Built-in lift assembly for building

Claim 2

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building including spaced, lift members secured at selected locations inside the building, said lift members extending downwardly through the roof section and anchored at their lower ends to the base, each said lift member having an upper connector portion adapted to connect to a lifting cable and a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open configuration extending between the upper connector portions with the lift stations being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the lift stations inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the lift members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the lift members when lift forces are applied to said connector portions from above, said roof section and upright wall sections including upper and lower skin members having a honeycomb core and peripheral reinforcing beams sandwiched between said skin members together with an outer protective layer of fiberglass covering the exterior surfaces of said panels and said joints to define a non-porous exterior building surface.

Claim 3

In a portable building as set forth in claim 1 wherein said connector portions are disposed along diagonal lines extending through the center of the building.

Claim 4

In a portable building as set forth in claim 2 wherein said beams are composed of a plurality of wooden members laminated together side by side.

Claim 5

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building by lift forces applied from above the building, said lift assembly including a plurality of upright structural members disposed at selected locations inboard of the sides and ends of the building, each said structural member having an upper connector portion fixedly secured in a closed compartment in the roof section and accessible through a top opening in the compartment and extending vertically through the building along the wall sections thereof and being anchored to said base, a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open configuration and having one of said compartments at each corner thereof with the structural members being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the structural members inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the structural members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the structural members when the lift forces are applied to said connector portions, said roof section and upright wall sections including upper and lower skin members having a honeycomb core and peripheral reinforcing beams sandwiched between said skin members together with an outer protective layer of fiberglass covering the exterior surfaces of said panels and said joints to define a non-porous exterior building surface.

Claim 6

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building by lift forces applied from above the building, said lift assembly including a plurality of upright structural members disposed at selected locations inboard of the sides and ends of the building, each said structural member having an upper connector portion fixedly secured in a closed compartment in the roof section and accessible through a top opening in the compartment and extending vertically through the building along the wall sections thereof and being anchored to said base, a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open configuration and having one of said compartments at each corner thereof with the structural members being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the structural members inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the structural members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the structural members when the lift forces are applied to said connector portions, said roof section and upright wall sections including upper and lower skin members having a honeycomb core and peripheral reinforcing beams sandwiched between said skin members together with an outer protective layer of fiberglass covering the exterior surfaces of said panels and said joints to define a non-porous exterior building surface.

Claim 7

The combination of a prefabricated portable building and a built-in lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building, said building including a plurality of interconnected, prefabricated modular units arranged with upper units on lower units and the lower units on a Common base, each said modular unit including a prefabricated floor panel and prefabricated upright wall panels secured together at joints, each said upper unit having a prefabricated ceiling panel secured together at joints to the wall panels, said panels including inner and outer skin members and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said skin members and an outer protective layer covering the exterior surfaces of the panels and joints between said modular units to define a non-porous enclosure, said lift assembly including spaced, upright lift members at selected locations inboard of the sides and ends of the building and secured at their lower ends to the base, each said lift member having an upper connector portion recessed in a ceiling panel forming the roof for the building, and a spreader frame formed as an integral part of the roof and extending between the lift members whereby to cooperate with the lift members in distributing the lift forces applied to said connector portions.

Claim 8

The combination of a prefabricated portable building and a built-in lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building, said building including a plurality of interconnected, prefabricated modular units arranged with upper units on lower units and the lower units on a Common base, each said modular unit including a prefabricated floor panel and prefabricated upright wall panels secured together at joints, each said upper unit having a prefabricated ceiling panel secured together at joints to the wall panels, said panels including inner and outer skin members and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said skin members and an outer protective layer covering the exterior surfaces of the panels and joints between said modular units to define a non-porous enclosure, said lift assembly including spaced, upright lift members at selected locations inboard of the sides and ends of the building and secured at their lower ends to the base, each said lift member having an upper connector portion recessed in a ceiling panel forming the roof for the building, and a spreader frame formed as an integral part of the roof and extending between the lift members whereby to cooperate with the lift members in distributing the lift forces applied to said connector portions.

Claim 9

The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said building has prefabricated wing panels extending from each side of the ceiling panels to form a flight deck on the building structure.

Claim 10

The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said building has the modular units on each level arranged end to end along the building and a lift member extends through each of the modular units adjacent an outer side wall thereof.

Claim 11

The combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said building has modular units on each level arranged side by side along the building and an extending modular unit at each end thereof with the lift members extending through the laterally extending units adjacent the ends of the lengthwise modular units.

