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US 4,599,829 AGranted
Modular container building system
AssigneeTandemloc, Inc.
InventorJohn M. DiMartino, Sr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A building system is formed of modular shipping container units, with each unit having a specific building environment function, so that when the units are structurally vertically supportably mounted and horizontally connected, a complete building is formed. A specialized designed selectively actuable tightened locking and self-levelling connector interconnects upper and lower container units to take the bearing force of the building. Adjacently mounted corner units are provided with specialized conduits for utilities and drainage. In one preferred embodiment there are inmate cell units and hallway units arranged to form a highly functional prison or correction facility sub-structure.
Claims31
A building system comprising:
- a plurality of similarly sized shipping container units, wherein each unit comprises functional components for a specific living environment function, and each unit being formed with a fitting at each respective corner of each unit, and mounting connectors being formed so as to be disposed between upper and lower container units and having means to vertically interconnect the fittings of said upper and lower container units further comprising a second plurality of units mounted adjacent said first plurality and means to horizontally interconnect said pluralities, and wherein substantially the entire building load bearing stress is taken in the vertical direction through the fittings and mounting connectors and wherein at least one unit is a hallway unit, said hallway unit being formed so as to provide common access between other horizontal interconnected units, wherein the horizontal connection means comprises a plate being formed at oppositely disposed ends with means for engaging adjacent units so as to provide a walkway between the units, and means to supportively mount said plate between and with said adjacent units, whereby upon interconnection of said fittings and walkways a multiple storey building is formed with common access provided by the hallway unit between specific living environmental function units.
A prison comprising:
- a first plurality of container units, each of said first plurality units comprising inmate cells, a second plurality of container units each of said second plurality units consisting essentially of a hallway unit;
- connectors to vertically connect said first plurality of units, and to vertically connect said second plurality of units adjacent said first plurality, and means to horizontally connect said first and second pluralities of units, wherein the horizontal connection means comprises a plate being formed at oppositely disposed ends with means for engaging the flooring of adjacent units so as to provide a walkway between the units, and means to interconnect said plate with a second plate formed at and engaging the bottom of said adjacent units, further comprising two first pluralities being connected to a said second plurality unit disposed between the first pluralities so as to form a substructure having a common hallway for the inmate cells of the two first pluralities to form a multistory prison.
A connector for a shipping container unit comprising;
- a housing being formed at one end with a recess;
- a connector element, and means for pivotally mounting said connector element so that the element is pivotally disposed within the recess;
- and means for selectively pivoting said element so that with the connector disposed adjacent a container fitting having hole therein the element is disposed within the hole, and said means to selectively pivot said element is actuated to frictionally engage one surface of the inside of the fitting to hold the fitting against the connector, and said connector futher comprising means for levelling the container, said levelling means being operably disposed at the end of the housing remotely disposed from the connector element, said levelling means being vertically disposed and having a vertical axis, and said connector element being pivotally disposed about an axis tranverse to said vertical axis, and said means for pivoting said element and said means for levelling said container being operable at one same side of said connector, whereby the connectors connect the container fittings at the bottom corners of the container and the connected container is levelled by said levelling means.
A connector for the vertical mounting and levelling of a container comprising;
- first and second housings being formed at oppositely disposed respective ends with a respective recess;
- first and second connector elements and means to pivotally mount the connector elements in the respective recess, and respective means for selectively pivoting each connector element;
- and container levelling means being disposed between the housings and connected to the housings so that one element is upwardly disposed and one element is downwardly disposed, said levelling means being vertically disposed and having a vertical axis, and said connector elements being pivotally disposed about axes tranverse to said vertical axis, and said means for pivoting said element and said means for levelling said container being operable at the same one side of said connector, whereby the upwardly disposed element engages the bottom fitting of an upper container and the lower element engages a top fitting of one selected from a construction base pad and a container so that the upper container is mounted and levelled.
An inmate prison cell modular building unit comprising:
- a shipping container;
- an inmate cell being formed in the container;
- said inmate cell being provided with a wall and an adjacent floor and ceiling, said wall being mounted interiorly of the side of said shipping container, and means to connect said wall to one side of the shipping container to form a flush fit, wherein said wall connection means including a bolt having a flange at the end thereof, said flange including chamfered ends so as to pressingly engage the inside wall and adjacent floor or ceiling to form a flush fit and said connection means being operably accessible from outside the said side of the shipping container, but being inaccessible from the inside of said inmate cell, and wherein said wall conection means being affixedly connected to the said wall, whereby with actuation of said wall connection means from outside, the flange pressingly engages the wall and adjacent floor or ceiling so that a tamperproof inmate wall connection is formed.
In combination, two adjacent shipping containers having opposing sides, each said container being formed with an inside wall and an adjacent floor;
- means to hold said containers from horizontal movement, said container sides each being formed with a recess, and said means to hold being formed so as to fit within said recess, and means to resiliently press against the opposing sides to form a resilient connection of the containers;
- means for flush fitting of the inside wall and the adjacent floor of each container, comprising wherein each of the container sides being formed with a hole extending to the inside wall and adjacent floor, bolt means being formed so as to be operatively received in said hole, said bolt means comprising an end plate having chamfered ends so as to pressingly engage the inside wall and the adjacent floor in tightening the bolt means;
- whereby in tightening the bolt means a flush inside wall and floor fit is formed and in actuating the resilient pressing means the adjacent containers are resiliently horizontally mounted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.