CONNECTION NODE FOR MODULAR BUILDING STRUCTURES

1 . An apparatus for connecting building components, the apparatus comprising:

a hollow support having an interior and extending along a central axis from a first end to a second end, the first end of the support having a first connection portion attached thereto and the second end of the support having a second connection portion attached thereto;

the first connection portion comprising a respective outer surface substantially perpendicular to the central axis and a respective inner surface adjacent the interior of the support, the first connection portion having a bore therein from the outer surface to the inner surface, the inner surface defining a shoulder adjacent the bore and an inner wall extending upwards from the shoulder;

a bushing having a cylindrical body with a top and bottom and a cylinder axis, an elongated slot therein and a flange extending radially outward from the cylindrical body, the bushing positioned within the bore at the second end of the first connection portion with the bushing flange engaging the shoulder, the elongated slot having a length defining a major axis intersecting the cylinder axis and a width less than the length;

the second connection portion comprising a respective outer surface having an axial hole passing therethrough into the interior of the support;

wherein a respective bolt having a respective head with a head diameter and a shank with a shank diameter can pass through the axial hole of the second connection portion, through the support and seat in the elongated slot of the bushing first connection portion with the head of the bolt engaging the bushing and the shank extending through the slot and the bore of the first connection portion, wherein the bushing can be rotated and the bolt is shank is movable along the major axis of the slot thereby allowing a rotational and lateral position of the bolt relative to the central axis to be adjusted; and

a coupler having a threaded aperture therein, the coupler being removably attachable to the second connection portion to position the threaded aperture in alignment with the axial hole of the second connection portion, each threaded aperture sized to be engaged by a threaded portion of a respective bolt with a shank of the shank diameter.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the slot is racetrack shaped and has a contour comprising a first half-circle with a diameter and a first center substantially aligned with the cylinder axis and a second half-circle with the diameter and a second center spaced away from the first center, wherein the diameter is sufficiently greater than a diameter of the bolt shank to allow the bolt shank to move along the major axis of the slot while being substantially constrained from motion along the minor axis of the slot.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a plate having a first surface and a second surface, the threaded aperture extending between the first surface and the second surface therein, the plate being removably attachable to the second connection portion wherein the second surface of the plate is facing the outer surface of the second connection portion.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 ,

the plate having a mounting opening therein extending between the first surface and the second surface,

the outer surface of the second connection portion having a threaded mounting aperture therein,

wherein the plate can be positioned on the outer surface of the second connection portion with the threaded aperture in alignment with the axial hole and coupled to the second connection portion using a mounting bolt passing through the mounting opening and engaging the mounting aperture.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , a diameter of the mounting opening being oversized relative to a shank diameter of the mounting bolt, wherein a lateral position of the plate relative to the second connection portion is adjustable when the mounting bolt is extending through the mounting opening and engaged in the mounting aperture.

6 . The apparatus of claim 3 , the plate having a coupler extension depending from the inner surface of the plate and with a portion of the threaded aperture therein, wherein when plate is attached to the second connection portion, at least part of the coupler extension is within the axial hole of the second connection portion.

7 . The apparatus of claim 3 , the first connecting part further comprising an alignment opening in the first connecting part outer surface,

the plate having an alignment member extending away from the second surface and having dimensions compatible with dimension of the alignment opening.

8 . A building support assembly comprising:

a plurality of support members. each respective support member comprising:

a hollow support beam having an interior and extending along a respective central axis from a first end to a second end, the first end of the support having a respective first connection portion attached thereto and the second end of the support having a respective second connection portion attached thereto;

the respective first connection portion comprising an outer surface substantially perpendicular to the respective central axis and an inner surface adjacent the interior of the support, the first connection portion having a bore therein from the outer surface to the inner surface, the inner surface defining a shoulder adjacent the bore, an inner wall extending upwards from the shoulder; and

the respective second connection portion comprising an outer surface having an axial hole passing therethrough into the interior of the support;

at least one coupler, each respective coupler having a threaded aperture therein and attachable to the second connection portion to position the threaded aperture in alignment with the axial hole of the second connection portion, each threaded aperture sized to be engaged by a threaded portion of a respective bolt with a shank having a shank diameter;

at least one bushing, each bushing comprising a cylindrical body with a top and a bottom and a cylinder axis, an elongated slot therein and a flange extending radially outward from the cylindrical body, the elongated slot having a length defining a major axis intersecting the cylinder axis and having a width less than the length and greater than the shank diameter, the bushing being mountable within the bore at the second end of the first connection portion of a respective support member with the bushing flange engaging the shoulder, the bushing being rotatable within the first connection portion when so mounted to allow adjustment of a rotational position of the slot relative to the central axis of the respective support member, wherein when a respective bolt is passed through the slot, the bolt shank is movable along the major axis of the slot.

