Wall panel for modular buildings and method of assembly

The present invention provides a preformed modular wall panel for constructing the exterior walls of a building and a method of assembling such wall panels. The wall panel comprises a rigid frame, a sheet of exterior finishing material attached to the exterior periphery of the frame and a sheet of insulating material held in slots in the frame intermediate the exterior and interior peripheries of the frame. This spaced-apart relationship defines a closed-air space between the exterior sheet and the insulating sheet. A cementitious exterior sheet attaches to the exterior periphery of the frame by a plurality of projections extending from the frame. The projections are embedded in a fluidal cementitious material held in a casting form. The cementitious material cures into a solidified exterior sheet. A method and apparatus for manufacturing the panel and a method and apparatus for erecting a wall of the panels are disclosed.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to modular building construction. More 
particularly, the present invention relates to a preformed wall panel, a 
method for making the preformed wall panel, a method for constructing 
walls of a modular building, and a wall constructed therefrom. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The erection of low rise, slab foundation buildings has been simplified by 
development of modular construction techniques. Such low-rise buildings 
are used typically as houses, warehouses, office buildings, and stores in 
shopping centers. Some such buildings are typically erected on poured 
concrete slab foundations. With conventional construction techniques, stud 
walls are prepared and secured to the foundation. The walls support 
rafters that span the foundation, and a roof is secured to the rafters. 
Interior walls subdivide the foundation and further support the rafters. 
Such a stick-frame building is closed-in by installing siding of various 
materials. Typically, several layers of siding materials are used, and 
these include fiber insulation boards, construction board sheets, and 
exterior skin materials such as brick, concrete, or wood siding. 
Insulation as appropriate is installed on the interior spaces between the 
studs. The interior walls are then typically closed with sheets of dry 
wall material. 
Such extensive work typically required for on-site construction of 
stick-frame building is laborious, expensive, and time consuming. Weather 
conditions may also delay the construction schedule until the building is 
closed in. 
Modular construction techniques, however, overcome some of these problems. 
These techniques include the use of modular panels for assembling the 
exterior walls. Generally, the modular panels include a support frame and 
an exterior skin. The modular panels are positioned in sequence around the 
foundation and are joined together. The exterior wall accordingly is 
closed-in as the building is assembled. U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,513 issued to 
Ankarswed describes a wall construction unit for buildings. A reinforced 
concrete layer constitutes the exterior face of the building. Longitudinal 
flanges extend from the concrete layer toward the interior of the 
building. Joists and intermediate insulation join the free end of the 
flanges and insulation is placed in the spaces between adjacent flanges. 
The insulation prevents formation of cold bridges between the exterior and 
interior of the building. The wall construction unit also includes a 
prolonged portion of the concrete layer extending from one flange, an 
intermediate portion extending from the end of the prolonged portion at 
right angles and parallel with the flanges, and a terminating flange 
extending at right angles from the end of the intermediate portion 
inwardly towards the adjacent flange. In cross-sectional view, these 
flanges in the prolonged portion partially close a substantially 
rectangular space which is filled with insulation. This rectangular 
section of the wall unit facilitates forming corners with a pair of such 
wall units. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,381 issued to Charles describes a panel with an 
exterior stucco surface. The panel attaches to adjacent studs of a 
building wall. The panel comprises a rectangular metal frame, a stucco 
sheet, and a plurality of metal tabs attached to the longer sides of the 
metal frames at vertically spaced intervals. The panel is assembled by 
placing the frame on a support with a sheet of felt paper in the frame. 
Cementitious material is poured onto the paper and cured. A rib lath is 
set on top and a second layer of cementitious material is poured. The 
cured panels are fastened to the framing studs by nailing through the 
metal tabs into the stubs. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,471 issued to Mooney describes prefabricated wall 
panels for a building. The building is constructed of load-bearing wall 
panels in combination with in-fill wall panels. The load-bearing panels 
include an integral subground level portion. This lower portion forms the 
foundation wall and rests on the footing of the building. In 
cross-sectional view, the load-bearing panels define a U-shape. A pair of 
flanges are disposed vertically on the side edges of the panel. The 
flanges constitute support columns for carrying the weight of the roof of 
the building. The space between the flanges is used for a pipe chase, air 
duct, recess for a sink unit, shelf space or insulation. As with standard 
construction, the space may also be covered by attaching interior wall 
panels to the free ends of the flanges. The load-bearing panels are 
positioned on the foundation on a steel angle embedded in the footing. A 
portion of the footing projects upward. A bolt also extends upward from 
the footing. The bottom front edge of the panel is welded to the portion 
extending upwardly from the footing. The back of the panel receives the 
bolt. A levelling nut is turned on the bolt to level the panel and is 
secured by welding the nut on the bolt. The in-fill panels are precast of 
reinforced concrete and preferably contain the window and door openings. 
The in-fill panels are positioned between and secured to a pair of 
load-bearing panels. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,669 issued to Considine describes a structural wall 
panel and method of assembly of such a panel. The panel includes a rigid 
insulating material to which studs and an exterior wafer board panel are 
bonded. The panels are manufactured by applying an adhesive to the wafer 
board panel, positioning the wafer board panel on top of a stud wall, and 
pressing the wafer board panel into the stud wall for a pre-determined 
time to secure the wafer board panel to the stud wall. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,743 issued to Jellen describes a construction method 
that erects pre-formed panels on a foundation of the building. The panels 
are mounted on carrier assemblies that travel in a track around the 
exterior of the foundation. Once the panels are in position, leveling 
bolts in the base of the panel are backed out to engage the upper surface 
of the track. Cementitious material is poured around the track and the 
base of the panel to firmly lock the panels and their supporting carrier 
assemblies into place. 
Such known modular panels and systems for installing modular panels have 
drawbacks which reduce the benefits that are expected from modular 
construction techniques. These drawbacks include low insulative 
characteristics of the panels, construction time and labor that decreases 
the advantages of modular construction, complications with assembly of the 
panels into a wall, and panels that are not readily adapted to include 
window and door openings. For some panels, insufficient insulative 
properties of the assembled panel requires on-site addition of insulation. 
This additional labor and expense at a job site is eliminated by a modular 
panel designed with improved insulative characteristics. 
For some modular panels, construction assembly is time consuming and labor 
intensive. Special connecting and leveling members are included in the 
panels, thereby increasing the cost and complexity of the panels. The 
modular panel should reduce overall labor and construction time to reduce 
the cost of the building construction. 
Related to this is on-site assembly of the panels into an exterior wall. 
Some panels have complicated interlocking flanges and support frames. 
These complicated assemblies are labor intensive to align the panels, 
level the panels, and join the panels together and to the foundation. Some 
wall panels made substantially entirely of concrete are heavy and require 
cranes to lift and move the panels. 
Some known modular buildings have windowless exterior walls. As discussed 
above, it is known to provide an in-fill panel to accommodate windows and 
doors. The modular panel should easily be adaptable to accommodating 
windows and doors. This will provide flexibility in designing office 
buildings and houses using these modular panels. 
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art for a modular panel for 
assembling exterior walls that has improved insulative characteristics, 
reduces labor and time to manufacture, is readily and easily assembled, 
and accommodates placement of windows and doors. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a preformed modular panel for constructing a 
wall of a building and provides a method of assembling such panels. 
Generally described, the panel comprises a rigid frame, a sheet of 
exterior finishing material, and a sheet of insulating material. The sheet 
of exterior finishing material attaches to an exterior periphery of the 
frame. The sheet of insulating material inserts into the frame 
intermediate an interior periphery and the exterior periphery of the 
frame. The insulating sheet is spaced apart from the sheet of exterior 
finishing material to define a dead-air space between the sheet of 
insulating material and the sheet of exterior finishing material. 
More particularly described, the panel comprises a rectangular frame made 
of interconnected members. At least two opposing members each include a 
slot parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member. The slot is spaced 
intermediate an exterior edge and an interior edge of the member. The 
sheet of insulating material slidably inserts in the frame intermediate 
the interior and the exterior peripheries. The slots in the members of the 
frame receive the edges of the sheet. A sheet of exterior finishing 
material attaches to the frame at the exterior periphery of the members. 
The exterior sheet is thereby spaced apart from the sheet of insulating 
material to define a dead-air space between the sheets. 
More particularly described, the frame comprises two parallel, spaced apart 
side members, a top plate, and a bottom plate. The top plate and the 
bottom plate connect to the side members to form a rectangle. The bottom 
plate rests on top of the foundation when a wall is built using the 
completed wall panel. In a preferred embodiment, the bottom plate is 
spaced up from the bottom edge of the exterior sheet to define a footer 
portion of the panel. The footer portion abuts a side of the foundation 
when the completed wall panel is joined together with other such panels to 
form a wall of a building. In another embodiment, the bottom plate aligns 
with a bottom edge of the sheet of exterior finishing material. 
