Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1~90543
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
I. Field o_ the Invention
This invention relates generally to a modular
system for constructing buildings and partitioning them,
and pertains more particularly to such a system using
panels which contain within themselves all elements
required to support weight and provide insulation con-
fined by an interior and exterior skin.
II. Description of the Prior Art
The use of composite panels utilizing a core
of foam insulation and various types of facing or skin
material, of course, are not new. While such panels
possess some load-bearing capabilities, such capabili-
ties are considerably restricted. Building codes have
not accepted these panels as being sufficient in and of
themselves for use in "stand alone" environments. When
this type of panel is used in a wall construction, some
form of separate supporting structure must be used in
order to provide sufficient load-carrying capabilities
for the wall. Likewise, when used in roof construc-
tions, the panels are applied over rafters.
Consequently, there remains a real need for a
construction system utilizing panels that do not require
an added supporting structure, such as posts, studs,
beams and braces which add appreciably to the material
and on-site assembly costs.
The composite or laminated panels found on the
market today have represented to a large degree a
compromise between a fully acceptable panelized
construction system and the inefficiency and costliness
of the widely used stick-built construction that has
been employed for many years.
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_m _ y of the Invention
A general object of rny invention is to provide
a modular construction system that will reduce the on-
site construction costs, whether such construction is
associated with the erection of an entire building or in
the assembly of partitions within a particular building.
In this regard, an aim of the invention is to fabricate
individual panels at the factory in such a way that they
can be assembled very rapidly and with little effort at
the location wherc they are used.
Also, the invention has for an object the
fabrication of the panels at the factory, utili%ing
techniques that minimize the cost of labor and
materials, the factor-derived savings being in addition
to the savings in costs by reason of the reduced time
and effort in assembling the panels after they have been
shipped from the factory to the site where they are to
be utilized.
A very important object of my invention is to
provide individual panels that when connected together
can withstand normal load conditions. In this regard,
it is within the purview of my invention to employ load-
bearing structural units along all four edges of the
panel. In this way, the structural units at the ends of
the panel, when fastened together, obviate the need for
individual studs, posts, splines or braces of any kind.
Also, the structural units, when the panels are fastened
together, are completely concealed. Still further, the
structural unit extending along the top and the one
extending along the bottom, provide added rigidity that
can be utilized in connecting either the upper ends or
the lower ends of the panels to superjacent or subjacent
structures.
Another important object of the invention is
to employ structural units at the opposite ends of the
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panels such that when one end of a panel is connected or
fastened to another panel vertical voids are formed that
can be used as raceways for electrical wiring, com-
munication lines and piping.
Yet another object of the invention is to pro-
vide load-bearing panels that are extremely light in
weight. In this regard, the panels are fabricated with
structural units that are of a thin wall construction.
Coupled with the lightweight character of the structural
units is the use of a foamed core faced on opposite
sides with relatively thin and inexpensive covering
skins. The unique structural units in combination with
the foamed core and overlying skins or facing material
produce an exceptionally lightweight, yet rugged, modu-
lar unit.
Still further, the invention has for an objectthe use of thermal barriers and weather seals which make
the panel walls and roofs weathertight without requiring
on-the-job caulking or filling. Thus, a panel
constructed in accordance with the teachings of my
invention will be energy efficient, thereby reducing the
amount of heat required in cool weather and the amount
of air conditioning needed in warm weather.
Briefly, my invention envisages the employment
of structural units extending along all four edges of a
panel, the structural units being totally concealed when
the panels are assembled. The structural units are
fabricated of thin wall metal in the form of two channel
members. On leg section of one channel member has a
groove formed therein, this leg section extending trans-
versely toward an inwardly directed leg section
belonging to the other channel member but terminating in
a space relationship therewith so as to permit the use
of a thermal barrier between the free edges of these two
leg sections. The other leg sections of the two channel
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members in each instance are spaced so that the foamed
plastic insulating material constituting the core can
pass therebetween and into the void formed by the two
channel members. The channel members included in the
structural unit of one end of each panel are provided
with projecting lugs and the channel members forming the
structura] unit of the opposite end of each panel are
provided with slots so that the panels can be fastened
together at the job site by means of the lugs and slots
when arranged in an end-to-end relationship. Additional
lugs and slots are employed to connect the top struc-
tural unit to the two vertical end structural units at
the factory and likewise additional lugs and slots are
used to connect the bottom structural units to the lower
ends of the vertical units during the fabrication pro-
cess. In this way, a skeleton-type frame is formed and
when the skin or facing members, such as sheets of
appropriate hardboard, are held against the resulting
frame, the introduction of foamed plastic will cause the
space between the skins to fill and also the space
within the structural units extending along the four
sides of the frame.
