BUILDING MODULES AND TECHNIQUES TO MAKE THEM

Abstract

The present invention relates to a building module to be used for the construction of structures. The building module includes a fabric sheet, a filling material and a holding means. The fabric sheet wraps around the filling material to form folds over the filling material, with the edges of the wrap's folds to be held in place by the holding means. The wraps can be continuously filled from above to make building modules in a continuous and simplified manner, rather than as a series of difficult, labour-intensive steps. Structures can accordingly be constructed quickly and in a cost-effective way.

Claims

1. A building module (1) comprising: a fabric sheet (2); a filling material (3); and a holding means (4); wherein the fabric sheet (2) wraps around the filling material (3) to form folds over the filling material (3), with overlapping edges (5) of the wrap's folds being held in place by the holding means (4); the holding means (4) is made up of one or more of: pins, barbed wires, staples, stakes, spikes, pegs, or stitches affixed to the wrap; adhesives provided between to adjacent overlapping edges (5) of the folds of the wrap; and a further building module placed atop the building module; and the building module is formed by placing the filling material on top of the fabric sheet and compacting the filling material using a compressing means prior to wrapping the fabric sheet around the compressed filling material and applying the holding means to the overlapping edges of the formed folds.

2. The building module (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fabric sheet (2) is made of synthetic material, natural fibre material, or a combination thereof.

3. The building module (1) as claimed in either of claims 1 or 2, wherein the filling material (3) is selected from sand, silt, clay, gravel, other types of earth material, organic material, recycled waste, or a combination thereof.

4. The building module (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the filling material further comprises a bonding agent from lime, clay, cement, proteins, gypsum, fibre or glue, or a combination thereof.

5. The building module (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 comprising more than one fabric sheet (2), wherein an end of a second fabric sheet (2) wraps around one end of a first fabric sheet (2), and wherein both the first fabric sheet (2) and the second fabric sheet wraps (2) around the filling material (3) and the edges (5) of one or more of the wraps are held by the holding means (4).

6. The building module (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fabric sheet (2) wraps around the filling material (3) in a spiral configuration, whereby the folds are formed over the filling material (3) about the turns of the spiral in a continuous manner, and the overlapping edges (5) are formed between consecutive turns of the spiral.

7. A method for making a building module comprising the steps of: spreading a fabric sheet (2); placing a filling material (3) atop the spread fabric sheet (2); compressing the filling material (3); wrapping the fabric sheet (2) up and over the compressed material (3) by folding one side of the fabric sheet (2) along a length of the sheet onto another; and providing a holding means (4) to hold the wrapping of the fabric sheet firmly.

8. A device (10) for making a building module (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, the device (10) comprising: a filling means (8) comprising a top part having a top opening and a bottom part having a bottom opening, the filling means (8) arranged to receive filling material (3) via the top opening and dispense the received filling material (3) through the bottom opening and onto a fabric sheet (2) arranged beneath the device (10); and a folding means (11) adapted to fold the edges of the fabric sheet (2) one over another when the filling material (3) is placed onto the fabric sheet (2); wherein the device (10) is adapted to enable a compressing means to be applied to the filling material (3) between the filling means (8) and folding means (11).

9. The device (10) as claimed in claim 8, wherein: the folding means (11) comprises two walls (12a, 12b), the filling means (8) being slidable therebetween and leaving a gap; and the gap between the filling means and walls (12a, 12b) is adapted to receive the sides of the fabric sheet (2) such that said fabric sheet sides pass therethrough.

10. The device (10) as claimed in claim 9, wherein the walls (12a, 12b) of the folding means (11) are further adapted to be slidable over a base or a further building module, such that the building module (1) being made by the device (10) is made on top of the base or the further building module, respectively.

11. The device (10) as claimed in claim 9, further comprising one or more pairs of guiding means (13) coupled to the walls (12a, 12b) of the folding means (11), said guiding means (13) enabling the device (10) to be positioned directly on top of the base or further building module.

