Joint assembly for wall panels

Claim 1

IN A COVERING AND SEALING ASSEMBLY FOR CONCEALING AND SEALING THE GAP BETWEEN A PAIR OF COPLANAR, EDGE ADJOINING WALL PANELS, THE COMBINATION OF AN OUTSIDE COVER MEMBER RUNNING LENGTHWISE OF THE GAP ON ONE SIDE OF THE PANELS AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CAVITY OVERLYING AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE GAP, SAID COVER MEMBER FURTHER PROVIDED WITH PORTIONS ABUTTING THE RESPECTIVE PANELS AND PRESENTING SPACED SURFACES WITHIN THE CAVITY ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE GAP SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH THE PLANES OF THE PANELS, A CONNECTOR MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL STEM EXTENDING NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF THE PANELS AND POSITIONED IN THE GAP AND OPPOSITELY EXTENDING RESILIENT ARMS AT ONE END OF THE STEM AND IN SAID CAVITY, SAID ARMS HAVING THEIR DISTAL ENDS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SPACED SURFACES OF THE OUTSIDE COVER MEMBER, SAID SPACED SURFACES PROVIDED WITH SHOULDERS WHICH ALSO ENGAGE SAID DISTAL ENDS TO PREVENT RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID ENDS AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CONNECTOR MEMBER AND OPERABLE TO APPLY A THRUST FORCE TO SAID STEM TENDING TO PULL SAME THROUGH THE GAP TOWARD THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PANELS WHEREBY TO CAUSE SAID DISTAL ENDS OF THE ARMS TO TIGHTLY COMPRESS SAID COVER MEMBER SURFACES TOWARD THE FACES OF SAID PANELS.