Wall assembly

Claim 2

In a demountable wall assembly of the type described, the combination of a pair of composite and adjacent wall panels each of which is provided with an insulating core and opposed stiffened side marginal edges, said marginal edges being fitted with opposed inside and outside metallic rail members, a tongue-like bead element on at least one of said rail members, a non-metallic thermal barrier element interconnecting the inside and outside metallic rail members located at the side marginal edge of a given panel to form a substantially integrated column-like marginal edge structure portions of which are thermally isolated from each other, means for joining together and in sliding relationship to each other the opposed rail members located along the same given sides of said pair of adjacent panels, said means comprising a cover strip provided with a pair of pockets and a tongue element that extends into one of said pockets, the said tongue element being slidingly interengageable with the tongue-like bead element on the one rail member of one panel and the other pocket of said cover strip being adapted to slidingly receive the rail member of the adjacent and opposing panel and said other pocket being further fitted with an inwardly deflected lip element that provides a divergent mouth on said other pocket that allows ready insertion of the rail member on the other opposing panel in said other pocket.

Claim 3

The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein each rail member of one panel is provided with a tongue-like element for interlockingly engaging a similar member on an associated cover strip.

Claim 4

The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover strip comprises a light metal extrusion.

Claim 5

The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein the inside and outside rail members located at the side marginal edge of the said given panel are provided with recesses for receiving the opposing edges of the said non-metallic thermal barrier element.

Claim 6

The wall assembly of claim 4 wherein the cover strip is in the form of an H-shaped light metal extrusion.

Claim 7

The wall assembly of claim 4 wherein the cover strip is in the form of an L-shaped light metal extrusion.

Claim 8

The wall assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the pockets of the cover strip is lined with an elastomeric sealing means.

Claim 9

In a demountable wall assembly the combination of a pair of composite and adjacent wall panels each of which is provided with an insulated core and opposed side marginal edges, each side marginal edge being fitted with and stiffened by interconnected and opposed inside and outside metallic rail members, a bead-like tongue element projecting inwardly from at least one of said rail members, sheeting applied to each of said cores and the exterior surfaces of the inside and outside rail members, non-metallic thermal barrier elements inserted and interlocked in recesses of the opposed inside and outside rail members of a given panel and acting to interconnect said inside and outside rail members in a column-like structure portions of which are thermally insulated from each other, cover strip means for joining the opposed side marginal edges of the said adjacent panels together, said cover strip means being provided with pocket portions for selectively receiving certain portions of the rail members on the adjacent panels, said cover strip means being provided with a tongue element in one of said pocket portions which is interengageable with the bead-like tongue element on the said one of the rail members of one of the panels making up the wall assembly said cover strip means also having an inwardly flaring lip element on another pocket portion which provides a divergent mouth on said last mentioned pocket portion for loosely and slidably engaging the rail member on the other panel.

Claim 10

In a demountable wall assembly the combination of a pair of composite and adjacent wall panels each of which is provided with an insulated core and opposed side marginal edges, each side marginal edge being fitted with and stiffened by interconnected and opposed inside and outside metallic rail members, a bead-like tongue element projecting inwardly from at least one of said rail members, sheeting applied to each of said cores and the exterior surfaces of the inside and outside rail members, non-metallic thermal barrier elements inserted and interlocked in recesses of the opposed inside and outside rail members of a given panel and acting to interconnect said inside and outside rail members in a column-like structure portions of which are thermally insulated from each other, cover strip means for joining the opposed side marginal edges of the said adjacent panels together, said cover strip means being provided with pocket portions for selectively receiving certain portions of the rail members on the adjacent panels, said cover strip means being provided with a tongue element in one of said pocket portions which is interengageable with the bead-like tongue element on the said one of the rail members of one of the panels making up the wall assembly said cover strip means also having an inwardly flaring lip element on another pocket portion which provides a divergent mouth on said last mentioned pocket portion for loosely and slidably engaging the rail member on the other panel.

Claim 11

The wall assembly of claim 8 wherein the cover strip means and rail members comprise light metal extrusions.

Claim 12

The wall assembly of claim 8 wherein a pocket portion of the cover strip means is provided with an elastomeric sealing means.

Claim 13

The wall assembly of claim 8 wherein the cover strip means is in the form of an H-shaped light metal extrusion.

Claim 14

The wall assembly of claim 8 wherein the cover strip means is in the form of an L-shaped light metal extrusion.

Claim 15

The wall assembly of claim 1, including insulating material disposed in the joint between the adjacent wall panels.

Claim 16

The wall assembly of claim 8 including insulating material disposed in the joint between the adjacent wall panels.