9 . The assembly of claim 8 , wherein for each respective bushing the slot is racetrack shaped and has a contour comprising a first half-circle with a diameter and first center substantially aligned with the cylinder axis and a second half-circle with the diameter and a second center spaced away from the first center, wherein the diameter is sufficiently greater than a diameter of the bolt shank to allow the bolt shank to move along the major axis of the slot while being substantially constrained from motion along the minor axis of the slot.

10 . The assembly of claim 8 further comprising a bushing placement tool comprising a tool head mounted to an end of an elongated member, the tool head comprising a pair of grasping arms configured to selectively engage the slot in a respective bushing to securely hold the respective bushing, the bushing placement tool being usable to pass a respective bushing engaged in the tool through the second connection portion of a respective support member and seat the bushing in the first connection portion of the respective support member.

11 . The assembly of claim 8 , each respective coupler comprises a plate having a first surface and a second surface, the threaded aperture extending between the first surface and the second surface therein, the coupler mountable on the outer surface of a respective second connection with the threaded aperture in alignment with the axial hole of the second connection portion.

12 . A method for assembling a structure using a plurality of bolts, each bolt having a head with a head diameter and a shank with a shank diameter less than the head diameter, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of building modules and bushings,

each respective module comprising a vertical support member positioned along a vertical edge and extending from substantially a bottom of the respective building module to a top of the respective building module, each respective support member comprising an elongated hollow body having a central axis, a first connection portion at a bottom of the vertical support member and a second connection portion at the top of the vertical support member, the first connection portion comprising a respective outer surface substantially perpendicular to the central axis and a respective inner surface adjacent the interior of the support, the first connection portion having a bore therein from the outer surface to the inner surface, the inner surface defining a shoulder adjacent the bore and an inner wall extending upwards from the shoulder, the second connection portion of the respective support member having an axial hole therein large enough to allow a respective bolt and respective bushing to freely pass fully through and into the interior of the hollow body;

each respective bushing comprising a cylindrical body with a top and a bottom and a cylinder axis, an elongated slot therein and a flange extending radially outward from the cylindrical body, the elongated slot having a length defining a major axis intersecting the cylinder axis and having a width less than the length and greater than a diameter of a shank of the bolt;

(b) placing a first building module having a first support member on a substrate;

(c) providing a coupler having a first threaded aperture therein;

(d) attaching the coupler to the second connection portion of the first support member so the first threaded aperture is substantially in alignment with the axial hole of the second connection portion of the first support member;

(e) placing a second building module having a second support member on first building module so that the second support member is aligned with the first support member of the first building module within a predefined alignment tolerance;

(f) mounting a bushing in the bore at the second end of the first connection portion of the second support member with the bushing flange engaging the shoulder;

(g) rotating the mounted bushing to align the slot in the bushing with the threaded aperture in the coupler attached to the first support member;

(h) attaching the second support member to the first support member using a bolt that has been inserted into the second support member through the second connection portion, and positioned so a shank of the bolt extends through the slot of the bushing and axial bore of the first connection portion of the second support member and engages the threaded aperture in the coupler on the first support member.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of mounting the bushing comprises the steps of:

providing a bushing placement tool comprising a tool head mounted to an end of an elongated member, the tool head comprising a pair of grasping arms configured to selectively engage the slot in the bushing to securely hold the bushing; and

using the bushing placement tool to grasp the bushing, pass the bushing through the second connection portion of the second support member and seat the bushing in the first connection portion of the second support member.

14 . The method of claim 12 , the coupler comprising a coupler plate having a first surface and a second surface, the threaded aperture extending between the first surface and the second surface therein,

the step of attaching the coupler to the second connection portion of the first support member comprising attaching the plate to the second connection portion of the first support member wherein the second surface of the plate is facing the outer surface of the second connection portion of the first support member.