Patent Publication Number: US-2011047890-A1

Title: Method of Packaging a Storage Building Kit of Parts

Description:
This application claims foreign priority benefits from Canadian Patent Application 2,677,909, filed Aug. 26, 2009. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a kit of parts arranged to be assembled in a first configuration to define a storage building and in a second configuration to define a package, and more particularly the present invention relates to a method of packaging the storage building kit of parts into a package which is well suited for handling with pallet handling equipment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Portable storage buildings or containers are common commercial items available in many shapes and sizes. A typical storage building or container has a generally large an awkward size and is accordingly transported to customers in many cases as a kit of parts comprising an integral floor panel, wall panels and a roof panel which are stacked one above the other to form a generally horizontally spanning package. When stacking the panels in this manner however the panels occupy a large floor space which is at least equal to the size of the floor of the finished building or container so that the package still occupies the same shipping space and does not necessarily reduce shipping costs by a considerable amount. Furthermore it is costly to provide suitable packaging for handling the stacked panels because a separate pallet structure must be provided on to which the stacked panels are supported. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of packaging a kit of parts arranged for assembly into a storage building in which the kit of parts comprises a plurality of base elements arranged to be assembled into a building floor structure, a plurality of wall panels arranged to be mounted on the building floor structure to define building walls, and a roof structure arranged to be supported on the building walls to define a building roof, the method comprising: 
     constructing a pallet base and an upright frame structure mounted on the pallet base using the base elements of the kit of parts; and 
     supporting the wall panels and the roof structure in an upright orientation on the pallet base alongside the upright frame structure. 
     By providing a kit comprising a plurality of base elements which can be assembled in different configurations, no separate pallet structure, other than some additional minor hardware parts, is required to be provided as the base elements themselves can be assembled into a pallet base while the upright frame structure supports the remaining panels of the kit of parts in a stable upright orientation which occupies minimal floor space for shipping. The reduced use of materials and reduced shipping space saves costs and results in a package which is more easily handled and transported with smaller vehicles, for example the package can be received in the truck box of a typical passenger truck unlike conventional pallet structures. 
     When the base elements in the kit of parts include a plurality of floor panels arranged to be mounted in a generally common plane in the building floor structure, the method preferably includes stacking the floor panels to form the pallet base. The pallet base is preferably elongate in a longitudinal direction in which the floor panels are stacked such that a horizontal dimension of pallet base perpendicular to the longitudinal direction corresponds to approximately half a minimum horizontal dimension of the building floor structure. 
     The pallet base and the upright frame structure may be constructed such that the pallet base is elongate in a longitudinal direction and the upright frame structure has a height which is greater than a horizontal width of the pallet base perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. 
     When the base elements include a plurality of floor frame members arranged to be mounted horizontally in the building floor structure, the upright frame structure preferably comprises at least some of the floor frame members in an upright orientation. 
     The base elements in this instance preferably comprise a plurality of wooden frame members used as floor joists in the building floor structure. 
     When the base elements include a pair of skid members arranged to fully span parallel and spaced apart from one another across a bottom of the building floor structure, the method may include constructing the pallet base to be elongate in a longitudinal direction and mounting the pair of skids on a bottom side of the pallet base to extend substantially a full length of the pallet base in the longitudinal direction. 
     The upright frame structure may comprise opposing first and second sides spanning in the longitudinal direction which are mounted to the base at lateral spaced apart positions and which extend upwardly and inwardly towards respective top ends which are joined together at a central apex of the upright frame structure. 
     More particularly, the upright frame structure may comprise a plurality of arches which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction in which each arch comprising a first base element and a second base element, each of which is elongate between opposing first and second ends. In this instance, the first ends of the base elements of each arch may be mounted to the base at laterally spaced apart positions and the second ends of the base elements of each arch may be joined with one another at a top of the upright frame structure such that the first base elements lie in a common plane defining the first side of the upright frame structure and the second base elements lie in a common plane defining the second side of the upright frame structure. 
