Patent Application
20180023309
The invention relates to assembly of framed structures such as storage sheds and similar small buildings and to kits provided for this purpose to allow individuals without carpentry skills to perform the assembly tasks.
Outbuildings such as storage sheds, greenhouses, smokehouses, barns, coops, garages, carports and the like have traditionally been used as space for storage, various specialized work, and hobby functions. Small housing lots, apartments, industrial sites, farms, and so forth all need storage space. Every activity that uses equipment such as tools, toys, vehicles, or the like, needs storage for that equipment when not in use.
Builders and do-it-yourself individuals alike put up outbuildings as work space, storage, or both. The resulting buildings are used for storage of tools, sports equipment, patio and pool furniture, lawn care, and equipment. Sheds are even used as additional garage space, and to receive what would otherwise clutter garages in order to preserve garage space for vehicles. Separation of storage or function may dictate multiple building structures. As a general proposition, then storage is at a premium, as is reliable protection from weather, regardless of acreage.
The present structures of sheds have a number of different features. Wood structures remain the most common. They are typically based on conventional building construction and require numerous proper tools for construction and more for dismantling. Corrugated sheet metal covered sheds are popular, whether undulating, other shaped cross section, or irregular, and whether makeshift from cast off materials or included in a storage shed kit available at a modern hardware retailer. In more recent years, garden and storage shed kits of pre-fabricated, blow molded panels have become available.
An emergency shelter is a place for people to live temporarily when they cannot live in their previous residence. Post-disaster emergency shelters are often provided by organizations or governmental emergency management departments, in response to natural disasters, such as a flood or earthquake. They tend to use tents or other temporary structures, or buildings normally used for another purpose, such as a church or school. These settlements may be inhabited for the entire duration of the reconstruction process and should be thought of more as settlements than shelter, and need to be planned with respect to water/sanitation, livelihoods.
A newer category of emergency shelter is the warming center. Warming centers typically open during particularly cold or rainy nights. They are available to persons who decline to accept homeless shelters, are not allowed to use homeless shelters, or are not homeless but have inadequate or malfunctioning heat in their homes.
Emergency shelters that can be easily and efficiently constructed are desirable, particularly to address emergencies relating to natural disasters and mass refugee situations.
Construction of outbuildings and semi-permanent emergency shelters typically requires tools, skill and careful instructions. Furthermore, surveying a pad, lot, or foundation is typically required.
Although a general consensus may not necessarily appear in the outbuilding construction industry, convenience is a valuable feature. The availability of kit buildings illustrates that people who would like to add some storage or work space do not wish to incur the expense and complexity of building a structure according to conventional construction techniques, costs, and codes.
Typical construction practices require a high degree of skill, knowledge of practical as well as safety procedures for operation of tools, and the ability to read blueprints or detailed plans and apply the instructions given to the construction practices required.
Basic small pre-fabricated buildings requiring little skill to assemble have been marketed using plastic panels that snap or bolt together, but they are limited in their use and practicality. More complex pre-fabricated buildings have been marketed in various forms, including concrete panels, wood wall panels, and steel structures, all requiring a significant degree of technical skill on the part of the personnel assembling the building due to the complex nature of the pre-fabrication process and the blue prints or detailed instructions provided. None of these processes has addressed the issue of simplicity and allowing more complex buildings to be assembled with minimal technical skill and use of hand tools.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0056245 to Miller describes a method and modular assembly for producing a staircase. The modular staircase allows one with little to no skill to quickly and easily order and install a modular staircase at reasonable cost with no specialized technical skill necessary. The component staircase has predrilled screw holes that can be aligned between parts. Each of the parts is custom made for the individualized staircase, predrilled so that all that is necessary is to align matching holes and nail or screw the pieces together to assemble the staircase in place.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0185669 to Dueker describes outdoor structure kits adapted to construct one or more outdoor structures, such as a pavilion. The outdoor structure kits may include a plurality of modular truss sub-assemblies that are adapted to be assembled into trusses. In particular embodiments, the kits are adapted to allow users to install pre-assembled roof panels on the assembled trusses by fitting tabs that extend from the bottoms of the roof panels into recesses defined in the respective top surfaces of the trusses. In particular embodiments, the kits may include a plurality of posts and a plurality of reinforced truss members (which may be made of a reinforced plastic material) that may be assembled to create the structure's floor and/or ceiling frames.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0102871 to Randall describes an apparatus and method for providing a modular self-standing outbuilding such as a shed. The overall building frame is formed of component frames. The manner in which the individual components are assembled allows each component to be connected to the other respective components in a way that self-registers, or allows the resulting structure to be substantially orthogonal without any additional work or tools such as from the user. Also, the floor and walls of the structure are substantially flat and can be stored or stacked in a relatively small, compact volume and footprint area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,967 to Kragt describes a kit for construction of a building. The kit includes the solid structure shown in
