Explosion venting wall

Claim 2

In a pre-engineered metal building having interior supporting structure: a vertically extending wall having a rectangular shaped explosion venting opening formed therein; means connecting the wall to the supporting structure; explosion venting panel means forming part of the wall and extending across the opening and overlapping the opening at least along the vertical sides thereof; adjacent each overlap, trim means connected to the panel and extending over and covering the overlap; explosion sensitive side fastener means serially spaced along each vertical side, explosion sensitive bottom fastener means serially spaced along the bottom of said panel and top fastener means serially spaced along the top of said panel, the top fastener means connecting the top of the panel to said supporting structure; the explosion sensitive side fastener means connecting the panel and each trim piece to the wall and each side fastener means including a release hole in the wall, a washer extending over the release hole, a headed screw, the head of the screw bearing on the washer and being of smaller diameter than the release hole and the threaded shank of the screw extending thru the washer, thru the release hole and being connected to the trim piece; the bottom fastener means connecting the panel to said supporting structure and each bottom fastener means including a release hole in the supporting structure, a washer extending over the release holes, a headed screw, the head of the screw bearing on the washer and being of smaller diameter than the release hole and the threaded shank of the screw extending thru the washer, Thru the release hole and being connected to the panel; and when an interior explosion generates sufficient force on the explosion venting panel, the panel pulling the washers and heads of the headed screws thru their respective release holes and said top fasteners acting as pivots about which the panel rotates to form an opening which relieves the interior explosion pressure.

Claim 3

In a pre-engineered metal building having, a floor and a roof, at least one pair of spaced apart columns mounted on the floor, support mechanism connected between the columns and the roof and supporting the same, a base fastened to the floor in a position adjacent the columns, at least one wall girt connected to the columns and extending parallel the base, a pair of outside wall panels extending from the floor upwardly adjacent the roof and connected to the base, to the girt and to the support mechanism, the panels being spaced apart to form a wall opening, the improvement of an explosion-venting wall covering said opening comprising; first spacer and a second spacer respectively connected to the base and to the girt and extending parallel the floor within the confines of said opening; a plurality of explosion sensitive fastener means connecting the first spacer to the base, each fastener means including a release hole in the base, a washer extending over the release hole, a threaded screw the head of the screw bearing on the washer and being of smaller diameter than the release hole and the threaded shank of the screw extending thru the washer, thru the release hole and being threaded into the first spacer; a plurality of explosion sensitive fastener means connecting the second spacer to the girt, each last said fastener means including a release hole in the girt, a washer extending over the release hole, a headed screw, the head of the screw bearing on the washer and being of smaller diameter than the release hole and the threaded shank of the screw extending thru the washer, thru the release hole and being threaded into the second spacer; explosion venting panel means extending over said wall opening, the opposite edges of the vent panel respectively overlapping the edges of said wall panels which form said wall opening; a plurality of bottom fasteners connecting the panel to the first spacer, a plurality of intermediate fasteners connecting the panel to the second spacer and a plurality of top fasteners connecting the panel to said support mechanism; adjacent each overlap, a trim piece extending over and covering the overlap; a plurality of fasteners respectively securing the trim pieces to the vent panel; a plurality of explosion sensitive fasteners respectively connecting the trim pieces to the wall panels, each fastener means including a release hole in a wall panel, a washer extending over the release hole, a headed screw, the head of the screw bearing on the washer and being of smaller diameter than the release hole and the threaded shank of the screw extending thru the washer, thru the release hole and being threaded into the trim piece; and when an interior explosion generates sufficient force on the explosion venting panel, the panel pulling the washers and heads of the headed screws thru their respective release holes and said top fasteners acting as pivots about which the panel rotates to form an opening which relieves the interior explosion pressure.

Claim 4

In a pre-engineered metal building having, a floor and a roof, at least one pair of spaced apart columns mounted on the floor, support mechanism connected between the columns and the roof and supporting the same, a base fastened to the floor in a position adjacent the columns, at least one wall girt connected to the columns and extending parallel the base, a pair of outside wall panels extending from the floor upwardly adjacent the roof and connected to the base, to the girt and to the support mechanism, the panels being spaced apart to form a wall opening, the improvement of an explosion-venting wall covering said opening comprising; first spacer and a second spacer respectively connected to the base and to the girt and extending parallel the floor within the confines of said opening; a plurality of explosion sensitive fastener means connecting the first spacer to the base, each fastener means including a release hole in the base, a washer extending over the release hole, a threaded screw the head of the screw bearing on the washer and being of smaller diameter than the release hole and the threaded shank of the screw extending thru the washer, thru the release hole and being threaded into the first spacer; a plurality of explosion sensitive fastener means connecting the second spacer to the girt, each last said fastener means including a release hole in the girt, a washer extending over the release hole, a headed screw, the head of the screw bearing on the washer and being of smaller diameter than the release hole and the threaded shank of the screw extending thru the washer, thru the release hole and being threaded into the second spacer; explosion venting panel means extending over said wall opening, the opposite edges of the vent panel respectively overlapping the edges of said wall panels which form said wall opening; a plurality of bottom fasteners connecting the panel to the first spacer, a plurality of intermediate fasteners connecting the panel to the second spacer and a plurality of top fasteners connecting the panel to said support mechanism; adjacent each overlap, a trim piece extending over and covering the overlap; a plurality of fasteners respectively securing the trim pieces to the vent panel; a plurality of explosion sensitive fasteners respectively connecting the trim pieces to the wall panels, each fastener means including a release hole in a wall panel, a washer extending over the release hole, a headed screw, the head of the screw bearing on the washer and being of smaller diameter than the release hole and the threaded shank of the screw extending thru the washer, thru the release hole and being threaded into the trim piece; and when an interior explosion generates sufficient force on the explosion venting panel, the panel pulling the washers and heads of the headed screws thru their respective release holes and said top fasteners acting as pivots about which the panel rotates to form an opening which relieves the interior explosion pressure.