(1) Field of the Invention

THIS INVENTION relates to prefabricated building systems.

(2) Prior Art

There have been many proposals for prefabri¬ cated building systems but the designs of these have generally proved unsatisfactory. For example, the range of buildings which can be erected is usually very limited or they rely on specialized connectors and/or panels. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is a general object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated building system which, although it employs simple connection means between the panels, simple stacking of the panels, and relatively few panels, allows the designs great flexi- * bility in the range of available structures. It is a preferred object to enable a number of the panels to be cast in a small number of adjustable moulds and where the resultant panels are limited in size and weight for convenient transportation and erection with commonly available equipment. It is a further preferred object to provide a system where the electrical and plumbing service can be cast into the panels and the connection between such services are made at the recesses where the panels are interconnected. It is a still further preferred object to provide a system where the panels may incorporate openings for doors, windows, stairwells and skylights and where the. use of removable patterns in the moulds for casting the panels enable the size and positioning of the openings to be varied.

It is a still further preferred object to provide a system where a wide range of external and/or internal finishes can be provided for the panels. Other preferred objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description.

In one aspect the present invention resides in a prefabricated building system employing a plurality of prefabricated planar or curved panels of generally rectangular or triangular shape wherein: each panel is specifically configured to combine with the other panels in the system, and each panel has a thickness T and a length and height respect¬ ively based on a modular length L and the panel thick- ness T.

Preferably, for rectangular panels, the length 1_ of the panels is determined by the formula 1_ = L - aT where a = 0 or 1 and the height h_ of the panels is determined by the formula h = 0.25 bL - cT, where when b = 1 or 2, c = 0 and when b = 3 or 4, c = 1. Preferably, for triangular panels, height of the base sides Hb is determined by the formula Hb = L - dT and the length of the hypotenuse Hh is deter¬ mined by the formula Hh = dL where d = 2 .

Preferably the panels have at least one to or side edge levelled at 45 and the width of the levelled edge W is determined by the formula W = dT

where d = T.

Preferably the system further includes columns which have a height He determined by the formula He = L - eT where e = 0 or 1 and a width Hw determined by the formula

Hw 2T. In a second aspect the present invention resides in a prefabricated building system employing a plurality of interconnectable prefabricated planar or curved panels or columns of generally rectangular or triangular shape wherein: each panel or column is specifically con¬ figured to combine with the other panels or columns in the system, each panel or column having one or more recesses at or adjacent each corner of the panel or column to be aligned with corresponding recesses on juxtaposed panels or columns; and at least one ferrule or core is provided in each recess to releasably receive fixing means to connect the juxtaposed panels or columns together.

The recesses may also be provided intermediate the length of the panels or columns and are preferably of a depth greater than the thickness of the fixing means to enable the recesses to be filled and concealed with an infill member or material when the panels or columns are connected together.

Preferably the cores are only provided in horizontally erected panels e.g. floor and flat roof panels, and the ferrules are provided in all vertical or pitched angle panels or in all the columns and are closed at their inner ends by the panels and columns.

The fixing means may include a plurality of angled or planar connector plates preferably of mild- steel, and the angled plates may be of L- or U- shape in end view.

Preferably the panels and columns are stacked so that the external planes of the wall panels and columns lie parallel with the external edges of the supporting floor and superimposed roof panels (except where cantilevered floor or roof panels are provided e.g. as balconies or sunshades).

The panels and columns may be constructed of any suitable materials, and may be of laminated con¬ struction and may incorporate all service conduits or components integrally therein. The panels may incor¬ porate all necessary openings for windows, doors, sky¬ lights, stairwells or the like. Where the panels are constructed by casting techniques, adjustable moulds with adjustable end walls and/or removable patterns are employed to enable each mould to produce a number of different panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To enable the invention to be fully understood, a number of preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, exploded view of a number of the panels and columns used in the system;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a corner between adjacent walls; FIGS. 3 to 6 show various methods of inter¬ connecting the panels;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a house erected using the systems; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an adjustable mould suitable for casting a number of the different panels of the system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a grouping of a floor panel 10, a side wall panel 11, an

end wall panel 12 and a grouping of a floor or roof panel 10, a modified side wall panel 13 to support and engage an inclined roof panel (not shown), a triangular wall panel 14 and column 15. Each panel and column is of reinforced con¬ crete construction and may incorporate steel reinforcing (the panels may also be of laminated construction).

