Truss bracket for shipping container construction

A truss bracket for connecting a roof to a shipping container includes an initially flat rectangular sheet of material in which is formed a longitudinally extending fold line that divides the sheet of material into a first part and a second part that are disposed at a predetermined angle relative to one another when a fold is formed in the fold line. The first part is adapted to be secured to a vertical wall of a shipping container and the second part is adapted to be engaged to a roof. A plurality of flanges are stamped from the second part and are folded out at a ninety degree angle relative to the plane of the second part to enable connection of the second part to the roof. A house is made by joining plural shipping containers together and securing a roof to the shipping container by using the truss bracket.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates, generally, to construction methods. More particularly, it relates to a method that uses shipping containers in housing construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Shipping containers are in widespread use on ocean-going vessels, having replaced bulk-shipping methods. They allow a ship to carry many varieties of goods without mixing them together. They provide many other advantages as well.

Shipping containers are made of steel and therefore have a high level of structural integrity. However, when their useful lifetime is over, they are difficult to re-cycle. They are much too large to drop off at a re-cycling center, and it is expensive to cut them down to a size where they can be re-cycled. As a result, they are usually just stacked and left to rust.

There is a need, therefore, for a way to re-use or recycle old shipping containers that does not require them to be dismantled. Moreover, it would be advantageous if the structural integrity of a shipping container could be put to use when the container is re-used or recycled.

However, in view of the prior art taken as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill how the identified needs could be fulfilled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for a bracket that facilitates the construction of buildings that incorporate shipping containers is now met by a new, useful, and non-obvious invention. The novel bracket is adapted to interconnect a vertical wall of a shipping container to a roof construction.

The novel bracket is formed from a flat rectangular sheet of material having a longitudinally extending fold line formed therein that divides the sheet of material into a first part and a second part that are disposed at a predetermined angle relative to one another when a fold is formed in the fold line. The first part is adapted to be secured to a vertical wall of a shipping container and the second part is adapted to be engaged to a roof. A plurality of openings is formed in the first part, and each opening is adapted to receive an interconnecting means that joins the first part to the vertical wall of the shipping container. The openings are preferably equidistantly spaced from one another.

A plurality of square “C”-shaped cuts are formed in the second part and a folding line is associated with an uncut end of each of the square “C”-shaped cuts. Each of the “C”-shaped cuts is adapted to be folded about ninety degrees about a folding line associated with it, thereby creating a medial flange, each of which is adapted to be engaged to a roof construction.

A first end flange extends from a first end of the second part, and a second end flange extends from a second end of the second part. The first and second end flanges are formed integrally with the second part and each has a width dimension and a length dimension substantially equal to that of each of the medial flanges. Each of the end flanges are adapted to be folded about ninety degrees about a folding line associated with it and are further adapted to be engaged to a roof construction when folded about its associated folding line.

A plurality of openings is formed in each of the medial flanges, each opening being adapted to receive an interconnecting means that joins each medial flange to a preselected part of the roof construction.

A plurality of openings is also formed in each of the end flanges, each of which is adapted to receive an interconnecting means that joins each end flange to a preselected part of the roof construction.

Another plurality of openings is formed in the second part in intermediate relation to the medial flanges. Each opening is adapted to receive an interconnecting means that joins the second part to a preselected part of the roof construction.

The primary advantage of the novel bracket is that a plurality of such brackets have utility in securing a roof assembly to a shipping container so that one or more shipping containers may be joined together to build a house or a non-residential building.

Another important advantage is that the resulting building structure is able to withstand very high winds so that the occupants of such a structure are protected during severe storms.

Still another advantage is that the cost per square foot of a building that incorporates shipping containers and the novel brackets is less than the cost per square foot of a conventional building.

