US2678116A

US2678116A - Building structure

Info

Publication number: US2678116A
Application number: US223733A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph J Gruber
Original assignee: Detroit Steel Products Co Inc
Current assignee: Detroit Steel Products Co Inc
Priority date: 1951-04-30
Filing date: 1951-04-30
Publication date: 1954-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1971-05-11

Description

Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED- PATENT oer BUILDING STRUCTURE Joseph J-J- Gruber, Buffalo, N: Y., ,assignor'to 'De troit Steel Ptoductsicoinpany, Detroit; Mich; a corpora-tion of Michigan Application April 30, 1951; SerialNo'; 223,733

llcclaims: l 1

The" present invention relatesto building-structure; and more particularly 'to an assembly-ofstructural panels.

It isan object-of the present invention to provide means for supporting or coupling a plurality of hollow structural'p'an'els in a mann'er which facilitates assembly of theparts.

It is a further object of thepresent invention tot provide a" novel panel" and supporting construction designed to afford a weathewtigh't seal automatically-upon assembly of the components.-

More'specifically, it is an object of'the present invention to provide a support or coupling-mem ber 'forassociation with a hollow buildingpanel, the panel havinga recessed end'provided with a trough extending along one side: thereof for receivinga plastic caulkingwompound; the support or coupling member having a continuous -leg extendingoutwardlytherefroin adaptedto be received' within' the trough and to displace caulkj ing compound in a manner to afiEord aweathertight seal.

It is 'a further object of the: present invention to: provide structureof "the charactlar described the preceding paragraph, in which the coir-- plihg memberor support is provided-white sec-- ond leg spaced' from-and parallel to thefi'rst lg and "adapted to engage an endof- 'th'e panel so as to provide mechanical support for the" panel" against transverse shifting movement:

Other ohjectsand'featuresof'the-inventi'on will become-apparent as the-description proceeds, es pecially" when taken in conjunction with the ac companying drawings," wherein:

Figure l isa fragmentaryelevationalvieW showing a plurality ofpanels engagement with a support "or coupling "member:

Figure -2 is an end elevational view' ofthe'as sembly shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is an' enlarged sectional-viewer! the line 3 3;" Figure 1;

Figure" 4, is an enlarged" transverse sectional view showing the manner in which" a pairof panels "arei'coupied" together" in *end to-endrelationship:

Figure 5 1' is an enlarged perspective view -with parts'broken' awayand sectionedsubstantiallyon therline 5- -5; Figure-1;

Figure "6" is a fragmentarwp'ers'pective view of. a panellusedimthe' constructioni Figure 7 ma fragmentarytransverse. vertical section illustrating a modified ecuplifrgandsupp m't arrangement? Described generalfterms, the presentunvem tion comprises building construction" includinga" :5 plurality of hollow fiat metal panels suitably interconnectedl'alongtheir edges and coupled togetheriorxsupportedat th'eir'ends in a-novel relationsh-ip.- The-panels-are referred-to as hollow althoughliof'course they may be filled with'suitable insulating material if desired. In general, the edges of thepanels are provided with :interfifitiii'gztongues and groovesor the like. The ends of the panels: arerecessed and preferably. are provided with end closures of particular design'; Thelend closures specifically are formedsto provide'atrough'r or channel for the reception of a plastic caulking compound.

The individual panels are each connected at one end, andrpreferablyithe lower endthereof to asupportor coupling-:member having a pairof' continuousaparallel outstandingspaced legs; one of "which: is shapedv to enter' thetrough orchannel so as 'to displace" plastic caulking. compound in a:manner to afford-aweather tight'seal At the sameztime; this-leg engages one side of the trough in amanner to afford mechanical support forthe end of the: panel against transversemovement. The other-leg of the support or couplingz meinher-engages .2anend-surface of the "panel insu'ch a: manner that the two legs positively prevent transverse movement of the panel in eithendirection;

Referringunow tothe' drawings; in Figure 1 there are illustrated a plurality of panels lll=connectedtoa' support l2. Inithis instanca'the support' l2i is shown as mountedion a; art: I 4 "of the building; theisuppiort comprising a flat "portion? 16' havin'g ;a firstiverticallyvextending" continuous leg extending abutment-=24 adapted-to engage thepart 1 4 of thebuil'di'ng; all-asbest seen in Figure 5. Tliepanels" H asbest seen in Figures 3 and li, eaclicomprisea. tongue 38; a groove 32', a rib 34;

anda-rabbetSBr The rabbet 36 is-dimensionedto receivethe tongue=3llprovided at the-- edge of the adj'acentp'anel, and the-groove 32 is shaped to interfit with the 'rib' 34 of the adjacent "panel.

