Prefabricated building

Claim 1

A building comprising: a rigid frame unit comprising upper and lower horizontal rectangular frame members, four rigid vertical posts of generally rectangular outline supporting said rectangular frames in vertically spaced relation, each rectangular frame including a pair of spaced parallel longitudinal members and spaced parallel transverse members connected rigidly at their ends to form the corners of the rectangular frame, said posts engaging the outer peripheries of the longitudinal members of said frames, two on one side and two on the opposite sides of said horizontal frames, said posts being equally spaced from said transverse members to support the ends of said horizontal longitudinal members and said transverse members in cantilever relation to the portions of said longitudinal members between said posts, four adjustable clamping means for clamping each of said upper and lower rectangular frame members to said rigid vertical posts, each clamping means including a pair of vertically spaced bracket plates rigidly secured to the upper and lower surfaces of said longitudinal members and extending outwardly therefrom, the outer portions of said plates being notched to snugly engage on opposite sides of one of said vertical posts, the bases of the notches engaging the sides of said vertical posts most closely adjacent to said rectangular frames, vertically extending coplanar connecting plates rigidly connecting the outer ends of said vertically spaced plates on opposite sides of said notch to provide a contact coupling between said vertically spaced plates on opposite sides of the corresponding vertical post, a clamping plate engaging the outer surface of the corresponding post and secured by vertically spaced adjustable fastening means to said connecting plates, holding said post engaged in said notches of said vertically spaced plates, each said clamping means being rigid and resistant to angular deflection due to side forces on said building between said frame and said post in two principal vertical planes at 90* to each other, said rigidity and resistance to angular deflection due to forces applied to said building on a plane parallel to said longitudinal members being provided by stresses of a resisting force couple generated by a pressure of contact between one edge of the notch in the upper horizontal plate on one side of said post and an equal pressure of contact oppositely directed on the opposite side of the notch in the lower horizontal plate on the opposite side of said post, said resistance to angular deflecting due to forces applied in a direction transverse tO said horizontal frames being provided by stresses of a resisting force couple generated by a spacing of points of application along the vertical dimension of the post and pressure of contact between the said post and the base of the notch in the upper or lower bracket plate and equal pressure on contact with the post oppositely directed between a vertical extremity of the clamping plate which is opposite that of said bracket plate.