     Each of the wall panels may be supported substantially parallel to and alongside a respective one of the first and second sides of the upright frame structure. 
     When the roof structure comprises a substantially flat roof panel, the roof panel may be supported substantially parallel to and alongside a respective one of the first and second sides of the upright frame structure. The door panel may also be supported parallel to and alongside a respective one of the first and second sides of the upright frame structure. 
     The wall panels may comprise corrugated metal panels and the base elements may comprise wooden members arranged to support the panels thereon when assembled to comprise either one of the building floor structure or the pallet base and upright frame structure. 
     The base elements are preferably pre-cut so as to be reduced to a finished dimension ready for use in the building floor structure prior to constructing the base elements into the pallet base and the upright frame structure. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit of parts arranged for assembly into a storage building, the kit of parts comprising: 
     a plurality of base elements; 
     a plurality of wall panels; and 
     a roof structure; 
     the kit of parts being arranged to be assembled into a first configuration comprising a storage building in which the plurality of base elements define a floor structure of the building, the plurality of wall panels are mounted on the floor structure to define side walls of the building, and the roof structure is supported on the side walls of the building to define a roof of the building; and 
     the kit of parts being arranged to be assembled into a second configuration comprising a package in which the base elements define a pallet base and an upright frame structure mounted on the pallet base to extend upwardly therefrom, and the wall panels and the roof structure are supported in an upright orientation on the pallet base alongside the upright frame structure. 
     Preferably the base elements include a plurality of floor frame members mounted horizontally in the floor structure in the first configuration in which at least some are arranged to be mounted in the upright orientation in the upright frame structure in the second configuration. Some of the floor frame members may also be used for forming the pallet base. 
     The base elements may also include a plurality of floor panels mounted in a generally common plane in the floor structure in the first configuration and mounted stacked one above the other in the pallet base in the second configuration. 
     When the pallet base is elongate in a longitudinal direction, the floor panels may be stacked in the second configuration such that a horizontal dimension of pallet base perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the second configuration corresponds to approximately half a minimum horizontal dimension of the floor structure of the building in the first configuration. 
     One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a storage building assembled from the kit of parts according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an end elevational view of an assembled package formed from the kit of parts. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a pallet base and an upright frame structure formed with the base elements of the storage building floor structure. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the base elements forming the building floor structure. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the assembled floor structure onto which additional flashing members are mounted. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of two wall panels supported on the floor structure. 
         FIG. 7  is an end elevational view of a connection between the rear and side wall panels. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a front side of the storage building prior to mounting of the door panel. 
         FIG. 9  is an end elevational view of a door sill of the assembled storage building. 
     
    
    
     In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the accompanying figures there is illustrated a kit of parts arranged for assembly in a first configuration as a storage building  10  and for assembly into a second configuration as a shipping package  12 . 
     The portable storage building  10  generally comprises a floor structure assembled from a plurality of base elements of the kit of parts. The base elements include elongate frame members  14  and floor panels  16  comprising suitable wooden lumber cut to size for use in the assembled floor structure. 
     The frame members  14  include a plurality of floor joists  18  which are mounted to span horizontally in a lateral direction between two spaced apart headers  20  which extend in the longitudinal direction along opposing sides of the floor structure between front and rear ends of the building. The floor joists are evenly spaced parallel to one another so as to extend in the longitudinal direction in the horizontal floor structure. The floor joists  18  and the two headers  20  support the floor panels on the top side thereof such that each of the floor panels spans a full width of the building in the lateral direction with the panels being abutted end to end in the longitudinal direction. In the assembled floor structure, the floor panels are elongate in the lateral direction of the floor and lie in a common plane across the top side of the assembled floor joist. 
     A pair of skid members  22  are supported on the bottom side of the floor joists to span a full length of the building in the longitudinal direction at laterally spaced apart positions. Each skid member comprises two frame members  14  which are stacked one above the other and which are supported to span across all of the floor joists the same length as the headers  20  parallel and spaced therebetween. 
