US2799058A

US2799058A - Fastening means for alternative panel arrangements

Info

Publication number: US2799058A
Application number: US270678A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gustave F Swenson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-02-08
Filing date: 1952-02-08
Publication date: 1957-07-16
Anticipated expiration: 1974-07-16

Description

July 16, 1957 G. F. swENsoN FASTENING MEANS FOR ALTERNATIVE PANEL ARRANGEMENTS Filed Feb. 8. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet. l

` INVENToR. l GJ-'EEDEE/Gl .SWEMYON BY mm AnaB/vnf.

July 16, 1957 G. F. SWENSON 2,799,058

FASTENING MEANS FOR ALTERNATIVE PANEL ARRANGEMENTS Filed Feb. 8, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVTOR. G. manie/cn mmm:

- This V,invention relates lgenerally-"to wallf'an'd @ceiling -constructions, Yand has yreference tmorepartieul'arlyf to such-eonstructions in whichplywood :panelsl particularly, and-also panels: ofiother materials :are securedtolstnds f. orotherpaneLsupportingmeansiwith theuseof fastening v a devices.

stiontasd-isclosed; inhis"applica1ion,iSerialfNoL 699,244, :iiled September x25,v 1946;-` tandfissuing into-Patent-"'No. 2;/,0 6;8;-38, ,dated-April'26,` 1955;; andrparticularly.

I fgrQoved-edgepfeature, such: fasuillustrated in'igs l1v .l -513 k@and y i. 15. f While particularly :adaptable f i to f'the f 7.SearsL-dea, this-invention maysbetused With'zany grooved .ri-.buildings material asnappearsrhereinafter.

Tlhe. obvious methodf.'ofwattaehingipanels tofisupporting `tmeansfisfbythe-sooalled'.faceenailing procedurefwherein 7mailsareimerelyfzdriven through :the `panels. intothelpanel A lsi-,ipportingg.means therebehind. 1. Aread-ily. apparent'fdrawr w.backofithisiproeedure is'that thernailheads perse, being `yvisible, @detract rfrom they desirable .uninterrupted surface fraddition, ythejvery` drivingxof e such nails `vinto lithe sur-faces .1, lofyapianels -isfprone )to :causer-marringo'fithe `surfaces fof y -thexpanels adjaeentzeach nail driventth'erein. -lAceoi-d- ,irigrly, einwthe; cases fof; faceanailingit becomes :necessary o ,refinish-lthe marredsUraCes of Vthe .panels after-2in- .rstallation, orfalternfatively;I tofdeferzlinislingiof? the entire '.panelsurfaces until,v after installation,` 'which .is fobviously more expensivefandzless ,Isatisfa'ctoryzthan aV factory, lpro- ,v..duction-lineAinishin-g job. Asidefromthe c'ost considerai `tions lrconcerningrbothv these procedures, it is obvious lthat :for,fa satisfactory-fcompletion of '.suehi'installations, a .-skilledwoodinisher must '.be employed at lthe -pointof linstallation;@suchifskill normally 'being 'beyond "the 'skill ofthe-ordinary carpenter engaged `r`toinstall the panels and particularly invariably beyondtheskillof thefhome ,owner-.orpthers who undertake theinstllationlontheir fown.

In addition tothel problems .setforth above, inusinlg a `rmaterialnrnade up inseparatefpanel"form, ltheline ibe- .tween-adjacentpanels is always present even when the j panels'.arefnevslyV installed. Generallygfthis-line of demar- Y.cation between adjacent panels becomes progressively Twor-setas:certain-'of thematerials which'l are used-become .fdryandfieonsequently shrink. Thisishrinkage occursvnot only.in plywood,lwoodfsynthetic lumber, gypsum board `and.ihe-likeyfbut ;also;1infplastics, .resins and 'other-materials In accordance with one-aspect oftheipresent invention,

'since-t-heaforesaid ylinebetween adjacent panels 4is Vdiiculto-torbida; its presence. is acknowledged and 'the 'disadvantage-thereof overcome by accentuatingzand lbeauti- .fying -thisvaapparent defect by providing an 1interesting fstructuralichange VV`FIhis isachieved 'by utilizing 'a lnovel lfastening-zrneans in accordance with2the present invention tonrnount` the..-panels=';in'vertical -edgevoverlapping relationship. .In addition to affording a meanswhereby'the tes 2,799,058 Patented July 16, 1957 22 ,1,i1ur1avoida'b1ey demarcationl line between-"panels is turned t-o advantage for providing interesting shadoweeffects :f-whichare :enhanced or-.dim-inished dependingupon the relative position of the viewer, such an arrangement,

