Construction systems and elements thereof

Claim 2

A building system for the construction of room-sized structures, comprising: a plurality of longitudinal members having a cross-section comprising two parallel flange portions interconnected by an integral web portion defining a groove in said longitudinal member, each of said longitudinal members being essentially symmetrical about respective central axes; a plurality of transverse members of predetermined length having end portions receivably engageable by the cross-sectional shape of said longitudinal members, said end portions shaped to fit into said grooves of said longitudinal members, so that said transverse members are adapted to hold said longitudinal members in spaced parallel relationship; wherein said longitudinal member and said transverse members are cooperatively engageable to form a structure of parallel spaced apart longitudinal members; and a plurality of key block members having a cross-section corresponding to the open cross-section formed between two parallel longitudinal members which abut one another through their two flange portions, said key block members cooperatively engageable to link adjacent longitudinal members along the longitudinal edges thereof.

Claim 3

A building system for the construction of room-sized structures, comprising: a plurality of longitudinal members having a cross-section comprising two parallel flange portions interconnected by an integral web portion defining a groove in said longitudinal member, each of said longitudinal members being essentially symmetrical about respective central axes; a plurality of transverse members of predetermined length having end portions receivably engageable by the cross-sectional shape of said longitudinal members, said end portions shaped to fit into said grooves of said longitudinal members, so that said transverse members are adapted to hold said longitudinal members in spaced parallel relationship; wherein said longitudinal member and said transverse members are cooperatively engageable to form a structure of parallel spaced apart longitudinal members; and a plurality of filler blocks having a cross-section corresponding to the open cross-section formed between said two flange portions and said web portion on one side of said longitudinal members, said filler blocks cooperatively engageable with said longitudinal member to form flat faces along the longitudinal edge thereof.

Claim 4

A building system for the construction of room-sized structures, comprising: a plurality of longitudinal members having a cross-section comprising two parallel flange portions interconnected by an integral web portion defining a groove in said longitudinal member, each of said longitudinal members being essentially symmetrical about respective central axes; a plurality of transverse members of predetermined length having end portions receivably engageable by the cross-sectional shape of said longitudinal members, said end portions shaped to fit into said grooves of said longitudinal members, so that said transverse members are adapted to hold said longitudinal members in spaced parallel relationship; wherein said longitudinal member and said transverse members are cooperatively engageable to form a structure of parallel spaced apart longitudinal members; and a plurality of filler blocks having a cross-section corresponding to the open cross-section formed between said two flange portions and said web portion on one side of said longitudinal members, said filler blocks cooperatively engageable with said longitudinal member to form flat faces along the longitudinal edge thereof.

Claim 5

The building system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of corner/connecting blocks having a symmetrical generally square cross-section wherein each face of said square is grooved to form a longitudinal groove corresponding to the open cross-section formed between said two flange portions and said web portion on one side of said longitudinal members, and to form two longitudinal abutment surfaces, separated by said groove, corresponding to the flange portions of said longitudinal members, said corner/connecting blocks, said key block members and said longitudinal members cooperatively engageable to link two or more longitudinal members at right angles to one another.

Claim 6

A building system for the construction for room-sized structures, comprising: at least two longitudinal members having a cross-section comprising two parallel flange portions interconnected by an integral web portion defining a groove in said longitudinal member, each of said longitudinal members being essentially symmetrical about respective central axes; at least one transverse member interlockable with said longitudinal members, said transverse member having end portions shaped to fit into said grooves of said longitudinal members so that said transverse member is adapted to hold said longitudinal members in spaced relationship; wherein said at least two longitudinal members and said at least one transverse member interlockably cooperate to form a structure of parallel spaced apart longitudinal members; and wherein said cross-section comprising two parallel flange portions interconnected by an integral web portion comprises: a first flange portion and a second flange portion, said first and second flange portions being of essentially identical predetermined thickness and essentially identical predetermined width, said first and second flange portions being parallel to one another relative to their thickness demension, and interconnected by a central integral web portion comprising a uniform thickness section having a predetermined width and a thickness about one-third of that of said flange portions, a first transition section having a width about equal to the thickness of the uniform thickness section, and connecting said first flange portion and said uniform thickness section and having a thickness tapering from that of said first flange portion to that of said uniform thickness section and a second transition section having a width about equal to the thickness of the uniform thickness section and connecting said second flange portion and said uniform thickness portion and having a thickness tapering from that of said second flange portion to that of said uniform thickness section, a central axis connecting the flange portions and passing through the uniform thickness section; and wherein each of said longitudinal members is essentially symmetrical about respective central axes.

