Patent Application
20160067793
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention primarily fills the need for an inexpensive, simple to operate, portable, electricity-independent, tool and methods usable by the lay person for fashioning standardized, inter-connectable building components from readily available natural, relatively straight, cylindrically shaped, easily renewable raw materials found in nature such as bamboo and some tree species from which to assemble building sets and functional products.
Such a tool and methods would be of high value in certain disaster recovery/survival situations, in “green” and/or minimalistic living, small business opportunity and do-it-yourself projects to name just a few. Such a tool and methods would also have value in secondary applications working with other industrially refined cylindrical, or otherwise, material stock.
In the absence of the present invention, the aforementioned is nearly impossible to accomplish without the aid of industrial machinery able to adhere to tight positioning and alignment tolerances, avoid bit slippage difficulties encountered when boring through cylindrical stock walls and able to achieve the long bore stroke distances required.
The present invention pre-supposes and relies upon the use of modern precision engineering and materials in formation of the tool and methods associated with the present invention and on its resulting effectiveness.
More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of manufacturing tools and methods.
More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of simple manual tools and methods that enable minimally processed, environmentally-friendly building constructs, building sets and derivative products that can be employed in disaster recovery, construction, business, home and garden, arts, crafts, toys and education with minimal building-set or user specialization. This is contrasted with existing art building sets derived from large, costly, industrial machinery and processes, employing non-environmentally-friendly, non-biodegradable, plastics, composites or metal that require high-precision, high cost and high-skill.
More particularly, the present invention is in the field of tools and methods for consistent manufacturing of standardized, inter-connectable building components.
More particularly, the present invention enables flexible coupling of naturally occurring or manufactured cylindrical stock materials including, but not limited to, bamboo and wood stock.
More particularly, the present invention is in the field of tools and methods that can produce consistent configuration within each piece, from piece to piece, from person to person and from material type to material type.
More particularly, the present invention is in the field of manual, hand-held, portable and electricity-independent tools and methods for consistent production and configuration of inter-connectable cylindrical building components, as well as, building sets and products that inherit such configurations.
More particularly, the present invention is in the field of building sets, building constructs, construction methods and products that are derived from components that have been configured with the tools and methods put forth herein.
The present invention specifies multi-functional jigs and methods which when combined with common hand operated drill and saw tools, each either manual or otherwise, enables a lay person to consistently transform a large range of lengths, diameters, types and tolerances of cylindrical stock, including but not limited to raw bamboo and wood stock, into standardized building components containing a repetitive pattern of hole-paths, non-intersecting or otherwise, and end-trimming of components at consistent angle(s).
The present invention enables consistent configuration and thus inter-compatibility of components within each piece, from piece to piece, from person to person and from material type to material type. These building components may, in turn, be coupled using a variety of rigid, semi-rigid or non-rigid auxiliary coupling agents such as elongated pegs of various types, wire and/or twine. Coupling configured components in such a manner can produce a plethora of structures that form the foundation of many derivative products with aesthetic and/or functional value benefitting people and the planet.
Examples of derivative products fashioned by the coupling of bamboo columns that have been configured with the aid of the present invention and possible minor additional customization, include, but are not limited to, a floating raft, a shelter, a ladder, a stretcher, walking stilts, a multi-chamber bird house, a flower planter, a chair, a shelf, a table, an educational construction kit, an art sculpture and a toy, to name just a few.
In essence, the present invention combines rectilinear and polar coordinate systems into one manually operated, electricity-independent device to impart “peg-board-like” patterns of perforation and “miter-box-like” cuts onto a variety of cylindrical source material types and significantly reduce human-error-prone activities in the process.
Figure Listing:
Referring now to the invention in more detail, in
Jig Design—For best stock configuration consistency within each component, from component to component, from person to person and from material type to material type, as configured by the jig of the present invention, the jig design tolerances are envisioned to be as tight as practical and materials as durable as practical.
Multiple embodiments of jig design are possible by varying jig shell material, jig shell shape, jig shell dimensions, jig shell end angles, stock material centering mechanism, stock material clamping mechanism, hole-path-guide quantity, hole-path-guide placement, hole-path-guide size, hole-path-guide shape, hole-path-guide orientation and hole-path-guide material.
Multiple jig methods are also possible by employing different auxiliary hole boring mechanisms as well as material cutting mechanisms. Each of the important jig design considerations are discussed in what follows.
