GB1605101A - Wall construction - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATMG TO A WALL CONSTRUCTION (71) We, INOX WANDTECHNIEK, a Dutch body corporate of Stadhoudersplein 70, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be par ticularly described in and by the following staternent : - This invention relates to a wall construction comprising a frame consisting of substantially hollow, rigid beams and uprights which are attached to each other by attachment means, said beams and uprights being provided with at least one longitudinally extending slot for application therein or attachment thereto of retaining means enabling wall panels and/or glass panes to be secured within the frame.

Such wall constructions are generally known and are frequently used, e.g. as partitions so as to compartmentalize existing spaces in buildings. With such wall constructions it is desirable to have available a construction that is as solid as possible and which can furthermore be built up in the shortest period of time possible, which is of particular importance from an economic viewpoint.

It is an object of the present invention to prwide a wall construction complying with the above-mentioned requirements, i.e. a wall construction that is as solid or more solid than prior art comparable wall constructions and which can be built up in a shorter period of time than the prior art wall constructions.

The above object according to the invention is achieved with a wall construction of the above-described type, wherein the attachment means for attaching the beams and uprights to each other each comprise an elongate body of synthetic material having a specific elasticity which is provided adjacent one end with an eye-shaped opening and at the other end is provided with projections or ridges perpendicular to the axis of the body, said body being arranged in the interior of an upright or beam, adjacent an end thereof, and as a result of the profile of wall sections within the interior of the upright or beam, said body is retained in a location at the centre of the cross-section of the upright or beam, while the body so extends in the upright or beam that the eye-shaped opening Ses opposite openings in said wall sections at positions on the upright or beam spaced from said end, while the end of the body with the projections or ridges projects beyond the end of the up right or beam and extends through the longitudinal slot in the beam or upright to which the upright or beam is attached, said projections or ridges extending underneath the walls of the beam or upright adjoining the slot, and a bolt-shaped member comprising a shaft and a head provided with means for rotating the member about its axis, which member extends through the openings in said wall sections of the upright or beam and through the eye-shaped opening in the elongate body, while the bolt-shaped member is provided with an eccentric ridge on the shaft, said eccentric ridge being situated within the eyeshaped opening of the elongate body.

The wall construction according to the invention can be very rapidly built up and has a high solidity in completed form, partly due to the particular construction of the attachment means for attaching the beams and uprights to each other. For the purpose of attaching there is disposed in the end of a e.g. the upright member, the elongated body (the latch member) such that the projections at the lower end of the latch member extend beyond the end of the upright member. The bolt-shaped element is disposed thereafter. The upright member is provided therefor at the respective location with holes in the wall sections on either side of the location where the eye of the latch member is present. At the one side this is a hole such that the head of the bolt-shaped element fits precisely therein. At the other side it is a hole of lesser diameter such that the end of the bolt fits therein. The bolt-shaped element is inserted in the opening formed by the holes and the eye so that the eccentric ridge on the bolt is present in the eye and is oriented towards the end of the latch member where the projections are present. The inner side of the eye rests thereby on the bolt at the side opposite the ridge. The upright member with the latch member is thereafter attached to a beam by bringing the upright member, rotated through a quarter of a circle, with the end opposite the beam and subsequently applying same thereagainst so that the projections of the latch member pass through the slot in the beam. By again rotating the upright member hereafter through a quarter of a circle, the upright member arrives in the proper position relative to the beam and the projections of the latch member are moved underneath the walls on either side of the slot. Hereafter the bolt-shaped element is rotated through half a circle so that the eccentric ridge is moved towards the side facing away from the projections of the latch member. Through said movement of the ridge the latch member is further drawn in the upright member and the walls of the beam are tightlyclamped between the end of the upright member and the projections of the latch member.

A solid connection between beam and upright member is the result.

It will be clear that it is irrelevant in the above-described wall construction whether a beam is attached to an upright or an upright to a beam. The manner of attachment will be determined by practical considerations.

The latch member in the wall construction according to the invention should naturally be disposed in the proper position in the end of the respective upright so that upon the positioning of the upright on the adjoining beam, the projections are located in the proper position above the slot in the adjoining beam.

In order to ensure a proper positioning of the latch member, the elongated body in a preferred embodiment of the wall construction according to the invention is prwided with a plurality of ribs extending longitudinally of the body on either side of the axis thereof by which ribs there is defined a number of slots, which slots, in case of positioning of the body in an upright or beam accommodate ribs of the internal wall sections of the up right or beam.

