US2345018A - Building construction - Google Patents

Description

MalCh 28, W, D TEAGUE ET AL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 15, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Afa 7MB/K ATTORNEYS March 28, D TEAGUE Ef- AL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 15, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 @ff/f,

l 7*//5/2? ATTORNEYS March 28, 1944. w Q TEAGUE E1- AL 2,345,018

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 15, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 THE/2 ATTORNEYS March 28, 1944. w D, TEAGUE ETAL 2,345,018

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. l5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 9 I 4g ./5 Wx M a9 4J 4 'Q A? 7 f IL 'nxi/ x f L 0 65 4e 1 /63 Vf if? ff M l I El Z/ l THE/R ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 28, 1944 BUILDING GONSTRUCTION Walter Dorwin Teague, Annandale, N. J., and Raymond R. Spilman, Bronxville, N. Y.; said Spilman assigner to said Teague Application October 13, 1941, Serial No. 414,700

3 Claims.

This invention relates to prefabricated buildings. In such buildings as heretofore proposed, while some of the parts of the building have been prefabricated, a considerable amount of actual construction or building work, has been 'necessary at the site.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated building of generally improved arrangement and construction, and especially one in which construction or building work at the site is substantially eliminated, and the work at the site consists substantially entirely of assembling the various units previously manufactured at the factory.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a prefabricated house construction which is so arranged as to permit disassembly of the completed building so that the parts thereof can be re-assembled on the same site in a different arrangement, or removed to a different site and re-assembled.

It is also an object of our invention to provide a section or panel for wall, oor, ceiling or roof of improved construction to facilitate and expedite the assembly and disassembly of such panels.

Another object of our invention is to provide such a panel orunit construction which aords ready interchange of panels, particularly wall panels, so that even after the building is cornled, Windows and doors can be relocated at An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved coupling or joint for securing together the marginal edges of such panels or sections, either in line with one another or at right angles to one another, as, for example, in forming partition walls or the corners of the building.

Although the improvements of our invention are capable of general application in the con@J structing of buildings of various kinds, they have been devised for, and the invention will be explained in connection with, a type of dwelling house which is adapted for low cost and rapid production, such asis required in connection with defence housing now being constructed in various parts of the country. The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate such a house.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a viewv looking down on -the roof of a portion of a house constructed in accordance with the invention having part of the roof broken away and showing the wall construction in horizontal section;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of an interior wall panel; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through this panel, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 but drawn to a larger scale;

in the gure.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal transverse section of the panel taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 drawn to the same scale as Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a floor panel;

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section through the iioor panel of Fig. 5 taken on line 6-6 of that iigure but drawn to a larger Scale;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of a combined roof and ceiling panel; 1

Fig. 8 is a vertical` longitudinal section of the roof and ceiling panel taken pn the line 8--3 of Fig 7 but drawn to a larger scale and with the central portion broken away;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8 also drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of a series of panels such as shown in Fig. 2 joined together to Aform a typical wall but drawn to an enlarged scale for the purpose of illustrating the joint construction;

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view taken on the line II-Il of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a partial vertical section taken on the plane indicated -by line l2--l2 of Fig. 1 having parts broken away both horizontally and vertically; f

Figs.y 13 and 14 are somewhat enlarged sectional views of the intersection between the walls shown at the left hand central portion of Fig. 1, Fig. 13 being a horizontal section taken on line I3-I3 of Fig. 14, and Fig. 14 being a vertical section taken on line M--M of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a partial Vertical section of the house, similar to the left hand portion of Fig. 12 but with the partition wall omitted, showing the joints between the rends of two roof panels and two iioor panels;

Fig. 16 is a vertical section taken on line I 6-16 of Fig. 1 showing a joint between the sides of two adjacent roof and ceiling panels;

Fig. 17 is a horizontal section taken on the line I'l-l'l of Fig. l2 showing a joint between the sides of two exterior wall panels and corr responding to the joints shown at the lower right hand'side of Fig. 1 but drawn to a larger scale;

