Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The invention relates to a connecting device for securing a wall
component such as a decorative compartment dividing wall compo-
nent to a frame structure such as the box frarne of a vehicle, for
example, a railroad car to be divided into a plurality of compart-
ments by the wall components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
The spaces enclosed by railroad cars, aircraft fuselages, buses,
and generally of vehicles of various kinds,including boats, which
comprise a supporting box frarne are commonly enclosed by wall
covering wall components frequently of a decorative type. Similarlyr
these spaces are also subdivided with wall covering components to
form individual compartments. The covering comFonents include wall
covering elements as well as ceiling covering elements and wall
components for the mentioned subdivision of a larger space into
smaller compartments.
It is customary in connection with railroad cars, to screw wall
and ceiling covering components as well as other covering com-
ponents, either directly to the supporting structure of the box
frame or to an interrnediate wooden furring. Any differences or
tolerances from the desired wall location must be cornpensated by
the use of numerous wooden shims. It is also known to insert
between the box frame and the wall covering components or
panels strips of synthetic material, felt, or elastomeric materials
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1 for providing a certain noise damping and a vibration decoupling
between the box frame and the wall covering components.
The butting joints between adjacent wall and ceiling covering
components are covered up by moldings of synthetic material or
of aluminum, whereby these moldings are normally screwed in place
or, as an exception, they are glued in place.
The direct connection of the wall and ceiling covering components
to the box frame, if necessary through wooden furrings and the
use of covering moldings,is expensive because due to the toler-
ances of the box frame it is necessary to individually fit allcovering components~ This fitting work is very labor intensive
because wooden furring strips and shims, as well as cover mold-
ings must be prepared in various lengths and then secured to the
members of the box frame such as columns or roofing ribs or the
like in order to compensate for the structural tolerances between
the box frame proper and the covering components. All screw holes
needed for the securing must be individually drilled during the
mounting operation and all the screws are to be driven individ-
ually which is very time consuming. Additionally, it is neces-
sary to install the above mentioned insulating strips of syntheticmaterial, felt, or elastomeric materials usually by gluing. Even
the final work steps of covering up the joints between adjacent
covering components and in the corners are very time consuming
because the individual moldings must be cut and fitted as required
by the particular circumstances. Similar considerations apply
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1 where existing wall components or covering oom~onents are to be
replaced because here again substantially the same steps as
outlined above are required for the redecorating job and such
job is accordingly labor intensive just as the original instal-
lation.
Wall and ceiling coveringcom~onents are not only to be replaced
when they are damaged, rather, there is a substantial need or
interest to refurbish available railroad car stock for the pur-
pose of changing not only the decorative aspects of the wall and
ceiling covering, but also to change the available space into
different compartments so as to adapt the railroad cars to new,
individual requirements. It has been recognized, that conven-
tional work steps for such redecorating and redesigning of the
interior space subdivision is frequently not feasible for eco-
nomical reasons, especially in connection with railroad cars.
Another disadvantage of prior art wall covering structures which
are directly connected to the supporting structure of the box
frame or through wooden furrings is the rigidity of these struc-
tures. The rigidity is su~h that body noise vibrations are trans-
mitted from the box frame to the wall coverings in spite of theabove mentioned insertion of damping strips. Thus, such vibrations
are transmitted more or less without any substantial damping onto
the wall covering elements, whereby the respective vibrations are
transmitted into the inner compartments of a vehicle as noise.
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1 Yet another disadvantage resulting from the substantial rigidity
of prior art systems is seen in that deformations, cracks, and
even breakage is hard to avoid when screws are driven, especial-
ly into larger covering panels such as entire wall or ceiling
sections. Even after installation cracks may occur due to the
different expansions of the different materials.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION:
In view of the foregoing it is the aim of the invention to
achieve the following objects singly or in combination:
to provide a connecting device especially suitable for
the above purposes which will greatly reduce the number of man
hours needed heretofore for the installation of wall and ceiling
coverings so that even a refurbishing and redesigning of avail-
able vehicles, such as railroad cars, will become economically
feasible;
to provide an effective vibration damping and noise
damping between the box frame and the wall and ceiling covering
components or panels;
to construct and place the noise and vibration damp-
ing elements in such a manner that they simultaneously can pro-
vide a stress compensation or stress equalization between the
box frame and the covering panels especially in response to
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1 temperature variations so as to avoid cracking and similar
problerns encountered heretofore;
to place the noise damping components in such a manner
that they simultaneously provide a heat insulation so that, for
example, railroad compartments can be heated more efficiently;
to provide connecting elements between the box frame
and the wall or ceiling covering which provide for a quick posi-
tional adjustrnent of the wall covering components relative to
the box frame and which also permit an easy exchange of wall
covering components without the need for joint covering moldings
or the like.
SU~ RY OF ~HE INVENTION:
According to the invention the wall or ceiling covering panels~
are secured to the box frame by a connecting device which in-
cludes a spacer rail having the cross section of an L-or T-sec-
tion having a web and a flange extending substantially perpen-
dicularly to the web. Long holes are cut into the web for con-
nection to a flat mounting member forming part of the box frame.
