GB2078816A

GB2078816A - Dismountable Partitions

Info

Publication number: GB2078816A
Application number: GB8111241A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: GRIFFITHS JOHN HENRY
Current assignee: GRIFFITHS JOHN HENRY
Priority date: 1980-05-10
Filing date: 1981-04-09
Publication date: 1982-01-13
Also published as: GB2078816B

Abstract

A partition post is made of two parallel, spaced parts 30, 31 interconnected by keys 32 engaged in undercut keyways in the parts. Each part has a channel for receiving an edge of a partition panel. To dismantle the partition, the keys 32 are removed so allowing the post parts 30, 31 to be moved towards each other and release the edge of the partition panels. The keys are held in position by "biting" into longitudinal ribs 25 in the base of each keyway. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or Relating to Partitions This invention relates to post assemblies for connecting together two adjacent panels of a partition, to posts for use in such assemblies and to partitions including such assemblies.

A common form of partition used, for example, to subdivide office and factory space, comprises two or more panels connected together by means of upstanding metal posts, and with the increasing acceptance of aluminium in recent years that metal is now commonly used for such posts. However, the conventional partitions comprising panels and aluminium posts suffer from a major disadvantage in that the panels are erected and connected to the adjacent post in situ, and the result is that although it is not difficult to dismantle such partitions the method of construction makes it almost impossible to do so without at least damaging the panels and/or posts rendering them unfit for further use or, at best, only fit for such further use after expensive repair.

The present invention now provides posts and post assemblies containing such posts which can be dismantled without damage to the panels or posts and thereby permit their subsequent reerection.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a post assembly for connecting adjacent edges of two partition panels, which comprises: two posts adapted to be disposed in substantially parallel relationship to each other, and one or more keys by means of which the posts can be releasably locked together in said substantially parallel disposition, each post having a panel-receiving member to receive one of said adjacent edges and a key-receiving engagement member to engage the key, whereby when the key engages the key engagement member of both posts said posts are locked together, and disengagement of the key from one or both of said key engagement members permits the posts to be drawn towards each other and thereby permits dismantlement of the partition.

The posts of the post assemblies referred to above constitute a further aspect of the invention.

The invention is particularly concerned with post assemblies including two like posts of aluminium and it is with reference to such post assemblies and posts that the following description particularly relates.

In a preferred form of the invention the key comprises a metal plate captive within or engagable with one or both of the posts and which can be moved in respect thereto so as to lock the posts together. In one form of the invention a locking means is provided by means of at least an edge region of the key being of a harder material than an interior or other engagement surface of the post and being of a shape and dimension such that it can be moved with respect to that surface so as to "bite" into it and thereby become locked in place. Preferably, either the key or the engagement surface of the post has means to facilitate this interengagement. For example, an engagement surface of the post can be provided with projections from the aluminium surface thereof which are deformable under pressure exerted by the key.These projections can, for example, take the form of ridges (preferably ridges running in the same direction as the direction of movement of the key during locking) in the aluminium surface.

This method of locking the two posts together by means of interaction between an engagement surface of the post and the key (whether of harder or softer material than the engagement surface) is a novel method which is applicable to the connection together of articles other than partition posts.

There is now described, by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings; a post according to one aspect of the invention; a post assembly according to another aspect of the invention and comprising two of the posts of the first aspect of the invention; and a partition according to a further aspect of the invention and including a post assembly according to the second aspect.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the posts, other portions being broken away for clarity; Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section of the post of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the post assembly, portions of whose posts have been broken away for clarity; Figure 4 is a transverse cross-section of the post assembly of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the key of Figures 3 and 4; Figure 6 is a transverse cross-section of a Ushape cover strip suitable for use with the assembly of Figure 3; Figure 7 is a transverse cross-section of a portion of the partition comprising the post assembly of Figure 3 and two partition panels; Figure 8 is a transverse cross-section of an end post to receive a single panel; Figure 9 is a transverse cross-section of a converter member; and Figure 10 is a transverse cross-section of a door frame member.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the post, which is of aluminium and has been formed by extrusion, comprises a panel-receiving member generally indicated by 10 and comprising a flat, elongated strip 1 Oa of aluminium having extending therefrom two generally parallel flanges or arms 11, 1 2 having at their extremities inwardly directed lips 13, 14 providing an improved means by which the channel can grip the edge of the panel to be inserted into it.

