Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
APPARATUS AND METHOD OF INSTALLATION OF
A COMPOSITE BUILDING PANEL
FIELD OF I~IE INVENTION
This application relates to an a~aLus and method for use in the
in.ct~ tion of composite building panels.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Builders and home owners are frequently looking for just the right
exterior surface for their buildings. Currently, however~ the choice of fini~hing
systems available is fairly restrictive. Two of the more popular choices in terms of
appearance are brick and stone. However, natural stone is simply too expensive for
use on anything other than a small number of applications where the market can bear
the cost. Even brick has become too expensive for the low and middle class housing
market. As such, builders typically look to cheaper vinyl and ~h~ -, siding as the
allt;.nalive. However, those materials are rarely considered as pleasing exterior
finishes. Therefore, there exists a clçm~n~l for an affordable ~ltçrn~tive product, one
which is ~esth~tir~lly pleasing, requires little m~i,.l~n~l-ce and, most of all, is easy
to install, either during the building stage or as a renovation project.
In its co-pending C~n~li~n Patent Application Serial No. 2,107,847,
applicant describes a composite building panel which meets this demand. The present
invention is related to an apparatus for use in the in~t~ tion of a composite building
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panel such as that described in applicant's co-pending ~;ln~ n patent application and
to a method of using that apparatus in the in.ct~ tion of such a panel.
The prior art describes ap~ Lus and methods of inst~lling a variety
of sheet wall panelling, building tiles and concrete slabs using discrete clips and
adhesives. Reference is made for example to United States Patent No. 2,120,195,
of Valenti, issued June 7, 1938, C~n~ n Patent No. 90,924 of Fisher issued January
12, 1905, C~n~di~n Patent No. 686,819 of Medow, issued may 19, 1964, ~:ln~ n
Patent No. 462,686 of Wardle, issued April 19, 1939 and ~n~ n laid-open Patent
Application Serial No. 2,022,601 of Francis, filed, August 2, 1990. However, none
of these IcreJc;nces is directed towards an apparatus and method capable of use in the
in~t~ tion of a composite building panel similar to that of applicant's co-pending
~n~ n patent application.
SI~MMARY OF THE I~WENTION
In one aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for use
in the in~t~ tion of a composite building panel. The appa-~lus comprises a
corlugated member adapted to be adhered to the panel to for n a back face of the
panel when so adhered, anchor means integral with the corrugated member and
exten-ling longitnrlin~lly from an upper portion of the corrugated member and locking
means integral with the corrugated member and extending longitu~lin~lly from a
bottom portion of the corrugated member. The locking means is engageable with the
anchor means of an adjacent panel having the corrugated member as a back face.
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In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a track adapted to
be mounted to the wall, which track in~lll(lPs a flange-receiving groove.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided at least one
stiffener fastened to an inner surface of the corrugated member such that the stiffener
extends within the panel when the corrugated member is adhered to the panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other advantages of the invention will become ~.~al~nl upon
reading the following det~ d description and upon lerel.ing to the drawings in
which:- ~
F~GURE 1 is a perspective view of a wall incorporating the a~aldlus
and composite building panels in accordance with the present invention.
FIGUR~ 2 is a perspective view of a panel incorporating the apparatus
of the present invention.
FIGURE 3 is a side plan view of the corrugated member of the present
invention.
FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the inside surface of the corrugated
member of the present invention.
FIGURE S is a perspective view, partially cut away, of the stiffeners
to be f~t~on~ to the al)pal~Lus in accordance with the present invention.
FIGURE 6 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of the track means
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in accordance with the present invention.
FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the invention talcen along line
7-7 of Figure 2.
While the invention will be described in conjunction with illustrated
embo~liment~, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to
such embo~imçnts. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives,
modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the following description, similar features in the drawings have been
given similar reference numerals.
Turning to the drawings, Figure l illustrates an apparatus 2 for use in
the in~t~ tion to a wall 4 of a composite building panel 10. The panel 10 is
preferably of the type described in applicant' s co-pending C~n~ n Patent Application
Serial No. 2,107,847.
With reference to Figure 2, the panel 10 comprises a front face 12, a
top edge 14, a bottom edge 16, side edges 18 and a back face 20 formed by the
corrugated member 22.
With reference to Figures 3 and 4, the corrugated member 22 is an
elongated member p,~rel~.bly m~nllf~ctllred of galvanized steel, adapted to be adhered
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to the panel 10 to form the back face 20 of the panel 10. Integral with the member
22 there is provided anchor means 24 e~ten-ling longitu~1in~lly from an upper portion
26 of the member 22. Preferably the anchor means 24 extends beyond the top edge
14 of the panel 10 when the member 22 is adhered to the panel 10. Integral with the
member 22 and e~ten-ling longituclin~lly from a bottom portion 28 of the member 22
there is provided a locking means 30 whiçh preferably extends beyond the bottom
edge 16 of the panel 10 when the member 22 is adhered to the panel 10. The locking
means 30 is configured so as to be engageable within the anchor means 24 of a
vertically adjacent panel 10 having the corrugated member 22 adhered thereto as back
face 20.
