LIFTING STRAPS

Abstract

Methods of lifting a construction unit such as a wall panel are described. The methods can include drilling a first hole through at least one horizontal top plate of a construction unit such as a wall panel, and a second hole through at least one vertical member such as a stud of the construction unit, threading a fabric strap through the first hole and the second hole, and attaching a portion of the fabric strap to a face of the vertical member through a set of nails. The methods can further include hoisting the construction unit by way of the fabric strap. Construction units and modular homes or buildings manufactured by way of methods of the disclosure are also described.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application relies on the disclosure of and claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/798,863 filed May 2, 2025, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure is directed to the field of construction, and in particular, modular construction techniques, practices, equipment such as straps, and methods for lifting structural components such as premanufactured wall panels.

BACKGROUND

Factory built homes have remained unpopular due to a number of factors including a lack in flexibility or versatility in design options often resulting in unattractive, box-like architectures that are inferior to homes built on site. There is a need for improvement in industrial home construction technology.

Some examples of conventional components for lifting construction items are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 shows various lifting devices and hardware such as brackets, loops, hooks, and grappling devices used to attach to a structural feature such as a wood plank or structure. However, these tend to be expensive and require installation at the job site. FIG. 2 shows wall panel lifting loops that are disposable. However, these require lifting directly from the top plate which is unsafe as it can and will pull the top plate from the studs during hoisting. There is a particular need for improved lifting components and methods which address such limitations.

SUMMARY

In general, in a first aspect, the disclosure features a method that includes drilling a first hole through at least one horizontal top plate of a construction unit such as a wall panel, and a second hole through at least one vertical member such as a stud of the construction unit, threading a fabric strap through the first hole and the second hole, and attaching a portion of the fabric strap to a face of the vertical member through a set of nails.

In general, in a second aspect, the disclosure features a method that includes threading a fabric strap through a first predrilled hole passing through at least one horizontal top plate of a construction unit such as a wall panel and a second predrilled hole passing through at least one vertical member such as a stud of the construction unit, and attaching a portion of the fabric strap to a face of the vertical member through a set of nails.

In general, in a third aspect, the disclosure features a construction unit such as a wall panel having a first predrilled hole through at least one horizontal top plate and a second predrilled hole through at least one vertical member, the first and second holes having a fabric strap threaded therethrough, a portion of the fabric strap attached to the at least one vertical member through a set of nails in a staggered nail pattern.

In general, in a fourth aspect, the disclosure features a modular home or building manufactured by way of a method of the disclosure.

Features of the methods, construction unit, and modular home or building can include the following. The fabric strap can consist of or include nylon webbing. The construction unit can be hoisted by way of the fabric strap. The drilling, threading, and attaching can be performed offsite from a construction site, while the hoisting can be performed at a construction site. The nails can attach a portion of the fabric strap to the face of the vertical member through a staggered nail pattern.

It should be understood that the methods, construction units, and modular homes or buildings are not to be considered limitations on the invention defined by the claims. The featured methods, construction units, and modular homes or buildings can be implemented in one or more ways using one or more features depicted in the drawings, described in the detailed description, and set forth in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate certain aspects and principles of the implementations set forth, and should not be construed as limiting.

FIG. 1 is a set of diagrams showing examples of conventional lifting components.

FIG. 2 is a set of images showing other examples of conventional lifting components.

FIG. 3 is a set of images showing lifting strap examples according to implementations of the innovation of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an annotated diagram showing technical details of a lifting strap and its installation according to one implementation of the innovation of the disclosure. The diagram is not to scale.

FIG. 5 is a set of lifting strap placement rules, when lifting straps are required, and placement restrictions according to one implementation of the innovation of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various illustrative implementations. It is to be understood that the following discussion of the implementations is not intended to be limiting.

System and Method for Mass Customization and Industrialization of Residential Construction Via Productized Components

The disclosure generally relates to a system and method for enabling mass-customizable residential construction by standardizing and productizing subcomponents. The system and method include a digital engine that ingests builder-specific floor plans and decomposes them into standardized construction products, a rules-based generative and computational design system that permits unique configurations of these elements while maintaining structural and code compliance, and a product strategy where both the individual subcomponents and their assembled configurations (e.g., sub-assemblies, assemblies (wall panels), full housing units) are treated as products that can be certified nationally, thereby enabling regulatory approval at both the part and system level.

