Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BUILDING PANEL
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[1000] This invention is directed toward an insulated building
panel.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART INCLUDING INFORMATION DISCLOSED
UNDER CFR ~~ 1.97-1.99
[1001] It is presently known to construct buildings,
particularly homes, by first building the house frame, optionally
covering the frame with sheeting material, covering the outside
of the frame, or the sheeting material, with sheets of rigid
insulation, and then applying a finish layer over the insulation
sheets. The finish layer can be bricks, stone, stucco, siding
made from different materials, or other known materials. An
example of this construction is shown in U.S. Pat. 4,578,915. The
finish layer is applied at the building site. The application of
the finish layer, on-site, is however time consuming, and thus
expensive, and also dependent on the weather.
[1002] To construct the buildings in the above manner more
puickly and efficiently, it is known to provide large,
prefabricated, building panels which are constructed off-site and
shipped to the construction site for installation. These building
panels usually comprise a base of rigid, or self supporting,
insulation material and an outer finish layer on at least one
side of the insulation base and integral therewith. The panels
are applied directly to the frame of the house with the
insulation base adjacent the frame and the finish layer facing
outside. The known large panels can take many forms. Many have
support framing incorporated directly into the panels. Examples
of the large panels are shown in US patents 4,774,794; 5,540,020
and 5,555,698 by way of example. Most of these large building
panels have a stucco or stucco-like finish layer. once the panels
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are installed on the house frame, a final finish coating must
usually be applied to the outside of the panels. The final finish
coating is applied to at least cover the joints between adjacent
panels to make the structure jointless in appearance and to make
it watertight. However, this still entails on-site stucco or
stucco-like application. Also, these large buildings panels
cannot be easily handled by a single person, or even two people,
and usually repuire heavy epuipment for handling and installing
them at the building site.
[1003] It is also known to use large building panels without
support framing and with a finish coat applied off-site on at
least the outer side of the insulating support base. An example
of such a panel is shown in u.5. pat. 4,774,794. The panel allows
a house to be easily finished by installing the panels with the
finish coat facing out on the house framing. No final finish coat
is repuired. However adhesive is used to join adjacent panels
together thus repuiring a further building step. The panels also
have the disadvantage that the joints between the panels are
flush with the outer surface of the panels and thus usually
highly visible which detracts from the appearance of the
building.
[1004] It is known to use smaller prefabricated building
panels, in the form of siding panels, which have a rigid, or
self-supporting, insulation base covered on at least one side by
a finish layer. By siding panels it is meant building panels that
are usually not too wide and small enough to be easily handled
manually by one or two workers. Examples are shown in u.5. Pats.
3,350,827; 4,299,069 and 5,987,835. These siding panels can be
constructed off-site and then shipped to the construction site
where they can easily be handled and applied by only one or two
workers without the aid of machinery. These known siding panels
still however repuire a finish coating application on-site to
conceal the joints between the panels. In Pat. '835, the joints
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are sealed with a finish coating in a manner to provide a smooth,
finished, outer surface on the building. In Pat. '069, the
joints, located between outer finishing building elements in the
form of brick facings, are sealed with an application of grouting
between adjacent rows or courses of the brick facings. In Pat.
'827, the joints, located between outer finishing building
elements in the form of imitation stone facings, are also sealed
with grouting.
[1005] There are, to applicant's knowledge, no building
panels that have an insulating base, with a finish layer on the
base providing a finished outer surface to the panel, that can be
installed on-site in interconnecting fashion with no further on-
site, outer surface finishing required while still providing a
pleasing appearance not detracted by the joints between the
panels.
[1006] If the building panels are wider than about one and a
half feet, it is desirable to fasten the panels intermediate
their top and bottom edges, and at spaced locations between their
side edges, to the building frame to ensure adequate fastening of
the panel to the frame. This can be difficult to do with panels
having finished surfaces on-site without having to refinish the
surfaces on-site.