U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,963 to Campbell, describes a kit for assembly of a building which includes a plurality of building members having selected lengths and configurations. Each building member occupies a designated position in a mating engagement with at least one other companion building member to form the building structure. The building members include coded sections to provide a visual indication of which building members are to be coupled in the mating engagement, thereby facilitating assembly of the building structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,381 to Park and Campbell describes a kit comprising a plurality of precut building members, each building member having end portions configured to abut adjacent building members to form a building structure and each building member having a predetermined location relative to the remaining building members in the building structure. The kit also comprises means for properly positioning predetermined building members relative to one another, including coded indicia. A template resting on the floor structure includes notches for indicating the positions of the wall studs. Another template-like structure designated as the “magic rail” is positioned along the roof hip and has similar notches. The builder attaches the studs in the notches to easily and accurately position the studs in parallel, spaced-apart relation to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,180 to Edmondson and Edmondson describes devices for positioning frame members for fabricating a wood frame. Each device includes an elongated flexible member and wood blocks that are removably attached to the flexible member. The length of the wood blocks equals the required distance between the frame members. The blocks are separated by slots wherein the frame members are snugly fitted in order to properly position the frame members for fabricating a wood frame structure. The wood blocks can be removed from the device for subsequent use in frame structures, thus reducing lumber waste.
Thus, while past technologies may be effective to a certain degree in assisting non-skilled individuals in assembling framed structures such as storage sheds and outbuildings, it remains desirable to improve aspects of the design of assembly methods and kits for these processes.
One aspect of the present invention is a method for framing a structure using pre-dimensioned components comprising lower support components, framing components for assembling a series of frames, sheathing, and a template for guiding the assembly of the series of frames, the method comprising:
In certain embodiments, the template is marked on a part of the sheathing.
In certain embodiments, the method further comprises attaching at least a lower section of sheathing to opposing sides of the lower support rim before performing step c).
In certain embodiments, the lower support members are rim joists or base plate members.
In certain embodiments, each of the lower support components includes an outer ledge to facilitate placement and squaring of wall sheathing prior to attachment of the wall sheathing to the lower support components.
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned components include a layout sheet for use in guiding the placement of corner supports for the lower support rim.
In certain embodiments, each assembled frame of the series of frames includes an end-fastened pair of roof rafters, each with an opposite end fastened to an outer vertical beam.
In certain embodiments, the series of frames includes a back frame with an end-fastened pair of roof rafters and at least one pair of matched intermediate vertical beams, each fastened to an equivalent intermediate position of a corresponding roof rafter of the pair of roof rafters between the center of the end-fastened pair of roof rafters and the corresponding outer vertical beam.
In certain embodiments, the back frame further includes a center beam attached to the center of the end-fastened pair of roof rafters.
In certain embodiments, the series of frames includes a front frame which includes at least one pair of matched intermediate vertical beams, each fastened to an equivalent intermediate position of a corresponding roof rafter of the pair of roof rafters between the center of the end-fastened pair of roof rafters and the corresponding outer vertical beam.
In certain embodiments, the front frame further includes an upper horizontal beam fastened to and extending between the two intermediate vertical beams, wherein the combination of the pair of matched intermediate vertical beams and the horizontal beam provide support for installation of a door frame.
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned components include sections of floor sheets and floor joists, wherein the floor joists are fastened to opposed lower support rim components between step a) and step b) and wherein the floor sheets are assembled between step b) and step c) and form a continuous floor sheathing with the template marked thereon.
In certain embodiments, the opposed lower support rim components each have an inner ledge for providing support for the floor joists prior to fastening the floor joists to the opposed lower support rim components.
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned components and the template include placement symbols to facilitate proper orientation of pre-dimensioned components prior to assembly.
Another aspect of the invention is a method for framing a structure using pre-dimensioned components comprising lower support components for forming a lower support rim, and framing components for assembling a back frame, one or more middle frames and a front frame, the method comprising:
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned components include sheathing for the roof, walls and floor of the structure, and wherein a template is marked on the sheathing for the roof, walls or floor and the template is used to guide the assembly of the back frame, middle frames and front frame.
