CA2040748A1

CA2040748A1 - Office space dividing system

Info

Publication number: CA2040748A1
Application number: CA002040748A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Ronald Benjamin Delong; James Reid Bouse; John Portman Conner; Charles Gordon Raabe; William Lennard Nieboer
Original assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
Current assignee: CBS Corp
Priority date: 1990-05-15
Filing date: 1991-04-18
Publication date: 1991-11-16
Also published as: AU641745B2; JPH04228749A; US5056577A; EP0458489A1; AU7505991A

Abstract

56, 056 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
An office space dividing system which includes rectangular post-supported panels having central cores and upper wire troughs. Each panel includes two stiles and upper and lower rails constructed of tubular metallic members having the same substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration which includes a longitudinal channel. The stiles and rails are arranged to define four corners each having two adjacent unobstructed openings. A
right angle reinforcing member is press fit into the adjoining openings to provide four square corners which are maintained by staking. The stiles and lower rail are oriented such that the longitudinal channels support the central core. The upper rail is inverted, with the longitudinal channel supporting the wire through. A
spanner extends across each post, between adjacent panels, from wire through to wire trough. Post caps , panel caps, and four plastic corners on each panel complete the system.

Description

2 ~

1 5~,056 OFFICE ~PAC~ DIVIDING SYSTEM
. ~C~NICAL FI~LD
The invention relate~ in general to op~n plan office space dividing partition syst~ms, and ~ore speci~i-cally to the con6truction o~ ~pace dividing panel~ u3ed in ` such syste~s.
' ~Ç~Q~
open plan of~ice space dividing partition systems utiliz~ panel~ a~ th~ main sy~t~m element, and the manufacturing cost o~ the panel~ represents a major fraction og ~h~ cost of any system. It is thu~ important, and it i8 an obj~ct o~ th~ present i~vention, to reduce tha manu~acturing C05t~ 0~ ~uch ayste~s, without sacri~ic-ing ~trength, durability, and appearance.
The increasing u~age o~ comput~r~ and associated : 15 el~ctrical eguip~nt in ~odern of~ices has greatly in~reas~d the number o~ co~unication wires requir~d to ~e concealed within space dividing partition ~ystems. It is thu3 another o~ect o~ the invention to provide a new and improved o~ic~ ~pacs dividing ~y tem which ha~ he capaci~y to c~rry a large nu~ber of com~unication wires.
SUN~R~ OF_~HE_IMVENTI0~
Bri~ly, ths present inven~ion i~ an o~ice spacQ dividin~ sy~te~ which include~ n~w and i~prov~d rectangular panel~ having a high skrsngth, accurat~ frame con~truction wh~ch requirQs no welding or grindin~. The new panel ~on~truction quickly aohieve~ and m~intains ~he desir~d sguar~ corn~rs, ~ven wh~n th~ frame is required to ~uppor~ a r~latively ~eavy ~o~med-in-plac~ yypsum core, which i~ ~h~ core ~lement in a pr~ferred e~bodimant of ~he 2 2~ s6,os6 invention. A large wlre trough oc~ pie~ the 'cop o~ the panf~l, providing a large space :eor laying ln sommunic:ation wire~ which are routed to as~oaiated work stations, as well as providing rigid anchor points Por panal *o panel 5 spanners which rigidize the ystem.
~ he panel ~rame construction includes ~irst and second stiles arlcl upper and lower railEI, all constructed from the same roll formed tubular me~allic: s~ocX. ~he ends of th~ stiles and rails are nok m$~ered, but stluare, 10 si~pli~ying the cutting o~ the ~rame elements. Ins~ead of butting the ~s~are ends o~ the railE~ again~3t the stiles, or the square ~nds of the stiles again~1c the raile, the inner side of each ~rame member, 1~., the side whic:h ~ace:3 the frame window, is aligned with the square end o~
15 the ad~ oining ~ember . In other words, ~o illn9r side o~
each rail i~ ~3ubs~an~ially aligned with a squar~ end of each ~tile, and the inner side o~ ~ach sti~ substan-tially aligned with a square end o~ ~ach rail. This arrang~ment provides ad~oining unob~tructed openings to the rail~ and stiles at each o~ ~h~ upper and lower corner~ o~ th~ ~rame.
Right a~gl~ ~etallic joining and reinforcing me~ber~ ar~ pr2ss ~it in~o tha adioining rail and stile opening3 at ~ach corner o the ~rame, with th~ tooling for p~r~or~ing ~h~ prQ~s fi~ operation ~guarin~ the corner~ as the pres~ ~its are made. E~ch right angle joini~g member h~ a l~g portion which enters a ~xame and a leg portion which ~nter~ a rail. Each such leg portion i~ made up of two ~p2ced, interconnected flat leg ~b~rs ~ta~ped ~rom a metallic he~t. Each rlat leg me~ber entar~ a specially shap~d rec~iving pocket, with th~ rec~iving pockets being directly ad~acent ~ir~t and ~co~d opposit~ flat sides o~ ~ha fram~ ~la~Qnts. Th~ squared Gorn~rs are maintain~d by ~taking the rails and Mtiles ~gain~t the fl~t leg ~embers oP the pre~ it right angle member~, which ar~ fir~ly held in position d~ring th2 ~taking operation ~y th~ rec~iving pocket~.

