Mobile building
The invention provides a mobile building having: a an elongate mobile chassis; a pair of foldable frames mounted to the chassis and operable transversely between an extended and a collapsed position; a rigid roof structure longitudinally spanning the pair of frames; a pair of side walls suspended from the pair of frames; and a pair of end walls suspended from the rigid roof structure.
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The invention relates to a mobile building having a longitudinally extending mobile chassis mounted with a pair of foldable frames supporting a foldable roof and collapsible walls to create an enclosure in an extended position and to rapidly adopt a collapsed position for vehicular transport.
BACKGROUND OF THE ARTThe invention relates to transportable building structures in general and specifically to mobile buildings or shelters that utilize fluid powered extendable frames mounted on a wheeled chassis to enable rapid roadway transport.
An example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,633, incorporated herein by reference, which relates to an extendable folded framework actuated by hydraulic cylinders between a folded position and a deployed position to support a flexible waterproof fabric covering the roof and walls.
Such transportable building structures have uses in sheltering people and equipment during construction activities, during emergency or humanitarian operations, for military applications, at sporting events, or outdoor social events. Rapid deployment and re-deployment with minimal labour is a benefit of such structures. A single operator can drive a towing vehicle to tow the building structure over roads or terrain to the erection site. Due to the hydraulic powered actuation and control system used to fold and extend the frames to the extended position, the single operator can work alone to erect or collapse the support framework in minutes. Unfurling of the flexible fabric covering the roof and walls can also be performed by the single operator although handling large heavy sheets of covering material may be better performed by a crew of workers. The practical limits of this operation are determined by the amount of time and labour involved in securing various flexible fabric components in position to ensure that the completed tent-like structure resists weather conditions and load conditions such as wind, sand, snow and ice accumulation.
Features of the present invention will be apparent from review of the disclosure, drawings and description of the invention presented below.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTIONThe invention provides a mobile building having: a longitudinally extending mobile chassis; a pair of foldable frames mounted to the chassis and operable transversely between an extended and a collapsed position; a rigid roof structure longitudinally spanning the pair of frames; a pair of side walls suspended from the pair of frames; and a pair of end walls suspended from the rigid roof structure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSIn order that the invention may be readily understood, one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings.
Further details of the invention and its advantages will be apparent from the detailed description included below.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The mobile building as shown in
To move between the extended position of
The length of each column 4, 7 and each rafter 5, 6 is extended and collapsed in a telescoping manner. Proximal column 4 is of hollow square steel tubing with an upper and lower coaxial telescoping portions extended and retracted by an internally housed cylinder 10. Proximal rafter 5 and distal rafter 6 are also of hollow square steel tubing with an upper and lower coaxial telescoping portions extended and retracted by an internally housed cylinders 11 and 12 respectively. Distal column 7 is of hollow square steel tubing with an upper, middle and lower coaxial telescoping portions 14, 15, 16 extended and retracted by an internally housed cylinder 12 and internally housed cylinder 17. With reference to section 9-9 shown in
The eaves joints, i.e.: joining column 4 and rafter 5, and joining column 7 and rafter 6, are rigid and not articulated. Therefore the extended frame 2 shown in
Referring to
Having described the basic operation of the frames 2, the construction and operation of the roof and wall structures supported on the frames 2 and chassis 1 will be described below with reference to
As seen in
Flexible side wall curtains 29 are suspended from the eaves beam 25 and wound upon a roller 30 for stowing away. The bottom portion of the curtain 29 is weighed down with a metal rod 31 and the curtain 29 is laterally supported by the girts 26. Ultimately though the frames 2 support the wall curtains 29 since the eaves beam 25 is supported by the pair of frames 2.
Referring to
As seen in
It will be understood that the cylinders described above are fluid powered i.e.: pneumatic or hydraulic, requiring a control system to coordinate the motions of the operation and prevent damage due to twisting or misalignment. Preferably the control system includes a radio controlled console 42 communicating with a receiver in a housing 43 with hydraulic pumps, manifolds and valves powering and controlling the movements of the cylinders. The complete hydraulic actuation system therefore includes column and rafter extension cylinders (10-13, 17), two in each of the rafters 5, 6 and three in each of the columns 4, 7; two tilting chassis cylinders 9 connecting the chassis 1 and each adjacent proximal column 4; and two rafter peak cylinders 21 engaging adjacent rafters 5, 6. Seven control levers on the radio control console 42 each control two or more associated cylinders with fluid flow volume balancing to ensure that the building extends and collapses in a substantially parallel fashion. A first lever actuates the two chassis cylinders 9 simultaneously; a second lever actuates the two peak cylinders 21 simultaneously; a third and a fourth lever each actuate two of the four rafter extension cylinders 11, 12 simultaneously; a fifth and a sixth lever actuate four interior column extension cylinders 10, 13 simultaneously; and a seventh lever actuates two exterior column end cylinders 17 simultaneously.