These and other advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds. The invention includes the features of construction, arrangement of parts, and combination of elements set forth herein, and the scope of the invention is set forth in the claims appended hereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now toFIG. 1, it will there be seen that a house or other occupied or unoccupied building10is constructed in part by welding together a plurality of shipping containers, collectively denoted12, in side-by-side relation to one another. In this particular example, four containers are used in a single story design but differing numbers of containers may be used and the designs may include multiple stories.

Each container12includes its own top wall14so no roof construction is needed for house10. However, to increase the aesthetic appeal of the house, and to disguise the fact that it is made from containers, it is advantageous to add a conventional rood construction thereto. The roof construction is denoted16as a whole and includes a plurality of trusses, collectively denoted18, ridge20, and other conventional parts that are not numbered because they are well known and are not a part of the invention, per se.

The novel bracket of this invention is denoted22inFIG. 2. A plurality of brackets22is used to interconnect vertical wall22of a shipping container12to a roof truss18, thereby securing the roof to said shipping container. Novel brackets22are designed to defeat high winds but, again, if roof16is destroyed by high winds, the occupants of the building are still protected by container top wall14and the remaining parts of said shipping container.

Referring now toFIG. 3, it will there be seen that the starting material for the invention is denoted as a whole by the reference numeral30. Sheet30is metallic and in a preferred embodiment is ten feet long and five feet wide. That size enables the stamping from said sheet of sixteen flat brackets, collectively denoted22as aforesaid.

A single bracket22is depicted inFIG. 4in its flat configuration, i.e., as stamped from said sheet30.

Bracket22is depicted inFIG. 5in its folded configuration. It has been folded at a preselected angle along longitudinally extending folding line26.

As folded, part28thereof is secured to an upstanding wall of a shipping container, and part30thereof is adapted to be secured to a roof assembly that is mounted in surmounting relation to the top wall or ceiling of a shipping container.

A plurality of apertures, collectively denoted32, is formed in part26of bracket20. A spot weld is placed in each of these apertures to secure part28to vertical wall24of a shipping container12.

The fold angle between parts28and30is changed to match the pitch of roof assembly16that overlies ceiling wall14of the shipping container. Thus, the angle would be ninety degrees (90°) for a flat roof having no pitch, one hundred degrees (100°) for a roof having a ten percent (10%) pitch, and so on. Folding line26thus provides a living hinge so that parts28and30may be oriented at any predetermined angle relative to one another.

The function of novel brackets22is to prevent roof-house separation. The large number of spot welds for each bracket22(in this example, it will be observed that there are fourteen (14) apertures32and thus fourteen (14) spot welds per vertical bracket part28. This ensures that said part26will not separate from vertical wall24of shipping container12.

Similarly, a plurality of apertures, collectively denoted34, is also formed in part30of bracket22, and a spot weld is formed in each of said apertures to unite together said part30and its associated truss member18.

Part30of each bracket22is also stamped as at36to form a plurality of square “U”-shaped flaps, collectively denoted38, that can be bent at a ninety degree (90°) angle to the plane of wall30from which they are stamped. Flaps38are referred to as medial flaps. End flaps, denoted40, are formed by stamping as well but the material between a first longitudinal cut40aand the edge of plate30is removed as is the material between a second longitudinal cut40band the edge of plate30.

A plurality of openings, collectively denoted42, is formed in each medial flap38and in each end flap40.

In this particular example, there are five (5) “U”-shaped stamped sections36. In the embodiment ofFIG. 6, the third medial flap38and both end flaps40,40are bent at a ninety degree (90°) angle to the plane of part30. A suitable fastener extends through each opening42to secure each flap38to its associated roof truss18. Suitable fasteners includes such fastening means as nails, screws, staples and the like.

In the example ofFIG. 7, second and fifth medial flaps38are folded at a ninety degree (90°) angle relative to second part28to facilitate their connection to a roof truss. End flaps40remain in their unfolded configuration.

In the example ofFIG. 8, first and fourth medial flaps38are folded at a ninety degree (90°) angle relative to second part30to facilitate their connection to a roof truss. End flaps40remain in their unfolded configuration.

Now that the invention has been described,