[1007] Many of the building panels are fastened directly
against the frame of the building and if any water gets behind
the panels problems may arise. To avoid water problems, the
panels are often fastened on firring strips mounted on the
building frame. However this again results in additional on-site
work in mounting the firring strips to mount the siding panels.
[1008] Many of the building panels have interconnecting means
on the top and bottom of the panels for use in connecting the
panels together. The interconnecting means are often tongue and
groove elements. These elements, made from the insulation
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material are however fragile and easily broken. The tongue and
groove elements are also difficult to align and interconnect.
Fasteners driven through the tongue and groove connecting means
often break them resulting in poor connection of the panel to the
frame. The fasteners must often be driven at an angle through
the insulation layer from above so as not to ruin the finish
layer and this can be difficult to do particularly without
damaging the connecting means and without leaving the head of the
fastener exposed where it interferes with the connection between
the panels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[1009] It is the purpose of the present invention to provide
an insulated, one-side finished, building panel that is light
enough that it can be easily applied to a small building by only
one or two people without requiring the use of handling machinery
or equipment. It is another purpose of the present invention to
provide an insulated, one-side finished, building panel that,
when mounted on the building with other panels, presents a
pleasing appearance with no further on-site work, other than
handling, fitting and fastening the panels, needed to complete
the installation. It is a further purpose of the present
invention to provide an insulated, one-side finished, building
panel that lends itself to construction off-site and easy
assembly on-site. It is a still another purpose of the present
invention to have the panels provide grooves between panels when
the panels are assembled, the joint between the panels located in
the grooves. It is a further purpose of the present invention to
provide a one-side finished building panel having means on the
back of the panel for directing water away from the panel when
installed on a building. It is another purpose of the present
invention to provide a one-side finished building panel with
removable sub-panels on the panel allowing the panel to be
connected to the building at the sub-panel locations without
noticeably defacing the finished surface on the panel. It is yet
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another purpose of the present invention to provide
interconnecting means on the panels which allow easy mounting of
the panels on the building frame.
[1010] The building panel of the present invention has a base
of rigid insulation material. The base is relatively thick and
can have a shape ranging from a long plank to a square. An outer
finish layer of finish material such as stucco or stucco-like
material is adhered on one wide surface of the base, the finish
layer being relatively thin compared to the thickness of the
base. The finish layer provides the finished appearance of the
panel. The finish layer can be a single layer of material or a
plurality of layers of different materials. The finish layer can
be smooth, roughened, provided with a pattern, formed as
imitation brick or stone and colored as desired.
[1011] The building panel has outer and inner surfaces and
top, bottom and side edges, with the top and bottom sides of the
finish layer forming part of the top and bottom edges without
covering them. The outer surface of the panel, extending between
the top and bottom edges, is formed by the outer surface of the
finish layer. Cooperating interconnecting means are provided on
at least the top and bottom of the panel, the interconnecting
means integral with the base of the panel. The corners between
the outer surface of the panel and the top and bottom edges are
shaped into groove forming sections. The groove forming sections
are designed to form a groove when adjacent panels are
interconnected. when the adjacent panels are interconnected,
their top and bottom edges, including the top and bottom sides of
the finish layer, abut to form a joint in the groove.
[1012] The groove formed during installation of adjacent
panels visually separates adjacent panels to provide a pleasing
appearance to buildings. The joint between the adjacent panels,
located within the groove, is not readily noticeable. when the
grooves are formed between panels having imitation brick
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surfaces, the grooves are located between adjacent rows of bricks
and would be made to be similar in appearance to the grooves
formed between other rows of brick in each panel. once the panels
are installed, no further finishing is repuired. with the
interconnecting means between the panels made of the same foam
insulation material as the base, the interconnecting means
between adjacent panels can be slightly compressed when joining
the panels together. This ensures that the top and bottom sides
of the finish layers on the adjacent panels will tightly abut
thus minimizing the size of the joint, and thus minimizing its
appearance, between the panels.
