The present invention relates to modular stone panels and, more specifically, to a fabrication and assembly thereof for the construction of stone wall structures and the like.
A number of interior and exterior wall constructions and aesthetic claddings and facades are commonly used in home, commercial and industrial installations to provide various visual and textural effects and finishes. Such constructions can include bricks, stones, molded cementitious blocks and the like generally mounted one by one by a mason or stoneworker to form a solid wall structure.
However, these techniques are generally labor intensive and, particularly when using natural stone products, can be relatively costly and require significant expertise for proper installation.
In order to address the above and other drawbacks of known techniques, it is an aim of the present invention to provide modular stone panels for the construction of stone wall structures and the like.
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a modular stone panel for fastening to a wall to provide a stone wall facade therefor, the panel comprising a shaped backboard and a plurality of stones solidly fastened on a front face thereof, the backboard being adapted to be fastened to the wall such that the front face faces away therefrom to provide the stone wall facade.
Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of fabricating a modular stone panel, the method comprising the steps of:
Other aims, objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the appended drawings:
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In particular, the stone face 12 is comprised of a series of thin and alternatively shaped stones or blocks, as in 18. These stones or blocks 18 may be selected from a variety of products ranging in shape, texture, color and/or weight to produce, when combined in any number of configurations, a variety of visual, textural and structural effects. Namely, the blocks 18 are illustratively comprised of ¾ inch thick rocks, though rock thicknesses ranging from roughly ¼ inch to 2 inches may also be considered, selected from a number of natural stone products including, but not limited to, granite and calcareous rock varieties such as Desert Buff, Chablis, Chablis Perigord, Indiana, Citadelle, St-Mark, Toscan and the like. These rocks 18 are generally prepared to present a smooth back surface to be glued or mounted to the backboard 14 and a smooth or textured (rockface) front surface selected in accordance with a desired look or panel finish.
A person of skill in the art will understand that a other rock varieties as well as other types of natural stone products and finishes can be considered in the present context without extending the general scope and nature of the present disclosure. In addition, other types of stones or blocks 18 may be selected to provide similar results. For instance, the modular stone panel 10 may be fabricated using a number of synthetic stone products such as molded cement and concrete blocks, as well as blocks molded from stone dust recuperated from various stone cutting and shaping processes. Also, though the following illustrative embodiments present stone panels fabricated using various square and/or rectangular stone products, it is to be understood that any type, size or shape of natural or synthetic stone product may be used interchangeably and/or in combination to provide a variety of stone panel products in accordance with the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the stones or blocks 18 may be randomly or cyclically mounted to the backboard 14 using various glues or epoxies 17 which may include, but are not limited to, A & B epoxies and Stonemate silicones. The glues and/or epoxies 17 may be selected based on a number of physical properties suggested for the finished product. Namely, exterior panels may require glues that offer greater resistance to temperature and weather variations than required for interior panels. Also, glue and epoxy curing times may vary based on the specific methods employed to fabricate the panels. In addition, selection of appropriate glues and/or epoxies could vary according to the stone product and backboard materials used for a given panel. A person of skill in the art will understand that various glue selections, as well as various glue application and distribution patterns may be considered in the present context without departing from the general scope and nature of the present disclosure.
Once the stones 18 are securely fastened to the backboard 14, a joint compound, which may include mortars, silicones, polyurethanes, acrylics and any combination thereof, may be added in the joints 19 between the blocks 18 to provide a selected wall finish to the panel 10. Alternatively, the mortar may only be added once the panels 10 are assembled on site such that mortar used to bridge joints between panels 10 may better match the mortar used to bridge joints between the blocks 18 of a given panel 10.
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In this embodiment, the three-piece backboard 14 is shaped to provide a panel 10 presenting cooperative key-cut edges 24 such that a succession of laterally adjacent panels 10 may be interlocked to provide a virtually seamless juncture between such panels 10. In particular, the depth D of the key cut edges 24 may vary, illustratively from roughly 1 to 4 inches, to adjust the interlocking of adjacent panels 10. Alternatively, as should be apparent to a person of skill in the art, similar key-cut edges may be provided on the upper and lower edges of the panels to further mask horizontal junctures between the panels 10. Other cooperative edge shapes, sizes, depths and profiles, which may include key-cut profiles, straight or square edges, as well as various formed edges, should also be apparent to the person of skill in the art.
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In the present embodiment, the support beams 30 are securely fastened to the wall's structural supporting studs or other such wall structural supports (not shown) using a number of fastening means such as nails, screws and the like 32. A number of H-shaped brackets or fastenings 34 are fastened to the beams 30, again using standard or optimized fastening means such as nails, screws, bolts and the like 36, to provide wall-anchoring means for the panels 10. Illustratively, the wall-engaging ends 28, 29 of the panel's mounting brackets 16 are adapted to engage the outer legs 38 of the H-shaped brackets 34. As such, successive rows of panels 10 may be mounted vertically atop one another using successive support beams 30 and corresponding brackets 34. As presented hereinabove, mortar may be applied between adjacent panels to conceal the panel junctures.