Fig. 18 is a horizontal section showing the joint between two exterior wall panels at a corner of the house corresponding to the lower right hand corner of Fig. 1 but drawn to a, larger scale; and

Figs. 19, 20 and 21 are perspective views illustrating three diierent forms of panel spacing and connecting members.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, there is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 a house comprising two exterior side walls I and 2 and two end walls 3,l only one` of which is included The space within these walls is divided by means of a longitudinal interior wall or partition 4 and by two transverse .interior walls l and 3. The section istaken above the windows and doors so that these do not appear. The house is provided with a flat gable roof which slopes away from a central longitudinal ridge 'I which is directly above the central wall 4. The roof covering 3 has been broken away to show the roof structure in the upper hal-i of Fig..1 and both the roof covering and the roof structure itself have been broken away Iin the lower half of the figure so as to show in section the construction of both the interior and exterior walls.

The floors, exterior walls, interior walls and the ceiling and roof are each constructed in prefabricated sections or panels, the panels for roof and ceiling including both roof members and ceiling members in a single structure. All of these panels are rectangular in shape and can be made in any desired dimensions, but for the type of house in question the panels are constructed in a dimensional unit of four feet, that is to say, the panels are all approximately four feet in width and their length is a multiple of four` feet. Thus the wall panels are approxlmately eight feet high, which determines the height of the ceiling, and the floor panels may conveniently be made in substantially twelve foot lengths, with the roof and ceiling panels of the same length.

'I'hese panels are arranged side by side and end to end either vertically or horizontally as the case may be to form walls, floors, and roofs and ceilings-of any desired extent. For example, the required number of floor panels are arranged side by side and end to end -in the same plane to form a desired noor space, while the wall panels are similarly arranged to -form the required length of exterior and interior walls. The several panels forming a wall, floor or roof are connected together by the novel spacing and connecting members illustrated in Figs. 19, and 21 which serve both to space the: panels apart at least at the central portions oftheir edges and to connect them together. These spacing and connecting members serve to connect the sides of the panels when they are arranged in the same plane as, for example, to form a flat wall, or to hold the panels at right angles to one another, as,

for example, at wall intersections and at the joints between the side walls, oor, and sills or girders and between the side walls and ceilings.

Ihe improved prefabricated house has no frame structure aside from the sills or girders beneath, but the bottoms of the side and interior wall panels rest upon the floor panels and sills, and the roof and ceiling panels are supported entirely by the upper .ends of the wall panels. The improved construction includes a releasable fastening means by which the edges of the several kinds of panels are secured to the spacing and connecting members. 'I'hese fastening means are easily manipulated in assembling the house, and a completed building can be just as readily disassembled should it be desired to make additions thereto or to change the interior room arrangement, or should it be desired to remove the building to a different location. This disassembly can be carried out without defacing the panels or injuring the fastening means so that the same building can be assembled and disassembled as many times as desired.

Thai-several kinds of panels out of which the house is constructed are' illustrated in Figs. 2-9, inclusive. The exterior wall panel 9 shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 consists of a rectangular marginal framework I0 having a side 4facing member II on the inside and a thicker facing member l2 on the outside. Frame III has two side members I3 and I4 which may be of wood preferably 3 inches by4 inches in cross section as shown in Fig. 3. It also has interconnecting end members I3 and IB and is preferably provided at the corners with bracing blocks as indicated for stiftening. Also cross members I1 extend between the side bars I3 and I4 to assist in supporting the facings II and I2 so 'that these facings may be made of thin material, such, 4for example, as plywood approximately V4 in. thick on the inside and somewhat thicker on the outside. The outside plywood facing I2 is preferably made of Ilr bonded with a weather-resisting binder such as phenolic resin, for example, while a cheaper grade of plywood mayl be used for the interior facing I I such as gum plywood bonded with urea resin. Within these panels heat insulating material such as the rock wool illustrated in Figs. 2. 3 and 4, or aluminum foil or the like, may be provided.

