Extrusions for partitions, walls and enclosures

Claim 2

In a building enclosure having walls formed from a plurality of panels carried by a frame: a. a plurality of laminated panels each having a resilent side and a rigid side, said panels each having a kerf formed in the surface of the rigid side and a crimped groove in the surface of the resilent side adjacent each of at least two of the edges of said panel; b. frame means including at least one corner unit having first and second half members defining a central cavity and forming a structural corner when assembled, each half member including projection means extending into said central cavity; c. interlocking means on each of said half members for interlocking said first half member with said second half member, d. a removable holding member adapted to be located within said central cavity in contact with said projection means of said first and second half members to retain said half members in assembled relationship while said holding member is in position within said central cavity; and e. first and second panel securing means on said first and second interlocking half members, respectively, each securing means receiving an edge of a corresponding one of said laminated panels and engaging the kerf and groove adjacent that edge to secure said panels to said frame means.

Claim 3

The building enclosure of claim 1, wherein each of said panel securing means includes a channel integrally formed on the corresponding half member, Said channel being defined by legs having inwardly turned flanges which are adapted to engage the kerf and groove in a panel when said panel is inserted into said channel.

Claim 4

The building enclosure of claim 1, wherein said holding member is a rigid vinyl pipe the outer surface of which contacts the ends of said projection means.

Claim 5

The building member of claim 1, wherein a. said first interlocking half member has an inner side formed by a first outwardly turned trough flange with a first ridge formed on the inner bottom surface thereof, an outer side formed by a first curved wall having a first inwardly turned oblique flange, and a first projection extending from the inner surface of said first half member; b. said second interlocking half member has an inner side formed by a second inwardly turned oblique flange adapted to interlock with said first trough flange, an outer side formed by a second curved wall having a secondly outwardly turned trough flange with a second ridge formed on the inner bottom surface thereof, said outer trough being adapted to interlock with said first inwardly turned oblique flange, and a second projection extending from the inner surface of said second half member; and wherein c. the inner ends of said ridges and projections extend into said center cavity, said holding member contacting said ridges and projections to retain said first and second half members in assembled relationship.

Claim 6

The building enclosure of claim 4, wherein said holding member is a tube, said ridges and projections defining a circle approximately the same size as the outside diameter of said tube, whereby said tube contacts said ridges and projections to prevent said first and second half members from separating.

Claim 7

The building enclosure of claim 5, wherein each of said panel securing means includes a channel having two legs with inwardly turned flanges, said panel securing means being integrally formed on said first and second half members, said inwardly turned flanges being adapted to engage said kerfs and grooves in said panels.

Claim 8

The building enclosure of claim 1, further including at least one sliding window unit in one of the walls of the enclosure.

Claim 9

The building enclosure of claim 7, wherein said sliding window unit comprises, a. a window frame having an upper and a lower horizontal extrusion, each having an H-shaped cross section, both sides of each of said H-shaped extrusions having inwardly turned flanges, one side serving as a panel securing means and the other side serving as window securing means, first and second vertical window side extrusions cooperating with said horizontal extrusions to form the window frame, said vertical extrusions having on one side panel securing means and on the other side first and second parallel spaced slot flanges carrying oppositely disposed first and second sets of sealing members; b. a pair of transparent plates, one plate covering approximately half the opening defined by the window frame and being movably mounted within said frame and the other plate covering the other half of the opening in the window frame and being fixedly mounted; c. an upper and lower track carried within said upper and lower horizontal extrusions for receiving said transparent plates; and d. inner and outer center posts, said outer center post being fixedly mounted within said frame and said inner post being mounted on one edge of said movably mounted plate, said outer post receiving one edge of said fixed plate while the other side of said fixed plate is engaged by the sealing members in the said slot flanges of the first vertical extrusion, and wherein said inner post is secured to one side of said movably mounted plate while the other end of said plate engages said sealing members in the slot flanges of said second vertical extrusion.

Claim 10

The building enclosure of claim 8, wherein said outer center post has a channel-shaped side having a web and legs which carry a first adhEsive pad for securing said fixed plate, and a third slot flange protruding from the other side of said outer center post, said third slot flange carrying a third sealing member adapted to contact said inner post, and wherein said inner post has a channel-shaped side having a web and legs which carry said movable plate, a fourth slot flange protruding from the other side of said inner post, said fourth slot flange carrying a fourth sealing member adapted to contact said outer post, and a handle extending from the end of said fourth slot flange.