In certain embodiments, each of the lower support components includes an outer ledge to facilitate placement and squaring of wall sheathing prior to attachment of the wall sheathing to the lower support components.
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned components include a layout sheet for use in guiding the placement of corner supports for the lower support rim.
In certain embodiments, the back frame, the middle frames and the front frame each include an end-fastened pair of roof rafters, each with an opposite end fastened to an outer vertical beam.
In certain embodiments, the back frame includes a center beam fastened to the center of the end-fastened pair of roof rafters and at least one pair of matched intermediate vertical beams, each fastened to an equivalent intermediate position of a corresponding roof rafter of the pair of roof rafters between the center beam and the corresponding outer vertical beam.
In certain embodiments, the front frame includes at least one pair of matched intermediate vertical beams, each fastened to an equivalent intermediate position of a corresponding roof rafter of the pair of roof rafters between the center beam and the corresponding outer vertical beam.
In certain embodiments, the front frame further includes an upper horizontal beam fastened to and extending between the two intermediate vertical beams, wherein the combination of the pair of matched intermediate vertical beams and the horizontal beam provide support for installation of a door frame.
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned components include sections of floor sheets and floor joists, wherein the floor joists are fastened to opposed lower support rim components between step a) and step b) and wherein the floor sheets are assembled between step b) and step c) and form a continuous floor sheathing with the template marked thereon.
In certain embodiments, one pair of opposed lower support rim components have an inner ledge for providing support for the floor joists prior to fastening the floor joists to the opposed lower support rim components.
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned components and the template include placement symbols to facilitate proper orientation of pre-dimensioned components prior to assembly.
Another aspect of the invention is a method for attaching wall sheathing during assembly of a framed structure which includes a lower support rim having support rim members provided with outer ledges, the method comprising:
Another aspect of the invention is a method for positioning a support rim in a process of assembly of a framed structure, the method comprising:
In certain embodiments, intervening pillars are provided between each of the support components and the support rim structure in order to elevate the support rim structure from the corner support components.
In certain embodiments, the corner support components are concrete pads.
In certain embodiments, the layout sheet includes additional mid-span markings indicating the positions of mid-span support components.
In certain embodiments, the layout sheet includes at least one center line crease.
Another aspect of the invention is a kit of pre-dimensioned components for assembly of a framed structure, the kit comprising:
In certain embodiments, the template is marked on a section of the sheathing or on a separate sheet.
In certain embodiments, the kit further comprises a set of floor joists and sheathing for forming a floor, wherein the template is marked on the floor.
In certain embodiments, the lower rim support members are each provided with outer ledges to facilitate placement and squaring of sheathing prior to attachment of the wall sheathing to the lower rim support members.
In certain embodiments, the kit further comprises a layout sheet for use in guiding the placement of corner supports for the lower support rim.
In certain embodiments, the lower rim support members, the framing components and the template include placement symbols to facilitate proper orientation with respect to each other.
In certain embodiments, the kit further comprises written and/or illustrated instructions for assembly of the framed structure.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method for constructing a framed building using pre-dimensioned components including lower support rim members with outer ledges, framing components, and sheathing for walls and a roof, the steps of the method performed in sequence to produce a self-squared structure, the method comprising:
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned squaring components are sections of floor sheathing.
In certain embodiments, the pre-dimensioned squaring components are right triangles formed of sheeting.
In certain embodiments, the upper side wall squaring component is a length of side wall trim.
In certain embodiments, the roof sheathing is provided in a plurality of sections and each of the sections is fastened to adjacent frames of the back, middle and front frames.
In certain embodiments, the pre-determined position of each of the middle frames is indicated by markings on the lower support rim or on markings on a floor supported at least in part by the lower support rim.
Various objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of various embodiments of the invention. An attempt has been made to use similar reference numerals to indicate similar components, wherever possible.
Typical construction practices require a high degree of skill, knowledge of practical as well as safety procedures for operation of tools, and the ability to read blueprints or detailed plans and apply the instructions given to the construction practices required.
Basic small pre-fabricated buildings requiring little skill to assemble have been marketed using plastic panels that snap or bolt together, but they tend to be limited in their use and practicality. More complex pre-fabricated buildings have been marketed in various forms, including concrete panels, wood wall panels, and steel structures, all requiring a significant degree of technical skill on the part of the individuals assembling the building due to the complex nature of the pre-fabrication process and the blueprints and/or detailed instructions provided.
It would be advantageous to provide methods and kits with careful attention to assembly sequence and including visual features to simplify the process of assembly of framed structures, thereby allowing more complex buildings to be “self-squaring” during the framing process and assembled with minimal hand tools by unskilled assemblers, which may include individuals who are not proficient in English or other major global languages.
