US2370594A - Wall structure having anchored architectural facing - Google Patents

Description

5 @ye/@Wy 7 we (www Feb.l 27, 1945. R H TURK A 2,370,594

WALL STRUCTURE HAVING ANCHORED ARCHITECTURAL FACING Filed May 2O 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y RaW/WMA l/ l L? f5 f--hf Feb. 27, 1945. R, H TURK 2,370,594'

WALL STRUCTURE HAVING ANCHO-RED ARCHITECTURAL FACING Filed May 2o, 1941 2 sneets-sneet 2 @wcm/tofu award/Klar@ Patented Feb. 27, 1945 VUNITED sfrirresy PfiizN'r OFFICE WALL STRUCTURE HAVING AN CHORED ARCHITECTURAL FACING Richard H. Turk, Baltimore, Md., assigner to Pemco Corporation, a corporation of Maryland Application May 20, 1941, Serial No. 394,374

9 Claims. (Cl. 'l2- 18) The presentinvention relates to thev produc'` tion of porcelain enameled architectural units and shapes, and the application thereof to a carrying surface while the latter is in a plastic state, said carrying surface being adapted vto thereafter harden and support said. porcelain enameled unit. i Y It hasl previously been proposed to Aprovide iron or steel sheets or tiles having a porcelain enameled exterior iinish and to attach the same to interior supporting surfaces such as bathrooms,`A

kitchens, and the like, but such architectural shapes have been provided with screws, bolts, clips and the like adapted to be fastened to studding, metal moulding, or similar parts. AAsidel from the. rather complicated mechanical arrangements previously necessary for attaching the shape to the retaining supports, such asa wall. or the like, a major diiculty has been encountered in that the large sized porcelain,

enameled sheets and panels exceeding, for example, 12 to 18 inches in any one direction were not sumclently well anchored tothe supporting surface so as to present a smooth exterior surface free from bulging and warping. Due to! the high gloss porcelain enamel nish often employed in architectural panels and shapes, comparatively small eccentricities in the contour of the surface of the unit are greatly magnified, and

as a result detract; from the esthetic appeal of the tile panel or other unit The diiculty 'encountered inanchoring such sheets and panels in place so that the latter present a nat plane surface has, up to the presentv time, resulted in a, substantially negligible use', especially in the treatment of interior walls or the like, of large panels or sheets provided with a porcelain enamel finish. It` is desired'to point out thatV if the above difliculties could be surmounted, porcelain enameled sheets and tiles would become' very popular in places where cleanliness and ease of cleaning are important and especially in interior decoration of bathrooms, kitchens and the like, it being further pointed out that the porcelain enamel finish is available in many colors andcan be adapted to produce a great many decorative effects.

It has been ascertained that the solution of the problem resides in` providing the porcelain.

enameled panels or other shaped members with projecting members and embedding the latter in the supporting medium while the latter is in a plastic statesaid carrying medium after embedment of the projecting means hardening 1 around the projecting means to thereby hold the panel member rigidly in avuniform plane.

This method of application may be employed when the carrying medium is a wall provided with al coating of wet plaster. After'the plaster has been applied to the wall and while the plaster is in a plastic state, thepprojecting members lof the porcelain enameled sheets or tiles are pressed into the wet plaster coating, said coating upon drying anchoring the sheets or panel members rigidly in a uniform plane and preventing the sheets from bulging and warping.` Itis to be noted that this method of application not only provides the wall or other supporting surface with a firmly adherent fiat architectural shape such as a sheet or tile, but, as stated, eliminates the necessity of complicated mechanical arrangements for attaching the shape to the carrying medium. Further, in employing the method heretoforeused, it was necessary to accurately space the porcelainv enameled sheets or the like on the surface of the supporting material in order to properly attach the porcelain enameled sheets and tiles tothe carrying surfaceby lmeans ofpbolts, screws, clips and the like.

