Prefabricated structural building frame and method of making the same

• US 9,222,261 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weeks Holdings Pty Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Weeks Holdings Pty Ltd.
• Inventors: Weeks, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Plummer, Elizabeth A
• Application Number:
  US13/380,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 522/202, 523/097, 523/091.6, 526/531, 527/451.9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/08 the elements consisting of metal
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/22 reinforced E04C2/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/384 with a metal frame
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 2/386 with a frame of unreconstituted or laminated wood

Abstract

Building design data is input into a computer to make a series of wall frames for a building. Operational instructions from the computer are used to fabricate members of the frames, fill the frames with insulating material and apply and external waterproof coating.

Claims

1. A method of producing prefabricated frames for a building, including the steps of:

inputting data relating to a design of the building into a computer program;

automatically translating the data into designs of a plurality of separate frames, the plurality of separate frames comprising a plurality of structural elements and having a size and shape to be assembled together to complete the building;

automatically producing operational instructions for roll-forming machinery and cutting machinery to fabricate the plurality of structural elements;

roll-forming a strip with the roll-forming machinery;

cutting the strip with the cutting machinery into the plurality of structural elements;

wherein the steps of roll-forming and cutting the strip are accomplished in accordance with said operational instructions;

assembling the plurality of separate frames from the plurality of structural elements;

injecting the plurality of separate frames with a high density insulating foam which bonds to the plurality of separate frames as the foam hardens, to a depth greater than the plurality of structural elements on at least one side of each of the plurality of separate frames to thereby form a metal-free foam faç

ade; and

applying a weatherproof coating to said foam faç

ade.

2. The method of producing prefabricated frames as defined in claim 1 wherein said operational instructions further include instructions for automatically cutting service apertures in the plurality of structural elements.

3. The method of producing prefabricated frames as defined in claim 1 further including the step of automatically providing service apertures in the strip in accordance with said operational instructions.

4. The method of producing frames as defined in claim 1 wherein said operational instructions further include instructions for automatically forming service cutouts in said foam on an opposite side to said foam faç

ade.

5. The method of producing prefabricated frames as defined in claim 4 wherein said method includes a further step of automatically forming said service cutouts in said foam in accordance with the operational instructions.

6. The method of producing prefabricated frames as defined in claim 1 wherein said weatherproof coating includes a first layer of base render, a fiberglass mesh, a second layer of base render, and an external texture coating.

7. The method of producing prefabricated frames as defined in claim 1, wherein the foam faç

ade hardens before the weatherproof coating is applied.

8. The method of producing prefabricated frames as defined in claim 1 further including flat packing the plurality of separate frames for forming the building together and transporting the plurality of separate frames to a building site.

9. The method of producing prefabricated frames as defined in claim 1, further comprising labelling each of the plurality of separate frames and stacking the plurality of separate frames in a manner which will facilitate erecting the plurality of separate frames once the plurality of separate frames reach a building site.

10. The method of producing prefabricated frames as defined in claim 1, wherein said operational instructions further include instructions for automatically applying layers that go to make up the weatherproofing coating.

11. A method of manufacturing a prefabricated wall frame for a house including the steps of:

inputting data relating to a design of the house into a computer program which automatically translates the data into designs of a plurality of separate wall frames that have a size and shape to be assembled together to complete the building of the house, which computer program automatically produces operational instructions for roll-forming a strip and cutting the strip into a plurality of structural elements, cutting service apertures in the plurality of structural elements, injecting the plurality of separate frames with expanded polystyrene foam which bonds to the plurality of separate frames as the foam hardens, to a depth greater than the plurality of structural elements on at least one side of the plurality of separate frames, cutting service channels into the foam and applying a coating material;

automatically roll-forming, cutting and providing service apertures in the strip in accordance with said operational instructions to form the plurality of structural elements that form part of each of the plurality of separate frames that is required for building the entire house;

assembling the plurality of the separate frames;

filling the frames with foam in accordance with said operational instructions to thereby form a smooth external faç

ade;

cutting service channels into the foam in accordance with said operational instructions; and

applying said coating material to the external faç

ade in accordance with the operational instructions.

12. The method of manufacturing a prefabricated wall frame for a house as defined in claim 11, wherein the foam faç

ade hardens before the weatherproof coating is applied.