Modular floor structure

Claim 2

A floor structure of modular components for use in a building such as a grain storage bin or the like comprising a plurality of floor sections formed of planar material with there being a multiplicity of floor sections having different perimetric contours including a basic square floor section with all four edges of a modular length for assembly in overlapped relation to provide a major part of the floor surface and additional floor sections of a lesser area than the basic floor section and of differing contours with respect to each other and with each having at least one edge of said modular length for placement at the perimeter of the floor and with said one edge adjacent and overlapped with an edge of a basic floor section, support members for said floor sections positionable beneath overlapped parts of adjacent floor sections, and means defining aligned openings in said overlapped floor sections and a subjacent support member, and means extended through said openings to lock said floor sections to said support member, each of said support members comprising a pair of integral panels angularly related to each other and with a plurality of strengthening flanges extended therefrom, certain of said strengthening flanges extending at right angles from said panels to define a ground-engaging foot, and additional flanges at the opposite ends of said panels being overlapped and having said opening to receive said locking means.

Claim 3

A floor structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said additional floor sections include a first triangular contour being one-half the area of the basic section and with the two base legs thereof of the modular length, a second triangular contour being one-fourth the area of the basic section with one base leg of the modular length, and an additional contour which is three-fourths the area of the basic section and has two perimetric edges of the modular length.

Claim 4

A floor structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said basic floor section has a center member used at the floor center with a lock-receiving opening at each corner and a depending strengthening flange along each of its four edges, the remainder of the basic floor sections having the depending strengthening flanges along only two edges and terminating short of said lock-receiving openings.

Claim 5

A floor structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of floor sections have depending strengthening flanges extending normal to each other, and said support members have a pair of planar sections at generally right angles to each other whereby a support member is oriented in support position by engagement with a pair of said depending strengthening flanges.

Claim 6

A floor structure as defined in claim 2 wherein a plurality of said support members are preassembled into an integral unit and including interfitted channel members at right angles to each other and in overlapping relation at adjacent ends and one of said support members positioned beneath said overlapped ends and secured thereto as by welding and with means defining openings to coact with said floor section openings to receive said locking means.

Claim 7

A floor structure as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said channel members has a length equal to the length of a perimetric edge of each of said floor sections.

Claim 8

A floor structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said additional floor sections include a second section with three-fourths the area of the basic section, a third section with one-half the area of the basic section, and a fourth section with one-fourth the area of the basic section.

Claim 9

A floor structure as defined in claim 7 wherein said second and fourth sections have an edge which is approximately one-half said modular length.

Claim 10

A floor structure as defined in claim 7 wherein said second, third and fourth sections have at least one right angle corner and an edge opposite thereto which is inclined to the contiguous edges.

Claim 11

A floor structure as defined in claim 9 wherein second, third and fourth sections have a depending strengthening flange along said inclined edge.

Claim 12

A floor structure as defined in claim 9 wherein said second and fourth sections each include two types of section with a reversal in the direction of the inclined edge.

Claim 13

A floor structure of modular components for use in a round building comprising, four different planar floor sections with a basic planar section having a square contour and with all four edges of the same modular length and which in multiples provides the major area of the floor, a second of said planar sections having a triangular contour with one-half the area of said basic planar section and with the two base legs thereof being of said modular length, a third of said planar sections having a triangular contour with one-fourth the area of said basic planar section and with one base leg thereof being of said modular length, a fourth of said planar sections having three-fourths the area of said basic section and with two perimetric edges of said modular length, said basic planar section having two strengthening flanges depending from two adjacent edges thereof, said second, third and fourth planar sections each having an edge inclined to the contiguous edges thereof and with a strengthening flange depending from said inclined edge, and means for holding said planar floor sections in assembled relation with said inclined edges and depending strengthening flanges at the perimeter of the floor structure including fastener-receiving openings at the corners of said planar sections with adjacent floor sections having a planar edge portion of one floor section overlapped with a planar part of the adjacent floor section and with the uppermost floor section being free to overlap because of no strengthening flange depending from the edge which overlaps to place corner openings of two floor planar sections in coincident relation, support members positioned beneath overlapped parts of said floor sections and with openings aligned with said fastener-receiving openings, and fasteners extended through the coincident openings of said overlapped floor sections and support members.

Claim 14

A floor structure of modular components for use in a round building comprising, four different planar floor sections with a basic planar section having a square contour and with all four edges of the same modular length and which in multiples provides the major area of the floor, a second of said planar sections having a triangular contour with one-half the area of said basic planar section and with the two base legs thereof being of said modular length, a third of said planar sections having a triangular contour with one-fourth the area of said basic planar section and with one base leg thereof being of said modular length, a fourth of said planar sections having three-fourths the area of said basic section and with two perimetric edges of said modular length, said basic planar section having two strengthening flanges depending from two adjacent edges thereof, said second, third and fourth planar sections each having an edge inclined to the contiguous edges thereof and with a strengthening flange depending from said inclined edge, and means for holding said planar floor sections in assembled relation with said inclined edges and depending strengthening flanges at the perimeter of the floor structure including fastener-receiving openings at the corners of said planar sections with adjacent floor sections having a planar edge portion of one floor section overlapped with a planar part of the adjacent floor section and with the uppermost floor section being free to overlap because of no strengthening flange depending from the edge which overlaps to place corner openings of two floor planar sections in coincident relation, support members positioned beneath overlapped parts of said floor sections and with openings aligned with said fastener-receiving openings, and fasteners extended through the coincident openings of said overlapped floor sections and support members.

Claim 15

A floor structure as defined in claim 12 wherein said support members each comprise a pair of integral vertical panels normal to each other to form a corner and with a plurality of strengthening flanges extended therefrom, certain of said strengthening flanges extending horizontally at right angles from said panels to define a ground-engaging foot, a plurality of said support members being oriented to have their vertical panels engaging said two strengthening flanges of the underlapped basic floor sections, and additional flanges at the opposite ends of said panels being overlapped at said corner and having one of said openings to receive one of said fasteners.

Claim 16

A floor structure as defined in claim 13 wherein a plurality of said support members are preassembled into an integral unit and including interfitted channel members at right angles to each other and in overlapping relation at adjacent ends and one of said support members positioned beneath said overlapped ends and secured thereto as by welding and with means defining openings to coact with said floor section openings to receive said fastening means, each of said channel members having a length equal to said modular length.