The result is a scalable framework for manufacturing highly variable home designs using a consistent, factory-built component library.

How it differs from the status quo (with clear differentiators):

• • The construction industry has historically failed to adopt industrialized methods due to the perceived rigidity of prefabrication and the need for architectural customization. The disclosure addresses that by Micro-Standardization Instead of Macro-Standardization. Existing systems often rely on standardization by large 3D volumetric modules (often as big as 9′×14′×70′). The system of the present disclosure standardizes at the subcomponent level (electrical assembly, plumbing assembly, etc.) enabling greater design flexibility when aggregated into 2D panels.

With respect to plan-ingestion and component translation, architectural floor plans are interpreted through the digital engine that translates architectural intent into manufacturable, repeatable parts.

With respect to a rules-based recombination engine, a computational design tool governs how components are assembled and integrated, ensuring structural and regulatory integrity while allowing custom layouts.

Another feature includes certifiable component and assembly framework, where the system supports product certification (e.g., UL, ICC) at both the component and aggregate level, allowing for streamlined permitting and inspection processes across multiple jurisdictions.

Value provided by the systems and methods of the disclosure includes design flexibility with manufacturing efficiency: builders and customers retain architectural freedom while benefitting from cost and speed advantages typical of industrialization. This industrialization enables an automotive-like supply chain: similar to automobile assembly, components (e.g., HVAC modules, plumbing packs, structural frames) can be produced independently and integrated during final assembly. The systems and methods also provide a platform for continuous product optimization: standardization at the component level enables continuous improvement in materials, methods, and tolerances, driving down cost and improving housing quality at scale.

In summary, the systems and methods of the disclosure enable scalable mass customization of residential structures by decomposing architectural designs into standardized, certifiable subcomponents, configurable via a computational design engine. The approach combines digital design interpretation, component-level productization, and rules-based configuration logic to allow for the industrialized manufacture of architecturally diverse, code-compliant homes.

The present inventors have created systems and methods that let people design homes the way they like them—any shape, style, or size—and still build them quickly in a factory. Such systems and methods provide an application or program or software that works by breaking every house design into small, repeatable parts (like LEGO® bricks) that can be put together in many different ways. The software can take any builder's floor plan and turn it into a set of these building blocks, ready to be made in a factory.

Most factory-built homes today are big boxy shapes because it's easier to build that way. But most people don't want to live in a box—they want a home with a nice roof, cozy porch, or custom touches. That's why factory homes haven't caught on.

The present disclosure addresses this by:

• • Making small, easy-to-build parts that fit together in lots of ways, not just boxes.
  • Using software that understands how a home should look and figures out how to build it from standard parts.
  • Treating each small part (like a piece of a wall or a plumbing unit) as a real product that meets building rules—so cities are more likely to approve it.

3. Why this matters:

• • People can have the home they want: You don't have to settle for boring designs just to stay on budget.
  • Builders can work faster and cheaper: Like car makers who get parts from different places and put them together on one big line, this lets home builders do the same.
  • We can keep improving the parts: Because the pieces are always the same, we can keep making them better, cheaper, and stronger over time.

In summary, the present inventors have developed an innovation that builds homes like LEGO® sets: lots of little parts that fit together in many ways. The system helps turn any home design into a set of parts we can make in a factory. That means homes can still be beautiful and personal—but they'll be faster to build, more affordable, and easier to approve across the country.

Executive Summary: Master System Design for Standardized Panel-Based Construction

At the core of our innovation is a belief that architectural flexibility is enabled by micro-level standardization, much like LEGO^®bricks. The disclosed system breaks down the construction of a house into modular, manufacturable components called panels, which can represent walls, floors, or roofs. This principle applies universally across trades and forms the foundation for nearly every product innovation or patent we pursue.

Key Principles of the System:

• • 1. Panel-Based Modularization:
  • A home is divided into standardized panels that can be manufactured off-site. While the function of each panel (wall, floor, or roof) varies, the production methodology remains uniform—except for floors, which may require unique handling due to their scale.