     Once the base elements are assembled to define the floor structure, a plurality of flashing members  24  are mounted about the periphery of the floor structure. Each flashing member  24  comprises a base portion spanning vertically across a height of the floor about the peripheral edge thereof and a channel portion at a top end thereof including an upright mounting flange. Suitable corner elements join adjacent ones of the flashing members at the corners of the floor structure. 
     The kit further comprises three wall panels  26  arranged to extend vertically upward from three adjacent sides of the floor structure. In particular two walls panels extend upward from laterally opposed sides of the floor structure and a third panel extends upwardly from the rear side at one of the longitudinally opposed ends of the floor structure. The wall panels are joined to the mounting flange of the flashing member  24  for securement to the floor structure using suitable bolts or fasteners. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the rear wall panel and each of the two side panels comprise bolt flanges arranged to be mounted alongside one another for receiving fasteners through cooperating apertures thereof to join the wall panels at respective corners of the building structure. 
     A door frame panel  28  is mounted to each of the two side wall panels along opposing sides of a central door opening  30  to be oriented in a vertical orientation in a common plane with a front side at one of the longitudinally opposed ends of the building structure. The door frame panels  28  are similarly joined at the corners of the building by mating bolt flanges receiving bolts through cooperating apertures therein. One of the door frame panel  28  supports a pair of hinges  54  spaced apart at the door opening  30  and the other supports a suitable latch mechanism  56  for operative connection to a door panel  32  arranged to be received in the door opening  30  of the assembled building structure. The door panel and opening within which it is received are arranged to span a full height of the front wall of the building. A door sill member  33  spans the bottom of the door frame to mount by suitable threaded fasteners to overlap the mounting flange of the flashing member  24  along the front side of the building. 
     The storage building comprises a roof structure  34  which comprises a generally flat corrugated metal panel similarly to the wall panels  26 . Additional fasteners secure the roof structure to the top of each of the wall panels. The roof structure  34  spans between the tops of the wall panels of the storage building in a horizontal orientation spaced above the floor. 
     For delivery to a customer, the kit of parts forming the storage building is assembled as a shipping package  12  in the second configuration noted above. The wooden frame members  14  and the wooden sheets forming the floor panels are first assembled into a pallet base  40  upon which an upright frame structure  42  also assembled from base elements is mounted. 
     To form the pallet base, the floor panels  16  are stacked on above the other such that the long dimension of the floor panels defines the longitudinal direction of the elongate base of the assembled package  12 . Each of the panels thus spans in the longitudinal direction the full length of the pallet base as well as spanning horizontally in the lateral direction a full width of the pallet base which is approximately half the dimension of the length. 
     The skid members  22  are supported to extend in the longitudinal direction on the bottom side of the stacked panels at opposing sides of the panels so as to be spaced apart by a full width of the panels in addition to spanning the full length thereof. As described above each of the skid members  22  comprises two frame members  14  which are stacked one above the other. 
     One of the frame members  18  forming a floor joist is also mounted along the bottom side of the stacked panels at a laterally centered position parallel and spaced in between the two skid members  22  to define two pockets extending longitudinally along the bottom of the package  12  between the central frame member  18  and each of the skid members  22  which are adapted to receive the forks of a fork lift therein which is used for handling pallets. 
     The floor frame members  18  which are assembled into the upright frame structure are mounted onto the pallet base  40  by constructing three arches  44  which are each formed from a respective first frame member  46  and a second frame member  48 . 
     The pallet base  40  includes a pair of mounting blocks  50  mounted on the top side of the stacked panels at the mounting location of each of the frame members of the arches for added structural strength. Additional mounting blocks  50  are also mounted along a bottom side of the central frame member  18  spanning the bottom side of the stacked panels between the skids  22 . Accordingly the central frame member  18  together with the thickness of some mounting blocks  50  have a thickness similar to the stacked frame members forming the skids  22 . 
