub-assembly plant and for
constructing the
homes from the planar sections according to the production schedule. The sub-
assembly plant
comprises an assembly line for producing at least a portion of the planar
sections.
[0018] The sub-assembly plant can further comprise at least one of a framing
station, a
drywall application station, a mechanical services station, an insulation
station and a covering
station. The insulation station can comprise an injector and a flowable closed
cell foam
dispenser for injecting the foam into a cavity defined by a frame and a
drywall covering of the
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frame.
[0019] Another aspect of the invention provides a final assembly facility for
receiving and
assembling planar sections of a home according to a production schedule for
custom homes.
The planar sections received from a sub-assembly plant that assembles the
planar sections.
The final assembly facility can be located proximal to a subdivision where a
plurality of the
custom homes are to be situated. The final assembly facility is for
constructing the homes
from the planar sections according to the production schedule. The final
assembly facility can
be movable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference to
certain embodiments and the attached Figures in which:
[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a home manufacturing system
and
method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;
[0022] Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the sub-assembly plant within
Figure 1;
[0023] Figure 3 is representation of certain stations in the sub-assembly
plant of Figure 2
that are for framing wall sections of a house;
[0024] Figure 4 is a representation of certain stations in the sub-assembly
plant of Figure 2
that are for applying drywall to the frame;
[0025] Figure 5 is a representation of a transfer section in the sub-assembly
plant of
Figure 2;
[0026] Figure 6 is a representation of a station in the sub-assembly plant of
Figure 2 that is
for installing building mechanical into the frame;
[0027] Figure 7 is a representation of a station in the sub-assembly plant of
Figure 2 which
is for injecting insulation into cavities of a frame of a wall;
[0028] Figure 8 is a representation of a station in the sub-assembly plant of
Figure 2 for
applying a coating, such as drywall, to the frame;
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[0029] Figure 9 is a representation of certain stations in the sub-assembly
plant of Figure 2
that is for affixing the coating to the frame and for revealing cutaways;
[0030] Figure 10 is a representation of a transfer station in the sub-assembly
plant of
Figure 2;
[0031] Figure 11 is a representation of a staging area of the sub-assembly
plant of Figure
2;
[0032] Figure 12 shows part of a hanging system for hanging wall sections made
using the
sub-assembly plant of Figure 2;
[0033] Figure 13 is an isometric view that shows the hanging system of Figure
12 in
greater detail;
[0034] Figure 14 is a partial sectional view that shows the hanging system of
Figure 12 in
greater detail;
[0035] Figure 15 is an isometric view showing how the hanging system of Figure
12 can
be used to store and transport wall sections made using the sub-assembly plant
of Figure 2;
[0036] Figure 16 is an isometric view of an exemplary final assembly facility
from the
system of Figure 1;
[0037] Figure 17 is a top planar view of the final assembly facility of Figure
16;
[0038] Figure 18 shows an exemplary mechanism for transferring a house built
using the
system of Figure 1 onto a foundation;
[0039] Figure 19 shows how the mechanism of Figure 18 can be removed once the
house
in Figure 18 is in position on the foundation;
[0040] Figure 20 shows a perspective view of a skate and a rail for use in
moving wall
sections in accordance with another embodiment;
[0041] Figure 21 shows a front view of the skate of Figure 20;
[0042] Figure 22 shows a side view of the skate of Figure 20;
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[0043] Figure 23 shows how the skate and rail system can be used to store and
transport
wall sections;
[0044] Figure 24 shows a modified version of the final assembly facility of
Figure 17 in
accordance with another embodiment,
[0045] Figure 25 shows a modified version of the final assembly facility of
Figure 24;
[0046] Figure 26 is a top view of the facility of Figure 25;
[0047] Figure 27 is a rear view of the facility of Figure 25;
[0048] Figure 28 is a front view of the facility of Figure 25;
[0049] Figure 29 is a left side view of the facility of Figure 25;
[0050] Figure 30 is a right side view of the facility of Figure 25;
[0051] Figure 31 is a top view of the assembly stations of the facility of
Figure 25;
[0052] Figure 32 is a perspective view of the assembly stations of the
facility of Figure 25;
[0053] Figure 33, comprising figures 33a, 33b and 33c, is an exemplary
production
schedule for the assembly stations of the facility of Figure 25;
[0054] Figure 34 is a perspective view of the loading area of the facility of
Figure 25;
[0055] Figure 35 is a top view of the loading area of the facility of Figure
25;
[0056] Figure 36 is a rear view of the loading area of the facility of Figure
25;