Although my invention will hereinafter be
described in conjunction with a panelized modular wall
construction system, it will be recognized that the
invention can be used to form the ceiling for a room or
the roof of a building. In other words, the individual
panels are fabricated so that they can be interconnected
vertically, such as when erecting the wall of a building
or a partition within a building, horizontally when
constituting the ceiling of a room, or at an inclination
when forming the roof of a dwelling.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a
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modular construction system exemplifying my invention,
the construction being in the form of a wall.
Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken
in the direction of the line 2-2 of Figure 1 for the
S purpose of illustrating the construction of two struc-
tural units and the manner in which they butt together;
Figure 3 is a sectional detail taken in the
direction of line 3-3 of Figure 1 in order to show the
similarity between the structural unit extending hori-
zontally along the top of each panel and the verticalstructural units at the ends of the panels (as in Eigure
2), and
Figure 4 is an open book perspective view of
the portions of two skeleton-type frames, without either
skin having been applied and without any foamed plastic
having been introduced, the view not only depicting the
manner in which the frames are fabricated but also the
manner in which the finalized panels are interconnected
by the lug and slot arrangement appearing in this view.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Although my invention can be used in the
construction of ceilings and roofs, Figure 1 depicts a
wall construction utilizing the modular techniques of my
invention, the wall construction being indicated
generally by the reference numeral 10. More specifi-
cally, the wall construction 10 includes four complete
panels 12 and two fragmentarily pictured panels 12.
Each of the panels 12 is of identical construction. In
this regard, each panel 12 includes a frame 14 comprised
of a vertical structural unit i6 at the right end
thereof, and a vertical structural unit 18 at the left
end thereof, the unit 18 being virtually a mirror image
of the unit 16~ Additionally, there is a structural
unit 20 at the top and a structural unit 22 at the bot-
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tom of each frame. As the description progresses, itwill be appreciated that the units 20 and 22 can be
identical to each other, and also virtually identical to
either the unit 16 or the unit 18. Although no top
plate is shown in Figure 1, a sole plate or bottom plate
24 underlies the bottom unit 22 of the panels 12.
The similarity between the structural units 16
and 18 can be readily appreciated from Figure 2, and
also from Figure 4. Owing to this similarity, it will
be easier to assign the same reference numeral to each
corresponding part. Consequently, there is a first
channel member 26 of sheet metal that includes a web
section or side plate member 28, a first leg section 30
and a second leg section 32. The first leg section 30
includes a strip portion 34 having a semicircularly
curved inwardly protruding conduit defining portion 36
forming a longitudinal groove 38. As shown in the
drawings, strip portion 34 is a vertical edge plate
member extending perpendicular inward from an outer edge
28' of side plate member 28. (For purposes of this
application, "inwardly" and "inward" will mean pro-
jecting away from exterior surfaces of a panel 12.)
Additionally, the first leg section 30 includes a flange
portion 40 that is integral with the curved portion 36,
thereby forming a free edge at 42. The second leg sec-
tion 32 constitutes a flange in and of itself extending
inwardly from inner edges 28'' of side plate member 28
and having a free edge labeled 44.
There is a second channel member 46 having a
web section or side plate member 48, a first leg section
50 and a second leg section 52. In this instance, the
first leg section 50 includes a strip portion 54
integral with the web section 48 and a flange portion 56
providing a free edge at 58. As shown in the drawings,
strip portion 54 is vertical edge plate member extending
1~90543
perpendicularly inwardly from an outer edge 48' of side
plate member 48. The second leg section 52 is in the
form of a flange projecting inwardly from an inner edge
48'' of side plate member 48 and provides a free edge
60.
It should be observed that the first ]eg sec-
tion 30 of the channel member 26 terminates in a spaced
relationship with respect to the first leg section 50 of
the second channel member 46. In other words, the free
edge 42 of the flange portion 40 is spaced from the free
edge 58 of flange portion 56. By the same token,
although to a far greater degree, the second leg section
32 of the first channel member 26 terminates in a spaced
relationship with respect to the second leg section 52
of the channel member 46. Here again, the free edges 44
and 60 are spaced from each other, the spacing being
quite substantial as can be learned from Figures 2 and
4.
At this time, attention is directed to a ther-
mal barrier in the form of an elastomeric strip 62having a longitudinal groove at 64 and a second longitu-
dinal groove at 66, the grooves 64 and 66 facing in
opposite directions as can be clearly perceived from
Figures 2 and 4. The groove 64 snuggly receives therein
the flange portion 40 and the groove 66 snuggly receives
therein the flange portion. In this way, there is a
substantial resistance to the flow of heat between the
two leg sections 30 and 50, and hence inhibiting the
transfer of heat from one side of the panel 12 to the
other via this path. When the ends of two completed
panels 12 are abutted together, as can be understood
from Figure 2, a weather seal 67 is employed between the
flange portions 56.
