Transportable building with higher roof

Abstract

A transportable building module including structure defining a floor sub-frame ( 13 ) and at least one wall structure ( 16 ) about a room space. The building module further includes at least one roof sub-module ( 20 ). This roof sub-module is hingedly mounted to the wall structure for pivotal movement between an extended position and a retracted transport position, in which retracted transport position the height of the building module is less than when the roof sub-module is in its extended position. In separate aspects, there are disclosed a transportable building with a separate roof module, and a building with a transversely arranged roof module beam.

The claims defining the invention are as follows:  
     
         1  A transportable building module including structure defining a floor sub-frame and at least one wall structure about a room space, the building module further including at least one roof sub-module, wherein said at least one roof sub-module is hingedly mounted to said wall structure for pivotal movement between an extended position and a retracted transport position, in which retracted transport position the height of the building module is less than when said roof sub-module is in said extended position.  
     
     
         2  A transportable building module according to  claim 1 , wherein said roof sub-module is disposed to define all or part of a pitched roof for the building.  
     
     
         3  A transportable building module according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said roof sub-module includes one or more gable end-wall assemblies that pivot down, outside a wall of the building module, with the roof sub-module as it is lowered.  
     
     
         4  A transportable building module according to  claim 3 , wherein said roof sub-module including the gable end-wall(s) acts as a single rigid beam structure.  
     
     
         5  A transportable building module according to any preceding claim further including internal walls having fold-down upper segments to allow the roof sub-module to move to the transport condition.  
     
     
         6  A transportable building module according to any preceding claim, wherein said roof sub-module defines a cathedral ceiling.  
     
     
         7  A transportable building module according to any preceding claim, wherein said roof sub-module includes an enclosed roof cavity.  
     
     
         8  A transportable building module according to  claim 7 , wherein said roof cavity is adapted to provide a ventilation path for the building.  
     
     
         9  A transportable building module according to  claim 8 , further including one or more ventilation fans to exhaust air to the building exterior from the roof cavity.  
     
     
         10  A transportable building module according to any preceding claim, wherein said roof sub-module includes a series of rafters spaced to define a sloping roofline, and, if provided, the roof cavity.  
     
     
         11  A transportable building module according to any preceding claim, wherein said roof sub-module includes a plurality of rafters hingedly mounted to the wall structure by respective hinge pins.  
     
     
         12  A transportable building module according to any preceding claim, further including a verandah or porch sub-roof segment hingedly mounted to the wall structure or roof sub-module for pivotal movement between a retracted position substantially adjacent the wall structure, and an extended position projecting laterally outwardly from the roof sub-module.  
     
     
         13  A transportable building module according to  claim 12 , wherein in said extended position said roof sub-frame partially counterbalances the roof sub-module about the latter's hinge axis.  
     
     
         14  A transportable building including two or more of building modules according to any preceding claim, arranged to be linked side-by-side to form the building, each of the building modules being transported separately to a site at which the building is or is to be erected.  
     
     
         15  A method of erecting a building including at least partially constructing the building at a first site as an assembly of building modules according to the any one of  claims 1  to  13 , separating the modules and transporting them separately to a second site, locating the modules and reforming said assembly at the second site, and pivoting the roof sub-modules of the building modules to their extended positions and fastening them at those positions.  
     
     
         16  A transportable building including one or more main modules defining a floor sub-frame, one or more wall structures and a roof sub-frame about a first space, and one or more roof modules each separable from but cooperable with said one or more main modules for attachment to said roof sub-frame of said one or more main modules to define an upper roof space above said first space, wherein said roof sub-frame defines a support to receive the or each said roof module by craning the roof module(s) into position on said support.  
     
     
         17  A transportable building according to  claim 16  which is a single storey building.  
     
     
         18  A transportable building according to  claim 16  or  17 , wherein the or each said roof module is independent of the main module in its transport condition.  
     
     
         19  A transportable building according to  claim 16 ,  17  or  18 , wherein said roof module is disposed to define a pitched roof for the building.  
     
     
         20  A transportable building according to any one of  claims 16  to  19 , comprising two or more of said main modules arranged to be linked side-by-side to form the building, each such main module having been transported separately to the erection site.  
     
     
         21  A transportable building according to  claim 20 , wherein said roof module rests substantially symmetrically on the respective main modules to provide a roof ridge for the building.  
     
     
         22  A transportable building according to any one of  claims 16  to  21 , wherein said roof space is adapted to contain or contains services.  
     
     
         23  A transportable building according to any one of  claims 16  to  22 , wherein said roof cavity is adapted to provide a ventilation path for the building.  
     
     
         24  A transportable building according to  claim 23 , further including one or more ventilation fans to exhaust air to the building exterior from the roof cavity.  
     
     
         25  A transportable building according to any one of  claims 16  to  24 , wherein said roof module includes a series of rafters spaced to define a sloping roofline and the roof cavity.  
     
     
         26  A transportable building according to any one of  claims 16  to  25 , wherein said main module includes a roof sub-frame that is partially gabled or pitched in its transport condition so as to partly define a sloping roofline.  
     
     
         27  A transportable building according to any one of  claims 16  to  26 , wherein the roof module is constructed as a load-bearing span beam assembly.  
     
     
         28  A transportable building according to  claim 27  wherein said roof module extends transversely to the main roof line of the building.  
     
     
         29  A method of erecting a building according to any one of  claims 16  to  28 , including at least partially constructing the building at a first site, separating the modules, and transporting the main modules and the roof module to a second site, locating the main module at the second site, and craning the roof module onto the main module to form a building having a pitched roof.  
     
     
         30  A building having a roof that defines a longitudinally extending ridge, and a roof module constructed as a load-bearing beam assembly arranged to extend across an interior space of the building in a direction transversely of said longitudinally extending ridge.