An alternate embodiment of the present invention includes at least one 
intermediate member disposed parallel to and between the side members. The 
top plate and the bottom plate rigidly connect to the intermediate member. 
The frame may readily be adapted to include door jambs and window sills by 
the addition of appropriate cross members connected on the interior of the 
frame. 
The insulating sheet may be a foam sheet positioned in the frame during 
assembly. In a preferred embodiment the opposing side members, the top 
plate, and the bottom plate include longitudinal slots. The slots are 
uniformly spaced apart from the periphery of the side members and the 
plates. The slots receive the edges of the foam sheet. The sheet first 
slides along the slots of the side members into the slot of the top plate. 
The bottom edge of the foam material inserts into the slot in the bottom 
plate as the plate is added to the frame. The foam sheet in the frame 
cooperates with the exterior skin to define a dead air space. 
In a preferred embodiment, the sheet of exterior material is a skin of 
solidified cementitious material. A plurality of projections extend 
outwardly from the exterior side of the frame. During manufacture, the 
frame is positioned so that the projections extend down into fluidal 
cementitious material held in a casting form. The fluidal cementitious 
material cures around the projections into a solidified skin, with the 
projections anchoring the cementitious skin to the frame. In an alternate 
embodiment, the sheet of exterior material may be an exterior grade of 
siding. The siding is first positioned on the exterior periphery of the 
frame. Second, the projections, such as nails, screws, and the like, are 
driven through the siding and the insulating sheet into the members of the 
frame for attaching the siding to the frame. 
The present invention further provides a method of assembling a wall panel 
for modular building construction. Generally described, the method 
comprises placing in a frame a sheet of insulating material intermediate 
an exterior periphery and an interior periphery of the frame and attaching 
a sheet of exterior finishing material to the exterior periphery. The 
sheets of insulating material and exterior finishing material are thereby 
spaced apart and define a dead-air space. The dead-air space provides the 
wall panel with increased insulative characteristics. 
More particularly described, the method of assembling the wall panel 
includes inserting the edges of the sheet of insulating material into 
slots formed in the members of the frame. The slots in the members extend 
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the members and intermediate an 
exterior edge and an interior edge. The frame is preferably first 
partially assembled into a U-shape having a top plate and two side 
members. The sheet of insulating material slides into the partially formed 
frame. After positioning the sheet of insulating material in the frame, 
the bottom plate connects to the respective ends of the two side members, 
and the slot in the bottom plate receives the edge of the sheet of 
insulating material. The sheet of exterior skin attaches to the exterior 
periphery of the frame to complete the wall panel. 
In the embodiment having an exterior sheet of the cementitious material, a 
plurality of projections, such as nails, extend outwardly from the frame. 
The frame is inverted to position the projections down into the fluidal 
cementitious material contained in a casting form. The cementitious 
material receives and surrounds the projections, and cures into the 
solidified skin with the projections anchoring the cementitious material 
to the frame. 
Completed wall panels are stacked and transported to a construction site 
for a building. The foundation for the building preferably is a concrete 
slab having a height above grade at least equal to the height of the 
footer portion of the panels. The panels can also be used for buildings 
have wood joists and floors supported by cement block footings or poured 
foundations. An erector cart transports and handles the modular wall 
panels during assembly of the wall. The wall panel is pulled from a stack 
of panels with a wench and placed on the cart, and with a shoe on the cart 
supporting the frame from below the bottom plate, the cart is moved to the 
edge of the building. The wall panel is elevated by a hydraulic cylinder 
on the cart into a near vertical position with the bottom plate resting on 
the slab or floor and the footer portion overhanging the edge of the slab. 
Rocking the wall panel forward permits the shoe of the cart to be 
withdrawn from beneath the bottom plate. The panel is then slid laterally 
sideways until it contacts the adjacent panel and is vertically aligned 
therewith. The installed panel may then be secured to the slab and to the 
adjacent wall panels. 
The present invention thereby provides a wall panel with improved 
insulative characteristics for constructing the exterior walls of a 
modular building and a structural wall formed from a plurality of such 
panels. The present invention provides a method for rapidly assembling 
such modular wall panels. Further, the wall panel of the present invention 
readily adapts to positioning windows and doorways in the modular panel. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a modular 
building panel. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel that is easily constructed. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel that during assembly may easily be modified to accommodate window 
and door openings. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel with improved insulative characteristics. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel that economically defines a dead-air space for insulation purposes. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel that readily receives an exterior skin. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel that reduces the materials and construction costs for a building. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel that is economically competitive with conventional construction 
techniques for buildings. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel that increases the energy efficiency of the building over 
conventional buildings. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel and assembly system that reduces the time required to assemble a 
weather-tight shell for a building as compared with conventional 
construction. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a modular building 
panel that reduces routine maintenance over the life of the building. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved wall 
assembled from a plurality of novel modular panels. 
Still other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will 
become apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description in 
conjunction with the drawings and the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now in more detail to the drawings, in which like numerals 
indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a 
perspective view of a pre-formed modular wall panel 20 constructed in 
accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. A 
plurality of the wall panels 20 join together to form an exterior wall of 
a building. In FIG. 1, a portion of the wall panel 20 is cut-way to reveal 
interior detail. The wall panel 20 includes a frame 22 that supports an 
exterior sheet 24 of finishing material and an insulating sheet 26 on the 
interior of the frame. The exterior sheet 24 attaches to an exterior 
periphery 28 of the frame 22. The insulating sheet 26 is disposed 
intermediate an interior periphery 29 and the exterior periphery 28 of the 
frame 22 and accordingly is spaced apart from the exterior sheet 24. This 
spaced-apart relationship defines a dead-air space 30 between the exterior 
sheet 24 and the insulating sheet 26. The dead-air space 30 increases the 
insulating characteristics of the panel 20. 
More particularly described, the frame 22 comprises a pair of parallel side 
members 32 joined to a bottom plate 34 and a top plate 36 at the 
respective ends. The panel 20 in the illustrated embodiment also includes 
a pair of spaced-apart intermediate members 38 disposed parallel to the 
side members 32. The intermediate members 38 connect at their ends to the 
bottom plate 34 and the top plate 36. The depth A of the intermediate 
members 38 is less than depth B of the side members 32, the bottom plate 
34, and the top plate 36. The side members 32, the bottom plate 34, and 
the top plate 36 each include a longitudinal slot 39 in the respective 
interior surface. The slot 39 in each of the side members 32, the bottom 
plate 34 and the top plate 36 is intermediate the interior periphery 29 
and the exterior periphery 28 of the frame 22. The slot 39 is accordingly 
spaced apart from the exterior periphery 28 of the frame 22, and has a 
depth sized to receive an edge of the insulating sheet 26. In a view from 
the exterior periphery 28, the slot 39 is positioned so that a bottom edge 
40 of the slot is no lower than the exterior facing edge of the 
intermediate members 38. 
The insulating sheet 26 of the panel 20 is preferably a foam sheet and is 
preferably a dense-packed polystyrene material having insulative 
properties. The insulating sheet 26 is supported in the frame 22 by 
inserting the edges of the insulating sheet into the slots 39 of the side 
members 32, the bottom plate 34, and the top plate 36. The insulating 
sheet 26 cooperates with the exterior sheet 24 and the members of the 
frame 22 to define the dead-air space 30. Engagement of the edges of the 
insulating sheet 24 in the slots 39 forms a closed air space in 
cooperation with the exterior sheet 24, thereby providing increased 
insulative characteristics for the modular wall panel 20. The dead-air 
space 30 preferably has a depth of about one to two inches. A plurality of 
blocks 27 can be disposed on the insulating sheet 26 to space it from the 
exterior sheet 24 and to prevent the insulating sheet from partially 
dividing the dead-air space 30. This occurs on occasion when the 
insulation sheet is pushed outwardly while insulation material is being 
attached to the interior side of the frame 22 after the wall panel is 
joined to others to form a wall. 
A plurality of projections 44 extend outwardly from the exterior periphery 
28 of the panel 20. The projections 44 are spaced apart and extend 
outwardly from the side members 32, the bottom plate 34, the top plate 36 
and the intermediate members 38. The projections 44 engage and attach the 
exterior sheet 24 to the frame 22. The projections 44 preferably are 
nails, such as a three and one quarter inch galvanized screw shank nail. 
