Method of erecting a multi-level building of curtain wall construction

Claim 1

In a process of constructing a building having an exterior non-load bearing wall with non-structural interior supports, said process comprising the steps of: erecting at least one central supporting tower; constructing a plurality of floors about the tower at ground level, each floor defining about each tower an aperture and extending outwardly from said tower at said aperture to floor edges wherein outward edges of overlying floors substantially vertically overlying corresponding underlying edges on underlying floors; mounting first curtain wall supporting frames to said an upper floor at said floor edges, said frames having means for slidably engaging corresponding frames fastened to corresponding underlying floor edges; providing curtain wall panels, each panel including a central glass panel surrounded by a flexible unitary rim having a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges; mounting said curtain wall panels to said first frames proximate said windows only whereby said flexible unitary rim protrudes peripherally outward from said window as said curtain wall panel is held to said frame; raising and fastening said first floor to said tower at a preselected height along the side walls of said tower; mounting second curtain wall supporting frames to a lower floor at said floor edges, said frames having means at their upper edge for slidably engaging overlying corresponding first curtain wall supporting frames fastened to said overlying floor; mounting curtain wall panels to said second frames proximate said windows only whereby said flexible unitary rim protrudes peripherally outwArd from said windows as said curtain wall panel is held to said frame, raising and fastening said second floor to said tower at a preselected height below said first floor to register in sliding engagement with first frame to said second frame and to juxtapose the lower edge of said unitary rim on one curtain wall panel on said first frame with a correspondent upper edge of a unitary rim on another curtain wall panel on an underlying second frame.