The corrugated member 22 is defined by alternating wall e.ng~in~
faces 32 and panel eng~ging faces 34 along its length. There may also be provided
adherence sites 36 through which adherence of the member 22 to the panel 10 may
be effected. As described in applicant s co-pending Can~ n Patent Application
Serial No. 2 107 847 the panel 10 is preferably filled with foamed inml~ting
m~teri~l. This material may be injected into the panel 10 through adherence sites 36
of member 22 when member 22 is placed in position relative panel 10 as a back face
20. Thus the in.~ul~ting foam will fill the inside of the panel 10 surrounding the
panel çng~ging faces 34 of member 22 holding the member 22 in place as back face
20.
The anchor means 24 comprises is defined by a plurality of elongated
strips. The first strip 38 extends longitu-lin~lly from the member 22. ~he second
strip 40 curves about 180 degrees and extends longitll-lin~lly in a direction opposite
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to the first strip 38 for less than the length of the first strip 38. The third strip 42
curves 180 degrees relative the second strip to extend longitudin~1ly to finish in a
plane parallel to the end of the first strip 38. Thus, the space between the second
strip 40 and the third strip 42 defines a flange-receiving channel ~4. There may also
be provided fa~tening means (not shown), located within a mid-portion of said first
strip 38, for mounting the member 22 to the wall 4.
The locking means 30 is a flange 46 extPn-ling from the bottom portion
28 of the member 22, such that it may extend beyond the bottom edge 16 of panel 10,
when member 22 is in position as back face 20, or may be offset from the bottom
edge 16 as shown in Figure 2. The flange 46 is oriented to engage within flange-
receiving ch~nnel 44 when a first panel is vertically ~dj~cent a second panel, each
panel having a member 22 as a back face 20.
Fastened to the inside surface 48 of member 22, there may also be
provided at least one elongated slirrener 50. As illustrated in Figure S, the ~lirr~ ner
50 has a Z-shaped configuration and may comprise a plurality of elongated strips
secured together in Z-shaped configuration or may be a single elongated strip formed
into a Z-shape. The first strip or face 52 is oriented to abut a portion of inner surface
48 and be f~.cten~d thereto through conventional means, such as spot welding, riveting
and the like. The rçm~ining strips or faces 54, 56 of stiffener 50 are oriented to
extend within panel 10 when the member 22 is in place as back face 20 to provide
holding power of the member 22 within the panel 10 and to provide increased rigidity
and torsional stability of the member 22 relative the panel 10 and the wall 4. As
disc~ ecl above, when the panel is filled with foamed in~ul~tin~ m~t~ri~l, that
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material will adhere to the inside surface of the corrugated member 22. The foamed
m~t~.ri~l will also adhere to the stiffener 50 to provide extra holding force and
torsional stability.
There may also be provided J-shaped track means 60, shown in Figure
6, comprising an elongated u~ -g wall mounting face 62 and at least one
elongated strip 64 to define a flange-receiving channel 66, similar in configuration to
that of anchor means 24. There may also be provided f~tçning means (not shown)
to mount the track means 60 to the wall 4. Further, there may be provided a lateral
offset (not shown) within a top portion 68 of wall mounting face 62 in a direction
opposite the orientation of the flange-receiving channel 66.
As seen in Figure 7, when the member 22 is adhered to the panel 10
to form back face 20, the anchor means 24 extends beyond the top edge 14 and the
flange 46 of locking means 30 may be offs~l from the bottom edge 16. The stiffeners
50 are f~tened to the member 22 and extend within the panel 10.
The method of using apparatus 2 to install a plurality of panels 10 is
to fasten a first panel 70 at a first position along the wall 4 with a plurality of
fasteners 72 spaced evenly along the length of the panel 10. Preferably, track means
60 is f~tened to the wall 4 to receive panel 10 by means of eng~ging flange 46 into
flange-receiving channel 66. A plurality of panels 70 may then be secured to the
track means 60 and installed in side-by-side relation (not shown). There is thus
created a first row of panels. A second panel 74, incorporating a~a dlus 2 is then
presented to the wall 4 in vertically adjacent orientation to first panel 70 such that the
flange 46 of second panel 74 is in mating relation with the flange-receiving channel
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of anchor means 24 of first panel 70. A plurality of panels 74 may be secured in
position in the same .I.anller thus creating a second row of panels. This process is
then repeated as required to completely cover the building exterior, as desired by the
user.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the
invention an ap~aldlus and method for use in the in~t~ tion of a composite building
panel that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While th
invention has been described in conjunction with example embodiments th~reof, it is
evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those
skilled in the art in light of the fo-Ggoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to
embrace all such alternatives, mo-lifi~tions and variations as fall within the spirit and
broad scope of the invention.
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