The nails in the intermediate members 38 are driven through the insulating 
sheet 26. In one embodiment of the invention (not illustrated), the 
exterior sheet 24 is a hardboard sheet positioned on the exterior 
periphery 28 of the frame 22. A plurality of the nails are driven through 
the hardboard sheet to secure the hardboard sheet to the frame 22. In a 
preferred embodiment of the modular panel 20, the exterior sheet 24 is a 
cementitious sheet with a depth of between about one and a half inches and 
two and one half inches. The nails are driven into the frame 22 with a 
portion of each nail extending outwardly from the exterior periphery 28 a 
distance calculated to have the head of the nail within the exterior sheet 
24. The projections 44 embed in the exterior sheet 24 by inverting the 
frame 22 so the projections extend downward into a casting form containing 
a fluidal cementitious material. The cementitious material is cured and 
the embedded projections 44 secure the solidified cementitious sheet to 
the frame 22. 
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the bottom plate 34 is spaced apart from a lower 
edge 48 of the exterior sheet 24 to define a footer portion generally 
designated 50 extending as a cantilever from a wall portion 52 of the 
panel 20. The embodiment of the wall panel having the cementitious 
exterior sheet also includes a plurality of reinforcement bars 54 embedded 
in the footer portion 50 and extend into the wall portion 52 of the sheet. 
Two of the reinforcement bars 54 are illustrate in phanton in FIG. 1. The 
bars 54 are spaced apart and are disposed parallel to the longitudinal 
axis of the wall panel 20. In an alternate embodiment, the bottom plate 34 
is aligned with the lower edge 48. The concrete exterior skin may be 
further reinforced by adding fiber reinforcement during mixing of the 
cementitious fluidal material. One such reinforcement fiber is FIBERMESH 
fiber available from Fibermesh Company of Chattanooga, Tenn. 
In a preferred embodiment of the panel 20, the side members 32, the bottom 
plate 34, the top plate 36, and the intermediate members 38 are made of 
pressure treated wood boards. The side members 32 and the plates 34 and 36 
are made of two by six boards. The intermediate members 38 are made of two 
by four boards. In an alternate embodiment (not illustrated) the side 
members and the plates are metal studs with U-channels attached to the 
sides for receiving the edges of the insulating sheet. 
FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a jig 60 for assembling the frame 22 
discussed above. The jig 60 preferably stands at an incline so the members 
of the frame 22 lay upon it while being accessible to a person in a 
standing position during assembly of the frame. The jig 60 includes side 
legs 62 and 63, with a pair of stops 64 extending laterally from the side 
leg 62. The stops 64 provide a backing to hold the top plate 36 during 
assembly of the frame 22. Four transverse beams 66, 67, 68, and 69 connect 
to the side legs 62 and 63. The beam 66 supports a V-shaped track member 
70 pointed downward and the beam 68 supports a V-shaped track member 72 
pointed upward. The upper beam 69 supports a pair of air chambers 98 that 
are operable to raise and lower rubber shoes for rigidly holding the 
members of the frame 22 during assembly, as discussed below. The air 
chambers 98 connect to a supply of compressed air. Four vertical braces 
73, 74, 75, and 76 connect to the transverse beams 64, 65, 66 and 67 to 
provide rigidity and strength to the jig 60. 
The jig 60 includes a moveable traversing frame 78 having a support beam 80 
with four nail fun stations 82 and a pair of trolleys 84. Two of the nail 
gun stations align with the intermediate members 38 which are covered by 
the insulating sheet 26, best illustrated in FIG. 1. Each trolley 84 
comprises an arm 85 on which is mounted a pair of V-groove wheels 86. The 
wheels 86 engage and travel on the track members 70 and 72. 
Three horizontal bars 88, 90, and 92 connect to the braces 74, 75 and 76. 
The beam 66 and the bars 88, 90 and 92 are L-shaped in cross-section, so 
each has an outwardly extending horizontal shelf. A member of the frame 22 
lies on each of the shelves during assembly. A pair of clamp rails 94 
extend perpendicularly between the beams 66 and 69 adjacent the bars 88, 
90, and 92 and each clamp rail connects at an upper end to an actuator rod 
extending from one of the air chambers 98. Four clamp shoes 96 connect to 
each clamp rail 94, and each clamp shoe is spaced vertically above a 
respective one of the beam 66 and the bars 88, 90, and 92. Each clamp shoe 
96 comprises a rubber shoe attached to a pair of gusset plates that 
connect to and extend laterally from the clamp rail 94. In the illustrated 
embodiment, the clamp rail 94 is a U-channel with inwardly directed 
flanges. The gusset plates are disposed on the sides of the channel. A 
back plate connects to the gussets across the open back side of the 
U-channel. An inside plate is held against the inwardly directed flanges 
on the interior of the U-channel with a bolt extending through the back 
plate and threaded into a tapped hole in the inside plate. The bolt 
rigidly connects the clamp shoe 96 to the rail 94 and the clamp shoes 96 
are thereby selectively positioned over the beam 66 and the bars 88, 90 
and 92. An end clamp 100 pivotally connects at a joint 97 to a plate 99 
which is horizontally disposed and attached to the leg 63 and the brace 
73. The clamp shoes 96 and the end clamp 100 hold the members and the 
plates of the frame 22 during assembly of the frame. The jig 60 is 
adjustable to facilitate production of panels of various lengths. For 
instance, the bars 88, 90, and 92 are bolted to the rails 74 and 76 at 
predetermined pre-drilled holes to accommodate the frame of the 
illustrated embodiment. These bars may be moved or removed to accommodate 
other frame structures. The clamp 100 may be repositioned laterally to a 
different pivot joint to accommodate various lengths for the frame 27. 
To assemble the frame 22 illustrated in FIG. 1, the top plate 36 is 
positioned against the stops 64 on the leg 62. The pair of side members 32 
are placed on the lateral shelves of the beam 66 and the bar 92. The pair 
of intermediate members 38 are placed on the lateral shelves of the bars 
88 and 90. The ends of the horizontally disposed members 32 and 38 are 
butted up against the vertically disposed top plate 36. Then the air 
chambers 98 are operated to extend the actuator rod from the air chamber. 
This moves the clamp rails 94 downward and thereby presses the rubber 
shoes against the sides of the frame members 32 and 38 to forcibly hold 
them against the shelves of the bars 66, 88, 90, and 92. The clamp shoes 
96 prevent the side members 32 and the intermediate members 38 from moving 
while the frame 22 is assembled and nailed rigidly together. The 
insulating sheet 26 of foam material is next slidably inserted into the 
longitudinal slots 39 of the side members 32 in the partially complete 
frame 22. The insulating sheet 26 rests on the upper surface of the 
intermediate members 38. In an alternate embodiment, not illustrated, the 
side members 32 may include a trim board on the inside surface instead of 
the slot 39. The insulating sheet 26 then rests on and is secured to the 
trim boards by gluing, nailing, or other such means. 
The top edge of the insulating sheet 26 is inserted into the slot 39 of the 
top plate 36. The bottom plate 34 is then positioned against the ends of 
the side members 32 and the intermediate members 38. The slot 39 in the 
bottom plate 34 receives the free edge of the insulating sheet 26. The end 
clamp 100 is pivoted at its joint 97 from a first position parallel to the 
side leg 63 to a second position parallel to the transverse beam 67. A 
first end 101 of the clamp 100 bears against the exterior side of the 
bottom plate 34. The clamp 100 thereby pushes the bottom plate 34 tightly 
against the side members 32 and the intermediate members 38. The top plate 
36 and the bottom plate 34 are then nailed to the ends of the side members 
32 and the intermediate members 38. 
To provide the projections 44 in the frame 22, a nail gun is positioned in 
one of the nail gun stations 82. The nail gun is preferably air-actuated 
to facilitate positioning the projections 44 in the frame 22. The 
traversing frame 78 is rolled laterally across the frame 22 with the 
wheels 86 of the traversing frame 78 traveling on the V-shaped track 
members 70 and 72. The travelling frame 78 is stopped periodically and the 
nail gun operated to drive nails into the frame members 32 and 38 at 
spaced intervals. When the travelling frame 78 reaches the opposite end of 
the frame 22, the nail gun is removed and positioned in another of the 
nail gun stations 82. The travel of traversing frame 78 is then reversed. 
The traversing frame 78 is again stopped at intervals and the nail gun 
activated to drive nails into the frame 22. The nail gun is positioned at 
each nail station 82 and the traversing frame moved laterally across the 
jig 60 and stopped periodically in order to operate the nail gun for 
placing the projections 44 in the frame 22. 
In an especially preferred embodiment, the exterior sheet 24 is a 
cementitious sheet. A spacer (not illustrated) is preferably used with the 
nail gun to assure that the head of the nails are disposed outwardly from 
the frame 22 a distance calculated to place the heads within the 
cementitious exterior sheet 24. The spacer is manually held in place 
between the nail gun and the insulating sheet 26 in the frame 22. The 
barrel of the nail gun is extended through a bore in the spacer for firing 
nails through the insulating sheet 26 into the members of the frame 22. 