Although the above description relates to a specific preferred embodiment as presently contemplated by the inventor, it will be understood that the invention in its broad aspect includes mechanical and functional equivalents of the elements described herein.
Claims
1. A mobile building comprising:
- an elongate mobile chassis;
- a pair of foldable frames mounted to the chassis and operable transversely between an extended and a collapsed position;
- a rigid roof structure longitudinally spanning the pair of frames;
- a pair of side walls suspended from the pair of frames; and
- a pair of end walls suspended from the rigid roof structure.
2. A mobile building according to claim 1, wherein:
- each frame includes a rafter operable between an extended and a collapsed position; and
- the rigid roof structure includes an upper roof panel and a lower roof panel, a lower portion of the upper roof panel flexibly connected to an upper portion of the lower roof panel;
- wherein the rafter in the extended position supports the upper and lower roof panels in a substantially planar orientation and the rafter in the collapsed position supports the upper roof panel with the lower roof panel flexibly suspended from the upper roof panel.
3. A mobile building according to claim 2 wherein the frames include stowing clamps engaging the lower roof panel in the collapsed position and releasing the lower roof panel in the extended position.
4. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein at least one end wall comprises:
- a gable having a plurality of gable panels in overlapping relation.
5. A mobile building according to claim 4 wherein the gable comprises a pair of upper gable panels and a pair of lower gable panels.
6. A mobile building according to claim 4 wherein the gable includes a curtain rail and an associated end wall comprises a flexible end curtain festooned upon the curtain rail.
7. A mobile building according to claim 4 wherein the gable is suspended from purlins of the rigid roof structure.
8. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein at least one side wall includes an eaves beam.
9. A mobile building according to claim 8 wherein the eaves beam supports a roller upon which is wound a flexible side curtain.
10. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein the side wall includes a corner post.
11. A mobile building according to claim 10 wherein the corner post includes a top corner post with a roller engaging an upper surface of a side wall girt.
12. A mobile building according to claim 11 wherein the corner post includes a bottom corner post suspended from the side wall girt.
13. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein the frames each comprise:
- at least one post comprising an inner portion and telescopically engaging outer portion with an extendable cylinder engaged there between, wherein an engaging portion of the inner portion is surrounded by a sheet bearing.
14. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein the frames each comprise:
- at least one rafter comprising an inner portion and telescopically engaging outer portion with an extendable cylinder engaged there between, wherein an engaging portion of the inner portion is surrounded by a sheet bearing.
15. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein the chassis includes two wheeled dollies.
16. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein the wheeled dollies are rotatable about a vertical axis.
17. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein the frames include two columns having tractors at a base thereof to move the building.
18. A mobile building according to claim 1 wherein the tractors are driven via hydraulic motors.
19. A mobile building according to claim 1 comprising no more than two frames, each frame having two rafters hinged together and two posts each fixed to an associated rafter.
20. A mobile building according to claim 19 comprising hydraulic actuation system including:
- extension cylinders one in each of the rafters and columns; tilt cylinders connecting the chassis and an adjacent columns; and peak cylinders engaging adjacent rafters, wherein the hydraulic actuation system includes seven control levers each lever controlling two or more associated cylinders with flow balancing, wherein:
- a first lever actuates the two tilt cylinders simultaneously;
- a second lever actuates the two peak cylinders simultaneously;
- a third and a fourth lever actuate four said rafter extension cylinders simultaneously;
- a fifth and a sixth lever actuate four said column extension cylinders simultaneously; and
- a seventh lever actuates two column end cylinders simultaneously.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 18, 2005
Publication Date: May 24, 2007
Applicant:
Inventor: Richard Wilson (Hillsburgh)
Application Number: 11/281,561
International Classification: E04H 6/00 (20060101); E04H 1/00 (20060101);