Jig Shell—The jig shell of the present invention provides a rigid structure upon which are mounted, or seamlessly integrated, the hole-path-guides, material stock centering mechanism, material stock clamping mechanism, jig shell ends for guiding saw cuts and comprised of a size, weight and material type that can, generally speaking, accommodate portability, durability and use by a single capable person. The important aspects of the jig shell are set forth below.
Jig Shell Shape—The jig shell shape of the present invention is that of a uniformly hollow cylinder which will suitably accommodate and facilitate symmetrical configuration of stock materials that are also, but not limited to, cylindrically shaped. The jig shell shape with openings at each end accepts stock material of essentially any length assuming stock material is configured in a staged process by either sliding the jig further along the length of the stock or alternatively feeding the stock through the jig for each stage.
Jig Shell Inner Diameter—The inner diameter of the jig shell in the present invention accommodates the largest diameter or width of stock material to be configured with some reasonable degree of clearance to accommodate expected variations in natural, raw stock material width, curvature, bulges, etc. to avoid binding of stock material within jig shell cavity. Design of the jig shell enables it to accommodate a large range of stock material widths.
Jig Shell Length—In addition to accommodating integration of given stock centering and clamping mechanisms, the jig shell length of the present invention accommodates
the specific pattern of hole-path-guides and any repetitions of that pattern along the length of the jig shell, and,
the jig shell end cutting angle(s).
Jig Shell End Angle(s)—In one embodiment of the present invention, the angle of finish or an associated angled attachment, on each end of the jig shell enables it to be employed as a cutting edge guide to cut stock at a specifically designed angle using an auxiliary cutting mechanism such as a hand saw. Other embodiments may provide a jig shell end attachment mechanism that allows setting of a variable cutting angle.
Jig Shell Material—The jig shell material is of sufficient rigidity to accommodate the weight of stock material, clamping of stock material and centering of stock material without deforming the shell to avoid compromising integrity of any stock configurations produced thereof. It also maintains stationary angular orientation and position of the hole-path-guides during hole boring operations. For lasting use in a variety of climates and conditions, the jig shell material is made of rust-resistant and weather-resistant material.
Other Jig Shell Considerations & Embodiments
Jig Shell End Edge Material—This should be made of sufficiently durable material to withstand wear and tear associated with being employed as a cutting guide edge especially if employed for more than occasional use.
Jig Safety & Debris Containment—the jig shell provides a safety barrier that shelters manufacturing operators from material debris during hole boring operations, as well as, a conduit for debris containment and ease of automated or manual removal/cleanup during or once configuration operations are complete.
Hole-path-guides—In the present invention, hole-path-guides are integrated with the walls of the jig shell and serve as channels to guide material boring mechanisms such as, but not limited to, conventional elongated drill bits, ensuring accurate, consistent hole-path position, sizing and orientation to be configured into the stock material.
Number and Placement of Hole-path-guides on Jig Shell—The number of hole-path-guides in the embodiment of the present invention that are depicted in
Building Construct Design—For the embodiment depicted in
Stock Material Strength—For a given application and stock material, hole-path configurations are kept to a minimum in order to minimize material removal so as to maintain strength of the resulting building components. Specifically, too many holes, too closely spaced can result in weakening of stock material so as to make it incompatible with the intended application.
Compatibility With Existing Building Standards—In the present invention, placement and number of hole-path-guides can be tailored to achieve hole-path patterns that are compatible with existing building material standards. For example, vertical center to center spacing of hole-paths might align with holes in standard, flat peg-board material.
Scaling of Building Components—In the present invention, hole-path-guides can be strategically sized and positioned on a given jig to facilitate at least partial coupling between building components that are scaled up or down relative to it. For example, vertical center to center separation between hole-paths and between hole-path diameters can be set at multiples of 2× and 0.5× of each other when scaling up or down, respectively. Full coupling between components of different scales can be achieved via “coupling adapters”.
Placement of Hole-path-guides Relative to Each Other—In the present invention placement of hole-path-guides relative to each other includes, but is not limited to, ensuring the resulting hole-paths in stock material are non-intersecting and that the hole-path angles relative to each other offer meaningful building construct coupling and/or aesthetic value. For example, the embodiment depicted in
Angle of Hole-path-guides Relative to Jig Shell Axis—As envisioned in the present invention, the angle between the axis of the hole-path-guide and that of the jig shell axis is intended to be highly precise to maintain consistency of configuration from hole to hole and may be oblique to accommodate standard building constructs that require or allow oblique coupling or aesthetics.
Inner Diameter of Hole-path-guide—The inner diameter of the hole-path-guide of the present invention is intended to be precisely sized for a given design construct and as such the boring mechanism and coupling agent(s) should be well matched to its size but still allow for easy, unbinding insertion and removal.