, It has further been `ascertained that the interior surface of the panel member and its projecting members were subject to the rusting and corroding influence of the supporting medium` and that this could be prevented by providing all of the surfaces exposedvto` thesupporting me- ,diu'mk such as a plaster surface with a coating of porcelain enamel, the latter reacting with the metal surfaces to key itself thereto.

The present rinvention will be illustrated in y connection with the accompanying drawings in y which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the rear surface of f Figure? is a horizontal section taken on line 'l-l of Figure 6; Y

Figure 8 is a vertical section taken on line 8.-8 of Figure 7 Figure 9 is a sectional view of a porcelain enameled pre-formed tile provided with loops spot welded to tile indentatio-n members; and

Figure is a sectional view of a 'porcelain enameled pre-formed tile provided with a screen anchoring unit.

As shown` in Figure 1, the iron or steel panel I is provided with ro;ectir1gy anchoring" members 2, having ahnrizontar leg 4 ,andi a` vertical leg 5, the horizontal leg of the members being spot welded to the panel I at 3. The stock of the panel is `preferably to 22 gage while` the projecting angle members are preferably-meldest light gage enameling iron of approximately 2`4` gage. The angleirons may be ofany'suitabie width but preferably 1/2 to 1" irichso that eachangle member may be spot weldedto. the panel- I in a single operation. The length of' the extending leg 5 of each angle is slightly lessi tha-nl the" quatefsupportand'anchorage to the panel'. vHoweven, an; excessive number or anchoring membersa-re not'necessary. shown in Figure 1, the legsare spaced 4 inches., apart. The' spacing may bevariedlin accordance witlrthe character'` ofi the supporting.v medium, thencharacter of the panel and `its .anchorage members, and the size of' the f Danek After the. anchoring members have been. se-

cured-.to thepanel. I.. the article is provided with a coating of alvitreous enamel such'A as porcelain enamel. The article is chemically cleanedlto. re-

move grease and drtand. thensubjected to an acid-pickle to. removeironoxideand scale. Thereafter, a; base. coatfl.v is applied, to the frontX surface .8` oi" the panel I.. the back surface Iiy thereof, and. to allthe exposed surfaces. of' the anchoring members 2. The coating is. iired'ih placent the usual. ground coat ringA temperature whichmay is applied in two coats, the first coat being termed the scratch coat and the second being termed the brown coat. It is desired to point out that the present invention may befused in connection with any plaster which is soft or plastic and is adapted to receive and/or have embedded therein the anchoring members of a panel provided with an exterior! coating of porcelainrenamelz', and preferably. a: corrosion resisting interior Vcoating of porcelain enamel, said plaster hardening by setting or equivalent reaction. Other materials may be substituted for the plaster, the 'criterion being that at. the time of application of the panel .members the wall o1' other supporting member should have thereon asoft unhardened coating adaptedy to'harden' after the anchoring members .of ythe p anel have been pressed into the coating.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 1 3,. the? protruding legs I I of the anchoring member I2 are twisted to provide a encrage;

In .the form of theinvention shown inl Figures satisfactory anv4 and' 5, the rear surface' I-4 of the panel vI3l is with' a' ground coat I8 and the' exterior" surface of the' panel; is provided" with a cover' coat'v IQ.

A further modi'cation of the invention is shown inA Figures 6i to' 8,v inclusive` Int'sead voi weldinga series of singlelugsv` to" theback' surface' ofI thepanel member, the angle-iron 2U may haveportions of on'e flange removed asby cutting is caused` to. f'use,4 vitri'ty.. and'. react. with the `base material to,- adhere firmly to the metal ofr the panell.

After the v.ground coatenamel has been `iired in placa., one. or. more vitreous or porcelain.. enamel covery coats 9 oflany desiredA color. or combination of colors and patterns may be applied tothe ground. coat `I on the front. face of the. panel, and thisexterior vitreous-forming coating. maybe .fired at the usual temperature at which coverl coats are fired, which. may be around. 14005" to 15.00 FL to producethe nalvitreousor porcelain enamel finish. The so produced'. article is. no.w ready for erection. The verticai legs. 5.. of! the anchoring.. members 3 are embeddedi'n the. plaster III While the latter is. in a plastic softand unhardened stata. said plaster being, adapted to harden,` by exposure tothe air. or by exposure to am'7 mediumwhichwill' accelerate the hardening ofthe plaster..

