US3714747A - Fastening means for double-skin foam core building panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A DOUBLE-SKIN FOAM CORE BUILDING PANEL PRESENTING AN INBOARD SIDE SEGMENT ALONG ONE SIDE AND AN OUTBOARD SLIDE SEGMENT ALONG ITS OPPOSITE SIDE-THE SIDE SEGMENTS BEING ADAPTED TO BE ASSEMBLED IN LAPPED INTERFITTED RELATION WITHOUT EXTERNALLY VISIBLE FASTENERS. HIDDEN FASTENING MEANS IN THE FORM OF A CLIP AND FASTENER IS PROVIDED FOR SECURING THE INBOARD SIDE SEGMENT OF THE PANEL TO THE SUBGIRT OF A STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK.

D R A W I N G

Description

Feb. 6, 1973 CURRAN 3,714,741

FASTENING MEANS FOR DOUBLE-SKIN FOAM CORE BUILDING PANEL Filed Aug. 23. 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.5

INVENTOR. BERNARD E. CURRAN BY/Q/ AmNE? Feb. 6, 1973 B. E. CURRAN 3,714,747

FASTENING MEANS FOR DQUBLE-SKIN FOAM CORE BUILDING PANEL Filed Aug. 23. 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.6 Fl

O IFIII I \\\\l INVENTOR BERNARD E. CURRAN /Ql w K NEY United States Patent O 3,714,747 FASTENING MEANS FOR DOUBLE-SKIN FOAM CORE BUILDING PANEL Bernard E. Curran, Sewickley, Pa., assignor to H. H. Robertson Company, Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed Aug. 23, 1971, Ser. No. 174,105 Int. Cl. E04c 1/10, 2/20 US. Cl. 52-309 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A double-skin foam core building panel presenting an inboard side segment along one side and an outboard side segment along its opposite side-the side segments being adapted to be assembled in lapped interfitted relation without externally visible fasteners. Hidden fastening means in the form of a clip and fastener is provided for securing the inboard side segment of the panel to the subgirt of a structural framework.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention-This invention relates to double-skin foam core building panels, more particularly to fastening means for securing the panels to the structural framework of a building.

(2) Description of the prior art.Double-skin insulated building panels are well known in the prior art for use in the construction of buildings, see US. Pat. 2,047,154 (C. J. 'Pimsner, July 7, 1936); 2,284,229 (G. V. Palmer, May 28, 1942); 3,062,337 (J. H. Zittle, Nov. 6, 1962); 3,367,076 (P. S. OBrien, Feb. 6, 1968). Such double-skin insulated panels have utilized thermal-insulation materials such as glass fiber batts, lightweight foamed plastic blocks and the like to maintain the inner and outer facing sheets in spacedapart relation. When building panels with spaced-apart facing sheets are applied to a building framework, some fastening means is provided to secure the panel to the structural framework.

The fastening means may be entirely hidden from external view, see US. Pat. 3,372,520 (E. E. Hensel, Mar. 12, 1968). The fastening means may be partly hidden from external view and partly visible, see US. Pat. 3,290,845 (M. K. Snyder, Dec. 13, 1966). The fastening means may be entirely exposed to view, see US. Pats. 3,399,503 (H. J. W. Payne et al., Sept. 3, 1968); 3,466,831 (W. F. Lenoir, Sept. 16, 1969).

The hidden fastening means of Hensel secures only the inner facing sheet to the structural steel. Hensel resorts to a separate channel for positively connecting one edge of the outer facing sheet to the corresponding edge of the inner facing sheet. The Snyder, Payne et al. and Lenoir arrangements provide securement of the outer and inner facing sheets to the structural steel but at the expense of exposed fasteners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of this invention is to provide improved fastening means for securing the overlapped edge of a double-skin foam core building panel to a subgirt of a. building framework.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved fastening means by which the outer facing sheet is positively connected to the inner facing sheet, whereby retention of the outer facing sheet is not entirely independent upon auto-adhesive bond between the outer facing sheet and the foam core.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved fastening means by which the inner facing sheet is positive- Patented Feb. 6, 1973 ly secured to the subgirt while the outer facing sheet is positively connected to the inner facing sheet.