The completed frame 22 is then removed from the jig 60 and stacked with 
other frames 22 for transport to an assembly area for attaching a 
cementitious exterior skin. In an alternate embodiment, the exterior sheet 
24 is a hardboard sheet, such as MASONITE paneling or the like. In this 
alternate embodiment, the hardboard sheet is positioned on the exterior 
periphery 28 of the frame 22 prior to nailing. The nails secure the 
hardboard sheet to the exterior periphery 28 of frame 22. The panels with 
the hardboard sheet exterior are stacked for transport to a construction 
site. 
In the preferred embodiment, the cementitious exterior sheet 24 is then 
attached to the frame 22. The modular panel 20 having the cementitious 
exterior sheet 24 preferably is manufactured on an assembly line 120 
illustrated in a top schematic view in FIG. 3. The assembly line 120 
includes apparatus that facilitates handling of the panels 20 which may be 
quite large and heavy. A preferred size of the panel 20 is about four feet 
wide by nine feet high. The width of about four feet is a multiple of the 
sixteen and twenty-four inch offsets for wall studs found in typical 
building construction. The height of about nine feet provides a footer 50 
of twelve inches and a standard wall of about eight feet between the floor 
and the ceiling. 
Briefly, the closed-loop assembly line 120 illustrated in FIG. 3 comprises 
a pair of roller conveyors 122 in a staging area 126 and two sets of 
parallel guiderails 124 and 125 that carry a casting form 136 through a 
curing area 135 and a discharge area 137, respectively. An elevator 128 
between the staging area 126 and a cement pouring area 130 transfers the 
filled casting form 136 to the guiderails 125 in the curing area 135. A 
crane 134 in the discharge area 137 of the assembly line 120 removes the 
completed modular wall panel 20 from the guiderails 124. In use of the 
assembly line 120 as shown, the panels 20 are moved manually along the 
guiderails. 
Generally described, the casting form 136, discussed below, for the 
cementitious exterior sheet 24 is received by the roller conveyor 122 in 
the staging area 126. The casting form 136 is moved across the elevator 
128, which is in a raised position, to the cement pouring area 130. A 
predetermined volume of fluidal cementitious material is poured into the 
casting form 136. As the casting form 136 is returned to the elevator 128, 
it passes under a vibrating screed 138 to assist leveling the cementitious 
material in the form 136. One of the frames 22 described above is 
positioned on the casting form 130 with the projections 44 extending 
downwardly into the layer of fluidal cementitious material. 
The elevator 128 is then lowered to place the casting form 136 on the 
guiderails 125 for traveling through the curing area 135. The casting form 
136 is moved laterally on the guiderails 125 to a first position 135a 
immediately adjacent the elevator 128. A squaring jig (discussed below) is 
placed on the frame 22 to align the frame with the casting form 136 while 
the cementitious material cures. In the preferred embodiment, the squaring 
jig remains on the frame 22 until the next panel has been produced and is 
ready to move into the position 135a. However, the squaring jig is not 
removed until the cementitious material is cured sufficiently so the 
projections 44 hold the solidified cement skin to the frame 22 and 
depending on the cure rate of the cement, a plurality of squaring rigs may 
be required so one accompanies each casting form into the discharge area. 
Each of the casting forms 136 is sequentially moved from the curing area 
135 onto a transfer cart 139 in the transfer area 132. The transfer cart 
139 travels on the guiderails 133 to move the casting form 136 from the 
curing area 135 to the discharge area 137. In the discharge area 137, the 
crane 134 is connected to the casting form 136 in which the cementitious 
material has cured to form the solidified exterior sheet 28. The crane 134 
includes a roll-over truss (discussed below) for lifting the casting form 
136 including the wall panel 20 from the guiderails 124 and rotating the 
panel 180.degree. before setting the panel on a stack (not illustrated) of 
completed panels 20. The panel 20 is released from the casting form 136 
which is then transferred to the staging area 126 to begin the 
manufacturing process again. 
FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c illustrate the casting form 136 in top view, side view, 
and end view, respectively. FIG. 4d is a cut-away partial perspective view 
of the casting form 136. FIG. 4e is a cut-away end view of the casting 
form 136. The casting form 136 comprises four U-channels 140 connected 
together at the longitudinal ends to define the rectangular shape of the 
illustrated modular panel 20. Each of the U-channels 140 faces inwardly 
with the side flanges 141 disposed horizontally. The two U-channels 140 
defining the ends of the casting form 136 each include an opening 142 in 
the side-facing base of the "U." The opening 142a in one end U-channel 140 
is rectangular while the opening 142b in the opposite end U-channel is 
circular. The openings 142 receive pins extending from a support truss 
(discussed below) that is carried by the crane 134 in order to lift, roll 
over and move the finished wall panel 20 from the guiderails 124 in the 
discharge area 137. 
At least two bolts 143 extend outwardly from the outside surface of the 
U-channels 140 below the midpoint of the channels. As best shown in FIG. 
4e, the bolts 143 extend through holes in the U-channels 140 so that the 
bolt heads 111 are inside the casting form 136. The bolt heads 111 are 
welded to the U-channel 140 to secure the bolts 143 to the casting form 
136. A plurality of bolts 143a similarly attach to and protrude from the 
U-channels 140 near the upper edge. The bolts 143 and 143a cooperate to 
align and attach a rail 144 to each of the U-channels 140. 
Four rails 144 releasably attach to the U-channels 140 that define the two 
sides and the two ends of the casting form 136. The rails 144 include a 
plurality of large openings 146 and at least two small openings 147 spaced 
apart in correspondence with the bolts 143a and 143. The diameter of large 
openings 146 preferably are larger than the diameter of the bolts 143, 
with tolerance to allow the rail 144 to have lateral movement on the bolts 
143a, for stripping as discussed below. The diameter of the small opening 
147 is preferably smaller than the diameter of the larger opening 146. 
The rails 144 attach to the U-channels 140 by sliding the respective 
openings 146 and 147 over the outwardly extending bolts 143a and 143. A 
wing nut 149 threads on each of the bolts 143a passing through a large 
opening 146. The wing nuts 149 tighten down to hold the rails 144 against 
the casting form 136. The small openings 147 cooperate with the bolts 143 
to align the rail 144 on the U-channel 140 and to prevent the rail 144 
from sliding up and down. The larger openings 146 have a loose fit with 
the bolts 143a to facilitate breaking the rails 144 away from the 
cementitious skin after curing so the panel 20 may be removed from the 
casting form 136. As necessary, shims may be inserted between the 
U-channel 140 and the rail 144. For example, the casting form 136 is 
preferably smaller than the desired final width of the panel 20. In the 
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 with a four foot wide panel, the shims 
adjust the width of the casting form 136 to a desired width such as 477/8 
inches. This accommodates placement of caulk between adjacent panels and 
for tolerance on placing the panels during assembly of the building. 
With reference to FIGS. 4d and 4e, a plywood sheet 150 attaches to the 
upper surface of the upper flange 141. A concrete form liner 151 lies on 
the plywood sheet 150. In a preferred embodiment, the form liner 151 is 
bonded permanently to the plywood sheet 150. This reduces the shrinkage of 
the form liner 151 during use. It is preferred that an ELASTO-TEX form 
liner available from Symons Corporation in Des Plaines, Ill. be used, 
although other form liners are available. These include the DESIGN-PLUS 
form liners manufactured by Scott Company of Denver, Colo. 
The rails 144 define upstanding walls around the edge of the form liner 
151. Each rail 144 includes a bevel overhang 152 along an upper edge that 
is spaced upwardly of the liner 151 and that extends inwardly and over the 
form liner. The rails 144 and the plywood sheet 150 with the form liner 
151 define a cavity 148 for receiving fluidal cementitious material, as 
best viewed in FIG. 4e. An L-shape stiffener 153 (best illustrated in 
FIGS. 4a and 4e) attaches along the upper edge of the outside face of each 
of the rails 144a and 144b on the sides of the casting form 136. The 
stiffener 153 increases the rigidity of these rails 144a and 144b on the 
sides to resist the lateral outward pressure of the cementitious material 
that is poured into the casting form 136 during manufacture of the panel 
20. In a preferred embodiment, both of the stiffeners 153 include two 
spaced-apart holes 145 for a purpose discussed below. 
The left and the right sides of the casting form 136 in FIG. 4e illustrate 
the two positions for the rails 144 as discussed above. The wing nut 149a 
tightens on the bolt 143 to firmly hold the rail 144a against the 
U-channel 140, as shown on the left side of the casting form 136. With the 
rails 144 held against the U-channels, fluidal cementitious material is 
poured into the cavity 148 and cured. In the second position as shown on 
the right side of the casting form 136, the rails 144 break away from the 
U-channels 140 after curing. The wing nut 149b is loosened on the bolt 
143. The rail 144 breaks away from the U-channel 140 and from the 
solidified cementitious material in the cavity 148. The completed panel 20 
is then removed from the casting form 136. 
With reference to FIGS. 4c, 4d, and 4e, a pair of angle members 154 connect 
to the bottom of the casting form 136 along the sides parallel to the 
longitudinal axis. Each member 154 extends downward and terminates in a 
V-shape rail 155. The rails 155 travel in V-groove wheels on stanchions in 
the assembly line 120 to move the casting form 136 during manufacturing of 
the panel 20. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the casting form 136 not only 
is moved left to right from the staging area 126 to the cement pouring 
area 130, it also is moved front to back through the curing area 135 and 
the discharge area 137. To provide for this second direction of travel, 
the bottom of the casting from 136 includes a V-groove wheel 156 near each 
of the four corners of the casting form. Each wheel 156 freely rotates on 
a pin connected between a pair of flanges 157 on the interior of the 
casting form. The flanges 157 rigidly connect at a perpendicular angle to 
the side U-channels 140. 
As illustrated in FIG. 4a, a bulkhead 158 removably inserts into the cavity 
148 and is disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the casting 
form 136. A pair of braces 159 extend between a back side of the bulkhead 
158 and the inside surface of the end rail 144. During manufacture of the 
panel 20, the bulkhead 158 and the braces 159 are positioned to define the 
bottom edge 48 of the cementitious exterior sheet 24. The bulkhead 158 
includes a bevel 152 along an upper edge, which overhangs the form liner 
151 as discussed above with respect to the rails 144. Further, the ends of 
the bulkhead 158 at its upper edge are chamfered to insert under the bevel 
152c of the rails 144 on the sides of the casting form 136 to engage the 
bulkhead with the rails. 
With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, the staging area 126 includes the pair of 
aligned roller conveyors 122. As shown in FIG. 5 in side view, each of the 
roller conveyors 122 comprises a frame 160 made of interconnected frame 
members 161 and four vertical channels 163. A stanchion 162 slidably 
inserts into each channel 163 and is secured with nuts and bolts at a 
predetermined height as discused below. A caster assembly 164 connects to 
the upper end of each stanchion 162. The caster assembly 164 includes a 
pair of vertical flanges 166, a pin 168 and a V-groove wheel 170. The pin 
168 extends between the flanges 166, and the wheel 170 rotates freely on 
the pin. The V-shaped rails 155 of the member 154 on the casting form 136 
travel on the wheels 170. The height of the wheels 170 on the stanchions 
162 are vertically higher than the guiderails 124 and 125 so that the 
casting form 136 can move over the guiderails 124 and 125 from the staging 
area 126 to the concrete pouring area 130. During this move, the casting 
form 136 also passes over the elevator 128 which is in its raised 
position. 
FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate a top plan view and a side view, respectively, 
of the elevator 128. FIG. 6c is a perspective view of a portion of the 
elevator 128 that lowers the casting form 136 filled with concrete to the 
guiderails 125 in the curing area 135. The elevator 128 comprises a pair 
of supports 172, a rectangular chassis 174 which is vertically movable 
with respect to the supports 172, and a two-part elevator mechanism 
generally designated 176 which raises and lowers the chassis 174. The 
elevator mechanism 176 includes a pair of identical actuator assemblies 
179 mounted in diagonally opposite corners of the elevator 128. The 
supports 172 in the illustrated embodiment are elongate L-shaped members. 
The chassis 174 includes two side members 177 positioned parallel to and 
outside the supports 172, with four posts 178, one of which is rigidly 
connected at each of the longitudinal ends of the side members 177, a 
vertically disposed U-shaped channel 180 attached to an inner side of each 
of the posts 178, and two transverse members 182 that connect to aligned 
pairs of the posts. An inner side of each channel 180 is adjacent the 
outside face of the support 172. A stanchion 184 is slidably received by 
each channel 180 and is attached thereto at a predetermined height by nuts 
and bolts. A plate 183 is horizontally disposed between an aligned pair of 
the stanchions 184. A caster assembly 164 similar to the assembly 
discussed above mounts to the plate 183 above each stanchion 184. The 
transverse members 182 connect to an aligned pair of the posts 178 on 
opposite sides of the elevator 128. 
As best shown in FIG. 6c, the elevator mechanism 176 includes a pair of air 
chambers 186 and two transfer rods 188, one of which is associated with 
each actuator 179. Each of the air chambers 186 is positioned at about the 
midpoint between the two supports 172 on a support 192 extending laterally 
from each of the supports 172. The air chamber 186 connect to a supply of 
compressed air and an actuator (not illustrated). Each air chamber 186 
includes a movable shaft 194 that is disposed laterally toward the 
respective support 172. A clevis 196 connects the shaft 194 to an arm 198 
that is attached to a transfer rod 188 disposed parallel to and spaced 
inwardly from the support 172. Two bearing blocks 200 are attached to the 
support 172 to hold the transfer rod 188 near each of its longitudinal 
ends. An arm 202 rigidly connects to each end of the transfer rod 188 
outwardly of the bearing blocks 200. A link 204 pivotally connects between 
the free end of each arm 202 and a lug 206 that rigidly connects to the 
transverse member 182 of the chassis 174. It will thus be seen that 
reciprocal motion of the shaft 194 is converted into vertical motion of 
the chassis by operation of the linked arms and the transfer rods. 
A pair of cantilever arms 208 rigidly attaches to each rod 188 inwardly of 
the bearings 200. The arms 208 at the respective ends of the parallel, 
spaced apart transfer rods 188 are oriented in opposite directions. One 
arm 208 is thus oriented downwardly and the associated arm 208 on the 
opposite transfer rod 188 is oriented upwardly, as best illustrated in 
FIG. 6c. A stabilizer rod 190 pivotally connects to the free ends of each 
pair of aligned cantilever arms 208. In the illustrated embodiment, a 
clevis 210 joins the stabilizer rod 190 to each of the arms 208. The 
stabilizer rod 190 assures that both sides of the elevator 128 move 
together smoothly and consistently. 
With reference to FIG. 3, the concrete pouring area 130 includes a source 
of fluidal cementitious material, such as a cement mixer generally 
designated 212, and a screed bridge 214. A chute 216 attaches to the 
cement mixer 212 and communicates the cementitious material from the mixer 
212 to the casting form 136. 
FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of the screed bridge 214 in which a screed 
vibrates to level the cementitious material contained in the casting form 
136. The screed bridge 214 includes a support frame 218 with a horizontal 
member 215 extending outwardly from a first end of the frame. A drive 
motor 220 mounts on an outside portion of the member 215 and is operated 
during the manufacturing process discussed below to move the casting form 
136 towards the cement mixer, and then while it is being filled with 
cement, to move it back through the screed bridge 214 onto the elevator 
128. The drive motor 220 is preferably variable speed so that the casting 
form 136 can move while the cement fills the cavity 148 as fast as the 
cement is screed off. 
A pair of vertical members 219 extend upwardly at the ends of the frame 218 
and a U-shaped channel 217 connects on an outside face of each vertical 
member 219. A stanchion 222 slidably inserts into each of the channels 217 
and is connected thereto with nuts and bolts that pass through aligned 
holes in the channel and the stanchion. A plate 221 extends horizontally 
between and connects to the upper ends of the pair of stanchions 222. A 
pair of bearings 225 mount on the upper surface of the plate 221 at its 
ends. The bearings 225 support a drive axle 224 that may rotate in the 
bearings. A pair of V-groove drive wheels 227 are rigidly connected to the 
drive axle 224 with one wheel adjacent each of the bearings 225. The drive 
wheels 227 are disposed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the drive 
axle 224. The drive wheels 227 receive the end rails 155 of the casting 
form 136, as discussed below, to roll the casting form through the screed 
bridge 214. A drive gear 228 attaches to one end of the drive axle that 
extends outwardly through the bearing 225. The drive gear 228 is 
operatively connected by a drive belt 223 to the drive motor 220. 
An arm 230 extends upwardly from the first end of the screed bridge 214 and 
a control box 239 attaches at an upper end of the arm. The control box 239 
includes the switches to operate the drive motor 220, a screed motor 232, 
and the flow of the cementitious material into the casting form 136. A 
second arm 231 extends outwardly and upwardly from a second end of the 
frame 218. A screed 226 disposed horizontally attaches to each of the arms 
230 and 231 at a pair of connections 226a, which connections each include 
a flexible gasket (not illustrated) such as rubber or the like, thereby 
providing capability for absorbing relative movement between the screed 
226 and the arms. The screed motor 232 attaches to the upper surface of 
the screed 226 and operates to vibrate the screed in order to level the 
cementitious material in the casting form 136 during the manufacturing 
process. 