As used herein, the term “pre-dimensioned” means manufactured to have specific dimensions. The specific dimensions of components allow the components to fit with other components of the framed structure during the assembly process. The skilled person will recognize that pre-dimensioning of components is commonplace in the art of development of kits for assembly of structures or devices.
As used herein, the term “joist” refers to a horizontal supporting member for support of walls. In certain embodiments of the invention, joists include rim joists for support of walls and floor joists for support of a floor.
As used herein, the term “template” refers to a series of markings on a surface which are provided for direct guidance of assembly of components. Scaling is not used in template markings because the components guided by the template are lined up directly against the template markings. As such a template is different from a blueprint which typically includes scaling.
As used herein, the term “sheathing” is used to refer to flat sheet-like material for forming the various flat surfaces of the inside and the outside of the framed structure (including front, side and back walls, the roof and the floor, if applicable). Alternatively, the sheathing can represent an intermediate surface upon which an additional outer covering surface is fastened.
As used herein, the terms “rafter” and “roof rafter” refer to internal beams extending to the peak of a roof and constituting part of one of the frames of the framed structure.
As used herein, the term “beam” refers to a frame member spanning, or providing support to, other frame members.
As used herein, the term “self-squaring” refers to a result of a process for assembling a framed structure wherein the construction process results in each corner of the structure being ninety degrees within acceptable error, as determined with a conventional carpenter's square tool.
As used herein, the term “squaring components” refers to pre-dimensioned parts which are used in the process of squaring various corners of a structure. The squaring components may be used temporarily or they may become a part of the finished structure. The squaring components may be formed of wood, plastic or other materials. A carpenter's level or a carpenter's square are not to be considered as squaring components in context of this description.
As used herein, the term “level” means horizontal within acceptable error, as indicated by a carpenter's level tool.
As used herein, the term “plumb” means vertical within acceptable error, as determined by a carpenter's level or a plumb bob.
“Acceptable error” in respect of each of the criteria described above is determined according to the judgement and knowledge of a carpenter with ordinary skill in carpentry.
As used herein, the term “lower support rim” in its broadest sense refers to the basic lower structure upon which frames are supported. In examples described herein, rim joists or base members are used to construct the lower support rim of different embodiments. While the examples described herein pertain to a square lower support rim, it is to be understood that a lower support rim may be assembled in other geometric shapes.
As used herein, the term “floor plate” to the assembled combination of the lower support rim and the floor sheathing installed thereon.
Various aspects of the invention will now be described with reference to the figures. For the purposes of illustration, components depicted in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on highlighting the various contributions of the components to the functionality of various aspects of the invention. A number of possible alternative features are introduced during the course of this description. It is to be understood that, according to the knowledge and judgment of persons skilled in the art, such alternative features may be substituted in various combinations to arrive at different embodiments of the present invention. For example, the ensuing description illustrates embodiments using a layout sheet and a floor template. Alternatives such as the use of a floor template without a layout sheet and the use of a template marked on wall sheathing prior to installation of the wall sheathing at its final vertical position are possible. Other alternatives may include the use of a template marked on a separate sheet which does not form part of the finished structure. In such alternative embodiments, the separate template may be attached to a section of sheathing before it is used to guide the assembly of frames, or it may be placed on a relatively level section of ground or other surface prior to its use for assembly of frames. Modifications of the embodiments described herein which would be required to arrive at such alternative embodiments can be effected by the skilled person without undue experimentation and are within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
Any terms which have not been explicitly defined herein, are to be considered as having meanings as they would be understood by persons skilled in the art. Such terms may also be reasonably inferable from the drawings and description and the combination thereof with the knowledge of the skilled person.
The individual components used in the method and kit for assembly of framed structures will first be described with reference to
Certain embodiments of the invention include the use of a layout sheet to assist in positioning corner supports or pads. The framed structure sits upon these supports or pads (hereinafter referred to simply as “pads” or alternatively “corner supports.” In some embodiments the layout sheet has the pad locations identified by a symbol to locate the center of the pad where placement is not dimensionally critical, in other embodiments the provision of outlines indicating the proper positioning of the pads is advantageous because it allows proper positioning of the pads without requiring measurements to be performed by unskilled individuals.