The present fastening means is adapted for use with double-skin foam core building panels of the type presenting an inboard side segment along one side adapted for engagement with the structural steel and an inboard side segment along its opposite side. When assembled, adjacent panels are presented in side-by-side, overlapped interfitted relation.

In accordance with the present invention, the inboard side segment of the panel comprises outer and inner longitudinally extending facing sheet portions separated by a foam core. The outer facing sheet portion is provided with an opening. A recess is provided in the foam core beneath the opening. The present fastening means comprises a clip presented in the recess. The clip includes oppositely extending flanges engaged with the exterior face of the outer facing sheet portion and inwardly extending legs engaged with the interior face of the inboard facing sheet portion. Fastening means extending through the clip, secures the inboard side segment of the panel to the structural steel.

The inboard and outboard tfacing sheet portions may comprise segments of the spaced-apart facing sheets. In this instance, the clip and fastener means positively secure the inner facing sheet to the subgirt while the oppositely extending flanges which overlie the outer facing sheet segment, positively connect the outer facing sheet to the inner facing sheet.

Alternatively, the inboard and outboard facing sheet portions may comprise confronting segments of the inner facing sheet. In this instance, the clip and (fastener means positively secure only the inner facing sheet to the structural steel.

In each instance, the clip and fastener are recessed and do not interfere with the erection of an adjacent panel in side-by-side, overlapped, interfitted relation with the previously erected panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a broken, cross-sectional, isometric view in exploded form, illustrating a building construction panel and the fastening means of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional, isometric view of an inboard side segment of the panel of FIG. 1, further illustrating the opening and recess provided therein;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a clip associated with the present fastening means;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view illustrating an alternative embodiment of the present clip;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a clip of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view illustrating a joint between adjacent ones of the building panels of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary, broken, cross-sectional, isometric view illustrating the use of the panel of FIG. 1 in an inverted position; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view, illustrating a joint between adjacent ones of the building panels of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) FIG. 1 illustrates abuilding panel 10 comprisingspacedapart facing sheets 11, 12 and a foamedplastics core 13 disposed therebetween. Thebuilding panel 10 may be erected such that the facing sheet 11 comprises the outer facing sheet and the facingsheet 12 comprises the inner facing sheet.

Thepanel 10 presents aninboard segment 14 and atongue 15 at afirst panel side 16; and an outboard segment 17 and arecess 18 at the opposite orsecond panel side 19. As shown in FIG. 6, the overall arrangement is such that a joint 20 is formed betweenadjacent panels 10A, 10B wherein thetongue 15A is received in therecess 18B and wherein the outboard segment 17B overlaps the inboard segment 14A. The inboard segment 14 ('FIG. 1) comprises outer and inner [facingsheet portions 21, 22 of the facingsheets 11, 12 respectively which are separated by thefoam core 13.

In accordance with the present invention, fastening means 23 are provided comprising aclip 24 and fastener means, such as a self-tappingscrew 25. Theclip 24 is received through anopening 26 provided in the outer facingsheet portion 21 and arecess 27 provided in thefoam core 13, see also FIG. 2. Theopening 26 and therecess 27 may be formed in the field by a punching operation utilizing a suitably pointed tool (not illustrated). In the preferred arrangement, a pair ofspacedapart depressions 28 are provided at the periphery of theopening 26 for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

The clip 24 (FIG. 3) is formed from a single piece of light gauge sheet metal. When formed, theclip 24 includes arectangular web 29 having acentral aperture 30 adapted to receive the threaded shank 31 (FIG. 1) of thefastener 25. Theweb 29 presents opposedsides 32 and opposed ends 33. A pair of substantially parallelupturned legs 34 extend from the opposed sides 32 of theweb 29. Each of theupturned legs 34 terminate m outward flanges 35. A pair of substantially paralleldownturned flanges 36 extend from the opposed ends 33 of theweb 29.

