Partition structure

The invention relates to an improved partition panel structure. The structure comprises a framed panel member, the vertical frames of which include extended locking members snap-on facings cover the open outer surface of at least the vertical frames. The snap-on facings have an opening for allowing the locking member to pass through and slots on each upper side surface end for engagement with the ends of the horizontal frame members. This slot engagement, and the upper surface engagement of the locking member with the opening through the snap-on facing prevents relative movement between the snap-on facing and vertical frame member. A post or upright includes openings through its vertical surfaces for engagement with the inner angled surface of the downward extending distal end of the locking member. When assembled the components form a rigid reusable locked together panel partition structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to partitions, such as those made up of panels, and 
particularly to those that may be readily moved and assembled without 
causing the partitions to become permanently affixed. 
Such partitions are found useful to subdivide an area as for offices, and 
now are found in a wide variety of forms. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,005,145 by G. F. Kotrbaly teaches the use of downwardly 
open extended tabs on tongues engaging receiving slots for holding the 
stud or stanchion and wall portions in a self supporting locked together 
manner. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,677 by O. A. Springs, Jr., et. al., teaches the use of 
a post having a keyhole slot and a stud with a shank and an enlarged head 
attached to the panel for locking the panel to the post. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,327,440 by W. C. Watkins teaches the use of downwardly 
extending tabs on the panel and upward extending tabs on the post section 
for securing the panel to the post. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,287 by J. S. Guillon teaches the use of vertical tongue 
and groove engagement between the post and panel for securing them 
together. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,374 by William S. Spamer, et. al., teaches the use of 
multiple apertures formed in the upright and notched bracket elements 
carried by the panel for engaging the aperture to secure the panel to the 
uprights. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The partition structure assembly of the invention has posts with panels 
spanning therebetween and locked together by a novel locking means. The 
locking means comprises locking members attached to the vertical I beam 
members attached to the panel. The locking members extend through openings 
in a snap-on facing over the I beam and partially through openings in the 
post. The snap-on facing and locking means are secured against vertical 
displacement by the upper surface of the locking member and slots on the 
facing member which engage the center end portion of a horizontal I beam 
member attached to the upper surface of the panel. The locking members 
have a downward extending tab located on their distal ends. The tab is 
angled slightly outward from the vertical centerline of the panel to 
provide a wedging effect against the inner surface of the post when forced 
downward. The panel assembly can be removed from the post by forcing the 
panel upward relative to the post to its extended position and pulling the 
two apart. Generally at least two locking members are employed on each 
panel vertical edge and the posts are generally rectangular and have 
equally spaced apertures on each of their flat side surfaces. The multiple 
locking members and apertures along each side of the post are uniformly 
spaced. The general arrangement of panels and post include at least two 
panels generally positioned perpendicular to each other and three posts 
one of which is common to both panels. 
An object of this invention is to provide an improved locking device 
whereby the panel and post components of the construction may be 
relatively assembled or disassembled with improved facility and in a 
minimum time, while at the same time assuring improved rigidity of 
assembly. 
Another object of this invention is to provide a construction as aforesaid 
such as will facilitate rearrangement or conversion of the structural into 
a large variety of unit forms. 
Another object of this invention is to provide improved structural 
components accessory to the primary panel and post components as aforesaid 
for finishing the assembly forms into forms of optimum appearance. 
These and other desirable objects and advantages of this invention will be 
described in the accompanying specification and illustrated in the drawing 
figures, a preferred embodiment being shown by way of illustration only, 
for, since the underlying principles may be incorporated in other methods 
or construction and embodied in other specific devices, it is not intended 
to be limited to the one here shown except as such limitations are clearly 
imposed by the appended claims. 
In the drawing figures like numerals refer to similar elements or parts 
throughout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
As illustrated in FIG. 1, construction units embodying the invention 
typically comprise generally a series of posts 10 and a series of panels 
12. These components are adapted to be relatively assembled to provide any 
desired platform layout wherein the panels 12 extend from the post members 
10 perpendicular to any of the four sides thereof. For example, FIG. 1 
illustrates a right angle assembly of two panel members upon a single post 
assuming the function of a corner post, but it will be understood that the 
posts may also be employed as intermediate connectors between mutually 
aligned panel members as well as angularly disaligned panels, with equal 
facility. 