One example of a layout sheet appropriate for use with the embodiments of the invention described herein is shown in
The layout sheet 12 of
In addition to facilitating the positioning of corner pads without measurement, an advantage to the use of a layout sheet, such as layout sheet 12 is that it helps the assembler to visualize an appropriate position for the framed structure before it is assembled. This is particularly useful if other obstacles and/or equipment are present and/or if sections of the area are not level. The assembler may move the layout sheet to different positions and then select the optimal position for the framed structure. Subsequent components described herein are presented in the remaining figures in an effort to preserve consistency such that the layout sheet 12 is compatible with the floor frame, the floor sheathing, the floor template and the frames.
The layout sheet is advantageously constructed of flexible plastic which allows it to be conveniently folded and moved.
Floor Plate Formed from Floor Frame and Floor Sheathing
An embodiment of a lower support rim which forms part of a floor frame 13 assembled using the layout sheet 12 of
The left side rim joist 22a sits on top of corner pads 20a and 20c and the right side rim joist 22b sits on top of corner pads 20b and 20d. The back side rim joist 22c (at the top of
The skilled person will recognize that while the embodiment of
Returning now to
The outer sides of each one of the rim joists 22a-d is provided with a wall sheathing stop 28a-d which is in the form of a ledge that wall sheathing can rest upon while it is positioned and fastened to the rim joists 22a-d. When the wall sheathing is installed in such a manner and sequence, and set down upon the wall sheathing stop, the wall sheathing stop serves to self-square the wall sheathing with the floor plate. The wall sheathing stop 28a-d provides a means for an unskilled individual to properly align the wall sheathing with the rim joists 22a-d, and the entire floor plate which, in this particular embodiment, is represented by the assembled combination of the rim joists 22a-d, the floor joists 24a-e and floor sheathing 42 (see
Although the rim joist 22a of
Shown in
The floor sheets 38a-d and 40 are installed and fastened to the rim joists and floor joists. As indicated by the circled sequence numbers in
In this particular embodiment, the assembled floor sheathing 42 includes a template, installed on the individual floor sheets at the time of manufacture such that when the floor sheathing is installed in a manner and sequence forms a series of template markings for assembling the frames of the framed structure. The template markings are omitted from
The floor sheathing, when installed correctly, serves to self-square the floor plate assembly on a horizontal plane. The floor plate assembly may not be “flat” (as opposed to level) at the time the floor sheathing is installed, but when the roof sheathing is fastened to the side wall trim in accordance with the method of assembly described below, the fastening of the roof sheathing acts to self-square the vertical structure. By bringing the floor plate into a “flat” plane, it becomes square with the building as a whole because all components are tied together in an inter-related manner designed to accomplish this same self-squaring aspect. As a consequence of the approach provided by the present invention, the floor plate does not have to be level, nor the walls plumb, for the building to become squared properly as it is assembled. More details regarding the squaring of portions of the structure are described in Example 3.
Assembly of a Lower Support Frame for a Framed Structure without a Floor
Another embodiment of a lower support rim will now be described. The features of this embodiment will now be described with reference to
Assembly of a Base Plate on an Existing Foundation Pad for Assembly of a Framed Structure without a Floor
Another embodiment of a lower support structure and a portion thereof is shown in
The base plate may have multiple layers of base material, and will include a wall sheathing stop attached to at least one base layer member, as illustrated in
The base plate 217 of the present embodiment and the combination of the rim joists of the embodiments described above may be considered as variations of a structure designated herein as the “lower support rim.” For greater clarity, in the embodiment shown in
Two different embodiments of templates provided on floor sheathing of the 12′×12′ storage shed will now be described with reference to
Additionally, in alternative embodiments which do not include a floor, the template may be provided on sheathing for one of the walls or roof. Such a template may be marked on such sheathing by the skilled person in accordance with the principles of the invention, and would be employed to construct the wall frames prior to attachment of the sheathing that contains the template.
The first template embodiment is shown in
Turning now to
In a manner similar to that shown in
In a manner similar to that shown in
Turning now to
It is thus seen in
Another difference is that template marking 154 which guides the placement of horizontal beam 168 (see
The sequence of assembly and installation of wall sheathing, frames and roof sheathing will now be described with reference to
The sequence of assembly and installation of wall sheathing and frames begins at a point when the assembly of the floor sheathing 42 has been completed and the template is visible on the floor sheathing 42. The template on the floor sheathing 42 is the same template shown in
Installation of the back frame 64 now allows the back wall sheathing sections 74, 75 and 77 to be installed as shown in
Next, three middle frames 66, 66′ and 66″ are sequentially assembled as indicated in
With the completion of the frames as described above, the remaining tasks of finishing the side walls, front wall roof with sheathing may be performed. These final steps also contribute to the self-squaring function of the assembly order. As for all components previously described, the remaining upper sidewall, front wall and roof sheathing sections are pre-dimensioned to facilitate proper placement and may also include orientation and placement markings.
