Removable multi-paneled wall construction

Claim 2

A double-walled building panel comprising a pair of flat parallel wall members which are registered opposite one another with a clearance therebetween; and a framing structure therebetween including an elongated framing member which is interposed in the clearance between the wall members, lengthwise along one edge portion of the panel, the body of said framing member having spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending, exteriorly oriented surfaces on opposite sides thereof, corresponding edges of which surfaces are disposed in a common longitudinal cross-sectional plane of the body, and also having complementary longitudinally extending tongue and groove means thereon, which are oppositely oriented with respect to the aforesaid longitudinal cross-sectional plane, and interposed in the space extending between the surfaces, the groove means including a pair of grooves which are oppositely disposed to one another in the body, and traversely oriented to the surfaces, and the tongue means including pair of flexible prongs which project relatively outwardly from body, and which are spaced apart from one another transversely of the surfaces , there being a pair of relatively laterally opposing surfaces in the groove means which terminate at the pair of grooves, and said prongs having relatively laterally outwardly projecting ears and relatively laterally inwardly projecting ears thereon.

Claim 3

The double-walled building panel according to claim 1, wherein the pair of tongs and the pair of laterally opposing surfaces, each incline relatively toward one another, in directions relatively away from and relatively toward the aforesaid lOngitudinal cross-sectional plane, respectively.

Claim 4

The double-walled building panel according to claim 1, wherein the inwardly projecting ears of the prongs have a generally U-shaped configuration opening in the same direction as the space between the prongs.

Claim 5

A wall construction comprising a plurality of double-walled building panels which are serially interconnected with one another along a horizontal to form the wall, said panels comprising pairs of flat parallel upright wall members whcih are registered opposite one another with a clearance therebetween, and pairs of upright elongated framing members which are interposed in the clearance between the wall members along the interconnecting edge portions of the panels, the framing members having similarly shaped bodies in transverse cross-sectional planes thereof, each of which bodies has spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending, exteriorly oriented surfaces on opposite sides thereof, corresponding edges of which surfaces are disposed in a common longitudinal cross-sectional plane of the body, and each body also haing complementary longitudinally extending tongue and groove means thereon, which are oppositely oriented with respect to the aforesaid longitudinal cross-sectional plane, and interposed in the space extending between the surfaces, the groove means including a pair of grooves which are oppositely disposed to one another in the body, and transversely oriented to the surfaces, and the tongue means including a pair of flexible prongs which project relatively outwardly from the body, and which are spaced apart from one another transversely of the surfaces, the framing members in the interconnection between each pair of panels, being similarly oriented to one another, and the prongs of one framing member being interengaged with the grooves of the other, and there being means on the bodies of the framing members which are operative to cause the prongs to flex relatively toward one another, as the tongue means of the one framing member are inserted and withdrawn with respect to the groove means of the other framing member , and the prong flexing means including a pair of relatively laterally outwardly projecting ears on the prongs of the one member, and a pair of relatively laterally opposing surfaces in the groove means of the other member, which engage the ears to cause the prongs to flex.

Claim 6

A wall construction comprising a plurality of double-walled building panels which are serially interconnected with one another along a horizontal to form the wall, said panels comprising pairs of flat parallel upright wall members whcih are registered opposite one another with a clearance therebetween, and pairs of upright elongated framing members which are interposed in the clearance between the wall members along the interconnecting edge portions of the panels, the framing members having similarly shaped bodies in transverse cross-sectional planes thereof, each of which bodies has spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending, exteriorly oriented surfaces on opposite sides thereof, corresponding edges of which surfaces are disposed in a common longitudinal cross-sectional plane of the body, and each body also haing complementary longitudinally extending tongue and groove means thereon, which are oppositely oriented with respect to the aforesaid longitudinal cross-sectional plane, and interposed in the space extending between the surfaces, the groove means including a pair of grooves which are oppositely disposed to one another in the body, and transversely oriented to the surfaces, and the tongue means including a pair of flexible prongs which project relatively outwardly from the body, and which are spaced apart from one another transversely of the surfaces, the framing members in the interconnection between each pair of panels, being similarly oriented to one another, and the prongs of one framing member being interengaged with the grooves of the other, and there being means on the bodies of the framing members which are operative to cause the prongs to flex relatively toward one another, as the tongue means of the one framing member are inserted and withdrawn with respect to the groove means of the other framing member , and the prong flexing means including a pair of relatively laterally outwardly projecting ears on the prongs of the one member, and a pair of relatively laterally opposing surfaces in the groove means of the other member, which engage the ears to cause the prongs to flex.