[1013] wider panels can be provided with cutouts intermediate
their top and bottom edges off site. The cutouts are large enough
to allow a fastener to join the panel to the building frame
through the cutout, the fastener passing through the base
adjacent the cutout. The cutouts are formed by cutting a sub-
panel out of the panel off-site. The sub-panel is replaced in the
cutout and adhered therein after the fastener has been applied
on-site. The cutout is normally formed in the groove surrounding
a single brick or a small stone in a panel having imitation
bricks or stones, so that when the sub-panel is replaced, the
joint between the sub-panel and panel is in the groove and not
too visible.
[1014] The building panels can be provided with water removing
channel forming means on the back surface of the base for
directing water away from the panel. The channel forming means
can be provided along the top back edge of the base, one channel
forming means extending in each direction from the approximate
center of the panel to the side edge to be used to help direct
water from the top of the panel to both its sides. These
horizontal channel forming means can join vertical channel
forming means in the back sides of the base which are used to
help direct water down away from the panel. The water removing
channels can be provided in any siding panels having an
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insulating base. When the panel is installed on a wall, the water
removing channel forming means cooperate with the wall to form
water removing channels.
[1015] The building panels can be provided with
interconnecting means making it easier to install the panels
while minimizing damage to the panels. Each panel has top
interconnecting means including a fastening flange at the top
back of the panel, the flange extending up from the rest of the
panel and positioned flush against the frame when the panel is
installed. Fasteners can be easily driven through the flange
without damaging it or the panel to secure the top of the panel.
A downwardly extending connecting slot is provided adjacent the
flange and below the top of the flange at the top of the panel.
The top of the slot, opposite the flange is joined to the front
of the panel with an outwardly and downwardly angled surface. A
groove forming section is provided at the corner between the
angled surface and the front of the panel. The slot narrows down
toward its bottom when viewed in cross-section.
[1016] Each panel also has bottom interconnecting means
cooperating with the top interconnecting means on an adjacent
panel. The bottom interconnecting means has a recess on the panel
at its back bottom corner, the recess sized to receive the flange
on the top interconnecting means of an adjacent panel. The bottom
of the panel adjacent the recess is formed with a rib adjacent
the recess to fit snugly in the slot on an adjacent panel. The
side of the rib opposite the recess is connected to the front of
the panel with an outwardly and downwardly angled bottom surface.
A groove forming section is provide at the corner between the
angled section and the front panel.
[1017] The slot in the interconnecting means has a relatively
wide mouth which allows the relatively narrow front end of the
rib to easily enter the slot and then be guided down by the
converging sides of the slot to easily fit the rib within the
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slot and to properly position the two panels together in an
aligned manner. The arrangement allows faster installation of the
panels.
[1018] The invention is particularly directed toward an
insulated, one-side finished, building panel light enough to be
manually handled by no more than two people during installation.
The panel has an inner, relatively thick, insulation base and an
outer, relatively thin, finish layer. The finish layer comprises
a finish material securely adhered to one surface of the
insulation base. the panel has outer and inner surfaces and top,
bottom and side edges, with the top and bottom sides of the
finish layer forming part of the top and bottom edges. The outer
surface of the panel, extending between the top and bottom edges,
is formed by the outer surface of the finish layer. Cooperating
interconnecting means are provided on the top and bottom of the
panel, the interconnecting means integral with the base. The
corners between the outer surface of the panel and the top and
bottom edges are shaped into groove forming sections. The groove
forming sections are designed to form a groove when adjacent
panels are interconnected with their top and bottom edges
abutting. The joint between the panels is located in the groove.
