Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02478212 2004-08-20
FIEIJD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a building structure and more particularly to a
structure suitable
for use as siding, roofing, walls and other constructions. The structure is
composed of two
panels, an inner panel or backing and an outer panel or facing. The two panels
interlock by means
of ton-gues or projections which are formed on one panel and which fit into
grooves or recesses
formed on the other panel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wide variety of material is used as cladding for houses. Vinyl, aluminum and
wood are
very common as are bricks, concrete and stones. Bricks and to a lesser extent,
stones are often
favoured over vinyl, aluminum and wood as cladding, particularly in more
northern climates, but,
because of the higher cost of preparing and laying stones and the cost of
producing and laying
bricks over the cost of producing and installing vinyl, aluminum and wooden
siding, bricks and
stone are less common as cladding material.
I have invented a building structure which is suitable for siding and roofing
for houses,
retaining and other forms of walls, pillars and other structures. A wide
variety of material such as
bricks, concrete, porcelain and stones can be incorporated into the structure.
The structure can be
assembled quickly and easily by individuals with no special skills.
The structure of the invention is composed of two interlocking panels: a
backing and a
facing. The backing is attached to the exterior wall of an existing building,
to the studs or
1
CA 02478212 2004-08-20
exterior plywood sheeting of a new building or to the rafters of the building.
'The backing can
also be self supporting where the backing is part of a retaining wall, fence
or other self
supporting structure.
Either the backing or the facing panel is provided with a number of
projections or tongues
and the other panel is provided with recesses or grooves for receipt of the
projections or tongues.
The projections can be either downwardly or upwardly extending. If they
project downwardly,
the recesses open upwardly and conversely, if the projections project
upwardly, the recesses open
downwardly.
If the projections extend downwardly, the backing and facing can be
interconnected by
positioning the two panels such that each projection is above a separate
recess. When the facing
is allowed to descend, the projections will enter the recesses and interlock
the facing to the
backing. Gravity holds the facing to the backing. Only when the facing is
elevated relative to the
backing can the two panels be separated from one another.
Conversely, if the projections extend upwardly, the two panels are pcasitioned
such that
each projection is below a separate recess. When the facing is allowed to
descend, the projections
will enter the recesses and interlock the facing to the backing.
If desired, the projections or whichever of the facing and backing have the
recesses are
composed of material which resiliently deforms as the projections enter the
recesses and which
resiliently restores when the projections are within the recesses with
resulting locking of the
2
CA 02478212 2004-08-20
projections within the recesses and resulting attachment of the facing to the
backing.
Bricks, stones, tiles, sculptured concrete, concrete of various textures and
patterns and
other material can be attached to the facing. Preferably only a thin layer of
such material is
attached to lessen its weight. The facing then can be handled more easily with
resulting reduction
both in the cost of manufacture and installation. Furthermore the facing can
be held to the
backing by the projections alone. Additional means for supporting the facing
on the backing will
not be required.
SUNINIARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly the siding of my invention comprises a facing and a backing each
having op-
positely facing inner and outer surfaces. The facing and backing are adapted
to be disposed in
juxtaposition with each other such that the inner surface of the facing faces
the outer surface of
the backing. One of the facing surfaces is provided with a plurality of
downwardly extending
projections and the other facing surface is provided with a plurality of
upwardly opening
recesses. The projections and recesses are arranged and constructed such that:
when the facing
and backing are caused to approach each other while maintaining each
projection above a
separate recess, the facing and backing will interlock when the projections
are allowed to
descend into the recesses.
Alternatively, the projections can extend upwardly and the recesses can open
downwardly
in which case when the facing and backing are caused to approach each other
while maintaining
CA 02478212 2004-08-20
each projection below a separate recess, The facing and backing will interlock
when the recesses
are allowed to descend so that the projections can enter them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The building structure of the invention is described with reference to the
accompanying
drawing in which:
Figure 1 is an elevation of the sides edges of the facing and backing which
make up the
building material. In this Figure, the facing and backing are disconnected
from one another;
Figure 2 is another elevation of the sides edges of the facing and backing In
this Figure,
the facing and backing are connected to one another;
Figure 3 is an elevation of a second embodiment of the facing and backing. In
this Figure,
the facing and backing are separated from one another;
Figure 4 is an elevation of the facing and backing of Figure 3 in which the
projections
formed in the facing are above and outside the recesses formed in the backing;
and
Figure S is an elevation of the facing and backing of Figure 3 in which the
projections are
within the recesses.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of
the drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to Figure l, the building structure of the invention, generally
10, is
composed of a backing 12 and a facing 14. The backing is in the form of a
panel having
4
CA 02478212 2004-08-20
oppositely facing interior and exterior surfaces 16, 18. The interior surface
is adapted to abut
against an exterior wall of an existing building (not illustrated), the studs
of a new building or the
rafters of the building. Alternatively the backing can be self supporting
where the building
structure is used as a wall, fence or th.e like. The backing is attached to
the exterior wall, studs or
rafters by conventional means such as by nails or screws.
