GB2167784A

GB2167784A - Facing for external surfaces of buildings

Info

Publication number: GB2167784A
Application number: GB08528450A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Giovanni Costa
Original assignee: Costa C C & Cia Srl
Current assignee: Costa C C & Cia Srl
Priority date: 1984-11-28
Filing date: 1985-11-19
Publication date: 1986-06-04
Also published as: GB2167784B; IT8412646A0; ES8800737A1; NL8503214A; GB8528450D0; PT81473A; FR2573797A1; CH666506A5; PT81473B; YU44273B; BE903724A; AT402080B; ATA347185A; FR2573797B1; IT1180493B; DE3541730A1; YU179685A; DE3541730C2; ES548816A0

Abstract

According to the invention, the facing is made of a pair of glass sheets 50, 55, parallel to one another and separated by a suitable interspace, simply glued to a supporting frame 30, (130, Fig. 2). The outer sheet of glass (55) has at least the same dimensions as the frame 30, 130, so that from outside the facing has the appearance of a single surface of glass, uninterrupted by any metal frames or sealing joints. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Specification The object of this invention consists of a facing for the outer surfaces of buildings, and in particular for the outer surfaces of buildings to be sheathed with glass sheets.

It is well-known that the use of almost total glass facings for the outer surfaces of buildings has become popular.

The most common form of creating this type of facing provides a framework to support the glass sheets, applied to an underlying carrying framework.

In the most common types of facing, the frame supporting the glass sheets, hereinafter called the supporting frame, is formed by a frame made of some weather resistant material, such as anodized aluminium, so that the glass front appears to be divided up into squares which break up the reflected images of the surrounding buildings. This effect of splitting up the reflected image is stressed by visible gaskets which increase yet more the opaque strip surrounding each reflecting square.

The scope of this invention is that of overcoming this flaw by means of a facing consisting entirely of glass-fronted panels which from outside appear to be separated by narrow interspaces, far narrower than those of a normal visible frame.

It should be pointed out that the narrow interspace, according to this invention, may be reduced to very limited values, so that the ratio between the surface of the building and its reflecting surface coincides almost exactly with unity.

According to the invention, the glass facing calls for a pair of parallel glass sheets, separated by a suitable interspace, simply glued to a supporting frame; the outer sheet of the two is larger than the inner sheet, and this makes it possible to increase the gluing surface existing between the sheets and the supporting frame, allowing, at the same time, the outer surface of the facing to appear to be entirely covered with glass.

Therefore, according to the invention, the supporting frame has on each side two longitudinal resting surfaces, staggered in respect of one another, one external and one internal.

The internal sheet of glass is glued to the internal resting surface; to the outer edge of this sheet of glass a rim is glued -which also serves to create a space between the two sheets of glass.

The outer surface of this rim is on the same level as the external resting surface of the supporting frame, so that the outer sheet of glass may be glued both to this outer resting surface and to the outer surface of the spacing rim.

In this way, the result is that each of the two parallel sheets of glass is secured along two glued edges.

In addition to this, the supporting frames of the pairs of glass sheets may be shop-assembled, and therefore secured to the carrying frame of the facing when they are already fitted with the two sheets of glass.

This makes it possible to carry out the delicate gluing operations of the two sheets of glass in a protected environment.

The essential features of the invention are schematically illustrated and summarized in the claims; the objects and advantages thereof may also be gathered from the description following herebelow, referred to forms of practice chosen only by way of example, with particular reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-section of one upright of the suporting frame, in which the section of the carrying frame of the facing is also clearly visible; this section is also representative of a vertical cross-section of a horizontal cross-member of the supporting frame, as the cross-members and frames are identical and they refer to the case in which the two sheets of glass of the facing are secured as is done for most glass covered surfaces; Figure 2 is similar to Fig. 1, but refers to a case in which the panel consisting of the pair of glass sheets with their supporting frame may be opened. With particular reference to these figures, 10 indicates an upright of the carrying frame of the facing of the building.

This carrying frame is formed by a grid of rectangular, or preferably square, meshes, formed by structurally identical uprights and cross-members, so that as already mentioned above, Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate just as well a vertical cross-section and a horizontal crosssection.

The elements 10, of the carrying frame have a hollow tubular cross-section, and consist of an internal quadrangular profile, 11, of greater dimensions, and an external quadrangular profile, 12, of smaller dimensions, which have in common a diaphragm, 13, and two lateral edges, 14.