[1019] The invention is also directed toward an insulated,
one-side finished, relatively wide building panel light enough to
be manually handled by no more than two people during
installation. the panel has an inner, relatively thick,
insulation base and an outer, relatively thin, finish layer. The
finish layer comprises a finish material securely adhered to one
surface of the insulation base. The panel has outer and inner
surfaces joined by top, bottom and side edges, with the outer
surface of the panel formed by the outer surface of the finish
layer to provide an outer finished surface on the panel. The
outer surface of the panel is formed to provide imitation
building elements with grooves between the elements. At least one
removable sub-panel is formed in the panel intermediate its top
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and bottom edges and its side edges to provide access
through the panel. The sub-panel is formed by a cut in a groove
surrounding at least one imitation building element, the sub-
panel removable to provide a cutout in the panel used in
fastening the panel to the frame of a building. A fastener is
insertable through the panel in the cutout to fasten the panel to
a building frame. The sub-panel is replaceable and adhered within
the cutout after the fastener is applied,
[1020] The invention is further directed toward an insulated,
one-side finished, building panel, the panel having an inner,
relatively thick, insulation base and an outer, relatively thin,
finish layer. The finish layer comprises a finish material
securely adhered to one surface of the insulation base. The panel
has outer and inner surfaces and top and bottom edges, with the
outer surface of the panel formed by the outer surface of the
finish layer to provide an outer finished surface on the panel.
water collecting and directing channel forming means are provided
on the top, back corner of the panel, the channel forming means
extending in opposite directions from about the center of the
panel to the side edges of the panel to help direct water from
the top center of the panel to its top sides. water collecting
and directing channel forming means are also formed on the side
back corners of the panel to help direct water from the top sides
of the panel to the bottom of the panel.
[1021] The invention is further particularly directed toward
an insulated, one-side finished, building panel, the panel having
an inner, relatively thick, insulation base and an outer,
relatively thin, finish layer. The finish layer comprises a
finish material. the finish layer is securely adhered to one
surface of the insulation base. The panel has outer and inner
surfaces, the outer surface of the panel formed by the outer
surface of the finish layer to provide an outer finished surface
on the panel. There are top and bottom interconnecting means on
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the top and bottom of the panel. the top interconnecting means
has an upwardly directed top flange with one side of the flange
formed by the inner surface of the panel, the other side
of the flange extending downwardly. There is a slot adjacent the
other side of the flange below the top of the flange and
extending downwardly, narrowing toward its bottom. The other side
of the slot is connected by an angled top surface that extends
downwardly and outwardly from the slot to the front surface of
the panel. A groove forming section is provided at the corner
between the angled top surface and the front surface of the
panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[1022] Fig. 1 is a cross-section view of a building panel in
accordance with this invention;
[1023] Fig. 2 is a cross section view of the building panel
taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1;
[1024] Fig. 3 is a cross-section view of the base of the
building panel;
[1025] Fig. 4 is a cross-section view of the base taken along
line 3-3 in Fig. 3;
[1026] Figs. 5A and 5B are detailed cross-section views of two
building panels separated and then interlocked and forming a
groove;
[1027] Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the finish layer
on the building panel;
[1028] Fig. 7 is a detail of an imitation brick building panel
with a sub-panel;
[1029] Fig. 8 is a cross-section view of the panel detail
shown in Fig. 7 showing the sub-panel removed;
[1030] Fig. 9 is a rear view of a building panel showing water
collecting channel forming means on the back of the panel;
[1031] Fig. 10 is a detail cross-section view of the panel of
Fig. 9 installed on a wall;
[1032] Fig. 11 is a detail cross-section view of two building
panels, with other interconnecting means, about to be connected;
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[1033] Fig. 12 is a cross-section view showing the two panels
from Fig. 11 interconnected; and
[1034] Fig. 13 is a detail top, front view of one of the
panels.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[1035] The building panel 1 of the present invention, as shown
in Figs. 1 and 2, has an inner base 3 of insulation material and
an outer layer 5 of finish material. The outer layer 5 provides
the finished outer surface on the panel. The material of the
inner base is preferably slightly compressible and the material
of the finish layer is generally incompressible when compared to
the base material.
