GB2435269A

GB2435269A - Location and locking for edges of adjacent partitions

Info

Publication number: GB2435269A
Application number: GB0602985A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward Dudley Bacon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-02-15
Filing date: 2006-02-15
Publication date: 2007-08-22
Anticipated expiration: 2026-02-15
Also published as: GB0602985D0; GB2435269B

Abstract

Location and locking means for securing together ht edges of adjacent rigid partition panels comprise a pair of posts 11, 12. One post 11 is recessed into an edge of one panel and the second post 12 is recessed into an edge of a second panel. One post 11 has at least two alignment pins 15 at opposite end portions thereof and at least two fasteners 16 located in cut outs 19. Each fastener 16 has a body received in the cut out 19 and a rotatable locking plate 21 with an eccentric slot 23 therein. The second post 12 has alignment holes 25 therein in which the pins 15 are engageable and catches 26 having locking bars 29 which are engageable with the slot 23 in the rotatable plate 31.

Description

Partition Wall Construction

Field

This invention relates to the construction of partition walls from continuous lengths of prefabricated wall panels which are joined together at along the vertical edges

Background of the Invention

This invention relates to a partition walls having jointing means between panels or panels and construction posts that can serve to form an accurately aligned flush joint between two prefabricated wall panels In the internal fitting of a large working space such as a factory, office building, sports facility etc. use is frequently made of partition wall systems which allow areas to be temporarily adjusted easily from time to time in order to adapt them particular uses, for example in exhibition halls, showrooms, garaging areas, sports halls etc Conventional partition wall systems typically use standard size prefabricated wall panel which may be erected using frameworks to hold the partition panels in a desired arrangement Such a framework is described in US Patent 4455 103 Some partition panels may be indirectly linked together using connectors as is shown in GB-A-1281 156 In other constructions the partition panels may be directly linked one to another such as is shown in WO-A-0133002 in which the wall panels are joined along their vertical edges by jointing posts located in the panel edges and which include spaced alignment buttons on one edge that interlock with aligned spaced keyhole slots in the other edge The pane1 are aligned and joined together by firstly aligning the panels horizontally, pushing the vertical edges together, and then moving one panel downwards to engage the buttons in the keyhole slots This simultaneous engagement of a number of buttons in their respective keyhole slots and movement of the panel may be difficult especially where the adjoining panels have large numbers of interlocking buttons and slots.

The present invention provide a rigid joint means between two wall partition panels such that the panel edges would be held in an accurate vertical and horizontal alignment flush with one another and are then locked together

Statements of Invention

According to the invention, there is provided a location and locking means for an edge of o rigid partition pane!, said means comprising a pair of abutting posts, a first post which in use is recessed into an edge of the panels and has at least two alignment pins at opposite end portions thereof and at least two fasteners located in respective cut-outs in the first post with each fastener having a body which is received in the cut-out and a rotatable locking plate with an eccentric slot therein, and the second post has alignment holes therein in which the pins are engagable and catches which are engagable with the slot in the rotatable plate.

The catches on the second post are formed on catch plates recessed into the second post, The invention may further comprise a modular first wall panel having recessed in at least one edge, one of said two posts to provide locking means as described above when engaging the other of said posts which may be recessed into an edge on another modular panel to be joined to the first panel or a post to be attached to the modular panel The invention also comprises a partition wall including location and locking means as described above The posts may be attached to each long edge of a prefabricated wall panel, that is typically the vertical edge in use Preferably, one vertical edge of a wall panel carries a first post which extends along substantially the fill length of the said edge and the other vertical edge of the wall panel carries said second post Each panel has a front face and a rear face, and an aperture is provided in the rear face in the region of each fastener to enable a tool to be inserted through each respective aperture for rotation of the locking plate The panels are preferably a cellular aluminium composite panel, for example ALUCOR (reg.

TM) available from Alcan.

is The four corners of each panel may have protective blocks recessed into the panel core Two blocks in the base of the panel, preferably the corner blocks, in use, may be provided with adjustable height feet The invention also comprises a wall panel installation including two or more wall panels according to the present invention and wherein side by side panels are assembled together with substantially flush surfaces and the locating and locking means pull adjacent edges of the neighbouring panels together into abutment with each other Dcription of the Drawji]g The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig I shows a location and locking means according to the present invention and in a disconnected condition and shown in section Fig 2 is a view of the first post taken in the direction of arrow A in Fig I, Fig. 3 is a view of the second post taken in the direction of Arrow B in Fig. I Fig 4 is a vertical section through a fastener and catch in a connected condition with the locking plate shown in unlocked and locked, conditions, Fig 5 is a horizontal sectional view through a fastener and catch in a locked condition, Fig 6 is an isometric view of an upper corner of a wall panel showing with a second post in-situ, Fig 7 is a section on the line Vil-Vil in Fig 6, and Fig 8 is vertical section through a lower corner of a wall panel showing a

adjustable foot.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention relates to a location and locking means 10 for joining together edges of panels, in particular the vertical edges (in use) of partition wall panels which may be erected and dismantled many times to create enclosed spaces within large buildings.

