Frame Arrangement for Wood Framed Buildings

This application is a Continuation Application of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 18/208,609, filed Jun. 12, 2023, which is a Continuation Application of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 17/394,720, filed Aug. 5, 2021, which is a Continuation in Part of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 17/394,737, filed Aug. 5, 2021, both of which rely on the disclosure of and claim priority to and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 63/109,525, and 63/109,528 both of which were filed on Nov. 4, 2020, the disclosure of all referenced applications are hereby incorporated in their entirety by this reference.

The present invention relates to construction of wood frame buildings, and more particularly to modules finding utility in building wood frames for buildings.

Construction of wood framed buildings is most commonly performed by cutting and coupling individual boards at a construction site. It is desirable to minimize labor in building construction because labor is one of the most expensive inputs in the construction process. Additionally, using human labor generates a certain amount of waste of material.

One answer to the issue of economy is the use of prefabricated modular panels, or modules. This practice is frequently used for certain generally irregular shaped components, such as triangular trusses for supporting a roof. Such components are generally large and labor intensive to build by hand. Reliance on modules for building extensive platforms such as floors, ceilings, and roofs has not met with widespread commercial success.

Greater economies than currently practiced could be realized if there were practical ways to utilize modules for extensive platforms.

The present invention addresses the above stated need by proposing advantageous schemes to incorporate modules into extensive platforms, and by proposing compliant modules arranged advantageously for automated assembly procedures.

In one aspect, the present invention sets forth a method of constructing a frame of a wood frame building structure, the method enabling use of expeditiously fabricated modules. The method comprises fabricating modules establishing nominally flat structural platforms for expediting assembly of floors, walls, ceilings, and a roof. These modules provide structural frames enabling appropriate finishing materials to be affixed thereto. The finishing materials provide continuous, flat surfaces, with exceptions for penetrations such as doors, windows, access passages for heating, cooling, and ventilating ducts, plumbing, wiring, and the like.

Modules enable expedited assembly of the building frame, while retaining conventional advantages of otherwise conventional wood framing.

Beyond merely using modules, the present invention contemplates assembling the modules such that a longitudinal axis of each model is parallel to those of other modules throughout the frame and perpendicular to a building length axis. Also, each module includes ceiling joists, floor joists, and roof rafters, as may be appropriate, such joists and roof rafters installed parallel to the building length axis and therefore, perpendicular to the joists and roof rafters.

This arrangement contributes to structural integrity of the building frame, while accommodating expeditious and advantageous assembly of modules into the building frame, and enables economies to be realized when building the modules in a facility remote from the building being constructed.

It is anticipated that standardizing layout of wall, floor, and roof modules as to top and bottom plates, and joists or rafters, costs of machinery, manpower, and factory spaced may be reduced by a factor of three, allowing additional savings over module costs set forth above. It should further be observed that the novel assembly concept enables modules to be built using a minimum of different lumber sizes. This reduces inventory and storage costs to the module manufacturer.

Another benefit is that of improved sound proofing. It is anticipated that whereas a conventionally framed and insulated wall or floor system receives an expected Sound Transmission Class (STC) rating of 38, using novel modules where conventional twelve inch wide joists or roof rafters would be used yields an STC rating of 58.

Still additional benefits include improved thermal insulation performance. Because joists in the novel modules are provided in two vertically separated sections rather than one continuous joist (e.g., two two inch by six inch joists rather than one two inch by twelve inch joist), and with horizontal spacing as well, thermal and acoustic performance both increase.

The present invention provides improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

Drawings-are drawn to internal scale, but not necessarily to external scale. By internal scale it is meant that the parts, components, and proportions thereof in the illustrated inventive example are drawn to scale relative to one another. As employed herein, external scale refers to scale of the illustrated example relative to scale of environmental elements or objects, regardless of whether the latter are included in the drawings. Where the inventive example claims external scale, the inventive and environmental elements may of course not be drawn to real or true life scale; rather, external scale signifies only that both the invention and environmental elements are drawn in scale to each other.

Referring first to, according to at least one aspect of the invention, there is shown a method of constructing a frame() of a wood frame building structure (not shown in its entirety) having a building length axis. The method enables use of expeditiously fabricated modules,,. The method comprises fabricating a plurality of modules,,including floor or roof modules, ceiling modules, and wall modules. Each module,, orcomprises a module length axis, a module width, a bounded wood perimeter, and ceiling joists, floor joistsor roof raftersoriented perpendicularly to length axis. The method further comprises building framing, and assembling frameof the wood frame building structure using modules,, and, wherein floor modules, ceiling modules, and wall modulesare coupled to the building wall framingwith respective module length axesperpendicular to building length axis. Ceiling joists, floor joists or roof raftersare parallel to building length axis.