Both the side frame members I3 and 'Il and the end frame members-I5 and I6 are shaped in' cross section, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, with a at central edge face I8, the corners on each side of these flat faces being relieved preferably by nat 45 beveled surfaces I9 and 20 on the inside and outside, -respectively, for a purpose which will appear later on.

The iloor panels 2| are constructed on the same general plan but of heavier materials. The side frame members 22 and 23 and 'the end frame members 24 and 25 may be made of 3' x 6' wood beams. The cross members 26 are more closely spaced than in the wall panels to give added strength. The top surface 21 of the floor panel may consist of V2 in. urea bond fir plywood and on the outside a linoleum floor covering 28 is preferably cemented so that the floor surface will be complete when the panels are assembled. A layer 29 of heat insulating material, such, for example, as rock wool, aluminum foil, or the like, may be placed on the interior of the oor panel resting on the bottom surface 30 which may be made of V4 in. phenol bonded flr plywood.

Both the side and the end edges of floor panel 2| are provided with flat outer surfaces or faces corresponding to edge faces I8 of the wall panels 9 but wider on account of the greater depth of the oor panel frame members. The upper corners are relieved in the same way as the corners of wall panel 9 preferably by 45 beveled surfaces 3I. The width of these beveled surfaces is the same as the width of beveled surfaces I9 and 20 of the wall panels, and the function of these surfaces will appear in connection with the description of the assembly of the panels.

The combined roof and ceiling panel 32 shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 comprises a horizontal marginal frame 33, similar to the frames of the floor and wall panels, and upon which an inclined roofsupporting structure is superposed. The horizontal marginal frame 33 may be constructed in any suitable manner, as, for example, by using 1 in. by 4 in. planks for both the side members 34 and the end members 35. The ceiling 38, consisting of V4 in. plywood is secured to the bottom of frame .33, and resting on the ceiling a layer 31 of heat insulating material'such as rock wool or aluminum foil may be provided.

Suitable upright frame members 38, 39 and III secured to the marginal frame 33 support the roof frame structure 4I at any angle desired with l relation to frame 33 to give the desired pitch tothe roof. The pitch of the roof, preferably, is

small in order to save material and also to make vthe individual sectionsl lighter in weight. The roof facing 42 consists of in. plywood covering the area of frame 4|.

The area within the roofing and ceiling panel 32 is entirely enclosed by means of plywood 'sheathing 43 on the sides and 44 atithe end. 'I'his is done primarily for strength and stiffening of the panel by the edgewise mounted plywood. It also protects the insulating material 31 within the paneland forms a dead air space above the insulating material to supplement it in conserving heat in the wintertime and excluding heat in the summer. The outer end of the panel near the eaves is closed by the frame member 40.

A ilat edge face 45 at right angles to the ceiling is provided along each side of the panel, and a similar face 46 along the inner end, by applying 1" x 4" wood strips 41 opposite the marginal frame 33 on the outside of sheathing 43. The lower comer of strip 41 is beveled as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 to correspond with the beveled `surface I9 of the wall panels. At the outer end of roof panel 32 a strip 49 is secured to frame member 40 so as to thicken this member and provide the at edge 'face 50 at this end of the panel. Strip 49 is beveled at 5I along its bottom edge to correspond with the beveling I9 and 20. The roof facing 42 is surfaced on the outside with a layer 48 of rooilng felt preferably protected with granulated slate.

The panels forming the interior walls or partitions of the building are constructed precisely like panel 9 except that the outside face has the same thickness on both sides and is made of the cheaper gum plywood urea bonded; also the heat insulation is omitted.