[0057] Figure 37 is a left-side view of the loading area of the facility of
Figure 25;
[0058] Figure 38 is a perspective view of the rail system for the assembly
stations of
Figure 32;
[0059] Figure 39 is a left-side view of the rail system of Figure 38;
[0060] Figure 40 shows a detail of the rail system of Figure 39;
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[0061] Figure 41 is a perspective view of the skid plates of the rail system
of Figure 38;
[0062] Figure 42 is a perspective view of the skid plates and the concrete
rail of the rail
system of Figure 38;
[0063] Figure 43 is an end-view of the skid plates of Figure 41;
[0064] Figure 44 is a perspective view of the skid shoe of the rail system of
Figure 38;
[0065] Figure 45 is an end-view of the skid shoe of Figure 44;
[0066] Figure 46 shows the rail system of Figure 40 in even greater detail;
[0067] Figure 47 is a perspective view of the skid plates and skid shoes
together with a
moving apparatus;
[0068] Figure 48 shows the connection between the skid shoes and the moving
apparatus
in greater detail; and,
[0069] Figure 49 shows the cylinder of the moving apparatus of Figure 47.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0070] Referring now to Figure 1, a home manufacturing system is indicated
generally at
50. System 50 comprises a sub-assembly plant 54 and a plurality of final
assembly facilities
58-1, 58-2, 58-3. (Collectively referred to as facilities 58, and generically
as facility 58. This
nomenclature is used elsewhere herein.).
[0071] Sub-assembly plant 54 receives raw building materials 74 via truck 82
and
produces fully assembled wall sections 78 of each house 70 which are shipped
from plant 54
via truck 83. Also produced in sub-assembly plant 54 are floor sections 80
(not shown in
Figure 1) which are also shipped via truck 83.
[0072] Each final assembly facility 58 is located proximal to a subdivision 62
or tract of
land consisting of a plurality of adjacent lots 66 where houses 70
manufactured according to
system 50 will be located. Lots 66 appear as squares in Figure 1, while each
house 70
appears as an "X" within a square in Figure 1.
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[0073] Sub-assembly plant 54 is typically a permanent structure having a
location that is
chosen in a manner so as to consider efficient access to raw building
materials 74 while also
considering efficient access to the plurality of subdivisions 62. Other
factors influencing the
location of plant 54 include more traditional considerations including labour,
electricity, gas,
and water. As an example, and assuming the other factors are not a significant
consideration,
plant 54 can be (though need not be) located so as to be substantially
equidistant from all
subdivisions 62 while still being accessible to raw building materials 74.
[0074] In contrast to sub-assembly plant 54, each final assembly facility 58
is typically a
temporary facility that is used for assembling wall sections 78 and floor
sections 80 and the
roof into the house structure. Each final assembly facility 58 is also used to
complete final
finishes on each house 70 before depositing the finally assembled house 70
onto the
foundation of its intended lot 66. Thus, it is contemplated that sub-assembly
plant 54 may at
any given time serve different sets of final assembly facilities 58. For
example, as different
subdivisions 62 are filled with houses 70, then the final assembly facility 58
associated with
that subdivision 62 will be dismantled, while another final assembly facility
58 is situated near
a new, empty subdivision 62. Put in other words, sub-assembly plant 54 need
not be
supplying each subdivision 62 at the same time, and thus, the location of sub-
assembly plant
54 can be chosen to be proximal to each subdivision 62 considering that not
all subdivisions
are being built at a given time.
[0075] Referring now to Figure 2, sub-assembly plant 54 is shown in greater
detail. Raw
materials 74 are received at plant 54 via raw-material truck 82 (or other
transport) and placed
into a staging area 86. Raw materials include all of the basic building
components for creating
wall sections 78 and floor sections 80. Such raw materials thus include the
materials for
framing a house, including wood or metal studs, as well as drywall, windows,
insulation, and
building mechanical. (As used herein, building mechanical includes all
electrical, plumbing,
heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) ducts, central vacuum, telephone,
cable, Ethernet,
including outlets and junctions therefor, and any other components which are
typically run
within the interior or exterior walls or floors of a house.)
[0076] Plant 54 also includes a wall assembly line 88 that can be automated
with robotic
equipment or manually implemented and/or a combination of both. In a present
embodiment,
wall assembly line 88 includes a plurality of stations labeled as 90-1, 90-2,
90-3, 90-4, 90-5,
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90-6 and 90-7. Stations 90 progressively build one entire wall section for
each house 70.
[0077] Referring now to Figure 3, stations 90-1 and 90-2 are shown in greater
detail, as
raw materials 74 in the form of studs 94 are constructed into a frame 98.
