System for modular construction

Claim 2

In a system for modular construction, a series of elongate outwardly facing bottom angle members forming an integral part of the foundation of a building structure, said angle members having upright portions coincident with a periphery of said foundation, upright post members attached to said bottom anGle members along at least two opposite sides of said building structure, said post members being spaced outwardly and at a predetermined horizontal distance from the upright portions of said angle members, said post members having upstanding attachment means at their tops, a series of prefabricated truss members supported by pairs of said post members positioned on said opposite sides of the building structure and held in place by said attachment means, each of said truss members spanning the horizontal distance between a supporting pair of said post members, elongate outwardly facing top angle members interconnecting said post members at a spaced vertical distance above the bottom angle members on said two sides of the building structure, said top angle members having upright portions spaced inwardly at substantially said predetermined horizontal distance from said upright post members, a plurality of prefabricated wall panels positioned with respect to said upright post members so that top portions of said panels are held between said top angle members and said post members and bottom portions of said wall panels are held between said bottom angle members and said post members, and a plurality of prefabricated roof panels attached to and supported by said truss members, said upright post members, truss members, wall panels, and roof panels combining to form an essentially complete building structure.

Claim 3

A system for modular construction as in claim 1 wherein said foundation is a slab foundation and said bottom angle members include upright portions defining an exterior boundary of said slab foundation.

Claim 4

A system for modular construction as in claim 2 wherein said bottom angle members are structural steel members of substantially L-shaped cross section.

Claim 5

A system for modular construction as in claim 1 wherein said upright post members are structural steel I-beams arranged so that the flange portions are perpendicular to the plane of a wall formed by said wall panels.

Claim 6

A system for modular construction as in claim 4 wherein each said post member is mounted on a base plate which is rigidly secured to one of said bottom angle members.

Claim 7

A system for modular construction as in claim 1 wherein each of said truss members includes a substantially horizontal strength member and at least one inclined strength member secured thereto by truss bracing members, said inclined member establishing the roof plane of said building structure.

Claim 8

A system for modular construction as in claim 6 wherein top angle members are of T-shaped configuration.

Claim 9

A system for modular construction as in claim 1 wherein each of said top angle members including said upright portion is a structural steel member, said upright portion being arranged so that it is parallel to and coincident with the top of a wall panels and is horizontally spaced inwardly from an upright post member a distance approximating the thickness of said wall panel.

Claim 10

A system for modular construction as in claim 1 wherein adjacent upper corners of said wall panels are cut away to provide recess means dimensioned to facilitate reception of a truss member within the attachment means of an upright post member in front of the abutting vertical edges thereof.

Claim 11

A system for modular construction as in claim 1 wherein adjacent vertical edges of said wall panels abut at positions behind said upright post members.

Claim 12

A building structure composed essentially of components useful in a system of modular construction, comprising: a generally rectangular slab foundation, a series of structural bottom angle members having an upright portion, said bottom angle member defining the peripheral boundary of said slab foundation and forming a continuous outwardly opening L-shaped recess in the edge thereof, a series of upright structural post members attached to said bottom angle member at spaced position along at least two opposite and parallel sides of said slab foundation, said post members being supportEd adjacent the L-shaped recess formed by said bottom angle members and at a predetermined horizontal distance outwardly from the upright portions thereof, said predetermined horizontal distance approximating the thickness of wall panels received between said bottom angle members and said upright post members, each of said post members being provided with upstanding spaced apart attachment means defining transverse slots at the tops thereof, a series of structural top angle members defining upper peripheral boundaries for said wall panels, end portions of said top angle members being supported at their ends on the upstanding attachment means of said post members so as to avoid interference with the transverse slots in said attachment means, said top angle members likewise being spaced at said predetermined horizontal distance inwardly from said post members to thereby accommodate the thickness of said wall panel members, said top angle members also being in horizontal alignment with said bottom angle members, a series of prefabricated truss members defining the roof planes of said building structure, each of said truss members extending horizontally through the transverse slots of at least two post members so as to span the horizontal distance between said post members, said truss members being thereby supported at a predetermined vertical distance above said slab foundation, a plurality of prefabricated wall panels of vertical dimension to be received between said top and bottom angle members and of horizontal dimension sufficient to span the distance between adjacent upright post members on a common edge of said slab foundation, said prefabricated wall panels being provided with corner recesses in upper portions thereof to accommodate said truss members, and prefabricated roof panel members attached to and supported by said truss members, said slab foundation upright post members, top and bottom angle members, wall panels, and roof panels defining a substantially complete building structure.

Claim 13

A building structure composed essentially of components useful in a system of modular construction, comprising: a generally rectangular slab foundation, a series of structural bottom angle members having an upright portion, said bottom angle member defining the peripheral boundary of said slab foundation and forming a continuous outwardly opening L-shaped recess in the edge thereof, a series of upright structural post members attached to said bottom angle member at spaced position along at least two opposite and parallel sides of said slab foundation, said post members being supportEd adjacent the L-shaped recess formed by said bottom angle members and at a predetermined horizontal distance outwardly from the upright portions thereof, said predetermined horizontal distance approximating the thickness of wall panels received between said bottom angle members and said upright post members, each of said post members being provided with upstanding spaced apart attachment means defining transverse slots at the tops thereof, a series of structural top angle members defining upper peripheral boundaries for said wall panels, end portions of said top angle members being supported at their ends on the upstanding attachment means of said post members so as to avoid interference with the transverse slots in said attachment means, said top angle members likewise being spaced at said predetermined horizontal distance inwardly from said post members to thereby accommodate the thickness of said wall panel members, said top angle members also being in horizontal alignment with said bottom angle members, a series of prefabricated truss members defining the roof planes of said building structure, each of said truss members extending horizontally through the transverse slots of at least two post members so as to span the horizontal distance between said post members, said truss members being thereby supported at a predetermined vertical distance above said slab foundation, a plurality of prefabricated wall panels of vertical dimension to be received between said top and bottom angle members and of horizontal dimension sufficient to span the distance between adjacent upright post members on a common edge of said slab foundation, said prefabricated wall panels being provided with corner recesses in upper portions thereof to accommodate said truss members, and prefabricated roof panel members attached to and supported by said truss members, said slab foundation upright post members, top and bottom angle members, wall panels, and roof panels defining a substantially complete building structure.

Claim 14

A building structure as in claim 11 wherein said upright post members are steel I-beams having web portions parallel to the plane of said wall panels and flange portions perpendicular to the plane of said wall panels.

Claim 15

A building structure as in claim 12 wherein said I-beams are provided with integral bottom plate members, said bottom plate members being provided with apertures to facilitate attachment to said bottom angle members.

Claim 16

A building structure as in claim 12 wherein the upstanding attachment means of said post members are formed as extensions of the flange portion of said I-beams.

Claim 17

A building structure as in claim 11 wherein said bottom angle members are provided with vertical portions protruding above the plane of said slab foundation, said vertical portions being provided with apertures cooperating with attachment means in engagement with lower portions of said prefabricated wall panels.