Tower structure and method of assembling

A modular tower structure, comprising:

• a plurality of sections, wherein one or more of the sections of the plurality of sections comprises a plurality of panels;
• the panels comprising a curved or arcuate shape, the panels comprising vertical edges, a top edge, and a bottom edge;
• a vertical connection forming a slip critical or friction connection to connect or secure the panels at the vertical edges of adjacent panels and form the sections, wherein the sections have a generally circular shape, wherein the vertical connection comprises interior and exterior vertical friction plates to cover a seam between the adjacent panels, nuts on an exterior side of the panels receive threaded studs passing through holes in the interior vertical friction plate, the panel, and the exterior vertical friction plate, and the nuts of the vertical connection hold anti-rotation nut tabs;
• the sections comprising a bottom horizontal edge formed from the bottom edges of the panels, and the sections comprising a top horizontal edge formed from the top edges of the panels;
• and
• a horizontal connection forming a slip critical or friction connection to connect or secure the top horizontal edge of a first section to a bottom horizontal edge of a second section, wherein the horizontal connection comprises interior and exterior horizontal friction plates to cover a seam between the first section and the second section, nuts on an exterior side of the panels receive threaded studs passing through holes in the interior horizontal friction plate, the panel, and the exterior horizontal friction plate, and the nuts of the horizontal connection hold anti-rotation nut tabs.

A modular tower structure, comprising:

• a plurality of sections, wherein one or more of the sections of the plurality of sections comprises a plurality of panels;
• the panels comprising a curved or arcuate shape, the panels comprising vertical edges and horizontal edges;
• a vertical connection to connect or secure the panels to form the sections, wherein the sections have a generally circular shape;
• a horizontal connection to connect or secure the sections;
• and
• the horizontal connection comprising an interior friction plate that covers a seam between the adjacent sections, an exterior friction plate that covers the seam between the adjacent sections, wherein the interior and exterior friction plates are curved to cover the seam, and flange nuts that receive threaded studs passing through openings in the interior friction plate, the panels, and the exterior friction plate, wherein the flange nuts hold anti-rotation nut tabs.

A modular tower structure, comprising:

• a plurality of sections, wherein one or more of the sections of the plurality of sections comprises a plurality of panels;
• the panels comprising a curved or arcuate shape;
• a vertical connection to connect or secure the panels to form the sections, wherein the sections have a generally circular shape;
• the vertical connection comprising an interior vertical friction plate positioned over a seam between adjacent panels and an exterior vertical friction plate positioned over the seam between adjacent panels, the vertical connection extending the length of the seam;
• flange nuts on the exterior side of the panels that receive threaded studs passing through openings in the interior vertical friction plate, the panel, and the exterior vertical friction plate, wherein the flange nuts hold anti-rotation nut tabs;
• and
• a horizontal connection to connect or secure the sections together.

A connection for securing or connecting panels together for a modular tower structure, the connection comprising:

• an interior vertical friction plate;
• an exterior vertical friction plate;
• a tray plate or a stop plate, the tray plate or the stop plate comprising a plurality of openings that fit over or engage flange nuts;
• each of the vertical friction plates having a plurality of holes, and the plurality of holes are oppositely disposed;
• threaded studs that pass through the holes in the interior friction plate, the holes in the exterior friction plate, and the openings in the tray or stop plate, wherein the threaded studs have a first threaded end and a second threaded end;
• the flange nuts of the tray or the stop plate receive the second threaded end of the threaded studs;
• additional nuts receive the first threaded end;
• and
• the flange nuts hold anti-rotation nut tabs.

A connection for securing or connecting sections together for a modular tower structure, the connection comprising:

• an interior friction plate;
• an exterior friction plate;
• the interior friction plate and the exterior friction plate comprising a first set of a plurality of holes and a second set of a plurality of holes;
• a stop plate comprising a plurality of openings;
• threaded studs having a first threaded end and a second threaded end that pass through the first set of holes in the interior friction plate, the first set of holes in the exterior friction plate, the plurality of openings in the stop plate, and into flange nuts engaged by the plurality of openings in the stop plate;
• and
• additional threaded studs having a first threaded end and a second threaded end that pass through the second set of holes in the interior friction plate, the second set of holes in the exterior friction plate, the plurality of openings in the stop plate, and into additional flange nuts engaged by the plurality of openings in the stop plate.

A method of assembling a modular tower structure, comprising:

• connecting a frame member to each of a plurality of panels;
• stacking the panels using the frame member;
• transporting the plurality of panels to an assembly site;
• aligning a vertical edge of one of the plurality of panels with another vertical edge of another panel of the plurality of panels;
• connecting or securing a vertical connection between the vertical edges of the panels;
• forming a first section from the panels, the first section having a generally circular shape;
• forming the first section in a jig assembly using the frame members in the jig assembly;
• forming a second section from the panels, the second section having a general circular shape;
• stacking the second section on the first section;
• and
• connecting or securing a horizontal connection between first and second sections to form a modular tower.

A method of assembling a modular tower structure, comprising:

• forming a bundle of two or more panels, wherein the panels comprise frame members;
• transporting the bundle to an assembly site;
• removing one of the panels from the bundle;
• placing one of the panels next to another panel;
• forming an assembly jig partially from the frame members of the panels;
• forming a first section from the panels in the assembly jig;
• the first section having a generally circular shape;
• removing the frame members;
• forming a second section from the panels, the second section having a general circular shape;
• stacking the second section on the first section;
• and
• connecting or securing the first and second sections together to form a modular tower.

A modular tower structure, comprising:

• a plurality of sections, wherein one or more of the sections of the plurality of sections comprises a plurality of panels;
• the panels comprising a curved or arcuate shape, the panels comprising vertical edges and horizontal edges;
• a vertical connection to connect or secure the panels to form the sections, wherein the sections have a generally circular shape;
• a horizontal connection to connect or secure the sections;
• and
• the horizontal connection comprising an interior friction plate that covers a seam between the adjacent sections, an exterior friction plate that covers the seam between the adjacent sections, and nuts that receive threaded studs passing through openings in the interior friction plate, the panels, and the exterior friction plate, wherein the nuts hold anti-rotation nut tabs, wherein the anti-rotation nut tabs comprise an opening to attachingly engage the nut and an extending end to contact an adjacent nut.

A modular tower structure, comprising:

• a plurality of sections, wherein one or more of the sections of the plurality of sections comprises a plurality of panels;
• the panels comprising a curved or arcuate shape;
• a vertical connection to connect or secure the panels to form the sections, wherein the sections have a generally circular shape;
• the vertical connection comprising an interior vertical friction plate positioned over a seam between adjacent panels and an exterior vertical friction plate positioned over the seam between adjacent panels;
• nuts on the exterior side of the panels that receive threaded studs passing through openings in the interior vertical friction plate, the panel, and the exterior vertical friction plate, wherein the nuts hold anti-rotation nut tabs, wherein the anti-rotation nut tabs comprise an opening to attachingly engage the nut and an extending end to contact an adjacent nut;
• and
• a horizontal connection to connect or secure the sections together.