[1036] The inner base 3, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is
preferably made of plastic foam or bead material such as a
polystyrene or polyurethane expanded foam material and has
parallel inner and outer surfaces 7, 9. The inner base 3 also has
top and bottom edges 11, 13. By 'inner' and 'outer surfaces' it
is meant the surfaces of the base that face, and face away from,
respectively, the building that the panel is to be installed on.
By 'top' and 'bottom' it is meant the top and bottom of the panel
when it is in the position it is installed on the building. The
base 3 is relatively rigid, normally rigid enough to be self
supporting.
[1037] The top and bottom edges 11, 13 are preferably
parallel. Both the top and bottom edges 11, 13 extend upwardly
and inwardly from the outer surface 9 toward the inner surface 7.
The edges 11, 13 could also extend transversely to the inner and
outer surfaces 7 and 9, again preferably being parallel.
[1038] The base 3 has top and bottom interconnecting means 15,
17, respectively. The top interconnecting means 15 has a top
flange 19 extending up from the inner side of the top edge 11.
The flange 19 has an inner wall 21, formed by an extension of the
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inner surface 7, an outer wall 23 preferably parallel to the
inner surface 7, and a top wall 25 that extends upwardly and
outwardly from the inner wall 21 and joins the inner and outer
walls 21, 23. The top flange 19 is about half the thickness of
the base 3. A top recess 27 is formed adjacent the flange 19, the
recess 27 defined by the outer side of the top edge 11 and the
outer wall 23 of the flange 19. The top recess 27 forms part of
the top interconnecting means 15.
[1039] The bottom interconnecting means 17 has a bottom recess
28 formed on its bottom, inner corner, the recess 28 defined by
an upwardly angled bottom wall 29 extending outwardly and
upwardly from the bottom of the inner surface 7 toward the outer
surface 9 and a vertical wall 31 joining the bottom wall 29 with
the bottom edge 13, the vertical wall 31 preferably being
parallel to the outer surface 9. The bottom recess 27 is as wide
as the top flange 19 and its formation leaves a bottom flange
member 33 defined by the vertical wall 31, the bottom edge 13 and
the bottom portion 34 of the outer surface 9. The bottom flange
member 33 as wide as the top recess 27 and forms part of the
bottom interconnecting means 17.
[1040] The top and bottom portions of the outer surface 9, are
scalloped or dished inwardly to provide top and bottom concave
groove sections 35, 37 on the outer surface 9. The groove
sections 35, 37 join the outer surface 9 with the top edge 11 and
the bottom edge 13 respectively. while the groove sections 35, 37
have been described as scalloped or dished surfaces they could
also be formed by angled or stepped surfaces.
[1041] The inner base 3 also has side edges 39, 41 as shown in
Figs. 3 and 4. side edge 39 extends from the inner surface 7
toward the outer surface 9 and side edge 41 extends from the
outer surface 9 toward the inner surface 7. The side edges 39, 41
are preferably angled with respect to the inner and outer
surfaces 7 and 9 and are parallel but they could also be
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transverse to the inner and outer surfaces 7, 9. The ends of
outer surface 9 are also scalloped or dished slightly inwardly to
provide side concave groove sections 43, 45. Again, the groove
sections 43, 45 could instead be formed by angled or stepped
surfaces if desired.
[1042] The side edges 39, 41 of the base 3 also have side
interconnecting means 47, 49 similar to the top and bottom
interconnecting means 15, 17. one side interconnecting means 47
can have a recess 50 on its outer, left hand side corner and a
flange member 51 on its inner, left hand side corner with one
side of the flange member defining one side of the recess 50. The
other side interconnecting means 49 can have a recess 53 on its
inner, right hand side corner and a flange member 54 on its outer
right hand side corner with one side of the flange member 54
defining one side of the recess 53. The recess 50 on the one
interconnecting means 47 is sized to receive the flange member 54
on an adjacent panel while the recess 53 on the other
interconnecting means is sized to receive the flange member 51 on
another adjacent panel.
