GB2032354A - Panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A thin panel or partition, e.g. for bodywork for vans, comprises plates (1) of sheet metal or some other thin material, the plates being placed in edge-to-edge relationship for assembly, wherein the assembly edges are bent to form slideways (at 1a) and correspondingly shaped stiffening and assembly elements (5) are engaged on the bent adjacent edges (1a) of the plates to give the partition or panel considerable rigidity in its plane. Similar elements may engage folds in the central parts of the plates in order to give further rigidity. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Panel for vehicle bodies This invention relates to a thin panel or partition, its elements and products and constructions embodying such panels.

The invention is concerned inter alia with transport, handling and building matters.

Separating, prestige and other kinds of panel also fall underthe invention.

The usual practice when it is required to make panels or partitions of sheet metal or the like, principally for the bodywork of transport vehicles or for making containers, handling boxes and crates and so on, is to use sheet metal plates which are ribbed vertically in the case of lateral walls (these usually wide and deep ribs are called "corrugations") or unribbed plates which are always edged by a frame of section members.

There are always disadvantages. Ribbed panels are rigid but difficult to clean and cannot readily be provided with advertising material. The appearance of the corrugations may make an unsatisfactory impression. Because of the relatively considerable depth of the corrugations, the panels must be much thicker than really necessary so that sliding doors can be fitted and move freely.

Flat sheet metal panels are less rigid unless studs or uprights are used in large numbers, for instance, every 400 or 600 mm. The metal sheets must be riveted to the uprights and extensive riveting is necessary, a rivet being required approximately every 50mm--a time consuming operation which does not improve the appearance. Repairs are lengthy, difficult and expensive.

It is an object of the invention interalia to obviate all these disadvantages by means of the present thin panel or partition which has a plane outside surface not needing any riveting or visible means of assembly of it, the panel being sufficiently rigid for the many uses hereinbefore set forth and others as well.

Accordingly, in the panel or partition according to the invention, comprising at least one, and as a rule, more than one plate, the plates being placed in edge-to-edge relationship for assembly, the assembly edges are bent to form slideways and correspondingly shaped stiffening and assembly elements are engaged on the bent adjacent edges of the plates to give the partition or panel considerable rigidity in its plane.

According to another feature of the invention, the plates are interconnected in known manner by a stiffening and assembly member adapted to engage sliding with the bent edges or slideways of the plates, the latter member having, in the zone beyond the means for connection to the panels, an open or closed solid or hollow shape to provide stiffening.

According to another feature of the invention, the assembled and stiffened plates receive a frame of section members which is assembled to the plates and to the stiffening and assembly members by any means, such as riveting, tube expansion, welding, sticking or the like, just in the region of the frame, the plate outside surface being left clear of any means and unevennesses associated with assembly.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference may now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. lisa perspective view showing by way of example a transport vehicle fitted with an enclosure according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view to an enlarged scale showing two adjacent panels of the van-like enclosclosure of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view in partial section and to an enlarged scale on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing a number of panels which have been assembled together and stiffened in accordance with the invention; Fig. 4 is a perspective view to an even larger scale showing two panels assembled in accordance with the invention; Fig. 5 is a view in section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing a complete panel, with an inner lining, of the enclosure of Fig. 1;; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing an alternative form of the assembly between two panels; Fig. 7 is a view in partial section showing an embodiment of the assembly of two panels which are perpendicular to one another, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing an alternative form of stiffening for a single panel.

To give a clearer idea of the subject of the invention, a description will now be given of nonlimitative embodiments shown in the drawings.

In the following the invention will be described with reference to the construction of a closed transport van; clearly however, the same features are of use for other purposes such as handling boxes and crates, containers, tarpaulined vans, frames for rail transport and any other forms of enclosure. The invention is also of use for constructing panels, partitions and other surfaces used for separation, presentation and support.

The basic aim of the invention is to provide concealed but effective stiffening of plane or substantially plane thin panels which are likely to be dented or bent or distorted in some other way because of the material of which they are made, their considerable dimensions or the load they carry.

Referring to Fig. 1, a vehicle A is fitted with a closed box or van-like part or the like B consisting of panels C constructed and assembled in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 shows two panels of the enclosure of Fig. 1.

Panels C' consists of sheet-metal plates 1 which are, for instance, from 400 to 600 mm wide and which are assembled together by means, for instance, of a top channel-section member 2 and of a bottom channel-section 3, the member3 having a ledge or the like 3a for the support and assembly, for instance, of a base or floor, as indicated by broken hatching in Fig. 3.