Stations 90-1 and
90-2 are preferably fully automated, such that studs 94 are automatically
loaded into
machinery and assembled into frame 98, and attached to each other, using
robotics and other
automation equipment. Preferably, such automation equipment is also computer
numerically
controlled, so that the dimensions of frame 98 and the location of window and
door frames are
automatically supplied to the robotics. In this manner, it is intended that
computer scheduling
software can be used to substantially automate the scheduling aspect of the
production of
each frame 98 according to supplies of raw material 74 and/or the demands for
particular
types of wall sections for a given house 70 at a given subdivision 62.
[0078] The remaining stations 90 in line 88 are likewise configured to
substantially
complete an entire wall for a particular house 70. In Figure 4, station 90-3
is shown in greater
detail as a first layer of drywall (or other type of covering) is
automatically applied to frame 98.
Glue 102 is applied to frame 98 via a robotic glue gun 106. Sheets of drywall
110 are
automatically placed into position via a vacuum assist arm 114. (Vacuum assist
arm 114 can
be manually operated, or automatically operated via a robot). An automatic
staple gun 118
mechanically fastens drywall 110 to frame 98. A robotic cutter 122 removes
portions of drywall
110 to expose doors 126 and windows 130 within frame 98.
[0079] In Figure 5, frame 98 is shown exiting station 90-3 at which point it
is turned over
and deposited into station 90-4 exposing the backside of frame 98. Preferably,
frame 98 is
turned over in an automated fashion in keeping with the automation of assembly
line 88.
[0080] In Figure 6, a cutaway of frame 98 is shown. In Figure 6, representing
station 90-4,
mechanical components are run through each frame 98. (As mentioned previously,
such
mechanical components include all electrical, plumbing, heating ventilation
and cooling
(HVAC) ducts, central vacuum, telephone, cable, Ethernet, including outlets
and junctions
therefor, and any other components which are typically run within the interior
or exterior walls
or floors of a house.) In Figure 6, representative mechanical components
include an electrical
outlet 134 and electrical conduit 138. Mechanical components, in a present
embodiment, are
typically installed manually by semi-skilled labour. When house 70 is fully
assembled, the
integrity of these mechanical components can be tested by skilled trades (i.e.
licensed
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electricians for electrical components; licensed plumbers for plumbing) . The
exact locations,
and types of mechanical components installed within frame 98 would again be
done according
to building design and specifications for a given house 70. The choices of
mechanical
materials can be traditional components used when building a house on-site in
the traditional
fashion, however, the mechanical materials can also be chosen to complement
the
environment of assembly line 88. Also, of note, the mechanical materials would
be chosen to
have relatively simple connections or junctions at the periphery of each frame
98, to facilitate
connection to corresponding mechanical components in adjacent wall sections
78. Such
locations and types would be presented automatically via a computer screen to
the individuals
conducting the installations at station 90-4.
[0081] Once the mechanical components are installed in frame 98, frame 98 is
advanced
from station 90-4 to station 90-5. Station 90-5 is represented in Figure 7. In
station 90-5, foam
insulation 146 is injected in a flowable form into cavities 142 defined by
drywall 110 and studs
94 of frame 98. Foam insulation 146 will cure within each cavity 142. A
presently preferred
foam insulation is a closed cell foam that is commonly used to insulate
buildings and homes
and is often sold in preformed sheets. In a present embodiment, an overhead X-
Y gantry 150
which includes an injector 154 that dispenses foam 146 into each cavity 142
according to a
predefined depth and pattern. Gantry 150 and injector 154 are likewise
computer controlled.
[0082] Note that while insulation 146 can be applied in any wall portion of a
house 70,
typically insulation 146 is only applied to the exterior walls of any given
house 70. However, it
can be desired to apply insulation 146 to interior walls where sound proofing
is desired, such
as between bathroom walls or bedroom walls. Thus, where no insulation 146 is
needed for a
given frame 98, gantry 150 can remain dormant for that particular frame 98.
[0083] Station 90-5 also includes a second glue gun 158 that that applies a
second layer
of glue 102. Glue gun 158 operates in substantially the same manner as glue
gun 106.
[0084] Once the insulation 146 and glue 102 are applied at station 90-5, frame
98 is
advanced from station 90-5 to station 90-6. Station 90-6 is represented in
Figure 8. In station
90-6, a covering 162 is applied to the exposed side of frame 98. A vacuum
assist arm 166,
much like vacuum assist arm 114, can be used to place covering 162 onto frame
98 in station
90-6. Where frame 98 is for an external wall, covering 162 can be a sheathing,
such as
plywood, oriented strand board, code board or the like. Where frame 98 is for
an internal wall,
CA 02601317 2007-09-07
then covering 162 will typically be the same as drywall 110.