The floor and roof panels 10 each have an L- shaped recess 16 in both the upper and lower faces of the panel adjacent each corner and a plurality of holes or cores 17 extend through the panel.

The side wall panel 11 has rectangular recesses 18 provided at the corners and these are provided with a plurality of ferrules 19. The end wall panel 12 is of the same height at the side wall panel 11 but its length is shorter than the side wall by an amount equal to the thickness of the panels e.g. the end wall panel is 3250 mm long if the side wall panel is 3400 mm long when the panels are both 150 mm thick. The panel 12 has rectangular recesses 18, with ferrules 19 at its lower corners and midway up its sides. However, the recesses 20, fitted with ferrules 21 at the upper corners have downwardly inclined extensions at the outer ends of the recesses. The modified side wall panel 13 is generally similar to wall panel 11 except that its upper edge 22 is inclined at an angle of e.g. 45° to the hori¬ zontal to engage and support the underside of an inclined roof panel. The recesses 18 at the upper and lower corners are also provided with ferrules 19 as for the panel.

The triangular side wall panel 14 has base sides 23 each of a length equivalent to the height of the wall panels 11, 12 so that the panel 14 can stand on either base side. An L-shaped recess 24, with

ferrules 25, is provided at the junction of the base sides 23, while recesses 26, with ferrules 25, are provided at the other two corners.

The column 15 has transverse rectangular recesses 27, with fer-rules 28, at the upper and lower ends of the column and midway up its length in one face only. (In a modified form not shown, recesses are provided on opposed faces of the column).

FIG. 2 shows in more detail the junction of the lower corners of the side wall panel 11 and end wall panel 12 with the corner of the supporting floor panel 10. L-shaped connectors (not shown) are received in the recess 18 of the panels 11, 12 and the L-shaped recess 16 in the floor panel 10 to secure the wall panels to the floor panel, while a third L-shaped connector (not shown) lying horizontally, and using the same bolts as the first two connectors to connect the wall panels 11, 12 together.

Referring now to FIG. 3, this is a sectional end view showing the interconnection of two walls and floor panels 11, 10 to a footing 29. The floor panels 10 and wall panels 11 are butted together with their recesses 16 and 18 aligned. A pair of L-shaped connectors 30 e.g. of mildsteel, have their feet received in the recesses 16 in the floor panels 10 and are secured to the footing ties 31 by nuts 32. Bolts 33 pass through the legs of the connectors 30, which connect the superimposed wall and floor panels together, and through a planar rectan- gular connector 3 which connects the adjacent wall panels together, the bolts being engaged in the ferrules 19 in the wall panels.

Referring now to .FIG. 4, this shows the connection of a horizontal roof panel 10 and an inclined roof panel 38 to two wall panels 12, 14.

(The wall panel 12 has a modified recess 20 at its upper corners.) A connector 30 connects the roof panel 10 to the wall panel 12, the connector being secured to the roof panel by a bolt 35 passing through a core 17 interconnecting the recesses 16 in the roof panel.

The wall panel 12 is connected to the trian¬ gular wall panel 14 by a planar connector 34 secured by bolts 33 in the ferrules 19, 25 in the wall panels. An L-shaped connector 30, in turn, connects the inclined roof panel 38 to the triangular wall panel 14, with bolts 33 being engaged in respective ferrules 25, 39 in the panels.

FIG. 5 shows a generally similar arrangement to FIG. 4 where three L-shaped connectors 30 and a planar connector 34 interconnect a side wall 11, end wall 12, triangular wall 14 and inclined roof'panel 38 together using bolts 33 received in ferrules 19, 25, 39 in the panels.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an inverted U- shaped connector 40 is used to connect the inclined panels 41 of a pitched roof using bolts 33 received in ferrules 42 in the recesses 43 of the panels.

FIG. 7 shows a dwelling erected in accordance with the system showing that both flat and inclined roof sections can be provided, together with two or more storeys, all using the simple panel and connector system of the present invention.

