US3678638A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Building construction of modular units with settable material therebetween
Assignee: Sodeteg Inc
•
Filing: 1970-12-24
•
Granted: 1972-07-25
•
Expires: 1990-12-24
Abstract
Abstract Modular units, forming room units are built up of panel structures having an L or U-shaped channel extending around the panel structure and forming the frame, with at least one panel secured to the side legs of the channel. The channel reinforces the panels and forms a mold of sufficient strength to hold poured concrete therein. Such modular units are placed adjacent each other, preferably with a polystyrene separating sheet therebetween, and concrete is poured in the open faced channels to form vertical columns and horizontally extending beams. After hardening, additional units can be placed on top of the thus formed column and beam structure, the weight of the upper modular units, or of the top structure being carried by the columns and beams and not by the walls of the modular units. Preferably, reinforcing rods which may be welded to the channels are incorporated in the columns and beams.
Inventors
- 👤 George Mougin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 23:39
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04B; E04B1/00; E04B1/348; E04B1/34807
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
65 words
Building structure according to claim 1 including an upper group of a plurality of adjacent modular units, the floor panel structure of said modular units of the upper group bearing against, and being supported by the poured horizontally extending beams formed by pouring concrete between adjacent channels of the lower group, whereby the upper group of modular units will be entirely supported by the beams.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
27 words
Building structure according to claim 2 including an elastic insert interposed between the floor panel structure and the poured horizontally extending beam supporting said upper modular units.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
Building structure according to claim 1 including a layer of cellular, inert material interposed between the adjacent modular units of the group, said inert material being of sufficient mechanical strength to support superposed concrete of a thickness of the beam before hardening thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
Building structure according to claim 4, wherein said cellular inert material comprises a sheet of expanded polystyrene, polystyrene or polyurethane foam, or honeycomb material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
81 words
Building structure according to claim 1 including reinforcing rods inserted in at least one of the support columns and horizontally extending support beams; means attaching said rods to the channels and spacing said rods from the legs of the channels, said attached rods protecting said channels of the modular units, and the wall structures thereof, against damage, provide lifting bars for the modular unit during assembly thereof into the group, and facilitate alignment of placement of the units in the group.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
Building structure according to claim 6 further including means interconnecting the attached reinforcing rods of adjacent panel structures of modular units to secure said structures together before and during pouring of the concrete, and provide additional reinforcing material for the hardened concrete.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
Building structure according to claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a pair of spaced sheets extending essentially in parallel, with the free space therebetween corresponding essentially to the width of the base of the channel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
Building structure according to claim 8, including cellular filler material filling the space between said sheets.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
Building structure according to claim 9, wherein said cellular filler material comprises expanded polystyrene, polystyrene foam, polyurethane foam, or a honeycomb material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
Building structure according to claim 1 wherein said panel structure is essentially rectangular; including edge plates interconnecting the sides of the channels extending along adjacent edges of the rectangle formed by the sides of the panel to provide an essentially continuous frame around at least three sides of the panel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
Building structure according to claim 1 wherein the channels extend around the sides of the panels as a continuous frame.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
Building structure according to claim 1, wherein said channel members are U-shaped, at least one panel being secured to the side of the U-channel, the base of the U extending toward the panel and defining a free space between said legs and presenting an open U channel, outwardly directed, to form a mold for pouring of concrete therein.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
Building structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said panel structures has an opening therein to form a door or window; an opening frame set into said opening; and means interconnecting said frame with said channels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
Building structure according to claim 14, wherein said opening is a door opening, and said frame is a door frame; said door frame being secured to the channels of the respective panel structure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
Building structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the panels of the side wall panel structures is asbestos cement; and the channels of said panel structures are of metal and interconnected by welding.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
Building structure accorDing to claim 1, having a floor frame; including studs, interconnecting the channel at the top of the modular unit and the floor frame.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
72 words
Building structure according to claim 1, including channel protection and concrete reinforcement means attached to said channels, comprising reinforcing rods extending essentially parallel to said channels, and means attaching said rods to said channels and spacing said rods from the legs of the channels and projecting from said channels by an amount to prevent accidental damage to said channels and said panel structures upon impending collision of outside objects with said unit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