Claim 7

The wall construction according to claim 4, wherein the panels have quadrilateral configurations, and further comprise second pairs of elongated framing members which are interposed in the clearances between the wall members along the upper and lower edge portions of the panels, and which are characterized with the same similarly shaped body in cross-sectional planes thereof, the second pairs of framing members being oppositely oriented to one another, however, with the groove means thereof exposed to the outsides of the panels and aligned in the horizontal direction with one another, along the top and bottom of the wall, and the panels being interlocked with one another along the entire length of the wall, by stiffeners which are interengaged with the second pairs of framing members, and which extend from one panel to the next across the interconnections therebetween, the stiffener along the bottom of the wall taking the form of an extra long framing member, the prongs of which are interengaged with the grooves of the groove means in the framing members along the bottoms of the panels, and the body of which is truncated so that the groove means thereon is removed, and is secured to a surface below the wall to anchor the wall thereto.

Claim 8

The wall construction according to claim 4, wherein the ear engaging surfaces terminate at the pair of grooves, and the ears are engaged in the grooves.

Claim 9

The wall construction according to claim 6, wherein the pair of prongs and the pair of ear engaging surfaces, each incline relatively toward one another, in directions relatively away from and relatively toward the aforesaId longitudinal cross-sectional plane, respectively.

Claim 10

The wall construction according to claim 6, wherein the prongs also have relatively laterally inwardly projecting ears thereon.

Claim 11

The wall construction according to claim 8, wherein the inwardly projecting ears have a generally U-shaped configuration opening in the same direction as the space between the prongs.

Claim 12

The wall construction according to claim 6, wherein the prong flexing means also include a clamping tool that is disposed between the prongs and clampingly engaged with the ears of the same, to cause the prongs to flex relatively toward one another.

Claim 13

A double-walled building panel comprising a pair of flat, parallel wall members which are registered opposite one another with a clearance therebetween, and which have a framing structure therebetween including a pair of elongated framing members that are interposed lengthwise along opposite edge portions of the panel, in the clearance between the wall members, said framing members having matching tongue-and-grooved bodies, each of which has spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending surfaces on opposite sides thereof, which terminate in spaced, parallel longitudinal cross-sectional planes of the body, and have a longitudinally extending web interposed crosswise therebetween, adjacent to one of said planes, there being complementary, oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending tongue and groove means on opposite sides of the web in the space between the surfaces, the groove means of which include a recess that is defined between the surfaces, the web, and the other plane, and has a pair of grooves in the bottom portion thereof which are oppositely disposed to one another across the recess adjacent the web, and the tongue means of which include a pair of relatively laterally outwardly inverted L-shaped flexible prongs that are spaced relatively laterally inwardly from the adjacent terminal edges of the surfaces, to form shoulders at the one plane, and project relatively away from the shoulders and the web in spaced relationship to one another transversely of the surfaces, said framing members being similarly oriented in the panel, and disposed so that the surfaces thereof are face to face with the insides of the wall members, and alternate terminal edge planes of the surfaces are substantially flush with the adjacent edges of the wall members, to enable the panel to be interlocked with two other such panels by arranging the three panels in coplanar serial relationship with one another and interengaging the tongue and groove means of the respective framing members with the adjacent tongue and groove means of the other panels.

Claim 14

A double-walled building panel comprising a pair of flat, parallel wall members which are registered opposite one another with a clearance therebetween, and which have a framing structure therebetween including a pair of elongated framing members that are interposed lengthwise along opposite edge portions of the panel, in the clearance between the wall members, said framing members having matching tongue-and-grooved bodies, each of which has spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending surfaces on opposite sides thereof, which terminate in spaced, parallel longitudinal cross-sectional planes of the body, and have a longitudinally extending web interposed crosswise therebetween, adjacent to one of said planes, there being complementary, oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending tongue and groove means on opposite sides of the web in the space between the surfaces, the groove means of which include a recess that is defined between the surfaces, the web, and the other plane, and has a pair of grooves in the bottom portion thereof which are oppositely disposed to one another across the recess adjacent the web, and the tongue means of which include a pair of relatively laterally outwardly inverted L-shaped flexible prongs that are spaced relatively laterally inwardly from the adjacent terminal edges of the surfaces, to form shoulders at the one plane, and project relatively away from the shoulders and the web in spaced relationship to one another transversely of the surfaces, said framing members being similarly oriented in the panel, and disposed so that the surfaces thereof are face to face with the insides of the wall members, and alternate terminal edge planes of the surfaces are substantially flush with the adjacent edges of the wall members, to enable the panel to be interlocked with two other such panels by arranging the three panels in coplanar serial relationship with one another and interengaging the tongue and groove means of the respective framing members with the adjacent tongue and groove means of the other panels.

