BACKGROUND
Technical Field
This invention is directed to construction of buildings and particularly to construction of wall sections formed from sheet metal for forming parts of a wall capable of carrying the loads of a structure designed for housing human activity or for a free-standing wall.
Description of Related Art
Loads generated by medium and large buildings mandate the use of very strong structural materials such as structural steel—most commonly I-beams—and concrete, in myriad combinations. While tremendously strong, these materials are expensive and heavy, and require heavy equipment and skilled labor to transport and install in a building.
Load demands are not as large in residences and smaller commercial buildings, such as warehouses and factory buildings having a limited height, so that it is desirable to avoid the high cost of using unnecessarily strong structural materials if possible. Wood is therefore commonly used as, for example, beams, posts, header, shear walls, and diagonal bracing for such smaller buildings. While wood is efficient, it is impermanent as being subject to rot, mildew, insects and other destructive forces. Wood is also relatively weak compared to metal and needs to be strengthened with shear walls, metal hold-down fittings and clips at increased material and labor costs. Accordingly, it would be an advantage if structural elements were available that were suited to carrying the loads in smaller buildings and that were stronger and simpler to install than wood.
Non-load bearing structural elements in buildings of all sizes may include building facades, water-shedding surfaces, balcony walls, space dividers and aesthetic elements. These secondary structural elements must still be firmly affixed to the load-bearing parts of the structure, which is traditionally accomplished using nails, screws, bolts, proprietary connectors, hold-downs, hurricane clips, and other fasteners, but construction costs could be reduced significantly if it were possible to decrease the use of such traditional fasteners.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to structural elements formed from sheet metal in which structural strength is created and integrated into the sheet metal by folding it. In one embodiment of the invention a wall section is formed from sheet metal to form a wall having load-bearing properties capable of supporting the other structural elements of low-rise buildings intended for human habitability, such as living quarters, warehouses, shops and manufacturing facilities.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a building formed from folded sheet metal panels according to the invention.
FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a free-standing wall formed from folded sheet metal panels according to the invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and back perspective views of a wall section formed from sheet metal according to the invention.
FIG. 2C is a close up sectional view of the sides of two abutted wall sections according to the invention.
FIG. 3 is a close-up sectional view of nested flanges corners of two adjacent wall sections according to the invention.
FIG. 4A is a lower perspective view of a double fold corner of a wall section according to the invention.
FIG. 4B is a sectional view of the double fold corner of the wall section shown in FIG. 4A
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a partial height wall section cut and folded to form an opening below it.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a building formed from folded sheet metal panels.
FIG. 7 is a side sectional elevation view of a part of a wall formed from multiple wall sections according to the invention.
FIG. 8 is a side sectional elevation view of another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
A building formed from folded sheet metal elements, indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1A, comprises wall sections 12, gutter panels 14 and roof panels 16. In another implementation of the invention, wall sections 12 may be joined together in an assembled configuration to form a free-standing wall 11 as shown in FIG. 1B. With added reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, each wall section 12 comprises a main panel 18 having front and back faces 18F, 18B. Opposite side flanges 20 and top and bottom flanges 22, 24 extend rearwardly from and generally perpendicular to the main panel 18. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2B, side, top and bottom stiffening flanges 26, 28 and 30 extend inwardly from the side, top and bottom flanges 20, 22, 24, respectively. The corners formed by the side, top and bottom flanges, 20, 22, 24 and the main panel 18 strengthen the vertical edges of the panel effectively forming vertical load-carrying side beams at 18-20, a top plate at 18-22 and a sill plate at 18-24. The corners formed by the stiffening flanges 26, 28, 30 and the side, top and bottom flanges, 20, 22, 24 further stiffen the edges of the panel and allow the wall sections 12 to support loads generated by the gutter and roof panels 14, 16.
A wall section formed from folded sheet metal according to the invention can be constructed from aluminum, carbon steel or stainless steel of a gauge between 8 and 14 and, if aluminum, between ⅛″ to ¼″ thick, as suitable for supporting the loads imposed by a particular structure. Each wall section 12 is formed from a single blank of sheet metal and the flanges are formed by folding the sheet metal.
With continuing reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, it is seen that the side flanges 20 include fastener holes 32 arranged so that the fastener holes in one of the side flanges 20 align with the fastener holes of the opposite side flange 20 of an adjacent wall section to facilitate attachment together of multiple abutting wall sections. Larger openings 34 are also provided in the side, top and bottom flanges 20, 22, 24 to accommodate electrical and plumbing utilities. The abutting side flanges 20 of two wall sections are seen in FIG. 2C supporting interior wall covering 21.