The posts 10 are shown to be of square-sectioned wall form, such as may be 
conveniently fabricated from standard stock square tubing; and because of 
the features of the improved interlock device of the present invention the 
walls of the post members 10 require no sectional form modification in 
order to obtain rigid assembly connections between the posts and panel 
members. In the case of the present invention the posts 10 require only to 
be suitably apertured as indicated at 14 of FIG. 2. The apertures 14 are 
of a rectangular shape and are provided in the form of vertically spaced 
pairs of apertures in the side walls of the post members, at all four 
sides thereof. Thus, provision is made for mounting panels to extend from 
any of the four sides of the post. Subsequent to any desired setup of the 
construction, unused and exposed-to-view apertures are covered by means of 
resilient plugs 16 shape to be removably slip-fitted under elastic 
distortion into the apertures 14. End covers 18 are also furnished to slip 
fit downwardly within the upper ends of the posts. At their bottom ends 
the posts are preferably provided with any suitable screw-type vertical 
adjustment device 20 or the like for leveling the posts during 
installation of the assembly. 
The panel members 12 each comprise a central panel member 22 framed on all 
four sides by I shaped beams 24. The outer exposed surfaces of the I beams 
are covered with a facing 26. The facing 26 includes longitudinal distal 
end surfaces 28 that are formed to be inserted into the exposed open I 
beam surface and removably held therein by interlocking means well known 
in the art. The upper horizontal facings are installed for decorative 
reasons while the vertical facings are for a functional purpose 
hereinafter discussed in detail. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, this Fig. represents an enlarged view of FIG. 1 
taken along line 2--2 showing details of the locking engagement of panel 
12 to post 10. A locking member 30 is shown secured to the central portion 
32 of the vertical I beam 24. Generally two such locking members are used 
on each vertical I beam. Only one locking member is shown for ease of 
explanation. The locking member may be screwed to the I beam, as shown, by 
sheet metal screws 33, or fixedly attached thereto by any convenient means 
including bolting and welding not shown. The length of the shank 34 is 
relatively critical in that it must extend substantially but not entirely 
through an aperture 14 where the facing 26 is butted against one outer 
surface of the post 10. At the outer end of the shank a tab or end wall 36 
extends downwardly at an angle of from 5.degree. to 9.degree. inward from 
the adjacent inner wall of the tubular post. Ideally the angle will be 
substantially 7.degree.. The purpose of the angled tab or end wall will be 
hereinafter explained in detail. The vertical facing 26 has an aperture 38 
therethrough of substantially equal shape and size as aperture 14 through 
the post side wall. Obviously, the number of facing member apertures are 
equal to and located so as to align with the lock members. 
Near the upper end of the vertical facing members 26 along the surface 28 
thereof there are located slots 40 on each side surface thereof. The slots 
40 engages central portion 32 of the upper horizontal I beam 24 when the 
facing member is installed into the exposed open portion of the I beam as 
hereinbefore mentioned. The vertical facing member 26 has the location of 
the opening 38 and slot 40 positioned so that when installed on the I beam 
the upper surface 39 of the aperture 38 will bear against upper surface of 
the shank 34 of the locking member 30 so as to prevent relative movement 
of the locking member and facing member. It should be apparent, that if 
the facing member 26 were not locked to the horizontal I beam 24 by the 
slot 40 the post at aperture 14 would cause the shank 34 of the locking 
member and facing member 26 to be forced upward from its perpendicular 
position relative to central portion 24 of its attached I beam. This 
upward force would bend the locking member upward and would result in a 
failure of the wedge effect between the distal end of the locking member 
and inner surface of the post preventing the locking together of the post 
and panel as hereinafter explained. 
To install the panel assembly as shown in the Figs. to the post, the 
aperture, or apertures 14 on the post, are aligned with the substantially 
equal configured apertures 38 of the frame member adjacent thereto and the 
post and panel assembly are then pushed together wherein the locking 
member tab or end wall extends partially through aperture 14 into the 
interior of the post 10. Then the post is forced upward relative to the 
panel assembly or the panel assembly is forced downward relatively to the 
post. Somewhere intermediate the maximum length of the allowable relative 
movement between the post and panel assembly, the inner surface 42 of the 
tab or end wall 36, comes into physical contact with the post inner wall 
surface causing the wall of the post and the panel assembly to be brought 
together as the relative movement between the post and panel assembly is 
continued. When substantially maximum travel is accomplished by slight 
force, the inner surface of the tab or end wall provides a wedge effect 
against the inner surface of the post locking the post securely to the 
panel assembly for use as shown by example in FIG. 1. It should be obvious 
now that if slots 40 were not provided to prevent the movement of the 
facing 26 relative to the vertical I beam member and the maximum allowable 
relative movement between the post and panel assembly were exceeded beyond 
their expected limit the shank 34 of the locking member would bend upward 
and the wedge effect required to provide the locking together would be 
eliminated. 
When installed the post can be removed from the panel assembly by reverse 
relative movement and then pulling the post and panel assembly apart. 
Although only one form of the invention has been illustrated and described 
in detail herein, it will of course be appreciated that various changes 
may be made in the specific designed construction of the parts without 
departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended 
claims.