The flat mounting member may also be a rail extending horizon
tally or vertically. A clamping device such as regular screw
holts and nuts extends through the mounting member and through
the longitudinal hole so that the spacer rail may be adjusted
in its position relative to the box frame, whereby any structural
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1 tolerances between the box frame and the covering wall component
can be equalized or compensated. An elastic cover is secured to
the flange portion of the spacer rail for noise damping as well
as heat insulating purposes. The covering wall component is then
secured to the elastic cover, for example, by a connector. The
elastic cover may be a rubber profile or similar elastomeric
material which has noise damping characteristcs and which may be
snapped onto the flange portion of the spacer rail. Bonding the
elastic cover by an adhesive to the flange of the spacer rail is
also possible. Since there is no direct connection between the
wall covering panels and the box frame except through the noise
damping elastic cover, an effective damping of vibrations and a
certain heat insulation are achieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF T~E FIGURE:
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, it will now
be described, by way of example, with reference to the single
figure of the accompanying drawings showing a perspective view
of the connecting device according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS AND OF
THE BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION:
The outer wall 1, for example, of a railroad car, forms part of
a box frame including reinforcing ribs 2 providing a mounting sur-
face for securing the wall covering component to the box frame~
:
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1 The box frame comprising the outer wall 1 and the ribs 2 is more
or less rigid and the ribs 2 point into the space of a vehicle
such as a railroad car, fuselage or the like. The ribs 2 may
extend, as mentioned, vertically or horizontally.
According to the invention the connecting device comprises a
spacer rail 3, for example, of a T-cross-sectional configuration
with a web 4 and a flange 6 extending substantially perpendi-
cularly to the web 4. The web 4 is slidable back and forth
along the surface of the rib 2 as indicated by the arrow 4'.
Long holes 5 are provided in the web 4 and connecting means
symbolically shown at 5' such as bolts and nuts or clamping
screws with wing nuts extend through the hole 5 and through a
hole in the rib 2. The connecting means 5' may also comprise,
for example, self-tapping screws which can be secured to pre-
drilled holes in the rib 2. In any event, loosening of the
connecting clamping device 5' permits the adjustment back and
forth along the arrow 4' and tightening the device 5' places
the spacer rail 3 into a fixed desired position.
The spacer rail 3 is preferably made of standard aluminum sec-
tional stock or of synthetic material sectional stock. The sur-
face of the flange 6 of the spacer rail 3 facing away from the
web 4 is covered according to the invention by a cover member 7
made of elastomeric material such as rubber or the like. Prefer-
ably, the edges 7' and 7" of the elastic cover 7 are C-shaped so
that they may elastically snap around the edges of the flange 6,
thereby avoiding any additional connecting means between the
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1 elastic cover 7 and the flange 6. However, an adhesive bond may
also be provided between the elastic cover and the flange 6.
Connector strips 8 of a hook and loop type are secured to the out-
wardly facing surface of the cover member 7. These connector
strips 8 may be glued or vulcanized to the surface of the cover
member 7 already in the factory so that the cover member may be
snapped in place together with the connector strips 8. For this
purpose the wall covering elements 9 are provided with cloth
strips 10 having a surface texture capable of cooperation with
the hook and loop strips 8. The cloth strips 10 are secured to
the backsides of the wall covering components such as panels 9
in the factory by gluing or as a result of the curing of fiber
compound panels. Sufficiently wide strips 8, 10 will compensate
tolerances.
Alongside one edge the panels 9 are provided with an off-set
edge 9I which provides for an overlap with the non-off-set or
flat edge 911 of the next adjacent panel, whereby a decorative
depression or groove results which obviates the use of cover-up
moldings. The hook and loop strips 8 are spaced from each other
by a spacing into which the off-set panel edge 9I fits. An
immediate access to the adjustment bolts and nuts 51 is provided
by simply pulling off a panel 9 from the hook and loop strips 8
for making any required adjustments in the spacing between the
flange 6 and the wall 1.
Although the figure shows the spacer rail 3 in the form of a
T-type rail, it will be appreciated that rails of other cross-
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1 sectional shape may also be used, for example, an L-section may
be suitable. The web and the flange may be of the same width as
in a simple angle iron or the web may be longer than the flange
or vice versa. The spacer rails may be made of aluminum, synthe~
tic material, or any other suitable material, as mentioned.
Since the wall panels 9 are connected to the frame structure
exclusively only through the elastic cover 7, the panels 9 are
effectively decoupled from vibrations of the box frame 1, 2.
Thus, the transmission of body noise from the box frame to the
panels 9 is substantially prevented. Instead of the connecting
elements 8, 9 it is possible to use other types of connection
between the panels 9 and the cover 7. Clamping connections which
permit snapping the panels 9 in place are suitable, for example.
Screws could also be used separately or in addition to the con-
nection. However, the connection in combination with the rubber
profile of the cover 7 has the advantage that different material
expansions as a result of temperature changes are easily compen-
sated while nevertheless providing a stable connection. Due to
the ability of the panels 9 to move relative to the box frame in
the horizontal and vertical direction, deformations and cracks in
the panels are avoided.
Another advantage of the invention is seen in that the cover 7
provides an effective cold barrier and thus a heat insulation for
the compartment, for example, in a railroad car. Prior to the in-
vention the direct connection of the panels to the box frame
always had the problem of cold bridges making it more difficult
to heat a railroad compartment.
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1 Another advantage of the connections 8, 9 is seen in that panels
may be easily replaced by other panels, for example, for redecor-
ating purposes. This feature also greatly facilitates the rearrange-
ment of the compartments inside a railroad car or the like.
The most important advantage of the invention is seen in that
substantially all work steps of the prior art requiring sub-
stantial numbers of work hours have been either eliminated or
greatly simplified. Thus, the installation time has been markedly
reduced. The manufacturing times have also been reduced since
all the components 3, 7, 8~ 9, 10 can be produced as standard
mass produced items. Thus, equipping new cars or remodelling
may be accomplished at substantially reduced costs and this is
even applicable to wall structures in trailer type housing,
travel trailers, and even in permanent buildings.
Although the invention has been described with reference to
specific example embodiments, it will be appreciated, that it
is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within
the scope of the appended claims.
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