Glazing structures

A glazing structure for example for curtain walls for buildings comprises a panel held in position between a structural member and a glazing bead of open channel section and a pair of elastomeric gaskets for making a weathertight seal. The glazing bead is designed to engage the structural member and has side walls which are turned outwardly from one another at their end portions. One end porton of each elastomeric gasket fits between the respective outwardly turned end portions of the glazing bead and the panel and the other end portion fits in the open channel of the glazing bead. In this way the external surface of the structural member and the glazing bead are covered by the elastomeric gasket to provide a maintenance free exterior for a building.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to glazing structures and more particularly but not 
exclusively to glazing structures for use in curtain walls for the facing 
or cladding of the outsides of buildings. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention provides a glazing structure comprising an elongated 
structural member (e.g. a mullion or a transom) having two spaced apart 
surfaces to abut against, with or without the interposition of gaskets, 
the one faces of two panel edge portions respectively, a glazing bead of 
open channel section whereof the channel base is arranged to engage the 
structural member between the said surfaces with the side walls of the 
channel extending outwardly away from the structural member, the side 
walls being turned outwardly from one another at their end portions to 
provide abutments facing towards the surfaces to lie opposite the other 
faces of the edge portions of the panels respectively, means (e.g. screws, 
bolts or nuts) accessible from the outer side of the channel section of 
the glazing bead to secure the base of the channel of the bead to the 
structural member and two gaskets of elastomeric material each having a 
first portion to lie between the abutment and the other faces and second 
portions to enter within the channel of the glazing bead, the arrangement 
being such that the glazing bead can first be secured to the structural 
member with the first portions of the gaskets secured between the bead and 
the panels to hold the panels in position and the second portions can then 
be pressed side by side into the channel to form a weatherproof seal for 
the channel. 
The accompanying drawings shows one preferred form of a glazing structure 
made in accordance with and embodying this invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 the system comprises the usual vertical structural 
elements or mullions 1 and horizontal structural elements or transoms 2 
and a number of panels glazed into position between the elements. The 
panels may be of glass or of any other suitable building material such as 
wood, or the like. 
Referring now to FIG. 2 two similar vertical structural elements 1 are 
shown and only one will be described in detail. Each structural element is 
of box-section and at the side of the box against which the panels are to 
be glazed there are provided two flat surfaces 10 and 11 which are spaced 
apart from one another. A recess 12 is provided between the surfaces 10 
and 11 and flanges 13 and 14 project outwardly from the edges of the 
recess. At the centre of the recess an elongated slot 15 is provided and 
the sides of the slot are provided with corrugation 16. 
Self-adhesive expanded PVC backing strips 6 are attached to the surfaces 10 
and 11 and the edge portion of two panels 18 and 19 rest on the strips 6. 
A glazing bead 4 of aluminium is of channel-shaped cross-section with the 
side walls of the channel turned outwardly from one another at their end 
portions 20 and 21. Holes 22 are provided at spaced intervals along the 
base of the channel-section and screws 23 pass through the holes 22 and 
make engagement with the corrugations 16 in the slots 15 to retain the 
bead in position against the structural element 1. 
Two neoprene rubber moulded gaskets 5 are provided having first portions 26 
which lie between the panels 18, 19 and the end portions 20, 21 of the 
glazing bead. The gaskets 5 are also provided with second portions 29 and 
30 which are pressed inwardly to fill the open mouth of the channel of the 
glazing bead. Thus the gaskets 5 provide a weatherproof seal for the 
glazing beads. 
The arrangement shown in FIG. 3 is similar to that shown in FIG. 2 except 
that the horizontal elements 2 are of shallower box-section that the 
elements 1. In addition the panel 40 is of a different construction from 
the panels 18 and 19 but is in itself a well known building element. 
FIG. 3 also indicates with respect to the lower structural element 2 how 
the structure is assembled. First of all the screw holding the glazing 
bead to the structural element is tightened to fix the panels and the 
first portions of the gaskets in position and then finally the second 
portions of the gaskets are pressed into position. 
FIG. 4 shows an arrangement for a double glazing system. The only 
difference here is that the glazing bead 9 is deeper than the bead 4 and 
the usual spacing members 41 are provided between the two panels. In 
addition a PVC setting block 8 is provided along the lower edges of the 
panels. 
A further modification is indicated in chain lines in FIG. 2 where 
fire-break panels 43 may be held in position by brackets 7 which are 
attached to the structural element 1. 
The advantage of the system just described is that the neoprene rubber 
gaskets completely cover all the external structural aluminium thus 
providing a completely maintenance free exterior with complete weather 
tightness. Not only is the external aluminium covered and therefore 
protected but it is also insulated from the low temperatures ofter 
recorded outside buildings thus preventing "cold bridging" which is 
responsible for undesirable condensation on the internal faces of the 
structural aluminium members.