In general, panels as in 10 may be prefabricated for eventual shipment to a construction site for installation. An exemplary fabrication of a panel 10 may include the following steps.
A stone product is first selected based on desired style, finish and estimated project costs. The backboard 14 is assembled in a desired panel shape (key-cut, rectangular, etc.) and fitted with the mounting brackets 16. The selected stone product is then positioned on the backboard; a template may be used to verify and adjust the shape and positioning of the stone products on the backboard 14. Stones or blocks 18 needing adjustment are marked and carefully shaped using a saw or other such stoneworking tools or machinery.
When each selected stone or block 18 is ready, they are removed from the backboard 14 for cleaning. Generally, the backboard 14 is wiped down to reduce the presence of grease and/or residual dust that could hinder adhesion of the rocks 18 to the backboard 14. The rocks themselves may also be washed using, for instance, a methyl hydrate product.
Once all surfaces are clean, the rocks 18 are glued to the backboard 14 using an appropriate glue or epoxy, generally leaving straight joints 19 (roughly ¼ inch) between the rocks 18 for the later application of a mortar to complete the finished stone face 12. The dry finished panels 10 may then be stacked and packaged in crates to be shipped to a construction site for installation.
A person of skill in the art will understand that wider or narrower joints 19 may also be considered in the above example to provide a variety of visual and textural finishes to the panels 10. Alternatively, the rocks 18 may be stacked tightly without joints 19, thereby avoiding the use of mortar and providing yet another look to the panels 10.
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In particular, the mesh 312 provides a greater adhesion surface for the mortar whereas the grating 310 provides greater rigidity to the panel 300 thus enhancing is durability and transportability. However, it was observed that the mesh 312 may also be mounted behind the grating 310 without significantly altering the properties of the panel 300.
Once again, the panel 300 is provided with lateral key-cut edges 314 to reduce the appearance of vertical seams between individual panels 300.
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Like panel 300, the backboard 404 of panel 400 is generally comprised of a single grating 410 covered by a screen or mesh 412. In this embodiment however, the grating is comprised of a 2×2 inch single metallic grating. Like panel 300 of
Again, the mesh 412 is used to provide a greater adhesion surface for the mortar whereas the grating 410 provides greater rigidity to the panel 400 thus enhancing is durability and transportability. The mesh 312 may again be mounted either behind or in front of the grating 310 without significantly altering the properties of the panel 300. Key-cut edges 314 are also provided.
A person of skill in the art will understand that other panel fabrications may be considered without departing from the general scope and nature of the present disclosure. For instance, various combinations of support grids and meshes, as illustrated in
Also, various plastic and/or metallic backboards may be considered, each optionally providing ventilation to the stones or blocks mounted thereon using various techniques such as backboard perforations (circular, rectangular, linear, etc.), backboard deformations (corrugation, grooves, channels, etc.) and the like. Materials for these backboards may include, but are not limited to fiber-cements/fiber-reinforced cements (e.g. James Hardie® Building Products' fiber reinforced cement boards, for instance Hardibacker 500®, Hardibacker®, Hardisoffit®, Hardipanel®, Hardiplank®, Harditex®, Sentry®, Harditrim®, Hardishingle™, which include crystalline silica 35-45% by weight, calcium silicate 50-60%, cellulose <10%, other non hazardous ingredients (fillers) <10%; Test Report No. IC-1093A-90) typically asbestos-free and non-combustible, plywood, OSB, shaped, corrugated or perforated sheet metal, steel tubes and bars, concrete, extruded plastics and metals, PVC (3, 4, 6 inch, etc.), Plexiglas®, and the like.
Panels without ventilation may also be considered in certain applications where moisture and humidity concerns are not particularly relevant. In these cases, stones or blocks may be mounted directly on a flat plastic or metallic backboard surface.
Also, one may opt to produce a panel without mortar between the blocks. Namely, blocks could be tightly packed without spaces to provide an alternate visual effect.
In addition, various shapes and sizes of panels may be fabricated depending on the application at hand. For instance, panel widths and heights may be customized according to the selected stone or molded product selected for the project. By varying the width and height of the selected stones, different visual effects may be attained. Also, costs and panel weight may be reduced by selecting thinner stone or molded products without significantly altering the visual and textural finish of the project. For instance, an average stone panel as described hereinabove may weight roughly 10 lb/ft2 as opposed to standard stone wall formations weighing roughly 45 lb/ft2.
In general, the modular stone panels disclosed herein may be fabricated in a number of ways using a variety of support and finishing materials to customize the finished product in accordance with project requirements and projected costs. Panels may be prefabricated and shipped directly to the construction site for installation. Since the panels are preformed and ready for quick assembly, minimal training and expertise is required to successfully mount the modular panels, unlike traditional stonemasonry.
Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto.
This application claims priority on U.S. Provisional patent application No. 60/741,461 filed on Dec. 2, 2005, and is herein incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60741461 | Dec 2005 | US |