Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Module or panel having discrete edgewise or face-to-face... – Having integral key
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-28
2001-11-06
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Module or panel having discrete edgewise or face-to-face...
Having integral key
C052S233000, C052S592100, C403S326000, C403S381000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311447
ABSTRACT:
This invention resulted from a series of experiments to accomplish the purpose of my U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,960 dated Dec. 19, 1995 which failed to pass ordinary sheer tests conducted by the Weyerhaeuser research laboratories in Federal Way, Washington. The purpose of that product and of this invention is to attach cladding, such as siding to studs, flooring to floor joists, roof planks to rafters and interior wood paneling to ceiling joists or partition framing without the use of visible nails and by direct application of the cladding to the framing just as it would be done if the cladding were face nailed to the framing. Face nailing often results in unsightly hammer marks and shiny nail heads showing on the paneling especially if the work is done by tradesmen who are not qualified as “finish” carpenters. Nail heads and crushed wood are also incipient encouragement to wood rot. The nails attract “sweating” and crushed wood has the protective oils squeezed out of it. Also, I have developed waterproof roof planks and siding and planks waterproofed by metal covering. It is impractical to face nail through the surface of these new products.
The joining edge of the framing member is rounded and has parallel grooves cut along the joining edge on each side close to the edge. This gives a “knob” like appearance to the edge of the framing member—which for ease of description could be called the male member and the siding or cladding with its cross groove could be called the female member, the cross groove is shaped exactly like the knob end of the male member which means that the sides of the grooves of the female plank are undercut so that “lips” are formed that fit into the side grooves of the male member. Up to this point my 1995 invention and my instant patent application are the same, the male knob and the female cross groove are to the same detail. Also, in both instances, cladding is forced over the knob at the edge of the framing members. This locking-on is aided by using a hard rubber mallet to tap the “female” cladding onto the “male” knobbed edge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,960 differs from this application in that it has one or two saw slits cut into the connecting edge of the male member which forms “lip” like corners that bend-in slightly when the male member is forced past the “lips” of the female groove and then snap back and lock into the undercut portion of the female groove. Not much force is required to accomplish this. A standard 8′×8′ wall panel was tested with studs at 16″ on center and the siding was locked onto the studs as described above. The base of the section, the bottom plate, was firmly attached to the floor of the test machine and mounting pressure was applied to a top corner of the panel at the double top plates. It did not take much pressure to bend back the leading lip of the first stud and in a ripping action the same pressure squeezed in the leading lip of each stud, one at a time, like a train engine starts moving its box cars one at a time, and then as increased pressure was applied the lips began caving in for the length of the studs and after about five inches of racking the studs began pulling out of the grooves, again in a ripping action. The joint failed miserably and was declared useless.
The joint could still be used for outside decks where sheer pressures were not a concern. However, here we got into trouble with incipient rot. Decking is spaced to allow rainwater to pass through it without puddles forming. This leaves the saw slits in the joists between the decking planks exposed to receive the rain and the open slits also invite bugs. The patent anticipated this problem and recommended that the slits be filled with caulking between the decking planks. But unfortunately, lazy workmen did not apply the caulking even though they were supplied with the caulking and caulking guns. My 1995 invention is almost a total failure. I had to find an answer. In order to avoid the problems referred to above, with saw slits facing upward in decking applications, it occurred to me that the saw slits should be in the female member and face downward. First I tried putting the saw slits along each side of the cross grooves in the female member. I tried varying depths of saw slits and different spacing from the cross grooves and I tried pairs of saw slits on each side with varying depths. I was quite successful in getting varying combinations to work as snap on joints, but in ordinary sheer tests the “lips” between the saw slits and the cross grooves split off sometimes easily, but always before the desired total design force was applied. I then tried putting the saw slits into the grooves and into the wood above the grooves. This worked well. With the saw slits in the grooves, all species of wood worked well and passed the sheer tests. Actually, as more pressure was applied to a top corner of the test panels the stronger the new joint became. I now had a dovetail joint that allowed firm application of cladding to all framing. However, the cladding could still slide along the knobbed edges of framing members and it was necessary to use a small finishing nail hidden in the joints between the wood cladding planks to prevent this sliding from occurring. Also, as the saw slits faced downward in outside decking, no rain could get up into the slits, nor could any insects and also mold could not even spread into the saw slits. I have accomplished the goal of my first invention I can attach cladding to framing without visible fasteners.
I continued my studies on my dovetail joint and realized that the key element of my joint was the knobbed edge of the framing members that could virtually be sawn off at the side grooves to form a sort of an oval shaped dowel. Then, if this oval shaped dowel were nailed to a surface or across framing, cladding could be snapped onto the oval shaped doweling. Also, if the cladding were to be Tee shaped with tongue and grooves on the edges of the top of the tees and the tee stems notched to snap over a “floating” oval shaped dowel it would be possible to build a two sided panel with each side having its Tee top tongue and groove planks locked together so the panels could be locked on each side of the floating dowels or a series of parallel floating dowels making a very solid panel. The stems of the tees would snap on alternatively on each side and as long as the Tee tops were more than twice as wide as the width of their stems then there would be ample room for the opposing Tee stems to snap onto the same dowels between each other, and the Tee top tongue and grooves could be slid tightly together.
We have tried many different ways to make houses out of bamboo on a mass production basis. Of course bamboo has been used to build shelter world wide and over past centuries. The “floating” oval shaped dowel proved to be a good answer for mass production. The bamboo logs are split longitudinally in half. Then, like the stems of the tees, a series of oval shaped grooves are cut into the edges of the half “pipe” like bamboo logs so that opposing half pipe sides of the same log are notched at the same level and that similar half “pipe” like logs are cross notched at the same spacing to be snapped onto oval cross ties say 2 feet apart. If half bamboo logs are snapped onto each side of a series of floating oval cross ties a strong wall or roof panel can be made. The bamboo nodes will need to be cut back and notched to receive the edges of the opposing half pipe like logs. The nodes on the bottom sides of roof panels will need to be notched down to the pipe like surface so rain water that comes in between the upper half “pipe” like logs will drain away. In colder areas the hollow spaces in the bamboo half logs can be filled with foamed insulation, which will also help tie the half logs together and strengthen the assembly.
Again, hidden small finishing nails will be needed to prevent the half “pipe” logs from sliding on the oval cross ties. Also, wall and roof sections should be made to speed construction and they should be limited
Friedman Carl D.
Wilkens Kevin D.
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