[0085] At this point those skilled in the art will also now appreciate that
covering 162
(and/or drywall 110) can in fact be any type of covering for frame 98 to
present a visible
surface for an interior or exterior wall.
[0086] Once covering 162 is applied at station 90-6, frame 98 is advanced from
station 90-
6 to station 90-7. Station 90-7 is represented in Figure 9. In station 90-7
covering 162 is
mechanically fastened to frame 98 and, if needed, cutaways, such as for doors
and windows,
are made. In Figure 9, it is assumed that covering 162 is drywall, and
accordingly, a staple
gun 166, much like staple gun 118, is used to apply staples to covering 162
along studs 94.
However, where covering 162 is another type of material, another type of
mechanical fastening
device, and corresponding fasteners, other than staple gun 166, can be used.
Cutaways are
made by a robotic cutter 170, much like cutter 122, to expose doors and
windows and the like.
[0087] As can be seen in Figure 10, once work in station 90-7 is complete, a
planar wall
section 78 is now substantially complete and ready for shipping to its
destination final
assembly facility 58 for assembly into its respective house 70. Thus,
referring again to Figure
2, sub-assembly plant 54 also includes a staging area 174 where completed wall
sections 78
are vertically stacked and queued for eventual transport via trucks 83 to
their respective final
assembly facilities 58. Staging area 174 is shown in greater detail in Figure
11. Optionally, as
shown in Figure 11, further work can be done on each wall section 78, such as
adding
windows 178.
[0088] At this point it will now be reiterated to those of skill in the art
that assembly line 88
is highly configurable so that each wall section 78 that is produced can be
very unique in terms
of dimensions, locations of doors and windows, type and location of building
mechanical, type
of external coverings. Thus, as purchasers make requests for specific
configurations of
houses 70, so too can sub-assembly plant 54 be configured to schedule
production runs of
specific wall sections 78 accordingly. Likewise, such production runs on
assembly line 88 can
be scheduled so as to fill trucks 83 according to the particular final
assembly facility 58 to
which such trucks 83 are destined.
[0089] Various means of loading wall sections 78 into trucks 83 are
contemplated.
However, in a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, a hanging
system is employed.
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Referring now to Figures 12-15, a novel and inventive set of removable hangers
182 are
employed in order to suspend wall sections 78 during transportation in trucks
83. As best
seen in Figure 12, a series of hangers 182 are mounted to the top of each wall
section 78. An
appropriate number of hangers 182 are employed in order to securely support
the weight of
each wall section 78.
[0090] As best seen in Figures 13 and 14, each hanger 182 comprises a threaded
eye bolt
186 that can be screwed into (or removed from) a complementary nut portion
190. Nut portion
190 has a flange portion 194 and a female-threaded portion 198 which receives
the threads on
bolt 186. Flange portion 194 abuts the under-side of stud 94, while female-
threaded portion
198 is received within a hole that passes through stud 94. Flange portion 194
thus supports
the localized weight of each stud 94. The height of female-threaded portion
198 is chosen to
substantially match the depth of stud 94, or is at least less than the depth
of stud 94, so as to
not protrude from the top of stud 94 and thereby alter the dimensions of frame
98. Those
skilled in the art will now recognize that once wall section 78 is received at
final assembly
facility 58, each eye bolt 186 can be removed from female-threaded portion
198, so that wall
section 78 is left with no projections and the dimensions originally
prescribed.
[0091] As best seen in Figure 15, hangers 182 thus can be slid into a
channelized
overhead rail 202 within staging area 174 that align with a channelized
overhead rail 206
within truck 83. Rails 202 and 206 capture the eye portion of eyebolt 186 so
that rails 202 and
206 can support the weight, and allow the storage of wall sections 78. A
plurality of rails 206
can be disposed in parallel and/or series within each truck 83 so that a
plurality of wall
sections 78 can be carried simultaneously by truck 83.
[0092] Referring again to Figure 2, sub-assembly plant 54 also includes a
flooring area
210 where floor sections 80 are manufactured. Floor section 80 can be
manufactured using an
assembly line like assembly line 88, or manually, as desired. However
manufactured, each
floor section 80 constitutes all or part of a floor for each house 70. Again,
each floor section 80
is made according to the custom design of each house 70. Where a house 70 has
multiple
stories, then flooring area 210 can be used to make floors for each storey.