[1043] The above base 3 is made off-site. The outer layer 5 is
added to the base 3 off-site as well to complete the panel 1. The
outer layer is made of finish material, the material being one
which leaves a finished surface on the panel. The finish material
preferably is a stucco or stucco-like material. It could be added
at the same location that the base is made, or at a different
location. The outer layer 5 is applied onto, and adhered to, the
outer surface 9 of the base 3 including the groove sections 35,
37 at the top and bottom of the base as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,
and the groove sections 43, 45 adjacent the side edges 39, 41.
The outer layer 5 provides the outer finished surface 55 of the
panel 1 including the finished curved groove sections 56, 57 over
the groove sections 35, 37 adjacent the top and bottom of the
panel and the finished groove sections 63, 65 over the groove
sections 43, 45 at the sides of the panel. The finished curved
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groove sections 56, 57 of the layer 5 are concentric with the
curved groove sections 35, 37 of the base. The top side 71 of the
finish layer 5 is aligned with the top edge 11 of the base 3 to
form the top edge 72 of the panel. The bottom side 73 of the
layer 5 is aligned with the bottom edge 13 of the base to form
the bottom edge 74 of the panel. similarly, the finished curved
groove sections 63, 65 on the side edges are concentric with the
curved groove sections 43, 45. The side edge 75 of the layer 5 on
surface 9 is aligned with the end 76 of the recess 50 of the base
3. The other side edge 77 of the layer 5 on surface 9 is aligned
with side edge 41 of the base.
[1044] The panels are mounted manually by one or two workers
on the frame of a building one at a time. with a first panel la
already mounted on the building frame 79, via a fastener 80
through its top portion, a second panel 1b is interconnected
thereto on top by sliding it down, as shown in Figs. 5A, 5e to
have flange 19a on the top of the bottom installed panel la enter
the recess 28b on the bottom of the top panel 1b. The downwardly
and inwardly sloping top wall 25a on the panel la mates with the
downwardly and inwardly sloping bottom wall 29b of the recess 28b
on the top panel 1b to hold the top panel flush against the wall
79 and this causes the bottom flange 33b on the top panel 1b to
snugly fit in the top recess 27a on the bottom panel la.
[1045] when the two panels la, 1b are fully interconnected
along a joint 81 by the tongue and recess connection, the bottom
74b of the panel 1b will abut the top 72a of the bottom panel la
and the finished curved groove sections 56a, 57b together would
form a curved surface which defines a groove 83 between the
interconnected panels at their joint 81. If the curved groove
sections 56a, 57b are part-circular, they together form a semi-
circular groove 83. The two interconnected panels are pushed
tightly together to have the bottom edge 13b of the base 3b in
top panel 1b abut and even slightly compress the top edge lla of
the base 3a in the bottom panel la as shown in Fig. 5s. This
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causes the edges 71a, 73b of the finish layers 5a, 5b to tightly
abut. The finish layers 5a, 5b are harder than the bases 3a, 3b
allowing the bases 3a, 3b to slightly compress if needed while
tightly abutting the edges 71a, 73b of the finish layers. The top
panel in this position is fastened to the frame of the building
with fasteners (not shown) driven in through the top flange of
the base 3b. Thus the joint 81 in the groove 83 is tight and
hardly visible. Cement can be applied to the end edges including
the ends of the finish layer when assembling the panels if
desired but it is not essential. The sides of adjacent panels
assemble in a similar manner.
[1046] The panels are assembled one on top of one another,
against the building frame, as above, to cover the sides of the
building. The panels can be cut on-site to fit trim members
around windows and doors and at the corners of the building. once
the panels have been installed no further finishing is required.
The grooves are left as installed to provide a distinctive
appearance to the building. The joints between the panels,
located in the grooves, are unobtrusive. The close fit between
the ends of the finish layers, and the end edges of the bases, at
the joint, and the upwardly extending tongue on the top of the
panels, make the joints watertight.
