Patent GB-738287-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to building units or components
Inventor: WILLATTS WILLIAM HENRY
IPC: E04C2/32
Filed: 1952-11-05
Abstract: 738,287. Prefabricated building units. TROFDEK, Ltd. Jan. 22, 1954 [Nov. 5, 1952 ; Nov. 5, 1952], Nos. 22354/52 and 22355/52. Classes 20 (4) and 87 (1). A prefabricated unit for use in the construction of floors, flat or pitched roofs, and walls, comprises upper and lower parallel rows of battens 1, 2, the battens in the upper 'row 1 being staggered in relation to the battens in the lower row 2 and the two rows being interconnected by webs 3 forming the side walls of a series of troughs. The webs 3, formed of continuous or short lengths, e.g. of plywood or synthetic plastic, terminate a short distance from the ends of the battens 1, 2 and are braced by blocks 10, transverse end boards 9 being either incorporated as an integral part of the unit during prefabrication or being subsequently added during the erection of the units on the building site. The outer edge of each terminal batten 6 is formed with a rabbet 11, adjacent units being joined side-by-side by tongues, or fillets, not shown, which are inserted in the corresponding grooves. Sheeting, cladding or other surfaces can be fixed to the battens, e.g. flooring timbers 15 and ceiling sheets 17, Fig. 3. Battens to facilitate fixing of tiles may be nailed to a unit being used for roofing. The depth of a unit, for normal purposes 1/24th of its length, is proportionately increased as the spread of the unit is made larger, the battens in each row being preferably spaced 16 inches between centres. The units may be provided with transverse supports 13 and ribs 18 of trapezoidal shape, alternatively transverse struts, not shown, may be used. Where flat roof decking is applied over a unit, a secret gutter may be provided along one side of, or intermediate, the roof by arranging that a marginal, or intermediate, trough is left open. In the construction of floors and ceilings, the units are supported at their opposite ends upon the walls of the building, or upon brackets embedded in the walls, portions of the units being cut away to provide for chimney breasts &c. Two or more aligned units can be joined end-to-end, a single and thicker end board 9 only being necessary between each pair of meeting ends. When it is desired to mount a partition upon a unit erected to form a floor, the trough above which the partition extends is reinforced by a timber stiffening plate mounted edgewise beneath the partition and glued or nailed to the lower batten of the trough. Troughs of other units may be stiffened by plates mounted in this manner. A strengthened structure may be produced by nesting two or more units within one another to form a composite structure of two or more layers. The unit may include cladding before delivery to the site. A single trough structure 22, Fig. 6, is intended for use as a beam, or column, the trough being covered with sheet material. The unit may be strengthened by blocks, ribs and battens as previously described. These components may be used side-by-side, or at laterally spaced intervals, or as multiple beam constructions, by joining two or more beams end-to-end. The longitudinal battens of a unit may be rectangular in section in which case the webs are generally perpendicular to the planes of the upper and lower battens to provide troughs of substantially rectangular section.