US 3623291 A
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C. DUSSEL Nov. 30, 1971 CONSTRUC Nov. 30, 1971 C. DUSSEL CONSTRUCTIONAL ASSEMBLY FORMING A WALL, PARTITION AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1970 FIG. 2
2 Sheets-Sheet .3
United States Patent 3,623,291 .CONS'I'RUCTIONAL ASSEMBLY FORMING A WALL, PARTITION AND THE LIKE Christian Dussel, Toulouse, France, assignor to Etudes et Realisations Appliques a la Construction, de-la-Foire,
Luxembourg Filed Feb. 9, 1970, Ser. No. 9,909 Claims priority, application Luxembourg, Feb. 11, 1969, 57,965/69 Int. Cl. E0411 2/34; E04c 2/32 US. Cl. 52-615 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention relates to a constructional assembly made from pre-fabricated elements, in particular corrugated plates or sheets, and intended to form a wall, a partition, or'more generally a separation panel. vIt is directed to sup ply an assembly which is extremely rapid to erect, has a low production cost and comprises an empty central space which gives it good sound and heat-insulating properties. These properties may be improved by the addition of an insulating material in these empty spaces.
Assemblies are already known which are made from corrugated sheets, in which the corrugation generator lines are crossed perpendicularly or obliquely. However, these assemblies comprise numerous thermal and sound bridges which adversely affect their heat and sound properties. In general, the coupling of these corrugated sheets to the top and bottom girders is effected by fitting, and these girders must have complex asymmetrical sections which result in a high production cost. In addition, it should be noted that the appearance of these assemblies is very ugly, and these could not for example be utilized for dwelling-houses.
' Assemblies also exist in which the corrugated sheets are placed face to face symmetrically with respect to their central plane. These sheets are coupled together, on the one hand by girders arranged between them, and on the other hand by top and bottom sections on which they are fixed. These assemblies are very strong and are utilized as structure-carrying beams in constructional work, but are not suitable for forming partitions which are capable of being rapidly erected, having a neat appearance and good heat and sound insulating properties.
The present invention has for its object to provide assemblies made from corrugated sheets and, by reason of their sound and heat qualities and their neat appearance, suitable for dwelling-houses. It has also for its object to provide assemblies which are rapidly installed and have a low cost price. To this end, these assemblies are made from two corrugated sheets arranged face to face symmetrically with respect to their central plane, and also comprise facing elements.
According to the invention, the assembly comprises top and bottom girder elements comprising projecting portions imprisoned in the corrugations of the above-mentioned sheets, means for fixing facing elements to these beams and means for clamping the corrugated sheets against each other.
3,623,291 Patented Nov. 30, 1971 The assembly thus constituted has excellent insulating properties between the facings of the two faces, by reason of the complete absence of contact between these facings and of the division by the corrugated sheets of the space which separates them. If so desired, this space may be filled with an insulating material in order still further to improve its properties, for example in cold or hot countries.
According to one preferred form of embodiment, the fixing means of the facing elements on the girder elements are constituted by an L-shaped wing provided on each facing element, and which is intended to be engaged in lateral gutters of the girder elements.
In addition, the clamping means for the sheets may advantageously consist of angle-irons through which pass rods provided with cotter-pins. The corrugations of the said sheets may have a sinusoidal form with flattened troughs, while the projections of the girder elements are cylindrical.
According to one form of construction of the corners of the assembly, these latter are made, on the one hand, by means of an internal anchorage element to which are fixed the corrugated sheets located in the interior of the corner, and on the other hand by means of two external anchorage elements, coupled to each other by one of their edges and to which are fixed, by the other edge, the corrugated sheets located outside the corner. These anchorage elements imprison at their lower portion an angular projection of the bottom girder element, and at their upper portion, an angular projection of the top girder element.
In order to prevent all the weight of the facing elements from being carried on the attachment wings of these latter, these elements are usefully provided with a longitudinal rib intended to be received between two corrugations of the corrugated sheets. The lower portion of the said ribs comes into abutment against the bottom girder element, and in consequence plays the part of a support for the facing elements.
Furthermore, the top and bottom girder elements may comprise a longitudinal hollow formed respectively in their upper and lower faces which reduces their weight and may facilitate their coupling to the framework of the construction to which the assembly is to be fixed.
' According to a preferred form of construction of the facing elements, each of these comprises on its lateral edges, engagement means with the two adjacent elements.
The invention will be better understood from a study of the description which follows below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show, by way of nonlimitative example, one form of its embodiment. In these drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wall according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a vertical section of this wall, limited to the lower and upper parts of the wall;
FIG. 3 is a horizontal section showing an angle or corner of the wall according to the invention:
A wall in accordance with the invention is constituted by upper girders 1 and lower girders 2, joined together by corrugated sheets 3 and 4, arranged face to face symmetrically with respect to their central plane.