The drawings originally filed were informal and the print here reproduced is taken from a later filed formal copy.

Panel C2 also consists of plates 1, top and bottom channel section members 2 and angle members 4 for assembling the panels C' and C2 together.

As can be seen in Figs. 3-5, the plates 1 are assembled to one another by means of section members 5, for instance, in the form of two symmetrical S-shaped parts 5a and Sb-i.e. which have an edge Sc bent to a narrow U-shape (the top part of the S) to engage in an oppositely bent slideway-forming end 1a of the plates 1,the members 5 also having a major bent part 5d forming the bottom part of the S.

The two symmetrical parts 5a, Sb are interconnected by welding or in some other way by way of their surfaces 5e (the vertical central portion of the S) and the whole is engaged between two plates 1 in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The flat plates are thus stiffened with the advantage of not requiring any conventional ribs or stampings or foldings; also, assembly of the plates to one another is reliable, rapid and convenient.

Also, flat panels greatly facilitate the fitting of sliding doors since the clearance necessary with ribbed panels become unnecessary.

Many variants are of course possible within the scope of the invention as regards both the shape and construction of the stiffening and assembly elements and also the manner of assembly of the plates.

For instance, Fig. 6 shows a unitary section member 6, comprising two bent parts 6a which are disposed opposite one another to bound a gap greates than the thickness of two assembled plates 1 in whose bent ends 1a the parts 6a are engaged, the two parts 6a continuing in the form of a narrower U-shape 6b which serves as the stiffening part.

The two elements 1 can be joined together in some other way, such as swaging or simple overlapping or end to end or in some other way, in which event the assembly and stiffening element can be of appropriate cross-sectional shape.

Also, and as shown in Fig. 8, a single plate 8 can be strengthened; to this end the plate 8 has bent slideway-like parts 8a adapted for sliding engagementwith a stiffening element 7.

In the case shown in Figs. 1 to 5--i.e., of panels required to form an enclosure such as a vehicle van-the entire surface of the assembled plates 1 is left clear of any means of assembly. Accordingly, the plates 1 and the stiffening members are assembled to the framing members 2,3 in the manner shown in Figs. 2,3 and 5--i.e., by means of rows of rivets or other similar means (tube expansion, bolting or the like) only near the framing members.

To this end, the plates 1 are formed either by prefabrication or at assembly, with apertures 1b which are appropriately spaced apart lengthwise upwards and downwards, more particularly in the bent ends la. The assembly and stiffening members 5, 6,7 are also formed with corresponding apertures Sf-Sc in their connecting part and with apertures 5a-6d or 7a in the stiffening part (Figs. 4, 6 and 8). Rivets 9 are then positioned in known manner to assemble the framing members 2,3 to the plates 1 and to the connecting part 5c-6a or 7 and rivets 10 are positioned to assemble the framing members 2,3 to the stiffening part5d-6b or7.

As can be seen in Fig. 5, if the lining of the enclos ure thus constructed is to be lined, it is possible inter alia to place panels P1 on the stiffening parts to which the panels P1 are secure at the top, for instance, by rivets 10 and at regular intervals over the height by rivets 11. Also, a floor P2 can be riveted at a place 12 to the ledge or the like 3a of the bottom frame members.

Connecting and stiffening members can also be provided at the corners of the enclosure-bounding panels, as can be seen in Fig. 7 where two plates 1 perpendicular to one another are interconnected by an open section member 13 correspondingly formed with two perpendicular ends 13a, 13b to engage in the bent ends la of the plates; the rear portion 13c can be devised in any way to form one or more surfaces for the support of and connection to a lining or it can have a cross-section or shape suitable to serve as a stiffener. A corner upright 14 can be placed overlappingly and assembled to the plates and to the stiffening member by rivets 15 or the like.

Intermediate stiffening members can readily be provided wherever required as well as in the plate assembly zone in the case of large plates. The intermediate stiffeners are secured near the frame members 2,3 along the assembly line hereinbefore described.

Plates which are curved between their terminal slideways can be provided, as can angularly oriented terminal slidewaysto round spaces which are cylindrical or of any polygonal shape.

The plates 1 need not necessarily be completely flat. For many asthetic and practical reasons, the plates can have in all or some of their surface shallow deformations which do not act as stiffening but have a purely decorative effect or serve to tension the plates, inter alia when the plates are large.

