US3765135A

US3765135A - Oven wall and panel therefor

Info

Publication number: US3765135A
Application number: US00224496A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Gerhardt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-02-08
Filing date: 1972-02-08
Publication date: 1973-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-16

Abstract

An oven or furnace assembly formed of a plurality of contiguous panels assembled to each other. Each panel is formed of spaced inner and outer walls having resilient tangs at the wall ends. The tangs of the contiguous panels overlap each other and apply resilient pressure against each other to retain the panels in assembled relation while allowing the walls to breathe. The tangs are formed at the ends of wall extensions of the inner and outer walls that have loops that receive legs of flanges that extend between the walls. Channels, extending between the walls, are secured to the walls by spot welds, each channel being secured to its associated inner wall by a single spot weld located centrally of the wall and being secured to its associated outer wall by a plurality of spot welds to provide a stronger securement of the channels to the outer walls than to the inner walls. A batt of compressible insulation is located in the interior of each panel. The panels are assembled by first assembling the flanges to a first of the walls, then inserting the batt of insulation between the flanges, then hooking the loops of the second of the walls onto flange legs, then inserting the channels in place, and then spot welding the channels to the walls.

Description

United States Patet [1 1 [111 Jhfifld Gerhardt [45] W 16, 1973 OVEN WALL AND PANEL THEREFOR [76] Inventor: Jacob M. Gerhardt, l 14 lngleside [57] ABSTRACT Avenue, Marietta, Ohio An oven or furnace assembly formed of a plurality of [22] Filed; 8, 1972 contiguous panels assembled to each other. Each 3 panel is formed of spaced inner and outer walls having PP 224,496 resilient tangs at the wall ends. The tangs of the contiguous panels overlap each other and apply resilient 52 us. Cl 52/98, 52/573, 52/582, Pressure against each other to retain the Phhels in 52/593 sembled relation while allowing the walls to breathe. [51] Int Cl. E04) 1/00, E04b 1/68, E04,: 1/10 The tangs are formed at the ends of wall extensions of [58] Field of Search 52/593, 595, 619, the inner and Outer walls that have loops that receive 52/ 20 2 5 9 99 5 2 573 9 593 legs Of flanges that extend between the walls. Channels, extending between the walls, are secured to the [56] References Cited walls by spot welds, each channel being secured to its UNITED STATES PATENTS associated inner wall by a single spot weld located centrally of the wall and being secured to its associl,83l,28l ll/l93l Young 52/578 d outer n a plurality f p welds to provide g s a stronger securement of the channels to the outer 1 4/1952 'j 52/624 walls than to the inner walls. A batt of compressible 3:3l5429 4/1967 swansonm; 52/588 7 insulation is located in the interior of each panel. The 3,367,076 2/1968 OBrien 52/620 panels are assembled by first assembling the flanges to 3,372,520 3/1968 Hensel 52/620 21 first of th walls, then inserting the ham of insulation between the flanges, then hooking the loops of the FOREIGN PATENT S OR APPLICATIONS second of the walls onto flange legs, then inserting the channels in place, and then spot welding the channels Primary Examiner-Henry C. Sutherland Attorney-D. Paul Weaver et al.

to the walls.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEI] BUT I 81975 SHEEY 2

0F

2 ,4 50 FIG. 5

FIG. 8

OVEN WALL AND PANEL THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION such a manner as to not rupture, crack or buckle the panel and to not deleteriously affect the assemblage of the panels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first aspect of this invention is concerned with the construction of a heating mechanism assembly that provides for a ready assemblage of the panelsand enables the breathing of at least the inner wall to take place without distorting or buckling the wall while maintaining a tight assemblage of the panels. The assembly is formed of contiguous panels having the spaced outer and inner walls. The body portions of the inner and outer walls on the contiguous panels are coplanar and identical resilient extensions extend from the body portions that form tangs. The tangs of the contiguous walls overlapeach other and lie in planes that are parallel to the planes of the walls. The walls are thus retained in assembled relation by the resilient pressure of the tangs against each other and may breathe due to the tangs sliding with respect to each other in their planes.