5vconcomitantlyprovides foreexpansion of -the panels.

cordance withtheilpresentinvention jandwith no alteration in the structure"thereofznecessary,lperrnits an A"alternativel .mounting` of fthese same f panels. "That is to lsay,

L-ithegpanels1-mayf bellrnountedlby means of the novellfasteningimeans in-the 4moreconventionalfHush-surface edgeabutting ,r-relatio'nsliip,`- if such arrangement 'is A*deemed moredesirable for'aparticularinstallation or-ipart of .anitinstallatiomr i.1re.-,1fone wall.

either of the types of panel installationirei'erred tofherezniinabovel (is e.; either jedge-fov'erlaporV `Hush-surface ledge- YJabuttin'g), the :novel fastening; means-'aords a-I mounting for the panels withrfno furtherlstructural'adaptation ,.there'ofiand with-Jcompleteff-avoidance@of the-visiblefface Wrongller fori' Wrong stain 'by :an uninformed carpenter .i rmtherlpersoniat therpointof\installation is eliminated. n. :consideration @of -i'the i foregoing, a prime :object of I :the .invention 1 isl .tofp'rovidei a panel fasteningdevice with iwhich panels frnayl be ffmounted @as desired in"either of :ftwo relationships, namely; in `flush-surface`v edge-abutting crelatio'nship for in Vl:edge overlap relationship.

i' Another impottantobject-ofIthe` invention is to; provide 1a .fas-tenin'gl.devicefor'panelsiwhich attains the-foregoing Sobject'fwithout any visible-and surface? face-nailing.

.'Stillvanother object of thev inventionisto provide a .f panel fastening =`device whieh while functioning to i give -xttheZforegoingmesults is fof comparatively simple vstruc- :turewherebythe-i sa'me'rnaybemanufactured :by a stampngpperation-Whicn -lends V'itself to 'mass-"production -faimethodsfandl resultant minimization ofV costs. y

Anoth'er-object-ofT-the invent-ion is to provide vfastening -ldevicesf whiehmay -beapplied to a' panel prior` to' lifting fithesame" to-positionandwhich remain attached tofthe t p'a'ril\-'-while J the -idevice 'is nailed tol the panel support whereby the edge --'relationship"thereto lof ian adjacent fpanelfmaybechosen as it is installed.

*Yet another o'bjeet of the invention is to provide '.fasetening" devices whih, whileperrnitting lateral expansion of the panels, supported' thereby, 'resilently minimizeaplay f`of"the"panelstowards `and awayfrom' the panel supportingrneans 'and from eachother.

KAnoth'erobject ofthe'invention is to provide edgel'grooved Apanels which' are Aparticularly adapted for use withthe' "novely vfastening' devices of the 'present invention.

Still-another`object of'the invention yis to provide 'fasteningdevicesjwhich may 'be vstruckfrornsheet metal-for mlded-'from ','plastic "material as .structurally integral units.

. .Still another: object ofthe invention is Vtoprovi'de, fasten- .ing-devices which havel flanges so. aligned f that the.v panels ,securedihereby are .automatically .properly aligned `by he .cooperation of saidfflangeswith ther legs-.of-.thepanels A.deiining .the-.edge-grooves therein.

" `Still other bjeetsgnndadvantages ofi thezinventionf'will nbecomezapparent anditheenatureiof. 4the latterwillbefmo're treadily eunderstood fwhenr :the *following :description and Aclaimsl are read .with ire-'ference Ito the drawings *accom- 3 panying and forming part of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a preferred form of the fastening means of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fastening means disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale of part of an edge-grooved panel to which the fastening means of Figs. l and 2 has been applied;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the panel of Fig. 3 on a slightly diminished scale and mounted on a wall supporting means in flush-surface edge-abutting relationship with a second edge grooved panel by means of the fastening device of Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the edgegrooved panels and wall supporting means shown in Fig. 4, but with the panels mounted in the alternative edge y overlap relationship;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of the top corners of the panels shown in flush-surface edge-abutting relationship in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of the top corners of the panels shown in edge overlap relationship in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of another form of the fastening means of the present invention; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of still another form of the fastening means of the present invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, a preferred form of a v fastening means in accordance with the present invention comprises a substantially flat main body element 2. This main body element 2 may be of sheet metal material, plastic material or of any other suitable material. If said element 2 is of the former material, two pairs of

