GB2081331A - Building or Vehicle Panelling Structure - Google Patents

Abstract

An elongate member 5, 6, 7 or 8 comprises two limbs e.g. 71, 72 forming the arms of a U-section and other limb(s) e.g. 75 extending away from the U section. The U section receives the edge of panels, e.g. 205, and the other limb(s) unite the member with other panel(s) e.g. 22, 23 or with supporting framework. The resulting structure may form part of a building, e.g. a partition, or part of a vehicle, e.g. a fire engine, and some panels e.g. 22, 23 may be roller shutters. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvement In or Relating to Structures The present invention relates to improvements in structures formed from two or more panels that are located in position by means of structural members, The present invention provides a structure including two or more panels in which at least one said panel has an edge portion adjacent the other panel or supporting framework, wherein the structure includes a structural member extending along at least part of the said edge portion and comprising at least three limbs, two of said limbs forming the arms of a U-section to receive the said one edge portion therebetween and the third said limb extending away from said two limbs and being arranged to unite the said member with the other panel or supporting framework.

Preferably the three limbs of the said structural member are of equal length and extend the length of the said edge portion.

The two limbs of the structural member forming the arms of the said U-section are preferably parallel to each other and the said third limb may extend from the base of the said Usection, e.g. at right angles to the said two limbs, or it may extend at an angle from the end of one of the arms forming the said U-section and is preferably of the same length as the limbs forming said arms.

The distance apart of the arms of the said Ushaped section are arranged to enable a panel to be a press fit therebetween to retain the panel so fitted in position.

The panels may be in the form of sheets of material, e.g. wood or metal, or they may be in the form of doors or shutters, e.g. vertical roller shutters, in which latter case shutter guides will be secured to the structural members.

The third limb may be secured to a second panel or to a framework by fixing means, for example, screws or nuts and bolts, passing through the said limb and into or through the panel or framework.

The structure may be part of a building, for example a partition or it may be part of a vehicle body, for example the body of a fire engine.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which diagrammatically illustrate the use of the invention in the manufacture of a fire engine body. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a ieft hand elevation of the body of a fire engine.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a section along the line A-A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 (a)-(d) are sections of structural members shown in Figure 2.

A fire engine illustrated in Figure 1, has a body portion 1, and a cab 10, mounted on a vehicle chassis (not shown), and wheels 11 carried on axles (not shown) supporting said chassis.

The body 1, comprises two identical side sections 2 and 3 each being composed of outer panels, 21,22, 23 and 24, and 31, 32, 33 and 34 respectively and internal panels 201,202, 203.

204, 205, 206 and 207 and 301,302. 303. 304, 305, 306 and 307 respectively. Outer panels 22, 23, 24 and 32, 33 and 34 are in the form of vertical roller shutters to provide access to the compartments formed by the internal panels.

The side sections are joined at one end by end section 4 including an end panel 41 in the form of a roller shutter and the side sections are further linked by internal cross panels 42 and 43.

In this embodiment panels 21 and 31 and the internal panels are each formed from 8mm plywood coated on either side with a glass fibre resin compound for protection against damage by water etc; the overal thickness of the panel not exceeding 10mm.

The panels are located in their respective positions by means of vertically aligned structural members 5, 6, 7, and 8 Which are of different design and are illustrated in Figures 3(a), 3(b), 3(c) and 3(d). The lower ends of the structural members are bolted onto appropriate chassis members.

Referring to the design of the structural members, structural member 5, (Figure 3(a)) comprises limbs 51 and 52 having a depth of 50mm joined by portion 53 to provide a U-shaped opening, having parallel sides, of 1 Omm width.

Limb 51 and portion 53 are 4mm thick; limb 55 is of non-uniform thickness being 4mm thick at the outer end and 8mm thick at the end adjoining portion 53. A third limb 54, 25mm in depth and 4mm in thickness, extends from the outer end of limb 52 at right angles to the outer wall thereof (i.e. an angle of 94.350 to the inner wall).

Structural member 6 (Figure 3(b)) comprises two parallel limbs 61 and 62 each 50mm in depth and 4mm in thickness linked by portion 63, also 4mm thick, to provide a U-shaped opening 64 having a width of 1 Omm. A third limb 65 is formed as an extension of portion 63 and is 27mm in depth and 4mm thick.

Structural member 7 (Figure 3(c)) comprises two parallel limbs 71 and 72 linked by portion 73 to provide a U-shaped opening 74 having a width of 1 Omm. Members 71 and 72 are 50mm deep. A third limb, 75 is formed as an extension of portion 73 and includes a portion 76 formed parallel to limbs 71 and 72. Limb 75 has a depth 23mm, portion 76 a depth of 50mm. All limbs have a thickness of 4mm.

Structural member 8 (Figure 3(d)) comprises two parallel limbs 81 and 82, joined by a portion 83 to form a U-shaped section providing an open 84 of lOmm width. Limbs 81, and 82 are 50mm in depth. Third and fourth limbs 85 and 86 are formed as extensions of portion 83 extending in opposite directions and each have a depth of 28mm. All limbs are 4mm thick.