A second aspect of this invention is concerned with the construction of an individual panel that permits the breathing to take place and enables the walls to be assembled to each other by means of flanges that extend between the walls and hold insulation in place between the walls. The resilient extensions are formed of outer loops and inner loops, the tangs being located as continuations of the inner loops. The flanges have legs that are inserted into the outer loops to thereby assemble the inner and outer walls.

The inner and outer walls have channels extending therebetween and secured thereto that also hold the walls in assembled relation and hold the insulation in the other flange so that its flange leg can enter the loop on the other end of the other wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I is an isometric view of a panel;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of a panel;

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken on the line 33 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an assembly of a pair of contiguous panels;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a pair of panels that are assembled to each other by connector strips located between the panels;

FIG. 7 is a section of a panel showing it at an early stage in its assemblage; and

FIG. 8 is a section of the panel showing it at a later stage in its assemblage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1-41, each panel 10 comprises an inner wall I2 and an outer wall 14, the

walls

12, 14 being spaced from each other and being made of resilient material such as steel. The side ends of the walls 12, Here formed into resilient extensions I6 that extend laterally from planar body portions of the walls. Each extension 16 is formed of an outer loop 18 that extends outwardly of its associated wall and then bends inwardly of the panel and towards its associated wall end and an inner loop 20 that is a continuation of the outer loop and bends further inwardly of the panel and then extends away from its associated wall end to form a resilient tang 21. Substantially U-shaped side flanges or channel members 22 are located between the corresponding side ends of the

walls

12, 14 by means of legs 24 that are positioned within the outer loops I8.

Inwardly of the side flanges or channel members 22, the tops and bottoms of the

walls

12, 14 are bridged by U-shapecl channels 26. Each channel 26 has an outer leg 28 that is secured to its associated outer wall 114 by a plurality of spot welds 30 (therein illustrated as three spot welds) and an inner leg 32 that is secured to its asplace. A third aspect of this invention relates to the sethe panels to a location where the panels are assembled to each other to erect the heating mechanism, but may rupture when the heating mechanism is erected to further facilitate breathing of the inner walls.

A fourth aspect of the invention is concerned with a method of assembling the panels. This is accomplished by supporting a first one of the walls, then assembling flanges to the first wall, then booking a loop on one end of the other wall onto a flange leg, then moving the other flange inwardly so that its flange leg clears a loop on the other end of the other wall, and then releasing sociated inner wall 12 by a single spot weld 34 located centrally-of the inner leg 32 and the inner wall 12. Protuberances in the form of embossments 35 (FIGS. 2

and 5) extend inwardly of the side flanges or channel members 22 so as to be contiguous to and inward of an end of a channel 26.

I-leat insulative batting 36 is located in the cavity fonned by the inner wall 12, the outer wall 14, the side flanges 22, and the channels 26.

After being manufactured, in the manner described below, the panels are transported to a site where a heating mechanism, such as an oven or a furnace, is to be erected and are assembled to each other to form the heating mechanism.

In assembling the-heating mechanism, the bottoms of the panels 10 are placed in tracks 37 (FIG. 4) so that they stand upwardly thereof and adjacent side ends of the panels are secured to each other by forcing their resilient tangs 21 against each other as indicated in FIG. 5 so that the tangs overlap and retain the panels in place by virtue of the resilient forces they apply against each other, with the tangs lying in planes parallel to the planes of the body portions of the walls 12, M.

Where adjacent panels 10 are erected so that they are not coplanar, they are connected by connecting strips, FIG. 6 illustrating one such arrangement. This figure shows a corner of a heating mechanism where adjacent panels 10 lie in planes that are at right angles to each other. The inside panel walls 12 are connected by a connector strip 38 and the outside panel walls 14 are connected by a connector strip 40. The ends of the

strips

38 and 40 are formed into extensions 42 constructed similarly to the extensions 16, the extensions 42 having tangs 44 that coact with the tangs 21 to secure the

strips

38 and 40 to the panels 10 in the manner described above.

After the panels have been assembled to each other, insulative batting is inserted into the cavities 46 (FIG. formed between contiguous panels and into the cavities 48 (FIG. 6) formed between the

connector strips

38, 40 and their contiguous panels 10. After this, the roof of the heating mechanism is mounted to the panels 10 in any desired manner and the conventional conveyor belts and motor shafts are caused to extend through the panels in any desired manner. Other accessories, such as a door for the heating mechanism, are formed in the heating mechanism in any desired fashion.