The present clip may take the form illustrated in FIGS. 4 and wherein the clip is identified by the numeral 24'. In this embodiment, each of thelegs 36 presentsre-entrant flanges 36a extending inwardly beneath theweb 29.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, theclip 24 is received through theopening 26 and therecess 27. Thelegs 36 are pressed into thefoam core 13 until theedges 37 thereof (FIG. 6) engage theinterior face 38 of the inner facing sheet 12A. In this position, the oppositely extending flanges 35 (FIG. 7) engage thedepressions 28A thereby to positively connect the outer facing sheet 11A to the inner facing sheet 12A. When installed, thefastener 25 extends through thecentral aperture 30, thefoam core 13, the inner facing sheet 12a and as threadedly engaged with a subgirt 39-thesubgirt 39 constituting an element of the structural framework of a building (not illustrated). Thefastener 25 positively secures the inner facing sheet 12A to thesubgirt 39.

It will be observed in FIG. 7 that theclip 24 is disposed substantially entirely between theouter face 40 of the outboard facingsheet portion 21A and theinterior face 38 of the inboard facingsheet portion 28A. The arrangement is such that theclip 24 and thefastener 25 are recessed and do not interfere with the installation of the adjacent panel B.

FIG. 8 illustrates abuilding panel 52 which comprises thepanel 10 of FIG. 1 reversed. In this presentation, the facingsheet 12 comprises the outer facing sheet whereas the facing sheet 11 comprises the inner facing sheet. Thepanel 52 of FIG. 8 presents aninboard segment 41 and agroove 42 along afirst panel side 43; and anoutboard segment 44 including atongue 45 at the opposite orsecond panel side 46. Theinboard segment 41 presents adjoining outer and inner longitudinally extending facingsheet portions 47, 48 respectively.

In this embodiment, anopening 49 is provided in the outer facingsheet portion 47 and arecess 50 is provided in thefoam core 13 directly beneath theopening 49. Spaced-apartdepressions 51 provided in the outer facingsheet portion 47 at the periphery of theopening 49.

It will be observed in FIG. 9' that the present fastening means 23' is received in theopening 49 andrecess 50 of the panel 10C, in the manner herein before described. In this arrangement, the fastening means 23' serves to secure the inner facing sheet 11C to thesubgirt 39. The fastening means 23' does not interfere with the installation of the adjacent panel 10D.

I claim:

1. In a joint between a pair of building construction panels erected in side-by-side relation to the structural steel of a building framework, each of said building panels comprising spaced-apart facing sheets and a foamed plastics core disposed therebetween, one of said panels presenting an inboard side segment engaged with said structural steel, and the other of said panels presenting an outboard side segment disposed in overlapped relation with said inboard side segment, the improvement comprising:

said inboard side segment comprising outer and inner facing sheet portions extending longitudinally of said panel and separated by said foamed plastics case;

said outer facing sheet portion having an opena recess in said core adjacent to said opening;

a clip presented in said recess and including oppositely extending flanges engaged with the exterior face of said outer facing sheet portion and inwardly extending legs engaged with the interior face of said inboard facing sheet portion; and

fastener means extending through said clip for securing said inboard side segment to said structural steel.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said outer and inner facing sheet portions comprise segments of said spaced-apart facing sheets.

3. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said outer and inner facing sheet portions comprise segments of said inner facing sheet.

4. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said clip is disposed substantially entirely between the outer face of said outer facing sheet portion and the interior face of said inner facing sheet portion.

5. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said outer facing sheet portion includes depressions at the periphery of said opening which are engaged by said oppositely extending flanges of said clip.

6. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said fastener means extends through said clip and between; said legs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,535,844 10/1970 Glaros 52-595 3,667,180 6/1972 Tischuk 52-483 X PRICE C. FAW, 1a., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 52-483, 595

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