Building Panel

Abstract

A panel constructed of interwoven strips with or without finishing facings wherein a grid woven together provides exceptional strength, rigidity, and light weight.

Description

This invention relates to a light weight panel structure for use in construction. Panels for use in floors, walls, ceilings or roofs of structures must have considerable strength for load bearing. However, it is also desirable for them to be light weight, such that they do not add additional load due to their own weight, to other structures. Such panels can have a variety of facings of metal, wood veneer, plaster board, and so forth. In certain applications, the grids will have no facings such as an opened structure or grating for use in fire escapes and similar applications.

Many prior art structural grids have been made available. However, a common drawback of prior art grids is their involved assemblage and construction. Each element of the grid must be carefully put together with a mating element or elements in a normal direction thereto. Each element was very carefully cut out to mate with another. Once together, if they were of metal, they were welded or bolted at each and every element.

In order to avoid the expensiveness joining and careful fitting together of the various elements, the present invention was conceived. A standard sheet steel is used. The elements are stamped out as prescribed points, cut to desired lengths, then fitted together such that they are effectively interwoven. They are so arranged that they will easily snap into position, then held in that position by a simple structural means to be explained later. By the use of a simple standard unit and a quick facile method of erection, a grid can be produced which is extremely inexpensive and yet, very strong. If desired a facing of various sheet material can be butted up against this grid to provide a very strong structural panel for walls, floors, ceiling or similar type of structure.

During the course of the development of this invention it was discovered that certain strip could not be assembled under the general principles of the invention. That is if the thickness of the strips approaches the width, the structure cannot be assembled. It was therefore discovered that the width ought to be at least 16 times greater than the thickness in order to be assembled.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a simplified interwoven structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a building unit including a light weight strong grid structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a single standard rib which can be used in the production of a grid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for affixing an interwoven grid in a rigid position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a panel having a simplified interwoven grid structure with ventilation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following specifications when read in conjunction with the attached drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a rib element of the present structure.

FIG. 2 shows an interwoven grid fabricated from the above element.

FIG. 3 shows a method of affixing sheet panels and rib structure to an eye beam.

FIG. 4 shows a method of affixing two faces to interwoven grid structure producing complete structural panel.

FIGS. 5 A, B, and C show the various top views of alternate methods of producing interwoven grid structures.

FIG. 6 shows a grid structure having provisions for conduits.

FIG. 7 shows a method of holding the interwoven grids erect.

Referring to FIG. 1, we see the essential elements of the present invention. Its simplicity and standard feature are an important part of the present invention. Element 11 has opening 12 and 13 along its top 12 and along its bottom 13 respectively. It will be noted that they alternate. Openings 12 and 13, are relatively large compared to opening 32. Opening 32 is shown and will be explained further as a method of maintaining the interwoven grid structure erect once fabricated. The larger openings 12 and 13 are functional when the units are first put together.

Steel strips with notches cut in its upper side 12 and its lower side 13 is preferred. Element 11 can be made of steel as the preferred embodiment because of its strength and inexpensive nature, however, it can also be made of wood, plastics and other similar material.

Referring to FIG. 2 we see an interwoven grid structure in accordance with the present invention. Strips 23, 22, 21 and 20 run in an east-west direction while strips 24, 25, 26 and 27 run in a north-south or in a normal direction to the other strips. The structure is laid out in the following manner. Strips 22, and 21 are shown having a bottom notch and a top notch adjacent to one another. Accordingly the strips are laid out such that they alternate. We then have three strips 22, 21, and 20 laying down opposite each other; 22 and 20 will have top and bottom notches aligned identical to one another, while 21, intermediately place there between, have top and bottom notches oppositely placed. They are laid side by side flat and can constitute any number of strips. Identical strips 25, 26, and 27 are also shown. They are placed also flat and in such a same manner that adjacent strips have a top and bottom notch alternately disposed. However, while 25 rests on top of crossing pieces 20 and 22, it is slipped under piece 21. On the other hand, the next piece, 26, is slipped into the arrangement such that it runs under 20 and 22 and over 21. The next piece, runs oppositely over, under and over; then the next piece is under, over and under and so forth making up an interwoven grid.