12. The device (10) as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein: the folding means (11) comprises two flanges (14a, 14b) adapted to receive the side edges (5) of the fabric sheet (2), said side edges coupling thereto; a front part of each of the flanges (14a, 14b) is outspread such that each side edge (5) coupled thereto is spread when proximal to the front part; a middle part of each of the flanges (14a, 14b) is bent upwards such that the fabric sheet (2) is shaped into a form to receive and contain the filling material and enable compaction thereof when proximal to the middle part; and a back part of each of the flanges (14a, 14b) is shaped to become parallel to the other flange, such that each side edge (5) coupled thereto is directed to form the fold with the side edges (5) overlapping when proximal to the back part.

13. The device (10) as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising a compressing means (9) to compress the filling material (3) when it is placed onto the fabric sheet (2) through the filling means (8).

14. The device (10) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the compressing means (9) comprises one or more compressing rollers (15) which compresses the filling material (3) from above when it is placed onto the fabric sheet (2) through the filling means (8).

15. The device (10) as claimed in claim 13, wherein the compressing means (9) comprises one or more vibrating compactors which compresses the filling material (3) from above when it is placed onto the fabric sheet (2) through the filling means (8).

16. The device (10) as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a pinning roller (17) with one or more grooves (18), whereby there is passed through the pins (7) or spikes of a barbed wire (8) to pierce and embed the pins (7) or spikes into fabric layers, and yet still protrude sufficiently to hold subsequent courses of a previous building module (1).

17. The device (10) as claimed in claim 16, whereby when the pins (7) or spikes of the barbed wire (6) get embedded into the sides of the fabric sheet (2), the sides of the fabric sheet (2) are directed by the flanges (14a, 14b) to fold the fabric sheet (2) around and over the filling material (3) and over each other due to the structural correlation of the flanges (14a, 14b) to each other, and the pins (7) or spikes of the barbed wire (6) gets embedded onto the folds so created when the device (10) moves.

18. The device (10) as claimed in either of claims 16 or 17, further comprising spools (19) which hold the pins (7) or the barbed wire (6), and that are functionally coupled to the pinning rollers (17), whereby when the device (10) moves, the spools (19) supply the pins (7) or the barbed wire (6) to be continuously attached to the fabric sheet (2) by the set of pinning rollers (17).

19. The device (10) as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, further comprising a sheet holder (20) which holds the fabric sheet (2), and is functionally coupled to the pinning rollers (17), whereby when the device (10) moves, the sheet holder (20) passes on the fabric sheet (2) to the pinning rollers (17).

Description

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in relation to figures, wherein

[0031] FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional representation of a set of building modules placed one over another to form a structure.

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates a sectional representation of a set of building modules with barbed wires placed one over another to form a structure.

[0033] FIG. 3 illustrates a representation of a manual method to make the building modules.

[0034] FIG. 4 illustrates a semi-automated device to make the building modules.

[0035] FIG. 5 illustrates a fully mechanisable device to make the building modules.

[0036] FIG. 6 illustrates a fully mechanisable device for making the building modules wherein the holding means is provided as barbed wire laid from two rollers.

[0037] FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of the building module wherein the fabric is wrapped around the filling material in a spiral configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.

[0039] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.

[0040] The terms comprises, comprising, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more sub-systems or elements or structures or components preceded by comprises . . . a does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other, sub-systems, elements, structures, components, additional subsystems, additional elements, additional structures or additional components. Appearances of the phrase in an embodiment. in another embodiment and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment.

[0041] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.

[0042] In the proposed technique of the invention, sides of a fabric sheet are folded in and held under subsequent course to make wraps rather than bags. These wraps are basic building modules for building any kind of structures. These wraps are potentially pinned together with strands of barbed wire, with pins, staples, stakes etc or simply held by the pressure of subsequent courses. This technique allows the courses to be indefinitely long, or even continuous, where previously there were practical limits to potential length due to the fact that bags had to be filled evenly from the open end/ends. This technique enables continuous, easier and more even filling in situ and therefore faster, cheaper and better construction. The new technique has all the benefits of the prior art, without the frustrations of its process. Importantly, the technique better allows automation and mechanisation because it's easy to employ machines and simple moving forms to enable linear, continuous processes. It is pertinent to note that the prior art cannot allow such mechanisation because it is difficult to fill the far ends and middle of bags evenly. Also, bags have to be furled in some way to fill them and unfurled as filling progresses. This places practical limitations on the length of single bags/voussoirs. The same problems won't exist with this proposed technique.