80 words
Building structure according to claim 1, wherein said modular unit has four side walls defining a room; at least one of said side walls comprises a plurality of wall panel structures, located in alignment; and means are provided interconnecting said channels of adjacent, aligned panel structures, the vertically extending spaces between the open legs of the channels of adjacent, aligned panel structures permitting pouring of concrete therein to form a support column intermediate of the overall length of the unit.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
Building structure according to claim 18, wherein said attaching means are steel braces of sufficient strength to enable lifting of said entire modular units by said rods.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
31 words
Building structure according to claim 19, wherein the channels of the panel structures, and the rods, are of metal, and adjacent channels, said attaching means, and said rods are welded together.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
66 words
Building structure according to claim 1, including side corner elements secured to and interconnecting adjacent sides of the channels to hold said channels together with the open side of the channel facing outwardly with respect to the room; and ceiling corner elements comprising a structural element of weight-supporting material interconnecting the sides of the channel of the side walls and the sides of the ceiling panels.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
Building structure according to claim 1, including spaced stiffening braces interconnecting the legs of the angles which are secured to the sides of the channels.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
Building structure according to claim 22, wherein the stiffening braces extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the channels and are located inside of the modular room unit.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
44 words
Building structure according to claim 1, including spaced stiffening braces extending transversely to the longitudinal direction of the channels and located across the open face of the channel to permit filling of the channels with concrete and encasing said stiffening braces within the concrete.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
54 words
Building structure according to claim 1, including a floor panel structure, said floor panel structure having an outer frame and panels interconnecting said outer frame; the outer frame of said floor panel structure being secured to the lower portions of the channels of the panel structures forming the side walls of the modular unit.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
99 words
Building structure according to claim 25, wherein the frame of the floor panel structure comprises a channel with the opening of the channel facing inwardly of the panel structure, the lower portions of the channels forming the frames for the side walls being secured to the channels of the floor panel structure; floor stringers fitting between the sides of the floor channels spanning and supporting said floor panels; and studs extending vertically behind the panels facing the inside of the modular units, and secured to the top channel of the respective panel structure and to the floor panel structure.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
52 words
Building structure according to claim 1, including a frame forming the floor panel structure and comprising a U-shaped channel made of metal; metal interconnecting elements are provided securing together at least two adjacent panel structures; and all said channels and elements are metallically connected together to form a unitary modular room unit.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
106 words
Building structure according to cLaim 1, wherein said modular unit has four side walls defining a room; and at least one of the side walls comprises at least one panel structure and an open rectangular frame formed of channels located to have the base of the channel inwardly of the frame, the channels of said frame being similar to the channels of said panel structures to provide a framing element for poured concrete without wall panels and permit placement of wall panels at a location within said room other than against the sides of the channels of said frame and provide additional space for utility lines.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
131 words
Building structure according to claim 1, wherein said modular unit has four side walls, a ceiling and a floor; at least one of said side walls comprises a support structure formed of vertical studs secured to the floor, and slightly shorter than room height; a panel facing inwardly of the room; the base of the top channel comprises a transverse web supported by said studs and essentially the same width as the depth of the studs to form a support for the pouring of concrete thereon; and reinforcing means extending from said transverse web upwardly to about outside ceiling height, said reinforcing means being secured to said panel, and said panel and web defining said channels and said reinforcing means maintaining said panel in position when under pressure of wet concrete.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
37 words
Building structure according to claim 30, wherein the reinforcing means comprises a sheet of plywood; metal braces interconnecting the plywood sheet and the web; and reinforcing rods extending longitudinally of the modular unit secured to said braces.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
61 words
Building structure according to claim 30, wherein the reinforcing means comprises a plurality of metal braces extending from said web toward the ceiling, said braces having flat surfaces adjacent said web, the panel and the ceiling; said flat surfaces of the braces being attached to the web, the panels and the ceiling respectively, and said web being attached to said studs.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-25 | 1976-01-24 | 1976-07-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-25 | 1980-01-24 | 1980-07-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-25 | 1984-01-24 | 1984-07-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |