GB2248480A

GB2248480A - Corner joint

Info

Publication number: GB2248480A
Application number: GB9018105A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael O'callaghan
Original assignee: CALLAGHAN MICHAEL O
Current assignee: CALLAGHAN MICHAEL O
Priority date: 1990-08-17
Filing date: 1990-08-17
Publication date: 1992-04-08
Also published as: GB9018105D0

Abstract

A variable angle corner joint adapted to inter-connect panels or walls of buildings, or internal dividers, comprises a pole 10 with internal walls 12, 13 and 14 supported on a box structure 11. The pole has arcuate slots 15 and 16 adapted to receive arcuate members 20 on jointing members 18. The jointing members 18 are adapted to be connected to adjacent wall or end members by means of male members 26 engageable in female slots 27. The combination of the arcuate slots 16 and arcuate members 20 allows relative arcuate movement of the jointing member and the poles so that the walls which are connected to the wall end members 28 may be set at different angles to each other according to requirements. <IMAGE>

Description

CORNER JOINT This invention relates to a corner joint which has particular reference to the joining of panels or walls to each other in such a manner that the angles that the walls or panels make relatively to each other may be varied within limits so that a single corner joint embodying the invention can be used to create numerous structures in which the walls lie at different angles to each other.

The corner joint of this invention has particular application in a panel or wall jointing system of the type described in my co-pending U.R. Patent Application No. 9008848.5 which describes a panel jointing system adapted to join panels or walls to form structures such as polygonal conservatories or greenhouses and other structures which consist of a series of panels, walls or screens which may, for example, be used as interior dividers in office buildings or in temporary buildings such as prefabricated temporary classrooms and exhibition stands etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide a variable angled corner joint which may be produced by extrusion or by moulding from metal or plastic materials and which is inexpensive to produce and has wide application in the sense that it can be used for many different situations where the angles between walls or panels vary from one structure to another. By use of the corner joint of the present invention a common corner joint may be used for a very large number of different structures.

In accordance with the present invention, there is a variable angle corner joint for inter-connecting panels or walls in a building type structure, the joint comprising a hollow pole of circular section, at least one arcuate slot in the periphery of the pole extending at least a substantial length of the pole, a jointing member comprising a means for attachment to the panel or wall, the jointing member also having an elongated arcuate portion attached to but spaced from the main part of the jointing member and adapted to be retained in the pole in such a way that the arcuate slot allows limited arcuate movement of the jointing member as a whole relatively to the pole.Thus the pole may be provided with internal structural walls and these walls may act as stops on either side of the arcuate slot and spaced from the arcuate slot so as to act as stops to set limits to the amount of arcuate movement permitted.

There are preferably at least two of said arcuate slots adapted to receive two different jointing members to allow each jointing member a range of arcuate movement so that the jointing members may be set at different angles relatively to each other and thus walls or panels connected to the jointing members may also be set at said different angles.

If the pole is made of extruded metal, then preferably the internal wall structure of the pole includes a thermal break. The thermal break may be in the form of a portion of internal wall structure which may be cut away so as to provide thermal break between two parts of the pole, the two parts being held together by filling the space between the parts with a thermosetting or other resin.

The means for attachment of the jointing member to the wall or panel may, for example, comprise a pair of longitudinally extending male attachment members adapted to be received in corresponding longitudinal female slots in the wall or panel end of the supporting structure.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a transverse section through a corner joint embodying the present invention showing both the corner joint pole, the jointing member, and the adjacent wall end structures; Figure 2 shows the same corner joint but with the jointing members moved round so as to occupy angular positions which are at the extreme limits of relative movement allowed by the corner joint; Figure 3 is a section through a series of wall or panel members shown somewhat diagramatically and joined by three corner joints embodying the present invention; Figure 4 is an isometric view of the pole or core of the corner joint; and Figure 5 is an isometric view of the jointing member which co-operates with the pole or core shown in Figure 4.

Referring firstly to Figures 1, 2 and 4, the corner joint comprises a hollow pole 10 of circular section consisting of an internal boxlike member 11 joined by internal walls 12, 13 and 14 to the pole 10.