So far as the features o`f my invention are concerned which relate to the connecting'together of the panel members 9, 2| and 32, their various elements may be secured together in any convenient way, as by the use of nails, screws, or the like. Our invention includes, however, as one of its features a novel panel structure which possesses remarkable strength. This panel structure is desirable, since the house has no frame structure other than the sills, so that the house will be fortified to withstand the wrenching stresses produced by Wind pressure, etc. This panel structure involves the utilization of an interior frame structure which extends throughout the entire periphery of the panel and securing the lside facing members of laminated wood, such as plywood, to the frame by uniting the margins of the facing members to the frame by a continuous bond extending throughout the entire periphery of the panel. Such a bond may be obtained by uniting these surfaces under heat and pressure, utilizing a bonding material of the phenolic resin type. In this way the strength of the bond between the frame and the side members is substantially equal to the strength of the bond between the layers of the plywood.

In Figs. 10 and 11 there are shown three interior panels, which are indicated by reference Y numeral 9a, assembled in edge to edge relationship to form a part of a, typical interior wall. f

Considering the two right hand panels, the panels are joined together by means of three spacing and connecting members 52 of a channelshaped type illustrated in Fig. 19 and mounted in spaced end to end relation in the space between the edges of the panels.

Each of these spacing and connecting mem- :bers comprises a centralweb portion 53 and two side ilanges 54, a well-known structural steel shape possessing strength and rigidity and obtainable at low cost. The web portion is provided with two spaced fastening nut apertures 55 and each of the flanges 54 has a pair of similar apertures 56.y The ilanges 54and web 53 are of equal' width and this width bears a relation to the thickness of the panels and is such as to cause the beveled corners I9 and 20 of adjacent panels to abut against one another when two panels are connected together at right angles to one another to form a corner of the house, or at an intersection of two interior walls, or between a wall panel and a floor panel or between a wall panel and a ceiling panel.

For joints where the greatest 'strength is required, such as\at the ends of the floor panels and/at the top and bottom of the exterior wall panels, a slightly modified flanged spacing and connecting member 51 illustrated in Fig. 20 is employed. This is precisely like connecting member 5,2 except for the presence of a plate 56 parallel with the web 53a which ties together; the marginal edges of the flanges 54a. Tieplate 58 is secured in place in any suitable manner, as, -for example, by spot welding.

l The length o f this plate is such as to leave the end portions of flanges 54a adjacent the fastening apertures 56 freely accessible for the application of the fastening nuts as will appear later.

In Fig. 2l there is illustrated a still further modication oi the anged connecting member 52 which is utilized at all joints between two walls only, either interior or exterior. which are at right angles, such, for example, as at the corners of the building. This member 59 is a steel shape having two flanges at right angles to one another/and each provided with apertures 60 for receiving the fastening nuts.

All three of these forms of flanged connecting members are of the same length and are short in comparison with the length of the panels, their length being, for example, approximately 8 inches. The width of the flanges is the same on all three connecting members and the flanges of members 52 and 51 are of the same width as the web portions 53 and 53a so that the end outline of these two members is square. 'The insertion of the, tie plate 58 between the flanges of member 51 makes this member into a box girder which is a shape that possesses great strength.

Returning to the consideration of the two right hand panels 9a of Figs. 10 and 11, each of the flanged spacing and connecting members 52 is held in position between the panels by fastening means consisting of ybolts 6I and nuts 62 (Fig. 11). 'Ihe bolts 6I are placed in the panels 9 at the factory so that the panels are received at the site with these bolts in them. For this reason the bolt holes are bored or drilled in the panel side frame members I3 and I4 to make a snug ilt with the bolts. In addition, to insure that the bolts do not get out of place in transit they are preferably provided with longitudinal iluting 63 (Figs. 11 and 17) which projects slightly from the body of the bolt near the bolt head 64.

