US3849960A

US3849960A - Modular building construction

Info

Publication number: US3849960A
Application number: US00357578A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Henry; M Larimer
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-05-24
Filing date: 1973-05-07
Publication date: 1974-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-26

Abstract

Building walls are constructed by erecting conventional studs and then applying specially constructed pre-fabricated wall modules over the studs. The modules are constructed of any of a variety of materials and are provided with spaced apart passages therethrough to receive the studs. A preferred module is rectangular in shape and may be disposed horizontally or vertically, the smaller dimension being equal to the distance between two studs and each long edge being provided with a vertical groove for sliding engagement with a stud. Alternatively the smaller dimension may be, for example, one-third the distance between two studs, in which case three wall sections may be disposed between the studs. Each module may be unitary or constructed as two longitudinal halves which are secured together after assembly to the studs.

Description

United States Patent 1 Henry et al.

[ Nov. 26, 1974 [54] MODULAR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventors: David A. Henry, Bradenton, Fla.; Myron J. Larimer, Sturgis, Mich.

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 146,415, May 24,

1971, Pat. NO. 3,742,665.

[52] U.S. C1 52/569, 52/233, 52/481,

52/586, 52/606 [51] Int. Cl. E04c 1/08 [58] Field of Search 52/233, 281, 284, 300,

2,362,162 11/1944 Sheldon 52/481 X 3,410,044 ll/l968 Moog 52/300 X 3,561,181 2/1971 Bassett 52/316 X 3,603,060 9/1971 Kay 52/593 X Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmCushman, Darby & Cushman [5 7 ABSTRACT Building walls are constructed by erecting conven tional studs and then applying specially constructed pre-fabricated wall modules over the studs. The modules are constructed of any of a variety of materials and are provided with spaced apart passages therethrough to receive the studs. A preferred module is rectangular in shape and may be disposed horizontally or vertically, the smaller dimension being equal to the distance between two studs and each long edge being provided with a vertical groove for sliding engagement with a stud. Alternatively the smaller dimension may be, for example, one-third the distance between two studs, in which case three wall sections may be disposed between the studs, Each module may be unitary or constructed as two longitudinal halves which are secured together after assembly to the studs.

8 Claims, 14 Drawing 1F igures PATENTL-U mvzsmm sum 3 or 4 PATENTEL HOV 2 61974 7 SEE! t Of 4 MODULAR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 146,415 filed May 24, 1971 now US. Pat. No. 3,742,665.

This invention relates to modular prefabricated wall components and to a method of constructing building walls utilizing such components.

The primary object of the invention is to simplify the construction of the walls of buildings, especially residental buildings, by providing special prefabricated wall modules in the form of panels, sections or modules which are adapted to be employed in conjunction with conventional construction features. More specifically, the wall modules are adapted to cooperate with conventionally-erected wall studding to enable rapid and simplified finishing of exterior walls and interior partition walls in any of a variety of interior and exte rior textures.

One important feature of the special wall modules and the construction technique is the provision of stud passages through the modules which permit the modules to be fitted to pre-erected studs, thereby simultaneously forming both exposed surfaces of a finished wall. The technique has special utility in the construction of simulated log walls or other special-appearance walls, because the components can be prefabricated from a wide variety of materials. The technique has the further advantage that no special skill is required to install the components. In one embodiment each module is of unitary construction, and the assembly technique includes the step of lowering the module over the preerected studs. In another embodiment each wall module consists of two longitudinally extending halves each of which has vertical channels for mating with the preerected studs. The two half-modules are applied to opposite sides of the same set of studs and are then secured together, preferably by means of interlocking contours provided on the inner side of both halfmodules.

Another important feature of the invention is that a given wall module may be constructed so as to be installed with its longer dimension either horizontally or vertically.

The invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of several illustrative embodiments taken with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one type of wall module illustrating one of the construction techniques;

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a finished wall constructed of a plurality of the modules of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a corner formed by two intersecting walls of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 3A is a plan view of a comer-and-wall module formed as an integral piece;

FIG. 3B is a plan view of a corner formed by two mitred wall modules;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a modified wall module similar to the component of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a further type of wall module;

FIG. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a finished wall constructed of a plurality of the modules of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of another module similar to the component of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of a module adapted for vertical or horizontal installation;

FIG. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a finished wall constructed of a plurality of the modules of FIG. 8 disposed horizontally;

FIG. 10is a sectional view of a wall constructed of the modules of FIG. 8 disposed vertically;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view of a wall constructed of vertically disposed modules of both the FIG. 5 and FIG. 8 types; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken on the line 12-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 1 illustrates one of two construction techniques contemplated by the present invention. In the lower part of FIG. 1 there is shown a conventional residential wall frame which includes a typical wood sill plate 12 secured to the upper horizontal surface of a foundation 14 as by bolts 16. Conventional wall studs 18 are attached along the upper surface of the sill plate 12 at uniformly spaced intervals.

