GB1590361A - Building element - Google Patents

Description

(54) BUILDING ELEMENT (71) I, KARL BERTIL STAFFAS, of Varvavagen 24, S-803 80 Gave, Sweden of Swedish nationality, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a building element of the sandwich type comprising a core of heat insulating material and two slabs which are arranged on opposite sides of the core and consist of a rigid material, such as plywood, said slabs being connectable to analogous slabs of adjacent elements in a wall by means of mechanical joints.

According to the invention, there is provided a building element comprising a core of insulating material sandwiched between two rigid slabs, and two separate elongate slabs attached on the outside of each of said rigid slabs, one of each elongate slabs extending along a first edge of a respective rigid slab and the other elongate slab extending along a second edge perpendicular to the first edge, edge portions of the elongate slabs projecting beyond the corresponding edges of the rigid slab so that the projecting edge portions on either side of the element can engage on either side of the rigid slab on another similar building element to form a mechanical joint interconnecting the elements.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views from opposite directions showing an element according to the invention.

The figures show a building element 22 with rigid slabs 5' and 6' on either side of a core of insulating material. On each rigid slab 5', 6' the element has two comparatively narrow elongate slabs 23, 24 and 23', 24' respectively, one of which elongate slabs extends along a longitudinal edge of each first-mentioned slab, while the other one extends along a corresponding short side edge of the first slab. The elongate slab pieces can be produced from waste plywood which would otherwise be rejected, and thereby these elongate slabs can be manufactured extremely economically.

In the drawings, the rigid slabs 5' and 6' are spaced apart by plywood spacers 18', 19', but it would be possible to use foamed plastics for the spacers instead. As will be seen from the drawing, the plywood spacers 18', 19' are somewhat displaced inwardly from the short side edges of the slabs 5', 6 thereby providing a space between two adjacent spacers in a wall using this type of element. In this space an additional heat insulating body may be inserted during the construction of the wall.

A wall constructed using these building elements should preferably be completed by a separate wall covering of any desired type which will cover the joints between the elements.

Building elements may be constructed in sizes which are multiples of a standard element size. A suitable basic element has a length of 60cm, and therefore elements may also be constructed in lengths of 120cm, 240cm or other lengths which may even be less than 60cm.

The core 4 of the elements is preferably a light-weight heat insulating material.

Although the elements shown in the drawing are basically rectangular, and this geometric shape is preferred1 other shapes could be used.

The slabs 5', 6 and the elongate slabs 23 and 24 may all be produced from plywood with the elongate slabs being glued or possibly nailed to the inner slabs. The first slabs 5', 6' may be, for example, 1.25 to 1.75 times thicker than the slabs 23, 24.

The heat insulating material may consist of mineral or glass wool or another fibrous material.

The building elements may be surface treated before assembly, in order to preserve the elements and particularly the plywood slabs.

To connect elements together, an edge without elongate slabs (e.g. the bottom edge of the slab in Figure 10) is located between the projecting edges of the elongate slabs 23, 23 of another element. Thus, one element is located directly above another one. A similar locating technique occurs in a horizontal row, where a vertical edge which does not have elongate slabs on it is located between the corresponding edge of another element which does have elongate slabs 24, 24'.

Once the elements have been located together in this way, they may be interconnected by glueing those portions of the slabs 5', 6', 23, 23', 24, 24' which contact each other. Possibly portions of the insulating cores of the elements may also be glued together. In addition to the glueing, it is also possible to provide nail joints between the elements.

When building a wall, it may be desirable to offset the vertical joints in one horizontal row from the vertical joints in adjacent horizontal rows, as is conventional in the building of walls using building elements.

Instead of plywood slabs it is possible to use other types of slabs, plates, sheets or bodies fulfilling the same function as the slabs described.

For instance, each individual slab may be assembled by one or more slab parts which may be combined with other parts or bodies. Accordingly, the term "Slab" should be interpreted in its widest sense.

Instead of a core assembled from spacers and an intermediate separate heat insulating material, it is possible to use several other types of cores such as one solid, foamed plastics body which would space the slabs 5', 6 apart and at the same time provide the heat insulation.

Though the core 4 has been shown flush with the upper and lower edges of the slabs 5', 6', it is possible to displace it either upwardly or downwardly relative to said edges.

Alternatively slab forming materials are plywood, board, gypsum plates, plastics plates, metallic plates, or combinations thereof.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A building element comprising a core of insulating material sandwiched between two rigid slabs, and two separate elongate slabs attached on the outside of each of said rigid slabs, one of said elongate slabs extending along a first edge of a respective rigid slab and the other elongate slab extending along a second edge perpendicular to the first edge, edge portions of the elongate slabs projecting beyond the corresponding edges of the rigid slab so that the projecting edge portions on either side of the element can engage on either side of the rigid slabs on another similar building element to form a mechanical joint interconnecting the elements.

2. A building element substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (2)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. by glueing those portions of the slabs 5', 6', 23, 23', 24, 24' which contact each other. Possibly portions of the insulating cores of the elements may also be glued together. In addition to the glueing, it is also possible to provide nail joints between the elements. When building a wall, it may be desirable to offset the vertical joints in one horizontal row from the vertical joints in adjacent horizontal rows, as is conventional in the building of walls using building elements. Instead of plywood slabs it is possible to use other types of slabs, plates, sheets or bodies fulfilling the same function as the slabs described. For instance, each individual slab may be assembled by one or more slab parts which may be combined with other parts or bodies. Accordingly, the term "Slab" should be interpreted in its widest sense. Instead of a core assembled from spacers and an intermediate separate heat insulating material, it is possible to use several other types of cores such as one solid, foamed plastics body which would space the slabs 5', 6 apart and at the same time provide the heat insulation. Though the core 4 has been shown flush with the upper and lower edges of the slabs 5', 6', it is possible to displace it either upwardly or downwardly relative to said edges. Alternatively slab forming materials are plywood, board, gypsum plates, plastics plates, metallic plates, or combinations thereof. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A building element comprising a core of insulating material sandwiched between two rigid slabs, and two separate elongate slabs attached on the outside of each of said rigid slabs, one of said elongate slabs extending along a first edge of a respective rigid slab and the other elongate slab extending along a second edge perpendicular to the first edge, edge portions of the elongate slabs projecting beyond the corresponding edges of the rigid slab so that the projecting edge portions on either side of the element can engage on either side of the rigid slabs on another similar building element to form a mechanical joint interconnecting the elements.

2. A building element substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.