When the bolts are driven into their holes this iluting cuts its way into the wood of the frame members and secures the bolts so that there is no danger of their being dislocated during shipment of the panels. These boltsA are driven into place before the side facings II and I2 are put onthe panels and the heads 64 of the lbolts engage the inner surfaces of the side frame The spacing of these bolts is determined to suit the number of anged spacing and connecting members used and to suit the spacing between the fastening nut apertures. All types of panels 8, 9a, 2I and 32 are provided with these bolts. In making the joints between wall panels, any desired spacing of the connecting members is permissible, and in fact it is not necessary that they be uniformly spaced, whereas the spacing of the connecting members along the side edges and end edges of the floor and ceiling panels and along the end edges of the wall panels must be uniform; also the distance from any corner to the first connecting member must be equal to one-half of the spacing between connecting members. The reason for this is that, in some places, as for example,` along the right hand end of the house, as shown in Fig. 1, the ends of the wall panels are connected to the sides of floor and ceiling panels, whereas along the other two sides of the house illustrated, y the connection of thewall panels is with the ends of the floor and ceiling panels.

The nuts 62 are provided as shown in Fig. 17- with a head portion for the application of a wrench and with a body portion 65 at one side of the head and preferably in the form of a truncated cone to be forced into the apertures of the flanges 54 to make a snug t and also prevent the nuts from loosening.

Enlarged recesses66 (see (Figs. 17, 11 and 3) are provided around the threaded end portions 61 of the bolts of about the same diameter as the apertures 5S in the flanges of the connecting members and for the purpose of receiving the conical body portions 65 of nuts 62. The threaded. end

portions 51 terminate within these recesses 66 and below the outer surface of the panel frame members. The threads of these bolts are thereby protected from damage during shipment which might otherwise make it difficult to apply the nuts 62. Bolts 6I and nuts 62 are a standard form of carriage belt and acorn nut and consequently are available without the expense of providing a special type.

In setting up a section of wall, as exemplified in Fig. 10, the first step is to put the appropriate connecting members in place on one of the panels and secure them by applying nuts 62 through the apertures in the flanges of the connecting members and screwing them onto the ends of bolts 6I. The next step is to place the adjacent pane1 in position with the bolts 6I thereof in alinement with the apertures of the connecting member flanges and then apply nuts 52 on that side of the connecting members. These nuts 62 may readily be put in position with the fingers and then tightened by means of a wrench manipulated through the open side of the channel-shaped connecting members 52, as may be seen in Figs. 11 and 17.

After this is'dcne, filler strips 68 are applied on the opposite sides of the connecting members 52 so as to close up the joint space between the two panel members and conceal the connecting members. These filler strips are preferably made of plywood and have their edges beveled to correspond to the beveled surfaces I9 and 2D of the panels. The filler strips have been omitted from Figs. 10 and 11 but are shown in Fig. 17. They are held in place by any suitable fastening means such, for example, as the screws 69. Fig. 17 is a cross section of a vertical joint between two exterior panels but the vertical Joints between these panels are exactly the same asv the Joints between interior 'panels except that the outside filler strip 10iis made to stand the weather, and suitable packing 1I of rubber, for example, is inserted between the beveled surfaces to assist in excluding moisture.

Utilizing the panel construction and method of panel assembly above described, the house illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1 is assembled. The spacing and connecting members for the floor and roof panels are applied and the panels connected following procedure which is similar to that used in-assembling the simple flat wall of Figs. 10 and 11. The house is supported upon sills or girders 12 and 13 (Fig. b2) resting upon pillars 14, preferably of concrete, so as to raise the house the desired distance 4from the surface of the ground. Sill 12 extends centrally of the house beneath the central wall 4 and ridge 1, While one or more sills 13 extend beneath each of the side walls I and 2 and each of the end walls 3.

Both sills :l2 and 13 are prefabricated in suitable lengths convenient for shipment and handllng. Sill 12 is made up of an assemblage of four beam sections so as to provide two side horizontal shoulder supports 15 for the ends of the floor panels and an upwardly extending central portion 16 having a flat edge face 11 on which the connecting members 51 are secured in endwise spaced relation.

In assembling this girder or sill structure the central portion is made first. Two 2" x 4" beams 18 and 19 are secured together by means of two' layers of-plywood, one secured at each side, leaving a space 8l extending lengthwise between the inside edges of these beams. Before this, the upper member 19 is 'drilled and recessed for the connecting member bolts 6 I a and the bolts are put in position. These bolts are like bolts 6I except for their length. After the assembly of these four parts is completed, the side members 82, two 2" x 6" wood beams, are secured to the outside surfaces of the plywood members 8D with the lower edges of members 82 and member 18 in the same plane.

The side sills 13 are constructed in the same way except that only one 2" x 6" member 82 is required.

m assembling the house at the site, the side sul 13 and the central girder 12 are rst laid on the foundation blocks 14 in accordance'with the plan of the house and the several sections constituting these girders are bolted together at their ends (not shown) so as to provide a unitary foundation' structure.

From Figs. 12 and 1 it will be understood that the house in question is approximately 24 ft. wide,

which is determined by the placing of the twov floor panels 2l end to end. The iioor panels 2| are then placed in position with their ends resting on the shoulders 'l5 as shown in Figs. l2 and 15.

The nuts 62 at the joints between the inner ends of the panels above the central girder 12 are then applied complete and drawn up tight; that is to say, al1 three sets of these nuts, those on the two opposite side flanges of the connecting members 51 and those at the bottom or web of these members. Members 51 are faced upward at the center joints between the panels and, as the interior partition panels formngwall 4 are not yet in place, the interior of the lconnecting members is accessible for the insertion of the nuts and panels.

the manipulation of the wrench in tightening them. C A

At the outside ends of the oor'panels 2| the connecting members 61 are placed horizontally so that the openings Ibetween their flanges face*` outwardly. The'nuts 62 in the web and lower flange of each of these connecting members y 1 are conseqently inserted next and tightened.

After this is done the outside wall panels 8 and the wall panels 9a, forming the central interior partition A, can be placed in position and the roof and ceiling panels 32 mounted onthe tops of the wall panels. In carrying out this assembly the lower edge faces I8 of the -vertical panels rest on the upper flanges of the connecting members 51 and the beveled inside edges I9 also rest upon the beveled edges 3l of the floor 'I'he same thing is true of the interior wall panels 9a except that here there are lbeveled surfaces I 9 on both edges to rest upon thesimilar surfaces I of the two opposed floor panels. These interior panels are heldin place by their weight only.

In placing the roof panels 32 nuts 62 are applied from the outside beneath the eaves, the

holding members 51 being horizontal, the same as at the bottoms of the outside wall panels. At the inner ends of the roof and ceiling panels 32 the connecting members 52 are upwardly directed and the nuts 62 are accessible through a space 83 which exists between the opposite plywood facings 4B in the inner ends of lthe roof and ceiling panels. It will be understood that this space 83 is open at the time the roof panels are applied, since the ridge member 1A is not placed in position until later.

Underthe portions of the ridge 1 where there is no central partition wall 4 (Fig. 15) a ller strip 84 is used to fill the spaces between the joints at the inner ends of the floor panels 2l. Also the connecting members 52 between the inner ends of the roof and ceiling members 32 are faced downwardly instead of upwardly so that the nuts 62 are accessible from below, that is,`from within the house instead of from the roof. A ceiling filler strip 85 is used to close this joint and conceal the connecting members.

A typical joint whichextends between two interconnected roof and ceiling members 32 at their sides is illustrated in Fig. l6. The connecting members 52 face downwardly as in Fig. l5 and the ceiling joint is closed by a similar ller "strip 85. The roof joint consists of a filler strip 86 which is supported on nailing strips 81 provided along the both sides of the roof panels at .the roof line.