Two separate groups of pieces are placed normal to one another in this manner: The east-west pieces are first laid down flat in the number required for the grid. North-south pieces are placed over these other pieces, however, the strips alternately slip under and over adjacent pieces to weave the grid. Once this has been accomplished, the north-south pieces are twisted to a vertical position, while at the same time the east-west pieces are twisted also vertical making up a complete grid.

The woven nature of the grid permits uniform loading of all the east-west, north-south members. Any inequalities in the stamping of the pieces will be distributed such that loading will nevertheless be uniform over the entire grid. In as much as vertical loading is the only type of loading that this structure is permitted to experience, maximum strength is provided without the necessity of welding individual pieces at their junctures with adjacent pieces or with normal pieces. No bolting arrangement is provided to retain this structure erect, however, some provision must be made to do so. Accordingly, it will be noted that pieces 24 and 23 are different from the others. Pieces 24 and 23 have special smaller notches on the underside and the upperside respectfully. You will note further that the notches 32 and 31 are smaller longitudinally than notches 12 and 13 are approximately the thickness of a piece of the grating material. The purpose of their being the thickness of the pieces is to permit them to slip over the erect pieces and therefore lock them in that position. If they were loose fitting like notches 12 and 13, they would not hold them erect. However, where the pieces are woven together and then snapped erect, openings like 12 and 13, as we will demonstrate further, are necessary in order for the pieces to twist up and become erect.

The above scheme of holding the grid structure erect is not the only one. Referring for a moment to FIG. 7, we see rings 71. Rings 71 have an outside diameter which is equal to the inside distance between grids. In other words a grid structure with 4 inch openings would accommodate a ring with a 4 inch outside diameter. Once the grid structure is snapped up, these rings are dropped between grids randomly to hold the structure erect.

When a skin of fiberboard or sheet metal or wood veneer is placed over the grid structures, as FIG. 4 shows, skin 51 and 52 are pulled in. The grid pieces 11, press themselves into the skin and will be held rigidly in place by so doing. In this case both rings 71 of FIG. 7 and special notched pieces 24 and 23 will be made unnecessary. However, they can be used in construction to hold the pieces erect if only temporarily until the skins are affixed to the grid structure.

It is envisioned that many types of fastening arrangements can be provided to make up panels. Plywood strips with a grid-running there between can be used and the grids can be bonded by adhesive, just as the various plies are bonded together in a piece of plywood, to both pieces of plywood. Such panels could be then pre-painted and used in the erection of a house or entire wall. One surface on the inside being the inside house wall and the outside surface being the outside wall. Most often four by eight panels will be used in order to accommodate standard panels presently available; however, larger sizes could be utilized because of their greater strength.

Another panel structure which is a slight modification of the grid structure shown in FIG. 2 for use in buildings that might well be even more important than the above is that of an open structure. In fire escapes and other open gratings the vertical strips undergo some twisting forces which may cause the pieces to be turned over. Accordingly some method must be provided which would firm up the structure against this twisting motion. This can be easily accomplished by envisioning some slight modification to the structure, which are not shown though they can easily be seen, as follows: Referring now to the grid shown in FIG. 2, assume the pieces 22, 21 and 20 did not have special notches 31 in their end section and neither did 27, 26, and 25. Envision further that openings 12 and 13 were to be part of a 4 inch open grid structure and were one and one half inches in a linear direction. The notch depth would be identical in all cases and would be precisely 50 percent of the width of a strip such that two pieces could fit together when rotated within one another. If east-west pieces 20 and 22 were pulled in a westerly direction and alternate pieces as 21, were pulled in an easterly direction to such an extent that slight distortion of pieces 27, 26, and 25, were obtained trailing edge of top opening 12 in pieces 22 and 20 would line up with the leading edge of adjacent piece, 21. If enough stress were placed on it, such that alternate edges lined up, a strip 24 could be slid into position. One strip 24 were in place the stress could be released. This would provide a rigid open gridwork. The end piece 21 would have to be longer to mate with pieces 20 by approximately 11/2 inch. This could be readily done if alternate strips were cut off at the trailing edge of the last opening.

Such an open structure as described above would have tension placed upon all strips that make up the grid. Alternate strips would have its leading edge pressing very rigidly against the north-south pieces while the others would have the trailing edges of their opening pressed very tightly against the north-south pieces. In making up a 4 by 8 panel for open grid structure, obviously the east-west members would preferably be the shorter four foot members.

