NZ330715A - Hollow structural wall panels with horizontally positioned timber planks - Google Patents

Abstract

A structural member that comprises a multiplicity of horizontal boards held in parallel spaced apart relationship by vertical spaces fixed at intervals between the boards. Also disclosed are methods of creating hollow structural wall panels utilizing horizontally positioned timber face planks, laminated to vertical spacers in such a way as to create complete walls, and methods of joining these wall panels to form a complete building structure.

Description

PATENTS FORM NO. 5 PATENTS ACT 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No: 330715 Dated: 15th June 1998 TITLE: "PANAFRAME BUILDING SYSTEM" We H.W.Douglas Family Trust, of 25 Lewis Road, Rotorua, New Zealand do hereby declare this 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 particularly described in and by the following statement: | INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 13 SEP 1999 RECEIVED This invention concerns building systems and structures, building elements and methods of forming same.

The present invention is directed to methods of creating hollow structural wall panels utilising horizontally positioned timber face planks, laminated to vertical spacers in such a way as to create complete walls, and methods of joining these wall panels to form a complete building structure.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example.

Previous building systems utilising timber face panels have been restricted to plank type systems whereby a multiplicity of planks are placed one on top of another on the building site one at a time by the builder. The present invention seeks to address the limitations of these systems by way of improvements in construction time, resistance to seismic and wind forces, improvements to insulation properties and compatibility with services such as electrical and plumbing.

The wall panels are assembled totally in the factory by way of glue laminating two layers of precut horizontally placed timber tongue and groove face planks to precut vertical timber centre spacers to create complete hollow section wall panels with a solid timber appearance. r INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 2 I 3 SEP 1999 Preferred embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1: is an elevational view of a complete wall panel incorporating a window opening, in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2: is a cross sectional view of a complete wall panel, and Figure 3: is a cross sectional close up view of part of a wall panel as shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4: is a plan view showing detail of a screwed joint wall intersection in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5: is a plan view showing detail of a two part push fit joint, utilising aluminium extrusions, in accordance with one possible embodiment of the present invention.

Jointing of wall panels one to another may be accomplished by means of conventional screws, bolts or a two part aluminium extrusion which clips together. The extrusion is accommodated into the wall panel during the course of manufacture. In the case of a screwed or bolted joint a timber spacer is accommodated into the wall panel during the course of manufacture. A corresponding spacer is located in the adjoining wall panel. i. i uuiC'i UAL PROPERTY OFFICE ; OF N.Z. 3 j 13 SEP 1999 Insulation, if required, may be injected into the hollow cavity of the wall panel utilising a foaming action polyurethane, or sheet foam or reflective foil can be incorporated in the panel during the manufacturing process.

Electrical wiring and other services may be easily installed in the cavity of the plank either during the course of manufacture, or on the building site.

Openings such as windows and doors may be incorporated in the panels during the course of manufacture, with the resultant saving of on site labour costs.

The present invention also seeks to improve the aesthetics of joints of one wall to another whereby the tongue and groove face planks are exactly aligned in the factory. This has always been a problem with other timber systems which have to be aligned on site by the builder. A corner bead may be added on site to further improve aesthetics, whereby a corner slot is routed utilising a corner router, and a bead is pushed into the slot, thereby visually separating the two adjacent panels.

The panels, because they are manufactured as entire self bracing laminated wall sections, have a resultant strength far in excess of any other timber walling system, with the advantages previously mentioned.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof.

| INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE ] OF N.Z. 1 3 SEP 1999 IVED Each structural panel (Figs 1 and 2) comprises a multiplicity of parallel spaced apart horizontal boards 1 interconnected by a plurality of full height vertical spacers 2 at intervals between the boards 1 forming a wall panel with full height cavities 14. The boards 1 in a wall panel may be mutually engageable one to another by means of a tongue 3 and groove 4 arrangement located along the abutting edges of the boards 1. The boards may be connected to the spacers by means of a glue lamination process.

Panels may be joined one to another by means of a screw 5 which may be countersunk 6 with a timber plug 7 covering the head of the screw to improve aesthetics, or by way of a two part interlocking extrusion 8 and 9, whereby one part 8 is located inside the cavity at the end of one wall panel by means of machined grooves 10 in the boards 1, and the second part 9 is screw fixed 11 to the adjoining wall panel. The two panels are then pushed together on the building site causing the extrusions to interlock.

A corner bead 12 may be added to further improve aesthetics. This may be accomplished by utilising a corner router to form a groove 13 corresponding to the dimensions of the bead 12.

A top horizontal spacer 15 may be incorporated in the panel to facilitate the connection of roofing members to the panels, and a bottom horizontal spacer 16 may also be incorporated to facilitate connection of the panel to the floor structure. Further horizontal spacers 17 may be incorporated above and below window and door openings 18.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z.

Dcr.FiVFD 1 3 SEP 1999 An external cladding material may be added to the wall panels to form a weather resistant external wall.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it will be appreciated that modifications and additions thereto may be made without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Claims (8)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A structural member comprising a multiplicity of horizontal boards held in parallel spaced apart relationship by vertical spacers fixed at intervals between said boards.

2. A structural member as claimed in claim 1. wherein the cavities defined between the spacers are filled with an insulation material.

3. A structural member substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

4. A building system substantially as herein described wherein wall sections are joined one to the other by means of wall connectors, said wall connectors comprising two part extrusions which engage a wall panel by means of machined grooves at the end of the first wall panel, and screw fixed to the second wall panel to provide a push together fit, thereby locking the two wall panels together.

5. A building system substantially as herein described wherein wall sections are joined one to the other by means of screws rebated with cover plugs. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 13 SEP 1999

6. A building system substantially as herein described wherein a rebated corner bead is applied to improve aesthetics.

7. A building system substantially as herein described, wherein external walls are formed by fixing a weatherproof cladding material to the external face of the wall panels.

8. A building system substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. H.W.DOUGLAS FAMILY TRUST INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z. 1 3 SEP 1999 7 RECEIVED