[0043] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of exemplary building modules 1 which are placed one over another. The building modules 1 of FIG. 2 also have barbed wires to pin down the building modules for securely closing them, and also binds modules together to provide strength to the structure. In FIG. 1, the subsequent buildings to module 1 applies pressure to building module 1 beneath it, to provide resistance to hold the folds for keeping the building modules wrapped. Either of the exemplary modules of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2 can be used, however the building modules 1 with barbed wires as in FIG. 2 have a definite advantage, because the barbed wire not only just holds the wraps, but also provides bonding between the building modules 1, and can also be employed to functionally couple the fabric sheet to a manufacturing device.

[0044] These building modules 1 are made of fabric sheets 2, which wrap around the filling material 3 to form folds over the filling material 3, with edges 5 of the wrap's folds are further held by a holding means 4. The holding means 4 in FIG. 1 exemplary building module 1 is pressure applied by a subsequent building module 1, and in FIG. 2 exemplary embodiment is the barbed wires 6.

[0045] The fabric sheet 2 has edges 5 which are folded up and over the filling material, one edge of the fabric over the other. Also, the filling material 3 inside the wrap is compressed or compacted to provide stability to the building module 1.

[0046] The fabric sheet can be of synthetic material or natural fibre material. Even a composite material of synthetic material and natural fibre material can also be used. Synthetic material can be any plastic, polythene or synthetic fibre such as fibreglass or metallic threads. The natural fibres are preferred in a scenario where structures are required to return the structure back to earth in an environmentally friendly way. One such great example of natural fibre material is hessian (linen/burlap). When rendered, it becomes permanent, and if left un-rendered or if the render is broken up, it will rot into the earth, which is great for temporary structures like formwork, shoring or damming. It is pertinent to be noted that any other kind of fabric material can also be used, however, the material used should have tensile strength.

[0047] The holding means 4 can be a stitching means or an adhesive, or a pinning means, or another building module kept over this module and any combination of the holding means 4 can be used to further strengthen holding capacity of the wraps. The stitching means and the pinning means are affixed to the wrap and penetrate both layers, as shown by the barbed wires in FIG. 2. The adhesive is provided between two layers of the wrap, so as to bind the two layers together. Adhesives can also be used between courses/modules/voussoirs.

[0048] The filling material can be sand, silt, clay, gravel, other types of earth material, organic material, recycled waste, bonding agents, and any combination of these types of filling materials. In one exemplary implementation, for walls, a formula of 25% sand, 25% clay, 25% silt and 25% gravel is ideal. In some other embodiments, a mixture including 10% cement can be used in filling material 3. It is pertinent to note that each of the filling materials have their own utility and advantages, which are mentioned further. Clay, glues, proteins, lime, fibres and cement add cohesiveness because they glue particulates together. The other aggregates (silt, sand, gravel) stop clay from being too reactive (swelling with humid conditions and shrinking when dry). Sand and gravel add compressive strength. Cement and lime add permanent, waterproof cohesiveness. Organic materials are avoided unless the structure is to be impermanent, but they can be useful for adding tensile strength, for example, fibre (straw, chaff, chopped fabric) has been used in earth building since time immemorial.

[0049] Bonding agents can be lime, clay, cement, proteins, gypsum, fibre, glue, or combination of any of these bonding agents. Bonding agents provide permanent cohesiveness. They turn the wrap into a block as they set. Some of these materials are naturally present in mineral earth (like clay, lime), and the earth may need adjusting to get the profile right. This means special earths and agents might need to be added, and others sieved out. In the earth building industry, purists like to avoid chemical impurities like cement because of the relatively high carbon-footprint, added cost and the industrial processes involved. But engineers and authorities tend to like them because they add a safety factor to the technology.

[0050] It is pertinent to note that the building modules 1 can be indefinitely long. Even longer than a wall, if the wall is to have rounded corners or is a dome of sorts, in which case the whole structure can potentially be a single spiral.

[0051] In one embodiment, a building module 1 can be extended beyond the cut length of the first fabric sheet 2 by adding additional fabric sheets 2. Near the end of the first fabric sheet, a second fabric sheet starts and is wrapped with the first as if they were one. Both the first fabric sheet and the second fabric sheet wrap around the filling material together and the edges of at least one of the wraps are held by the holding means. This embodiment is helpful to extend building modules so that modules are not limited by lengths of the fabric sheet.