Referring again to FIG. 3, the transfer cart 139 in the transfer area 132 
carries the casting forms 136 from the concrete curing area 135 to the 
discharge area 137 of the loop assembly line 120. The transfer cart 139 
travels on the pair of guiderails 133 disposed perpendicular to the two 
sets of guiderails 124 and 125. 
As illustrated in FIG. 8, the guiderails 124 and 125 comprise elongate 
members 233 having an angle member 234 rigidly attached on an upper edge. 
The angle member 234 defines a V-shape pointing upward. The V-groove 
wheels 156 on the bottom of the casting form 136 travel on the V-angle 
member 234 comprising the guiderails 124 and 125. A plurality of spaced 
apart blocks 235 provide support at the bottom of the members 233. A metal 
plate 236 attaches as an end support to the distal end of the members 233. 
Each of the guiderails 124a and 125a of each pair of guiderails 124 and 
125 includes an open-ended tube 237 that attaches at one side of the metal 
plate 236. The tube 237 receives an end of a movable bar 266 operatively 
engaged with the transfer cart 139 to align the cart with the guiderails 
124 and 125 during manufacturing of the panel 20 as discussed below. 
FIGS. 9a and 9b illustrate a top and a side view of the transfer cart 139. 
FIG. 9c is a cut-away partial perspective view of the transfer cart 139 
receiving a casting form 136 that is moved on the guiderails 125 (only 
guiderail 125a is shown.) A rectangular base 244 of the cart 139 comprises 
a pair of end members 246a and two sets of parallel side members 246b. The 
pair of side members 246b in each set are spaced apart and join at their 
respective longitudinal ends to the end members 246a at a junction 254. A 
V-groove wheel 248 mounts under each junction 254 between each of the pair 
of side members 246b on pins 250 near the longitudinal ends of the side 
members. Each of the wheels 248 freely rotates on the pins 250 and travels 
on one of the parallel guiderails 133. As illustrated in FIG. 9c, each 
guiderail 133 comprises a metal plate 273 supporting a V-shaped member 277 
that is pointed upwardly. The wheels 248 of the transfer cart 139 travel 
on the member 277. The longitudinal ends of the guiderails 133 include 
stops 276 (one of which is illustrated in FIG. 3) so that the cart 139 
does not travel off of the guiderails 133. 
A vertical channel 251 extends upward from each junction 254 between one 
set of the side members 246b and one of the end members 246a. The channels 
251 each slidably receive a stanchion 252. Each pair of aligned stanchions 
252a and 252b on opposite sides of the cart 139 support a transverse 
guiderail 256. The guiderail 256 in cross-sectional view defines a V-shape 
that points upwardly. Each of the guiderails 256 rigidly connects at its 
ends to an upper end of the respective stanchion 252. The height of the 
stanchions 252 is sufficient to position the guiderail 256 in horizontal 
alignment with the guiderails 124 and 125. As shown in FIGS. 9a and 9c, a 
stop 260 rigidly mounts to each of the guiderails 256 adjacent an outer 
side edge 262 of the of the transfer cart 139 to prevent the casting form 
136 from rolling off the cart. 
As best illustrated in FIG. 9b, the stanchions 252 (and the other 
stanchions referred to herein) are adjustable within the vertical 
channels, such as the channel 251, to be disposed at a predetermined 
height. The stanchion 252 slidably inserts into the U-channel 251 and is 
secured thereto by nuts and bolts 267. The bolts extend through bores in 
the U-channel 251 and through slots 265 in the stanchion. The nuts thread 
on the bolts and tightly secure the stanchion to the U-channel at the 
predetermined height. 
The cart 139 includes an interlock to assist aligning the cart with the 
guiderails 124 and 125 and to secure the cart while a casting form 136 is 
moved onto the cart, as best illustrated in FIG. 9c. The interlock 
comprises the interlock bar 266 that passes through a horizontal guide 
268, and a pivotable handle 270 connected thereto. The guide 268 attaches 
to the upper surfaces of the side members 246b, and extends inwardly 
parallel to the end member 246a. The handle 270 pivots at a joint 271 
attached to an inner side of the U-channel 251b. A pivotable link 272 
connects a lower end of the handle 270 to the interlock bar 266. A distal 
end 274 of the interlock bar 266 is tapered. Upon operation of the handle 
270, the tapered end of the bar 266 enters the tube 237 on the plate 236 
at the end of the guiderail 125a. The longitudinal axis of the guiderails 
256 align with the longitudinal axis of the respective guiderail 125 when 
the tube 237 receives the distal end 274 of the interlock bar 266. 
The guiderail 124a includes a second open-ended tube 237 at the discharge 
end 278 of the guiderail 133 to receive the interlock bar 266 for the same 
function as described in connection with the guiderails 125. The second 
tube 237 is positioned so that the longitudinal axis of the guiderails 256 
on the cart 139 may be aligned with the longitudinal axis of the 
respective guiderails 124 in the discharge area 137 of the loop assembly 
line 120. The height of the guiderail 256 also aligns with the height of 
the guiderail 124, so that the cart 139 may roll onto the the rails 124. 
FIG. 10 illustrates a roll-over truss 280 carried from a crane (not 
illustrated) by a hook 281. The roll-over truss 280 engages and inverts 
the casting form 136 in order to remove casting forms 136 containing 
completed panels 20 from the guiderails 124 in the discharge area 137 in a 
manner discussed below. The roll-over truss 280 includes a pair of side 
arms 282 and 284 extending downward from its ends. A rotatable cylinder 
286 connects to the distal end of the arm 282. A rectangular pawl 288 
extends inwardly from the rotatable cylinder 286. The pawl 288 is sized to 
engage the rectangular slot 142a in the U-channel 140 of the casting form 
136. A pin 290 and support mounts to the distal end of the side arm 284, 
and the pin is movable in the support between a first outer position and a 
second inner position. In the second position, the pin 290 engages the 
circular opening 142b in the end U-channel 140 of the casting form 136. 
The operation of the assembly line 120 illustrated in FIG. 3 to facilitate 
handling of the frame 22 and attachment of the cementitious exterior sheet 
24 to form the panel 20 will now be discussed. The frame 22 is assembled 
on the jig 60 as discussed above with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2. The 
projections 44 extend outwardly from the exterior periphery 28 of the 
frame 22. As discussed above, the projections 44 preferably are nails. 
The casting form 136 illustrated in FIGS. 4a-4e is positioned on the roller 
conveyor 122 in the staging area 126. The V-shape rails 155 on the side 
members 154 on the bottom of the casting form 136 are received in the 
wheels 170 of the castor assemblies 164, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The 
casting form 136 is manually pushed towards the cement pouring area 130 
and accordingly is moved across the elevator 128 in its upper position. 
The V-shape rails 155 travel on the wheels 170 in the elevator 128. 
With reference to FIG. 7, the casting form 136 then is moved from the 
elevator 128 through the screed bridge 214 to the concrete pouring area 
130. The rails 155 of the casting form 136 travel on the wheels 227 of the 
screed bridge 214. 
A predetermined volume of fluidal cementitious material is then poured into 
the cavity 148 of the casting form 136. It is preferred that a quick-set 
type cement be used to form the cementitious exterior sheet. One such 
cement is REGULATED SET PORTLAND CEMENT manufactured by Ideal Basic 
Industries, Inc. of Saratoga, Ark. A quick-set cement preferably produces 
very high early strength and short set times. 
The fluidal cementitious material is mixed in the cement mixer 212 and the 
chute 216 is pivoted to direct a predetermined volume of the cement into 
the casting form 136. The drive motor 220 pulls the casting form 136 under 
the discharge chute 216 until the end of the chute is near the end of the 
casting form. The drive motor 220 is reversed, the vibrating screed is 
operated, and the flow of cement is started. The flow of cement is 
controlled by an operator using switches in the control panel 239. As 
illustrated in FIG. 4e, the fluidal cementitious material is received on 
the form liner 151, and the cavity 148 between the form liner 151 and the 
bevelled overhang 152 edge of the rails 144 is filled with concrete. As 
appropriate, hand tools are used to disperse the fluidal cementitious 
material throughout the cavity 148. The drive gear 228 for the drive 
wheels 227 is operatively connected to the drive motor 220 by a chain 223 
and is rotated thereby to turn the drive wheels. The drive wheels 227 
receive the rails 155 of the casting form 136, and rotated by the axle 
224, roll the casting form 136 back onto the elevator 128. As the casting 
form 136 is passed under the screed 226, the motor 232 vibrates the 
screed. The vibrating screed 226 levels and consolidates the fluidal 
cementitious material in the casting form 136 and the resilient material 
in the connections 226a dampen the transfer of the vibrations to the frame 
218. The plurality of reinforcement bars 54 are then embedded in a portion 
of the fluidal cementitious material. The reinforcement bars 54 extend 
from the footer 50 towards the opposite end of the panel 20 and provide 
additional rigidity for the footer 50 of the panel 20. 