A special wall module, or modular wall component, is illustrated at 10. In this embodiment the module 10 is constructed of two longitudinally extending halves 11a, 11b which are adapted to be fitted together side by-side during assembly of a wall. The assembled mod-' ules 10 have vertical passages 20 therethrough at locations corresponding to the spacing between the studs 18, this spacing conventionally being two feet between centers. The passages 20 are formed by channels in the engaging surfaces of the module halves 11a and 11b, and this two-piece construction therefore permits assembly of a wall by moving the two halves Ila and 11b in generally horizontal directions from opposite sides of the studs and then securing the halves 11a and llh together so as to enclose the studs. The cross sections of the passages 20 are preferably only slightly larger than the cross sections of the studs 18 so as to form a reasonablytight fit and provide rigidity. FIG. 1 illustrates one assembled module 10 resting on the sill 12 and foundation 14 and one half 11a of a second module being lowered into position on top of the first module after having first been fitted to the studs. The other half (not shown) will then be moved into engagement with the first half 11a along a horizontal path. Alternatively, two module halves can be fitted together at a convenient height for the workmen and the assembled module can then be lowered to its final position. Additional modules are added in similar fashion, and the roof is constructed after the walls of the building have been completed.

The module halves Ila and 111) are preferably secured together by providing the inner face of each half with a contour which will interlock with a complementary contour on the inner face of the other half. One form of interlocking contour is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein it is seen that each inner face includes a tongue 19 and a groove 21 which are joined by an inclined planar surface 23. The tongues 19 on the halfmodules 11a project outwardly and upwardly, with respect to the plane of the wall, and the tongues 19 on the half-modules 11b project inwardly and downwardly. The two piece construction and the contours of the engaging faces can be manufactured by manufacturing each module-half as a separate piece or by manufacturing the entire module as an integral structure and subsequently cutting it into two halves by, for example, a band saw.-

The longitudinal dimension of a module is at least twice the short dimension, and generally it will be much greater than this, perhaps to 30 times as great.

Each end of each wall module 10 is provided with a channel-shaped recess 22 having a depth about equal to one-half the thickness of a stud 18. The recesses 22 of two end-to-end wall modules 10 surround a single stud and are therefore equivalent to one of the passages 20. The modules 10 may be made in convenient lengths such as 4 feet, 6 feet, 8 feet and so forth.

The principal feature of the wall modules 10 is the presence of the stud passages 20, but it is also important that the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the modules be adapted to cooperate with adjacent wall components or other structural elements and to present the desired external appearance. The particular wall module 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is a simulated log having slightly convex front and rear surfaces resembling the bark ofa tree trunk. The height and thickness of the log may be about 8 inches. The upper and lower surfaces are contoured to fit with adjacent wall components in a manner to assist in aligning the components and to form a weather resistant joint. In the illustrated config uration the upper surface of the log 10 is defined by a relatively wide longitudinal rib 32 having upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls 34; and the lower surface is defined by a longitudinal channel 36 which is complementary to the rib 32. In FIG. 2 it will be seen that the uppermost log is somewhat modified in that its upper surface is defined by a channel 38 adapted to partially receive a conventional horizontal cap 40 which is secured to the upper ends of two or more studs 18. The roof structure may then be secured to the cap 40.

FIG. 3 illustrates one form of corner construction. As shown, the end studs 18 of two walls remain partially exposed after assembling the walls by the abovedescribed stacking of wall modules one on top of each other. A vertical corner element 42 having, in this illustration, an outer convex surface similar in appearance to the bark ofa tree is then secured to the exposed surfaces of the end studs in any convenient manner. The outer contours and surface texture may be varied to complement the contours and surface texture of the particular module.