[0052] FIG. 3 shows a representation of a manual method to make the building modules. It involves laying a fabric sheet 2 over an existing course of building module 1, over the ground, floor or over a foundation. The sheets don't have to be continuous to deliver a continuous product. When one sheet ends, another can overlap it to continue. A bottomless container 8 is placed over the course. The container is filled with earth, sand or some other filling material 3. The filling material is compacted to structurally satisfactory levels using a compressing means 9, such as a tamper, a compactor, vibration or even by adding a fluid. One example of fluid as compacter/compressor is water, which needs to be added in any case, if the cohesion ingredient is cement, lime or another water-activated media. The first sheet edge 5 is folded in, then the second edge 5, then the wraps are pinned down with pins 7. Other holding means for holding the edges can be spikes, pegs, barbed wire, glue, stitching etc. The container 8 is then pulled forward to advance the process.

[0053] The technique of the invention can be implemented through a full mechanized device or semi-mechanized device. The device may include a filling means and a folding means. The filling means includes a top part having a top opening and a bottom part having a bottom opening. Through the top opening, the filling material or a composite of the filling material and a bonding agent is filled through the bottom opening onto a fabric sheet. The folding means fold edges of the fabric sheet on one over another when the filling material or the composite of the filling material and the bonding agent (if any is used) is placed onto the fabric sheet. Further procedure for compressing the filling material and fixing the edges of the fibre sheet one over another to hold the folds can be carried out manually or using further mechanisation.

[0054] In another embodiment, the device is also provided with a compressing means, which compresses the filling material when it is placed onto the fabric sheet through the filling means.

[0055] In one embodiment, the device is also provided with a holding means adapted to seal the wrap formed by the folding ends of the fabric sheet. The sealing is carried out using an adhesive, a pinning means or stitching means, or combination thereof. The stitching means and the pinning means are affixed on edges the wrap and penetrating both edges, while the adhesive is provided between two edges of the wrap.

[0056] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary semi-mechanised device 10 which is being used to make the building modules 1. This device 10 has a container 8 which is the filling means. This container has a top part having a top opening and a bottom part having a bottom opening. Through the top opening, a filling material is filled through the bottom opening onto a fabric sheet. This device 10 also has a folding means 1 1 which has two walls 12a, 12b. These walls 12a, 12b allow the filling means 8 to slide between the walls 12a, 12b leaving a narrow gap to allow for the sides of the fabric sheet 2 to pass through. The walls 12a, 12b fold over, to become a folding means 1 1. These are slidable over a base or a previous course of the building module 1. The folding means 1 1 might also include one or more pairs of guiding means 13 coupled to the walls 12a, 12b of the folding means 11 and allows the device 10 to be easily placed directly over a base or a previous course of the building module 1. In an alternate embodiment, the walls 12a, 12b need not be slidable on the previous course, rather the walls 12a, 12b are placed on to the previous course of one of the building module or foundation, and in such scenario, the user of the device has to apply their skills to appropriately move the device to place and create the building module. In one embodiment, the guiding means 13 are not provided, and the user has to use their skills for placing the device 10 over a base or a previous course of the building module 1.

[0057] FIG. 5 illustrates a fully mechanised device 10 which is being used to make the building modules 1. It is a device 10 that has out-stretched flanges 14a, 14b at the front. These flanges 14a, 14b then turn upwards in the middle, and over one another at the back. The device 10 is bottomless at the middle and rear sections. The front of the device 10 is essentially a horizontal plane. It both spreads out a fabric sheet 2 and pushes the barbs of barbed wire 6 into the edges 5 of the fabric sheet 2 to make them graspable by the flanges 14a, 14b. In the middle (the next part) of the flange-machine, the flanges 14a, 14b turn upwards (here there is no bottom, just the stretched fabric 2). This open-handed U-shape, behaves like a container for the filling means above, enabling the filling of the filling material 3 conveniently and evenly. The filling material 3 is poured into the U-shape in the fabric sheet 2 and it can then be immediately compacted using a compressing roller 15, from both above, and from the flanges 14a, 14b to the sides. The flanges 14a, 14b, and with them the sheet's edges 5, fold over one another, at which point a pin pushing roller 21 pushes the barbed wire 6 through the opposite folds of the fabric sheet 2 (one under, one over), thereby securing the fabric wrap in place around the compressed fill and directly above the previous course or base.