A key-receiving member of the post is provided by the strip 1 Oa, two parallel flanges or arms 17, 1 8 each extending at a right angle from strip 1 Oa and two opposed, inwardly directed flanges 19, 20. Strip 1 Oa, arms 17, 18 and flanges 19, 20 together provide a key-receiving member whose function will be described in greater detail below.

Flanges 1 9, 20 are formed along their length at their inner edge with outwardly extending lip projections 21,22, there being in the re-entrant angle between each arm and its associated lip, longitudinally extending grooves 23, 24. The surface of strip 1 Oa has formed therein one or more longitudinal ridges 25 (for example two, three or more parallel ridges). These are conveniently of thread-like dimensions and their purpose is described below.

Referring to Figures 3, 4 and 6, the post assembly shown in Figures 3 and 4 comprises two identical posts 30, 31, each being a post as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a key 32 and two identical cover strips 33 (see also Figure 6). In the assembly the two posts are disposed in a parallel relationship and so that the open mouths of the two key-receiving members face each other.

Figures 3 and 4 show the key locked in position in the two key-receiving members. The key, shown in Figure 5, comprises a flat steel plate having a generally rectangular body section 34 at each end of which there is disposed a pair of oppositely directed arms 35, 36 each arm being received within a recess of the key-receiving member. Each end portion lying between the arms of each pair has a flange 37, 38 of very narrow width. The dimensions of the flanges, in relation to width of the arms 35, 36 and the recesses accommodating them is such that when the key is inserted into the pair of posts so that each pair of its arms 35, 36 is disposed within the respective key-receiving recess and the key is turned, for example with a pair of pliers, the outer edges of the flanges "bite" into the longitudinal ridges referred to above, thereby locking the key into position.

However, the dimensions of flanges 37, 38 are preferably such that their width is sufficient to bite into the ridges 25 without distorting other portions of the post.

The key shown in Figure 5 has the valuable attribute that not only can it be used to connect together two posts in an end-to-end or back-to back relationship but that it also permits two posts to be connected in a disposition suitable for a right angled change in direction of partition.

The elongated rectangular gaps disposed between the parallel edges of projections 21,22 is closed, in the assembly shown in Figure 4, by means of the elongated cover strips 33. Referring to Figure 6, the cover strip is shown to be of shallow, rectangular U-shape cross-section and comprising an elongate strip of aluminium having parallel spaced apart arms 39, 40 the outer ends of which are provided with catches 41,42. The dimensions of the strip 33 are such that it is a close snap fit between the arms 1 9, 20 and their projections 21, 22 of the posts and when inserted therebetween and pushed home the catches 41, 42 engage respectively with the grooves 23, 24 in the re-entrant angles of the posts. Instead of aluminium the cover strip can be, for example, of a plastics material.

The portion of the partition illustrated in Figure 7 comprises the post assembly of Figures 3 and 4 one of whose panel-receiving members 40 is shown engaging an edge of a double skin steel panel 41 while the other panel-receiving member 42 is shown engaging the edge of a plaster board panel 43. In practice, of course, it is normal for two adjacent panels to be of like material. It will be seen that the inner edges of the two skins 44, 45 comprising the steel panel are formed with right angled flanges which can abut the surface of strip 1 Oa. Inside these two right angled flanges there is disposed a U-shaped retention member 46 which is bolted to the member 1 Oa so as to retain the edge of the double skin panel firmly in place within the panel-receiving member.A clamping plate 46a is disposed on the other face of strip 1 Oa to distribute the force exerted by the bolt; this plate is conveniently of the same stock as the keys but being slightly convex in its unstressed state.

With regard to the plaster board panel shown on the right hand side of Figure 7, the panel comprises two parallel, spaced apart plaster board sheets 47, 48 between which there is a corrugated reinforcing member (not shown) of conventional design. Along the edge of the panel and disposed between the two parallel sheets is a strip of wood 49 attached to the sheet by means of glue and panel pins. The composite panel can readily be attached to the post by means of wood screws (not shown) thereby firmly retaining the edge of the panel within the panel receiving member.

