Foamed building panel including an internally mounted stud

Claim 2

A structural column assembly for use as a structural support element to join two modular wall units together end-to-end, each of said wall units having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said column assembly comprising: first and second end columns, each of said end columns having a pair of opposed planar side walls having a distal end and a proximal end and a planar end wall joining said proximal ends of each of said pairs of side walls into a generally U-shaped member, each of said pairs of side walls being arranged to be generally parallel with the exterior and interior surfaces of said wall units, each of said planar side walls having an inside face and an outside face, each of said outside faces having a primary leg extending outwardly from said distal end, said primary leg defining an elongated planar wall generally perpendicular to said outside face and having a termination at a predetermined transverse distance from said outside face, a planar outside vertical strip positioned at said termination of said primary leg generally parallel to said outside face along the full length of said end column and having a free end, said planar strip terminating along said free end in an inwardly directed finger, and a planar inside vertical strip positioned generally parallel and spaced from said planar outside vertical strip joining said primary leg to said finger, said end columns defining an interior space when said planar walls defined by said primary legs are placed into intimate contact with each other; and insert means for insertion into said interior space for securing said end columns to each other.

Claim 3

The column assembly of claim 1, said insert means comprising a pair of opposed planar side walls having a distal end and a proximal end and a planar end wall joining said proximal ends of said side walls into a generally U-shaped member, said insert means being sized to fit snugly within said interior space.

Claim 4

The column assembly of claim 1, each of said outside faces further having a second leg extending outwardly therefrom parallel to said primary leg and offset from said distal end of said side wall, said second leg joining said inside vertical strip at a right angle thereto.

Claim 5

The column assembly of claim 1, said inside faces of said side walls of each of said end columns being provided with barbs extending the length of each of said end columns, said barbs being angled towards said end walls of each of said end columns, and said insert means having longitudinal barbs thereon positioned to lockingly engage said barbs on said end columns when said insert means is inserted into said interior space.

Claim 6

The column assembly of claim 4, said insert means comprising an elongated longitudinal member having an ellipsoidal transverse cross-section and an outer surface having a pair of substantially planar, parallel side sections, said longitudinal barbs extending outwardly from said side sections.

Claim 7

The column assembly of claim 5, said interior space having an end-to-end dimension and said insert means having an exterior end-to-end dimension, said end-to-end dimension of said interior space being slightly smaller than said exterior end-to-end dimension of said insert means.

Claim 8

The column assembly of claim 4, each of said outside faces further having a second leg extending outwardly therefrom parallel to s id primary leg and offset from said distal end of said side wall, said second leg joining said inside vertical strip at a right angle thereto.

Claim 9

A construction column for use as a structural support element in a modular wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said column comprising: an elongated, hollow sleeve having a longitudinal axis and a rectangular transverse cross-section, said sleeve having a pair of opposed planar side walls and a pair of opposed planar end walls, said side walls being arranged to be generally parallel with the exterior and interior surfaces of said modular wall, each of said side walls having an inside face and an outside face, each of said outside faces having a pair of parallel, spaced-apart primary legs extending outwardly therefrom, each of said primary legs defining an elongated planar wall generally perpendicular to said outside face and having a termination at a predetermined transverse distance from said outside face, a pair of parallel planar outside vertical strips, each of said outside vertical strips having a pair of opposed free ends and terminating along said free ends in respective inwardly directed fingers, each of said outside vertical strips being positioned at said terminations of one of said pairs of primary legs generally parallel to said outside face along the full length of said structural column and having a pair of opposed free ends, and a pair of parallel planar inside vertical strips, each of said inside vertical strips being positioned generally parallel to and spaced from one of said outside vertical strips and having a pair of opposed free ends, said inside and outside vertical strips being joined at their free ends by said inwardly directed fingers extending from said free ends of said outside vertical strip.

Claim 10

A construction column for use as a structural support element in a modular wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface, said column comprising: an elongated, hollow sleeve having a longitudinal axis and a rectangular transverse cross-section, said sleeve having a pair of opposed planar side walls and a pair of opposed planar end walls, said side walls being arranged to be generally parallel with the exterior and interior surfaces of said modular wall, each of said side walls having an inside face and an outside face, each of said outside faces having a pair of parallel, spaced-apart primary legs extending outwardly therefrom, each of said primary legs defining an elongated planar wall generally perpendicular to said outside face and having a termination at a predetermined transverse distance from said outside face, a pair of parallel planar outside vertical strips, each of said outside vertical strips having a pair of opposed free ends and terminating along said free ends in respective inwardly directed fingers, each of said outside vertical strips being positioned at said terminations of one of said pairs of primary legs generally parallel to said outside face along the full length of said structural column and having a pair of opposed free ends, and a pair of parallel planar inside vertical strips, each of said inside vertical strips being positioned generally parallel to and spaced from one of said outside vertical strips and having a pair of opposed free ends, said inside and outside vertical strips being joined at their free ends by said inwardly directed fingers extending from said free ends of said outside vertical strip.

Claim 11

The construction column of claim 8, wherein said column is made from plastic.

Claim 12

The construction column of claim 9, wherein said plastic is PVC.

Claim 13

The construction column of claim 8, wherein said hollow sleeve when viewed in cross-section is in the form of a rectangle.

Claim 14

The construction column of claim 8, wherein said hollow sleeve comprises two separable portions, and wherein said construction column further comprises insert means for insertion into said hollow sleeve for securing said separable portions to each other.