Each floor section
80 is likewise shipped via truck 83 to a final assembly facility 58.
[0093] Thus, once floor sections 80 and wall sections 78 are complete, they
are shipped
via truck 83 to their intended final assembly facility 58. Referring now to
Figures 16 and 17, an
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exemplary final assembly facility 58 in accordance with another embodiment is
shown in
greater detail. As best seen in Figure 16, final assembly facility 58 is made
from a temporary
structure, which in a present embodiment is a flexible material 214 held by a
temporary frame
made of aluminum tubing, not shown. A presently preferred flexible material
214 is the same
material used to build a so-called "tennis bubble".
[0094] Facility 58 also includes a pair of rails 218 that run the length of
final assembly
facility 58. Each house 70 is built upon a pair of beams 222 that run along
the length of rails
218. A roof 226 for each house 70 is built at a first, beginning end of rails
218. Roof 226 is
built from trusses 230 received via an inbound loading dock 234 which receives
trucks 83.
[0095] Wall sections 78 and floor sections 80 received via dock 234 are
assembled in
order to build the exterior and interior shell of the first house 70-1 on
rails 218. During such
assembly mechanical components between each wall section 78 and floor section
80 are
connected. Once the shell of house 70-1 is complete, an overhead crane or
gantry is used to
place roof 226 onto house 70-1.
[0096] Final assembly facility 58 includes a plurality of stations,
responsible for various
stages of completion of each house. Final assembly facility 58 in Figures 16
and 17 is shown
with eight houses, 70-1, 70-2 ... 70-8, each at various stages of completion.
Inventory 238 for
each station is kept adjacent to each station. Each station is used to
progressively finish each
house 70. Such finishings include, for example: stairs, railings, light
fixtures, plumbing fixtures,
painting, doors, windows. Again, all steps taken at each station can be
completely
customized according to the order of the purchaser of the house 70.
[0097] Once a house is complete, such as house 70-8, it exits facility 58 via
an output
docking port 242 transported via a specially designed transporter 246.
Transporter 246 has a
flatbed which sits above a front and rear cab, both of which have controls for
steering the
transporter 246. Transporter 246 is also steerable via remote control, so that
the operator can
be outside of transporter 246 and maneuver transporter 246 while having full
view of all angles
of transporter 246. Transporter 246 also has steerable front and rear axles in
order to be able
to tightly maneuver the house 70 to its final lot 66. The flatbed of
transporter 246 is below-
grade to facility 58, so that rails 218 are on the same level as the flatbed
of transporter 246.
[0098] As best seen in Figure 18, house 70-8 is then carried by transporter
246 to the final
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lot 66 within subdivision 62 where house 70-8 is to be placed. Also as seen in
Figure 18, the
flatbed of transporter 246 (not shown in Figure 18) comprises a pair of slider-
rails 254 which
support beams 222 of house 70-8. House 70-8 is slid off of slider-rails 254
and onto a pre-
poured foundation 258 on lot 66. Foundation 258 includes a plurality of
tapered sockets 262
which are positioned to receive the distal ends of beams 222 in a
complementary manner.
[0099] As best seen in Figure 19, once house 70-8 is in position on foundation
of 258,
beams 222 can be removed by unfastening and removing a joining-plate 266,
which separates
each beam 222 into halves and allows removal of each beam 222 from the
basement of house
70-8. While Figure 19 shows two halves, it should be understood that each beam
222 can
have a plurality of sections connected with a plurality of removable joining-
plates.
[00100] It is to be understood that sub-sets and combinations and variations
of the
foregoing embodiments are contemplated and within the scope of the invention.
One such
variation is shown in Figures 20, 21 and 22, which depict a skate 300a which
can be used to
maneuver wall sections 78. Skate 300a comprises an inverted-U shaped body 304a
and a
plurality of wheels 308a mounted to the extremities of each arm 310a of body
304a. Wheels
308a are rotable within each arm 310a so that skate 300a can be rolled along a
surface, such
as the floor of sub-assembly plant 54.
[00101] As seen in Figure 20, a rail 320a, complementary to the inverted-U
shape of body
304a can be mounted along a surface, such as the floor of sub-assembly plant
54. Skate
300a can be rolled over rail 320a, so that rail 320a will guide the path of
movement skate
300a.
