Wall construction

Claim 2

A wall, comprising; a plurality of wall panels, each comprising first and second panel plates generally similar to one another and juxtaposed and spaced apart to define a panel space between them, each panel plate having an edge, a flange extending from the edge toward an adjacent edge of the other panel plate, and a bent portion of the flange extending from an edge of the flange, parallel to the edge of the plate, into the panel space; a connecting member disposed between the first and second panel plates of each wall panel opposite a similarly disposed connecting member of an adjacent wall panel, each connecting member having a face parallel to the respective flanges, having two mutually parallel grooves in the face, receiving one of the bent portions in each groove, and being thereby secured to the respective wall panel, each connecting member also having a blind opening recessed into the face and a through aperture extending transversely of and through the member in the area of the blind opening; an anchoring bar for each pair of mutually opposite connecting members, each bar having two end portions, one in each blind opening, each end portion having a bevelled hole; and a pair of connecting bolts for each anchoring bar, each bolt having: a screw-threaded end threadedly engageable with the respective connecting member on one side of the respective blind opening, a frusto-conical bolt portion flaring out from the end, and an enlarged body portion extending away from the flaring portion, the enlarged body portion having a diameter substantially equal to the maximum diameter of the bevelled hole, and the flaring portion being normally engageable with the respective bevelled hole, to permit insertion of the bolts, through the anchoring bar, when the panels are slightly spaced apart, and to enable the bolts, when fully threaded into the respective connecting member, to draw the panels together to bear tightly against one another.

Claim 3

A wall according to claim 1 in which the face of each connecting member is aligned with the respective flanges, and the anchoring bar is substantially fully enclosed in the respective blind opening when the connecting bolts are fully threaded into the respective connecting member.

Claim 4

A wall according to claim 1 in which the flange of each panel plate has a flexible seal strip, in addition to the bent portion, extending from the edges of the flange, away from the panel space.

Claim 5

A wall according to claim 3 in which the seal strip comprises wing portions extending in opposite directions from one another, at least one of the wing portions being resiliently compressible to provide a seal between the panels bearing tightly against one another.

Claim 6

A wall according to claim 3 in which the bent portion has a tongue folded over to provide a cross-sectional U-shape of the bent portion and thereby to promote the securing of the connecting member to the wall panel.

Claim 7

A wall according to claim 1 in which the hole of each end portion of the anchoring bar is frustoconically bevelled on both sides of the bar, to facilitate utilization of the bar regardless of the side thereof from which a connecting bolt is threadably engaged with the respective connecting member.

Claim 8

A wall panel, comprising two mutually parallel panel plates generally similar to one another, juxtaposed and spaced apart to define a panel space between them, each panel plate having an edge, a flange extending from the edge toward an adjacent edge, a flange extending from the edge toward an adjacent edge of the other panel plate, and a bent portion of the flange extending from an edge of the flange, parallel to the edge of the plate, into the panel space, and at least one of the panel plates having an aperture adjacent the edge thereof; a connecting member disposed between the first and second panel plates, the connecting member having a face parallel to the respective flanges, having two mutually parallel grooves in the face, receiving one of the bent portions in each groove, and being thereby secured to the panel plates, the connecting member also having a blind opening recessed into the face and a through aperture extending transversely of and through the member in the area of the blind opening and of the aperture of the panel plate; an anchoring bar having an end portion in the blind opening, the end portion having a bevelled hole; and a connecting bolt insertable in the connecting member and anchoring bar through the aperture of the panel plate for connecting the anchoring bar to the connecting member, the bolt having a screw-threaded end threadedly engageable with the connecting member in a threaded part of the through aperture, a frusto-conical bolt portion flaring out from the end, and an enlarged body portion extending away from the flaring portion, the enlarged body portion having a diameter substantially equal to the maximum diameter of the bevelled hole, and the flaring portion being normally engageable with the bevelled hole, to permit the insertion of the bolt in the anchoring bar when the panel is slightly spaced apart from a similar panel and connecting member, and to enable the bolt when progressively threaded into the threaded part to move the connecting members together for causing the panels to bear tightly against one another.

Claim 9

A wall panel, comprising two mutually parallel panel plates generally similar to one another, juxtaposed and spaced apart to define a panel space between them, each panel plate having an edge, a flange extending from the edge toward an adjacent edge, a flange extending from the edge toward an adjacent edge of the other panel plate, and a bent portion of the flange extending from an edge of the flange, parallel to the edge of the plate, into the panel space, and at least one of the panel plates having an aperture adjacent the edge thereof; a connecting member disposed between the first and second panel plates, the connecting member having a face parallel to the respective flanges, having two mutually parallel grooves in the face, receiving one of the bent portions in each groove, and being thereby secured to the panel plates, the connecting member also having a blind opening recessed into the face and a through aperture extending transversely of and through the member in the area of the blind opening and of the aperture of the panel plate; an anchoring bar having an end portion in the blind opening, the end portion having a bevelled hole; and a connecting bolt insertable in the connecting member and anchoring bar through the aperture of the panel plate for connecting the anchoring bar to the connecting member, the bolt having a screw-threaded end threadedly engageable with the connecting member in a threaded part of the through aperture, a frusto-conical bolt portion flaring out from the end, and an enlarged body portion extending away from the flaring portion, the enlarged body portion having a diameter substantially equal to the maximum diameter of the bevelled hole, and the flaring portion being normally engageable with the bevelled hole, to permit the insertion of the bolt in the anchoring bar when the panel is slightly spaced apart from a similar panel and connecting member, and to enable the bolt when progressively threaded into the threaded part to move the connecting members together for causing the panels to bear tightly against one another.