US2759439A - Interlocking building structure, including building units and readily demountable connecting and stiffening means - Google Patents

Description

1956 MacMlLLAN CLEMENTS 2,759,439

INTERLOCKING BUILDING STRUCTURE, INCLUDING BUILDING UNITS AND READILY DEMCUNTABLE CONNECTING AND STIFFENING MEANS Filed Jan. 4, 1951 INVENTOR filaments,

Mw-M

ATTOR NE Y6.

INTERLOCKING BUILDING STRUCTURE, IN-

CLUDING BUILDING UNITS AND 'READILY DEMOUNTABLE CONNECTING AND STIFF- ENING MEANS MacMillan Clements, Bethe], Conn.

Application January 4, 1951, Serial N 0. 204,428

1 Claim. (Cl. 108-24) portions for interlocking engagement with the interlockmg portions of the said units or panels. Preferably also the improved structure includes an outside sealing and holding strip for sealing adjacent units or panels and for tightening the interlocking engagement of the aforesaid parts.

An object of the invention therefore is to provide a building structure employing light weight units or panels for a temporary, semi-temporary or permanent building using connecting parts or members of suilici'ent mass to bolster the deflective resistance of -the light weight and comparatively thin units.

A further object is to provide a specially constructed readily assembled and disassembled building structure by the use of lag bolts or even nails for military use or other uses wherein thin and light panels, the outer surfaces of which are preferably unbroken or in a single plane, and which may be employed in order to meet logistic problems of space, lightness of weight, transportation, handling and storage.

Another object is to provide a structure which is provided with a securing means which seals the connection between the panels under compression and which provides an air chamber between the side edges of the panels, although the provision of an air space between the panel sides is not required in all construction embodiments.

An additional object is to provide a structure having panel connecting members which can be site-produced of such easily procurable material as standard dimensioned lumber and which may be assembled with the panels by common or non-skilled labor.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a pair of panels, structural element and the connecting means there for, the panels being broken away;

Figure 2 is a view similar .to that of Figure 1, but showing a modified construction;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in perspective and partly broken away, of one of the panels; and,

Figure 4 is a detail of the panel spacers or webs.

Heretofore there have been constructed buildings employing many types of building panels and connecting means therefor, both factory-fabricated (prefabricated), and site-fabricated. These panels are of a construction such as to provide resistance to deflection that is adequate for the purpose intended, and of the strength for" the required spans. Such panels have connecting parts or members which do not contribute to the deflection resistance of the entire structure, other than to transfer sheer stresses under deflection loads from one panel to another. However, such panels and their supportingand connecting members fail to meet the space and ligh P lems of military requirements wherein the panels must nited States Patent Patented Aug. 21, 1956 'ice be as thin and as light in weight as possible, in order to meet logistic problems that include transportation, ease of assemblage by unskilled labor, and storage. Moreover, present panel buildings provide an intricate interlocking or a clip connection of panels interrupting the continuity of the outer surface of the panel due to the connecting means employed to connect the edges of the panel. The panels employed provide a non-interrupted outer surface in the present invention as distinguished from those now in use.

The preferred construction of the panel follows generally that of my prior Patent No. 2,511,620, granted June 13, 1950, for Structural Panels. This panel is comparatively thin, and is composed of structural or semistructural material of comparatively high density and low compressibility and otherwise suits the requirements stated above. These panels, however, are modified as described hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, and Figure 1 in particular reference characters A and B show a sectional view of these panels, and 1 and 2 indicate facing sheets which may be of any suitable material such as hardboard, plywood, sheet metal, or a combination of said sheets. The core consists of a grid of slotted corrugated board strips. The frame pieces are shown at 5 and 49, and each of them includes an interlocking notch having angled sides 6 and 7, which latter extends to the transverse wall 8. Each panel is preferably constructed of four frame pieces, the facing sheets and the grid. The opposite sides of each panel will be frame pieces similar to 5, 13, 27 and 33, and the right angled frame pieces will be similar to frame pieces 49 as shown in Figure 3. This wall 8 forms one Wall .of the air space hereinafter to be described. The panel B is of the same construction as panel A, and it consists of the front and back facing sheets 9 and 10 and the grid which is composed of corrugated strips 11 and 12. Referring to Figure 4 it shows the strips 3 and 4, that are identical with strips 11 and 12, it will be noted that such strips are provided with slots 451 and 461. These strips may be made of paper sheets 431, be tween which is a central corrugated paper member 441 similar to, or the same as that, shown in Figure 4. The entire panel may therefore be constructed of the same materials and having substantially the same proportions as that shown in my patent aforesaid. Any panel of other construction may be used in substitution of that described.