[00102] Referring now to Figure 23, (a modification of Figure 15), a modified
version of
truck 83 is shown and is labeled as truck 83a. Truck 83a includes a plurality
of rails 320a
mounted along the floor thereof. In Figure 23, overhead rail 202 of sub-
assembly plant 54 is
omitted, and skates 300a are used to move wall sections 78 throughout sub-
assembly plant
54. As can be seen in Figure 23, it is contemplated that a plurality of skates
300a can be
used. Wall sections 78 rest on the surface of skates 300a and can be slid into
truck 83a by
aligning hanger 182 with overhead rail 206 within truck 83a, and
correspondingly sliding skate
300a over the rail 320a that corresponds with its matching overhead rail 206.
In this
embodiment, hanger 182 is simply for guiding and maintaining wall section 78
vertical in truck
83a, and the weight of wall section 78 is supported by skate 300a.
14
CA 02601317 2007-09-07
[00103] Another variation is shown in Figure 24, which shows a modified layout
of final
assembly facility 58, labeled as facility 58a. Facility 58a is an entirely
metal structure, but
preferably, panelized in a manner that facility 58a can still be disassembled
from one location
and reassembled at another. Facility 58a differs from final assembly facility
58 also in the fact
that facility 58a is T-shaped. The wider section of facility 58a can be used
as a staging area
for trusses 230, wall sections 78 and floor sections 80. Additionally, the
wider section of facility
58a permits multiple areas in which to assemble roofs 226, with at least two
such areas being
shown in Figure 24. Also shown in Figure 24 are multiple loading docks each
with a truck
adjacent thereto for supplying inventory to facility 58a.
[00104] Another variation is shown in perspective Figure 25, which shows a
modified layout
of assembly facility 58a, labeled as facility 58b. Facility 58b is also shown
from a top view in
Figure 26; from a rear view in Figure 27; from a front view in Figure 28; from
a left view in
Figure 29 and from a right view in Figure 30.
[00105] Facility 58b includes many of the features of facility 58a but with
some exceptions
which will be explained in further detail below. Like facility 58a, facility
58b is T-shaped, and in
a present embodiment includes a crane section 404b and a final assembly
section 408b. One
difference of note is that output docking port 242b is disposed in-line with
the length of facility
58b. Facility 58b also includes an administration section 412b, seen in
Figures 26 and 28.
Administration section 412b can be divided up into offices for engineering,
accounting, supply-
chain management, senior management and other personnel that would be
associated with
facility 58b as part of its operation. Facility 58b also includes a plurality
of loading bays 416b,
seen in Figures 26, 27 and 28. Trucks 83b containing materials to be assembled
in facility 58b
can use loading bays 416b to deliver those materials to the appropriate
section of facility 58b.
[00106] In a presently preferred embodiment, facility 58b is a prefabricated
movable
building, made from metal or other suitable material or combination of
materials. The floor of
facility 58b is asphalt for easy removability and recycling.
[00107] Referring now to Figure 31, a schematic representation from the top of
facility 58b
is shown. Figure 31 shows certain aspects of facility 58b in greater detail.
Specifically, a
plurality of trucks 83b are shown within the crane section 404b, which are
used to transport
wall sections 78 and floor sections 80 into facility 58b from plant 54. Roofs
226b are
assembled within two sub-assembly areas at the outer periphery of crane
section 404b as
CA 02601317 2007-09-07
shown in Figure 31. Also shown in Figure 1 is a first house 70b-1, which is
disposed within
crane section 404b and which has been framed with floor sections 80 and wall
sections 78, but
which has not yet had a roof 226b placed thereon. An overhead crane within
crane section
404b is configured to lift a fully assembled one of the roofs 226b and place
that roof 226b onto
house 70b-1.
[00108] Figure 31 also shows a plurality of houses 70b-2, 70b-3 ... 70b-10 at
various
stages along final-assembly section 408b. Figure 31 also shows house 70b-11
which is
located outside output docking port 242b and ready to be placed onto
transporter 246b.
House 70b-12 is also located outside output docking port 242b and reflects a
location where a
finished house can be temporarily stored so that other houses(s) 70b can exit
facility 58b and
be placed onto transporter 246b. Figure 32 shows the houses 70b-1 through 70b-
10 within
facility 58b in isolation from the facility 58b. Figure 33 shows a exemplary
production schedule
that can be used for houses 70b. Stations 0-A and 0-B on the production
schedule reflect the
roof assembly areas at the sides of crane section 404b. Stations 1-10
correspond to houses
70b-1 through 70b-10 respectively. The scheduling of building construction can
be automated
using known computing devices to create the schedule in Figure 33, according
to the unique
features that are purchased for each home.
