Apparatus for transporting building modules

Claim 2

Apparatus for transporting objects having oppositely disposed spaced upright end walls and capable of withstanding a bending moment comprising: a forward support connectable to a towing vehicle, the support having an upper member and a lower member, means for securing the lower member to one of the walls adjacent a lower end of the object, an aft support for placement adjacent the other wall of the object supported on the ground, the aft support having an upper member and a lower member, means for securing the lower member of the aft support to the other wall adjacent the lower end of the object so that the forward and aft supports are connected together only by the object, means for placing the upper member of the forward support and the upper member of the aft support against the respective walls of the object whereby the weight of the object subjects the object to a bending moment while suspended between the upper and lower members of the supports, and means for raising and lowering the object relative to the ground while suspended between and carried by the members, and means mounted to the supports for moving the object in a lateral direction in a substantially horizontal plane while the object is carried by and suspended between the members to facilitate alignment of the object with a predetermined location.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the walls are substantially parallel and vertical, and wherein the upper and lower members of the supports include means for engaging the upright walls only, and wherein the securing means includes means permitting disengagement of the securing means from the object by moving the supports generally horizontally away from the object to enable the positioning of the object over a predetermined location, the lowering of the object onto a supporting surface at the location, and the ready removal of the supports from the object without lifting the object or the supports.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means for laterally moving the module includes means for moving the module in opposite directions.

Claim 5

Apparatus for transporting building modules and the like comprising: a forward unit having upper and lower module wall engaging members, the lower member including means for rigidly securing the lower member to a lower portion of the building, the upper member including means for contacting the module wall, and means for raising and lowering the members while in contact with the module wall; an aft unit having upper and lower module wall engaging members for placement adjacent a module wall opposite from the first mentioned module wall, means for rigidly securing the lower aft member to a lower portion of the module for tensioning a lower module portion by applying opposite forces to the lower members, the upper aft member including means for contacting the opposite wall, means for biasing the upper members against the module to place an upper module portion in compression when the lower portion is in tension and thereby suspend the module between the units, means for raising and lowering the upper and lower members of the aft unit in contact with the opposite module wall for raising and lowering of the module while suspended between the units, means for connecting the forward unit to a towing vehicle, means for movably supporting the aft unit, the engaging members of the forward and the aft units further including substantIally horizontally disposed bars, means for connecting the bars with the module, and means permitting lateral motion of the bars with respect to the units to enable the precision lateral alignment of the module with a building foundation at the installation site.

Claim 6

Apparatus for transporting building modules and the like comprising: a forward unit having upper and lower module wall engaging members, the lower member including means for rigidly securing the lower member to a lower portion of the building, the upper member including means for contacting the module wall, and means for raising and lowering the members while in contact with the module wall; an aft unit having upper and lower module wall engaging members for placement adjacent a module wall opposite from the first mentioned module wall, means for rigidly securing the lower aft member to a lower portion of the module for tensioning a lower module portion by applying opposite forces to the lower members, the upper aft member including means for contacting the opposite wall, means for biasing the upper members against the module to place an upper module portion in compression when the lower portion is in tension and thereby suspend the module between the units, means for raising and lowering the upper and lower members of the aft unit in contact with the opposite module wall for raising and lowering of the module while suspended between the units, means for connecting the forward unit to a towing vehicle, means for movably supporting the aft unit, the engaging members of the forward and the aft units further including substantIally horizontally disposed bars, means for connecting the bars with the module, and means permitting lateral motion of the bars with respect to the units to enable the precision lateral alignment of the module with a building foundation at the installation site.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4 including compression pads secured to the bars of the upper engaging members of the units for subjecting the upper module portion to compressive forces.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 4 including vertically spaced apart guide means for the rails, and wherein the forward unit and the aft unit each include an upright support structure for the guide means.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the biasing means comprises pivot means between the upper and the lower bars for pivotally securing each upright support structure to a generally horizontal platform of the respective unit, and means for pivotally moving the support structure to bias the upper bars against the module.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 4 including means mounted to each unit defining spaced apart, substantially horizontally disposed channels for grasping the unit with a hoisting implement.