Referring now to Figs I to 3, the location and locking means 10 comprises a pair of posts ii & 12, which are hollow square cross-section aluminium posts which are located in respective recesses 13 formed in the vertical edge of a wall panel 14, as can be seen in Figs. 6 & 7, so that the skin of the panel overlies the respective post The wall panel is a rigid cellular panel formed aluminium and sold under the trade name ALUCORE (RIM). The first post 11, in use recessed into an edge of one panels is provided with at least two s alignment pins 15 at opposite end portions thereof, with preferably a third pin 15 in the approximate centre, and at least two fasteners 16 located in respective cut-outs in the first post 11 The second post 12, which may also be recessed into and edge of a second panel 14 has alignment holes 25 therein in which the pins are engagable The second post is also provided with catch plates 26 which are engagable with fastener 16 when the two posts 11 & 12 are in abutment as is shown in Figs 4 and 5 Referring also to Figs 4 & 5, the fasteners 16 are mounted on the first post 11,. Each fastener 16 has a body 17 which includes a mounting plate 18 which is recessed into the surface of the post 11 The body 17 is accommodated by cut-outs 19 in the post 11 and in the panel 14 Each fastener 16 has a locking plate 21 rotatably mounted within the body 17 on a pin 22 The rotatable plate 21 has an eccentric slot 23 formed therein (that is eccentric relative to the axis of rotation of the plate 21) which is use is enagagble with the catch plate 26 on the other post 12 The mounting plate 18 is secured to holding blocks 24 located within the hollow posts The catch plates 26 on the second post 12 are recessed into the surface of the post 12 and are secured in place to holding blocks 27 The catch plates 26 each have a pair of apertures 28 to accommodate the locking plate 21, and which are separated by a catch 29 in the form of a bar Rotation of the locking plate 12 will engage the slot 23 with the bar 29 pulling the two posts 11 & 12 together The pin 22 may be provided with a slot or socket engagable by a tool for rotation of the plate 21 and to this end an access aperture 31 may provided in the rear surface of the panel 14 and through the wall of the post 11.

With reference now to Figs. 6 & 7, the posts 11 & 12 are held in the recesses 13 provided in edges of the panels 14 by means of adhesive, preferably a two pack epoxy resin based adhesive The upper corners of the panel are provided with protective blocks 34 which are also recessed into the core of the panels 14 and both the upper and lower edges may be provided with a capping strip 35 The lower corners of the panels 14 are also recesses to accommodate a protective block 36 which also ftinctions as a mounting point for adjustable io height feet The block 36 is provide with a through-bore 38 (vertical in use) which accommodates a screw strut 39. The screw strut 39 has a foot 41 on its lower end and an adjuster nut 42 which abuts the block 36 for adjustment of the length of strut 39 extending from the block The strut 39 is retained in the bore 38 by a resiliently loaded balI 43 housed in a transverse bore 44. This permits the foot and strut to be readily assembled to and dis-assembled from the block 36.

Preferably, the blocks 34,36 and capping strip 35 are all formed from aluminium and are held in position by adhesive Wall panel 14, preferably modular panels, may be joined together to form partition walls.

Each wall panel 14 may be provide with a first post on one vertical edge and a second post on the other vertical edge, allowing a wall to assembled from panels arrange edge to edge by inter connection,of a first post to a second post This will pull the edges of the two panels together with the surfaces flush with each other.

In other arrangements, a wall panel may be provided with first posts having fasteners on both vertical edges and the second posts having the catches are provide on independent posts which may be used for example for forming corners in a partition wall The partition wall may be held upright by a frame work which is attached to the rear faces of the panels Standard frame struts may be modified to incorporate the fasteners 16, which in use engage with catch plates 26, recessed into the rear face of the wall panels 14 at suitable locations The modified frame struts may then be incorporated into a supporting frame which forms no part of the present invention Suitable frame work is available from Octanorm Vertrieb GmbH and inparticular, framework as is described in US Patent 4455103.

Claims

Claims 1. A location and locking means for an edge of/iid partition

panel, said means comprising a pair of posts, one post which in use is recessed into an edge of the panels and has at least two alignment pins at opposite end portions thereof and at least two fasteners located in S respective cut-outs in the first post with each fastener having a body which is received in the cut-out and a rotatable locking plate with an eccentric slot therein, and the second post has alignment holes therein in which the pins are engagable and catches which are engagable with the slot in the rotatable plate 2 A location and locking means as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the catches on the second post are formed on catch plates recessed into the second post, 3 A wall panel having recessed in at least one edge, one of said two posts to provide locking means as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2 for engaging the other of said posts which may be provided on another panel or a post to be attached to the first panel.

4. A panel as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the posts are attached to each long edge of a wall panel, that is typically the vertical edge in use 5. A panel as claimed in Claim 4 wherein one vertical edge of a wall panel carries a first post which extends along substantially the fttll length of the said edge and the other vertical edge of the wall panel has said second post mounted therein 6 A panel as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5 wherein the panel has a front face and a rear face, and an aperture is provided in the rear face in the region of the fastener to enable a tool to be inserted through the aperture for rotation of the locking plate.

7 A panel as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 6 wherein the panel is a cellular aluminium composite panel 8 A panel as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7 wherein the four corners of each panel are provided with a protective blocks recessed into the panel core.

9 A panel as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8 whereon blocks recessed into the base of the panel, in use, are provided with adjustable height feet A wall panel installation including two or more wall panels as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 9 and wherein side by side panels are assembled together with substantially flush surfaces and the locating and locking means pull adjacent edges of the neighbouring panels together into abutment with each other.