Referring to FIG. 3, we see a completed panel, with its strips 11 erected. We also see an opening, 44, which could have been cut into the preselected strips, 11. A U-bolt, or preferably a hook type bolt, 42, can then be slipped into the opening, 44. An I-beam 41, and nut 43, could then be taken up tightly to hold the panel in place.

Referring to FIG. 5, we see the structure of 5A, which presents a minimal amount of surface area for a given number of strips. Of course one can add more strips reducing the open area from 4 to 2 to 1 and to perhaps 1/2 inch. However, the structure can be strengthed by increasing the area by bending the pieces alternately, as shown in FIG. 5B, or corrugated, as element 61 of FIG. 5C. These types of elements, 61, and 62 present a larger area for strength. Referring to FIG. 6, we see elements 11, with opening 12. We also note surfaces 51 and 52, which are plywood, or other materials, bolted together as shown in FIG. 4, or perhaps glued as we spoke of earlier. Assuming this were a wall panel for a building, then an opening, 65, in the strips, 11, could be provided and conduits for wire or water or the like, 67, provided. We also note that openings, 12, could be utilized for fishing cable through and furthermore that they would provide excellent ventilation, such that moisture damage would be obviated. It is also envisioned that a panel of this nature could be used such that a 4 by 8 panel would have its sides and ends tightly sealed with warm air fed at one end. An outside surface could then be cut anywhere and a duct face put therein. Warm air heating would be supplied conveniently.

Strips, 11, for wall panels and floor panels and for that matter, roof panels, where a substantial snow load is expected, would be preferably 1/8 inch. These 4 by 8 panels could be placed on stringers that were 4 feet apart, as opposed to 2 by 6's placed 2 feet apart. 2 by 8's could be used and placed further apart with these panels in the ordinary home structure. In a building where I-beams were available they could be spaced on the order of 6 or 12 feet apart. However, the closeness of the grid panel would have to be much tighter even with 1/8 inch steel pieces. The width of a strip would be 2 inches in most cases and the openings 12, would then be 1 inch deep. The length of the opening, 12, would then be no less than 1 inch, provided of course that a 4 inches or larger gridwork were desired. In open structures the materials again could be 1/8 inch steel. However, in suspended ceilings with virtually no load, the grid could then be made of sheet metal as thin as 20 gauge. In any event the ratio of width to thickness is approximately 16 or higher in order to function properly.

Those skilled in the art may make many substitutions and variations in the above specific embodiments without departing from the true scope and spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, I wish only to be limited by the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A building panel comprising,

a first group of at least three strips having a thickness approximately 1/16 or less the width running east-west when disposed in a horizontal plane,

a second group of at least three strips running normal to said first group in juxtaposition therewith in a north-south direction in the same plane,

said strips having notches, each of which have a length approximately the width of said strips and a depth of about 1/2 the width, alternately placed on the top and bottom sides thereof,

said strips so disposed to have top and bottom notches aligned in adjacent pieces,

said adjacent east-west strips alternately woven between said adjacent north-south strips whereby said strips interlock when said strips are erected in a vertical plane,

a separate strip having notches each with a length approximately the thickness of a strip and a depth of 1/2 the width along one side which mates with corresponding notches in said adjacent strip.

2. A building panel comprising

a first group of at least three strips having a thickness approximately 1/16 or less the width running east-west when disposed in a horizontal plane,

a second group of at least three strips running normal to said first group in juxtaposition therewith in a north-south direction in the same plane,

said strips having notches each of which have a length approximately the width of said strips and a depth of about 1/2 the width, alternately placed on the top and bottom sides thereof,

said strips so disposed to have top and bottom notches aligned in adjacent pieces,

said adjacent east-west strips alternately woven between said adjacent north-south strips whereby said strips interlock when said strips are erected in a vertical plane said alternate east-west running strips are pulled east while said remaining strips are pulled west, and further includes,

a separate strip having notches along one side each with a length equal to the thickness of the strips,

said separate strip placed into said grid structure such that the strip interlocks with the leading edge of said east pulled strips and the trailing edge of said west pulled strips.

3. A building panel according to claim 1, which further includes,

facing panels on both sides with means for securing them in intimate contact with said grid structure.