Claim 12

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building including spaced, lift members secured at selected locations inside the building, said lift members extending downwardly through the roof section and anchored at their lower ends to the base, each said lift member having an upper connector portion adapted to connect to a lifting cable and a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open configuration extending between the upper connector portions with the lift stations being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the lift stations inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the lift members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the lift members when lift forces are applied to said connector portions from above, each said roof panel section including inner and outer skin members and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said skin members, each of said upper connector portions being recessed in a closed compartment in the roof section, each said compartment including inner side walls at right angles and engaging the corner of the frame and a bottom wall, each said compartment having a demountable, top cover to provide a normally covered top access opening to the connector portions.

Claim 13

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building including spaced, lift members secured at selected locations inside the building, said lift members extending downwardly through the roof section and anchored at their lower ends to the base, each said lift member having an upper connector portion adapted to connect to a lifting cable and a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open configuration extending between the upper connector portions with the lift stations being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the lift stations inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the lift members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the lift members when lift forces are applied to said connector portions from above, each said roof panel section including inner and outer skin members and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said skin members, each of said upper connector portions being recessed in a closed compartment in the roof section, each said compartment including inner side walls at right angles and engaging the corner of the frame and a bottom wall, each said compartment having a demountable, top cover to provide a normally covered top access opening to the connector portions.

Claim 14

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building including spaced, lift members secured at selected locations inside the building, said lift members extending downwardly through the roof section and anchored at their lower ends to the base, each said lift member having an upper connector portion adapted to connect to a lifting cable and a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open confiGuration extending between the upper connector portions with the lift stations being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the lift stations inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the lift members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the lift members when lift forces are applied to said connector portions from above, each said roof panel section including inner and outer skin members and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said skin members, each of said upper connector portions being recessed in a closed compartment in the roof section, each said compartment including inner side walls at right angles and engaging the corner of the frame and a bottom wall, each said compartment having a demountable, top cover to provide a normally-covered top access opening to the connector portions, each said connector portion being rigidly secured to said side and bottom walls in its compartment to transmit lift forces along the spreader frame.

Claim 15

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building including spaced, lift members secured at selected locations inside the building, said lift members extending downwardly through the roof section and anchored at their lower ends to the base, each said lift member having an upper connector portion adapted to connect to a lifting cable and a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open confiGuration extending between the upper connector portions with the lift stations being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the lift stations inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the lift members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the lift members when lift forces are applied to said connector portions from above, each said roof panel section including inner and outer skin members and a honeycomb core sandwiched between said skin members, each of said upper connector portions being recessed in a closed compartment in the roof section, each said compartment including inner side walls at right angles and engaging the corner of the frame and a bottom wall, each said compartment having a demountable, top cover to provide a normally-covered top access opening to the connector portions, each said connector portion being rigidly secured to said side and bottom walls in its compartment to transmit lift forces along the spreader frame.

Claim 16

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building including a plurality of spaced, lift stations arranged at selected locations in the roof section of the building, each lift station including a lift member extending downwardly through the roof section and anchored at the lower end to said base, and a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open configuration extending between said lift stations with the lift stations being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the lift stations inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the lift members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the lift members when lift forces are applied to said lift stations from above, said roof and upright wall sections including upper and lower skin members having a honeycomb core and peripheral reinforcing beams sandwiched between said skin members together with an outer protective layer of fiberglass covering the exterior surfaces of said panels and said joints to define a non-porous exterior building surface.

Claim 17

In a portable building the combination comprising a roof section, upright wall sections and a base secured together at joints, a lift assembly to facilitate the lifting and relocating of the building including a plurality of spaced, lift stations arranged at selected locations in the roof section of the building, each lift station including a lift member extending downwardly through the roof section and anchored at the lower end to said base, and a spreader frame having beams connected in an oblong open configuration extending between said lift stations with the lift stations being located at the corners of the frame, said roof section being made up of prefabricated panel sections within the frame and projecting outwardly from the side edges of the frame and integrally connected to the inner and outer side edges of the frame to form a built-in part of the roof section and locate the lift stations inwardly of the ends and sides of the roof section and wall sections of the building whereby the weight of the building on the base inwardly of the lift members is counterbalanced by the weight of the building outwardly of the lift members when lift forces are applied to said lift stations from above, said roof and upright wall sections including upper and lower skin members having a honeycomb core and peripheral reinforcing beams sandwiched between said skin members together with an outer protective layer of fiberglass covering the exterior surfaces of said panels and said joints to define a non-porous exterior building surface.