On the exterior surface of the backing, a number of projections or tongues 20
are formed
As illustrated the projections are wedge-shaped, each having side walls 22a,b
which converge
upwardly and outwardly of the exterior surface and terminate at a point 22c
spaced apart from the
backing.
The facing, like the backing, is in the form of a panel having oppositelly
facing interior
and exterior surfaces 30, 32. A wide variety of material such as bricks,
concrete, porcelain and
stones can be attached or incorporated into the exterior surface 32. For ease
of handling, only a
thin layer of such material is used in order to reduce the overall weight of
the facing.
Recesses or grooves 34 are formed in the interior surface 30 of the siding and
the recesses
are arranged such each recess receives a separate projection when the facing
and backing are
interconnected as illustrated in Figure 2.
Each recess has side walls 34a,b which converge toward the interior of the
facing and
terminate at a point 34c. When the projections are within the recesses, the
sides walls of the
projections are close to or abut the side walls of the recesses so that very
little or no relative
CA 02478212 2004-08-20
movement between the backing and facing occurs. Glue, tar or other adhesive
can be applied to
one or both of the facing surfaces to minimize movement between the two panels
and to
minimize leakage of rain-water from the facing to the backing. An adhesive
also can act as an
insulator.
The backing and facing may be composed of non-deformable material. such as
concrete or
non-deformable polymeric material. Alternatively they may be composed of
resiliently deform-
able polymeric material in which case the recesses can be constricted at their
entrances to cause
the the projections to deform as they enter the recesses. When they are within
the recesses, the
projections will resiliently restore or return to their undeformed shape and
will serve to lock the
backing to the facing.
Normally the projections and backing are one continuous piece such that the
projections
are integral with the backing. Thus both the backing and the projections will
be composed of the
same resiliently deformable material. Preferably for more positive locking of
the projections in
the recesses, the facing is also composed of resiliently deformable material.
Accordingly, both
the projections and walls of the recesses will deform as they projections
enter the recesses. It is
not however necessary for both the backing and facing to be composed of
resilient material. As
long as one is, the two panels can be interconnected. For example if the
backing and projections
are rigid, they can be interlocked with the facing providing the walls of the
recesses in the facing
yield as the projections enter the recesses.
6
CA 02478212 2004-08-20
With reference to Figure 3, right-angled brackets 50 are formed on the inner
surface of
facing 52 and like shaped brackets 54 are formed on the outer surface of
backing 56. Brackets 50
have a horizontal limb SOa and a downwardly extending vertical limb SOb
whereas brackets 54
have a horizontal limb 54a and an upwardly extending vertical limb 54b.
Projections are defined by limbs SOb on the facing while recesses, generally
58, are
defined by the spaces between limbs 54b and the outer surface of the backing.
Projections are
also defined by limbs 54b on the backing and recesses, generally 60, are
defined by the spaces
between limbs SOb and the inner wall of the facing.
With reference to Figure 4, the facing is located such that each of its
projections SOb are
vertically above each recess 58 in the backing. At the same time, each of the
projections 54b on
the backing are vertically below each recess 60 in the facing.
When the facing is allowed to descend relative to the backing, each projection
will enter a
separate recess as depicted in Figure 5 and the facing and the backing become
interlocked.
The dimensions of the backing need not be the same as those of the facing.
Where for
example, the facing is composed of heavier material than the backing, the
dimensions of the
facing can be less than those of the backing so that the weight of the facing
panel is roughly the
same as that of the backing panel. That weight can be adjusted according to
what can be easily
handled by an adult of average strength so that each facing and backing panel
can be carried by
one individual.
7
CA 02478212 2004-08-20
It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the
building
structureof the invention without departing from the scope of the invention as
defined in the
claims which follows. For example, the projections can be formed on the
interior wall of the
facing and the recesses can be formed on the exterior wall of the backing. In
addition, the
projections can be in various shapes and sizes. As long as the recesses
conform to the shape of
the projections, wide variations in the shape of the projections are possible.
8