FIG. 3A illustrates in plan view a corner construction formed by modules 10 which are L-shaped. In the illustrated embodiment the modules are provided with vertical passages 25 in addition to the stud passages 20. The passages 25 may be used for carrying electrical cables or water pipes and also serve to reduce the amount of material required for making the module. As shown one of the passages 25 is located at the junction of the two legs of the module and surrounds a vertical structural member 27, such as a 4 X 4 timber. In this embodiment the module is illustrated as being of onepiece integral construction, although it may be of twopiece construction as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 FIG. 3B is an exploded view in plan of another form of corner construction. In this construction two'modules having mitred ends 29 are abutted against the vertical structural corner member 27. The mitred ends 29 can be formed by cutting a module along a line diagonally across one of the passages, as illustrated at 31 or 33. Each resulting piece can then be used at a corner, although it will be appreciated that the pieces formed by a single out can not be abutted at the same corner.

In assembling the modules of FIGS. 3A and 38 each module is set in place by lifting it to a position above the upper ends of the studs 18, aligning the passages 20 with the studs 18 and lowering the module over the studs 18 into engagement with the sill 12 or equivalent structure or the previously laid module.

It will be appreciated that the wall modules can be constructed in a variety of ways from a variety of materials. Each module of the type illustrated up to this point is molded as an integral structure from a suitable lightweight, weather-resistant plastic, such as polyurethane. The plastic material may be foamed or unfoamed and may contain distinct relatively large voids to conserve material. Internal reinforcing structure may also be included. The modules may also be constructed of wood, concrete, sheet metal or other materials.

FIG. 4 illustrates a different form of wall module 10 which is structurally similar to the previously described components in that it is formed by a molding technique. The module of FIG. 4, for example, may be molded in the form of two halves 11a and 11b which are subsequently secured together, as by gang nails 35, either before or after being assembled around a set of studs. The end channels 22 may include a vertical groove 26 for carrying an electrical cable.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate wall modules 10a which have been made up of separate elements constructed of wood but which are otherwise similar to the previously described molded modules. Each of these modules 10a consists essentially of two parallel coextensive face boards 50 and a plurality of upper and lower

internal stringers

52,54 which together form an elongated hollow box-like structure. The

stringers

52,54 are horizontally spaced apart so as to define the stud passages 20.

The upper stringers 52 project above the face boards 50 and the lower stringers 54 are recessed so that the modules key together when stacked on each other, as seen in FIG. 6.

In the FIG. 5 construction one face board 50 may have applied thereto a layer or coating 56 of aggregate in a suitable bonding medium to serve as an exterior wall surface. The other face board 50 may be finished with paint or a clear protective coating to serve as an interior wall surface. In the FIG. 7 construction each face board 50 has secured thereto a thin panel of loglike material 58.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate wall modules 10b which are generally similar to those of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 in that they are made up of separate face sheets 50, upper stringers 59 and lower stringers 61. Both

stringers

59 and 61 are recessed so that the upper and lower edges of each module are channel shaped. As seen in FIG. 9, these channels may cooperate with a conventional stringer 60 which can be secured between the studs after each module is placed in position with its longer dimension horizontal. The face sheets 50 in the FIG. 8 construction are wood siding. Alternatively, both face sheets may be plywood to which shingles are attached, or one face sheet may be siding and the other shingles.

FIG. 10 illustrates a wall in which the FIG. 8 modules 10b are disposed with their long dimensions extending vertically. The smaller dimension of each module 10b is equal to the distance (conventionally, 2 feet) between two studs 18, with the result that the channel 62 along each long edge engages a stud 18 so that each module is held in position by two studs 18. Each module b is installed by sliding it downwardly between the two preerected studs. The passages (FIG. 8) in the module are now horizontal, and stringers 64 may be inserted therethrough as the module is lowered into place, if desired, in order to increase the rigidity of the assembly.-

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate a wall formed of vertically disposed modules each of which has a width, for example 8 inches, which is less than the distance between studs 18. In the illustrated embodiment three vertical modules are disposed between each two studs, and it will be seen that two of the modules, indicated at 10a, are of the FIG. 5 construction while the third module, indicated at 10b, is of the FIG. 8 construction with respect to the disposition of the stringers. Thus, one of the recesses in the long edge of the 10b module receives a stud 18 while the other recess receives a stringer 52 from one of the 10a modules. The passages 20, now horizontal, receive stringers 64 which are inserted before the modules 10a and 10b are slid downwardly between the studs. The channels at the ends of the modules receive either a sill plate 12 or a cap 40.