[1047] The finish layer 5 is relatively thin compared to the
thickness of the base 3, as shown in Fig. 1, and is hard, dense
and water impervious. The finish layer 5 could be about one
eighth inch thick while the base could be about one inch thick by
way of example. while the preferred finish layer is stucco or
stucco-like material, on small panels, the finish layer 5 can be
a single layer of plastic material such as acrylic. For this
application, the term 'stucco-like' includes a single layer of
plastic material. Preferably however, the plastic material is
mixed with a cement material to form a stucco-like single finish
layer. Fiberglass strands can be mixed with the plastic material
to strengthen the layer. For larger panels, the finish layer 5
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can comprise a first layer 85 of either cementious material alone
or cementious material mixed with plastic applied onto the outer
surface 9 of the base 3 as shown in Fig. 6. In this figure, the
base is shown schematically without the interconnecting means and
groove forming sections. This first layer 85 can be covered with
a reinforcing mesh layer 87, preferably made of fiberglass. A
second layer 89, of material similar or the same as the first
layer 85, is then applied over the mesh layer 87 and onto the
first layer 85. A coating layer 91 can be applied over the second
layer 89. The coating layer 91 can be a plastic, imitation
stucco-like material and provides the finished outer surface 53
of the siding panel. while one construction of the outer layer 5
has been described, other constructions could be used as well.
For example, the second layer 89 could be omitted with the
coating layer 91 applied directly to the first layer 85 and
covering the mesh layer 87.
[1048] The building panels of this invention could be in the
form of siding panels which are long and not very wide, the
siding panels imitating known, relatively narrow, metal, plastic
or fiberboard siding panels that interlock at horizontal joints.
The building panels could also be small rectangular panels
imitating individual stone panels. The outer finish layer could
be modified to give the siding panel a different appearance such
as a brick appearance. To modify the finish layer to provide a
brick appearance, the width of the siding panel is made a
multiple of the width of one course of bricks, the multiple
ranging from between one and five but preferably three or four.
The outer finish layer is embossed as it is applied to form the
desired number of brick courses. The groove formed between
adjacent panels forms a mortar line between adjacent courses of
imitation brick on the adjacent panels and thus tends to minimize
the visual impact of the joint. Panels with a plurality of
imitation stones thereon could also be provided, the stones
preferably being puadratic in shape and the grooves formed
between adjacent panels forming grooves between the stones on the
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panels.
[1049] 1f the building panels employed, having imitation
bricks or stones thereon, are wider than normal siding, having a
width of around one and half feet or more, means are provided for
allowing fastening of the panels to the building frame
intermediate the top and bottom edges of the panels and
intermediate the side edges. These means allowing panel fastening
can comprise sub-panels 95 formed in the panels as shown in Figs.
7 and 8. The sub-panels 95 are formed during manufacture of the
panel off-site. A sub-panel 95 is formed by making a cut 97
through the panel in the groove 99 encircling a brick 101, or a
small stone, in the approximate desired location on the panel.
The sub-panel 95 formed by the cut is removed leaving a cutout
103 which provides access to the framing 105 when the panels are
fastened thereto. The cutout 103 is formed to provide a
downwardly and forwardly angled bottom edge 107 in the cutout
when the sub-panel is removed. Fasteners 109 can be employed
through the angled edges 107 to fasten the main panel to the
framing intermediate its ends. The sub-panels 95 are then
replaced in the cutouts 103 and fastened in place with adhesive.
The joint formed between the sub-panel and the panel about the
cut line 97 is in the groove 99 and thus not too visible.
[1050] The building panels preferably have water channel
forming means on the top and side back edges of the base of the
panel for forming channels to direct any water that may enter
between the installed panels and the framing down and away from
the panels and framing. Each panel lc, as shown in Figs. 9 and
10, can have the top rear corner of the top flange 19c, formed
where the top 25c of the flange meets the inner side 21c of the
flange, cut away, or beveled, as shown at 111, 113, from about
the center of the panel to provide water channel forming means.
pair of water collecting and directing channels 114 (one only
shown in Fig. 10) are formed when the panel lc is mounted against
a wall 79c. one channel 114 extends toward each side edge 21c,
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23c of the panel from the top center 115 of the panel. The
channels 114 direct any water from the top center of the panel to
its side edges. The side rear corners of the panel, formed where
the side edges 21c, 23c meet the inner side 7c of the panel are
also cut away, or beveled, as shown at 117, 119, to provide water
directing channel forming means. Channels (not shown) similar to
channel 114 are provided by the bevels along their length when
the panel is mounted against a wall. The side channels direct the
water downwardly onto the top of the adjacent bottom panels.