Of course the plates 1, the frame members 2, 3, the corner upright4, 14, the stiffening members 5-7 and 13 and all the other parts associated with the panels such as doors C3-C4 (Fig. 1), can be made in all shapes and sizes and of any appropriate materials with or without surface treatment.

For instance, the plates can be made of metal and the stiffening elements of metal or plastics; the plates can be made of polyester or reinforced fibre or PVC or other plastics, the slideways being made of metal and formed on during moulding or fitted subsequently or being made of a similar material to the plates, the stiffening elements being made of metal or plastics.

The advantages are clearly appa rent from the description the following points being worthy of special emphasis: concealed but effective stiffening of panels consisting of one or more plates and associated with a frame by section members disposed behind the panels and assembled thereto only near the frame, so that the flat surface is left clear of any unevennesses and any visible means of assembly, thus facilitating cleaning and making it possible to affix advertising material; rapid assembly of such panels through the agency of the section members which serve both as means for assembling the plates and stiffeners, and because of the reduced number of means of assembly; the ability to change one or more damaged plates rapidly and readily; the many possible uses of the invention.

The invention is not limited to that of its uses or to those embodiments of its various parts which have been more particularly indicated but covers all the variants.

Claims (14)

1. A thin panel or partition, its elements and products and constructions embodying such panels, the panel or partition comprising at least one and, as a rule, more than one plate of sheet metal or some other thin material, the plates being placed in edgeto-edge relationship for assembly, wherein the assembly edges are bent to form slideways and correspondingly shaped stiffening and assembly elements are engaged on the bent adjacent edges of the plates to give the partition or panel considerable rigidity in its plane.

2. A panel according to claim 1 wherein the plates are interconnected in known manner by a stiffening and assembly member adapted to engage slidingly with the bent edges or slideways of the plates, the latter member having, in the zone beyond the means for connection to the panels, an open or closed solid or hollow shape to provide stiffening.

3. A panel according to either of claims 1 and 2 wherein the assembled and stiffened plates receive a frame of section members which is assembled to the plates and to the stiffening and assembly members by any means, such as riveting, tube expansion, welding, sticking or the like, just in the region of the frame, the plate outside surface being left clear of any means and unevennesses associated with assembly bly.

4. A panel according to any of claims 1,2 and 3 and used for enclosures such as boxes, containers, vans or the like wherein the enclosure consists of panels each having one or more assembled together plates, or plate-connecting elements also serving as stiffeners, of a frame of section members assembled to the plates and to the stiffening and assembly members, of corner uprights or other equivalent means for assembling the panels together, and possibly one or more supplementary framed and reinforced panels adapted to serve as a roof or cover or door ortailgate or the like.

5. A panel according to claim 4 wherein the panels forming an enclosure are assembled together by means of corner uprights having parts adapted for a sliding engagement with the slideways of the plates and one or more panel-stiffening parts, with corner uprights secured by rivets or bolts or the like.

6. A panel according to claim 5 wherein the corner uprights are sliding members having in two different planes parts engaging with the bent ends or slideways of the plates, and one or more open or closed cross-sections which serve as stiffening elements.

7. A panel according to claim 1 wherein the plates to be stiffened are entirely flat-i.e. without recesses or protuberances.

8. A panel according to claim 1 wherein the plates to be assembled and stiffened have in all or some of their surface slight deformations such as shallow stampings or folds for stretching or producing an as-required decorative effect.

9. A panel according to claim 1 consisting of a single plate having one or more intermediate bent parts serving as slideways for assembly for one or more stiffeners shaped to correspond to the slideways.

10. A panel according to claim 1 and either of claims 7 and 8 wherein the plates have a curvature between their slideway-like ends to provide cylindrical or similar spaces after assembly to the stiffeners.

11. A panel according to claim 1 and either of claims 7 and 8 wherein the slideway-like plate ends are oriented angularly to form cylindrical or polygonal volumes after assembly to the stiffeners.

12. A panel according to claim 1 and any of claims 7 to 10 wherein the plates are made of any metal with or without surface treatment, the or each terminal or intermediate slideway being made of metal or other materials and being unitary with or fitted to the plates.

13. A panel according to claim 1 and any of claims 7 to 10 wherein the plates are made of polyester, or reinforced fibre or PVC or other plastics, and the or each terminal or intermediate slideway of metal or other materials is either formed directly on the plates by moulding or fitted to the plates.

14. A panel substantially as described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.