As can be seen at the left in Figure 4, there
is a lug strip 68 appearing in phantom outline inasmuch
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as it is concealed by the second channel member 46 of
the structural unit 16; although not shown, a second lug
strip 68 is secured to the web section 28, providing
additional lugs 72. The lug strip 68 has any preferred
number of L-shaped lugs 72 projecting therefrom through
slots 70 formed in the strip portion 54, each lug 72
having a horizontal section 74 and a vertical section
76, thereby forming a slot at 78. The lug strip 68 is
secured to the web section 48, as by welding. The strip
portion 34 belonging to the first channel member 25 of
the structural unit 18 and the strip portion 54 of the
second channel member 46 each has a number of slots 78
therein which enable the horizontal section 74 of each
lug 72 to extend therethrough. In this way, the L-
shaped lugs 72 of the structural unit 16 function ashooks, being engageable when inserted into the vertical
slots 78 of the structural unit 18, as can be understood
from Figure 4. Although only two L-shaped lugs 72
appear in Figure 4 and only two slots 78 appear in this
figure, it will be appreciated, as already indicated,
that any desired number of L-shaped lugs 72 can be ver-
tically oriented on the unit 16 and any corresponding
number of slots 78 in the unit 18 can be appropriately
oriented so as to fasten the adjacent ends of two panels
12 together.
It has already been stated that the structural
unit 20 is very much like, or can even be identical to,
the units 16 and 18. Therefore, the portions of the two
structural units 20 appearing in Figure 4 have been
assigned the same reference numerals utilized when
describing the structural units 16 and 18. However, no
lugs 72 or slots 78 have been shown, for the manner in
which the structural units 20 are to be attached to a
top plate or other superstructure depends upon the par-
ticular architectural design of the building. When the
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panels 12 are used as a partition, it should beunderstood that there would be no panels 12 thereabove
and consequently there would be no need for any means
for interconnecting the structural units 20 of any of
the panels 12 to something thereabove. The same thing
holds true for the bottom structural unit 22.
However, it should be observed from Figure 4
that there is a lug bracket 80 that is secured as by
welding, to the inner surface of the web section 48
belonging to the second channel member 46 of the struc-
tural unit 16 and a lug bracket 80 si.milarly secured to
the web section 48 belonging to the second channel
member 46 of the unit 18. Each lug bracket 80 has an L-
shaped lug 82 projecting from the end thereof, the L-
shaped lug 82 having a horizontal section 84 and avertical section 86, thereby forming a slot 88. There
are slots 90 in the second section 52 of the second
channel member 46 of the structural unit 16 and also in
the section 52 of the second channel member 46 of the
unit 18. Although not shown, there is a second lug
bracket 80 secured to the web section 28 of each channel
member 26. Thus, when initially connecting the various
structural units 16, 18, 20 and 22 together to provide a
frame 14, the L-shaped lugs 82 are inserted into the
slots 90 to produce each frame 14.
Interior and exterior skin or facing sheets 92
and 94, such as tempered fiberboard, have marginal por-
tions thereof overlying the section 48 and 28 respec-
tively, of the channel members 46 and 26 and presenting
vertical. edges 92', 94', respectively, in planar align-
ment with edges 54 and 34. Actually, these skins 92,
94 are suitable adhered to the web sections 48, 28
before introducing any foamed plastic 96, such as
polyurethane, into the void between the skins 92, 94,
and also within the space formed within the various
structural units 16, 18, 20 and 22. It will be appre-
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-- 10 --
ciated, especially from Figure 2, that the foamed
plastic, while still molten enters the voids of the
units 16-22 between the second sections 32 and 52 of the
two channel members 26 and 46.
It should be appreciated that when the panels
12 are assembled, that is placed end to end, there is a
vertically oriented cylindrical conduit or raceway 98
formed by reason of the two curved portions 36~ This
void or raceway 98 can readily accommodate electrical
wiring, communication lines and/or piping. In this
regard, the upper ends of the curved portions 36 of the
structural units 16 and 18 are curved downwardly so as
to conform to the curved portions 36 of the horizontal
structural units 20. More specifically, such a confor-
mity enables whatever wiring or piping is contained inthe vertical conduit 98 to pass into either or both
grooves 38 in the units 20. During the forming proce-
dure, the upper ends of the structural units 16 and 18
would be suitably blocked and such a blocking means
would include a semicylindrical portion thereon so that
communication is established between the conduit 98 and
the horizontal grooves 38 in the units 20.