flanges

6, 7 are preferably struck and bent from the main body element 2 in the manner shown; whereas, if of plastic material, said flanges may be molded integrally with the main body element 2. Specifically, flanges 6 are formed to be in offset relationship thereto. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the flanges 6 are spaced apart so that there is between them a section 4 of the main body element 2 in the same plane of the latter, while the point of attachment of said flanges to body 2 is along an imaginary line X-X. The flanges 7 are either struck and bent or molded integrally in offset relationship to main body element 2 and likewise extend substantially parallel thereto, and from line X-X, but in a direction substantially opposite to that of the first pair of flanges 6. This relationship will be more clearly apparent from Fig. 2.

Each of the

flanges

6 and 7 preferably are not completely flat but are bent somewhat as indicated at 5 in Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7, for purposes which will appear from the description given hereinafter.

The main body element 2 is provided with at least one aperture 3 through which a nail or screw may extend for fastening the entire device to a panel supporting means 13 as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. For purposes of illustration, a screw 3 is shown by dotted lines in each of these figures. 'I'he notches 14 in the main body element 2 are merely the results of the stamping operation whereby the

flanges

6 and 7 of the next adjacent main body element are struck when the fastening device is made by that method.

In accordance with the invention, panels 8 are provided with side edge grooves 12 therein. As indicated in Fig. 3, the fastening device of Fig. l is mounted on a leg 11 defining one side of the groove 12 in panel 8. For purposes which will appear hereinafter, the said leg 11 is constructed to be somewhat shorter than the'leg 10. The outer surface of the latter is part of the wear or decorative surface and accordingly is directed away from the supporting means 13 as indicated more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7.

.referred to above.

The bent configuration 5 of the

flanges

6 and 7 mentioned hereinbefore affords means to clamp resiliently the legs 11 of each of two

adjacent panels

8 and 9 between the said

flanges

6 and 7 and the section 4 and the main body element 2, respectively, when the

panels

8 and 9 are mounted in hush-surface edge-abutting relationship as will be seen in Fig. 6.

Because of the thickness of

flanges

6 and 7, the legs 11 of

adjacent panels

8 and 9 may never abut, as will be observed in Fig. 6. Of course, this will be so for the construction shown no matter how small the thickness of the fastening element may be chosen from a practical standpoint. From such standpoint, the approximate range of preferable thickness may be from .010 to .025 inch for the usual installations. However, it will be apparent that deviations in the thinner as well as in the thicker direction are possible depending upon such factors as, for example, the size and weight of the panels to be secured, the strength of the material used for the fastening device, the workability of such material to permit the proper cutting and bending, and the like. In any case, legs 10 of

panels

8 and 9 are preferably provided to be longer than legs 11 so that the former may be closely adjacent each other or abut each other as in Figures 4 and 6 to avoid the formation of an unsightly spacing line between panels upon the mounting thereof. It will be apparent that in some installations, the existence of a spacing line may be immaterial as, for example, when a molding strip is to be used in any case to cover the adjacent edges of the panels. In such event, the aforesaid differentiation of the lengths of

legs

10 and 11 of each of

panels

8 and 9 may be omitted. In another case, the abutment of the legs 10 of adjacent panels may still be achieved without providing the leg length differentiation Instead, notches may be provided in legs 11 of the panels to accommodate the thickness of each of the flanges. Such notches may be provided in one or both of the adjacent legs 11 of a pair of panels.

Alternatively,

panels

8 and 9 may be mounted in edgeoverlap relationship as indicated in Fig. 5 instead of the flush-surface edge-abutting relationship described hereinbefore. In accordance with the invention, the fastening means of Fig. 1 may be adapted without any structural change thereof to mount the

panels

8 and 9 in the former relationship. The manner of such adaptation will be more readily apparent upon inspection of Fig. 7 which will now be described in detail hereinbelow.

As in the adaptation of the fastening device for causing flush-surface edge-abutting relationship of the panels as disclosed in Figs. 4 and 6 and shown more clearly in Fig. 3, the leg 11 of panel 8 is clampingly engaged by the flanges 6 of the fastening device 2. However, in this case, the adjacent panel 9 is positioned with the leg 11 thereof interfitted within the groove 12 of panel 8 and with the leg 10 of panel 8 interfitted within the groove 12 of panel 9. Thus, leg 11 of panel 9 is not clampingly engaged by the flanges 7 but rather the said flanges engage the inner surface of the panel 9', i. e., the surface which faces inwardly toward the wall supporting means 13. The bent configuration 5 of the

flanges

6 and 7 function to urge the panel 9 outwardly so that the inner surface of its leg 11 engages the inner surface of leg 10 of panel 8 as clearly shown in Fig. 7. Thus, the relationship of

panels

8 and 9 is resiliently maintained.