In the wall of the pole 10 are two arcuate slots 15 and 16.

If this pole is made of extruded aluminium or other metal, it is necessary to provide a thermal break and this is achieved by filling the internal box section 11 with plastic material which sets and then removing a longitudinal strip of metal 17 which will run the length of the box section 11.

The pole is adapted to collaborate with a jointing member 18 shown in Figure 5 and also shown in Figures 1 and 2. The jointing member 18 comprises a main body 19 to which is attached an arcuate elongated portion 20 spaced from the main body 19 by a bridging portion 21. The main body portion 19 has wings 22 and 23 which collaborate, as seen in Figures 1 and 2, with the external periphery of the pole 10.

The jointing member also has means for attachment to a wall or panel end member, these means comprising a pair of spaced male attachment members 24 and 25 adapted to be retained in female slots 26 and 27 in an end wall support member 28.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the jointing member can be slid into the pole so that the arcuate portion 20 lies within the hollow interior of the pole and it will then be seen that the jointing member as a whole can be turned through an arc the extent of which is controlled by the walls 13 and 14 which act as stops.

Alternatively, the edges of the arcuate slots 16 could act as the stops in collaboration with the bridging member 21.

Inspection of Figures 1 and 2 shows how the jointing members can be moved throughout a predetermined arc so as to vary the relative angular positions of the walls.

The way in which the walls are attached to the end members 28 is not particularly relevant to the present invention but by way of example Figure 3 shows a series of glass panels which are held in the end wall members by the usual systems of pertaining strips, gaskets, clips etc. Each of these glass panels 29, 30 and 31 is representative of any panel or wall section held between a pair of end wall supports 28 exactly as described with reference to Figures 1,2, 4 and 5. The jointing members shown in Figure 3 are of exactly the same form as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 and it will be seen that the walls 29, 30 and 31 can be set at relative angles to each other which are only limited by the amount of relative movement provided by the arcuate slot 16 and/or the walls 13 and 14, and 12 and 13, of the pole members.

As mentioned briefly above, assembly of various parts is achieved by sliding the jointing members down within the pole on the one hand and within the end supports 28 on the other hand so as to join the pole to the end wall member in a similar manner to that described in our above-mentioned co-pending Patent Application. Thus the corner joints of the present invention may be used in collaboration with the various features described in our co-pending Patent Application.

Claims

1. Variable angle corner joint for inter-connecting panels or walls in a building structure, the joint comprising a pole of circular section, at least one arcuate slot in the periphery of the pole extending at least to a substantial part of the length of the pole, a jointing member comprising means for attachment to the panel or wall, the jointing member having an elongated arcuate portion attachedtbut spaced from the main part of the jointing member and k adapted to be retained in the pole in such a way that the arcuate slot allows limited arcuate movement of the jointing member as a whole relatively to the pole.

2. Variable angle corner joint according to Claim 1 and in which the pole is provided with internal walls which act as stops to set limits to the amount of arcuate movement.

3. Variable angle corner joint according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 and in which there are at least two of said arcuate slots adapted to receive two different jointing members to allow each jointing member a range of arcuate movement relatively to the other.

4. Variable angle corner joint according to any preceding Claim manufactured from extruded plastics material.

5. Variable angle corner joint according to any of Claims 1, 2, 3 manufactured from extruded metal, such as aluminium, in which the internal wall structure of the pole includes a thermal break.

6. Variable angle corner joint according to Claim 5 in which the thermal break is provided by means of a box section extruded portion of the internal wall structure of the pole, part of which is adapted to be removed after filling the box structure with thermosetting plastics material.

7. Variable angle corner joint according to any preceding Claim in which the means for attachment of the jointing member to the wall or panel comprises a pair of longitudinally extending spaced male attachment members adapted to be received in corresponding female slots in the end wall or panel supports.

8. Variable angle corner joint substantially as hereinbefore particularly described and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

9. Wall structure comprising a number of wall sections or panels inter-connected by corner joints substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.