On the two lateral edges, 14, there are two ribs, the purpose of which will be illustrated below. The external face, 16, of the quadrangular profile, 12, has two T-shaped lateral projections, 17, the external arm of which is further bent at an angle towards the median level of the external quadrangular profile.

There is another T-shaped rib, 18, on the symmetrical plane of the external quadrangular profile, 12.

The rib, 15, and the internal fin of the rib, 17, define with the side, 19, of the external quadrangular profile, 12, a C-shaped section suitable for fixing screw anchors, 20, made of some synthetic material, for example nylon, which jut out with a triangular shaped rib, 21, having a step, 22.

In addition, ribs 17 and 18 and their fins define, together with the external face, 16, of the external quadrangular profile, 12, two more C-shaped cavities suitable for housing two identical gaskets, 23, made of a yielding material, with a C-shaped transverse crosssection with the wings, 24, which in working conditions are bent one towards the other.

The supporting frame of each pair of glass sheets is made up of supporting elements, 30, formed by one part to be secured to the carrying frame and one part acting as a support for the two sheets of glass.

The securing part of the supporting elements, 30, is formed by an L-shaped profile, of which the first arm, 31, parallel to the lateral faces, 19, of the internal quadrangular profile, 12, is secured to this by means of screws, 25, which connect it to the interposed screw anchors, 20, fitted with threaded metal inserts. The internal face of this fin, 31, is fitted with a step 32, complementary to the step 22 of the screw anchors, 20, to be elastically engaged with these.

The shortest wing, 32, of the securing part of the supporting element 30, has a traingular rib 33, destined to bend inwards the two flanges, 34, of the associated gasket, 23, in order to achieve a first sealing outwards.

The supporting part of the pair of glass sheets of the supporting element, 30, is made up of a profile with a W-shaped cross-section, the edges of which, 34, 35, 36 and 37 are orthogonal to one another, forming a recessed step, 35, 36, on the outer edge of the element, 30.

The first side, 34, of the supporting part of the pair of glass sheets of the supporting element, 30, is aligned and solid with the first side, 31, of the securing part of the supporting element, 30.

Elements 32, 34 and 35 form an open cavity with a quadrangular cross-section, 40, partly closed on the open side by ribs 41 and 42.

This cavity is used to house small squares connecting the uprights and cross-members of each supporting panel, made up of four identical elements, 30, forming a quadrilateral.

More ribs, 43, 44 and 45, allow another sealing gasket, 46, to be housed, to work in series with the associated gasket, 23.

Rib 43 is located on the back of flange 32.

Rib 44 is located on the internal extension of flange 35, and rib 45 is located on the internal face of flange 37. The edge if the inner sheet of glass, 50, is brought to rest on the external face of the flange 35, by applying in between a layer of adhesive, 51, preferably made of a structural type of silicone.

So that the edge of the internal sheet 50 does not come into contact with the outer face of the metal flange, 36, leading to the danger of breakages, a strip of synthetic material, 52, is placed against the external edge of this flange 36. This material also has the purpose of separating the adhesives 51, 56 and 57 from one another, in such a way that they are always located between two parallel faces.

Around the edge of the external surface of the internal sheet, 50, a metal profile with a closed tubular cross-section, 53, is glued. This has holes, 54, in it, and it is stuffed with salts which absorb humidity, to prevent misting of the facing surfaces of the two sheets of glass, 50 and 55. A layer of adhesive is inserted between the profile 53; and the underlying external surface of the flange 36.

A third layer of adhesive, 57, is applied to the outer surface of the flange, 37.

The outer sheet of glass, 55, is then glued to the profile 53 and to the two layers of adhesive 56 and 57.

Assembly of the facing is done as follows: Four supporting elements, 30, are assembled together to form a quadrangular frame, inserting four corner squares inside the cavities, 40.

The quadrangular supporting frame formed in this way is then fitted with the gaskets, 46; furthermore, it is equipped with the pair of glass sheets, 55 and 50, already secured to one another by placing between them the metal profile, 53, and the adhesive, 56, of the protecting element 52 and the two layers of adhesive, 51 and 57.

The supporting frame of the pair of glass sheets is thus complete, and may be packed for shipment to the place where it is to be used for facing a building already equipped with the carrying frame, 10.

This carrying frame will already have been fitted with the synthetic screw anchors, 20, and the ring gaskets, 23.

Inserting the supporting frame, 30, complete in all its elements, against a square of the carrying frame 10, the teeth 22 of the plates 20 yield elastically against the complementary teeth, 32, of the element 30, and retain the supporting frame in place for the time required to secure it permanently with the screws, 25.