Claim 7

A building system for the construction for room-sized structures, comprising: at least two longitudinal members having a cross-section comprising two parallel flange portions interconnected by an integral web portion defining a groove in said longitudinal member, each of said longitudinal members being essentially symmetrical about respective central axes; at least one transverse member interlockable with said longitudinal members, said transverse member having end portions shaped to fit into said grooves of said longitudinal members so that said transverse member is adapted to hold said longitudinal members in spaced relationship; wherein said at least two longitudinal members and said at least one transverse member interlockably cooperate to form a structure of parallel spaced apart longitudinal members; and wherein said cross-section comprising two parallel flange portions interconnected by an integral web portion comprises: a first flange portion and a second flange portion, said first and second flange portions being of essentially identical predetermined thickness and essentially identical predetermined width, said first and second flange portions being parallel to one another relative to their thickness demension, and interconnected by a central integral web portion comprising a uniform thickness section having a predetermined width and a thickness about one-third of that of said flange portions, a first transition section having a width about equal to the thickness of the uniform thickness section, and connecting said first flange portion and said uniform thickness section and having a thickness tapering from that of said first flange portion to that of said uniform thickness section and a second transition section having a width about equal to the thickness of the uniform thickness section and connecting said second flange portion and said uniform thickness portion and having a thickness tapering from that of said second flange portion to that of said uniform thickness section, a central axis connecting the flange portions and passing through the uniform thickness section; and wherein each of said longitudinal members is essentially symmetrical about respective central axes.

Claim 8

A building wall structure comprising a substantially horizontal base member and at least one substantially vertical member rigidly connected to said base member, said at least one substantially vertical member comprising a one-piece wood construction element having a cross-sectional profile comprising a first flange portion and a second flange portion, said first and second flange portions being of essentially identical predetermined thickness and essentially identical predetermined width, said first and second flange portions being parallel to one another relative to their thickness dimension, and interconnected by a central integral web portion comprising a uniform thickness section having a predetermined width and a thickness about one-third of that of said flange portions, a first transition section having a width about equal to the thickness of the uniform thickness section, and connecting said first flange portion and said uniform thickness section and having a thickness tapering from that of said first flange portion to that of said uniform thickness section and a second transition section having a width about equal to the thickness of the uniform thickness section and connecting said second flange portion and said uniform thickness portion and having a thickness tapering from that of said second flange portion to that of said uniform thickness section, a central axis connecting the flange portions and passing through the uniform thickness section, said wood construction element being essentially symmetrical about said axis, said central integral web portion defining a groove having a width approximately equal to the combined widths of said first and second flange portions to allow interlocking of a plurality of said vertical members like a jigsaw puzzle.

Claim 9

A building wall structure comprising a substantially horizontal base member and at least one substantially vertical member rigidly connected to said base member, said at least one substantially vertical member comprising a one-piece wood construction element having a cross-sectional profile comprising a first flange portion and a second flange portion, said first and second flange portions being of essentially identical predetermined thickness and essentially identical predetermined width, said first and second flange portions being parallel to one another relative to their thickness dimension, and interconnected by a central integral web portion comprising a uniform thickness section having a predetermined width and a thickness about one-third of that of said flange portions, a first transition section having a width about equal to the thickness of the uniform thickness section, and connecting said first flange portion and said uniform thickness section and having a thickness tapering from that of said first flange portion to that of said uniform thickness section and a second transition section having a width about equal to the thickness of the uniform thickness section and connecting said second flange portion and said uniform thickness portion and having a thickness tapering from that of said second flange portion to that of said uniform thickness section, a central axis connecting the flange portions and passing through the uniform thickness section, said wood construction element being essentially symmetrical about said axis, said central integral web portion defining a groove having a width approximately equal to the combined widths of said first and second flange portions to allow interlocking of a plurality of said vertical members like a jigsaw puzzle.

Claim 10

The building wall structure according to claim 5, wherein the overall thickness of said wood construction element is not more than 2 inches.

Claim 11

The building wall structure according to claim 6 wherein the overall width of said wood construction element is not more than 12 inches.

Claim 12

The building wall structure according to claim 7, wherein the overall width of said wood construction element is not more than 4 inches.