[0058] For compressing the filling material, a compressing roller 15 is provided which compresses the filling material 3 from above when it is placed onto the fabric sheet 2. In an alternate embodiment, for compressing the filling material, one or more vibrating compactors can be provided which compresses the material through vibration mechanism. The compressing roller 15 shall be heavy in weight and may additionally have spring-loading.

[0059] The device 10 also includes a pinning roller 17 with one or more grooves 18 which allows barbs of a barbed wire 6 to pass through and to pierce and embed the barbs into fabric layers, and yet still protrude sufficiently to hold subsequent courses of a previous building module 1.

[0060] The device further includes one or more spools 19 which hold the barbed wire 6 and is functionally coupled to the pinning rollers 17, such that when the device 10 moves, the spools 19 supply the barbed wire 6 to be continuously attached to the fabric sheet 2 by the set of pinning rollers 17.

[0061] The device also includes a sheet holder 20 which holds the fabric sheet 2 and is functionally coupled to the pinning rollers 17, such that when the device 10 moves, the sheet holder 20 passes on the fabric sheet 2 to the pinning rollers 17.

[0062] The filling can be carried out using an attached or separate unit. The filling can be carried by a person with a shovel, bucket or another manual device manually. However, to make the device completely automatic, a conveyor running from underneath a material hopper would be a good solution. Alternatively, the filling material can fall out of a hopper directly.

[0063] The device 10 can be moved by an external propulsion mechanism. A coupling 16 to which said external propulsion mechanism shall be connected, is provided onto the device 10.

[0064] According to another embodiment of the invention, there is provided a building module (1) consisting of a fabric sheet (2) wrapping around a filling material (3) in a spiral configuration, and held in place by a holding means (4). Folds are formed around the filling material (3) about each turn of the spiral. The edges (5) of the wrap's folds overlap along substantially each consecutive turn of the spiral, as held in place by the holding means (4).

[0065] Accordingly there is provided a building module (1) wherein the folds run oblique to an axis of the building module (1), the overlapping edges (5) run oblique to an axis of the building module (1), and the holding means (4) run oblique to the axis of the fabric sheet (2) and to the overlapping edges (5).

[0066] It is worth saying that the wrap technique, used in the current invention, is more robust if finished with a render of some kind because plastics and natural fibres may be subject to deterioration in UV radiation (from sunlight), fire or physical damage. Paint can help with UV, and some coatings with fire also, but render is best. Render isn't required for temporary walls, except to further stave off fire.

[0067] The modules can be used to form various kind of structures like building construction, landscapes, emergency structures, and many other types of structures. Some examples of building construction are walls, ground slabs, domes, cupolas, vaults, arches. Some examples of landscape uses are retaining walls, temporary retaining walls and terracing, planters, fencing/farm walls, dykes, dams, water breaks, sea walls, irrigation channels, windbreaks, erosion control, soil stabilization structures, structures in place of gabions, and plant trails (where sets are pre-mixed into organic earth and there the fabric breathable or organic). Some examples of emergency structures are fire breaks and flood levies. Other types of structures can include water tanks, silos, septic systems, construction on the lunar surface and other solid planets, and inexpensive mass (for counterweights etc.).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0068] 1 Building Module [0069] 2 Fabric Sheet [0070] 3 Filing Material [0071] 4 Holding Means [0072] 5 Edges of Wrap [0073] 6 Barbed Wires [0074] 7 Pins [0075] 8 Container, Filling means [0076] 9 Compressing means [0077] 10 Device [0078] 11 Folding means [0079] 12a, 12b Walls of the folding means [0080] 13 Guiding means [0081] 14a, 14b Flanges [0082] 15 Compressing Rollers [0083] 16 Coupling for external propulsion mechanism [0084] 17 Pinning Rollers [0085] 18 Grooves of Pinning rollers [0086] 19 Spools [0087] 20 Sheet Holder [0088] 21 Pin Pushing Roller