Hole-path-guide Length—Length of the hole-path-guide of the present invention is designed to maximize practical and necessary alignment of boring mechanism and hence the resulting hole-paths.
Hole-path-guide Material—Materials used for hole-path-guides of the present invention are designed for durability in order to maintain lasting integrity and consistency of configuration of the components the present invention aids in producing. Two important material features of the hole-path-guides are
Casing—the outer casing of the hole-path-guide is made of rigid material that is integrated with, or securely fastened to, the jig shell so as to eliminate the potential for movement causing variation in alignment during the hole boring process.
Inner Wall Lining—the inner wall lining is made of highly durable material relative to the boring mechanism so as to minimize wear and loss of configuration precision over extended use.
Stock Centering Mechanism—The stock centering mechanism, as envisioned in the present invention, optimizes centering of stock material while minimizing introduction of human error. The centering bolts shown in the embodiment of
Stock Clamping Mechanism—The stock clamping and release mechanism in the present invention is envisioned as one achieved via simple manual manipulation while not impacting the integrity of the stock material.
Other Envisioned Jig Mechanisms—The present invention delineated herein is envisioned as providing additional functions that may be useful for a given application or material type. Such functions include, but are not limited to, boring axial holes into the end(s) and possibly completely through the stock material, heat treating of stock material, filing of stock material, sanding of stock material, painting of stock material, branding of stock material, engraving of stock material, and manufacturing and/or fashioning compatible rigid-coupling-agents, to name a few.
Jig Use Methods
Jig Size Selection—Theoretically, the present invention can be produced to accommodate all possible material stock diameter sizes by ensuring the jig shell is larger than the largest expected stock diameter. However, for practical purposes, the present invention can be built to accommodate the range of stock material size for a given application. Selecting a jig size whose diameter is close to, yet always larger than, the expected stock size will improve efficiency and accuracy of the resulting component configuration.
Feeding, Centering and Clamping Stock Material—
Hole-path Configuration—Hole-paths are then configured in stock material by employing an auxiliary hole boring tool such as, but not limited to, a hand drill (6) equipped with an elongated drill bit (7) whose diameter is precisely sized for insertion into the jig's hole-path-guides. To do so, one inserts the drill's bit tip into one of the hole-path-guides which channels the bit in the desired direction and location until it meets the outer surface of the stock material. Applying a simultaneous force to the hand drill in the direction of (8) and a turning motion (9), the bit channeled by the jig's hole-path-guide (10) will bore a hole-path completely through one or both sides of the hollow stock material. This process is repeated for each of the remaining hole-path-guides on the jig or until all hole-paths are bored for this first segment of the stock material.
Release, Feed and Re-Align Stock—At this point in the process, the clamping/centering mechanism(s) are released, the stock material is fed further through the jig making sure not to rotate the stock material relative to the jig. The stock material is fed up to the point at which the last set of bored hole-paths aligns with the last set of hole-path-guides before exiting the jig. Regarding the embodiment shown in
Repeat Until All Holes Configured—Repeat steps (b) through (d) until the desired length of stock has been configured with hole-paths.
Cut Stock to Size and Desired End Angles—At the desired stage and at the desired angle, the multi-function jig can be used as a cylindrical “miter box” by centering, clamping and cutting the stock at specific angle(s) of taper at each end of the jig.
Employ additional supported functions of the multi-function jig as needed.
Component Coupling Methods
Given a set of cylindrical components that have been consistently configured via the jig and methods outlined above, they may be coupled and secured using auxiliary coupling agents and securing methods to form structures and function as follows:
Rigid-coupling-agents—Rigid-coupling-agents comprised of relatively inflexible material such as, but not limited to, metal re-bar, bamboo skewers, wooden dowels, tooth pics, plastic or composite dowels or metal bolt material may be threaded through hole-paths coupling two or more components together as shown in
Rigid-coupling-agent Securing Method(s)—method(s) in which rigid-coupling-agents may be secured in place. Depending on the embodiment and application, these are one or more mechanisms or methods that prevent coupling agents from slipping out of their desired stationary positions once threaded into their hole-path(s) formed by one or more adjacent column(s). Such methods may include, but are not limited to
Nut and Bolt Method—in which a nuts of appropriate size and thread are screwed onto each end of elongated rigid bolt coupling agents until tightened against walls of coupled components.
Twine-based Securing Method—in which twine, wire or similar material is tied and/or wrapped around one or more coupling agent protrusions. This may include tying and/or wrapping both coupling agent and column together.
