U.S. patent number 3,893,277 [Application Number 05/387,047] was granted by the patent office on 1975-07-08 for building panels.
Invention is credited to Albert Constant.
United States Patent |
3,893,277 |
Constant |
July 8, 1975 |
Building panels
Abstract
The invention concerns a building panel which comprises a main
web of a form (when projected onto a plane surface) which is
quadrilateral, preferably a parallelogram in shape, with a diagonal
forming a ridge dividing the web into two triangular surfaces.
Walls of triangular shape extend outwardly at an inclined angle
away from the edges of the main web, the furtherest away points of
the walls from the main web being along a plane through the
ridge.
Inventors: |
Constant; Albert (Pinetown,
ZA) |
Family
ID: |
25565298 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/387,047 |
Filed: |
August 9, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
|
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Aug 21, 1972 [ZA] |
|
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72/5747 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/630; D25/144;
52/91.1; 52/80.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04D
3/30 (20130101); E04B 7/107 (20130101); E04C
2/40 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04C
2/40 (20060101); E04D 3/24 (20060101); E04D
3/30 (20060101); E04c 002/32 (); E04c 002/28 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/81,82,573,630,45-52,90 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Sutherland; Henry C.
Claims
I claim:
1. A building panel having a rectangular configuration in plan
view, said panel including an upper face comprising a main web
including two planar isosceles triangular portions extending
outwardly from a common inner side, the common inner side of said
triangular portions joining said triangular portions to form a
parallelogram, the planes of said triangular portions intersecting
at an angle at the common side and sloping downwardly therefrom
toward the opposed outer apices of the triangular portions,
upwardly and outwardly inclined pairs of triangular walls adjoining
the opposite sides of the outwardly extending isosceles triangular
portions, the outer apices of the inclined triangular walls being
contiguous with the opposed outer apices of the triangular portions
of the main web, each pair of inclined triangular walls having a
common inner side and lying in the same vertical plane as the
common side of the triangular portions, and triangular apron
portions adjoining the outer longitudinal side of each of the
inclined triangular walls, the apices of said apron portions lying
in said vertical plane, the outer end of each apron portion further
lying in vertical planes containing the contiguous outer apices of
the triangular walls and the triangular portions, whereby when the
outer ends of the triangular apron portions are supported in a
substantially horizontal plane, water falling on said building
panel will drain toward at least one outer edge of said building
panel.
2. A building panel as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising
downwardly extending flanges adjoining the outer ends of said apron
portions.
Description
This invention relates to building panels.
The present invention provides a building panel which comprises a
main web of quadrilateral form (when projected onto a plane
surface) with a diagonal of the quadrilateral forming a ridge
dividing the web into two triangular surfaces, and walls of
triangular shape extending outwardly at an inclined angle away from
the edges of the main web, the furtherest away points of the walls
from the main web being along a plane passing through the
ridge.
The quadrilateral may have two pairs of parallel edges, i.e. it may
be a parallelogram. One presently preferred parallelogram for the
web is a rhomb, i.e. the four edges are of equal length.
Each triangular surface of the quadrilateral may be a planar
surface extending downwardly away from the ridge. Alternatively,
the surfaces of the web and/or walls may be provided with pleats or
ribs for strengthening purposes. The distances of the furtherest
away points of the walls from the main web at both ends of the
ridge may be equal i.e. the form of the web and walls is
symmetrical. Alternatively, the distances may be different, in
which case the form defined by the web and walls together is
asymmetrical.
Conveniently, triangular shaped aprons may extend outwardly from
the edges of the walls. The aprons may be provided with ribs or
pleats for strengthening purposes. If desired a side flange can
extend outwardly from one outer edge of an apron, and an end flange
may extend outwardly from the other outer edge of the apron. The
side and end flanges may point in opposite directions. The panel,
including the apron and side and end flanges may be symmetrical
about its longitudinal and lateral axes.
The complete panel provided by the invention may be made from a
single substantially rectangular sheet by bending, folding,
pressing and cutting, or may be formed by casing or moulding. A
large metal press may be used for pressing and folding a sheet. The
panel may be made from any material that can be shaped in any of
the abovementioned ways, for example any suitable metal.
Conveniently, the panel may be longer than it is wide and have the
ridge extending across the shorter of two diagonals of the
quadrilateral web. Side flanges may then extend upwardly from the
longitudinal edges of the apron, and end flanges may extend
downwardly from the lateral edges of aprons. The longitudinal ends
of the quadrilateral web may terminate at points on the lines
forming the longitudinal edges of the aprons.
If the panel is bent and folded from a single rectangular sheet the
only cutting which need be effected is between the optional side
and end flanges.
The panel provided by the invention can have structural properties
which make it useful as a load-supporting panel, when supported at
or close to its ends. It may function as a roof panel, wall panel,
shuttering panel, truss member for a roof, or as part of a motor
car body. A plurality of panels may be joined together along the
sides or ends. Tension members may be used for joining the panels
together so that intermediate supports may be unnecessary. The
panels provided by the invention can be used for decorative
purposes as well as for cladding or as load-bearing panels.
The invention also provides a method of making a panel according to
the invention, which comprises folding or bending a sheet of
foldable or bendable material to the desired shape using a
press.
The invention also provides a second method of making a panel
according to the invention, which comprises casting or moulding the
panel to the desired shape.
The invention is illustrated by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a panel according to the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the panel of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a section of the shape of the centre of the panel,
FIG. 4 is an end view of the panel of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5 shows a sheet of metal marked with lines for shaping to form
the panel of FIG. 1.
In these figures, fold lines are shown joining the points
10-12-14-16-10 and 10-18-14-20-10. By folding along these lines, a
panel according to the invention is obtained. The panel has a
rhomb-shaped web consisting of two triangular planar surfaces 22,
24 having a common ridge 26 and points at 10 and 14. The panel has
triangular walls 28, 30, 32, 34 and triangular aprons 36, 38, 40,
42. Side flanges are shown at 44, 46 and end flanges at 48, 50. The
part of the side flanges and walls adjacent to the ridge 26 are
under tension, due to folding along the fold lines shown. The
distances between points 12 and 18 and between points 20 and 16 are
equal in the embodiment illustrated, but may be different in
another embodiment (not illustrated).
It is seen that a sheet of length L + 2X.sub.1 and width W +
2X.sub.2 can be used for forming the panel.
The dimension t is related to the angle G, which is a function of L
and c and angle a.
The panel illustrated can withstand loads while spanning the
distance between the ends. This appears to be due to the size of
dimension d. Very little material is required to form a panel of
predetermined size according to the invention compared with panels
of the same size known to the Applicant. The panel provided by the
invention may be used with its ends in a horizontal plane, a
vertical plane, or any angle in between. When placed with both ends
at a level horizontal with each other, all surfaces of the panel
slope in such a way that liquids deposited on the panel will drain
off if the ridge points upwardly.
* * * * *