The bolt-shaped element is furthermore preferably provided with a flat head in the top surface whereof there is disposed a groove, the axis of said groove extending parallel to the direction wherein the eccentric ridge projects on the shaft of the bolt-shaped element.

The wall construction according to the present invention comprises a frame of beams and uprights attached to each other in the above described manner. In the thus construted frame there may be arranged wall panels and/or glass panes and retained therein by means of suitable members. In a preferred embodiment of the wall construction according to the invention the retaining means for wall panels each comprise a substantially sheet-like member of synthetic material having a specific elasticity and having a maximum length that is smaller than the width of an upright or beam, which sheet-like member is provided at the bottom surface at least adjacent the ends with recesses so that at the end in transverse direction of the sheet-like member ribs upstand from the bottom surface, and which member is furthermore provided at the bottom surface with means for attaching the member in a slot in an upright or beam, while the sheet-like member at the top surface is provided with two wings extending from a location in or adjacent the centre and to either side, the wings extending in longitudinal direction outwardly at an angle relative to the plane of the member, whereby the ends of the perpendicular projection of the wings onto the sheet-like member are slightly spaced from and within the short sides of the sheet-like member.

Preferably in such a retaining means the attachment means comprise a substantially cylindrical member extending vertically at the centre from the bottom surface of the sheetlike member, said cylindrical member being provided at the end with two projections that extend in the same direction as and are parallel to the long sides of the sheet-like member, whereby the diameter of the substantially cylindrical member and the width of the projections is not larger than the width of the slot in an upright or beam.

Upon application of the above-described retaining means, during the building up of the wall construction according to the invention, a plurality of such retaining means are attached in the frame in spaced apart relationship. This attachment may be simply effected by holding a retaining means to be attached in such a way that the projections on the substantially cylindrical member extend parallel to the slot of the upright to which the retaining means has to be attached. Subsequently, the cylindrical member with the projections are passed through the slot and the retaining means is rotated through a quarter of a circle.

The projections then extend underneath the walls bounding the slot and the retaining means is thus retained in the slot. The sheetlike member of the retaining means is thus so oriented that the largest dimension is perpendicular to the slot. Also the upwardly inclined wings are substantially perpendicular to the slot.

When thus a plurality of retaining means have been arranged in the frame, a wall panel is disposed in the frame. The wall panel is then so positioned that if finds support on the respective sheet-like members of the retaining means and is supported against the upright wings on that side of each retaining means.

Thereafter lists with an angle section are disposed. Such lists comprise basically two walls perpendicular to each other. The wall that is clamped between the sheet-like members and the subjacent upright should thereby be pr vided at the end with an upright portion or edge, so that said edge hooks behind the rib at the bottom side of the sheet-like member.

The upright wall of the list rests against the outer face of the wall panel. The wall panel is thus clamped between the upright walls of the lists and the upright wings of the retaining means. The wall panels preferably have a thickness larger than the distance between the end of the perpendicular projection of a wing onto the sheet-like member and the adjacent short end of the sheet-like member. The specific elasticity of the material of the retaining means thereby allows that the wings in such case bend slightly inwardly, while as a result of their resiliency they firmly press against the surface of the respective wall panel abutting with its opposite surface against the upright wall of the lists.

e invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein the single figure is a perspective view of a part of a preferred embodiment of the wall construction according to the invention, where in a plurality of parts are shown transparently, in order to clearly show the relevant parts of the wall construction, while some parts are partly shown in cross-section.

The figure shows a corner of the frame which is employed in the wall construction according to the invention. The frame comprises beams and uprights, e.g. of aluminum.

In the depicted part there is shown a portion of a beam 1 on which a partly shown upright 2 is attached. The beams and uprights have basically the same construction and comprise in the depicted configuration two U-shaped beams 3 and 4 oriented towards each other, which are interconnected by the inwardly arranged profile wall sections 5 and 6. The build-up of beam 1 and upright 2 is such that in the centre of the large surfaces thereof there are present slots 7, 8 which extend longitudinally of beam 1 and upright 2, respectively.

Wall sections 5 and 6 are such that they are provided in the depicted manner with up standing ribs 9 (with section 5) and 10 (with section 6) oriented towards the centre of the beam 1 and upright 2. Each wall section has two of such ribs 9 or 10 which extend in spaced apart relationship and being parallel to each other and to slots 7 or 8.