3 ~ 56,0~6 ~ h~n th~ ~rame is to 3upport a ~oamed-in-place ~ypsum core, one or mor~ horizontally oriented m~tallic rods, with the nu~bsr depending upon the heigh~ o~ the frame, are ~ixed b~tween the inner ~ur~aces o~ the stiles~
by welding or riveting, to prev~nt outward bowing o~ the stiles.
The tubul~r stock ~ro~ which ths rail~ and 3tileB i3 constructed, i~ addition to th~ hereinbefore mentioned fir~t and second ~l~t ~i~es, include~ a side having an externally ~a~lnq longitudinally extending central groove or channel. ~he side oppo~ite to the channel side include~ a pair o~ outw~rdly facing spacQd splina grooves adjacent to th~ lateral edges o~ th~ side for receiving ~pline b~ads which hold out2r covers, ~uch lS as fabrio cov~rs, on th~ oppo~ing ~ajor side~ o~ a panel.
The first and e~ond ~tiles and lower rail are ~oriented uch that ths central chann~l ~ace~ the frame window and th~ splin~ groov~s are on the outer perimeter o~ the ~rame. The upper rail i~ in~erted, relativ~ to the orientation of the lower rail, ~uch that the longitudinal c~ntral channel ~ace~ upwardly and thu~ ou~wardly. The first and second ~lat sid~ o~ each ~rame alement are thus disposed in co~on ~ront and back parallel planes, with the inn~r and out~r ~cing ~ide~ o~ each ~rame element ~5 sxtending p~rp~ndicularly between ths front and back plane~ Or ~hæ ~ra~e.
The inward~y ~acing longitudinal central channels o~ th~ ~tile~ and low~r rail will fir~ly and reliably hold a ~oa~sd-in-plac~ gyp~um core, when such a core i~ u~ed, and th~ inwardly facing cplin~ groov~s o~
th~ upper rail also a~. i8~ in the core holding function.
A large ~tallic wir~ trouyh i~ fixed to the upper ~ur~ac~ of ~h~ upper rail, with the bottom o~ the wire trough b~ing co~plementary to th~ upwardly ~acing longitudinal channel o~ th~ upp~r rail, a~curat~ly s~ating and longitudinally dirscting th~ wir~ trough along the top o~ the ~rame. ThQ top o~ th~ wire trough ls upwardly open, with splinQ bead~ being inwardly ~ormed adjacent to . , , 7 ~ ~ 56, 056 thQ longitudinally extQnding sides o~ the wirç! trough.
There i~; till adequatQ ~paciny between the spllne beads to enable a large number o~ communication wires to b~ laid into the open top OI the ~rlre trollgh~
3efor~ an outer aovering is ~ix~d to a panel, each panel is provl ed with upper and lower plastic corners which enga~e expo~ed corner~ oP the right angle ~oining member~. ThQ UppQr plastic corners extend along the relativ~ly long v~rtical end edgQs o~ the wire trough, and ~he upper plas~ic corner~ have outwardly extending ~ingers which l~tch to suitably locat~ad openings in the wire ~rough. ~h~ upp~r and lower plastic corners have flat surface~ in the parallel ~rsnt and back planes o~ the frame, to provid~ a ~mooth ~upporting ~urfac:s for the panel coverings. The portion~ o~ the~ pla~tic: cc~rners which continue l:}le outer perim2ter o~ frame have spline grooves aligned with tha ~plin~ grooves o~ the rail, 8t , or wire trough, a~ case may be, to provide two continuous spline groovas around the outer p~rimeter of the ~rame ~or tightly holding two panel covers, one on each ~ajor glat side o~ the panel.
In a pre~erred e~bodi~ent o~ the i~vention, the panels are upportQd by po~t~, with the po~t~ providing a d~s~red c~nt~r lin~ ~odularity to thz ~y~te~. A slotted stand~rd is ~ixed to ~ach o~ th~ ~wo vertically ~xtending la~Qral edg~ o~ aach rra~o, and hook-~pe support ele~ents ar~ attached thereto which enyage hook receiving edg~s o~ an as~ociat~d pole. Th~ long channel-seated mQtallic wire trough~ and upp~r ~rams rail~ cooperatively form ~rong anchor point~ for ~tallic panel-to-panel spanners or rigidiz~rs, which ara al80 secured to the top o~ the post being spanned. Th~ inn~r configuration of ~he w~ra trough at ths botto~ i5 chan~el shaped, with outward~
ly ~lared ~ides, and th~ sp~nn~r ha~ an invert~d U-shap~d 3S con~iguration. The dep4nding leg portion~ o~ the inverted U-shaped configuratlon hav~ portion~ bent to lie firmly again~t th~ angled ~id~ of t~ wire trough, providing a wedging ef~ect and additional re3i~tancs against rela~lve ~ 7 ~ 8 56, ~56 move~ent b~tween th~ spanner~ and wire trough~, resulting in a sup~rior panQl-to-panel rigidizing ~tructure.
Po~t cap~ include three aligr~nent portions when the post CZlp i~ associated with a po~t having an "unu~sd"
5 panel position, eg. ~ a po~t cap2ble of` supporting ~Gur panels but which is only b21ng used to support one, two or three panels. A po~t cov~r i8 placed on the side of tha post not pre ently being used 1:o 3upport a panel. The threa alignment portlons include ~irst d~pending alignment 0 1eg8 which t~l~scop~ ~ nto the upw~rdly open ends o~ the slol:ted ~tandaxds o~ tha~ panel3 j oined to tha associated post, a sec:ond dQpending alignment leg ~or engagiIIg each post cover, ~nd a horizontally extending portivn which und2rli~as a panel cap. A panel cap naps on to ~he t:Qp oI~
15 each wir~ trough, subt3~ant~ally ~lush wi~h 1:he top og the wire trough.
In a metallic e~bodiment o~ ~ panel cap~ ~hP
- panel cap i~3 ~onned ~ro~ ~ she~t o~ m~tal into ~ substan-tially C-shaped cross ~ectional con~igurati~n. Panel cap retaininq clip8 are provided, with each clip having a pair of spaced, horizontally oriented lag members at each longitudinal end, wi~ one leg mamber of each pair being resîliently bendabl2. Th~ re~ilient l~g memb~r6 o~ thQ
clip, whlch ar~ di~posed a~ diagonally opposite corners, are d~le~ed by dep~nding leg~ o~ th2 m~allic panel cap a~ ~ach cli~ ig po~itioned within the C-shaped con~igura-tion o~ th~ panel cap and th~n turn~d on~-guarter of a tNrn. Thu~, during a~e~bly, the clip ~ectively has only two oppositely dir~cted legs~ Tho clip is retained in th~ d~sir~d assembled po~ition ~ith ~h~ panel cap as th~ ~lexible Ieg~ re~urn to ~heir un~tressed positiong, provid~ng two spaced mounting points on each end o~ the clip which contact ~he d~pending l~g~ of the panel cap to, resist turning and there~or removal 9i a clip once the legs o~ the clip ar~ align~d perpendicular to the d~pend-ing leg portions o~ ~h~ pan~l cap. Each panel cap retaining or molmting clip al~o ha~ two resilient, dep~n~ing leg portion~; which are inwardly biasad by the 6 ~ 48 ~6,056 spline groove ~ructure o~ ~he wire trough, a~ 'che panel cap i8 ~orcsd to its s~aked po~ition on ~op oY a wire tr<:ugh. A~ t~ panel cap reache~ it~ de~ired as~eml~led po~ition, ~nees ~ on the re~ilien~, dependirlg leg~ pass 5 the bottoms oP the ~plin~ groove s~ructure, allowing the legs to flex ou~wardly ~owards their unbiased posi~ior~s, to ~ixmly but removably hold the clips and their associ-atQd panel cap Oll top o~ the wira trough.
8P~I}5F D:~SCRIPTION o~;H~ DRAWINGS
Th~a invsntion will become more apparent by reading the following detailed de~cription in conjwlction with the drawings which are showll by way o~ ~xample ol~ly, wherein:
FigurQ 1 i~ a per~:pective view o~ a panel cons~ruc~ed according to the teaching~ of ~he invention;
Figur~ 2 i a partially exploded ps~rspective view of the panel ~hown in Figure 1, except without ~abric outer panel ccsverings, and without an electrical raceway at the panel ba3e;
Fi~re 3 i~ an elevational view of a panel ~rame shown in Figure 2:
Figure 4 i an end view of one of the elements o~ which the stilQ~ and rails of ths ~rame sho~n in Figure 3 is c:on~ruc1:ed;
Figur~ 5 i5 a top view of the frame shown in Figuire 3;
Figur~ 6 i~ a side ~lavational view of a right angla corn~r j oining me~ber used to in'cerconnect the stile~ and rail~ o~ the fra~ne shown in ~igure 3;
3 0 ~igure 7 i~ an end view of the right angle corner ; oining member ~hown in Figure 6;
~igur~ 8 i~ a perspective view of the right angle corn~r ~oining men~ber shown in Figure 6;
Figure 9 illustrates a low scrap ~ethod of ~tamping the element~ which make up ~he righ~ angle corner j oining member ~hown in ~igure~ 6, 7 and 8:

7 ~ ~ 56, 056 ~lgure 10 i~ a horizontal sec'cic~nal view o~ the ~rame ~;hown in Figure 3, talcen between and in th~ direc-tion o~ arrows X - X:
Figure lOA i~ a vertical sectional view o~ the ~rame shown in Figtare 3, taken between and i~ the direc-tion o~ arrc~ws xa~
Figure 11 iB an ~nd view o~ a wire trough and panel cap shown in Figure 2:
Figur~ 12 is a plan view o~ the wire trough showla in Figure 11, without the panel cap;
~igure 13 i~ a p~rspective view o~ a lower plastis: Pra~ne corner shown in Figure 2;
Figurs 14 is a side elevationzll view o~ an upper plastic: fr~me corner shown in Figure 2;
Fi9ur~ 15 i~ an ~nd ~levational view o~ ~he plastic fram~a corner ~hown in Figur~ 14;
Pigure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the fram~
corner ~hown in Figure 15, taken b~tweerl and in the direction o~ arrow~ XVI ~
2 0 Figur~ 17 i~ a ~ragmentary elevational view of a spacQ dividing panel ~y~1:em constructed according to the teachings oP the invention which illu~tr~tes two panel~;
supported by a po~t;
~igura 1~ i~ a plan view o~ the ~;yE~tem shown ir~
F~.gure 1, wlthout one of the panels;
Fi gurs 19 i~ a side elevational view OI a panel-to-panel sp~nner s~hown in ~igure~ 2, 17 and 18, for conn~cting two panel~ in a str;~ight line;
Figux~ 20 i~ a plan vi~ o~ the ~panner shown in 3 0 FigurQ 19;
Figure 21 i5 an end vies~ of the spanner shown in Figure 19;
FigurQ 22 i8 a ~ragm~ntary eleYational end view which illuE~trats~ e in~talla~ion o~ ~he spanner shown in Figur~ 19 in th~ wir~ trouS~h ~hown in Figure 11;
Figure 23 i9 a ~ragmentary plan view of a spanner ~or a ~our-way inter~ection o~ Pour panels:

2~0~
8 56, 056 Figure 24 ls a ~ragmentary plarl Yi~!~7 0~ a sp~nn~r ~or a three -way 1~ 0 deyree inter6~ ion o~ three pan~
Fiqure 2 5 i~ a plan vi~w ol~ on~3 o~ ~ch~ elements u~ed to construct the ~panner shown 11~ Figure 24:
Figure 26 i~ a plan vi~w o~ an ~lement whlch may be uæed in placa oi~ th~3 mit~red element~ ~;hown in Figure 24 to construct a three int{~rsection o~ three panels having ons 90 degree angle and two 135 degree an~les batween the thrse pane~ls;
Figure 27 is a plan view o~ a post s::ap ~or a two-way straight inter3ection betwean ~wo pan~l6;
Figure 28 i~ a crQss ~ec~ional view Or ~h~ post cap ~ho~ gurl3 28, tak~n between and in the direc~ior o~ arrow~ XXVIII -XXVIII;
Fl~re 29 i~ a plan view o~ a post cap for a ~our-way inter~e::tion hetw2en ~our ~a~ael~;
Figure 3 0 i~ a cros~-sec~iorlal viaw of the post cap shown in Figure 29, taken batween and in th~ direc:tion 2 0 of arro~ XXX;
~igure 31 iB a side 21ev tional view oi~ a panel cap ~howrl in FiyurQ 2;
F~gurQ 3 2 i a }~ottom viaw o~ the panel c:ap shown in Fi~ure 31, Figur~ 33 i8 ~n end view oî the panal cap ~ho~
in Figura 31:
Fls~ure 34 is an el~vational vi~w o~ a clip used to attac~ th2 panel cap ~h~wn in Figure 31 ~o ~he wire trough shown in Figure 11; and Figur0 3~ i~ a plan Vi9~1 0~ dip shown in Figurs 34.
Re~erring now to the drawings, and to ~igures and 2 in pa~icular, th~re is shown in perspective in ~igure 1 a panel 4 0 whi<:h i~ con~ruc~ed according to th~
teachings of the in~ention. Figure 2 illu8tral:8s panel 40 in a partially axploded p~r~pec::tiv~ Vi~b~. Panel 40, as be~t shown in FigurQ 2, include~ a Dletalli~ ~rame 42 havlng ~irst and ~econ~ uppe~ ::orner~ 41 and 43 and firs~

9 2~07'1~ 56,056 and sQcond lower corners 45 and 47: lower plastic frame corner~ 44; upper pla~tic ~rame corner~ ~6; an upper wire trough 4~ ~ecured to an upper edge ~9 Or ~rame 40 via fastener 51; ~lot~d standard~ 50 ~cured to ~irst and sacond vertically extending lateral ~rame edge~ 52 and ~4 via ~asteners 56: ~upport hook~ 5~ secured to ~lotted standards 50 via ~asteners 60; a panel-to-p~nel ~panner 62, illustrated ~or joining two ad~cent panels in a straight line; a po~t cap 64; and a panel cap 66 which is removably attached to the top o~ wir~ trough 48 via clip m~mbers ~8. As shown in Figur~ 1, panel 40 al60 includes an out~r cov~ring 70 di~po ed on each o~ th~ opposite ma~or ~lat surfaces thereo~, and a raceway 72 fixed to a lower edge 74 of ~ra~e 42. Cov~ring 70 has upper and lower edges 53 and 55 secured to th~ wir~ trough 48 and bottom portion of fra~e 42, re~p~ctively, and fir~t and second ide adges 57 and 59 ~ecured to ~ide portion~ o~
frame 4a .
The raceway 72 i5 de~cribed in detail and claimsd in concurrently filed application S~rial No.
, entitled ~'Space Dividing Partition Sy~tèm ~aving An Electrical Rac~way And ~thod 0~ Constructing Samel', which application is assigned to tha ~am~ assignee as the pre~ent application (id~nt1fiQd with a~signee'c docket numb~r 56045).
A panel-to-po~t connQctor ~y8te~ part~ of which are shown in vaxiou~ Figures of the present application, i~ dQ~cr~b~d in detail and clai~ed in Concurrently filed application S~rial No. , entitled ~'Office Space Dividing 8yste~, which application is assigned to the same assignee a~ the presen~ application (ldenti~isd with assigne~ dock~ nu~b~r 56054).
Referring now ~o ~igure 3, ~rame 40 is con-structed of ~irst and second vertical stil~s 76 and 78 and upper and lower rails 80 and 82. Each o~ the ~ra~e ele~ent~ 76, 78, ~0 and 82 ar~ formzd by making square or 90 degr~e cuts ~rom the ~ame tubular ~tallia stock to for~ s~uare cut ~nd3 83 which d~ine openings 85, with .

lo ~ 8 56,056 Figure 4 b~incJ ~n enlarged end viaw o~ on~ o~ the ~rame ~lement~, which Por purpose8 o~E example will }:e as~umed to be 1:he fir~3t stil~ 76. Stile 76 ii3 pre~erably roll 20rmed îrom a steel sheet member, and weld~3d at 84. 5tile 76 is 5 generally r~ctangular in cros~ section~ h~ving ~our sides, such a~; ~ir~3t and se!cond opposite ~lat sides 86 and ~, and remaining opposite sidas 90 and 92.
Th~ broken linas 9~ and 97 aligned with ~lat side~ 86 and 88 r~prsasent ~ront and ~ac~ vertically 10 orierltad parallal planes which are di~;pos~d along each ~ront and back ~na~or opposed ~ur~acl3 of the Prama 42 as derined by its rails and ~ s, with ~lat ~ides 86 and ~8 of tha rails and ~tile~ being re~peatively disposed in ma~or planes 95 and 97.
5id~ 90 ha~ a lorlgitudirlally ext~nding, aentral-ly locat~d, relatively deep groov~e or channel ~3. Charmel 93 has a c~ntrally located bottom or bis~ht portion 94, and outw~rdly ~lared leg portion~ 96 and 98. Leg portion 96 ha~ ~irst and ~econd bends 100 and 102 j U9t prior to joining flat side 86, and leg portion 98 ha~ imilar ~irst and second bend~ 104 arld 106 ~u~t prior to ~c)ining ~lat side 88. The~e bend~ for~ open-sid~d pock~t~ î08 and 110 adjacent to int~rnal ~ur~ace~ 112 and 114 o~ sides ~6 and 88, ~ox purpo~es whioh will b~ hereinafter expla~ ned .
Sid~ 92 is ~olded sharply inward adjacent to xide~ 86 and 8B, forming portion~ llG and 118 which lie C108~Bly ad~acent to innQr sur~ace3 112 and 114, re~pec-tively. Portion~ 116 and 118 terminate in right angle inwardly directed b~nd~ which gors~ bottom portion~ 120 and 122 of ~plin~ groove~ 124 and 12S~ Th~ ~ottoDI portions 120 and 122 c:o~tinue via right angle, outwardly dir~cted bend~ into portion 12~ and 130 whic:h c:o~pl~t~ ~he splinç
groove~ 124 and 12C. m~ 8plin~ groo~e~ 124 and 126 receive spline bead~ 127, shown in Figur~ 10, which hold 3S thl3 edqe~ 53, 55, 57 and 59 o~ th~ out~r ~abric cov~rings 70, when covQring3 70 are appliad to th~ major opposed sides of pan~l 40. An outwardly d:~rected, corrugated central portion 132 joins portion~ 128 and 130 t which 11 56, 056 portion adds ~trength to the ~ram~ sl2~ents via the corrugations, ~ well a~ by direc:ting ~ide 92 in th~ same dir~ction aE~ sida 90, to prevent narrowlng o~ the frame elements .
Returning to FigurQ 3, and al~o re~erring 'co Figur~a 5, which i~ a kop vi~w of panel 40, panel 40 is rigidly held tog~ther with right angle metallic ~oining ~eans in the ~oxm o~ ~our similar right angle joining and r~inforcing meDIb~rs 134. Right angl~ joining m~ r 134 i~ shown in ~id~ elevation in Figur~ ~, in an edge view looking at th~ outer corner in Figure 7, and in a perspec-I:ive view in Figure ~. Rlght angle member 134 i~ con-structed of two idantical flat right angle portion~ 136 and 136', which ar~ ~oined together, ~u¢h ~g by walding, 15 wi~h ~igure 9 illu~rating a pre~erred e}nb~diment for stamping right angl~3 portion~s 136 ~ro~ a flat heet 138 of metal, such aE~ ste~al.
Mor~a ~pe¢i~ically, with re~e~ren ~a ~ore par ticularly to Figuro~ 6 and 9, each flat right angle portion 136 ha2; ~lrst an~ s2c~nd legs 140 and 142, which have end~ 144 and 146, r~a~p~3ctively., Right angle portion 136 ha~ out~r and lnner edge~ 148 and 150, re~pectively, which de~i~e predel:er~ine~ outer and inner profiles which extend b~t~reen ~nd~ 144 ~nd 14 ~ .
~nd 144 i~ ori~nted perpendi-:ular to outer and inn~r parallal plane~ 152 and 154 ~hown in Figure ~, with end 144 ante~ring th~ outer edge 1~8 and outer plane 1~2 via a cha~f~r~d portion 15~. Po~ion 15~ joins ~ portion 1~8 which lie3 in and ~ollows th~ outer plane 152 towards the outer corn~r î~0 o~ right angle portion 13~. Portion 158 enter~ a hort, rather ~hallow indentation 162, with the out~r edge 14B th~n r~turning to a portion 16~ which again lies irl ~n~ follow~ ~he outer plane lS20 Por~ion 164 terminates in an indentation 166, which is si~ilar in depth to ind~ntation 162 but longer, wi~h inde~ation 16 terminating at a tab portion 168, b¢st ~hown in Figur~ 9.
Tab portion 168 ha~ an out~r ur~ac~ 170 at it~ extreme 7 ~ 8 12 S6,~6 end ori~nted at an angle Or 45 degrees rela~ive to ou~er plane 152.
End 144 enters th~ inner adge 150 and inner plane 154 via a ch~m~ered portion 172. Portion 172 joins a portion 174 which li~8 in and ~ollow~ th~ inner plane 154 toward~ the inner cornar 175 o~ right angle portion 136. Portion 174 enter~ a relatively long, shallow indentation 176, with the 9ut8r progile then returning to a por~ion 17~ which again lie in and ~ollow~ th~ inner plane 154. Poxtion 17~ terminate~ in an indentation 180, the bottom o~ which has a sur~ace 182 oriented parallel to the outer ~urfac~ ~70 o~ ~ab 168, iQ ., at an angle o~ 45 degree~ to inner plane 154.
The second leg 142 or right angle portion 136 has outer and inner edg~ hav~ng pro~iles identical to thos~ jU3t d~cribed ~or th~ ~ir~t leg 140, with the outer profile t~r~inating at tab 168 and the inner pro~ile terminating at indent~tion 180, and thu~ l~g 142 will not be described in detail. ~ike re~erence nu~erals, except with a prim~ mark, ar~ used to indicate por~ion~ of leg 142 which are s~milar to those of leg 140.
It will ~e noted that th~ inner profile 150 of right angle por~ion 134 is identical to it~ out~r pro~ile 148, ~nabling right angle portion~ 136 to b~ s~amped ~r~m mQtal sh~t 138 with only the small a~ount of waste indicated in the aross-ha~ched area~ 1~4. An openîng ~8S
may be provided in one or bo~h o~ ~he leg 140 and 14~, for tool lnd~xing purpo~es.
~ac~ ~lat rlght angle portion 136 is bent with a~
right angl~ b2nd along a bQnd lin~ 186, shown in phantom in Figure 9, ~uch that the tab 16~ extends perpendicularly outward from tha r~aind~r of right angle portion 136.
Two right angle portion~ 136 ar~ th~n welded together tab-to-tab, indicated at ~eld 188, with ~ur~aaes 170 butted again~t one anothsr, to ~orm ths right angle joining member 134.
- ~turning to ~igur~s 3 and S, a righ~ angle memb~r 134 is pres~ ~it into ~d~oinlng rail~ and stiles to 2~7~
13 ~, 056 fonn each right angle corner o~ ~ramQ ~2, with th~ spaced le~g~; 14Z ex~nding into the spaced pocket~ 108 an~ 110 o~
uE~per rail 80, ~or example, and with spaced l~gs 140 ~ntering lik~s pockets lO~ and 110 o~ ~3tll~ 76. The chamfkrs 156 and 17~ lead ~he end~ o~ 1:h~ leg~ into the pocket~. The tooling which pres~; fitc the legs o~ the right an~ oilling member 134 into adjoinirag openings in th~ ends o~ ~he ra~ls and ~ile~ automatically sizes and s~uares the corners o~ the ~rame 42. Onc~ ~he size and squareness iB achieved, the tooling staX~s the l~g~ and stile~, indicated at 190, to maintain the dimensions and squared corners without welding and grinding.
Wh~an the right angle joining members 134 are press ~it into the operling~ o~ thc~ rails and stiles, a flat horizontal plane diapoeed acros~ the imler ~acing ~ides or sur~ace6 o~ th~ upper and lower rails 80 and 82 will b~ ~ubstantially aligned with the fl~t square cut erld~ 83 o~ the ~iles 76 and 78, and in lik~laanner, a ~lat vertical plane di~posed across the inner ~acing sides or sur~aces of the ~ir~t and second stile~ 76 and 78 wil b~ ~Lbqtantially aligned with the ~lat sguar~ cut end~ of th~ uppQr and lower rails 80 and 82.
In a preferred embodiDlen~, th~ cen'cral core of panel 40, within a windo~r 192 de~in~d by the as~embled 25, fram~ 42, i8 ~ormed by a foamed-in-place gyp8UIm material, a~ described in application Serial No. 06/872, 053 filed June 6, lg86, entitled "Space~Dividing Wall Pan~l", which applic~t~ on i~ assigned to the ame a~;ignee as the present applicationO Figure~ 10 and lOA are horizontal and ve~is:al cros~-s~ctional views through Irame 42 illustrating a gypsuD~ core 194 which has been ~oamed-in-place withis~ th~ ~ra~ window 192, which vie~rs are respectivQly tak~n bQtween and in the direckion o~ arrows X - X and Xl~ - XA in Figur~ 3. Figur~ 10 indicate~ how thQ chann¢l ~id2~ 90 ror~ pockets which rirmly hold the gyp~um withln the ~rame window 192.
To prevQnt outward bowing o~ ~he ~tiles 76 and 78 when a ~oamQd-in-place ~yp9um c:ore 194 is used, at ~a-~07~g 14 56, 05~