[1051] Simple interconnecting means between the building
panels have been shown. Other interconnecting means 31d, 33e, for
providing easier fastening of the panel to the framing, and for
more securely and accurately anchoring the panels together, can
be used. The top interconnecting means 31d on panel 1d can, for
example, comprise an upwardly directed top flange 125, as shown
in Fig. 11, with one side formed by the inner surface 7d of the
panel 1d. The other side 127 of the flange extends downwardly,
preferably parallel to the inner surface 7d. The top flange 125
is about half the width of the panel. A slot 129 is formed
adjacent the other side 127 of the flange, the slot 129 located
some distance below the top edge lld of the panel. The slot 129
has a wide top mouth and narrows toward its bottom. The slot 129
is shown as being bullet shaped in cross-section but it can also
be wedged shaped. The slot is designed to have a wide mouth
leading to a narrow closed end. The side of the slot 129 opposite
the other side 127 of the flange 125 is joined to the front
surface 53d of the panel by a downwardly and forwardly angled top
surface 131. The corner where the angled surface 131 joins the
front surface 53d is cut away to form a groove forming section
135.
[1052] The bottom interconnecting means 33e on top panel 1e
has a bottom recess 145 at its back bottom corner, the recess 145
sized to receive the top flange 125 on the top interconnecting
means of an adjacent bottom panel. The bottom of the top panel
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adjacent the recess 145 is formed with a rib 147 adjacent the
cutout to fit snugly in the slot 129 on the adjacent bottom
panel. The side of the rib 147 opposite the cutout 145 is
connected to the front 53e of the panel with an outwardly and
downwardly angled bottom surface 149. A groove forming section
151 is provided at the corner between the angled surface 149 and
the front surface 53e.
[1053] One bottom panel 1d is installed on the frame 155 of
the building, the top of the panel being fastened to the frame
155 by a fastener 157 driven through the top flange 125 as shown
in Fig. 12. A shallow recess 159 can be formed on the side 127 of
the flange, the recess 159 extending down a short distance from
the top lld of the flange. The recess is slightly deeper than the
thickness of the head 161 of the fasteners 157 used fasten the
flange to the building frame. The recess 159 accommodates the
head 161 of the fastener 157 so it does not interfere with the
interconnection between the panels.
[1054] ,4 second top panel 1e is mounted by its lower end on
the top of the first panel 1d as shown in Fig. 12. The top flange
125 on the bottom panel 1d enters the recess 145 on the top panel
1e. The small leading end of the rib 147 on the top panel 1e also
easily enters the wide mouth of the slot 129 on the bottom panel
1d and is guided down to snugly engage the slot. The bottom
angled surface 149 on the top panel 1e abuts the top angled
surface 131 on the bottom panel 1d and the flange 125 fits snugly
within recess 145. The upward projection 165 on the top of the
first panel 1d between the slot 129 and the angled surface 131
helps retain the bottom of the top panel against the framing 155.
The rib entering the slot helps to easily guide and correctly
position the one panel relative to the other.
[1055] The two groove forming sections 135, 153 on the bottom
and top panels 1d, 1e respectively form a groove 167 between the
panels. The joint 169 between the panels is located in the
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groove. In this embodiment, the joint is located in the upper
half of the groove, the joint formed between the angled surfaces
131, 149. The location of the joint in the groove and the
downwardly angled surfaces 131, 149 prevent the entry of water
into the joint.
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