The facts should be noted: each of the sheets of glass is held in its place by means of two means of gluing: The outer sheet, 55, is fixed to the frame, 30, by means of the layer 57, and by means of the layer 56 and the profile 53, it is also fixed to the inner sheet, 50.

The inner sheet, 50, is fixed by means of the layer 51 to the frame 30, and by means of the layer 56 and the profile 53, also to the outer sheet 55.

This double connection of each of the glass sheets, 50 and 55, ensures great safety against the undesirable detachment of single sheets of glass from the facing of the building.

In the second place, it is interesting to note that the internal environment is separated from the external envionment by a set of chambers, located in series, which provide an excellent insulation: in addition to the double series of gaskets, 23 and 46, these have one or more ribs, 47, able to create a kind of maze.

The elements, 130 of the supporting frame of the pair of glass sheets illustrated in Fig. 2 differ from the corresponding elements, 30, illustrated in Fig. 1, substantially due to the fact that they are farther from the side face of the external quadrangular profile 12, thanks to the fittings 130'.

In addition to this, the elemts 130 are not screwed to these side faces of the external quadrangular profile 12, since they belong to a supporting frame of the pair of sheets which may be opened.

Clearly, if required, between the elements 130 and the side faces of the quadrangular profile 12, gaskets, not shown in detail in Fig.

2, may be fitted.

The gaskets, 23, in elastically yielding synthetic material, consist of four identical segments, two vertical and two horizontal, joined to each other by vulcanization so that they form a closed ring.

They are inserted into the corresponding grooves of the carrying frame after this has already been assembled: in this way the structure of the carrying frame, which has joints left open to allow for thermal and elastic expansion, is covered perfectly from the outside by these gaskets.

In addition to this, as the pairs of gaskets, 23, are reciprocally mated, complete covering of the carrying frame is achieved.

Although for descriptive reasons this invention has been based on the above specification, and illustrated, by way of example only, with particular reference to the attached drawings, many modifications or variations may be made in the embodiment of the invention, any such modifications or variations, however, being deemed as based on the following claims.

Claims

1. Facing for the outer surface of buildings, of the type providing a carrying frame for the facing made up of uprights and cross-members defining preferably a square meshed structure, and a supporting framework for pairs of glass sheets, characterized in that said supporting frame of the pairs of glass sheets is made up of quadrangular frames, each of which may be inserted singly into the quadrangular meshes of the carrying frame; in which the outer sheet of glass has at least the same dimensions as the quadrangular supporting frame to the outer surface of which it is glued, while the second, internal, sheet of glass, is glued to a step made in the internal edge of the associated supporting frame, and is separated from the outer sheet by a profile, preferably made of hollow metal.

2. facing, according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the inner sheet is glued to the parallel face of the step made on the edge of the supporting frame by placing in between a layer of adhesive, preferably made of silicone, in which the perimetral edge of the inner sheet of glass is protected from contact with the face of the resting step mentioned above, by applying a strip of synthetic material in between.

3. Facing, according to claim 2, characterized in that between the hollow metal profile on which the outer sheet of glass- rests and is glued and the side perpendicular to the sheet of the step on which the inner sheet of glass rests, a layer of adhesive of the same type is applied; in which, furthermore, a third layer of adhesive of the same type is applied between the edge of the outer sheet and the visible surface of the suporting frame.

4. Facing, according to the preceeding claims, characterized in that behind the step which serves as a rest for the inner sheet of glass, there is a cavity used to house a number of squares for connecting to one another the four elements forming each panel of the supporting frame for the pairs of glass sheets.

5. Facing according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the pairs of sealing gaskets are provided around the edge of each supporting frame; these sealing gaskets are preferably fitted with ribs which create chambers located in series to one another between these pairs of opposing gaskets.

6. Facing, as per the preceeding claims, characterized in that each element of the quadrangular frame supporting a pair of glass sheets is made up of four elements, the transverse cross-section of which is obtained by the composition of a first L-shaped composing element and a second W-shaped composing element with fins, or more generally described, flanges, placed at 90 degrees from one another; in which the first side of the Wshaped element is aligned to and solid with the first L-shaped composing element.

7. Facing, according to claim 6, characterized in that the internal side of the shorter branch of the abovementioned L-shaped element has a traingular rib which is applied against a sealing gasket ring located on the outer face of the elements forming the carrying frame.

8. Facing according to the preceeding claims, characterized in that the elements forming the carrying frame have a transverse cross-section made up substantially of a first and a second quadrangular element, of differing widths, having a common side which defines two sides steps.

9. Facing for the outer surface of buildings, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.