Sound insulating space dividing panel assembly

Each panel includes a pair of fibrous glass boards mounted in a generally rectangular frame having an inner peripheral flange between the fibrous glass boards and having five outer peripheral grooves for receiving finish fabric anchoring beads, generally semi-circular hollow moldings having finish fabric anchoring grooves, spaced cam members interlockable with those of an adjacent panel, and shelf bracket standards. Each panel has a pair of supporting legs and base side panels with snap-on connections to the legs. An alignment plate connects adjacent legs of adjacent panels and receives a post with a stabilizing foot extending transversely to the panels.

This invention relates generally to acoustical screens for dividing space 
in open-office building plans, and more particularly to an improved 
construction for such screens or panels.

With respect to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an assembly 10 of sound 
insulating panels, including an intermediate panel 11 and two end panels 
12 constructed in accordance with the invention. 
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of portions of the assembly 10 
including a portion of one of the end panels 12 with a fabric cover 
thereof removed. Each of the panels 11 and 12 includes a rectangular frame 
14 including a top frame member 15 (FIGS. 3 and 5), a bottom frame member 
16 (FIGS. 2, 4, and 6), and a pair of side frame members 17 and 18, all 
identical in cross section. Each frame member has an inner intermediate 
flange, such as flanges 15a, 16a, and 18a in FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, serving a 
as backstop for a pair of fibrous glass boards 20 (FIG. 6) in the frame 
14. Each board 20 is provided with a laminated aluminum foil facing 21 on 
the side thereof adjacent the flanges of the frame members. 
On its outer side, opposite the inner flange, each frame member has five 
longitudinal grooves including a generally T-shaped central groove such as 
groove 15b in FIGS. 3 and 5, two intermediate grooves such as grooves 15c 
in FIGS. 3 and 5 and grooves 18c in FIG. 7 respectively on opposite sides 
of the central groove, and two outer grooves such as grooves 15d in FIGS. 
3 and 5, grooves 16d in FIG. 4, and grooves 18d in FIG. 7, respectively 
adjacent the intermediate grooves. 
The outer grooves 15d of the top frame member 15 respectively receive 
opposite contoured edge portions of a generally semi-cylindrical hollow 
molding 22 having an intermediate groove 22a for receiving a fastening 
bead or strip 24 for a fabric cover 26. Any side frame member adjacent the 
free end of an end panel, such as the side frame member 17 in FIG. 2, has 
a molding similar to the molding 22 attached thereto, although not shown 
in FIG. 2. The outer grooves 16d of the bottom frame member 16 
respectively receive fastening strips 24 for the fabric cover 26. On any 
side frame member adjacent a side of a panel to be connected to another 
panel, such as the side frame member 18 of FIGS. 2 and 7, the outer 
grooves 18d respectively receive fastening strips 24 for the fabric cover 
26, the intermediate grooves 18c respectively receive a pair of shelf 
bracket standards 28, and the central groove 18b receives a pair of 
vertically spaced cam members 30a interlockable with cam members 30b 
facing the other way and mounted on the adjacent panel. Because the 
standards 28 are received in the intermediate grooves of each of two 
adjacent panels 11 or 12, they prevent movement of one panel transversely 
of the other. 
Each of the panels 11 and 12 has a pair of legs 32 (FIG. 2) secured by 
screws (not shown) to the bottom frame member 16 adjacent opposite ends 
thereof. Two base side panels 34 are mounted on the legs 32 on opposite 
sides of the respective panel 11 or 12 as best shown in FIG. 4, with 
interlocking portions adjacent the bottom and snap-on connections adjacent 
the top. The legs 32 have passageways extending longitudinally of the 
bottom frame member 16 to provide electrical wire raceways. Each end panel 
12 is provided with a base end cap 36 mounted on one of the legs 32. The 
leg 32 with the end cap 36 is also provided with a leveling foot 38 
threaded into an insert 40 best shown in FIG. 8 and mounted in a lower web 
portion of the leg 32. The other leg 32 has an alignment plate 42 secured 
to the lower web portion thereof by a bolt 43 and nut 44. The alignment 
plate 42 has a central aperture 42a. When required, the aperture 42a 
receives a post 46 having a stabilizing foot 47. with leveling adjustment 
being provided by a leveling sleeve 48 having a set screw 49. The sleeve 
48 is secured in an adjusted position on the post 46 beneath the alignment 
plate 42, and the post 46 is also received in the central grooves, such as 
groove 18b, of the side frame members of adjacent panels. When transverse 
stability is not a problem, such as when rows of panels 11 and 12 are laid 
out angularly to each other and connected to a joining post (not shown), 
the stabilizing feet 47 are not required and the aperture 42a may 
alternatively receive one of the inserts 40 with a leveling foot 38. 
Various modifications may be made in the structure shown and described 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.