The panel B shown to the right in Figure 1 is also provided with the frame piece 13 having walls 14 and 15 forming a notch or an interlocking portion corresponding to that of panel 1. It will be noted that there is an air space provided between the parallel walls of the frame pieces 5 and 13. This space provides for the reception of a series of lag bolts 16. These lag bolts engage at spaced intervals the strip 17 which is provided with a cylindrical aperture 18 for the reception of the bolt. The bolt is provided with a squared head 19. There 153111 insulation strip 20 composed of rubber, or rubber-like material, caulking compound, etc., which is inserted between the inside surface of the strip and portions of the outside surfaces of sheets 1 and 9 as seen in Figure 1. These lag bolts during assembly are caused to make perforations or holes 21 in the strip 20. If caulking material is used, the air space provides a reservoir for such material which overflows when the outer strip is applied to form an airtight seal between adjacent panels.

The numeral 22 indicates one of the main frame members which form the skeleton or framework of the building. Such frame members are of considerable structural strength and they are utilized as one of the main features of this invention to form an interlocking connection with the opposite side edges of each pair of panels. Accordingly, such frame members are provided with inclined walls 23 and 24 which closely fit inclined walls 7 and of frame pieces 5 and 13, respectively, and the side walls of each frame member closely engages the side walls 6 and 14, respectively, of said frame pieces. As noted in Figure l the lag bolts are of such length that they screwthreadedly engage the frame piece, and tightening of the lag bolts will tighten the interlocking connection between the pair of panels and the frame member. Such tightening will also because of its engagement with the strip 17 cause such strip to make an airtight connection between the strip and the panels to thereby prevent the entrance of any moisture or air into the space between the contiguous edges of the panels.

It will be understood that the sheets 1 and 9 are outside sheets, and that they as well as strip 17 are exposed to the weather conditions outside of the building, and that nails may be used in place of lag bolts, although the latter are preferred.

The locking strip 17 and the frame members are preferably of some of the cheaper construction materials, such as common lumber or plywood, but other kinds of wood or even other materials may under some circumstances be used. For instance, instead of employing the strip 17 shown in Figure 1 is a metal strip 41 such as shown in Figure 2 may be substituted for said locking strip 17.

This construction may be employed for making the side walls of the building. Once the bare framework of the building has been completed the panels are placed in the position shown in Figure 1, the sealing strip 20 and locking strip shown in Figure 1 or 2 is applied in the position shown, and the lag bolts are then inserted and tightened to form a watertight joint. Figure 1 shows a horizontal section of a portion of the wall and one of the vertical frame members 22. Any number of frame pieces and panel members may be used so as to construct a building of any desired size.

In Figure 2 is shown a construction which may constitute the apex of a roof, or this construction may be also readily employed where it is desired to provide angled side walls. For the purpose of illustration, however, the construction will be described as a portion of a roof.

In this construction C and D indicate oppositely inclined panels. The panel C is provided with a core having slotted grid strips and 26 and a frame piece 27 having inclined sides 28 and 29. The panel D similarly has slotted corrugated board strips 31 and 32 and frame piece 33 which is provided with inclined walls 34 and 35. When the panels are assembled as shown in Figure 2 there is an air space 36 provided. No moisture may be admitted to this air space because of the sealing strip 37 which is held in place by the lag screw 39 which has pierced the sealing strip or the caulking compound (not shown), and thus forms an airtight engagement with the lag screw 39 at the aperture 38. The lag screw engages the locking strip 41 which is preferably of metal, but it will be understood that in place of the locking strip 41 a locking strip similar to that shown at 17 in Figure 1 may be used.

