U.S. patent number 3,898,783 [Application Number 05/439,408] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-12 for building panel and joint.
This patent grant is currently assigned to National Steel Products Company. Invention is credited to Dale L. Ferguson, Robert B. Matlock, Reginald B. Wilmer.
United States Patent |
3,898,783 |
Matlock , et al. |
August 12, 1975 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Building panel and joint
Abstract
A sheet metal building panel has opposite joint-forming margins
including flat portions having flanges outturned therefrom and
terminating in complementary edge beads or loops. To assemble the
joint, one of the panels is advanced laterally and edgewise toward
the adjacent panel to cause the edge loop of the later panel to
engage the outturned flange of the first panel between the flat
portion and edge loop of the latter. The first panel is then
rotated into its final position flush with the adjacent panel which
causes the complementary loops to lodge snugly together. In the
assembled joint, the marginal flat portions of the panels abut for
effectively resisting shear forces between the panels, as well as
opposing forces in the general planes of the panels. Also, the
interfitting marginal portions form a main load carrying rib, while
transverse ribs carry loads from the center of the panel to the
side edges thereof.
Inventors: |
Matlock; Robert B. (Houston,
TX), Wilmer; Reginald B. (Cypress, TX), Ferguson; Dale
L. (Houston, TX) |
Assignee: |
National Steel Products Company
(Houston, TX)
|
Family
ID: |
23744590 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/439,408 |
Filed: |
February 4, 1974 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/529; 52/520;
52/588.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F
13/12 (20130101); E04D 3/30 (20130101); E04D
3/362 (20130101); E04D 3/364 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04F
13/12 (20060101); E04D 3/367 (20060101); E04D
3/24 (20060101); E04D 3/362 (20060101); E04D
3/36 (20060101); E04D 3/30 (20060101); E04D
003/362 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/529,520,588 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Perham; Alfred C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Mann; Bertram H. Pugsley; Frank
B.
Claims
We claim:
1. A building panel having complementary joint-forming marginal
edge portions,
A. the first of said edge portions having
1. a first shelf part substantially parallel to the plane of the
panel,
2. a first flange extending outwardly from the outer edge of said
shelf part and forming a pivotal corner therewith, and
3. a male terminal loop on said first flange,
B. said complementary edge portion having
1. inner and outer shelf parts and
2. a connecting part forming a "U" with legs substantially parallel
to the plane of the panel,
3. a second flange extending outwardly at substantially 90.degree.
from the reentrant edge of said outer shelf part, and
4. a female terminal loop on said second flange overlying said
outer shelf part,
C. said male terminal loop being of a width sufficient to snugly
fit within the female terminal loop of an adjacent similar panel,
and
D. there being sufficient space between the extremity of said
complementary female loop and said outer shelf part to receive said
male terminal loop therebetween for engaging said second flange
when said adjacent panel is moved edgewise toward siad first
panel,
E. said first flange and said outer shelf part being of sufficient
length to cause said outer shelf part to engage and slid on said
pivotal corner during initial rotation of said adjacent panel about
said male loop and thereby enforce snug interfitting of said male
loop into said female loop during continued rotation of said
adjacent panel to its fully assembled position and to undergird
said first shelf part in said latter position to resist shear
forces.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to building panels, particularly of sheet
metal, and to joint structures therebetween.
The prior art discloses many examples of joints between sheet metal
panels for securing together the panels without the necessity of
penetrating the panels with securing elements. For instance, in
Curran U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,718 complementary bights or loops formed
on abutting edges of such panels are snapped together in
internesting relationship. However, the Curran patent and other
prior art structures do not provide effective means for resisting
shear forces between the panels and carrying loads from the center
of the panel to the reinforced edges, which means, also, assist in
snug interfitting of the terminal beads by pivoting action,
Consequently, an object of the present invention is to provide such
an effectively reinforced building panel with complementary
joint-forming marginal structures involving interfitting, laterally
projecting loops as well as overlapping and underlapping marginal
portions which are assembled when one panel is brought edgewise
into contact with the complementary marginal portion of the
adjacent panel and then rotated into its final assembled
position.
Another object is to provide a joint for sheet metal panels which
may be readily assembled in the field and which incorporates
improved means for resisting transverse or shear forces between the
panels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with our present invention, a sheet metal building
panel is provided with opposite joint forming margins, each having
outer flanges terminating in complementary edge beads or loops. The
loop on a first of said marginal portions is open at the base and
is of slightly greater width in a plane parallel to the panel than
the opposite loop which is of less width than the distance between
the edge of the first loop and its marginal portion. The first
marginal portion inward of its flange is folded in general U-shape
so that when the joint between adjacent complementary similar
panels is assembled, the complementary edge loops will fit snugly
together to seal the join and resist opposing forces substantially
in the planes of the panels, while one of the marginal portions
underlies and abuts the complementary marginal portion of the
adjacent panel so as to effectively resist shear forces between the
panels .