As is well known, lime plaster is used for the plastering of the insides of. buildings andi this is'. the` preferred plasteringrnediumwhich is applied to the wall to be plastered'. However,A any of the prior art plastering, mediums. may bewused including calcium sulfate plasters. It is obvious that the plaster may have other ingredients mixed with it andv usually said' ingredients. 1n-l clude a filler medium such as sand. The plaster ontv the metal to provide a* series of integral lu'gs" 2'I". The remainingv ange 22 may' be spot welded as" at 23 tothe inner surface' 275% ofthe panel 24. Y

In the' form ofthe invention shown inl Figure' 9. the panel member is provided Wthsi'mulated tiles" 2'6 adjacent to tile indentation'sZT. VSecured to the back surfacez'e of the nie indentations 21 are a plurality of wires 3U? provided with` loops 3 I the bottoms of which` are spot welded asat 29 tothe surface 28. Theti'le'inde'ntati'ons 2'1 may be spaced suiiiciently from thepla'ster surface to provide an air' yspace between the Atile and" the plaster surface, saidairA space/,acting asa heat insulating" medium. Ifno insulating effect is deorrtilev member and-'tlremembers projecting; there from to form anchorage means are prcvidediwth a` corrosion inhibit-ing coating ot a vitreous or porcelain enamel.. After dipping.` the. article with its. anchorage means in the groundcoat porcelain enamel composition, the ground coat is red at the usual. ground coat firing temperature whereby the coating' is c'aused4 to fuse', `vitr'fy on cooling, and react with the base materialltoiadnere' rmly tothe'metaloflthe panel or'thetile. The Aexteriiir surface of the article shown in Figures 6 to 10, inelusive, may be provided with an exterior fired porcelain enamel coating of the character hereinbefore ser forth.

Any of the forms of the invention shown in Figures 6 to 10, inclusive, may be applied to a supporting surface having a plastic coating, as, for example, plaster or the like, whilethe plaster is in a soft and unhardened state. Upon hardening, the article will be rigidly held in the uniform plane whereby warping and bulging of lthe panel and distortion of' the exterior porcelain enamel coating carriedby the panel is prevented.

Instead of spot welding anchorage means onto the panel plate, the panel may be shaped as byv stamping to provide integral of various shapes.

The term iron or sheet steel as used inthe specification is intended to cover not only the high quality low metalloid content steel sheet commonly used as a base for porcelain enamel, but also any iron or steel base capable of being porcelain enameled, said base containing substantial proportions of alloying constituents, as, for example, nickel, chromium, tantalum, molybdenum, zirconium, and the like. While steel sheet is the metal base generally used for the application of architectural porcelain enamels, the present invention is in no way limited to porcelain enameled architectural units having such sheet steel base, but may lalso apply to porcelain enameled architectural units using any other suitable metal as a base, as, for example, copper,

anchorage members copper alloys, aluminum, aluminum alloys, nickel,

nickel alloys, and similar metal bases or alloys thereof.

While in the specification the application of the corrosion resisting inner lining and the exterior porcelain enamel coating is described as using two firing steps, the namel coatings may be brought to a fusion and vitrication by a single ring step` Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and ldesired to be secured to by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a supporting member, an in situ hardened-coating thereon, and a panel member having an exterior coating of porcelain enamel, anchorage means secured to and holding said panel closely adjacent the exterior surface of the hardened coating, said anchorage means comprising a wire having base portions extending adjacent to the inner surface of the panel member, loop wire portions intermediate said base portions and extending outwardly therefrom, said portions being formed of upwardly extending leg members, the interior surfaces of which are in face to face contact, spotwelds at the juncture of the loop leg members and base portions uniting said anchorage means with said panel and preventing the spreading of said loop portions, said loop portions extending into said hardened coating so that said panel member is held rigidly in a uniform plane whereby warping and bulging of the panel and distortion of the exterior enamel coating is prevented.