The upright 2 in the completed form of the wall construction according to the invention is secured to beam 1, which is effected by the shown embodiment through the fastener or latch member 11. The latch member 11 comprises an elongated body of synthetic material having a specific elasticity. At one end said latch member Ii is provided with an eye-shaped opening 12. At the other end the latch member is provided with projections 13 which are perpendicular to the axis of the body. On either side of the body of the latch member 11 there are present a plurality of ribs 14 extending longitudinally of the body. The number of the ribs 14 and their arrangement is such that a desired number of slots 15 is provided thereby. When disposing the latch member 11 in the end of upright 2, the ribs 9 and 10 of sections 5 and 6 precisely fit in said slots 15 so that the latch member is kept precisely in the middle of upright 2 and can slide in longitudinal direction thereof.

At one side of upright 2 the walls of the U-beams 3 and 4 are provided at some dis tance from the end of the upright with recesses which together define an opening 16. At the same level the internal wall section 6 is provided with a similar opening (not shown), while the internal wall section 5 is also provided with an opening but having a smaller diameter. The latch member 11 is so disposed in the end of upright 2 that the eye 12 is aligned with said openings. In a completed wall construction the bolt-shaped member 17 is inserted through said series of openings.

The bolt-shaped member 17 comprises a cen tral shaft 18 and a flat head 20 having a groove 19. Furthermore there is present on shaft 18, directly adjacent head 20, an eccentric ridge 21. The diameter of shaft 18 is slightly less than the diameter of the opening (not shown) in the section 5. The diameter of head 20 is slightly less than the diameter of opening 16 and of the opening in the section 6, but larger than the dimension of the eye-shaped opening 12 as measured in the longitudinal or vertical direction of the latch member 11. The largest dimension of shaft 18 and ridge 21 as measured perpendicular to the axis of the bolt-shaped member 17 is substantially equal to but slightly smaller than the dimension of the opening 12 as measured in the longitudinal direction of the latch member 11.

For securing the upright 2 to beam 1, the latch member 11 is moved in the end of upright 2 until the eye-shaped opening 12 is adjacent the opening 16 and the openings in sections 5 and 6 concentric therewith. Subsequently, the bolt-shaped member 17 is inserted through said openings, while the ridge 21 is present at the side that is oriented towards the bottom end of upright 2. The end of shaft 18 thereby extends into the opening in section 5, the head 20 being present precisely in the space formed by the opening 16 and the opening in section 6. In this position the end of the latch member 11 with pro jection 13 projects from the bottom side of upright 2. The upright 2 is subsequently oriented and positioned transversely to the beam 1 so that the end of the latch member 11 with projections 13 moves through the slot 7 in the top surface of beam 1. Hereafter the upright 2 is rotated through a quarter of a circle, whereby the depicted position is produced. The projections 13 then extend under- neath the walls of the U-beams 3 and 4 bounding the slot 7. Subsequently the bolt 17 is rotated through half a circle, e.g. by means of a screwdriver to be positioned in groove 19.

As a result the eccentric ridge 21 on the side of bolt 17 faces away from the bottom end of upright 2. The latch member 11 of synthetic material is thereby slightly moved um wardly so that the projections 13 are drawn against the under-surfaces of the walls of the U-beams 3 and 4 bounding the slot 7. This results in a solid connection between upright 2 and beam 1.

In a frame which in the above-described manner comprises beams and uprights attached to each other there are optionally arranged glass panes and wall panels. For securing wall panels use may be suitably made of retaining means of resilient material, one of which is shown in the drawing, partly in cross-section.

The retaining means preferably employed comprises a sheet-like member 22 provided at the under-surface with recesses extending over the surfac such that along the short sides of the member there are formed ribs 23. In the centre of member 22 at the top surface thereof there are disposed raised wings 24 lying at an angle to the vertical and to member 22 itself. The wings 24 project from the sheet-like member 22 such that their perpendicular projection onto the member extends in the longitudinal direction thereof, while the ends of the projection lie within and spaced apart from the short sides of the member. At the bottom side of the member 22 there is furthermore provided in the centre a substantially cylindrical projecting portion 25, at the end of which there are present projections 26 which are substantially parallel to the under-surface of the member 22 and Cx- tending in longitudinal direction thereof. The projections 26 retain the member 22 in the represented position against the walls of beams 3 and 4 bounding the slot 7.

The attachment of the above-described retaining means to a beam or upright is effected by so arranging the member 22 that the projections 26 and the cylindrical portion 25 can enter the slot 7 or 8 in the respective beam or upright. After these parts have been lowered down in the slot the member 22 is rotated through a quarter of a circle so that the depicted position is obtained.

