Floor slab to side wall joint structure for transit vehicle

Claim 1

In a transit vehicle having a floor slab, two side walls, and a roof, floor-to-side wall joint joining each side wall substantially perpendicularly to a side of the floor slab, each joint structure comprising: an extrusion comprising a lower structural element of each vehicle side wall and having a laterally inwardly exposed joint surface formed therealong, a pair of vertically spaced, laterally outwardly extending flanges substantially integral with, and extending along each side of the floor slab, the laterally outward edge portions of each pair of said flanges being in contact with their respective said side wall joint surface, means integral with each of said side wall extrusions forming a vertically open, bead-receiving recess extending along each such joint surface, a locking bead formed integrally with, and extending upwardly along the laterally outward edge portion of one of said side flanges of each pair thereof, each locking bead being shaped and located to fit into the locking bead recess of its respective side wall upon a selected movement of the floor slab relative to such side wall, a first half of a plastic key interlock joint comprising a laterally outwardly open channel formed along, and comprising the laterally outward edge portion of the other of said side flanges of each pair thereof, an interlock projection extending along each side of each of said channels, both of the projections of each pair thereof extending in the same direction as the locking bead on said one flange of their respecting pair thereof, a second half of each plastic interlock joint comprising a pair of recess defining means integral with each side wall, and extending lengthwise along the joint surface thereof in parallel, spaced relation to their respective bead receiving recesses, and to each other, each of the latter recess defining means being shaped and located to define a recess shaped and positioned to receive one of said interlock projections in fitted relation therein upon such selected, relative movement of the floor slab and side wall, one of the latter recess defining means of each pair thereof being located within each of side channels, of a height to extend substantially to the bottom of its respective channel, and of a width for limited movement transversely therein, whereby such selected, relative movement of the floor slab and side wall opens up a key forming passage lengthwise within each joint for the reception of flowable, solidifiable, key forming compound for retaining said beads and said interlock projections in their respective recesses, thereby completing the joint structure.