Grommet-based Securing Method—circular grommets, washers, push-on nuts, washers, rubber bands or similar may be slipped snuggly onto the coupling agents until contacting outer edge of column.
Adhesive-based Securing Method—adhesive, glue, tape or similar methods may be used to steadfastly and semi-permanently a-fix the location of rigid-coupling-agent(s) by applying adhesive to areas of elongated agent(s) that are in contact with the column(s) into which it/they are threaded.
Semi-Rigid-coupling-agents—coupling agents comprised of semi-rigid materials sized for threading through hole-paths and coupling one or more adjacent configured columns. Semi-rigid materials include, but are not limited to, wire, pipe cleaners and flexible plastic rods.
Securing Semi-Rigid-coupling-agents—is often possible by simply bending, wrapping and/or tying the coupling agent in ways that secure adjacent components together. Flexible rods can be secured via aforementioned methods for rigid coupling agents.
Non-Rigid-coupling-agents—are highly flexible agents that include, but are not limited to, twine, string, rope/elastic and thread. These often require use of an insertion mechanism such as a needle for threading through the hole-paths.
Securing Non-Rigid-coupling-agents—after threading these agents through hole-paths, securing them may be accomplished simply by tying the agents in knots or around auxiliary material large enough to prevent unthreading back through hole-paths or by tying the agents directly to the components being coupled.
Resulting Design Constructs
It is recognized that the present jig and methods invention enables a plurality of design constructs each of which is tied to a given jig design and the resulting stock material configuration. Key design construct considerations are as follows:
Simple building set embodiment containing single column threaded with one or more rigid-coupling-agents—Minimally speaking, a single cylindrical component may be threaded with one or multiple rigid-coupling-agents to create a plurality of utilitarian and/or aesthetic embodiments depending on the configuration of hole-paths and any specially added application configurations of the cylindrical component.
Coupling two or more consistently configured columns within the same two-dimensional plane via rigid-coupling-agents—more interesting and germane building construct embodiments associated with the present invention materialize for building sets that contain two or more columns whose hole-paths are configured in a consistent standard manner. More specifically, two or more columns each containing two or more hole-paths spaced equal distances apart along the length of each column can be placed on a flat plane, aligned to each other and threaded (in this case coupled) with two or more rigid-coupling-agents of sufficient length to thread entirely through all aligned columns and associated hole-paths. In this manner, the rigid-coupling-agents serve as a coupling mechanism among the adjacent columns. At each coupling or joint location, the rigid-coupling-agents simulate dowels connecting two adjacent bodies. However, rigid-coupling-agents have the added advantage of distributing the shear forces at each joint across the full length of the agent and thus can theoretically accommodate greater forces than a traditional dowel coupling mechanism. Furthermore, the rigid-coupling-agents can add utilitarian and aesthetic value assuming the ends intentionally protrude beyond or between the walls of the adjoined columns.
Coupling three or more consistently configured columns along multiple angular planes via rigid-coupling-agents—Scaling the aforementioned coupling mechanism to multiple angular planes simply requires that the columns be consistently configured with hole-paths that are again equidistant along the length of each column but also that there are equidistant hole-paths that lie on different angular planes and are shifted along the length of the columns by a distance at least equal to the width of the rigid-coupling-agents in order to avoid overlap of hole-paths and thus collision of threaded agents. For example, second and third angular planes formed by additional hole-paths might lie at 45 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively, and be shifted one and two agent widths higher or lower, respectively, relative to the first. In this case, looking down the vertical length of a circular, hollow column threaded with an agent occupying each angular plane will appear as a pie chart divided into eight equal slices and exhibit eight rigid-coupling-agent protrusions that could theoretically accommodate the coupling of additional columns (or otherwise). Taking this concept to the limit means that this building construct embodiment is extendable in three-dimensional space given a consistent configuration.
Adapting (coupling) two or more building constructs each having different self-consistent configurations—Building constructs containing columns with dissimilar, yet self-consistent configurations may be coupled using adaptor components that share the configuration features of each building set.
In summary, the said building construct enables coupling of column-to-agent, column-to-agent-to-column and building-set-to-building-set in a multitude of combinations. Thus, building constructs containing consistently configured column, rigid-coupling-agent and adaptor components as described above facilitate construction of a plurality of derivative utility and maintains a unique “design signature” that is inherited and reflective of the building construct employed as discussed further below.