In the part of a frame where a wall panel has to be positioned, a number of the abovedescribed retaining means are spaced apart from each other in the surrounding beams and uprights. A wall panel is then positioned such that it substantially rests on the sheet-like members 22 and against the wings 24 at the respective side of the retaining means. The drawing shows a part of a wall panel 27. After positioning of the wall panel lists 28 are disposed along the circumference thereof. The drawing shows two lists 28 which have an angle-like section. The upright wall of lists 28 rests against the respective wall panel.

The horizontal wall of lists 28 is clamped between the member 22 of the retaining means and the wall of the U-beam 4 or 3.

The horizontal wall of lists 28 is provided with a ridge 29 which is caught by the rib 23 which projects on the bottom side of the member 22, so that the lists 28 are fixedly retained in position.

The wall panels 27 that are employed have preferably a thickness that is slightly larger than the distance from the end of the perpendicular projection of the wing 24 onto member 22 and the adjacent end thereof. In such case, upon the application and clamping of the lists 28, the wall panel 27 will be pressed against the wing 24 of the retaining means present on said side, and these wings 24 will be bent slightly inwardly through the resiliency of the material of the retaining means, the wings 24 will permanently press against the wall panel 27, so that this is fixedly clamped between the wings 24 and the lists 28.

For attaching glass panes in a frame of beams and uprights attached to each other according to the invention, use may be made of suitable clamps cooperating with the slots 7, 8 and lists, which are known to those skilled in the art and which need not be fur ther described herein.

Upon application of wall panels usually two of such panels are attached on either side in a frame. On the other hand usually a single glass pane is employed and this is arranged at the centre line of the beams and uprights of a frame. In such case it is undesirable that parts of the attachment means of the beams and uprights project above the slots 7, 8 in said parts. For this reason the bolt-shaped member 17 of the attachment means employed according to the invention is preferably provided with a flat head.

WHAT WE lie CLAIM IS:- 1. A wall construction comprising a frame consisting of substantially hollow, rigid beams and uprights, which are attached to each other by attachment means, said beams and uprights being provided with at least one longitudinally extending slot for application therein or attachment thereto of retaining means en ambling wall panels and/or glass panes, to be secured within the frame, characterized in that the attachment means for attaching the beams and uprights to each other each comprise an elongate body of synthetic material having a specific elasticity which is provided adjacent one end with an eye-shaped opening and at the other end is provided with projections or ridges perpendicular to the axis of the body, said body being arranged in the interior of

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (6)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. circle, whereby the depicted position is produced. The projections 13 then extend under- neath the walls of the U-beams 3 and 4 bounding the slot 7. Subsequently the bolt 17 is rotated through half a circle, e.g. by means of a screwdriver to be positioned in groove 19. As a result the eccentric ridge 21 on the side of bolt 17 faces away from the bottom end of upright 2. The latch member 11 of synthetic material is thereby slightly moved um wardly so that the projections 13 are drawn against the under-surfaces of the walls of the U-beams 3 and 4 bounding the slot 7. This results in a solid connection between upright 2 and beam 1. In a frame which in the above-described manner comprises beams and uprights attached to each other there are optionally arranged glass panes and wall panels. For securing wall panels use may be suitably made of retaining means of resilient material, one of which is shown in the drawing, partly in cross-section. The retaining means preferably employed comprises a sheet-like member 22 provided at the under-surface with recesses extending over the surfac such that along the short sides of the member there are formed ribs 23. In the centre of member 22 at the top surface thereof there are disposed raised wings 24 lying at an angle to the vertical and to member 22 itself. The wings 24 project from the sheet-like member 22 such that their perpendicular projection onto the member extends in the longitudinal direction thereof, while the ends of the projection lie within and spaced apart from the short sides of the member. At the bottom side of the member 22 there is furthermore provided in the centre a substantially cylindrical projecting portion 25, at the end of which there are present projections 26 which are substantially parallel to the under-surface of the member 22 and Cx- tending in longitudinal direction thereof. The projections 26 retain the member 22 in the represented position against the walls of beams 3 and 4 bounding the slot 7. The attachment of the above-described retaining means to a beam or upright is effected by so arranging the member 22 that the projections 26 and the cylindrical portion 25 can enter the slot 7 or 8 in the respective beam or upright. After these parts have been lowered down in the slot the member 22 is rotated through a quarter of a circle so that the depicted position is obtained. In the part of a frame where a wall panel has to be positioned, a number of the abovedescribed retaining means are spaced apart from each other in the surrounding beams and uprights. A wall panel is then positioned such that it substantially rests on the sheet-like members 22 and against the wings 24 at the respective side of the retaining means. The drawing shows a part of a wall panel 27. After positioning of the wall panel lists 28 are disposed along the circumference thereof. The drawing shows two lists 28 which have an angle-like section. The upright wall of lists 28 rests against the respective wall panel. The horizontal wall of lists 28 is clamped between the member 22 of the retaining means and the wall of the U-beam 4 or 3. The horizontal wall of lists 28 is provided with a ridge 29 which is caught by the rib 23 which projects on the bottom side of the member 22, so that the lists 28 are fixedly retained in position. The wall panels 27 that are employed have preferably a thickness that is slightly larger than the distance from the end of the perpendicular projection of the wing 24 onto member 22 and the adjacent end thereof. In such case, upon the application and clamping of the lists 28, the wall panel 27 will be pressed against the wing 24 of the retaining means present on said side, and these wings 24 will be bent slightly inwardly through the resiliency of the material of the retaining means, the wings 24 will permanently press against the wall panel 27, so that this is fixedly clamped between the wings 24 and the lists 28. For attaching glass panes in a frame of beams and uprights attached to each other according to the invention, use may be made of suitable clamps cooperating with the slots 7, 8 and lists, which are known to those skilled in the art and which need not be fur ther described herein. Upon application of wall panels usually two of such panels are attached on either side in a frame. On the other hand usually a single glass pane is employed and this is arranged at the centre line of the beams and uprights of a frame. In such case it is undesirable that parts of the attachment means of the beams and uprights project above the slots 7, 8 in said parts. For this reason the bolt-shaped member 17 of the attachment means employed according to the invention is preferably provided with a flat head. WHAT WE lie CLAIM IS:-