In another embodiment of the invention, a modified fastening device 24, as indicated in Fig. 8, may be employed. In this modification, a pair of flanges 26 are struck and bent (or molded) from a pair of diametrically opposite corners of a generally rectangularly shaped blank to an imaginary line Y-Y similar to line X-X of Fig. 1, whereby the said flanges 26 are offset to extend in a plane substantially parallel to the main flat body portion 24 as indicated. Then, struck from the remaining diametrically opposite corners of the said blank, a smaller pair of flanges 27 are struck and bent (or mold- Hed) in offset relationship`y tothe -maingbody por-tiong-24.` to

.'extendtin ysaid plane. .Due to-theextent'ofdiianges 26 and 27. to a.. common. 'imaginary-Iline,V of tattachment VvY-Y a pain of vapert-ures-23may be provided ineach of the ftwofsections 24-of-the-mainbodyjportion 24. Either `of, thesevapertures -23--maybe -uti-lize'd I' for fastening the device to a support-Yby-meansof A'ar-nail or serewtherel through depending-uponwhichfpair=of tlanges26, 27

- are clamped tothe first'panelbeing-installed. VThis will appear more clearlyV-from-a-description of the operation ofv the invention givenahereinafter.

'f In the lembodimentoithe i-nventionlas disclosed in Fig.

9, at pair of flanges A36 -and 37'-a-re1struck andbent k(or molded) frommone -corner-of-- the lV{blank 34 along any imaginary line- Z-Z. -However, #as-indicated, one of said iauges isfformed-to extend-in-a1direction substantially opposite that of the other. Another pair of

flanges

36 and 37 are similarly formed from the corner of the blank diametrically opposite the first corner and along the same line Z-Z. All of the

flanges

36, 37 are bent in offset relationship to the main body portion 34 as in the modification described previously. Here again an aperture 33 may be provided in each of sections 34 of the main body portion 34, while each of the

flanges

36 and 37 are preferably bent as at 35 to present the desired characteristics of resiliency.

While the structure of the fastening device of the present invention and the relationships thereof to the panels used therewith in either flush-surface edge-abutting relationship or the edge overlapping relationship has been described hereinbefore, a practical application of these devices with panels to be installed, will now be described.

For example, in the case of the use of the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed in Fig. l, the device 2 is attached to the inner leg 11 of a panel 8 by means of the flanges 6 as shown in Fig. 3. In this relationship of parts, it will be seen that the main body portion 2 projects outwardly from the edge of the panel 8 with the aperture 3 exposed. The panel 8 with the device 2 attached thereto may then be placed against the panel supporting means 13 in the desired position while a nail or screw is driven home through the aperture 3 to fasten the device 2 to the panel supporting means 13 and with it the panel 8.

The next panel 9 is then raised to bring the edge thereof adjacent the edge of panel 8. Then, depending upon the relationship desired, the inner leg 11 of panel 9 is alternatively slid under the fianges 7 (as in Fig. 6) to achieve the edge-abutment arrangement; or, on the other hand, slid over the

flanges

7 and 6 within the groove 12 of panel 8 as indicated in Fig. 7, if it is the edge-overlap arrangement that is desired. This illustrates one of the important features of the invention; namely, that the novel fastening device is adaptable for the two alternate uses above indicated with no structural change thereof necessary. Furthermore, it will be apparent that the choice of use may be made at any time up to the very moment of installation. As a matter of fact, due to the nature of the present novel dual purpose fastening means, a different choice may later be made subsequent to anyinstallation based on a first choice. Thus, on remolding, or where for one reason or another, different effects are later desired for a particular room, or for one wall, or several walls thereof, the panels and the novel fastening devices therefor may be demounted easily and just as easily reinstalled in the alernate relationship.

kIn addition, the alignment of the lianges along the imagi- `.nary .1ine.-X-.X,. assurestthe fine .alignment of the panels The .devicesshowninFigs 8. and 9A may be vused in .a.,mfannerlsimilar tothat .set forthxa-bove. Specifically,

yeither of the.devices 1.24or'r34 maybe attached to a panel by. means of alpairfoffianges extending inthe same direction, and f a secondd panel mounted adjacent the first exemplified 4in Figs.. 6, and 7. .\eyer,.that.dueto .the symmetrical arrangement of the mentioned panel .in eithergof.thechosen relationships ItV will be apparentVY howflanges andthe provision of the apertures in each, .both

[the devices 24-, and,34 ,may be. applied to the first panel -with either of,thesaidgapertures=exposed for ultimate V`fastening to` the ,panel supporting means.