After receiving the fluidal cementitious material, the casting form 136 is 
thus rolled back onto the elevator 128 illustrated in FIGS. 6a-6c. One of 
the assembled frames 22 is positioned on the casting form 136 with the 
projections 44, facing downwardly, embedded in the fluidal cementitious 
material in the cavity 148. It is preferred that the frame 22, when 
initially positioned on the casting form 136, be squared to the casting 
form so that the wall panels 20 are manufactured with consistent size and 
shape. It is important that the side members 32 do not extend outside the 
edge of the exterior sheet 24 so that the panels may be aligned 
consistently one panel to the next when constructing a building. 
Consistent alignment of the frame 22 to the exterior sheet 24 is 
accomplished by attaching two squaring jigs 400 and 402 to the frame 22 
and the casting form 136, as illustrated in an exploded end view in FIG. 
12a and in side view in FIG. 12b. The squaring jigs 400 and 402 each 
include a cross member 404 and a pair of pins 406 and 408, one of which 
extends downwardly from near each longitudinal end of the cross member. A 
plate 410 is disposed parallel to the transverse axis of the cross member 
404 near the pin 406. The plate 410 extends downwardly from a bottom 
surface of the cross member 404. A brace 412 connects between the pin 408 
and a lower distal end of the plate 410 to provide lateral support to the 
plate. 
The squaring jig 400 further includes a pair of spaced-apart plates 414 
that attach to the outside face of the cross member 404 and extend 
downwardly. The plates 414 accordingly are disposed at a perpendicular 
angle to the plate 410. The length of the plates 410 and 414 preferably 
are equal to the depth of the side members 32 and the top plate 36. 
The squaring jigs 400 and 402 are installed after the frame 22 is 
positioned on the casting form 136 to embed the projections 44 in the 
fluidal cementitious material contained in the casting form. The squaring 
jig 400 is positioned across the the frame 22 parallel with the top plate 
36 of the frame. The free ends of the pins 406 and 408 are inserted into 
the alignment holes 145 in the stiffener 153 of the casting form 136. The 
plate 410 abuts the outside surface of the side member 32. The plates 414 
abut the outside surface of the top plate 36. The plates 412 and 414 
thereby cooperate to define a perpendicular corner adjacent the pin 406. 
One side of a clamp 418 is positioned on each of the plates 414 with the 
other side of the clamp positioned on the interior surface of the top 
plate 36. The clamps 418 are tightened to rigidly couple the top plate 36 
to the squaring jig 400. 
The squaring jig 402 is positioned across the frame 22 and aligned parallel 
with the bottom plate 34. The plate 410 of the squaring jig 402 abuts the 
outside surface of the side rail 32 near the bottom plate 34. A wooden 
wedge 420 is driven between the side member 32 and each of the pins 408 on 
the squaring jigs 400 and 402. This forces the opposite side member 32 
tightly against the plates 410 on the opposite side of the squaring jigs 
400 and 402. The frame 22 thus is tightly held in square relationship with 
the casting form 136. An especially preferred squaring rig is discussed 
below. It is installed after moving the casing form 136 to the guiderails 
125. 
The casting form 136 is then lowered on the elevator 128 to the guiderails 
125. With reference to FIGS. 6a and 6c, the actuator for the air chambers 
186 is operated to move the shafts 194 toward the respective air chambers. 
The shafts 194 move laterally and pull the arms 198, causing the transfer 
rods 188 to rotate in a first direction. Such rotation of the transfer 
rods 188 pivots the arms 202 downwardly and the links 204 connecting the 
arm 202 to the transverse members 182 of the chassis 174 thereby move. The 
chassis 174 in response moves downwardly. The chassis 174 moves evenly 
because the stabilizer rod 190 is connected between the two transfer rods 
188 of the two part elevator mechanism 176. The wheels 156 on the bottom 
of the casting form 136 thereby contact the guiderails 125. The casting 
form 136 with the frame 22 is then manually moved along the guiderails 125 
through the curing area 135 of the assembly line 120. The squaring jigs 
400 and 402 remain secured to the frame 22 until the cementitious material 
in the cavity 148 is set sufficiently to prevent the projections 44 from 
moving in the cement and to hold the cement skin to the frame. 
Then the elevator 128 is raised to permit a new, empty form 136 to proceed 
to the cement filing station 130. The air pressure to the air chambers 186 
is applied and the shafts 194 move laterally out of the respective air 
chamber. The transfer rods 188 rotate in a second opposite direction 
causing the arms 202 to pivot upwardly. This movement is transferred to 
the transverse members 182 by the links 204 and the elevator moves 
upwardly. 
As additional casting forms 136 are filled and moved into the curing area 
135, the casting forms 136 are manually moved in sequence onto the 
transfer cart 139. The transfer cart 139 travels on the guiderails 133 to 
move the casting forms 136 to the discharge area 137. The guiderails 256 
of the cart 139 are aligned with the guiderails 125 in the curing area 135 
as illustrated in FIG. 9c. This is accomplished by moving the cart 139 to 
the end of the guiderails 133 so that the interlock bar 266 is adjacent 
the tube 237 on the end plate 236 of the guiderail 125a. The handle 270 is 
moved from a first upright position to a second lowered position. This 
causes the pivotal link 272 to push the interlock bar 266 through the 
guide 268 and into the tube 237. The interlock bar 266 is thus engaged 
with the guiderail 125a and prevents the transfer cart 139 from moving 
laterally. The casting form 136 is then moved onto the cart 139 as the 
wheels 156 roll along the V-shape guiderails 125 and onto the guiderails 
256 of the cart. 
Then the handle 270 is moved from its second position to the first upright 
position. This withdraws the interlock bar 266 from the tube 237. The cart 
139 is manually moved on the guiderails 133 to the discharge end 278. This 
positions the interlock bar 266 near the second tube 237 on the guiderail 
124a. The handle 270 is again pivoted from a first upright position to a 
second down position. This drives the interlock bar 266 through the guide 
268 and into the second tube 237 to align the guiderails 256 with the 
longitudinal axis of the guiderails 124 in the discharge area 137 of the 
assembly line 120. The casting form 136 is moved off of the guiderails 256 
of the transfer cart 139 onto the guiderails 124 in the discharge area 
137. It may be appreciated that the guiderails 125 and 124 may have a 
slight slope from a high point near the elevator 128 to a low point in the 
discharge area 137 to assist manually pushing the filled casting forms 136 
along the guiderails. 
The crane 134 is then operated to move the roll-over truss 280 over the 
casting form 136. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the rectangular pawl 288 
extending from the rotatable cylinder 286 engages the rectangular slot 
142a in the end U-channel 140. The pin 290 is moved from a first outward 
position to a second inward position through the slot 142b of the opposite 
end U-channel 140. The crane 134 is operated to raise the casting form 136 
off of the guiderails 124 and to move the casting form 136 to a stack of 
previously completed panels 20. The casting form 136 is rotated to face 
the frame 22 downward as permitted by the rotatable cylinder 286. A spacer 
is positioned on each of the four corners of uppermost panel 20 in the 
stack. With the frame 22 downward, the crane 134 is operated to lower the 
casting form 136 onto the spacers and the stack of panels 20 previously 
manufactured. The bevel 152 along the upper edge of the rails 144 on the 
sides and the ends of the casting form (or one end and the bulkhead 158, 
if used) overhangs the solidified cementitious material of the exterior 
sheet 24 and prevents the panel 20 from falling out of the casting form 
136 during rotation and placement on the stack. 
After the frame 22 is positioned on the spacers, the wing nuts 146 are 
loosened, as illustrated in FIG. 4e. This releases the hold of the four 
rails 144 against the U-channels 140 of the casting form 136. The rails 
144 break away from the sides and the ends of the casting form 136 and 
release from the cementitious exterior sheet 24. The bulkhead 158, if 
used, is released when the braces 159 are removed after first releasing 
the rail 144 at the end of the casting form. The casting form 136 is 
raised by the crane 134 away from the panel 20, and is then rotated and 
transferred to the staging area 126 where the casting form is placed on 
the roller conveyor 122. The pin 290 is then moved to its first outer 
position to disengage from the casting form 136. The pawl 288 is 
disengaged from the casting form 136 and the crane 134, thus freed, is 
moved to the discharge area 137 to pickup another casting form. The 
interior of the released casting form 136 is prepared for receiving 
additional cementitious material as described above. This involves coating 
the form liner 151 and the rails 144 with a fluid for smooth release of 
the cement from the casting form 136. Such release fluids are well-known 
to those of ordinary skill in the art. The wing nuts 149 are tightened 
down to hold the rails 144 firmly against the casting form 136. 
