US3190407A - Partition with a metal framework - Google Patents

Description

June 22, 1965 Filed July '15, 1960 J. J. A. GRISARD ETAL PARTITION WITH A METAL FRAMEWORK 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS JEAN JOSEPH ARTHUR GRISARD MARCEL JEAN ARTHUR GRISARD ATTORNEYS n 1955 J. J. A. GRISARD ETAL 3,190,407

PARTITION WITH A METAL FRAMEWORK Filed July 13, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2' II'TI V, YIIIIIII IN VENTOR S.

JEAN JOSEPH ARTHUR GRISARD MARCEL JEAN ARTHUR GRISARD BY MJK' 5* ATTORNEYS J1me 1965 J. .1. A. GRISARD ETAL 3,190,407

PARTITION WITH A METAL FRAMEWORK 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 13. 1960 INVENTORS.

JEAN JOSEPH ARTHUR GRISARD MARCEL JEAN ARTHUR GRISARD ATTORNEYS m 1965 J. J. A. GRISAYRD ETAL 3,

PARTITION WITH A METAL FRAMEWORK Filed July 13, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 42 36 43 gigiq. 3? v I I r i y I, I I; M I w? F e. a.

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J. J. A. GRISARD ETAL PARTITION WITH A METAL FRAMEWORK 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS JEAN JOSEPH ARTHUR GRIS'ARD MARCEL JEAN ARTHUR GRISARD BY M AU- ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,190,4tl7 PARTITl'GN WITH A METAL FRAMEWGRK Jean l oseph Arthur Grisard, 93 Blvd. St. Michel, Etterbeeir, Belgium, and Marcel Jean Arthur Grisard, 51 Ave. des Croix du Feu, Brussels, Belgium Filed July 13, 196i), Ser. No. 42,653 Claims priority, application Belgium, July 17,1959, 460,313, Patent 580,897; lune 24, 196i), 3%,868, Patent 592,242

1 Claim. (Cl. 189-34) The object of the present invention is to provide a partition with metal framework, of the kind consisting of mostly equidistant uprights joined by cross-beams and in which the spaces enclosed in these boundaries are closed by panels resting against the corresponding parts of aforesaid uprights and cross-beams.

A first feature of the present invention is to be found in the use, as well for the uprights as for the cross-beams, of identical box girders of rectangular cross-section, two opposite parallel faces of which are open and provided with two free edges bent outwards so as to form a rabbet along each narrow longitudinal side of aforesaid girder.

Another feature of the present invention is to be found in the mutual combination of aforesaid uprights and cross-beams so as to form on either side of the spaces enclosed by the adjacent parts of aforesaid uprights and cross-beams, continuous rabbets in which filling panels can be let-in on all four sides.

Another feature of the present invention is also to be found in the interconnection or fastening of adjacent uprights and cross-beams by means of connecting pieces which are entirely housed inside the corresponding parts of aforesaid uprights and cross-beams.

A further feature of the present invention is also to be found in the fact that aforesaid connecting elements between uprights and cross-beams consist of a minimum number of parts, and namely of two simple metal strips which go right through an upright and through which, near either end, there is a pressure screw bearing onto the corresponding part of the Web of the adjoining crossbeams.

Another feature of the present invention is to be found in the fact that all open parts of the uprights and crossbeams are closed by cover strips fastened to aforesaid uprights and cross-beams by elastic means in such way that, although out of sight, they can be easily and rapidly assembled and disassembled without use of any special tools.

Finally, a further feature of the present invention is also to be found in the combination between aforesaid cover-strips, the corresponding part of the uprights and cross-beams, the panels held in their places by aforesaid cover-strips in the rabbets delimited by aforesaid uprights and cross-beams and the elastic fastening elements which unite aforesaid cover-strips with aforesaid adjacent uprights.

These various features, when adequately combined, make it possible to erect partitions of any size and for all applications, such partitions being apt to be extended in one or several planes. They can be built either as described above, or also by combining aforesaid features and characteristics with any known material or means known as such but which make it possible to impart to aforesaid partition any qualities required in connection with the intended applications.

Thus, the panels can bear against the bottom of the rabbets of adjacent parts of the uprights and cross-beams, by means of sealing inserts. The space between front and rear panels of a given partition can be filled with any convenient filling material.

The fastening means between uprights and cross-beams All are variable, and any convenient material, such as metal, plastics, etc. can be used, whilst in a general way, all metal parts will be made of aluminum or of an aluminum alloy.

In order to show more clearly the advantages obtained through aforesaid objects and features of the present invention, various embodiments are described in greater detail below, whereby the description does not imply nor convey any limitations and is given with reference to the appended drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a fundamental element of the metal framework conforming to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of part of a metal section which is particularly suitable for the uprights and the cross-beams as well;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, with partial crosssection, of the connection between uprights and crossbeams of the metal framework;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are cross-sections along lines IV-IV and V--V respectively of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of part of an upright and two connecting elements for adjacent cross-beams;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a fundamental element of a partition conforming to the present invention;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-section along the line VIII-VIII of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a cross-section similar to that of FIG- URE 8, but of an alternative fixing device of the coverstrip;

FIGURE 10 shows in cross-section how a corner how a corner can be made by a combination of the partitions consisting of the metal framework, object of the present invention;

FIGURES 11, 12 and 13 are cross-sections of three alternative types of the metal section represented in FIGURE 2.