The manner-"in whi'chth'e support l2'cooperates-with tlreb0t-t0m-'end of thepan'el lll is 'ap parent from Figure- "4-. In this figure-a form of support or couplin'g member 4Q 'is-i1lus'tratedwhich is somewhat different from the support [2 shown" in' Figure" 2; the" specific diiierencebeingr'that 'themembewldis-provided with a sec 3 end depending flange 42 adapted to engage an outer surface of the panel Ill. The member 49 however, includes a fiat horizontal portion 44 which is identical with the portion l6 illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. The portion 44 is provided at one edge with a continuous upstanding leg 45 and is provided with a second continuous upstanding leg 48 which is spaced from and parallel to the leg 46. The leg 48 is spaced inwardly from the adjacent edge of the flat portion 44 of the support.

The panels In at their lower ends are provided with an end closure 50 which is of downwardly open hollow configuration. The closure member 54 includes a first side wall 52 in surface-to-surface contact with an adjacent side wall 54 of the panel I0. The member 50 includes a second side Wall 55 which is in surfaceto-surface contact with the inner surface of the opposite side wall 58 of the panel l0. Extending inwardly from the side wall 52, the member 59 includes a short bottom wall section 60 and a short outwardly extending wall section 62, the

walls

52, 69 and 62 together defining a trough, well or channel 63 for the reception of a suitable plastic caulking compound 64. From the outer end of the wall 62, the member 56 is provided with a diagonally extending bottom wall 66 which connects the trough to the opposite side wall 56.

In use the end closure member 50 is inserted in the panels 10 at one end thereof, thus establishing the end which is to be the lower end of the panel in assembly. End closure members 50 may be suitably secured within the open end of the panels I!) such as by welding if desired, or otherwise. The assembly thus far described accordingly results in the provision of a hollow building panel havin a recessed end provided with a trough extending along one side of the recessed end for reception of a suitable plastic caulking compound. The plastic caulking compound is deposited in the trough 63 during manufacture of the panel and remains therein.

The opposite end of the panels H), as i1lusl.

trated in Figures 4 and '7, include a second end closure 68.

In alignment with the ends of th trough 63 each of the panels [0 is provided with notches '10 adapted to receive the

leg

20 or 48 of the support or coupling member [2 or 40 respectively.

In order to assemble a plurality of panels iii in the relationship shown in Figure 1 or Figure 4, one of the panels is connected to the support or coupling member in such a manner as to cause the

leg

20 or 48 to enter the trough 63. The plastic caulking compound 64 therein is present in such amount that entrance of the

leg

26 or 48 into the trough displaces the plastic caulking compound so as to substantially fill a space defined at the top by the wall 50, at one side by the wall 52, at the other side by a portion of the wall 62 and by the

leg

20 or 48, and at the bot tom by the part of the portion It or 44 disposing outwardly from the

leg

20 or 48, all as clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 7. It will be ob served at this time that the

leg

20 or 48 abuts the trough side surface of the wall 62. At the same time the le !8 or 46 engages the outer surface of the side wall 58 of the panel. Where the wall construction illustrated in the figures is an outer wall of a building, the trough 63 is located at the weather-side of the wall. Thus, the lower end of the upper panel III, as seen in Figures 4 and 7, is supported by the

leg

20 or 48 against outward movement relative to the support or coupling member I2 or 4!! and is supported against movement inwardly of the building by the

leg

18 or 46.

A depending flange 42 carried by the coupling member 40, as best seen in Figure 4, engages a portion of the inner wall 58 of the next lower panel member and depending flange H has an abutment portion 12 which engages the outer wall 54 of the lower panel at a point substantially below its upper end.

The support or coupling member 40 may conveniently be provided in the form of an elongated continuous extrusion. The depending flange ll and its abutment portion provide an efiective weather-tight seal in cooperation with the upper end of the lower panel IE. The leg 43, by its displacement of the plastic caulking compound 1'54, provides an efiective weathertight seal for the lower end of the upper panel H). The upstanding le 46 and the'depending flange 42 of the coupling member 40, shown in Figure 4, provides an attractive cover element concealing the joint between the adjacent ends of the panels H3.