2. Trade Sub-Assemblies for Added Value:

• • Panels become more than structural shells—they serve as carriers for trade-specific sub-assemblies (e.g., electrical, plumbing, HVAC). This builds complexity and value into the panel without complicating the main production line.

3. Standardized Sub-Assembly Design:

• • Sub-assemblies are value-added component clusters exhibiting high repetition and standardization. They reduce complexity on the main production line by shifting intricate work to batched or mass-produced modules that can be fabricated independently.

4. Indexing for Geometric Integration:

• • Each sub-assembly is geometrically indexed—either with a self-contained frame or a defined location within the panel frame. This ensures precise placement, rapid field integration, and consistent downstream routing.

5. Aggregation into 3D Assemblies:

• • Panels are not the endpoint. They can be aggregated into 3D volumetric assemblies (e.g., trusses, pods), providing a scalable pathway from flat-pack components to volumetric or hybrid prefab systems.

Why it Matters:

• • This system enables scalable mass production of custom homes while preserving architectural flexibility. By anchoring innovation in standardization at the sub-panel level, we unlock a broad design vocabulary across trades and product lines

Example: Flexible Webbing-Based Lifting Strap System for Offsite Panelized Construction

1. What we want to patent:

• • A proprietary lifting mechanism designed for use in offsite panelized construction, particularly for wall, floor, and roof panels that are too heavy to lift manually due to sheathing or intermediate trades pre-installed. The system utilizes a flexible, safe, and low-cost lifting strap that can be made from a strip of fabric such as 2-inch nylon webbing or other suitably strong and durable material such as ______ and a specific nailing pattern. This mechanism is designed to be built using off-the-shelf materials, installed in the factory, and easily removed on-site without specialized tools or hardware recovery.

2. How it differs from the status quo (with clear differentiators):

• • Current Limitations:
  • Traditional lifting systems require expensive, jobsite-specific solutions such as telehandlers or cranes with specialized lifting hardware. These often rely on metal brackets, anchors to top plates, or costly returnable rigging, all of which are expensive, time-consuming, and not optimized for high-volume panelized construction.

Key Differentiators:

• • Structural Stud Anchor Point: The strap system of the disclosure can attach directly to structural studs, not to the top plate, eliminating the risk of top-plate failure under tension. This is a safer and more structurally sound lifting point.

Standardized Installation Method: Can use a defined nailing pattern compatible with standard pneumatic framing nailers, allowing for rapid and consistent attachment in a factory setting with no specialty training or tooling required.

COTS Material Utilization: Can be made entirely from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components—primarily heavy-duty nylon webbing and framing nails—eliminating the need for proprietary metal brackets or custom hardware.

Cross-Application Versatility: Can utilize one strap configuration which works for all major panel types—walls, floors, and roofs—streamlining operations and material sourcing.

Disposable and Non-Returnable: No need to retrieve or recycle the lifting system post-installation. Each strap costs less than $1 in materials, is easily cut and discarded in the field, and creates minimal waste.

3. Value provided by the innovation:

• • Enhanced Jobsite Safety: Provides a safe, structurally sound lifting method with a large safety margin (rated up to 2,000 pounds per strap), reducing risk during crane or telehandler operations.

Low-Cost, High-Scale Solution: Each house may require hundreds of lifting points—this system keeps costs minimal while enabling rapid throughput. It reduces labor, hardware expense, and factory-to-field complexity.

Operational Efficiency: Fast to install in the factory and quick to remove in the field with no return logistics or specialized disposal. Its flexibility also aids in packing, shipping, and site deployment.

4. Summary:

• • This innovation introduces a low-cost, factory-installable lifting strap system that can be made from off-the-shelf nylon webbing and nails, designed specifically for offsite construction. It anchors to structural studs for safety, avoids expensive hardware, and can be cut and discarded after installation—offering a fast, flexible, and scalable solution to a critical problem in panelized homebuilding.