'It willbeievidentto those skilled in the art that various `cllariges,andmodificationsmay bernade in the devices .and in ,fthe ystructural combinations v-therewith specifically describe'd1-above -without .departing 4from the spirit vof my invention. `JAccordingly, it'is to be understood that the above description and drawings are merely illustrative and that I desire to comprehend within my invention all such other modifications as may be fairly included within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wall construction comprising a fastening device and a pair of edge-grooved panels held in flush-surface edge-abutting relationship thereby, said fastening device comprising: a substantially liat main body element having at least one aperture therethrough adapted to receive a nail or screw, a pair of fianges attached to said main body element in offset relation thereto and extending in substantially parallel relation thereto with one of said flanges extending in a direction diametrically opposite that of the other, each of said lianges having a curve portion extending from said substantially parallel relation to increase substantially the greatest apparent thickness of said flanges defined between planes parallel to said substantially parallel relation and to provide a gripping surface; said edge-grooved panels having the groove defining legs thereof of unequal length and the grooves so defined being substantially wider than said greatest apparent thickness of said anges, said panels being positioned relative to said fastening device so that one fiange of said pair of anges fits into a groove of one of said panels while the other flange of said pair of flanges fits into the groove of the other of said panels to hold said panels so that the outer surfaces of the `shorter legs defining said grooves are in abutment with said flat main body element; the dimensional relationship of said groove width, said apparent thickness of said flanges, and the thickness of said shorter leg being such that said-groove width less said apparent thickness of said flanges is less than said shorter leg thickness; whereby either panel may be removed from said flush-surface edge-abutting relationship and placed into edge-overlap relationship with the re- Inaining panel by inserting the shorter leg of such panel in the groove of the other in which one of said flanges is already retained.

2. A wall construction comprising a fastening device and an edge-grooved panel, said fastening device comprising: a substantially fiat main body element having at least one aperture therethrough adapted to receive a nail or screw, a first pair of flanges attached to said main body element in offset relation thereto and extending in substantially parallel relation thereto with one of said fianges extending in a direction diametrically opposite that of the other, and a second pair of flanges attached to said main body element in offset relation thereto and extending in substantialy parallel relation thereto with one of said flanges extending in a direction diametrically opposite that of the other, said first pair of flanges being spaced from said second pair of adjacent anges along an imaginary line which is substantially perpendicular to said directions of extent of all said angcs, each of said anges having a curve portion extending from said substantially parallel relation to increase substantially the greatest apparent thickness of said anges defined between planes parallel to said substantially parallel relation and to provide a more positive gripping surface; said edge-grooved panel having the groove defining legs thereof of unequal length and the grooves so defined being substantially wider than said greatest apparent thickness of said flanges, said panel being positioned relative to said fastening device so that one ange of each of said pair of anges iits into a groove of said panel so that the outer surface of the shorter leg dening said groove is in abutment with said flat main body element; the dimensional relationship of said groove width, said apparent thickness of said anges, and the thickness of said shorter leg being such that said groove width less said apparent thickness of said flanges is less than said shorter leg thickness; whereby another panel similar to said panel may alternatively be positioned in Hush-surface edge-abutting relationship with said panel by fitting the other of said anges into an edgegroove of the other panel, or in edge-overlap relationship with said panel by tting the shorter leg of the other panel into the groove of said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 122,562 Buscher Ian. 9, 1872 283,012 Morton et al. Aug. 14, 1883 635,370 Creveling Oct. 24, 1899 876,399 Robinson Jan. 14, 1908 946,536 Cromleigh Jan. 18, 1910 1,398,852 Gilbert Nov. 29, 1921 1,831,162 Crowell Nov. 10, 1931 1,863,381 Orthwine June 14, 1932 1,888,611 Wolfson Nov. 22, 1932 2,038,433 Lawrence Apr. 21, 1936 2,149,918 Komorous Mar. 7, 1939 2,259,594 Venzie Oct. 21, 1941 2,263,795 Balduf Nov. 25, 1941 2,706,838 Scars Apr. 26, 1955