     The mounting blocks  50  each comprise a leftover piece trimmed off of a standard length of wooden lumber used to form the frame members  18 . The combined length of one of the frame members  18  together with one mounting block  50  thus comprise a standard commercially available length of lumber which is cut to define the frame member  18  and the mounting block  50 . 
     Within each arch, the first and second frame members are mounted at respective first or bottom ends at laterally spaced apart positions on respective mounting blocks  50  on the top side of the stacked panels forming the pallet base. The two frame members extend upwardly and laterally inwardly towards one another to be joined at respective top second ends at a central apex of the upright frame structure defining an equilateral triangular structure with the pallet base when viewed from one end as shown in  FIG. 2 . The two frame members  18  of each arch lie in a generally common vertical plane oriented in the lateral direction with the three arches being spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction. In particular one of the arches is mounted at each of the longitudinally opposed ends of the pallet base with the third arch being centered in the longitudinal direction therebetween. 
     Brackets  51  comprising two mounting flanges with fastener apertures therein are provided at opposed ends of each of the frame members  18  forming the arches  44 . The brackets assist in connecting the two frame members of each arch together at the apex as well as assisting in connecting each frame member to the respective mounting block  50 . 
     The three arches are aligned with one another such that each of the three first frame members are located in a common plane at a first side of the upright frame structure while the three second frame members  48  are located in a second common plane defining the second upright side of the frame structure. Each of the first and second sides extends upwardly from the pallet base inwardly towards one another to the common apex of the frame structure. 
     The mounting location of the bottom ends of the arches and the bottom ends of the two sides of the resulting upright frame structure are spaced inwardly from the longitudinally opposed sides of the pallet base. 
     The two sides extend in the longitudinal direction the full length of the pallet base and are interconnected by suitable cross bracing  52  which comprise the headers  20  from the construction of the building floor structure. 
     Once the upright frame structure is assembled, each of the panels forming the walls and the roof panel are mounted on the base to extend alongside the upright frame structure in the longitudinal direction between opposed ends of the pallet base. Two of the wall panels are parallel and against the first side of the upright frame structure and another wall panel  26  and the roof panel  34  lie parallel against the other side of the upright frame structure. The door panel  32  is also supported alongside a respective one of the sides of the upright frame structure. 
     The sides of the upright frame structure are spaced inwardly from opposing side edges of the pallet base at the bottom end thereof by a suitable distance which is greater than the thickness of at least panels stacked together such that the panels are arranged to be recessed inwardly in relation to the longitudinally opposed side edges of the pallet base. The panels span substantially the full length of the pallet base in the longitudinal direction in the mounted position on the upright frame structure. 
     Any remaining components including flashing members, and any mounting hardware are received in the space between the opposed first and second frame members of each arch in the assembled shipping package  12 . All of the components are strapped in place to result in a compact shipping package which is much narrower than the assembled storage building and which does not required construction of an auxiliary pallet structure to support the package thereon for handling by pallet handling equipment. By providing two floor panels positioned side by side in the assembled floor structure of the building and which are stacked in the assembled package, a horizontal dimension of the pallet base perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in which the pallet base is elongate corresponds approximately to half a minimum horizontal dimension of the building floor structure. 
     In a preferred arrangement, the frame members  18  are spaced inwardly from the side edges of the pallet structure by a sufficient distance that the thickness of several stacked panels, for example four or more panels, can be accommodated within the boundary of the pallet base. This permits the panels associated with two storage buildings or a single storage building of double length to be supported on a single pallet base and upright frame structure as described above. The additional components for constructing the additional building floor structure in this instance can be inserted in the spaced between the two frame members of each arch instead of constructing a second pallet base and upright frame structure for the additional building structure. 
     Typically all of the wooden members forming the base elements are pre-cut to be reduced to a finished dimension of suitable size for ready use in assembly into the building floor structure prior to assembly into the package  12 . In this manner the base elements are ready for assembly into a storage building without any additional manipulation thereof being required when disassembling the pallet base and upright frame structure of the package. 
     Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.