Foamed plastic panel connecting means and wall structure

At each joint between pairs of adjacent foam panels, a vertical edge portion of one of the panels encases a major portion of the periphery of each of a plurality of vertically spaced cylindrical double socket members and a vertical edge portion of the other of the panels is correspondingly recessed to receive minor portions of the periphery of the socket members protruding from the one panel. Also at each joint, two vertically elongated clamps are secured respectively on opposite sides of the panels by pairs of screws, the screws of each pair being threaded respectively into opposite sockets of one of the double sockets. Opposite vertical edge portions of each clamp are vertically grooved on the side of the clamp facing the panels for respectively receiving a pair of gaskets.

This invention relates generally to rooms formed by or lined with foam 
panels and used principally for cold storage. More particularly, the 
invention relates to means for connecting adjacent foam panels. 
Prior to our invention, foam panels were sometimes connected by composite 
H-shaped frame members without compression. At each panel joint, each 
panel had to be caulked on both sides at the vertical edge portions of the 
frame member. A considerable amount of labor was required for installation 
of the panels. Further, to replace a damaged panel, an entire wall of the 
panels had to be dis-assembled. 
In accordance with our invention, panels are clamped on opposite sides at 
each joint by clamps carrying gaskets, whereby a positive seal against 
vapor transmission is provided. Caulking is eliminated. Considerably less 
labor is required for installation of the panels. Further, a single panel 
can be readily removed for replacement. With suitable brackets, the panels 
can be installed as a suspended ceiling. In addition, the clamps at each 
joint provide structural rigidity to a series of panels. 
An object of the invention is to provide an improved foam panel connecting 
means useful in constructing cold storage rooms. 
Another object is to provide a foam panel connecting means whereby a single 
panel of a room formed by or lined with panels may be readily removed for 
repair or replacement.

With respect to the drawings, FIGS. 1 to 4 show a pair of adjacent foam 
panels 10 and 11 with the connecting means of the invention. Preferably 
the panels 10 and 11 are made of urethane foam and are faced on opposite 
sides with aluminum foil. A typical panel is four feet wide, eight feet 
high, and from three to six inches thick. 
The connecting means includes a plurality of vertically spaced cylindrical 
double socket members 12 preferably made of a plastic such as Nylon and 
best shown in FIG. 5. The double sockets 12 may be made by cutting a rod 
into pieces of desired length and drilling and tapping each piece 
respectively at opposite ends to form sockets for a pair of screws. As 
best shown in FIG. 4, a major portion of the periphery of each of the 
double sockets 12 is encased in a vertical edge portion of the foam panel 
10, the protruding minor portion of the periphery being receivable in an 
appropriate recess in the adjacent vertical edge portion of the foam panel 
11. The double sockets 12 may be spaced about two feet apart along a 
vertical edge portion of a foam panel. 
The connecting means at the joint between the panels 10 and 11 also 
includes a pair of vertically elongated generally flat clamping members 14 
preferably extruded of aluminum and secured respectively on opposite sides 
of the panels by pairs of screws 16, the screws of each pair being 
threaded respectively into opposite sockets of one of the double sockets 
12. Opposite vertical edge portions of each of the clamps 14 are 
vertically grooved on the side of the clamp facing the panels, a pair of 
continuous gaskets 18, preferably formed of closed-cell foamed 
polyethlene, being received respectively in the grooves. When the screws 
16 are tightened, the gaskets 18 are compressed, as best shown in FIG. 3, 
providing a positive seal against vapor transmission, and the clamps 14 
provide structural rigidity across the joint between the panels 10 and 11. 
Various modifications may be made in the structure shown and described 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.