Each of the above mentioned structural members is formed from extruded aluminium.

Referring now to Figure 2, panels 21 and 31 are secured to battens 21 a and 31 a that are in turn secured to limbs 54 of structural member 5 by means of rivets that pass through the limb and batten.

Panels 22, 23 and 24; 32, 33 and 34 are vertical roller shutters arranged to move from the open to the closed position and vice-versa in oppositely positioned guide channels secured to the appropriate structural members. Thus the shutters forming panels 22 and 32 run in guide channels (not shown) secured to limbs 51 of structural member 5 and 76 of structural member 7. The roller shutters forming panels 23, and 33 and 24 and 34 also run in guide channels (not shown) secured to limbs 71 of the first and second structural members 7 and to limbs 76 of second and third structural members 7 respectively.

Structural members 6 are located opposite structural members 5 on each side of the vehicle with the open end of portions 64 facing the open end of portions 55 of the respective members 6 and 5. Similarly first, second and third structural members 8 are located opposite the first, second the third structural members 7.

Panels 201 and 301 have one end located on the inside of limb 65 of structural member 6, to which they are affixed by means of rivets passing through the limbs and panels, and the other end affixed to the outside of limb 85 of first structural member 8 also by rivets. The abutting ends of panel 201, and 202; 301,302; 202, 203 and 302, 303 are located on the outside of second and third structural members 8 and are secured in position by rivets passing through the appropriate limbs of the structural members and respective panels.

Panels 204 and 304 at right angles to panels 22 and 32 respectively are firmly located in position within the U-section of portions 55 of structural members 5 and U-section portion 64 of structural member 6, the edge portions of the panels 204 and 304 being arranged to abutt the respective portions 53 and 63 of structural members 5 and 6.

Panels 205 and 206, and similarly panels 305 and 306 have one end located in U-shaped opening 74 of first and second structural members 7 and the other portion located in openings 84 of first and second structural members 8. The said ends being arranged to abutt the portions 73 and 83 of structural members 7 and 8 respectively.

Panels 207 and 307 are positioned between pairs of opposed third structural members 8 and 7, the latter having panels 24 and 34 affixed to their outer portions, the ends of the panels being located in the U-shaped portions 84 and 74 of the said structural members as with panels 206 and 306.

The other ends of panels 203 and 303 are located in the U-shaped portions of fourth structural member 7. Roller shutter guides for shutter panel 41 are secured to limbs 71 of said fourth structural members 7.

Two structural members 6 are located approximately one third of the distance along panels 201 and 203, the panels being affixed to limbs 64 thereof, and serve to support the cross panel 43 within openings 64, the edge portions of panel 43 being arranged to abutt the portions 63 of structural members 6.

Two further structural members 8 are located opposite the third mentioned structural members 8 and are secured to panels 202 and 203, cross panel 42 is retained within openings 44 and 302 and 303 respectively thereof. Again the edge portions of panel 42 are arranged to abut the portions 83 in structural members 8.

Since all of the wood panels and structural members can be pre-cut to the appropriate sizes, construction of the body of the fire engine may be achieved relatively quickly and the panels are firmly located in position. Replacements of panel, damaged for example in an accident, is readily achieved.

As indicated previously the invention is not limited to the manufacture of structures such as fire engine bodies, but may also be usefully applied to internal structures of buildings, in particular it may be applied to demountable partitioning in offices, for example.

Whilst the structural members have been described as produced from extruded aluminium they may, of course, be produced from any suitable material and with any required dimensions, it always being preferable that the dimensions of the U-shaped section be substantially the same as that of the thickness of the panel in order that it may be a press fit therein.

Claims (15)

Claims

1. A structure including at least one panel having an edge portion adjacent an other panel or a supporting frame work, wherein the structure includes an elongate structural member extending along at least part of the said edge portion of said one panel and comprising at leats three limb elements, two of said limb elements forming the arms of a U-section extending lengthwise of said member to receive the edge portion of the said one panel and a third said element extending away from said U-section and being arranged to unite the said member with said other panel or supporting framework.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the said member extends the length of said edge portion and the limb elements extend the length of said members

3. A structure according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the limb elements forming the arms of said U-section are in a parallel relationship.

4. A structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a said third element extends outwardly of the base of said U-section.

5. A structure according to claim 4 wherein a fourth element extends from the base of said Usection.

6. A structure according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein an element extending outwardly of the base of said U-section is at right angles to at least one of the elements forming the arms of said Usection.

7. A structure according to claim 4 wherein a third said element includes a portion parallel to an adjacent limb forming an arm of said U-section.

8. A structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein a third said element extends outwardly from an end of an arm forming said Usection.

9. A structure according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the edge portion of said one panel is a press fit into said U-section.

10. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said member has a cross section substantially as herein described with reference to any one of figures 3a-3d of the drawings.

11. A structure as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and forming a part of a building.

12. A structure according to claim 11 wherein the said structure is an internal partition.

13. A structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 forming part of a vehicle body.

14. A structure according to claim 13 wherein the said vehicle is a fire engine.

15. A structure forming part of the body of a fire engine substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.