The relationship of modules,,to frameof the building structure is shown for emphasis in. All modules,,(represented by modulein the example of) are oriented with module length axesperpendicular to building length axis. Consequently, joists and rafters (represented by joists) are parallel to building length axis. A more literal rendering is seen in, the latter showing a completed deck. Deckis a flat surface having a depth extending vertically, and accounts for a footprint area of the building under construction, e.g., a first story floor, a second story floor, etc.

Bounded wood perimetercomprises end boardsand top and bottom boards. End boardsand top and bottom boardscollectively establish perimetric bounds of all modules,,. An exception is modification to prefabricated modules,,to accommodate a misfit between module size and remaining area of a frameremaining to be built. This situation occurs when a floor plan has a footprint area that does not jibe with area coverage of a whole number plurality of modules,,, and a portion of framemust be custom built.

Floor and roof modulesare structurally and functionally similar, and therefore share a common reference numeral. Because of this, both joist boards and roof rafters are designated with the singular reference numeral.

In the method, the step of building wall framingcomprises building at least a portion of building wall framingfrom rectangular wall moduleseach including a bounded wood perimeterand having a longitudinal wall module axisand structural timbers arranged perpendicularly to longitudinal wall module axis, and coupled to bounded wood perimeter. Alternatively stated, constructing only part of a building using the novel method is regarded as within the scope of the inventive method.

In the method, each module,, orabuts another module,,when installed to frame. This is shown in.is an exaggerated view showing modulesslightly separated only for clarity of understanding.

In the method, floor modulesand roof modulescomprise upper joist boardsand lower joist boardsparallel to upper joist boardsand lower joist boardsof every other respective said floor moduleor roof module. This is illustrated in the perspective view of. Further description of upper and lower joist boardsmay be obtained from the copending application referenced at the beginning of this application.

In the method, at least one module,, ormay optionally include at least one ledger board. This is shown in, where ledger boardsupports upper joists.

In the method, the step of fabricating a plurality of modules,,may further comprise fabricating floor modulesand roof modules, the ceiling modules, and the wall modulesto be identical in length(shown for floor and roof modulein) and width().

In the method, the step of fabricating a plurality of modules,further comprises fabricating floor modules, roof modules, and ceiling modulesto be identical in size and in spacing of floor joists, roof rafters, and ceiling joists.

Referring to all Drawing Figs., the invention may be thought of as a wood frame building structure having a wood frameand a building length axis. The wood frame building structure may comprise a plurality of floor modulesor roof modulescoupled to wood frame, and a plurality of ceiling modulescoupled to wood frame. Each floor modulehas module length axisoriented perpendicularly to building length axis, bounded wood perimeter, and floor joistsoriented perpendicularly to module length axis. Each roof modulehas module length axisoriented perpendicularly to building length axis, bounded wood perimeterand roof raftersoriented perpendicularly to module length axis. Ceiling modulehas module length axisoriented perpendicularly to building length axis, bounded wood perimeterand ceiling joistsoriented perpendicularly to module length axis. Each floor moduleabuts another floor modulewhen installed to frame. Each ceiling moduleabuts a floor modulewhen installed to frame. Each roof moduleabuts another roof module when installed to frame. Floor modules, roof modules, and ceiling modulesare identical in lengthand width, and are identical in spacing apart of floor joists, roof rafters, and ceiling joists.

In the wood frame building structure, floor modulesand ceiling modulescomprise upper joist boardsorand lower joist boardsorparallel to upper joist boardsorand lower joist boardsorof every other respective floor moduleor ceiling module. Upper and lower joist boardsorare spaced apart vertically, to generate an open space therebetween. This open space enables ready installation of heating, air conditioning, and ventilating ducts, plumbing, and wiring in floors and ceilings.

Optionally, in the wood frame building structure, at least one module,, orincludes at least one ledger board() supporting at least one other structural component of the wood frame building structure.

It should be noted at this point that orientational terms such as vertically, top, bottom, upper, and lower refer to the subject drawing as viewed by an observer. The drawing figures depict their subject matter in orientations of normal use, which could obviously change with changes in posture and position of the novel modules not installed conventionally within the building under construction. Therefore, orientational terms must be understood to provide semantic basis for purposes of description, and do not limit the invention or its component parts in any particular way.

The present invention is susceptible to modifications and variations which may be introduced thereto without departing from the inventive concepts. For example, While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.