The construction illustrated in Figure 7 involves the same couplin between the parts and differs only in the manner of support. In this illustrated use of the panel and coupling or support member, the member I2 is supported from an angle iron which in turn is supported from a second angle iron 82 carried by a structural element 84. Thus, the structural element 84 may constitute the support for a floor or the like and also provides for support of an upper row of panels lil through the medium of the angle irons 39 and 82 and the elongated support or coupling member 42.

The present arrangement facilitates the assembly of parts on a building site and avoids the necessity for a separate caulking operation during assembly. The caulking compound is provided in the trough of the recessed lower end of the panel at the factory and remains therein ready for use when shipped to the erecting site. It is only necessary for the workmen to bring the panel and support or coupling member into association in a manner to cause the

leg

20 or 48 to enter into the trough 63 in the manner illustrated in Figures 4 and. 7. This automatically provides a caulked weather-tight seal and displaces the plastic caulking compound so as to substantially fill the space provided between the trough and the coupling member. Moreover, the assembly of the panel and support or coupling member automatically brings the panel into properly aligned relationship through the interengagement between the upstanding legs of the support or coupling member and a side wall of the trough and a side wall of the panel. Moreover, and as specifically illustrated in Figure 4,-

the assembly positively insures proper alignment between panels disposed in a vertical tier.

Since the panels are designed to provide a se-v cure sealed interfitting relationship along their edges, it is necessary only to bring a second panel into proper registering relationship with an ad-.

tionship characterized also by an adequate weathertight seal.

The present construction also simplifies the:

initialconstruction of the panels inasmuch as the upper end thereof need not be precision;

a-events "lsquared. "Obviouslyjthe substantial overlap pro- "vid'ed "in assembly for *the *upper end of -the -pan- "lspeririitsthese eridstdhave substantialldevia- 'tiori from --an"accurate squaredmelationship.

While the illustrated construction shows pan- *els the :"opposite sides of which areiiat surfaces, ""the invention' isof course equally applicableto 1 a building panel-which ismodified from the illusmembers to accommodate the ribs.

The drawings and the foregoing specificationaconstituteia description .ofthemimproved build- -ing structure in such full,.clear, :concise::and exeact terms "as to enable any, -person skilled :in the art to practice the invention, ,thescope of which ".isrindicated by the appendedclaims.

7 What leclaim as my invention is:

1. .'In combination, a panel support pomprisring aneelongated member having a fiatr portion provided with a pair of outstanding spaced parallel legs, one of which is located inwardly from one edge of said flat portion, a hollow structural panel connected to said support, said panel including an elongated outwardly open channel shaped end closure member, the side walls of said member being in abutment against the inner surfaces of the side walls of said panel, the inner wall of said member being shaped to provide a trough for receiving a plastic caulking compound and including a third wall intermediate the said side walls of said member and parallel thereto, said support and panel being assembled with one leg of said support located within said trough and abutting one side of said trough, the other leg of said support engaging the side of said panel remote from said trough.

2. In combination, a panel support comprising an elongated member having a flat portion provided with a pair of outstanding spaced parallel legs, one of which is located inwardly from one edge of said flat portion, a hollow structural panel connected to said support, said panel having a recessed edge cooperating with said support, a trough in said recessed edge for receiving a plastic caulking compound, said trough being at one side of said panel and having one side wall common therewith, one leg of said support extending into said trough and the other leg of said support engaging the side wall of said panel remote from said trough.

3. In combination, a panel support comprising i an elongated member having a flat portion provided with a pair of outstanding spaced parallel legs, one of which is located inwardly from one edge of said flat portion, a hollow structural panel connected to said support, said panel including an elongated outwardly open channel shaped end closure member, the side walls of said member being in abutment against the inner surfaces of the side walls of said panel, the inner wall of said member being shaped to provide a trough for receiving a plastic caulking compound and including a third wall intermediate the said side walls of said member and parallel thereto, said support and panel being assembled with one leg of said support located within said trough and abutting the surface of said third wall at the side of said trough, the other leg of said support engaging the outer surface of the side of said panel remote from said trough.