Claim 15

The double-walled building panel according to claim 11 wherein the prongs have means in the space therebetween which are interengageable with a clamping tool that is operative to cause the prongs to flex relatively toward one another for purposes of unlocking the panels from one another.

Claim 16

The double-walled building panel according to claim 12 wherein the tool engageable means includes relatively laterally inwardly projecting ears on the prongs which each have a generally U-shaped configuration opening in the same direction as the space between the prongs.

Claim 17

A wall construction comprising a plurality of double-walled building panels which are serially interconnected with one another along a horizontal to form the wall, said panels comprising pairs of flat, parallel wall members which are registered opposite one another with a clearance therebetween, and pairs of elongated framing members which are interposed lengthwise along opposite edge portions of the respective panels in the clearances between the respective wall members thereof, said framing members having matching tongue-and-grooved bodies, each of which has spaced parallel, longitudinally extending surfaces on opposite sides thereof, which terminate in spaced, parallel longitudinal cross-sectional planes of the body, and have a longitudinally extEnding web interposed crosswise therebetween, adjacent to one of said planes, there being complementary, oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending tongue and groove means on opposite sides of the web in the space between the surfaces, the groove means of which include a recess that is defined between the surfaces, the web, and the other plane, and has a pair of grooves in the bottom portion thereof which are oppositely disposed to one another across the recess adjacent the web, and the tongue means of which include a pair of relatively laterally outwardly inverted L-shaped flexible prongs that are spaced relatively laterally inwardly from the adjacent terminal edges of the surfaces, to form shoulders at the one plane, and project relatively away from the shoulders and the web in spaced relationship to one another transversely of the surfaces, said framing members being similarly oriented in each panel, and disposed so that the surfaces thereof are face to face with the insides of the wall members of the panel, and alternate terminal edge planes of the surfaces are substantially flush with the adjacent edges of the wall members, and said panels being interlocked with one another by virtue of the tongue and groove means of the respective framing members being interengaged with the adjacent tongue and groove means of the other panels.

Claim 18

A wall construction comprising a plurality of double-walled building panels which are serially interconnected with one another along a horizontal to form the wall, said panels comprising pairs of flat, parallel wall members which are registered opposite one another with a clearance therebetween, and pairs of elongated framing members which are interposed lengthwise along opposite edge portions of the respective panels in the clearances between the respective wall members thereof, said framing members having matching tongue-and-grooved bodies, each of which has spaced parallel, longitudinally extending surfaces on opposite sides thereof, which terminate in spaced, parallel longitudinal cross-sectional planes of the body, and have a longitudinally extEnding web interposed crosswise therebetween, adjacent to one of said planes, there being complementary, oppositely disposed, longitudinally extending tongue and groove means on opposite sides of the web in the space between the surfaces, the groove means of which include a recess that is defined between the surfaces, the web, and the other plane, and has a pair of grooves in the bottom portion thereof which are oppositely disposed to one another across the recess adjacent the web, and the tongue means of which include a pair of relatively laterally outwardly inverted L-shaped flexible prongs that are spaced relatively laterally inwardly from the adjacent terminal edges of the surfaces, to form shoulders at the one plane, and project relatively away from the shoulders and the web in spaced relationship to one another transversely of the surfaces, said framing members being similarly oriented in each panel, and disposed so that the surfaces thereof are face to face with the insides of the wall members of the panel, and alternate terminal edge planes of the surfaces are substantially flush with the adjacent edges of the wall members, and said panels being interlocked with one another by virtue of the tongue and groove means of the respective framing members being interengaged with the adjacent tongue and groove means of the other panels.

Claim 19

The wall construction according to claim 14 wherein the prongs have means in the space therebetween which are interengageable with a clamping tool that is operative to cause the prongs to flex relatively toward one another for purposes of unlocking the panels from one another.