US2877877A - Panel wall construction - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1959 H. N. DAvls, JR

y PANEL WALL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 23, 195'? HUGH N.DAv\s,JR.

A Trakls/EY March 17, 1959 Filed Sepfc. 25, 1957 H. N. DAVIS, JR 2,877,877

PANEL WALL CONSTRUCTION f BY ATTORNEY United States PatentI O PANEL WALL CONSTRUCTION Hugh N. Davis, Jr., Miami, Fla.

Application September 23, 1957, Serial No. 685,544

Claims. (Cl. 189-85) This invention relates to metallic building structures and particularly to a prefabricated framework for securely anchoring a plurality of relatively large metallic sheets to present a smooth uninterrupted surface having no projections such as rivets, bolts or nailheads.

The invention is primarily designed to provide a iinished surface, such as that for forming exterior wall surfaces for buildings, swimming pools, storage tanks and various other forms of shell forming means that may he quickly and easily assembled by prefabricated parts constituting a framework and with the sheets being quickly and easily anchored to the framework in a permanent manner and with the entire assembly and anchoring of the sheets being accomplished on the exterior surface without the necessity of the mechanics being obliged to reach behind the assembly at any time.

As an example, where the invention is to be employed in the forming of swimming pools, the ground is first excavated to the required depth, after which the framework is assembled and connected to overlie the bottom and the side walls and with the framework comprising framing members and connectors and with the framing members being lixedly riveted to the connectors so as to present a rigid structure after which, the sheets of metal are engaged with the framework and the connectors in a novel manner to be permanently connected in a substantially water-tight manner after which, back-fill is preferably disposed within the excavation to contact the rear surfaces of the sheets to prevent outward exing of the sheets under the weight of water contained within the pool. such use, readily adapts itself to any surface to be covered Where it is diicult, if not impossible to make any connections at the rear side of the framing.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the Yfollowing description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings: l

Figure 1 is a face view illustrating the connection of four adjacent metallic sheets to an assembled fragmentary portion of a fabricated framework,

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a composite perspective view of associated elements embodied in the assembly,

Figure 5 is a transverse section through one frame member showing the initial engagement of the wall forming sheets therewith,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but illustrating a second step of assembling a clamping member with respect to the frame member and the sheets,

The device, while particularly adaptable for4 trating the final clamping engagement of the sheets with Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 5 and 6 but illusrespect to the frame members,

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a wedging pin employed in the clamping action and,

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a group of sheets in assembled relation with respect to the fabricated framework.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a preferably die-cast connector having right `angle leg portions 6 that are of channel form. The central portion, indicated at 7 is slotted at 8 and with the side walls of the slots being upwardly converging. Each.

of the leg portions 6 are apertured at 9 for a purpose to be presently described.

Adapted to be connected with the several leg portions 6, are a plurality of framing members, indicated as a whole by the numeral 10. Members 10 are generally rectangular in cross-section for engagement within the channels andthe legs 6 to be flush with the top edges thereof. The members 10 are preferably extruded from4 aluminum or other desirable metal having sucient rigidity and the members 10 are slotted along their tops, as at 11. The side walls of the slots are upwardly converging from a bottom wall 12. The slots 11 and their converging side Walls 13 are identical with and have mating engagement with the slots 8 of the connectors 5 and at assembly, the slots 11 in effect are continuedacross the surface 7 of the connector. The terminal endsy of the frame members 10 are apertured at 14 and with the apertures 14 having mating engagement with the` apertures 9 for the reception of bolts or rivets 15, see particularly Figures 2 and 3. The connectors 5 and the several frame members 1t) are assembled in the manner illustrated and with the spacing between the connectors 5 being calculated in accordance with the size of sheets of metal 16 to be supported thereon. The sheets 16 have their marginal edges bent at a right angle to form connecting anges 17.

Means are provided to permanently lix the sheets with respect to the frame members and the connectors 5, comprising a plurality of locking bars, indicated as a wholeby the numeral 18. Each of the locking bars comprise a head portion 19 and leg portions 20. The leg portions have inner walls 21 that are beveled and converge down;y

Operation When a wall area is to be constructed, the several` connectors 5 and framing members 10 are first assembled:

and Vrigidly connected together by the rivets or bolts 15. Where the device is to form a facing for various structures, such as buildings, the connectors S will obviously be connected at their predetermined points of spacing upon the structure of the building. The several frame members 1l) having been connected with the connectors 5, a skeleton frame has now been provided for the recep- .tion of the several sheets 16 that constitutes the facing.