Among the heating mechanisms that can be fabricated in the above described manner are paint drying ovens and metal heat treating ovens. In such heating mechanisms, the inner walls 12 are raised to a considerably higher temperature than the outer walls 14 resulting in expansion and contraction of the inner walls 12 as they heat and cool. It is desirable that this expansion and contraction, which is also known as breathing, take place without the inner walls distorting or buckling as such distortion or buckling has the deleterious effect of misaligning the inner walls with members, such as conveyor belts or motor shafts, that extend through the walls and also may cause the inner walls to rupture or crack. Since the inner walls 12 are bridged to each other by the resilient tangs 21, their expansion or contraction is accommodated by planar movement of the body portions of the inner walls with the tangs in adjacent walls sliding with respect to each other in their planes which are parallel to the planes of the inner wall body portions. It is particularly advantageous, in assembling the heating mechanism that the tangs 21 are integral with the walls l2, l4, and that the tangs, together with the rest of the extensions 16, are identically constructed to thereby simplify the task of assembling the panels 10 to each other. Due to the fact that the legs 24 of the side flanges or channel members 22 are positioned within the outer loops [8, the side flanges or channel members 22 do not impede the aforementioned breathing of the inner walls 12.

As mentioned above, the channels 26 are secured to the inner walls 12 by a single centrally located spot weld 34 so that the securement of the channels to the inner wall does not impede the planar breathing of the inner walls. The spot welds 34 are applied primarily to hold the panels 10 together during shipment and are unnecessary after the heating mechanism has been assembled since the spot welds 30 securing the outer walls 14 to the channels 26 are adequate to hold the channels in place in the assembled heating mechanism. Therefore, once the heating mechanism has been assembled, the relatively weak connections between the channels 26 and the inner walls 12, formed by the single spot welds 34, may rupture to enhance the planar breathing of the body portions of the inner walls without adversely affecting the construction of the assembled heating mechanism. The flanges 22 are retained in assembled relation in the panels by means of the positioning of the legs 24 in the outer loops l8 and by the embossments 35 that can bear against the channels 26 so as to limit their movements lengthwise of the outer loops.

In assembling a panel 10, and referring to FIG. 7, a wall which can be either the

wall

12 or 14, but in FIG. 7 is illustrated as being the wall 12, is layed down on a support or table 50 so that the extensions 16 extend upwardly of the table. The flanges or channel members 22 are then assembled to the wall 12 by inserting a flange leg 24 into each of the outer loops 18 of the wall 12 so that the flanges are upright. This is followed by the insertion of a batt of insulation 36 onto the wall 12 between the flanges 22 to bring the parts to the position shown in FIG. 7.

After this, and referring to FIG. 8, the wall 14 is hooked onto one of the uppermost flange legs 24 (illustrated in FIG. 8 as the left flange leg) by looping its left outer loop 18 onto the left flange leg 24. An appropriate tool then bends the right flange 22 inwardly about its connection with its lower flange leg 24 so that its upper flange leg 24 moves inwardly a sufficient distance to clear the right outer loop 18 of the wall 14, the batt 36 compressing during this inward movement of the flange or channel member 22. The wall 14 and the right outer loop 18 are then lowered to bring the right outer loop 18 into alignment with the upper flange leg 24 of the right flange or channel member 22, and the right flange or channel member 22 is released from the tool to spring back into an upright position with its upper flange leg 24 located in the right outer loop 18 of the wall 14.

The assemblage of the

walls

12 and 14, the flanges or channel members 22 and the batting 36 are now removed from the table 50 and the channels 26 are inserted in place between the

walls

12, 14 and the flanges or channel members 22 and are spot welded to the

walls

12, 14 to form the

spot weld connections

30 and 34.