With reference to FIG. 3, in one embodiment of the invention, the right side stiffening flange 26R of the right side flange 20R of a first wall section 10A is bent outwardly as shown forming an outside corner 36, and the left side stiffening flange 26L of the left side flange 20L of an adjacent second wall section 10B is bent inwardly forming an inside corner 38. As shown, the distance between the front surface 18F of the main panel 18 to the forward-facing surface 40 of the outwardly-extending stiffening flange 26R of the first wall section 10A is equivalent to the distance between the front surface 18F of the main panel 18 and the rear-facing surface 42 of the inwardly-extending stiffening flange 26L of the second wall section 10B, such that the inner corner 38 of the second wall section (on the right) nests in the outer corner 36 of the first wall section (on the left) and aligns the front surfaces 18F of the main panels 18 thereof.
With reference now to FIGS. 4A and 48, a double-fold corner is described. In the illustrated embodiment, the top end of one of the side flanges 20 is folded inwardly at a joint edge 44J from one side edge 18A of the main panel 18 toward the other side edge 188 thereof to form a corner tab 44 having a free end 44F closer to the other side than the joint edge 44J. Each corner tab 44 has a similar configuration in which the free end is closer to the other side of the main panel than the joint edge. The corner tab 44 in the illustrated embodiment is overlapped and covered by top flange 22 so that it is hidden from view between main panel 18 and side and top stiffening flanges 26, 28. A fastening hole 46 may be provided in corner tab 44 and a cooperating fastening hole 48 may be provided in overlapping top flange 22 to accommodate fasteners to tie the tab 44 and top flange 22 together, thereby forming a double-fold corner. The double-fold corner according to the invention greatly strengthens the corner joint formed by the main panel 18, the top flange 22 and the side flange 20 facilitating the transfer of loads experienced at the corner down to a foundation to which the panel is secured without the need for welding the top and side flanges together. It will be readily appreciated that a similar configuration can be implemented on all four corners of the wall section.
Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments of the invention, openings 50 for doors and windows can be formed in wall sections by cutting the main panel horizontally and folding along an upper edge 52 to create an upper flange 54 the end portion of which in turn may be folded upward to form an upper stiffening flange 56 to create, e.g., a door opening 58 as shown in FIG. 6. The main panel 18, upper flange 54 and upper stiffening flange 56 form a header defining the upper edge of the opening 50. In like manner a window sill can be formed, and the side edges formed independently, to create a window opening 60.
In another embodiment of the invention, a plurality of wall sections are used to form part of a wall to a desired height as seen at 62 in FIG. 6. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a top wall section 64 and a bottom wall section 66 are combined to form a wall of the desired height. As seen the bottom flange 68 of the top wall section 64 is folded at an acute angle relative to the front face 18F thereof and the stiffening flange 70 extending from the bottom flange 68 is folded downwardly from the rear edge thereof, whereas the top flange 72 of the bottom wall section 66 is folded at an obtuse angle relative to the front face 18F thereof and the stiffening flange 74 extending from the rear edge of the top flange 72 is folded downwardly. The obtuse and acute angles correspond as seen so that the top and stiffening flanges 72, 74 of the bottom section 66 nest in the corner formed by the bottom and stiffening flanges 68, 70 of the top wall section 64, thereby aligning the front faces 18F of the wall sections and forming a drip space so that so that moisture present between the top and bottom wall sections drains toward the front faces 18F of the main panels thereof.
In another embodiment of the invention seen in FIG. 8, stiffening flange 76 extends upwardly from the top flange 20 to create a backstop for gutter and roof panels 14, 16. This configuration also ensures that any moisture trapped between the gutter or roof panels 14, 16 or between the gutter panel 14 and the top flange 20 is directed outwardly toward the exterior of the wall.
As discussed above, each wall section 12 is created by folding structural elements directly into a metal sheet thus eliminating the need for many secondary posts and other structural members. The panels can be either solid or laser cut with an infinite variety of patterns and typically does not require welding. Installation is quick and easy relative to prior art wall construction because each wall section is merely tilted up in place and bolted down to pre-installed bolts in a concrete footing.
There have thus been described and illustrated certain embodiments of a wall section formed from sheet metal according to the invention. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it should be clearly understood that the disclosure is illustrative only and is not to be taken as limiting, the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Patent Grant
11933036