1. A wall construction comprising a frame consisting of substantially hollow, rigid beams and uprights, which are attached to each other by attachment means, said beams and uprights being provided with at least one longitudinally extending slot for application therein or attachment thereto of retaining means en ambling wall panels and/or glass panes, to be secured within the frame, characterized in that the attachment means for attaching the beams and uprights to each other each comprise an elongate body of synthetic material having a specific elasticity which is provided adjacent one end with an eye-shaped opening and at the other end is provided with projections or ridges perpendicular to the axis of the body, said body being arranged in the interior of

an upright or beam, adjacent an end thereof, and as a result of the profile of wall sections within the interior of the upright or beam, said body is retained in a location at the centre of the cross-section of the upright or beam while the body so extends in the upright or beam that the eye-shaped opening lies opposite openings in said wall sections at positions on the upright or beam spaced from said end, while the end of the body with the projections or ridges projects beyond the end of the upright or beam and extends through the longitudinal slot in the beam or upright to which the upright or beam is attached, said projections or ridges extending underneath the walls of the beam or upright adjoining the slot, and a bolt-shaped member comprising a shaft and a head provided with means for rotating the member about its axis, which member extends through the openings in said wall sections of the upright or beam and through the eye-shaped opening in the elongate body, while the bolt-shaped member is provided with an eccentric ridge on the shaft, said eccentric ridge being situated within the eye-shaped opening of the elongate body.

2. A wall construction according to claim 1, characterized in that the elongate body provided with a plurality of ribs extending longitudinally of the body on either side of the axis thereof, said ribs defining a plurality of slots, which slots accomodate upstanding ribs of the internal wall sections of the upright or beam.

3. A wall construction according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the boltshaped member is provided with a flat head in the top surface of which there is applied a groove, the axis of the groove extending parallel to the direction in which the eccentric ridge projects on the shaft of the bolt-shaped member.

4. A wall construction according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and including retaining means for wall panels, characterized in that the retaining means each comprise a substantially sheet-like member of synthetic material having a specific resiliency with a maximum length that is smaller than the width of an upright or beam, which sheet-like member is provided at the bottom surface at least at positions adjacent the ends with recesses so that at the ends along the short sides of the sheet-like member ribs upstand from the bottom surface, said member furthermore being provided at the bottom surface with means for attaching the member in the longitudinal slot in an upright or beam, while the sheet-like member is provided at the top surface with two wings extending from a location in or adjacent the centre and to either side, the wings extending in longitudinal direction outwardly at an angle relative to the plane of the member, whereby the ends of the perpendicular projection of the wings onto the sheet-like member lie slightly spaced from and within the short sides of the sheet-like member.

5. A wall construction according to claim 4, characterized in that the retaining means comprise a substantially cylindrical portion upstanding from the centre of the bottom surface of the sheet-like member, which cylindrical portion is provided at the end with two projections that extend in the same direction as and are parallel to the long sides of the sheet-like member, the diameter of the sub stantially cylindrical portion and the width of the projections not exceeding the width of the longitudinal slot in an upright or beam.

6. A wall construction substantially as described herein with reference to the accoiri- panying drawing.