Interlocking joint for abutted edges of insulated panel sections

Claim 1

AN INSULATED PANEL ASSEMBLY HAVING AN IMPROVED JOINT CONSTRUCTION, COMPRISING A FIRST PANEL HAVING A FLAT EXPANDED CELLULAR PLASTIC FIRST BODY, A FIRST PAIR OF THIN METAL SHEETS COVERING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BODY, SAID BODY HAVING AN EXPOSED FIRST EDGE, SAID SHEETS HAVING FIRST FLANGE PORTIONS BENT OVER MARGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID EDGE, SAID EDGE HAVING NORROW, DEEP GROOVES FORMED THEREIN IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, SAID FLANGE PORTIONS TERMINATING AT SAID GROOVES; A SECOND PANEL HAVING A SECOND FLAT EXPANDED CELLULAR PLASTIC BODY, A SECOND PAIR OF THIN METAL SHEETS COVERING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SECOND BODY, SAID SECOND BODY HAVING AN EXPOSED SECOND EDGE, SAID SECOND SHEETS HAVING SECOND FLANGE PORTIONS BENT OVER MARGINAL PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND EDGE AND ABUTTING THE FIRST FLANGE PORTIONS, AND PARALLEL LIPS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF INNER EDGES OF THE SECOND FLANGE PORTIONS AND DISPOSED IN SAID GROOVES IN SEALING RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH, A FIRST RIGID BLOCK SEATED IN A FIRST RECESS IN SAID FIRST EDGE OF THE FIRST CELLULAR PLASTIC BODY, SAID BLOCK HAVING A FIRST APERTURE THEREIN, AND A PIN EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID APERTURE, SAID BLOCK HAVING SPACED PARALLEL GROOVES IN ITS OUTER SIDE ALIGNED WITH THE GROOVES IN THE FIRST EDGE OF THE FIRST BODY AND RECEIVING SAID LIPS IN SEALING RELATIONSHIP; AND A SECOND RIGID BLOCK SEATED IN A SECOND RECESS IN THE SECOND EDGE OF THE SECOND BODY, SAID SECOND BLOCK HAVING A SECOND APERTURE THEREIN, A SPRING BIASED TONGUE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID SECOND APERTURE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID SECOND BLOCK, SAID TONGUE HAVING A HOOK AT ITS END ENGAGED ON SAID PIN, WHEREBY THE TWO PANELS ARE LOCKED TOGETHER IN HERMETIC SEALING RELATIONSHIP, THE METAL SHEETS OF THE FIRST BODY BEING EXTENDED AND BENT OVER ANOTHER EDGE OF THE FIRST BODY TO DEFINE A THIRD PAIR OF FLANGE PORTIONS FOR CONTACTING IN FACE-TO-FACE ABUTMENT A FOURTH PAIR OF FLANGE PORTIONS AT A FURTHER EDGE OF A THIRD INSULATED PANEL, SAID THIRD FLANGE PORTIONS TERMINATING IN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PARALLEL OTHER LIPS FOR ENGAGING IN OTHER GROOVES ON SAID FURTHER EDGE OF THE THIRD PANEL, THE METAL SHEETS OF THE SECOND BODY BEING EXTENDED AND BENT OVER ANOTHER EDGE OF THE SECOND BODY TO DEFINE A FIFTH PAIR OF FLANGE PORTIONS THEREAT, SAID OTHER EDGE OF THE SECOND BODY HAVING GROOVES THEREIN LOCATED NEAR SAID FIFTH FLANGE PORTION RESPECTIVELY FOR RECEIVING FURTHER PROTRUDING PARALLEL LIPS OF A FOURTH INSULATED PANEL; A THIRD RIGID BLOCK SEATED IN A RECESS IN THE OTHER EDGE OF THE FIRST PANEL, SAID THIRD BLOCK HAVING A THIRD APERTURE THEREIN, A SPRING BIASED SECOND TONGUE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID THIRD APERTURE AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF THE THIRD BLOCK FOR ENGAGING ON A PIN IN A BLOCK SEATED IN SAID FURTHER EDGE OF THE THIRD PANEL; ANF A FOURTH RIGID BLOCK SEATED IN A FURTHER RECESS IN THE OTHER EDGE OF THE SECOND PANEL SAID FOURTH BLOCK HAVING A FOURTH APERTURE THEREIN, AND A PIN EXTENDING ACROSS SAID FOURTH APERTURE FOR RECEIVING A TONGUE IN A BLOCK SEATED IN AN EXPOSED EDGE OF SAID FOURTH PANEL, SAID FOURTH BLOCK HAVING GROOVES THEREIN ALIGNED WITH THE GROOVES IN THE OTHER EDGES OF THE SAID SECOND BODY FOR RECEIVING THE PROTRUDING LIPS OF THE FOURTH PANEL.