l~ast one horizontally oriented metallic rod l9~ i~ fix~d tc) the inner ~id~ 30 oP ~tilla3 76 and 78, such aj by rivetirlg or welding. Rod 1~6 i~ ~hown in Figuxe~ 3 and lOA. The mlmber o~ m~talli:: rods 196 u~ed ~o Rr~vent ~uch bowing depend~ upon the height o~ ~ra~e 42.
Figure 11 i~ an and view OI wire trough 48, and Flgure 12 iB a plan viaw thereo~. Wlre trou~h ~8 i~ ~ xed to the upper rail B0. Trough 48 ha~ bot'com and top portion~ 198 and 199. Bottom portion 198 i~ con~$gured to snugly nes~ in the longitudirlally exter~ding charmel 93 o~
th2 upper rail 80, with channel 93, as hereir~efore ~tated, facing upwardly, in~tead o~ inwardly toward ~he Iram~ window 192. Trough botto~ 198 inalude~ a ~lat horizontally ori~nted bottoDI portic3rl 200, upwardly and outwardly flaring s~d~ 202 and 20J8 which ~re orient~d a~
the ~a~e angle 20~S with th~3 hor$zontal botto~ 200 as the orientation of side~ 96 and ~8 rela~ive to ~he bot~om or base 94 o~ chalmel 93. Sid~ 202 and 204 ter~inate in ou~wardly directed horizontal rlange~ 208 and 210, from which ~ajor ~ide porltions 212 and 214 extend vertically upward to the upper portion 199 OI wir~ trou5~h 48. Side portion 212 terminates in a sharp reverse b~and which forms a first l~g 216 o~ a U-s~aped ~pline groove 21~, which has a bight 219 and a s~cond lQg 221. Th~ sec:ond l~g 221 is slightly shorter ~han ~he ~irst leg 216. Isl like manner, E;ide 214 tQrmina~es in a spl ine groove 2 2 0 .
Sinc~ th~ pane~l 40 to t~ point of the de~crip-tion would hava disconl:inuitiQ~ at th~ ou~er corners whi::h wo~lld appaar ~:hrough th~ ~abric co~rering 70 applied to the major sur~ace~ of pan~l 40, and ~inc~ the spline grooves would al30 hav~ di~corlltinuiti~ at the frame corners, lower and upper plastic ~e~bers ~r ~rafflla corners 44 and 46 ~hown in Figur~ 2 ar~ provided. Th~ lower pl~3tic frame coxn~3r ~4 is sho~n in p~r~pec'cive in Figure 13, an~ the upper fram~ corner ~6 i~ ~hown in sid~, end and cross-~ectional view6~ in Figur~ 14, 15 and 16, resp2ctively.
I~or~ specl~ically, thQ lower plaE~tic frame corner 44, which may b~ ~orm~d o~ Nylon 6/6, ~or example, 2 ~ 8 lS 56, 056 is zon~igur~3d to ~it over the outer corner 160 o~ the right angle joinlng msmb~r 134. Plastic ~ra~e corner 44 ha~ ~ir~t and second opposing flat ~ides 222 and 224 which have a substar~tially sguare con~igura~ion dimensior~ed to snugly fit ths square lower corller vold~ o~ ~rame 42, smoot:hly continuing the flat ~re~ical sur~ace~ o~ the s~iles 76 and 78 and lower rail 8a in the fron~ and back major parallel planes 95 and 97 ~hown in Figure ~.
In addition to continuing the ~lat v~rtically 10 .orient~d parallel ide~ o~ the f~rame 42, the lower plastic fra~e corners ~4 continue l:h~ outer peri:~eter o~ the stile~ 76 and 78 and tha lower rai} 82, wll:h Figure 13 illu~trating a ~ide 226 o~ th~ pla~3tic ~rame corn~r 44 which continu~s the p~ri~eter of ~3tile 7 6 . A ~imilar 15 appearing ide 228 faces downwardly, and is not shown in detail ~ince it would have exactly the sa~e appearance as side 226. Sid~s 226 and 22R hav~ cen~ral rla~ilient or flexible tabs, such a~ tab 230 on side 226, which ar~
depresssd or fl¢xed slightly a~ they enter th~ op~nings 85 20 of stile 76 and lower rail 82, maintaining the lower corners 44 in the deesired as~e~mbled po~itlons. Spline grooves 232 and 234 on ~ide~ 226 and 228 continue the spline groov~s 124 and 126 o~ tiles 76 and 78 and lower rail 82., ITho ~E~p2r pla~tic fr~me corner3 46, co~hplete the upper ~ra~n~ corners adjacent the ad~oining stiles and uppe~ rail, and tho upper fraDI13 corner~ 46 a1BO complete th~ wir~ trough 48. Upper fraDIe c:orner 46, which may also b~ ~orm~d of Nylon 6/ 6, ~or example, i~ alæo con~igured to fit o~r the out~r corner 160 of th~ right angle joining m~mber 134. Plastic îrame corner 46 ha3 i~ir~t and second opposing flat side:3 236 and 238 which ha~e sub~tantially square botto2l1 portions 2~0 dimen ioned ~o 3rlugly fit the square upper corner ~oid~ o~ ~ram~ 42, ~oothly continuing the flat vertic:al sur~ace~ o~ the ~tiles 76 and 78 and upper rail 80 in th~ ~ront and back ~or parallQl plan~s 95 and 97. In addition to the~ ~quare botto~ ps:~rtion~ 240, the oppo~ing ~lat ~ide~ 236 and 238 have ~lat upper 16 2 ~ ~ 0 1 4 8 56,0S6 portions 242 whlch contlnu~ the outer ~ur~ases o~ ~ides 212 and 214 of the wire trough 48 to the d~sired outer contour o~ panel 40. In other worde, the longitudinal ends of wirs trough 48 terminate be~ore reaahing the outer lateral vertical ed~e~ o~ panel 40, wikh each upper plastic corner 46 ~ontinuing the major ~lat vertical surfaces o~ the WirQ trough to an edg~ o~ pan~l 40.
In addltion to continuing ~h~ ~lat vertically oriented parallel sLde~ o~ the ~ra~ 42 and wire trough 48, the upper pla~tic ~rame corners 46 contlnue t~e outer perimeter o~ the ~tiles 76 and 7B and thQ wire trough 48, wikh Figur~s 15 and 16 illu~rating a sid~ 2~4 of the upper plastic ~rama corner 46 which continues the peri-meter of ~tile 76. Side 244 ha~ spline grooves 246 and 248 which continue tha ~line grooves 124 and 126 of the stile~, a~ well a~ th~ apline grooves 218 and 220 og the wire trough 48. A~ cl~arly shown in Figure 15, upper plastic oo~ner 46 ha~ an openlng 250 aligned with the end opening of wire trough 48, enabling wiring in the wire trough 48 to continu~ unob truct~d ~rom panel to panel.
T~e upper ~ram~ corner 46 i~ ~ixed in position by a depending tab portion 252 which may be secured, ~or example, by ~crew ~0 when the hook por~ion 5~ is attached to ~lo~ted standar~ 50. In addition to ~ab 252, upper ~ra~e corn~r 4~ ha~ a pair oP horizontally ~p~ced, outwardly ~xtending resilient fingera ~54 which are downwardly depre ~ed by the lower surfaces of the bottom portion~ o~ the splin~ groove3 213 and 220, until reaching the desirsd a~s~mbl~d po~ition, at which ti~e, u~wardly extanding barb~ 256 ~nap into openings 258 and 260 in such lower surface6 o~ the spline grooves 218 and 220, with the op~ning~ 258 and 260 baing ~hown in Figure 12. Upper ram~ coxner 46 al o ha~ a pair o~ flange~ 262 which snugly enter the end op~ning o~ wire trough 48. Figure 1~
is a cro~s s~ctional view through uppar plastic frame corner 46, taken b~tween and in the dir~ction of arrows XVI - XVI in Figure 15. A convenient assembly m~thod includes the step o~ as~embling the upp~r corners 46 with 21~ 7 4 8 17 56,056 the wire trough 48 ju~t prior to ~lxing the wire ~rough 48 to the upper edge of fra~e 42.
Fi~ure 17 is a ~ragmentary el~vational view o~
panel 40 being ~oined to another panel 40~ o~ like construction, in an oP~ic~ 8pace dividing system ~64 in which th~ panel~ 40 and 40~ ar~ 3uppor~ed by a post 266 h~ving hook raceiving mean~ 267, ie.., upper edges o ~langes 269. The connector ~y~m which inalud~s support hook 58 and post 266 ~orms no part oP the invent~on, and will not be described in detail. A~ stated earlier, the connector ~ystem is di~clo~ed and claimed in the herein-before identi~ied concurrently filed patent application.
Th~ top o~ po~ 266 i~ approxi~at~ly level with the top surface of horizontal wlr~-supporting bottom portion 200 oP wir~ txough 48, while the ~lotted standards 50 continu~ to the top o~ the wir~ txough ~8. The portions o~ th~ slott~d standard~ 50 which would inter~ere with wiring proc~eding ~rom ons wir~ trough 48 to the next is removed, as indicat~d at ~68 in Figure 2. Post covers snap on to po~t 266 to cov~r æides thereof which could support a pan~l 40, hut which are unu~ed in any particular ofrice sp~ce dividing ~ysto~ arrangement, such as post cov~r 270. Th~ top edge 272 of post cov~r 270 is substan-tially align~d wi~h ~hQ ~op edge~ Or ~he wire ~rough~ 48 and slott~d ~tandards 50.
In order to rigidize the of~ice space dividing sy3te~ 264 ~ aB broadly disclosed ln U.~. 2atent 4,424,654, which patent i8 assign~d to the sa~ a~signee as the pr~sen~ application, panel ~c panel ~panner~ are u ed, such as the spannar 62 u~ed to connect two in-line panels 40. Sp~nn~r 62 i~ shown in el~va~ional, plan and end vi~ws in Figure~ i9, 20 and 21, respectiv~ly, and in an enlarged end vi~w in F~gure 22~ Spanner 62 takes ad-.
vantag~ o~ the ~tructural mas3 and rigidity o~ the wire troughs 48, upp~r r~ 80, and o~ a Dletallic spanner con~iguratio~ and ~tructur~ which utilizes the wedge-shaped wire trough con~iguration to resist any tendency of connected panel~ to twi~t or ~ove relative to on~ another.