FIG. 3 is a set of images showing lifting strap examples 100 according to implementations of the innovation of the disclosure. In these examples, the lifting strap 100 is a strip of nylon webbing a portion of which is attached to a face of a stud of a wall panel with a specific nail pattern. A top portion of the lifting strap 100 is shown threaded through a hole in the two top plates and a nearby vertical member such as a stud. A series of mails in a staggered pattern attaching a bottom portion of the strap 100 to a face of the stud is shown in the middle image.

FIG. 4 is diagram showing technical details of a lifting strap according to one implementation of the innovation of the disclosure. The diagram shows the lifting strap 200 is threaded through an adequately sized hole 205 such as a 1¼ inch diameter hole drilled through both top plates as well as a similarly sized hole 210 drilled through a vertical timber member such as a stud on the wall panel. A series of nails 215 (in this case 16 1¾ inch×0.120 nails) attach a portion of the strap to a face of the vertical member in a staggered pattern to secure the strap to the vertical member.

FIG. 5 shows a set of lifting strap placement rules, when lifting straps are required, and placement restrictions according to one implementation of the innovation of the disclosure. These rules provide guidance for placing and installing the lifting straps.

The lifting strap featured in this disclosure can be installed on a construction unit such as a wall panel, floor panel, or roof panel off-site from a construction site by first drilling holes through one or more horizontal top plate members and a vertical stud member, threading the fabric lifting strap comprising a strip of strong fabric such as nylon webbing through the holes, and attaching the lifting strap to a face of the vertical stud member with a set of nails through a staggered nail pattern. The construction unit can then be lifted or hoisted in place at a construction site in a house or building undergoing manufacture by way of the strap using a telehandler or crane, such that the weight of the construction unit is borne by the vertical member during lifting, thereby relieving tension and stress on the horizontal top plate members during the lifting operation.

The present disclosure has described particular implementations having various features. In light of the disclosure provided above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure. One skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed features may be used singularly, in any combination, or omitted based on the requirements and specifications of a given application or design. When an implementation refers to “comprising” certain features, it is to be understood that the implementations can alternatively “consist of” or “consist essentially of” any one or more of the features. Other implementations will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure.

It is noted in particular that where a range of values is provided in this specification, each value between the upper and lower limits of that range is also specifically disclosed. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may independently be included or excluded in the range as well. The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary in nature and that variations that do not depart from the essence of the disclosure fall within the scope of the disclosure. Further, all of the references cited in this disclosure including patents, published applications, and non-patent literature are each individually incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and as such are intended to provide an efficient way of supplementing the enabling disclosure as well as provide background detailing the level of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. A method comprising drilling a first hole through at least one horizontal top plate of a construction unit such as a wall panel, and a second hole through at least one vertical member such as a stud of the construction unit, threading a fabric strap through the first hole and the second hole, and attaching a portion of the fabric strap to a face of the vertical member through a set of nails.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising hoisting the construction unit by way of the fabric strap.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fabric strap comprises nylon webbing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the nails attach a portion of the fabric strap to the face of the vertical member through a staggered nail pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the drilling, threading, and attaching are performed offsite from a construction site.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the hoisting is performed at a construction site.

7. A method comprising threading a fabric strap through a first predrilled hole passing through at least one horizontal top plate of a construction unit such as a wall panel and a second predrilled hole passing through at least one vertical member such as a stud of the construction unit, and attaching a portion of the fabric strap to a face of the vertical member through a set of nails.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising hoisting the construction unit by way of the fabric strap.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the fabric strap comprises nylon webbing.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the nails attach a portion of the fabric strap to the face of the vertical member through a staggered nail pattern.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the threading and attaching are performed offsite from a construction site.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the hoisting is performed at a construction site.

13. A construction unit such as a wall panel having a first predrilled hole through at least one horizontal top plate and a second predrilled hole through at least one vertical member, the first and second holes having a fabric strap threaded therethrough, a portion of the fabric strap attached to the at least one vertical member through a set of nails.

14. The construction unit of claim 13, wherein the fabric strap comprises nylon webbing.

15. The construction unit of claim 13, wherein the nails are arranged in a staggered nail pattern.

16. A modular home or building manufactured by way of a method of claim 1 or claim 7 or with the construction unit of claim 13.