Panel clamp

Claim 1

In a building assembly system for resiliently securing erect facing panels to structural members, the combination of a facing panel member, a structural beam member with an L-shaped securing extremity and a clamp device designed for resilient securement of the inner surface of the panel member to the downwardly extending leg on the structural member, the downwardly extending leg being of a tapered cross-section with its cross-sectional width being greatest at the juncture of the L, the clamp device for resiliently securing a panel member to a structural member including a base portion integrally connected to a spring arm portion by a web extending generally upwardly from the base portion, the arm and base portions extending in opposing lateral directions from the web, the arm having a free extremity forming a force accepting point and extending downwardly from the web at an acute angle toward the plane of the base thereby creating a cantilever spring biased toward the plane of the base, the force accepting point at the free extremity of the cantilever spring permitting resilient point contact between the spring arm and the surface of the leg on the structural member in a region of thickness which is greater than the distance between the plane of the base and the contact point when the spring arm is in an unloaded condition, the resilience of the spring arm in conjunction with the downward extension thereof permitting the clamping device to engage the leg portions of structural members having a predetermined range of thicknesses, a flange extending outwardly and upwardly from the force accepting point to facilitate association between the free extremity of the spring arm and the structural member, rib means formed on the arm extending lengthwise of the arm, the rib means being of decreasing height from a region adjacent the web to the region adjacent the free extremity, the base portion being clampingly secured to the panel member with a fastener having a shank and clamping head with the free extremity of the arm resiliently bearing on the structural member, wherein the arm creates a resilient clamping force on the structural member which force increases as the strain on the arm in the direction away from the plane of the base increases.