Extending across the roof is the main supporting rafter 42. One end of this rafter is provided with the notch of general dovetailed configuration having sides 43 and 44 which engage the sides 28 and 29, and opposite sides 45 and 46 which engage inclined walls 34 and of the frame pieces C and D. These inclined surfaces of the main frame member 42 provide in cross-section a dovetailed connection, the opposite sides of which each engage in the notches of the panels, and one face of each panel engages ledges 47 and 48.

While the preferred form of the panels used is that shown and described herein, I do not desire to be limited in the practice of this invention to the interior grid construction or the side pieces shown as said construction may be modified by substituting other panels. Such panels, however, must preferably meet logistic problems of space and weight in transportation in handling and in storage while still maintaining maximum protection against the elements and functioning as part of a wall or roof of a building. Under some circumstances panels of solid material may be used, or other forms of panels may be employed which provide air spaces between the sheets such as sheets 1 and 2 by allowing for circular, square, triangular, diamond shaped or other air pockets between the facing sheets. Moreover, I contemplate in some cases utilizing a metallic skin which preferably may be bonded to the outside surfaces of the panels such as the sheets 1 and 9 of Figure 1 and the outside sheets of the panel shown in Figure 2, such skin being shown in my application, Serial No. 642,279, filed January 19, 1946, now Patent No. 2,542,860. In place of the outside and inside sheets 1 and 2 such as shown in Figure 1 they are preferably constructed of impregnated paper, cardboard or hardboard, I may substitute for either the inside or outside sheets a sheet of roll formed metal. In any event, the outside sheet, or skin, is so constructed as to be relatively impervious to weather.

It will be noted that the structure may be readily transported, that is, the panels and strips including the sealing strip and locking strip. Preferably, the framework of the building of which the members 22 and 42 as well as locking strip 17 are parts consists of wooden frame members. These may be manufactured at the side of construction, but under some circumstances they will be shipped from the nearest sawmill.

The panel members are preferably constructed at the factory and are transported to the site of construction.

The building structure described herein may be constructed, shipped and assembled at minimum cost due to the fact that the materials are of the cheapest kind obtainable, and because not much skilled labor, if any, would be required in applying the panels once the frame work of the building has been constructed.

The term panel in the specification and claims includes not only the specific panel shown in the figures, but also units of or panels of solid material of bagasse or other fiber etc., and further includes soft boards and hardboards made of fibrous or other building materials.

While there has been shown and described several embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious that changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and, therefore, it is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

An interlocked building structure comprising a substantially horizontally disposed beam, said beam having a fiat upper face and substantially vertically arranged parallel sides, said beam being provided with a longitudinally extending notch along each of its upper corners, said notches each being V-shaped in cross section and having one side extending upwardly and outwardly and the other side extending downwardly and outwardly to define a pair of oppositely disposed V-shaped ribs on the upper corners of said beam, a pair of panels each comprising a marginal frame and a sheet secured to each side of said frame, said panels being arranged in spaced edge to edge relation and inclined downwardly and outwardly from said beam, each panel being provided with a notch complemental in shape to the adjacent V-shaped rib and extending intosaid frame and the lower sheet of said panel with the upper side of said lastmentioned notch engaging the upper face of said beam and said lower sheet bearing against said downwardly and outwardly extending side of said first-mentioned notch, a sealing and locking strip extending along the adjacent edges of said panels and spanning the space between them, a waterproof sealing member arranged between section with its side edges engaging said sealing member, and screw means extending through said strip and said sealing member and into said beam to lock and seal the adjacent edges of said panels to said beam and clamp the lower panel sheets against the lower sides of said firstmentioned notches and the upper panel sheets against said sealing member.

1,825,195 McAvoy et al Sept. 29, 1931 6 Fisher Ian. 16, Hancock Nov. 28, Sheldon Sept. 4, Smith June 4, Beaud Dec. 10, Lambert Nov. 9,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Apr. 17, Great Britain Apr. 20,

Images