[00109] Referring now to Figures 34-37, the loading area of facility 58b is
shown in greater
detail. Of note is that transporter 246b is positioned within a loading zone
420b. Loading zone
420b is located below grade to the floor of facility 58b. As shown in Figure
36, the distance by
which loading zone 420b is below grade is marked by the dimension AA.
Dimension AA
reflects the height of transporter 246b, taking into account the rail
structure used to move
house 70b-11, so that the rails on transporter 246b are co-planar to the rails
outside of port
242b upon which house 70b-11 is resting in Figures 34-37.
[00110] Referring now to Figures 38-40, a portion of the rail system 450b used
to transport
a house 70b through facility 58b is shown. Rail system 450b comprises a pair
of skid plates
434b which run along the length of an asphalt floor 438b of facility 58b. As
previously
discussed, asphalt is used so that it can be broken-up and removed when
facility 58b is
dismantled. As best seen in Figure 40, the first floor sub-floor 442b of house
70b rests upon
carrier beams 222b. A sufficient number of carrier beams 222b are provided to
support the
length of house 70b. Carrier beams 222b are disposed in parallel to skid
plates 434b. In turn,
16
CA 02601317 2007-09-07
carrier beams 222b rest upon a plurality of skid beams 446b which lie between
carrier beams
222b and skid plates 434b and are perpendicular thereto. As best seen in
Figure 40, a skid
shoe 458b rests between skid beam 446b and each skid plate 434b. Each skid
plate 434b
and each skid shoe 458b are coated with a high friction graphite to restrict
the movement of
house 70b when the moving apparatus 490b (better seen in Figure 47) is not in
use. Moving
apparatus 490b is described in greater detail below. In this manner, house 70b
can be moved
along the length of skid plate 434b using a hydraulic jack, but when not being
moved, each
house 70b will remain substantially stationary along skid plate 434b at its
selected position
within facility 58b.
[00111] As best seen in Figure 40, plates 434b are mounted above a pair of
wooden rails
451b which in turn is disposed above a concrete rail 452b. Rails 452b are
disposed within
asphalt floor 438b and are made of a graded concrete, which increases in
density as the depth
of the concrete increases. As can also be seen in Figure 40, a granular base
454b, typically
gravel, or the like, lies beneath asphalt floor 438b and surrounds each
concrete rail 452b. A
hollow channel 462b is also formed between wooden rails 451b and beneath plate
434b in
order to receive the wedge 516b (better seen in Figure 49) of moving apparatus
490b. Moving
apparatus 490b and wedge 516b are described in greater detail below.
[00112] Plate 434b is shown in greater detail in Figures 41-43. As can be best
seen in
Figure 43, each plate 434b comprises a substantially flat base portion 466b
and a pair of
raised bars 470b that run the length of each plate 434b. A series of holes
474b and 476b are
also provided along the length of plate 434b. The outer holes 474b are for
receiving fasteners
that anchor plate 434b into place. The middle holes 476b are for providing
spaces into which
wedge 516b of moving apparatus 490b fits to anchor moving apparatus 490b
(better seen in
Figures 47 and 49).
[00113] Skid shoe 458b is shown in greater detail in Figures 44-45. Figure 46
shows the
skid shoe 458b from Figure 45 (except inverted) in context with plate 434b
from Figure 43. As
best seen in Figure 46, each skid shoe 458b is a substantially U-shaped sheet,
having a width
complementary to the width of raised bars 470b so that each shoe 458b grasps
bars 470b,
thereby restricting lateral motion of shoe 458b in relation to plate 434b,
while permitting
longitudinal motion of shoe 458b along the length of plate 434b.
[00114] Each shoe 458b also includes a pair of outboard connection tubes 478b
on each
17
CA 02601317 2007-09-07
end of each shoe 458b. Each connection tube 478b permits a mechanical
engagement with a
train of shoes 458b, and with moving apparatus 490b (better seen in Figure 47)
which can be
used to move each shoe 458b along each rail 434b and thereby move house 70b
along rail
system 450b.
[00115] Each shoe 458b also includes a pair of handles 482b on each end of
each shoe
458b. Handles 482b can be used to lift and carry each shoe 458b. Handles 482b
are
particularly useful when a shoe 458b reaches the end of rail system 450b
closest to docking
port 242b, at which point the shoe 458b can be lifted off of plate 434b and
carried back to the
beginning of the rail system 450b inside crane building 404a.