In the process of installation of the upper side wall sheathing sections 73 and 73′, the lower edge of each of the upper side wall sheathing sections 73 and 73′ is aligned with corresponding lower side wall sheathing sections 72 and 72′ and with the outer edges of the upper side wall sheathing sections 73 and 73′ are aligned with the outer edges of the front and back frames 64 and 70. The upper side wall sheathing sections 73 and 73′ are then fastened to the vertical beams of the middle frames 66, 66′ and 66″. The resulting structure is shown in
As shown in
The next step in the process is the installation of the front wall sheathing, which, in the present embodiment is shown in
The upper sections of the front wall sheathing 81 and 81′ are aligned against the upper edges of the lower front wall sheathing sections 79 and 79′ and the edges of the bottom and top sloped upper edges of the upper sections of the front wall sheathing 81 and 81′ are aligned with the upper edges of the corresponding rafters 58 and 58′ and the horizontal beam 68 of the front frame 70 (see
In the next step, shown in
A view of the front face of sidewall trim 84 is shown in
With reference to
In the present embodiment, there are two roof sheathing sections on each side of the peaked roof formed by the rafters. Roof sheathing sections 85a and 85b are on the left side and roof sheathing sections 86a and 86b are on the right side. Each of these roof sheathing sections are pre-dimensioned to extend back across the roof rafters 58 of the back frame 64, middle frames 66, 66′ and 66″ and the front frame 70. In this particular embodiment. The back edge of roof sheathing section 85a is first aligned with the outer edge of the back frame 64. Then roof sheathing section 85a is aligned with the side wall trim 84. To achieve this alignment, it is effective to first fasten the back edge of the roof sheathing section 85a to the roof rafter 58 of the back frame 64. Then the section of roof sheathing can be used as a lever to pull the back frame 64 to square it with the side wall trim 84 (because the upper part of the back frame 64 will be slanted forward or backward at this stage i.e. not square with the side walls at this stage). This is effectively achieved by grasping the front-facing edge of roof sheet and pulling it side to side to induce the lower edge of the section of roof sheathing to align with the outer top edge of the side wall trim 84. After the left side of the roof sheathing section 85a is aligned with the side wall trim 84, the left side of the roof sheathing section 85a is fastened to the side wall trim 84 and the front side of the roof sheathing section 85a is fastened to the top surface of roof rafter 58 of the front frame 70. This process also contributes to squaring of the middle frame 66 with respect to the left side wall.
Next, the back edge of roof sheathing section 85b is first aligned with the outer edge of the back frame 64 and aligned with the right edge of roof sheathing section 85a. The back edge of roof sheathing section 85b is fastened to the top surface of the roof rafter 58 of the back frame 64 and then to roof rafters 85 of the middle and front frames. The process is repeated with the right side roof sheathing sections 86a and 86b to complete the roof sheathing.
The skilled person will recognize that alternative embodiments are possible wherein the roof sheathing is assembled in sections which span the distance between the side wall trim 84 and the roof line 89. Pre-dimensioned sections of roof sheathing for such an embodiment can be designed and prepared without undue experimentation by the skilled person and used by unskilled workers.
This manner and sequence of installing the roof sheathing represents a process which results in self-squaring of the entire structure. During this specific sequence, as the roof sheathing is aligned with and fastened to the side wall trim 84, the plane formed by the outer corners of the vertical beams 56 of the frames is squared with the plane of the floor plate.
In certain embodiments, a protective covering is added to the roof sheathing according to known methods. In certain embodiments protective siding is provided against all of the sheathing. Then, door frame members (not shown) are installed on the horizontal beam 68 and intermediate beams 62 and 62′ of the front frame 70 to provide a door frame according to known methods and a door (not shown) is connected to the door frame according to known methods.
In certain embodiments the wall sheathing stop also enables the simple installation of the door, setting the height and square of the door in the opening and only requiring fastening of the hinges to the frame to set the door.
One aspect of the present invention is a kit for assembly of framed structures, such as the example 12′×12′ storage shed described herein. Advantageously, all of the structural components of the kit are pre-dimensioned to the exact required lengths to avoid damage that might otherwise be caused by unskilled assemblers. Thus, the lower support components (rim joists or base layers), floor joists and floor sheathing (if applicable), beams, roof rafters, wall sheathing and roof sheathing need only be placed appropriately using the provided placement markings and fastened together using fastening means adapted for convenient use by unskilled assemblers such as screws and pre-drilled screw holes and/or bolt and nut combinations, heavy duty staples, or essentially any fastening system deemed by the skilled person to be most appropriate for a non-skilled assembler to use correctly.