Figure 8 illustrates an end post of the invention suitable for receiving a pair of arms of the key of Figure 5. The end post is similar to the post of Figures 1 and 2 except that it is without a panelreceiving channel. It has three parallel ridges.

Thus, it comprises elongate strip 11 Oa of aluminium having extending therefrom parallel arms 117, 118 each terminating in flanges 119, 120 having lips 121, 122 defining grooves 123, 124.

The converter member of Figure 9 comprises an elongated aluminium channel member consisting of strip portion 50, two parallel arms 51, 52 terminating respectively in inwardly directed flanges 53, 54 and having formed on their outer surfaces outwardly directed flanges 55, 56. The inner surfaces of members 50, 51, 52, 53 and 54 together constitute a panelreceiving channel adapted to receive an edge of a partition panel. Figure 9 shows the converter member in position located inside a conventional wall channel member 57 which can be attached to a wall by conventional means.

Referring to Figure 10, the doorframe member 58 is an elongate extrusion of aluminium and comprises strip 59 having two parallel arm portions 60, 61 terminating in inwardly directed flanges 62, 63. The flanges themselves terminate in lips 64, 65. The inner surfaces of members 59 to 65 together constitute a channel adapted to receive a pair of arms of the key of Figure 5. The surface of strip 59 distant from arms 60 and 61 carries an L-shaped flange 66 and a narrow flange 67 which together serve to captivate an elongate rubber sealing strip 68. Figure 10 shows the relationship between the doorframe member and its sealing strip and an adjacent door in a closed position.

The invention provides a major advantage over conventional partitions in that partition panels can be provided in module form comprising a panel having fixed to each of its side edges a post according to the invention. These modules can be made in a factory and then transferred to the site of erection for simple assembly to form a partition, which is quicker and generally much more convenient than making the partition in situ as is necessary with conventional partitions.

Claims

1. A post assembly for connecting adjacent edges of two partition panels, which comprises: two posts adapted to be disposed in substantially parallel relationship to each other, and one or more keys by means of which the posts can be releasably locked together in said substantially parallel disposition, each post having a panel receiving member to receive one of said adjacent edges and a key-receiving engagement member to engage the key, whereby when the key engages the key engagement member of both posts said posts are locked together, and disengagement of the key from one or both of said key engagement members permits the posts to be drawn towards each other and thereby permits dismantlement of the partition.

2. A post assembly according to Claim 1, in which said engagement members each includes one or more deformable portions adapted for deformation by the key when the key is in engagement with the posts.

3. A post assembly according to Claim 2, in which the engagement member is of a material softer than that of the key.

4. A post assembly according to Claim 3, in which the posts are of material softer than the key and the engagement means comprises one or more projections from the surface of the post into which an edge of the key gouges when moved into its engagement position.

5. A post assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the posts each have a channel section and the key is a plate including two pairs of oppositely directed arms connected by a shank, said pairs being adapted to engage respectively the channel sections of the posts.

6. A post assembly according to Claim 4 or 5 in which said projections comprise one or more parallel ridges formed in the surface of the post and disposed longitudinally thereof.

7. A post assembly according to Claim 6, in which the key is of a shape such that when it engages the ridge or ridges it does so without deforming any other part of the posts.

8. A post assembly according to Claim 1, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A post assembly for connecting adjacent edges of two partition panels, substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A post for use in the post assembly claimed in any of the preceding claims, which comprises an elongated member of channel cross-section said channel having a bottom portion, two upstanding side portions and inwardly directed flanges extending from the side portions, said bottom portion having extending along its length shallow projecting means.

11. A post assembly to Claim 10, in which said projecting means comprise one or more ridges.

12. A post according to Claim 10 or 11, in which said projecting means is an integral part of the post.

13. A post according to any of Claims 10 to 12, which has a panel-receiving member to receive an edge portion of a partition panel.

1 4. A post according to Claim 10, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 5. A post for use in a post assembly as claimed in Claim 1, substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.