I claim:

1. In a heating mechanism assembly formed of at least a pair of contiguous panels, each panel being formed of an outer wall and a substantially planar inner wall spaced from its associated outer wall, the inner and outer walls being respectively assembled to each other in a substantially coplanar relationship; the improvement wherein the means for assembling the adjacent coplanar inner walls to each other and the adjacent coplanar outer walls to each other comprises:

substantially identical resilient extensions formed on adajcent ends of the inner walls, each of said extensions on said inner walls extending outwardly of its associated inner wall body portion and then being bent inwardly of the panel toward its associated inner wall body portion to form an outer loop, and then being bent outwardly of the panel away from its associated inner wall body portion to form an inner loop, and continuing beyond the outer loop to form a tang that lies in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the body portions of the inner walls;

substantially identical resilient extensions formed on adjacent ends of the outer walls, each of said extensions on said outer walls extending outwardly of its associated outer wall body portion and then being bent inwardly of the panel toward its associated outer wall body portion to form an outer loop, and then being bent outwardly of the panel away from its associated outer wall body portion to form an inner loop, and continuing beyond the outer loop to form a tang that lies in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the body portions of the outer walls, said tangs on said extensions of said inner and outer walls of one of said panels being resiliently and slidably received in the associated inner loops formed on the extensions of the inner and outer walls of a contiguous panel to hold said panels in assembled relation and permit movement therebetween;

a pair of spaced vertically extending channel members disposed between the associated ends of the inner and outer walls of each panel, each of said channel members having a pair of outwardly extending legs that are slidably received in the associated outer loops formed on said associated extensions of the inner and outer walls of each panel;

a pair of spaced horizontally extending channel members bridging the top and the bottom of the associated inner and outer walls of each panel; and

means securing said horizontally extending channel members to said inner and outer walls, said means providing a stronger securement of said horizontally extending channel members to its associated outer wall than to its associated inner wall, whereby said inner wall may expand and contract without distorting said panel.

2. The assembly of claim ll wherein said securement means comprises spot welds.

3. The assembly of claim 5 wherein said securement comprises a spot weld designed to rupture when said panels are subjected to heat during usage.

4. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising: a pro tuberance extending inwardly of each of said vertically disposed channel members inwardly of and contiguously to each of its associated horizontally disposed channel members to thereby limit the movements of the horizontally disposed channel members.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the securement of each of said horizontally disposed channel members to its associated inner wall is located centrally of the inner wall.

6. A panel, for use as part of a heating mechanism, comprising:

an inner wall having a substantially planar body and having top, bottom and side edges;

an outer wall having a substantially planar body, parallel to and spaced from said inner wall, and having top, bottom and side edges;

a pair of vertically disposed channel members extending between the associated side edges of said inner and outer walls, each of said channel mem bers having a pair of outwardly extending legs;

a resilient extension on each side edge of the inner wall that extends outwardly of its associated inner wall and then bends inwardly of the panel towards its associated inner wall to form an outer loop and then extends outwardly of its associated inner wall to form an inner loop and then extends outwardly of its associated inner wall;

an inner tang integrally formed on each of said last named outwardly extending portions;

a resilient extension on each side edge of the outer wall that extends outwardly of its associated outer wall and then bends inwardly of the panel toward its associated outer wall to form an outer loop and then extends outwardly of its associated outer wall to form an inner loop and then extends outwardly of its associated outer wall;

an outer tang integrally formed on each of said last named outwardly extending portions;

said legs of said channel members being slidably disposed in said outer loops of said extensions of said inner and said outer walls;

a pair of horizontally disposed channel members bridging the top and bottom of the inner and outer walls; and

means securing said horizontally disposed channel members to said inner and outer walls, said means providing a stronger securement of said horizontally extending channel members to its associated outer wall than to its associated inner wall;

each of said inner and outer tangs being adapted to overlap a similar tang on a contiguous panel with the overlying tangs lying in planes substantially parmeans comprises spot welds.

8. The assembly of claim 10 wherein said securement comprises a spot weld designed to rupture when said panels are subjected to heat during usage.

9. The panel of claim 6 further comprising: a protuberance extending inwardly of each of said vertically disposed channel members inwardly of and contiguous to each of its associated horizontally disposed channel members to thereby limit the movement of the horizontallydisposed channel members.

10. The panel of claim 6 wherein the securement of each of said horizontally disposed channel members to its associated inner wall is located centrally of the inner wall.