It will be understood that the assembly techniques il' lustrated in FIGS. 9-l2 are applicable to molded modules of either the integral or split construction previously described.

The above description is illustrative of the principles of the invention, and the details are not intended to limit the scope of the invention except as they appear in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

I. An elongated wall module for use in constructing a Wall of a building comprising two longitudinal halfmodules each forming a longitudinal half of the wall module; each half-module having a first face engageable with a corresponding first face of the other half module; each half-module beingconstructed of molded plastic material and having a plurality of spaced apart channels in its respective first face extending transversely to the longitudinal dimension of the module from a second face to a third face, the channels in one of the half-modules cooperating with the channels in the other half-module to form parallel passages for receiving structural members ofa wall frame; the second face of each half-module having a longitudinally extending rib projecting therefrom and the third face of each half-module having a longitudinally extending groove therein.

2. A wall module as in claim I wherein said first faces of said half-modules are contoured to provide projections and recesses which interlock when said halfmodules are disposed in adjacent coextensive relationship.

3..A wall module as in claim 1 wherein the channels in said one face of each half-module extend transversely through the respective rib which projects from said second face. F

4. A wall module as in claim 3 wherein each halfmodule has two end faces each provided with a groove extending parallel to the channels in said first face, the end face grooves in one of the half-modules cooperating with the end face grooves in the other half-module to form end face channels.

5. A wall module as in claim 4 wherein said first faces of said half-modules are contoured to provide projections and recesses which interlock when said halfmodules are disposed in adjacent coextensive relationship.

6. An elongated rectangular wall module for use in constructing a wall ofa building, said module comprising two spaced apart coextensive parallel face sheets; stringer members disposed between and secured to said face sheets, said stringer members being disposed in spaced apart end-to-end relationship along each longitudinal edge of the module so as to provide between the ends of adjacent stringer members a plurality of parallel passageways through the short dimension of the module, the stringer members which are located at the ends of the module being recessed with respect to the face sheets in the longitudinal direction.

7. A wall module as in claim 6 wherein the stringer members along one longitudinal edge of the module are recessed with respect to the face sheets in the transverse direction and wherein the stringer members along the other longitudinal edge of the module project beyond the face sheets in a transverse direction.

8. A wall module as in claim 6 wherein the stringer members along both longitudinal edges of the module are recessed with respect to the face sheets in a trans-

Claims

1. An elongated wall module for use in constructing a wall of a building comprising two longitudinal half-modules each forming a longitudinal half of the wall module; each half-module having a first face engageable with a corresponding first face of the other half module; each half-module being constructed of molded plastic material and having a plurality of spaced apart channels in its respective first face extending transversely to the longitudinal dimension of the module from a second face to a third face, the channels in one of the half-modules cooperating with the channels in the other half-module to form parallel passages for receiving structural members of a wall frame; the second face of each half-module having a longitudinally extending rib projecting therefrom and the third face of each half-module having a longitudinally extending groove therein.

2. A wall module as in claim 1 wherein said first faces of said half-modules are contoured to provide projections and recesses which interlock when said half-modules are disposed in adjacent coextensive relationship.

3. A wall module as in claim 1 wherein the channels in said one face of each half-module extend transversely through the respective rib which projects from said second face.

4. A wall module as in claim 3 wherein each half-module has two end faces each provided with a groove extending parallel to the channels in said first face, the end face grooves in one of the half-modules cooperating with the end face grooves in the other half-module to form end face channels.

5. A wall module as in claim 4 wherein said first faces of said half-modules are contoured to provide projections and recesses which interlock when said half-modules are disposed in adjacent coextensive relationship.

6. An elongated rectangular wall module for use in constructing a wall of a building, said module comprising two spaced apart coextensive parallel face sheets; stringer members disposed between and secured to said face sheets, said stringer members being disposed in spaced apart end-to-end relationship along each longitudinal edge of the module so as to provide between the ends of adjacent stringer members a plurality of parallel passageways through the short dimension of the module, the stringer members which are located at the ends of the module being recessed with respect to the face sheets in the longitudinal direction.

8. A wall module as in claim 6 wherein the stringer members along both longitudinal edges of the module are recessed with respect to the face sheets in a transverse direction.