[00116] Referring now to Figure 47, a perspective view of shoe 458b is shown
slidably
mounted on plate 434b. Additionally, Figure 47 shows a moving apparatus 490b
that is
connected to shoe 458b via outboard connection tubes 478b. Figure 48 shows the
connection
between shoe 458b and moving apparatus 490b in greater detail, as a bolt 494b
is shown
passing through connection tube 478b and through a corresponding cylinder 498b
on moving
apparatus 490b. Referring to Figures 47 and 49, moving apparatus 490b
includes, in a
present embodiment, a movable cylinder 500b. Movable cylinder 500b in a
present
embodiment, is a seventy-five ton cylinder that when urged into an extended
position will move
shoe 458b along plate 434b. In one configuration best seen in Figure 47,
moving apparatus
490b is mounted to pull skid shoe 458b along skid rail 434b, and is shown in
the extended
position. It is to be understood that moving apparatus 490b may be mounted at
either end of
skid rail 434b, and is equally capable of pushing and pulling skid shoe 458b
along skid rail
434b.
[00117] In operation, it can be desired so that houses 70b move from one
station to the
next using rail system 450b once a day. Finishing work is performed on each
house 70b
during the day, and by night each house 70b is moved to its next station.
Using the novel rail
system 450b described herein, an entire train of houses 70b can be moved in
one hour. Thus,
facility 58b can, if desired, operate two shifts per day, for a total of
sixteen hours in each
station, with only one hour needed to move the houses 70b to the next station.
[00118] It can be desired to schedule building of houses 70b so that houses
70b that are
farthest from facility 58b are built first and, progressively, houses nearer
to facility 58b are build
last. This can be desired so as to ensure that transporter 246b does not have
to navigate
18
CA 02601317 2007-09-07
through existing houses. Concurrently, the scheduling of building construction
can be
automated using known computing devices to create the schedule in Figure 33,
according to
the unique features that are purchased for each home, and according to a
desired build-order.
[00119] Figure 49 shows movable cylinder 500b in greater detail. Movable
cylinder 500b
includes an arm 504b, a body 508b, and a head 514b. Movable cylinder 500b is
connected to
the remainder of moving apparatus 490b (not shown in Figure 49) via an eye
506b. Where a
component of movable cylinder 500b described below has two ends, the end
further away
from eye 506b shall be referred to as the "distal end", while the end closer
to eye 506b shall be
referred to as the "proximal end".
[00120] Arm 504b includes eye 506b at its proximal end, through which arm 504b
is
connected to the remainder of moving apparatus 490b. The distal end of arm
504b inserts into
body 508b, and can extend and retract out of and into body 508b.
[00121] Body 508b includes a sleeve 510b at the proximal end of body 508b, and
two
hydraulic fluid ports 512b. Sleeve 510b accommodates the distal end of arm
504b, and allows
arm 504b to extend and retract from body 508b. Hydraulic fluid ports 512b
allow entry and exit
of hydraulic fluid to force arm 504b to extend from or retract into sleeve
510b.
[00122] Head 514b is connected to the distal end of body 508b, and includes a
wedge
516b. Wedge 516b extends from head 514b in the direction of skid rail 434b
(not shown in
Figure 49). As seen in Figure 49, wedge 516b is substantially triangular in
shape, with a base
518b substantially perpendicular to head 514b at the distal end of wedge 516b
and an edge
520b sloping towards head 514b at the proximal end of wedge 516b. Wedge 516b
is intended
to drop into holes 476b (not shown in Figure 49) on skid rail 434b, and can
include a tooth
522b which is substantially perpendicular to base 518b and limits the range of
motion of
wedge 516b within hole 476b.
[00123] When wedge 516b is in a hole 476b, base 518b allows moving apparatus
490b to
push off of hole 476b. Arm 504b is extended from body 508b by injecting fluid
through the
distal hydraulic fluid port 512b and expelling fluid through proximal
hydraulic fluid port 512b,
moving the proximal end of arm 504b (and therefore also moving apparatus 490b
and house
70b, not shown in Figure 49) along skid rail 434b. When full extension is
reached, fluid flow
through hydraulic fluid ports 512b is reversed, and arm 504b is retracted into
sleeve 510b,
19
CA 02601317 2007-09-07
pulling body 508b and head 514b lengthwise along skid rail 434b. Edge 520b of
wedge 516b
allows wedge 516b to slide out of hole 476b and along skid rail 434b until the
next hole 476b is
reached.
[00124] The present invention thus provides, amongst other things, a novel
system and
method for manufacturing homes by providing a sub-assembly plant for producing
walls and
floors and one or more final assembly facilities for assembling full homes
from those walls and
floors and other inventory.
[00125] While the foregoing describes certain specific embodiments of the
present
invention, it should be understood that variations, combinations and sub-sets
of those
embodiments are contemplated.
