Method and apparatus for constructing buildings
OwnerStowell Whitney Mearsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for constructing a self-supporting, mountable and demountable prefabricated building structure comprised of a flexible integral sheet and a plurality of elongated flexible support members attached thereto, the building having substantial load-bearing capacity independent of cross members or interfering columnar supports, the method including simultaneously drawing inwardly the free ends of the supporting members against the opposite members into a rigid arcuate building structure. The apparatus comprising means for simultaneously drawing the free ends of the support members against the fixed ends, the means being connected at one end to the free ends of the support members and, at the other end, to a wind-up mechanism for effecting the simultaneous drawing in of the free ends.
Claims26
A method of constructing a self-supporting, mountable and demountable prefabricated building structure which includes a flexible integral sheet and a plurality of elongated flexible support members attached thereto the steps comprising:
- a. attaching brace members to at least some of said flexible support members at one end of said brace members thereby defining an attached end and an unanchored end of said brace members,
- b. positioning the sheet and support members over the area to be covered by the building,
- c. securing one of the ends of the support members against lateral movement, thereby to define a secured end and a free end of each of the support members,
- d. elevating a portion of the support members to a height less than the peak of the completed building,
- e. drawing substantially simultaneously each of the free ends of said members against the secured ends until a building of the desired size is obtained,
- f. stabilizing the building structure during construction by forming supports for said structure with the brace members while drawing the free ends of the support members against their secured ends,
- g. anchoring the free ends of said support members, and
- h. thereafter anchoring the unanchored ends of the brace members to thereby form said building structure.
An apparatus for constructing a self-supporting, mountable and demountable prefabricated building structure which includes a flexible integral sheet and a plurality of elongated flexible support members attached thereto, the apparatus comprising:
- a. means for securing one of the ends of the support members against lateral movement, thereby to define a secured end and a free end of each of the support members,
- b. means for elevating a portion of the support members to a height less than the peak of the completed building,
- c. means for drawing the free ends of the support members substantially simultaneously against the secured ends until a building structure of the desired size is obtained,
- d. brace members pivotally connected at one end to a portion of said support members intermediate the ends thereof, and
- e. means for anchoring the free ends of the supporting members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.