20~7~8 1~ ~6, 056 lIor~ speci~ically, spannsr 62 i~ ~ormed ~rom a high strength metal, such as 12 gauge hot rolled ~;tee~, ints~ an elongated bar having an invertad, sub~tantially U-shapad cross sectional con~igurat:ion which inc::ludes a bight 274 and ~irst and second dependlns~ legs 276 and 278.
The lower portions o~ l~gs 2~6 and 278 are ben~ inwardly at bends 280 and 282 to form portions 2B4 and 286 which are angled at the ~am~ angle a~ side~ 202 and 20~ o~ wire txough 4 Thus, ~panner 62 i~3 di~pos2d in the wire troughs 48 o~ ~wo ad~acent panels 40 and 40 ~, and it is secured to ~he wire ~roughs and to ~he top o~ the inter-vening post 266 via ~uitable ~astener6, such as by screws 288 which are dispo~ed through openings 290 in th~ b~ ght 274~ The complementary side~ o~ th~ wire trough and spanner create a wedging ef~ect which, along with the large mas~ o~ metal at the top of the panel sy~tem provided by the wire trough 48, upp~r rail 80, and spanner 62, provides ~uperior alignment forcQa which positively maintain the de~ired align~ent o~ aach panel suppo3:ted by 2 o a post .
Figure 23 i3 a fragmentary plan view of a spanner a~sembly 292 which may be used to join the wire troughs 48 and post 266 of ~our panel~ 40 at a four-way int~r~sction o~ ~uch panels. Th~ sa~e basic spanner con~truction iB us~d to construct ~panner assembly 2g2 as ~or thQ ~traight spamler 62. Spanner a~sembly 292 inc:luda~ on~ relatively long straight sectic>n 294 havin 90 degree c~ut ends, and two ~hort~r straight sections 296 and 298, also having sguare cut end~. Sq~are cut ends of section3 296 and 298 ar~ welded to the midpoint of section 294, as indicate~ at welds 300 and 302.
Figure 24 is a plan view o~ a spanner a~sembly 304 fox thres panel~ 40 joirled in a three-way 120 d~gree intersection~ Spanner a~6embly 304 include3 a ection 306 having square aut end~, and two s~ctions 308 and 308 ~, which may b~ o~ lik~3 construction, having at lea~t one miter cut end. Sec:tion 308 i~ shown in a plan view in Figur~ 25 having both ends 310 and 312 m~ter cut at an )7~8 l9 56, 05~

angla 3 1d~ o~ 60 d~yr~es . Thus, the ~panner sec~ion ~hown in Figure 25 may b~ u~ed ~or either oP the sections 308 or 308 ', and only two di~ersnt part con~igurations need be made and stocked to con~truct s~panner as~eml~ly 3 04 . The Dlit~r cut ands 310 and 312 o~ s~ctions 308 and 308 ' are welded to oppo6ite side~ o~ one end o~ spanner se ::tion 306, as indicated at welds 316 and 318.
To construct a spanner assembly ~or a three-way panel interssction wherein ons angle between panels is gû
degrees and two angles are 135 dQgree~, a spanner section 320 shown in Figure 26 would be used in pl~ce o~ spanner section~; 308. Spanner section 320 ha~ two mitçr cut ends 322 and 324 which are cut at an angle of 45 degrees, indicated at 3 2 6 . The spanner assembly f or a thre2-way 90/135/135 int~rs~ction would appear si~ilar to ~panner assembly 304 shown in Figur~ 24 ror a 120 degree three way intersection, ~xcæpt ~or the angl~ between spanner s~ction~, and thu~ it i~ unnecessary to illustrate a separate spalm~r a~6emb1y ~or the 90/135/135 spanner.
Figures 27 and 28 ar~ plan and sectional views o~ post ¢ap 64 ~hown in FigurQ 2, ~or a two ~ay intersec-tion o~ p~n~l~ 40. Po~t cap 64, which ~ay be made of a suit~ble plastis:, such a~; a polycarbonat2, covers the top of pc)st 266. Post cap 64 has three locating portions: (1) ~ir~3t depend~ng leg n~an~ ~or poeitiorling relative to the ~lott~d ~tandards 50, (2) second depending leg means for poRitlonlng relativ~ to any po~t covers 270, asld ( 3 ~
thlrd locating Dlean~ in th~ fon~ o~ outwardly directed, horizontal pro~ctiorl~ which underlie each panel cap 66 3 0 which approaGhes the panel int~rsection .
Nore ~peci~ically, with a two-way panel inter-sec:tion, th~re ar~ four d~3pending leg. 328, 330, 332, and 334 ~or locating from the slottQd ~tandards 50. Legs 328 and 330 entQr the ~op oS a slotted ~tandard 50 a~ociated with one pan~l 40, and l~g~ 332 and 334 entlar th~3 top of the ~lotted standard 50 a~sociated with th~ other panel 40 ' . Sinc~ th~re would be two po~t covers 270 with a two-way intersec~ion, ila., t~o unu~d panel positions, there ~0~7~8 56,056 are two depending lsgs 336 and 3~8 which engaye the back surface o~ each po~3t cover. Since two panel~ ~oin in a two way intsr~ection, tws opposit~, horizontally axtPrlding portion~3 3~iO and 3~2 are prov:Lded~ the top ~ur~aces of 5 which are r~acessed below the sur~ace of a c:enter pori:ion 344 o~ the post cap 64. ~h~ re~essed depth i~ the same as the thickrla~s dimension Oe a metallic panel cap, when the panel s::ap ~6 i8 formed o~ me1:al, as will be hereina~er descril: ed .
Other post cap~ ~ox us~ with po~ts whlch have an unu6ed pan~l po~ition include po~;t c:ap~ ~or a ~ingle panel j oined to a post, and post cap~3 ~or thr¢~ panels j oined to a post in a T~configuxation. q~he post caps for these arrangement~ would have the same thre~ locating ~unctions and need not be described in detail, ag., they would have a pair o~ d~3pending l~g~ f'or each slotted standard, a depending leg for each po~t cover, andl a horizontal locating portion ~or each panel cap as~ociated with a panel supported by the post.
Figures 29 and 30 are plan and sectional views o~ a post cap 346 ~or a post in which ther~ are no unused panel positions, ~uch as ~he ~our-way intersection illustrated. Other panel connectlon~ which hav~ no unused panel position~ includ~ th~ three-way 120 degre~ intersec-~5 tion, and the thre~-way 90113~/135 inters~c~ion. Since the principl~s used to construct such po~t caps are the ~a~ ~or ~ach con~iguration having no unused panel position~, only th~ po8t cap 346 for a four-way panel inters~ction i9 shownO
~ore speci~ically, when no unu~ed pan~l posi-tions are present, there will be no po~k coY~r disposed on an unu~ed panel position, and thus ~he post cap ~oes not have a depending leg portion for locating ~ro~ a post cover. ~hu~, for tha ~our-way inter3ection, post cap 346 includ~s a pair of depending legs ~or each o~ the ~our slotted ~tandards 50, and a horizon~al loca~ing portion for ~ach o~ the ~our pan~ls ~oined to th~ associated po5t.
For axa~pl~, depending legs 348 and 350 ent~r one ~lot~ed , .~ .