In certain embodiments, the placement markings used to indicate the proper positions of components prior to fastening may be color-coded and may use any kind of symbol which may be easily recognizable to a non-skilled assembler, even an assembler who is not proficient in English or other common languages. In certain embodiments, a selection of letters from the 26-letter Roman alphabet is used as the combination of symbols used as placement markings. In certain embodiments, the placement markings are accompanied by outline marks to show the exact positioning of a particular component.
In certain embodiments, the kit is for assembly of a framed structure with a floor and includes a layout sheet, four rim joists, each provided with a wall sheathing stop, wherein two of the rim joists include an inner floor joist ledger, a series of floor joists, side wall, end wall and front wall sheathing pre-dimensioned to cover exposed frames, and a series of pre-dimensioned beams and roof rafters. In some embodiments, the side wall, back wall and end wall sheathing is provided with markings to indicate positions for engagement of fastening means such as pre-dimensioned screw or bolt holes that correctly line up with the outer beams of the frames which serve the function of wall studs.
In certain embodiments, the kit includes a door with hinges and associated hardware and the parts required to assemble a door frame.
In certain embodiments, the kit includes pre-dimensioned squaring components which may be designed to form part of the finished framed structure or may be designed to use temporarily to square one aspect of the structure prior to fastening the aspect in the squared orientation. Such temporary squaring components may be represented by pre-dimensioned triangular sheets for squaring of the corners of lower support rim members or by pairs of pre-dimensioned lengths of wood or plastic which span the interior area of the lower support rim. The skilled person has the ability to square a structure using such squaring components.
In certain embodiments, the kit includes roofing material for covering roof sheathing. Advantageously the roofing material is provided in sections that cover the areas between the roof rafters. Thus, in
In certain embodiments, the kit includes written and/or illustrated instructions describing the sequence of assembly steps.
While wood is a preferred material for the methods and kits described herein, the skilled person will recognize that other materials such as relatively lightweight metal or relatively rigid plastic may also be used. Conventional means are employed to connect various components and may include simple fastening means such as bolts/bolt receivers, screws, nails or heavy duty staples, and the like. Pre-drilled holes may be provided to facilitate the process of connecting components, according to known methods. Features of various components referred to in this outline will be described in more detail hereinbelow.
The skilled person will recognize that, relative to the three examples outlined above, certain features can be provided in a number of alternative combinations. These alternative combinations are also within the scope of the invention. For example, the layout sheet introduced in the second aspect may be included with the first aspect to provide a new combination. The skilled person will recognize appropriate alternative embodiments and has the skills to prepare kits and develop methods corresponding to these alternative embodiments without undue experimentation.
The example embodiments described above illustrate the use of a template provided on floor sheathing. The skilled person will recognize that alternative embodiments are possible wherein certain framed structures are designed to not include a floor. In such embodiments, the framing template may be provided on wall sheathing or roof sheathing which is used to assemble frames, before the template-marked wall or roof sheathing is installed on the wall or the roof. In such embodiments, the wall or roof sheathing which includes the template markings is laid flat on the ground or other surface so that the components (beams and roof rafters) of the frames can be placed thereon in correct orientation to facilitate fastening of the frame components together.
It is to be further noted that the principles illustrated herein can be applied to assemble buildings and/or framed structures with any dimensions deemed to be applicable for convenient handling by non-skilled assemblers. Thus, alternative embodiments of the assembly methods and kits can be used to assemble a wide range of wall configurations of framed structures with any type of roof configuration including gable, gambrel, flat, shed, hip, Dutch hip, and offset slope among others.
In this example, a series of pre-dimensioned components are used to assemble a framed structure. The pre-dimensioned components include lower support rim components, framing components for assembling a series of frames, sheathing, and a template marked on a section of the sheathing. The method includes the steps of:
The lower support components may be represented by rim joists or by base layers. The template may be marked on floor sheathing in embodiments where the framed structure includes a floor. Alternatively, the template may be marked on wall sheathing or roof sheathing and used to guide the assembly of the frames prior to installation of the wall sheathing or roof sheathing.