Claims

1. In a heating mechanism assembly formed of at least a pair of contiguous panels, each panel being formed of an outer wall and a substantially planar inner wall spaced from its associated outer wall, the inner and outer walls being respectively assembled to each other in a substantially coplanar relationship; the improvement wherein the means for assembling the adjacent coplanar inner walls to each other and the adjacent coplanar outer walls to each other comprises: substantially identical resilient extensions formed on adjacent ends of the inner walls, each of said extensions on said inner walls extending outwardly of its associated inner wall body portion and then being bent inwardly of the panel toward its associated inner wall body portion to form an outer loop, and then being bent outwardly of the panel away from its associated inner wall body portion to form an inner loop, and continuing beyond the outer loop to form a tang that lies in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the body portions of the inner walls; substantially identical resilient extensions formed on adjacent ends of the outer walls, each of said extensions on said outer walls extending outwardly of its associated outer wall body portion and then being bent inwardly of the panel toward its associated outer wall body portion to form an outer loop, and then being bent outwardly of the panel away from its associated outer wall body portion to form an inner loop, and continuing beyond the outer loop to form a tang that lies in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the body portions of the outer walls, said tangs on said extensions of said inner and outer walls of one of said panels being resiliently and slidably received in the associated inner loops formed on the Extensions of the inner and outer walls of a contiguous panel to hold said panels in assembled relation and permit movement therebetween; a pair of spaced vertically extending channel members disposed between the associated ends of the inner and outer walls of each panel, each of said channel members having a pair of outwardly extending legs that are slidably received in the associated outer loops formed on said associated extensions of the inner and outer walls of each panel; a pair of spaced horizontally extending channel members bridging the top and the bottom of the associated inner and outer walls of each panel; and means securing said horizontally extending channel members to said inner and outer walls, said means providing a stronger securement of said horizontally extending channel members to its associated outer wall than to its associated inner wall, whereby said inner wall may expand and contract without distorting said panel.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said securement means comprises spot welds.

4. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising: a protuberance extending inwardly of each of said vertically disposed channel members inwardly of and contiguously to each of its associated horizontally disposed channel members to thereby limit the movements of the horizontally disposed channel members.

6. A panel, for use as part of a heating mechanism, comprising: an inner wall having a substantially planar body and having top, bottom and side edges; an outer wall having a substantially planar body, parallel to and spaced from said inner wall, and having top, bottom and side edges; a pair of vertically disposed channel members extending between the associated side edges of said inner and outer walls, each of said channel members having a pair of outwardly extending legs; a resilient extension on each side edge of the inner wall that extends outwardly of its associated inner wall and then bends inwardly of the panel towards its associated inner wall to form an outer loop and then extends outwardly of its associated inner wall to form an inner loop and then extends outwardly of its associated inner wall; an inner tang integrally formed on each of said last named outwardly extending portions; a resilient extension on each side edge of the outer wall that extends outwardly of its associated outer wall and then bends inwardly of the panel toward its associated outer wall to form an outer loop and then extends outwardly of its associated outer wall to form an inner loop and then extends outwardly of its associated outer wall; an outer tang integrally formed on each of said last named outwardly extending portions; said legs of said channel members being slidably disposed in said outer loops of said extensions of said inner and said outer walls; a pair of horizontally disposed channel members bridging the top and bottom of the inner and outer walls; and means securing said horizontally disposed channel members to said inner and outer walls, said means providing a stronger securement of said horizontally extending channel members to its associated outer wall than to its associated inner wall; each of said inner and outer tangs being adapted to overlap a similar tang on a contiguous panel with the overlying tangs lying in planes substantially parallel to the plane of said panel, thus enabling the inner and outer walls of the contiguous panels to be retained in assembled relation by way of resilient pressure of the tangs against each other and enabling the inner walls to breathe by way of the inner tangs sliding with respect to each other in their planes.

7. The assembLy of claim 6 wherein said securement means comprises spot welds.

9. The panel of claim 6 further comprising: a protuberance extending inwardly of each of said vertically disposed channel members inwardly of and contiguous to each of its associated horizontally disposed channel members to thereby limit the movement of the horizontally disposed channel members.