The sheets 16 are then engaged with the framework by disposing the several flanges 17 into the slots 11 and the slots 8 of the connectors. With the flanges 17 engaged within the slots, the bars 18 are then forced between a pair of adjacent anges 17 to the full depth of the slots and with the head portion 19 being flush with the outer surfaces of the sheets, see particularly Figure 6. With The side walls the bars in position, the pins 24 are driven through the apertures 23, spreading the legs` 20 apart and bending the flanges 17 into rm contacting engagement with the walls 13 of the frames, thus securely anchoring the sheets with respect to the frame' members, one ybar 18 may extend across and through the slot 8 of the connector and with a right angle bar 19 having abutting engagement therewith. The pins 24 are longitudinally serrated so as to cut into the metal to have a permanent connection therewith against displacement. This procedure is con tinued until all of the sheets 16 are securely anchored with respect to the frame members and the connectors 5. The pins 24 at their major depth of engagement have their upper ends Hush with the heads 19 of the bars 18 and also flush with the faces of the sheets 16, presenting a smooth area free of any projections. It may be found desirable to have the several joints treated with a seal compound to insure against air or water leakage. As previously stated, when the shell formed by the frame members of the sheets 16 are to be employed as the lining for a swimming pool or the like, an earth back-fill will be disposed in back of the structure to prevent outward bulging or exing of the sheets.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that an extremely simple and easily installed surface covering has been provided. The frame members 10 and the bars 1S may be extruded in a well known manner and with the several connectors being die-cast of suitable metal and whereby the entire assembly is prefabricated and assembled in a minimum of time and resulting in a very considerable saving in labor costs. As before pointed out, with the frame work assembled, the entire group of sheets may be engaged with the frame and connected by the bars 18 and the wedge pins 24 without the necessity of any assembly Work behind the outer surface. The structure is cheap to manufacture, is strong, durable and highly effective for the purpose indicated.

While the invention contemplates the use of a flat wall structure, it will be clearly apparent that the frame members and the sheets may be arcuately formed to employ the device for curved sections, such as the corners of swimming pools, cylindrical tanks or the skin covering of aircraft and the device is in no sense restricted to a flat wall forming structure.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A metallic panel wall construction comprising a framework consisting of frame members and connectors, the connectors having right angle and oppositely directed channelled leg portions, the frame members being of channel form and extending between the connectors and with the terminal ends of the frame members engaging within the channelled leg portions of the connectors, means xedly connecting the frame members to the connectors, the upper edges of the frame members being flush with the upper edges of the connectors, metallic panel forming sheets having their marginal edges bent to a right angle to form peripheral anges, the anges of each sheet engaging within adjacent channels of the frame members in spaced apart and parallel relation, a locking bar engaged within the channel of the frame members between the adjacent anges and having its outer side tlush with the surfaces of the panels, the locking bars having bendable leg portions and wedges driven through the bars spreading the legs apart and bending the flanges in clamped engagement against the side walls of the channels, the said connectors having a central body portion that is grooved at a right angle and with the grooves conforming to and in alignment with the channels of the frame members.

2. The structure according to claim l, wherein the channels of the frame members and the grooves of the connectors have side walls that are upwardly converging and whereby the flanges when bent outwardly under the inuence of the spreading apart of the leg portions of the locking bars have interlocking engagement with the frame members and the connectors.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the connectors have right angled channelled leg portions and with thev said channels being dimensioned to receive the ends of the frame members in ush arrangement, the frame members having a riveted connection with the leg portions of the connectors.

4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the frame members have an upwardly opening channel and with the channel having side walls that are upwardly converging, the channels of each frame member receiving the tlanges of adjacent panels in spaced apart relation, the spacing of the flanges corresponding to the thickness of the locking bars whereby the locking bar readily ts therebetween, the spreading of the legs of the locking bar forcing the flanges to conform to the angularity of the side Walls of the channels.

5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the locking bars include a head portion and a pair of leg portions, the inner walls of the leg portions being divergent upwardly to the head portion to form a longitudinally extending wedge-shaped opening for the full length of the bars, the said bars having their head por tions apertured at spaced apart points and pins driven through the apertures for simultaneously engaging the side walls of the leg portions for forcing the legs apart, the said pins having tapered end portions and with the sides of the pins being longitudinally serrated for biting engagement into the walls of the apertures.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,082,241 Bennett June 1, 1937 2,378,163 Thomas June 12, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 997,902 France Sept. 19, 1951 525,013 Belgium Dec. 31, 1953

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