The upper and lower girders 1 and 2 comprise cylindrical projections such as 5 and 6, held between the corrugations of the sheets 3 and 4. These corrugated sheets are clamped against each other (FIGS. 2 and 3) by means of angle-irons 7, through which passes a rod 8 engaged in openings such as 9 formed in the corrugated sheets 3 and 4. The rod 8 is provided with a slot in which are engaged two clamping cotter-pins 10 of Wedge-shape. These cotter-pins enable the angle-iron 7 to be firmly applied against the corrugated sheets 3 and 4 and thus provides a firm fixing of these sheets to each other.
In addition, facing elements such as 11 are provided to cover the corrugated sheets 3 and 4. These elements comprise two wings, a lower wing 12 and an upper wing 13, engaged in channels 14 and 15 formed on each side of the girders 1 and 2. These elements are further provided laterally with engagement grooves such as 16, which enable them to be fixed together.
Furthermore, in order to prevent the whole Weight of these facing elements 11 from being carried by their wings 13, these elements comprise a rib 17 which is supported on the girder element 2 so as to carry their weight.
The girder elements 1 and 2 each further comprise a longitudinal channel such as 18 which reduces their weight and enables them to be arranged round metal or reinforced concrete beams which form the framework of the construction.
In addition, in the corners, the extremities of the corrugated sheets 3 and 4 are fixed to anchorage members, internal, as shown at 19, and external, as shown at 20 and 20'. This fixing is effected by means similar to those provided for clamping the sheets together, but the angleirons are arranged in the opposite direction and are fixed astride shoulders such as 21, with which the extremities of the plates and the anchorage members are provided. Traversing rods and wedge-shaped cotter-pins are again provided for this fixing and play the same part as in the clamping arrangement referred to above. The anchorage members 19, 20 and 20' are provided so as to imprison cylindrical corner projections comprised by the girders 1 and 2, the external anchorage members being coupled to each other by their edges in contact.
It should be noted that in the case where several pairs of corrugated sheets are employed to form the wall, the fixing of these plates end-to-end is effected in the same manner as the fixing method above described with the anchorage members.
The pre-fabricated elements, girders, corrugated sheets, facings, may be of any appropriate material, for example concrete, metal, wood, synthetic material, etc.
The wall thus obtained, very rapidly erected and having a finished appearance, has insulating properties between its faces which are quite remarkable, and which may be improved by filling the empty spaces with insulating material. In addition, these empty spaces may, if so desired, serve as a passage for electrical conduits or water pipes.
It will'of course be understood that the present description does not in any way limit the scope of the invention which is on the contrary widened to include all the alternative forms within the scope of those skilled in the art.
What I claim is: 1. A constructional assembly such as a wall, partition, panel and the like, including at least one pair of corrugated sheets disposed facing each other and symmetrically with respect to their central plane, and external facing elements, said assembly being characterized in that it comprises:
upper and lower girder elements having projecting portions adapted to be imprisoned between the corresponding upper and lower corrugations of said sheets;
hooking means for fixing said facing elements on said girder elements; and
means for clamping said corrugated sheets firmly together.
2. A constructional assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which said hooking means comprise L-shaped lateral wings provided at each extremity of each said facing element, and longitudinal channels formed in said girder elements and adapted to receive the extremities of said Wings.
3. A constructional assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which said clamping means comprise angle-iron members disposed facing each other on the outer faces of said sheets, slotted rods passing through openings formed in said angle-iron and said sheets, and tapered cotter-pins driven into said slots against the outer face of each said angle-iron member.
4. A constructional assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which the corrugations of said sheets have a sinusoidal form with flattened troughs, while the said projecting portions of said girder elements are cylindrical.
5. A constructional assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which corners of said assembly are fabricated by means of:
an internal anchorage element comprising means for fixing to the extremities thereof the inner corrugated sheets of the two pairs located inside the corner;
two external anchorage elements clamped to each other at one of their extremities, the other two extremities being fixed to the outer corrugated sheets of said two corner pairs;
said internal and external anchorage elements being adapted, when assembled, to grip at their upper and lower portions, corner projection members provided respectively on said upper and lower girders.
6. A constructional assembly as claimed in claim 5, in which said means for clamping and fixing said anchorage elements together and to said two pairs of corrugated sheets comprise angle-iron members disposed facing each other on the outer faces of said sheets, slotted rods passing through openings formed in said angle-iron and said sheets, and tapered cotter-pins driven into said slots against the outer face of each said angle-iron member.
7. A constructional assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which each said facing element is formed with a longitudinal rib intended to be received between two sheet corrugations, the lower portions of said ribs being adapted to come into abutment against said lower girder element.
8. A constructional assembly as claimed in claim 1. in which said upper and lower girder elements comprise a longitudinal recess formed respectively in their upper and lower faces.
9. A constructional assembly as claimed in claim 1, in which said external facing elements are each provided, on their lateral edges, with means for engagement with the adjacent facing elements.
References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,350,093 5/ 1944 Bralofl. 52-241 3,011,228 12/1961 Driggs 52-285 3,254,464 6/1966 Hoyt 52-618 X 3,300,901 1/1967 Eckel 52-618 X PRICE C. FAW, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.