~4(3748 ~tandard 50, leg~s 352 ~nd 354 enter another, legs 356 and 358 enter ~t~ 11 another, and leg~; 360 and 362 s~nter the remaining ~1Otted standard 50. Four horizorltal alignment portions 364, 36~, 368 and 370 are provid~d to underlie the four panel cap~s 66 which wi 11 extelld into the area of tha support pos~ 2~6. The upper ~ur~aces o~ th~ horizon-tal alig~ment portions are r~cessed below ~he sur~ace 372 of the centQr portion o~ po~t cap 346.
Figure~ 31, 32 and 33 ara side el~vational, bottom and end views, r~pectively, o~ pa~el cap 66 shown in Figure~ 1 and 2, illu~ra~ing a ~etallic embodimznt thereof. Panel cap 66 is formed from a sheet o~ metal into a sub~tan~ially C-shap~d con~iguration, having a bight 374, and first and s2cond depending leg portions 37~
and 378 which respectIvely ter~inate in inwardly turned flanges 380 and 382. Th~ inwardly turn~d ~langes 380 and 382 ar~ cut ~way at the end~ o~ kh~ panel cap 66, as indicated at 384 and 386 r to allo~ the and~ of the panel cap 66 to overlie the horizontally dir~cted alignment portions of the post cap, such as the horizontal alignment portions 340 and 342 o~ po~t cap 64 shown in Figura 27.
The shorter in~ardly di~po~d leg~ 221 of the wire trough 48 which de~in~ one ~lde of spline grooYes 218 and 220 per~it the upp~r sur~ace of panel cap 66 ~o be sub ~an-tially flu~h with th~ top edge~ o~ th~ wire trough 48.
FigNre3 34 and 35 are elevational and plan Vi~W9, re~pectively, or mounting clip 68 ~hown in Figure 2, ~or a tach~ng panel cap 66 to the wire trough 48. Clip 68 is ~ormed o~ a suit~bls pla~tic, ~uch as an injec~ion 3Q ~olded polypropyl~n~, and it includes a top portion 388 which has a similar configuration at opposite longitudinal end~ 390 and 392. End 390 includes a r~latively thin, resilient leg portion 39~, an~ a thi~k relatively non-re3ilient leg portion 396. L~g portion 396 inGludes a 3S side portion 398 which extend~ inwardly to the root 400 of leg portion 394. Portion 398 may be curved, as indicted, or straight, a~ desir~d. ~he important thing is to provid~ ~pace for leg portion 394 to ~lex toward~ leg 2 ~ A ~17ll 8 22 56, 056 port1On 396. Side 392 i8 o~ 111c~ con~tructlon, bu~ havlng a resilL~nt 18g porl:ion 3g4 ' a~ th~ diagonally opposite corner o~ th2 clip, whlch placas leg portlon 39S ' at the diagonally oppo lte corner to leg ps~rtlon 396.
Irl the un~tres~ed corl~lguration o~ clip 68 shown in Flgure 3~, the 2nd~ ~01 and 401' o~ leg portions 39~
and 39~a ', and the end~ 493 and ~03 ' O:e leg portions 396 and 396 ' ~orm ~our ~paced mc~untillg points which, when imaginary line~ ar~ drawn frc~m one to the n~xt, ~orm a 10 rectangular outlin~.
To ~eix mounting clip 68 to panel cap 66, clip 6~
is placed within the C-shaped con~iguration of the panel cap 66 such that th~ longitudlinal axi~ 405 o~ the clip 68 i9 ~ubstantially align~d with the longitudirlal axis 407 o~
panel cap 66. Clip 68 i~3 then ~:urned or twist~d one-quart~r turn abou1: vertical axiB 4 o9, in th~ direction of arro~ 402. Leg~ 394 ~nd 394 ' will be inwardly flexed by leg portions 376 and 378 o~ the panel cap 66. Thu~, moun~ing points 401 and 401' are e~fectively moved out of th~ir normal po~ition~ and they do not provide their locating and ~ounting ~unc~io~ duriny clip assembly.
Thus, ther~ i8 ralatively little resi~tance to rotational movemen~ o~ clip 68 during the one guarter installation turn. Onc~ clip 68 reach~s a point wh~re its longi~udinal axis 405 i~ psrp~ndicular to the longitudinal axis 407 of the pan~l cap 6~, leg~ 401 and 401' mov~ back to their unbiased p~sition~. Now all ~our mounting points 401, 401', 403 and 403' become functional, to finmly hold clip 68 in ths a~embl~d po~ition within ~h~ panel cap 66.
Att~mpting to turn clip 6~ $n ei~her ro~ational direction a~ter a sembly re~ults in t~ying to force two dia~onally opposite leg ends perp~ndicularly into the legs 37~ and 378 Or pansl cap 66, preYenking r~oval. The only way clip may be easily removed i~ to ~lide it ko an end of t~ panel cap 66. It ~y al~o be removed by th~ difficult ta~k of manually d~leating both leg~ 394 and 394 1 inwardly at the ~ame time with a ~uitabla tool, and then turning then the clip.

7 4 ~
23 56, 056 clip 68 ~urther includes ~ir~t and second re~;illent depending legs 404 ancl 406. Leg 404 includes an outwardly directed upper portion 408, a bend or knee 410, and an inwardly dirccted portion 412. Leg 406 i3 of 5 ~imilar eon~truction. When panel cap 66, with clip~3 68 ~Qcured therQto, i~ moYed downwardly towards it~ seated position on top o~ wire trough 48, th~ inwardly converging legs are initially between the walls 221 o~ the spline grooves 218 and 220, and then the ~;pline grooves contact the lower portions 412 and 412 ' to bend the legs 404 and 406 inwardly toward~ on~3 another. AR th~ ~eated po3ition of panel cap 66 i~ appro~ched, the knee~ 410 and 410 ' lpass the lower corners 414 and 416 Or the ~pline groove structure~ 218 and 220, allowing the legs 40~ and 406 to 15 start to return to tha$r unbia~ed con~iguration~, provid-ing a downwardly dlr~3ctad bia~3 which f irmly hold the mounting clip~ 68 and panel CAp 66 in the de~ired position 5ub6tantially ~lu~h with the top o~ the wire trough 48.
Prying the panel c:a~ 66 upwardly will reverse the procedure, raaching a point where t~e panel cap 66 will b~ relea~3Qd from the ~ lin~ groov~3 structures 218 and 220 wh.ich hold3 the clip~ 68 ~ith the downwardly directed : force when th~ kne~ 410 and 410l arc below the spline groove corn~rs 414 and 41~. Mounting clip ~8 also has a fasten~r opening 414, ~ermitting clip 68 to b~ scr~wed to the undQr~ide 0~ a pan~l cap which i~ made o~ wood or some other non-~2tallic material.

Claims

1. An office space dividing system, including at least one rectangular panel having a frame which includes first and second stiles and upper and lower rails arranged to define two upper and two lower corners, with the first and second stiles and upper and lower rails having substantially flat front and back surfaces disposed in common front and back planes, respectively, and inner and outer facing surfaces which extend between the front and back planes, characterized by:
the first and second stiles and upper and lower rails being constructed of tubular members having the same cross-sectional configuration, and having square cut ends having edges which define openings to the tubular members, said first and second stiles and upper and lower rails being arranged such that the inner side of each rail is substantially aligned with an end of each stile, and the inner side of each stile is substantially aligned with an end of each rail, to provide adjoining unobstructed openings at each of the upper and lower corners, and including right-angle metallic joining means linking the rails and stiles at each of the upper and lower corners via the adjoining openings, with the rails and stiles being adjusted relative to the right-angle metallic joining means to provide square upper and lower corners.

2. The office space dividing system of claim 1 wherein the rails and stiles are staked to the right angle joining means to retain the square upper and lower corners.

56,056

3. The office space dividing system of claim 1 wherein the right angle joining means includes first and second spaced identical right angle members formed from a flat metallic sheet, with each having a centrally located joining tab bent orthogonally towards, and joined to, the joining tab of the other.

4. The office space dividing system of claim 3 wherein each right angle member has inner and outer edges which define indentations which facilitate staking, with the outer edge being complementary to the inner edge, permitting the right angle members to be stamped from a flat metallic sheet with substantially no waste.

5. The office space dividing system of claim 1 wherein the inner facing sides of the first and second stiles and the upper and lower rails collectively define a window, with said window being occupied by a foamed-in-place gypsum core.

6. The office space dividing system of claim 1 including at least one metallic rod extending between and fixed to the inner facing sides of the first and second stiles, to prevent outward bowing of the first and second stiles.

7. The office space dividing system of claim 6 wherein the inner facing sides of the first and second stiles and the upper and lower rails collectively define a window, with said window being occupied by a foamed-in-place gypsum core.

8. The office space dividing system of claim 5 wherein the inner facing sides of the first and second stiles and upper and lower rails have at least one longitudinal extending channel which functions to hold the desired position of the gypsum core within the window.

9. The office space dividing system of claim 1 wherein the inner facing sides of the identically con-figured first and second stiles and lower rail have a centrally located channel, and the outer facing sides of the first and second stiles and the lower rail have first and second spaced grooves adjacent to the substantially 26 56, 056 flat front and back surfaces, with the identically configured top rail being inverted relative to the position of the lower rail such that the inner facing side has said first and second spaced grooves and the outer facing side has said centrally located channel.

10. The office space dividing system of claim 9 wherein the inner facing sides of the first and second stiles and the upper and lower rails collectively define a window, with said window being occupied by a foamed-in-place gypsum core which is held within the window by the centrally located channels of the first and second stiles and lower rail, and by the first and second spaced grooves of the upper rail.