2. I n combination, a supporting member, an in situ hardened-coating thereon, and a panel member having an exterior surface of porcelain enamel, a portion of said panel member being spaced from the supporting member to provide an insulating pocket, other portions of said panel being held by anchorage means secured to the panel in firm, rigid contact with the exterior surface of said hardened coating, said anchorage means comprising a wire having base portions ing lis prevented.

3. In combination, a supporting member', an in situ hardened-coating thereon, and a panel member having an exterior surface of porcelain enamel,` projecting members extending from the rear of said panel member and in rm, rigid contact with the exterior surface of said hardened coatingy the portion of the panel member between said projecting members being spaced'and depressed from 'the exterior surface of the supporting member to provide an insulating pocket, anchorage means secured to' said projecting membersrsaid anchorage means comprising a'wire having base portions spot welded to said projecting members, and loop portions extending from said base portions into said in situ hardenedcoating so that said panel member is held rigidly in a uniform plane whereby warping and bulging of the panel and distortion of the exterior enamel coating is prevented.

4. In combination, a supporting member, an in situ hardened-coating thereon, and a panel n member having an exterior coating of porcelain portions and extending outwardly therefrom,

spot welds at the juncture of the loop and base portions uniting saidanchorage means with said panel and preventing the spreading of said loop portions, said loop portions extending into said hardened coating so that said panel member is held rigidly in a uniform plane whereby warping and bulging of the panel and distortion of the exterior enamel coating is prevented.

5. In combination, a supporting member, an in situ hardened-coating thereon, and a panel member havingl an exterior coating of porcelain enamel, projecting members extending from the rear of said panel member and in iirm, rigid contact with the exterior surface of said'hardened coating, the portion of the panel member between said projecting members being spaced and depressed from the exterior surface' of the supporting member to'provide an insulating pocket, anchorage means secured to said panel, said anchorage means comprising a wire having base portions extending adjacent to the inner surface of the panel member, loop portions intermediate said base portions and extending outwardly therefrom, spot welds at the juncture of thev loop and base portions uniting said anchorage means with said panel and preventing the spreading of said loop portions, said loop. portions extending into said hardened coating so that said panel member is held rigidly in auniform plane whereby warping and bulging of the panel and distortion of the exterior enamel coating is prevented.

6. In combination, a supporting member, an in situ hardened-coating thereon, and a panel member carrying a porcelain enamel coating on its exterior surface, projecting members extending from the rear of said panel member, the portions of.' the; panel'4 member between saidyplojecting members beings, spaced` from theexterior surface ofi the supporting, nmemlcner:V tof provide;- insulating pockets, anchorage means secured. to said projectingI members, saidv anclr-ierage` meanscomprising;` am elongated base portioni. disposed adjacent to the rear of said panel, and a, plurality of means projecting; frornsaid baseportioninto said: hardened coatings@y tha-tisaid; panel vrmember isrigidly `held.` inw. a" uni-form plane whereby warping and bulging, of tl'iefpanel,and distortion of the exterior enamel coating is prevented;

.7. In` combination,l a supporting member, an in situ=hardenedcoating thereon.and a panelrnemben having an exterior surface of porcelain enamel, anchoringtmeans for anchoring and holding; saidpanel-member rigidly in. a uniform plane andvclose-lyiadjacentthe-exterior surfacev of said f hardened coating, whereby warping` and bulging vlliof the panelanchdistortion of:4 theaexteriorl enamel coating istpreventemsaid anchorage means coinprising a wirehaving;hase;portionsr and loop portions integral therewith and extending upwardly therefrom, said loopfportions being` forxnedtof up-

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