Configuration Inheritance by Derivative Components and Products
Much the same as popular standard building sets are patent protected by a specific coupling design signature, it is recognized that building components configured with the present invention, and derivative products made thereof, will inherit the unique configuration, utility and design signature of a given jig embodiment and thus are considered protected within the realm of the present invention.
Furthermore, it is recognized that the present invention will enable a plurality of building constructs.
Furthermore, it is recognized that the present invention will enable configuration of cylindrical components with at least one specially placed hole-path.
Furthermore, each hole-path may be bored either transversely, as shown in the set of figures, longitudinally or obliquely, each completely through the entire width or length of a given column. Furthermore, each end of a component coupling agent may protrude significantly beyond opposite outer walls of one or more coupled columns.
Furthermore, each significantly protruding end of a given coupling agent may serve aesthetic and/or functional purposes. One such purpose may be for a protruding end of one or more threaded coupling agent(s) to mate up with and thread through a second similarly configured cylindrical component, accessory or adapter thus facilitating interconnection or coupling of one or more additional component(s) or component set(s).
Furthermore, this coupling mechanism is forgiving for columns and attachable components that are similarly configured but whose tolerances are relatively imprecise.
Furthermore, if multiple threaded coupling agents mate with similarly configured and aligned hole-paths in one or more additional columns, they serve to provide a degree of rotational stability and additional weight bearing strength to the coupling formed thereof between said columns.
Furthermore, both rotational stability and weight bearing strength increase to a maximum at the point of closest possible coupling distance between adjacent columns. That said, greater coupling distances accommodate or enable somewhat misaligned hole-paths to still be coupled by rigid-coupling-agents.
Furthermore, rigid-coupling-agents threaded completely through hole-paths such that each end protrudes significantly beyond the outer walls of a given column achieve a unique aesthetic design signature.
Further still, the protruding rigid-coupling-agents may serve additional utilitarian or adornment purpose(s) thereof.
Furthermore, the recognition that the present invention enables creation of building kits for easy, flexible, modular construction of a plurality of utilitarian and aesthetic structures and simple modification, deconstruction and reconstruction thereof.
Furthermore, the recognition that when implemented properly, the novel component configuration and coupling methods enabled by the present invention are flexible and forgiving enough to accommodate sizing variations in naturally occurring source material such as that found in bamboo.
Furthermore, the recognition that structures formed with such building constructs when its component parts are derived from chemically untreated material such as natural bamboo will have little to no negative impact on wildlife and the balance of nature.
The recognition that such building constructs may be scalable in at least three significant ways. Firstly, structures can be scaled from small to large by coupling many small building set components to form a large integrated structure. Secondly, that large structures can be assembled from building sets comprised of components whose individual sizes have been scaled up. And thirdly, larger structures can be produced from a combination of small scale and larger scale components that are coupled using the same building paradigm. Practically speaking then, this building paradigm can produce structures whose sizes range from hand-held to that of large buildings.
Recognition that a configured column and rigid-coupling-agent in its simplest embodiment is self-supporting in that it does not necessarily require additional coupling agent securing agents or fasteners to maintain a coupled state between multiple coupled components for some applications.
Recognition that coupling of structures made from two building sets whose component sizes and/or configurations are consistent within a given set but not between sets, may be achieved via an “adapter” component that serves to adapt one building set size to the second by employing the same general coupling paradigm but with a unique configuration that facilitates the coupling required. This can facilitate evolution and backward compatibility of design generations of a given building set or derivative kit.
In a general embodiment of the present invention, a building set derived from a jig represents a creative outlet for constructing anything the imagination may envision within the confines of the number and size of components included but also with the ability to expand it without limit by acquiring additional components, customizing individual components and/or augmenting them as desired.
In another more specific embodiment of the present invention, a building set represents a toy building kit for constructing and deconstructing a plurality of structures with functional utility and unique design.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a building set represents a kit for constructing pollinator attractor, husbandry and research stations including, but not limited to those for bees, moths, hummingbirds, bats, flies, butterflies.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a building set represents a kit for constructing bird attractor, husbandry and research habitats.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a building set represents a kit for constructing spider attractor, husbandry and research habitats.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a building set represents a kit for constructing flower rearing and display structures.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a building set represents a kit for constructing a combination habitat that may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the aforementioned embodiments.
The present invention claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/704,121, entitled STANDARDIZED RIGID-COUPLING-AGENT AND PERFORATED COLUMN BUILDING SETS AND JIGS FOR CONSISTENT CONSTRUCTION THEREOF, filed on Sep. 5, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62046401 | Sep 2014 | US |