As shown in FIGURES 1 to 8, the partition with metal framework according to the present invention substantially consists of uprights 1, which are mostly equally spaced, interconnected by cross-beams 2. These uprights and cross-beams are made of identical metal sections open on two opposite parallel faces. In one preferred form of embodiment, this metal section, as represented in FIGURE 2, in a box girder reinforced by at least one central web 3 and having on two opposite faces an opening 4-5 respectively, the free edges of which, 6, 7, 8, 9 respectively, forming the boundaries of these openings being bent at right angles so as to form along the longitudinal faces 10, 11, 12, 13 of the girder, continuous rabbets, i4, 15, 16, 17 respectively.

For fastening together the uprights and adjacent crossbeams, by elements duly hidden inside aforesaid metal sections, use will preferably be made of two fiat strips of metal 18, 19 passing through openings 20, 21, 22, 23, cut into the corresponding parts of the wider faces 24, 25 of the metal section; near each end of aforesaid flat metal strips 18, 19, a tapped hole, 26, 27, 28, 29 respectively, is provided and through each one of those holes a screw 3t), 3t, 32, 33 is engaged, the free conical end of which digs itsef into the web 3 of the corresponding cross-beam.

Aforesaid screws can be normally handled through the openings 445 of the corresponding cross-beams.

In this way, a metal frame is obtained by means of identical orthogonal elements disposed as required by the number of panels which are needed in each particular case.

Starting from this metal framework a means of support, the partitions are completed in the following way: panels 34 are adjusted into the rabbets 14-17; most of the time, these panels will rest on the bottom of aforesaid rabbets through the medium of intermediate strips or layers 35 of some elastic. or plastic material acting as a seal; aforesaid panels are held into contact withaforesaid sealing elements by cover-strips 36 which in' turn are fastened to the uprights 1 by appropriate fasteners, such as the local fasteners 37 shown in cross section in FIGURE 8. In that particular instance, the coverstrips 36 consist of special metal sections provided with two L-shaped longitudinal edges 3839 which form a good contact surface with theunderlying panel 34, and

panels]. Such fillings are represented diagrammatically in "I FIGURES 8, 9 and 10, where they are'referred to by two central longitudinal ribs 40-41 of which each one delimits an inner groove, 42-43 respectively, into which.

the head of the elastic fastener 37 is held.

The outer parallel faces of aforesaid ribs 40-41 are preferably spaced by a distance which is practically equal to the'width ofthe openings 4-5 of aforesaid uprights 1, so as to produce a certain box-like fit between aforesaid cover-strips and aforesaid uprights. The latter can have numerous alternative shapes, namely in connection with the desired resistance and stability of the structure. FIGURE 11 represents a cross-section of a first alternative shape in which the box-like element is reinforced by several webs 3; in FIGURE 12,another optional shape is represented, in which two such webs 3 act as boundaries to a space into which some means of reinforcement 44, such assteel for instance, is housed.

In another preferredform of embodiment, aforesaid metal sections used as well for the uprights asfor the cross-beams can be shaped so asto make it possible to use a very special system of clip-fastening such as has been described in the Belgian Patent'No. 37,972 and No. 39,853. With this end in view, the edges 6, 7, 8, 9 of the metal section are provided on their inner face with one or more tooth-like projections45-46. As' shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, the metal sections made in that way 7 can be used to clip into place cover-strips 47 of a much simpler design. In this case in fact, the inner ribs 48-49 .need simply be terminated by a widened part of the triangular shape, 50, 51 respectively, which can engage aforesaid teeth 45-46. By making an adequate choice of the position, of the shape and of the dimensions of aforesaid teeth, it is possible to adjust the relative position between the uprights andthe cross-beams 1, 2 of the metalframework and the cover-strips 47,for instance in connection with the thickness of the panels 34 used for closing the partitions.

In this way, such partitions can be built by choosing a very limited number of different elements, the fundamental characteristic obtained in this way being that the cover-strips are directly fastened to the uprights and cross-beams without a separate intermediate elastic part.

Aforesaid metal framework as well as the panels used in connection therewith can of course be designed in a large variety of ways, so that the present invention makes it possible to attain, with the smallest possible number the number 52.

The present invention concerns as well the metal framework as its special constituent parts disclosed by the present invention, and also anypartition inwhich aforesaid metalfrarnework is employed.

What I claim is:

A partition wall comprising parallel spaced uprights, parallel spaced cross-beams interconnecting said uprights, each of said uprights and cross-beams-having an identical rectangular cross-sectionand comprising at least one reinforcement web extending between two opposite parallel faces of said rectangular cross-section, each of the other two opposite parallel faces having a longitudinal opening and flanges connected to the'edges ofsaid open- ;ing and extending outwardly perpendicular to said web and forming a continuous panel-embracing and support-' ing rabb'et, connecting means'consisting of atleast one strip extending perpendicularly through each upright and connected with the web of the adjacent cross-beam for i interconnecting said uprights. and cross-beams. with the webs thereof located in a samev vertical plane, panels bearing against the rabbets of said uprights and cros beams, and'enclosing the spaces between said uprights and cross-beams, and cover-strips'engaged in the openings of said uprights and cross-beams for holding said panels'in saidrabbets.

7 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS l40,45 5 7/73 Bonzano 18936 2,169,388 8/39 Ingram et a1. 18934 2,441,890 5/48 Larkin 18936 2,706,541 4/55 Crown l8934 2,815,832 12/57 Schwartz 189.-34

3,034,609 5/62 Young; 189-34 3,037,593 6/62 Webster; 18934 3,040,847 6/ 62 Webster 189-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 836,772 6/ Great Britain. 50,592 7/ 41 Netherlands.

NACKENOFF, Examiners. V

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