In this example, a framed structure with a floor is assembled using a kit of pre-dimensioned components. The pre-dimensioned components include a layout sheet for indicating positions of support pads, the support pads themselves, rim joists for forming a lower support rim, floor joists for supporting a floor, and floor sheets for forming floor sheathing. The floor sheathing when assembled from the floor sheets, includes template markings for assembling frames. The method includes the steps of:
This example describes a sequence for assembly of a framed structure with a square or rectangular floor. As described above, pre-dimensioned components are employed to facilitate the construction without any measuring and cutting of the components. The pre-dimensioned components include lower support rim members with outer ledges, framing components, and sheathing for walls and a roof. Sheathing is provided in sections to facilitate placement and alignment with the lower support rim and with the outer edges of the frames. The frames are assembled generally according to procedures described hereinabove using a template marked on a section of sheathing. Placement of vertical beams of the frames is guided by placement markings provided on the lower support rim or the floor. The steps of the method are performed in sequence to produce a structure which becomes squared as it is assembled (i.e. all corners have sides which are 90° with respect to each other). The method includes the steps of:
Each of the steps outlined above produces an effect of squaring specific corners of the structure in sequence, or preparing an aspect of the building prior to squaring of specific corners. In embodiments where a floor is installed, the floor sheets act as the pre-dimensioned squaring components and the process of installing the sheets of the floor sheathing on top of the floor frame have the effect of squaring the floor plate (i.e. squaring all corners of the floor plate). In embodiments which do not include a floor, the pre-dimensioned squaring components are separate components which do not form part of the finished structure. For example, sheeting in the shape of a right-triangle can be used to square the corners of the lower support rim. These triangle-shaped sheets can then be removed after the structure is completely assembled.
In a similar manner, the process of installing side wall sheathing to opposing sides of the lower support rim joists on the ledge (wall sheathing stops) has the effect of squaring the side wall sheathing to the lower support rim. In this particular example, the side wall sheathing is provided in a lower section extending across the entire length of each side of the structure and an upper section with the same length dimension and with sufficient height to extend to align with the top surface of each vertical beam of each frame. Advantageously, in this particular example, the lower sections of side wall sheathing are installed first, followed by installation of the back frame, back frame sheathing, front frame, middle frames and front wall sheathing, followed by the upper sections of the side wall sheathing. Advantageously in this particular example, placement markings for the vertical beams of the middle frames are be marked near the top edge of the lower side wall sheathing to facilitate proper alignment of the vertical beams of the middle frames. The lower side wall sheathing is then fastened to the vertical beams of the middle frames.
The process of aligning and fastening the back frame to the side wall sheathing has the effect of squaring the back wall frame to the lower support rim.
The process of aligning and fastening the back wall sheathing to the back frame has the effect of adding further support or strength to the squaring of the back wall frame to the lower support rim.
The process of aligning and fastening the front frame has the effect of squaring the front wall frame to the lower support rim.
The process of aligning and fastening the middle frames has the effect of squaring the middle frames to the lower support rim;
The process of aligning and fastening the front wall sheathing to the front frame has the effect of adding further support or strength to the squaring of the front wall frame to the lower support rim.
The process of fastening the upper side wall squaring component to the front, middle and back frames contributes to the squaring of the upper corners of the structure.
The process of fastening the roof sheathing to the frames and to the upper side wall squaring component squares the plane formed by the upper surfaces of the vertical beams of the frames (hereinafter referred to as the “top plane”) with the front, back and side walls. The top plane is then parallel with the plane formed by the squared lower support rim.
Other than described herein, or unless otherwise expressly specified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentages, such as those for amounts of materials, elemental contents, times and temperatures, ratios of amounts, and others, in the following portion of the specification and attached claims may be read as if prefaced by the word “about” even though the term “about” may not expressly appear with the value, amount, or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains error necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in its underlying respective testing measurements. Furthermore, when numerical ranges are set forth herein, these ranges are inclusive of the recited range end points (i.e., end points may be used).
Also, it should be understood that any numerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-ranges subsumed therein. For example, a range of “1 to 10” is intended to include all sub-ranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1 and the recited maximum value of 10, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1 and a maximum value of equal to or less than 10. The terms “one,” “a,” or “an” as used herein are intended to include “at least one” or “one or more,” unless otherwise indicated.
Any patent, publication, internet site, or other disclosure material, in whole or in part, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein is incorporated herein only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth in this disclosure. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material.
Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CA2016/050246, filed on Mar. 8, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/130,337 filed Mar. 9, 2015, the entire disclosures of which are each incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62130337 | Mar 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CA2016/050246 | Mar 2016 | US |
| Child | 15696310 | US |
