GB2031045A

GB2031045A - Folding Cabins

Info

Publication number: GB2031045A
Application number: GB7930089A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-08-31
Filing date: 1979-08-30
Publication date: 1980-04-16
Also published as: GB2031045B

Abstract

A cabin has main portion (11) and two side portions (12) which after removal or folding of the end walls 21 and side walls 19, can be folded to reduce the overall width for transportation. The roof of the side portion (23) is hinged at (33) to the main portion to be capable of folding downwards while the floor (22) of the side portion is hinged to the main portion at (34) to be capable of folding upwards, and there is linkage (29, 31) and pivot guide tracks (41) constraining the roof and the floor to move together in balance so that folding can be effected by one or two men. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Folding Cabin This invention relates to folding cabins which are normally greater than about 7 feet in width when erected, but can be folded to be no more than about 7 feet in overall width, so that they can be transported by road or rail.

Examples of such cabins are described in British Patent Specification No. 1291226. In each case parts of the top, side wall, and floor were folded about one of more horizontal axes to produce the folded form of limited overall width, but although those cabins were satisfactory in many ways, one difficulty was in handling the substantial weight of the folding parts since it was clearly desirable that a cabin should be capable of being folded away and erected merely using the strength of one or two people without having to have a crane on the site.

An object of the present invention is to provide a design of a folding cabin in which the wright of the parts that have to be lifted and lowered during folding is not excessive.

According to the present invention, a cabin has a main portion and a side portion which is foldable to reduce the overall width for transporting the folded cabin, the roof of the side portion being hinged to the main portion to be capable of folding downwards, the floor of the side portion being hinged to the main portion to be capable of folding upwards, the cabin including linkage between the roof and the floor of the side portion constraining them to move together to provide at least partial balancing of the downwardly and upwardly moving weights.

The linkage conveniently comprises two components, one (which could constitute a ceiling of the side portion) being pivoted to the roof of the side portion, and the other being pivoted to the floor of the side portion, the two components being pivoted together. Then there may be a guide for the pivot between the two components controlling the path followed by that pivot, as the roof is lowered and the floor is raised.

By appropriate design of the linkage and the pivot points, and the densities of the roof and floor, it can be arranged that the rising and falling weights or moments can be at least partially balanced so that great strength is not required when either folding or unfolding the side portion.

Vertical side and end walls of the side portion can be moved out of the way of the roof and floor, either by being of collapsible canvas, or other material, or by sliding out of the way, or being folded about vertical axes for which great strength is not required.

There can be a side portion at each side of the main portion, and the main portion can be mounted on an undercarriage with wheels to be capable of being transported by road.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways, and one embodiment will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is an end view of a cabin.

The cabin comprises a fixed portion 11 about 6 feet wide, and at each side a foldable portion 12 about 8 feet wide, making an overall width of 22 feet, which is quite adequate for a holiday cabin, but is too wide to be transported by road or by rail.

At the right, the foldable portion is shown extended, while at the left it is shown folded.

The portion 11, which is conveniently mounted on trailer wheels or the like as indicated generally at 13, consists of a floor 14, side frames 15, a pitched roof 16, and ends 1 7. There is also a fixed ceiling 1 8.

Each folding portion 12 consists of a side wall 19, end walls 21 a floor 22 a part of a pitched roof 23, and a ceiling 29.

When the cabin is to be folded for transport first of all, each end wall 21 is removed or folded outwards about a vertical axis 24, and the side wall 19 is removed or folded (in two portions if necessary) with the end wall 21 about a vertical axis 25.

There only remain the floor 22 and the roof portion 23 with its attached ceiling 29 which extend beyond the width of the fixed portion 11.

Once the vertical walls 21 and 19 have been folded about their vertical axes, which does not require the operator to have great strength, or otherwise removed, the floor 22 is folded upwards and the pitched roof 23 folded downwards, as indicated at the left in Figure 1.

They are coupled together by a pair of struts 31 extending one at each end of the cabin, between a point part-way along the floor 22 and the inner edge of the ceiling 29.

The ceiling 29 pivots about a horizontal axis 32 on the roof 23, as the roof pivots down about a horizontal axis 33, and the floor pivots up about a horizontal axis 34.

The downward movement of the roof, and possibly also the ceiling, at least partly balances the upward movement of the floor, so that the net weight to be lifted (or lowered) is not too great for one or two men. The upper ends of the struts 31 have wheels running in guides 41 on the fixed end walls 1 7. The densities of the moving components can be designed to achieve a reasonabie balance. The floor 22 is in two equal components hinged together about a horizontal axis 42.

The horizontal hinges at 32, 33 and 34 may be of the kind described in Patent Specification No.

1 502122. Conventional hinges can be used at each end of the struts 31, and conventional hinges can be used about the vertical axes, 24, 25 and 26.

If, for example, the cabin were 20 feet long, each side wall 19 could be divided into four portions, each 5 feet wide, two of which fold with each of the end portions 21, which are themselves 8 feet wide.

The folding walls can be of a composite form with inner and outer waterproof timber or other skins, and an intermediate lightweight insulating filler between them.

However, the side walls 19 and 21 could be of canvas or other light, foldable material.

If there are rigid vertical folding walls, they fold about vertical axes; only the roof, floor and ceiling, with a horizontal component, fold about horizontal axes and they can be arranged so that a counterbalancing effect is achieved. In that way the net weights to be lifted and lowered are quite small.

Claims

1. A cabin having a main portion and a side portion which is foldable to reduce the overall width for transporting the folded cabin, the roof of the side portion being hinged to the main portion to be capable of folding downwards, the floor of the side portion being hinged to the main portion to be capable of folding upwards, the cabin including linkage between the roof and the floor of the side portion constraining them to move together to provide at least partial balancing of the downwardly and upwardly moving weights.

2. A cabin as claimed in Claim 1 in which the linkage includes two components pivotally connected together and each also pivotally connected one to the floor of the side portion, and the other to the roof of the side portion.

3. A cabin as claimed in Claim 2 in which one of the components is a ceiling of the side portion.

4. A cabin as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 including a guide for controlling the path of movement of the pivotal connection between the two components as the side portion is folded and unfolded.

5. A cabin as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the floor of the side portion is in two components hinged together.

6. A cabin as claimed in any of the preceding claims including end and/or side vertical walls of the side portion which are movable before and after folding of the roof and floor.

7. A cabin as claimed in Claim 6 in which the end and side walls of the side portion are foldable about vertical axes.

8. A cabin as claimed in Claim 6 in which the end and/or side walls of the side portion are removable.

9. A cabin as claimed in Claim 6 in which the end and/or side walls of the side portion are of canvas or other collapsible material.

10. A cabin as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the main portion is mounted for transportation by road.

11. A cabin constructed and arranged substantially as herein specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.