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawing which illustrate the invention, FIG. 1
is a plan view of a pair of the novel panels joined together.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantially on
line 2--2 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3--3 of FIG.
2, parts being broken away.
FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are schematic representations of adjacent
similar panels during assembly of the complementary joint
structures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows a pair of adjacent panels A and B having complementary
edge structures brought together to form the joint, generally
designated C. The panels may be used for any building wall or roof
structure and may be mounted on suitable cross framing, as the
purlins E. The panels are provided with reinforcing corrugations 10
extending transversely between the complementary edge portions of
the panel.
The novel joint structure, as detailed in FIGS. 2 and 3, comprises
the interengaging complementary edges of adjacent panels. The
joint-forming edge of panel B comprises a marginal portion folded
in substantial U-shape to form inner and outer flat legs or shelves
11 and 12 which generally parallel the general plane of panel B.
Outer leg 12 terminates in an outwardly projecting flange 13 which
with curved element 14 and re-entrant distal part 15 forms a first
joint-forming bead or loop with an open side at one edge of the
panel.
The opposite edge of the panel, which becomes the complementary
edge of an adjacent panel A, has a flat marginal portion 18
substantially paralleling the general plane of panel A and with an
outturned flange 19 at its outer edge terminating in a curved
element 20 and a re-entrant distal part 21 forming a bead or loop
with open side disposed oppositely to the first-mentioned loop 13,
14, 15. Loop 19, 20, 21 is of slightly less width in a plane
parallel to the panel than the most restricted part of the first
loop 13, 14, 15, and also of less width than the distance between
the lower end of re-entrant member 15 and marginal portion 12, for
a purpose to be described.
Received between the marginal parts of the assembled joint, as in
FIG. 2, is the upper part 24 of a two-part clip which conforms in
general with the shaping of these parts, as shown. The particular
panel configuration illustrated has obtusely angled outturned parts
25 and 26 forming, in effect, a central corrugation between the
panels and beneath the joint-forming beads or loops. This
corrugation is in part filled in by the lower member 27 of the
two-part clip which is of U-shaped configuration, as best shown in
FIG. 3, having a bottom flange 27a which is secured by bolts 27b to
the top flange of a modified Z-purlin E. At the upper ends of the
legs of clip part 27 there are provided outturned lugs 27c about
which the lower portions 24a of the clip upper parts are securely
folded.
Assembly
The joint is assembled as illustrated in the schematic views of
FIGS. 4 - 8, FIG. 2 showing the final assembly position. In FIG. 4
a first panel B is caused to approach marginal portion 18 of a
second similar panel A until the male loop formed by elements 19,
20, and 21 on second panel A is engaged by flange 13, the distance
between the extremity of re-entrant element 15 and outer or upper
leg 12 of panel B being sufficient to permit this. FIGS. 4, 5, and
6 show sealing material 30 lodged in the crest within loop 13, 14,
15. In FIG. 6, first panel B has been rotated clockwise about the
intersection of shelf part 18 and flange 19 as a fulcrum to cause
loop 19, 20, 21 of panel A to enter the interior of loop 13, 14,
15, the width of the first loop, of course, being sufficiently less
than the width of the second loop to permit this entry. At the same
time, the extremity of upper leg or shelf part 12 on panel B is
brought into engagement with the extremity of shelf part 18 of
panel A.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show further successive positions of first panel B in
its rotation towards its final assembled position. Edge bead or
loop 19, 20, 21 is now wedged in the upper part of loop 13, 14, 15
and against sealing material 30. In each of FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 and,
particularly, in the final assembly view, FIG. 2, upper leg or
shelf 12 of the marginal portion of panel B supportingly underlies
shelf part 18 of panel A. Preferably, both shelf parts 12 and 18
are flat and substantially parallel to the general planes of the
panels, in the assembled position. Since shelf part 18 is of
substantially greater width than the outer loop 15, 14, 13 there is
broad abutment between shelf parts 12 and 18 which effectively
resists transverse or shear forces between the panels.
Schematic view 4 also shows a somewhat different form of attaching
clip, in this case a one-piece member having a bottom flange 31
which is attached to support purlin E by bolts or metal screws 32,
and intermediate inclined part 33 and an upper part 34 following
the marginal portions 18 and 19 of panel A. In the final assembly,
the upper clip portion 34 is securely clamped between marginal
portions 18 and 19 of panel A and 12 and 13 of panel B.
In the view shown, it is assumed that panel B is initially secured
to purlins or other supports; it may, of course, be secured by the
novel joint structure to an adjacent panel at the opposite edge, or
may be constructed to form the edge of the roof. If desired, the
re-entrant part 15 of the outer edge loop may be bent against the
inner edge loop, as illustrated in dotted line at 15a in FIG. 2,
for the purpose of improving the seal at the joint.
The particular configuration of the panel and the attaching clips
may be varied. The exclusive use of all modifications as come
within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.
* * * * *