11. The office space dividing system of claim 9 including a wire trough fixed to the upper rail, with the wire trough having a bottom portion configured comple-mentary to the central channel in the outer facing side of the upper rail.

12. The office space dividing system of claim 11 including first and second sheets of panel coverings each having upper, lower and side edges, and first and second spline beads, and wherein the first and second spaced grooves in the outwardly facing surfaces of the first and second stiles and lower rail function as spline grooves for respectively receiving said first and second spline beads which hold the side and lower edges of said panel coverings, and wherein the wire trough has an upper portion which has first and second spaced grooves which function as spline grooves which receive the first and second spline beads to hold the upper edges of the panel coverings.

13. The office space dividing system of claim 12 including first and second upper and first and second lower corner members removably fixed to the frame, with said first and second upper corner members having first and second spaced grooves which continue the first and second grooves in the first and second stiles and the first and second grooves in the wire trough, and with the 27 55,056 first and second lower corner members having first and second spaced grooves which continue the first and second grooves in the first and second stiles and the first and second grooves in the lower rail.

14. The office space dividing system of claim 13 wherein the first and second upper and first and second lower corner members each have front and back flat surfaces respectively disposed in the common front and back planes.

15. The office space dividing system of claim 11 including a vertically extending support post having hook receiving means, and including hook means on the at least one rectangular panel engaging the hook receiving means of said support post, and including a second rectangular panel supported by said support post, with said second rectangular panel including a wire trough having a bottom portion configured the same as and aligned with the bottom portion of the wire trough of the at least one rectangular panel, and including a metallic spanner disposed within and fixed to the bottom portions of the wire troughs of the at least one and said second rectangu-lar panels.

16. The office space dividing system of claim 15 including means additionally fixing the metallic spanner to the support post.

17. The office space dividing system of claim 15 wherein the bottom portions of the troughs have outwardly flared sides, and wherein the metallic spanner has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross-sectional configuration having depending legs which include inwardly angled portions which rest against and wedge within the outwardly flared sides of the wire troughs.

18. The office space dividing system of claim 11 including an elongated panel cap removably attached to, and substantially flush with, the top portion of the wire trough.

19. The office space dividing system of claim 18 wherein the elongated panel cap has a substantially C-28 56,056 shaped configuration which includes a bight, depending leg portions, and inwardly turned flange portions, and including a clip member attached to the panel cap, said clip member having first and second longitudinal ends, and first and second spaced mounting points at each end which are closely adjacent to the depending leg portions of the panel cap, with a mounting point at each end being provided by first and second horizontally oriented resilient leg portions, said resilient leg portions being constructed to flex during assembly with the panel cap such that their associated mounting points are not effective until the desired assembled position is achiev-ed, at which point they become functional to cooperate with the other mounting points to resist disassembly from the panel cap in response to forces which tend to rotate the clip member in either rotational direction.

20. The office space dividing system of claim 19 wherein the clip member has first and second resilient-ly bendable depending legs which include knee portions which are biased inwardly by first and second predeter-mined portions of the wire trough, with the knee portions being below said first and second predetermined portions such that the biasing force is in a direction which resists disassembly, to firmly but releasably hold the elongated panel cap against first and second predetermined portions of the wire trough.

21. The office space dividing system of claim 11 including a vertically extending support post having hook receiving means, and including hook means on the at least one rectangular panel engaging the hook receiving means of said support post, with said hook means including a slotted standard and at least upper lower hooks fixed thereto, a post cap which includes a depending alignment portion which engages the slotted standard and a horizontal alignment portion, and an elongated panel cap removably attached to, and substantially flush with, the top portion of the wire trough, with said panel cap 29 56,056 overlying the horizontal alignment portion of the post cap.

22. The office space dividing system of claim 21 including post cover means disposed to cover at least one vertical side of the post, and having an upper end which terminated adjacent to the post cap, and wherein the post cap includes an additional depending alignment portion which engages the post cover means adjacent to said upper end.

23. An office space dividing system, including a post, and at least two rectangular panels supported by the post, with each panel having a frame having an upper rail, characterized by:
said upper rail having an upwardly facing surface which defines a channel having a bight and upwardly extending, outwardly flared sides, a wire trough fixed to the upper rail of each panel, with the wire trough having a bottom portion nested in the channel defined by the top rail, including a bottom having outwardly flared sides, and including a panel-to-panel spanner fixed to the wire troughs of both of the at least two panels, and to the post, with the spanner having a cross sectional configuration in the shape of an inverted U, including depending legs having portions which are bent inwardly to nest and wedge with in the outwardly flared sides of the bottom of the wire trough.

24. The office space dividing system of claim 23 wherein the wire trough has a n upper portion which has first and second spaced grooves which function as spline grooves.

25. The office space dividing system of claim 23 including an elongated panel cap removably attached to, and substantially flush with, the top portion of the wire trough.

26. The office space dividing system of claim 25 wherein the elongated panel cap has a substantially C-shaped configuration which includes a bight, depending leg 56,056 portions, and inwardly turned flange portions, and including a clip member attached to the panel cap, said clip member having first and second longitudinal ends, and first and second spaced mounting points at each end which are closely adjacent to the depending leg portions of the panel cap, with a mounting point at each end being provided by first and second horizontally oriented resilient leg portions, said resilient leg portions being constructed to flex during assembly with the panel cap such that their associated mounting points are not effective until the desired assembled position is achiev-ed, at which point they become functional to cooperate with the other mounting points to resist disassembly from the panel cap in response to forces which tend to rotate the clip member in either rotational direction.

27. The office space dividing system of claim 26 wherein the clip member has first and second resilient-ly bendable depending legs which include knee portions which are biased inwardly by first and second predeter-mined portions of the wire trough, with the knee portions being below said first and second predetermined portions such that the biasing force is in a direction which resists disassembly, to firmly but releasably hold the elongated panel cap against first and second predetermined portions of the wire trough.

28. The office space dividing system of claim 23 wherein the post includes hook receiving means, and including hook means on the at least two rectangular panels engaging the hook receiving means of said support post, with said hook means including a slotted standard and at least upper and lower hooks fixed thereto, a post cap which includes a depending alignment portion which engages the slotted standard and a horizontal alignment portion, and an elongated panel cap removably attached to, and substantially flush with, the top portion of the wire trough, with said panel cap overlying the horizontal alignment portion of the post cap.

31 56,056

29. The office space dividing system of claim 28 including post cover means disposed to cover at least one vertical side of the post, and having an upper end which terminates adjacent to the post cap, and wherein the post cap includes an additional depending alignment portion which engages the post cover means adjacent to said upper end.

30. An office space dividing system including at least one rectangular panel having an upper edge, and an elongated panel cap on the upper edge, characterized by:
the elongated panel cap having a substantially C-shaped configuration which includes a bight, depending leg portions, and inwardly turned flange portions, and a clip member attached to the panel cap which removably connects the panel cap to the upper edge of the panel, said clip member having first and second longitudinal ends, and first and second spaced mounting points at each end which are closely adjacent to the depending leg portions of the panel cap, with a mounting point at each end being provided by first and second horizontally oriented resilient leg portions, said resilient leg portions being constructed to flex during mounting points are not effective until the desired assembled position is achieved, at which point they become functional to cooperate with the other mounting points to resist disassembly from the panel cap in response to forces which tend to rotate the clip member in either rotational direction.

31. The office space dividing system of claim 30 wherein the upper edge of the panel has a channel shaped recess, and wherein the clip member has first and second resiliently bendable depending legs which include knee portions which are biased inwardly by first and second predetermined portions of the recess, with the knee portions being below said first and second predeter-

32 56,056 mined portions such that the biasing force is in a direction which resists disassembly, to firmly but releasably hold the elongated panel cap against the upper edge of the panel.
32. An office space dividing system including a post, at least one rectangular panel supported by the post, with the rectangular panel having first and second vertically oriented edges and an upper edge, a slotted standard fixed to each of the first and second vertically oriented edges, and a post cap on the post, characterized by:
a depending alignment portion on the post cap which engages the slotted standard, an elongated panel cap removably fixed to the upper edge of the at least one rectangular panel, and a horizontal alignment portion on the post cap, with said panel cap overlying the horizontal alignment portion of the post cap.

33. The office space dividing system of claim 32 including post cover means disposed to cover at least one vertical side of the post, and having an upper end which terminated adjacent to the post cap, and wherein the post cap includes an additional depending alignment said upper end.