Claim 11

The building enclosure of claim 9, wherein said outer center post carries a pivotally mounted latch to engage the handle on said inner post to secure the movable plate in the closed position.

Claim 12

The building enclosure of claim 8, wherein each of said upper and lower tracks carries a track web having a center and two outside finger flanges of a rigid material, said finger flanges being spaced to form two trackways, said outside flanges having an elongated groove for engaging the inwardly turned flanges of said horizontal extrusions, and a flexible sealing portion extending horizontally from the ends of each of said finger flanges for engaging said transparent plates to provide a guide and watertight seal; and said lower track web carries first and second rigid elongated block extrusions having a longitudinal recess to receive said transparent plates.

Claim 13

The building enclosure of claim 1, further including at least one single window unit in one of the walls of said enclosure.

Claim 14

The building enclosure of claim 12, wherein said single window unit includes: a. a rectangular extruded frame having a first web, a first leg with an inwardly turned flange at the outer end of said web, a nub flange near the inner end of said first web, and a panel securing means; b. a transparent sheet of predetermined size which is slightly larger than the frame opening; c. a U-shaped retainer clip for engaging said rectangular frame extrusion and said transparent sheet, said clip having a second web and a second and third leg, said second leg having a notch at its free end for engaging said nub flange on said frame extrusion, and said third leg having a longitudinal crease forming upper and lower portions of said third leg, said lower portion being adapted to extend over the edge of said sheet to prevent the sheet from sliding within the frame extrusion; and d. a sealant between said frame extrusion and said transparent sheet for preventing contact between the inwardly turned frame flange of said single leg and the transparent sheet.

Claim 15

The building enclosure of claim 12, wherein said single window unit includes: a. a rectangular frame formed from H-shaped window extrusions having inwardly turned flanges and also having panel securing means; b. a transparent sheet of predetermined size which is slightly larger than the opening defined by said frame; c. a U-shaped retainer clip having a web and first and second legs, a retaining ridge on said first leg near the web, and said second leg having a longitudinal crease forming upper and lower portions of said second leg, said clip being inserted in said H-shaped window extrusions so that one of the inwardly turned flanges on said H-shaped window extrusion engages said retaining ridge, and said lower portion of said second leg extends over the edge of said transparent sheet, thereby preventing said sheet from sliding within the window frame extrusion; and d. a sealant applied between the other inwardly turned flange of said H-shaped window extrusion and said transparent plate for preventing contact between said transparent plate and said inwardly turned flange.

Claim 16

The building enclosure of claim 1, further including a lift up door unit in one of the walls of said enclosure.

Claim 17

The building enclosure of claim 15, wherein said lift up door comprises: a. an upper panel door extrusion having a first web, a first J-shaped hinge flange extending outwardly from one end of said first web, and a panel securing means; b. a lower door extrusion secured to said lift up door and having a channel-shaped portion with a second web and first and second legs, a second J-shaped hinge flange extending outwardly from the end of said first leg and adapted to cooperate with said first J-shaped hinge flange to permit the door to be pivoted, the second leg of said lower door extrusion cooperating with the upper panel door extrusion to align the door when the lift up door is closed.

Claim 18

The building enclosure of claim 1, wherein said frame means further includes a bottom member adapted to be secured to the bottom edge of each of said enclosure walls, said bottom member having a web, two spaced L-shaped flanges and a center running channel extending downwardly from said web, and a resilent strip having grooves for receiving said L-shaped flanges and a center bead adapted to be inserted into said running channel.

Claim 19

The building enclosure of claim 1, further including at least one joint extrusion for joining a pair of said laminated panels together in an edge-to-edge relationship.

Claim 20

The building enclosure of claim 18, wherein said joint extrusion includes an H-shaped cross-section member having two panel-receiving channels formed by a center web and two leg plates on opposite sides of said center web, said leg plates having inwardly turned flanges for engaging the kerfs and grooves in said panels when said panels are inserted into the channels of said joint extrusion.