To ensure that all the panels will interconnect with the adjacent panels, the panels are all configured with dimensions based on a common thickness T and a modular length L. In a preferred form of the invention, T = 150 mm and L = 3400 mm.

The floor panels 10 have a length and width equal to L. The side wall panels 11 have a length 1_ equal to L, while the end wall panels 12 have a length

1 equal to L - T so that when panels 11 and 12 are joined at a corner, the total length in either direct¬ ion is equal to L i.e. the length and width of the floor panels 10. The panels 11 and 12 have a height h_ equal to 0.25 aL - bT where, when a = l or 2, b = 0 and when a = 3 or 4, b = 1. In the preferred example, the height h_ of the panels can be 850 mm, 1700 mm, 2400 mm and 3250 mm. When a floor panel 10 is super¬ imposed on panels 11 or 12 of height 2400 mm or 3250 mm, the resultant height is equal to 2550 mm or 3400 mm (equal to 0.75 L and L respectively). This enables panels of height 0.25 L and 0.5 L to be stacked to form a panel 12a of height h_ = 0.75 L equal to the height of the wall panel 11 or 12 and superimposed floor panel 10 when the floor panel 10 is not continued through the structure e.g. to leave a space for a stair¬ well.

The length Hb of the base sides 23 of the tri¬ angular panel is determined by the formula ' Hb = L - -TΣ T and the length Hh of the hypotenuse is determined by the formula In the preferred embodiment, the length of the base sides is 3188 mm to accommodate the width W of the levelled faces of the inclined roof panel 38, where W = 2. T (i.e. 212 mm in the preferred embodiment). This width will also be the width W of the upper edge 22 of the modified side wall panel 13, which has a height h_ - L - *J T (e.g. 3188 mm) equal to the length of the base sides 23 of the triangular wall panel 14.

Where large open areas may be required, columns 15 may be provided for structural integrity and these are provided with suitable recesses 27 at their upper and lower ends for connection to the

horizontal or inclined roof panels using the connectors hereinbefore described.

The columns 15 have a height Lc - L - eT where e = 0 or 1 and a width Wc greater than, or equal to, twice the thickness of the columns i.e. Wc^2T.

Generally the external planes of the wall panels and columns are parallel with the external edges of the supporting floor and superimposed roof panels - see FIG. 7. Cantilevered floor and roof panels can be provided, however, e.g. as balconies and sunshades. In these constructions, the corners of the wall panels are connected intermediate the length of the floor and roof panels, the recesses in the wall panels being aligned with U-shaped (in plan) recesses (not shown) in the upper and lower faces of the floor or roof panels. The connectors hereinbefore described are used to connect the panels together using bolts received in the ferrules in the wall panels and the cores in the floor and roof panels. For improved aesthetic appearance, after connection of the various panels, the recesses may be infilled with a light weight cement mixture and e.g. painted to match the panel surfaces.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a single mould 50 may be used to cast a number of different panels used in the system. For example, the mould can be used to cast side wall panels of the preferred height of e.g. 850 mm, 1700 mm, 2400 mm and 3250 mm high. The mould has a floor 51 interconnecting two fixed side walls 52 and the mould is closed at one end by a fixed end wall 53. The mould has a movable end wall or insert 54 which can be selectively held between the fixed side walls by removable pins 55. Both the floor of the mould adjacent the fixed end wall 53 (or the end wall) and the movable end wall 54 are provided with patterns

56 which form the recesses 18 in the top and bottom corners of the side wall panels 11. To form the recess 16 and cores in the floor panels 10, interconnected removable patterns will be provided on the floor 51 and end wall 53 and the movable end wall 54. To accurately locate the ferrules in the recesses 18 in the panels, locating pins may be provided on the patterns.

The panels are -cast in the mould preferably with the internal face down so that the floor 50 of the mould can be configured to provide different finishes to the internal face of the panels if required. After erection of the panels, different finishes may be applied to the external and/or internal surfaces thereof for improved aesthetic appeal and cover or trim strips may be provided along the hori¬ zontal joints between the wall-floor or roof panels to provide cornices and architnaves. During or after erection sealants or sealing strips may be provided on or along the joints between the panels for maxi¬ mising weather proofing of the structure.

Various variations or modifications may be made to the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.