4. A building construction comprising an elonleg extends to engage the side of said troughremotefrom the 'sa id one side 'of I said panel, the

gatedsupport member having a flat portion providedwitha pair ofstraight parallel continuous *le'gs outstanding therefrom; oneof said legsbeing spaced inwardly from V one edge of said 'fiatportion, a plurality of hollow structural panels'con- "nected at their ends to said support member, said support member being of a length atdeast equal to *the width of a plurality of -'panels,'-said panels having elongatedtroughs-"in their ends adjacent on side thereof into which -said-one other of said legs engaging the outer sidewall =-**of'isa;id panels at the-other side thereof, and notches in theends of said troughs for receiving saidone leg, the transverse width of said troughs being substantiallygreater than the thieknessof the leg received therein.

A ibuilding constructioncomprising an elon- -"gated'support havingia fiat portion provided-with --apair of straightparallel continuous legs outstanding therefrom one of saidlegs being spaced inwardly from one edge of said flat portion, a

plurality of hollow structural panels connected at their ends to said support, said support being of a length at least equal to the width of a plurality of panels, said panels having elongated troughs in their ends extending along one side of said panels for receiving caulking compound, the said one leg of said support extending into said trough and engaging the inner wall of said trough, the other leg of said support engaging the outer surface of said panel, said panels having notches in their edges in alignment with said troughs to receive said one leg the transverse width of said troughs being substantially greater than the thickness of the leg received therein.

6. A building construction comprising a pair of hollow structural panels disposed end-to-end in a vertical tier, a coupling member comprising a flat portion disposed between the ends of said panels, a depending flange at one edge of said member engaging one side of the lower of said panels, a pair of upstanding spaced parallel continuous legs on said member, the lower end of said upper panel having a recessed trough extending therealong for receiving caulking com pound, one of said legs extending into said trough, the other of said legs engaging a side of said upper panel.

7. A building construction comprising a pair of hollow structural panels disposed end-to-end in a vertical tier, a coupling member comprising a flat portion disposed between the ends of said panels, a depending flange at one edge of said member engaging one side of the lower of said panels, a pair of upstanding spaced parallel continuous legs on said member, the lower end of said upper panel having a recessed trough extending therealong at one side thereof for receiving caulking compound, one of said legs extending into said trough, the other of said legs engaging the side of said panel remote from said trough.

8. A building construction comprising a pair of hollow structural panels disposed end-to-end in a vertical tier, a coupling member comprising a flat portion disposed between the ends of said panels, a depending flange at one edge of said member engaging one side of the lower of said panels, a pair of upstanding spaced parallel continuous legs on said member, the lower end of said upper panel having a recessed trough extending therealong at one side thereof for receiving caulking compound, one of said legs extending into said trough and abutting the side of said trough remote from the adjacent side of said panel, the other of said legs engaging the outer surface of the other side of said panel.

p 9. Structure as defined in claim 8 in which a plurality of tiers of panels are connected to a single coupling member, and the edges of the upper panels are notched in aligmnent with the trough to receive said one leg.

10; Structure as defined in claim 9 in which said coupling member comprises a second depending flange engaging th opposite sides of said lower panels.

11. Structure comprising a self-sealing joint between a hollow panel and a support, comprising an elongated flat support having a continuous rib extending therealong at right angles thereto intermediate its sides, a panel having a recessed edge cooperable with said support, a trough extending inwardly from the bottom of the recess in the edge of said panel at one side thereof, said rib being positioned to enter said trough as said panel is relatively moved toward 8 said support, the transverse width of said troughs being substantially greater than the thickness of the rib received therein, a quantity of plastic caulking compound in said trough, the quantity of compound and the dimension of said trough and rib being proportioned so that said rib displaces compound to substantially fill the space defined by said trough, said rib, the adjacent side of said panel, and said support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,069,176 Budd Jan. 26, 1937 2,091,415 Mauser Aug. 31, 1937 2,100,957 Hofiman Nov. 30, 1937 2,165,336 Brogden July 11, 1939 2,175,579 Stratton Oct. 11, 1939 2,186,310 Von Hoefen Jan. 9, 1940 2,199,586 Bowser 1 May 7, 1940 2,209,816 Grapp July 30, 1940 2,289,469 Turner July 14, 1942 2,423,199

Milnor July 1, 1947