The roofing felt 48 does not extend ilush with the edges of the roofing panels, but an uncovered margin of about 1/2 inch of the plywood surface l2 is left exposed. In this way the edges of the rooiing' material are protected to a considerable extent from being damaged or separated from the surface of the plywood during shipment.

`After the roong panels are in place and the illler strips 85 have been installed, strips 88 of .roofing material/are laid lengthwise of the joints between the sides of the roof panels. Strip 88 is made to overlap the margins of the roofing material 48 as shown in Fig. 16 and then mastic 89 such as asphaltum is applied over these overlap- Ding edges.

Along the peaks of the roof panels at the center of the house a plywood strip 90is placed and on top of this the ridge 1, which, as illustrated, has a central roll portion and margins wide margins of the roofing material 48. The ridge, member is held inl place by means of nails, if deenough to make a substantial overlap with the f 'sired, and by mastic ,9| which is applied along the margins. l

t the corners of the building the exterior wall panels 9 are joined together as illustrated in Fig. 18 utilizing the connecting members59 (Fig. 21)

Y which are mounted in endwise spaced relation,

. when the nuts 62 are set up so as to form a tight Joint extending vertically from floor to ceiling.

The corners of the building are completed by means of a illlervstrip 92-constructed as shown in Fig. 18 and comprising two strips of plywood 83 which are mounted at right angles to one another on a wooden corner member 94, which is given a cross section as shown on a. routing machine to receive the side strips 93. These filler strips 92 may be secured in place by means of ,wood screws 95 and preferably rubber sealing strips 1I are inserted the same as in the joints shown in Fig. 1

In Figs. 13 and` 14there are shown enlarged views of a-joint between two yinterior 'walls or partitions, as, for example, either of the two such joints shown near the center of Fig. 1. The connecting members 52 are mounted with their web portions 53 on the edge face of the panel which forms the intersecting wall 5, so that the open side of the connecting member faces the side of central wall 4 opposite to the partition wall 5. In this way the nuts 62 are made accessible either for insertion and tightening or for removal. The joint is closed by means of a filler strip 68 (Fig. 17).

In order to finish off the lower portion of the exterior of the house and protect the outside girders 13 from the weather, sheets 96 of material such as Transite are placed along the outside surfaces of these girderssheets 96 preferably terminate as shown at the lower edge of the horizontal joint spaces between the side wall panels 9 and the floor panels 2|. 'Blz'hese joints are covered by an exterior filler strip By means of our invention we have DIOVided a house structure which may beentirely fabricated in a factory by modern mass-production methods which are exactly similar in dimensions and inl frame arrangement as the exterior and interior panels 9 and 9a. All of these exterior panels are interchangeable and all of the interior panels are interchangeable, permitting an unusual flexibility of plan, fenestration and arrangement of rooms.

Even after a house has been completely assembled, any of the exterior wall panels can be interchanged at any time. Thus, for example, if a window or door is desired to be located in a different position, one of the blank wallI panels can be removed and a panel containing the window or door substituted. This can be done from the outside of the house without disturbing either the foundation or the roof structure in any way.

Y It will be understood that although the inven- The upper edges of tion has been illustrated and described in connection with a house. the same features oi construction and assembly can be employed in connection with other buildings. It-wili also be understood that changes .can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

intheedgeoitheframe.andboltssecuredinsaid holes having their threaded ends terminating Within said recesses.

3. As an article oi' manufacture. a panel for a preiabricated building comprising a marginal frame having at least one side facing member mounted thereon, said frame in cross section having an edge tace substantially perpendicular to the side racing and having bolt holes arranged thereinin a predetermined spacing and terminating in preformed nut-receiving recesses in said edge face, bolts secured in said holes having their threaded ends terminating within the said recesses, and at least one of the corners adjacent said edge face and one side of the panel being relieved to form a seat on which a member may be placed when the panel is assembled in a building.

WALTER DORWIN TEAGUE.

RAYMOND R. BPILMAN.

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