Using the cement described above, satisfactory modular panels 20 are 
manufactured on a production basis using the apparatus and method 
described above. The time from initial assembly of the frame 22 to removal 
from the line of a finished panel 20 is approximately 40 minutes with 
eight casting forms 136 moving on the assembly line. Rapid setting of a 
cementitious sheet 24 enables the panels 20 to be manufactured at the 
construction site, if desired. One corner of the slab foundation may be 
allocated for a manufacturing area. Finished panels may be removed from 
the line and moved into position on the edge of the foundation as 
discussed below. Rapid setting cement also allows a manufacturer to meet 
increased demand without having to acquire additional casting forms 136. 
Other cements having longer set times may be used and in such case, a 
longer assembly line with more casting forms 136 can be used. 
FIG. 16a illustrates a top view of an especially preferred squaring jig 480 
for aligning the frame 22 with the casting form 136. The squaring jig 480 
comprises two parallel side tubes 482 joined together at a first 
respective end 484 by a cross tube 486 and a floating bulkhead 488 
slidably received on the side tubes 482 to close an open end 483 of the 
squaring jig. The floating bulkhead 488 includes a pair of side tubes 490 
that are larger in cross-section than the side tubes 482 for being 
slidably received thereon. The side tubes 490 have a short length and are 
rigidly connected to a cross member 492. The floating bulkhead 488 bolts 
to the side tubes 482 at a predetermined position so that the squaring jig 
480 has a length to fit on and forcibly square the frame 22. Typically, 
the length of the frame frame 22 is one foot shorter than that the 
exterior sheet 24 as discussed above in order to provide the footer 
portion 50 of the exterior sheet. In a preferred embodiment, the frame is 
eight feet long and the exterior sheet 24 is nine feet long. The casting 
form 136 with its bulkhead 158, however, may be used to manufacture 
exterior sheets up to ten feet long. The side tubes 482 thus are of a 
length that permits pinning the floating bulkhead 488 at one of several 
predetermined positions from the first end 484, such as at eight feet, 
nine feet, and ten feet, to accommodate different lengths for the frame 
22. 
A cross member 494 rigidly connects between the two side tubes 482 near the 
open end 483 in order to maintain the open end of the jig 480 square with 
the first end 484. The cross member 494 assures that the jig 480 is square 
despite any lateral play in the floating bulkhead 488 that is slidingly 
received and bolted on the side tubes 482. One of a pair of braces 496 
connects at an angle between the cross member 494 and each of the side 
tubes 482 for additional rigidity. 
A lifting member 498 (discussed below) with an air cylinder 507 is disposed 
between the side tubes 482 medial the ends of the squaring jig 480 with a 
pair of supports 499 that connect to the side tubes 482 at one of several 
predetermined points in order to position the lifting member equally 
between the ends of the jig and to keep the squaring jig balanced. The 
lifting member 498 connects the squaring jig 480 to an overhead jib hoist 
for handling the squaring jig and the air cylinder 507 raises and lowers 
the squaring jig. 
Each corner 506 of the squaring jig 480 includes an alignment shoe 500 that 
abuts against the outside faces of the side members 32 and the plates 34 
and 36 that form the corners of the frame 22. An air chamber 502 mounts on 
a triangular plate 501 in each corner 506 and a piston arm extends 
downwardly to an upper surface of a respective corner of the frame 22. The 
piston arm pushes against the frame 22 when the jig is removed. One of the 
air chambers 502 is shown in phantom in the corner 506a in order to 
illustrate the alignment shoe 500. Air flow actuators 503 attach to an 
outside corner 505 of the squaring jig 480 and connect the air chamber 502 
and the lifting cylinder 507 (discussed below) of the lifting member 498 
to a supply of compressed air. 
FIG. 16b illustrates in exploded view the corner 506a defined by the side 
tubes 482 and the cross tube 486 of the squaring jig 480. The alignment 
shoe 500 is a metal sheet folded to an approximate 90.degree. angle for 
positioning in the corner 506. A portion 507 of each side of the shoe 500 
angles outwardly and provides a funnel for catching the upper edges of the 
frame 22 when the squaring jig 480 is placed on frame. A plate 510 with 
two holes therein is welded across the vertex of the shoe 500 and 
corresponding openings are bored in the vertex for passage of a bolt 
therethrough. A second plate 511 with tapped holes corresponding to those 
in the plate 510 is welded in the corner between the side tube 482 and the 
cross tube 486. One of a pair of bolts 508 extends through each of the 
holes in the plate 510 and the shoe 500 and threads into tapped the hole 
in the plate 511, thereby connecting the shoe to the squaring jig 480. A 
plurality of washers are preferably inserted on each bolt between the back 
of the shoe 500 and the plate 511. A greater number of washers are 
preferably used on the upper bolt 508 then are used on the lower bolt to 
angle the shoe 500 downwardly. This facilitates squaring the form 22 when 
the squaring jig 480 is positioned on the form. 
Each of the lateral ends of the alignment shoe 500 float against a tube 512 
welded to an inside face of the side tube 482 and the cross tube 486. The 
tubes 512 space the ends of the shoe 500 outward from the side tube 482 
and the cross tube 486. The shoe 500 is thereby spaced apart from the 
corner 506. The alignment shoes 500 in the floating bulkhead 488 mount in 
the same manner to the side tubes 490 and the cross member 492. 
A shim (not illustrated) may be inserted between the tube 512 and the 
outside face of the shoe 500 to further space the shoe and to maintain the 
square corner of the shoe. The shim preferably includes an outward 
extending flange that rests on the upper surface of the tube 512 and a 
screw extend through the flange to connect the shim to the tube. 
The air chambers 502 each mount to one of the triangular plates 501 with 
nuts 516 threaded on bolts 518 extending downward through holes 520 in the 
plate. Each of the plates 501 is vertically spaced from an upper surface 
of the side tubes 482 and the cross member 486 by a pair of side supports 
526 and a corner support 528 that rigidly connect between the tubes, the 
cross member, and the triangular plate. A piston arm 522 extends downward 
from the air chamber 502 through a hole 524 in the plate 501. The piston 
arm 522 includes an adjusting shoe 522a with a jam nut 522b that cooperate 
to adjust the depth that the squaring jig 480 moves with respect to the 
frame 22. The piston arm 522 is movable between a first retracted position 
and a second extended position against an upper surface of the plate 34 or 
36 in the frame 22. The length of travel of the piston arm 522 is 
sufficient to raise the squaring jig 480 so that the bottom edge of the 
shoe 500 will clear the frame 22 when the squaring jig is removed. The 
depth C of the alignment shoe 500 between a bottom surface 530 of the tube 
482 and a bottom edge 532 of the shoe is preferably less than the depth B 
of the members 32 and the cross plates 34 and 36 of the frame 22 (see FIG. 
1), and is of a depth sufficient to force the frame 22 into square. The 
plates 501 of the floating bulkhead 488 mount in the same vertically 
spaced relation to the side tubes 490 and the cross member 492 with the 
side supports 526 and the corner support 528. 
A pin 534 attaches to a bottom surface of the side tube 482 near the corner 
506 of the squaring jig 480, and extends downwardly in spaced relation to 
the alignment shoe 500. The pin 534 tapers from the top to a narrow bottom 
end that inserts through the hole 145 of the flange 153 to align the 
squaring jig 480 to the casting form 136 as discussed above. The taper 
permits the squaring jig 480 to be loosely positioned over the frame 22 on 
the casting form 136 and as the squaring jig moves downwardly against the 
frame, the taper on the pins 534 forces the squaring jig into alignment 
with the casting form. One pin 534 is positioned in each of two laterally 
opposite corners so that the persons placing the squaring jig must insert 
only one pin on each side of the squaring jig. 
FIG. 16c illustrates an end view of the lifting member 498 that connects 
the squaring jig 480 to an overhead jib crane (not illustrated) for 
placing the jig on the frame 22 and for removing the jig. The lifting 
member 498 incudes the air-operated chamber 507 that attaches to a hook 
(not illustrated) of the jib crane. A movable piston rod 538 extends 
downwardly from the chamber 507 and engages a thread in a connector 540 
bolted to an upper portion of an A-frame support 542. The threaded 
engagement between the end of the piston rod 538 and the connector 540 
provides a rigid connection and has the effect of vertically raising the 
center of gravity for the squaring jig 480 so that the jig is more easily 
kept level while being moved. The A-frame support 542 includes the pair of 
supports 499 and a cross member 544 rigidly connected to a bottom side of 
the supports at their distal ends 546. The A-frame support 542 attaches to 
the side tubes 482 with a pair of U-shaped clips 548 that rigidly connect 
to one of the ends 546 of the supports 499 and the cross member 544 and 
then bolts to one of the two side tubes 482. A vibrator motor 550 bolts to 
the cross member 544 medial the ends 546 and is operable to vibrate the 
squaring jig 480 when it is positioned on the frame 22 to force the 
alignment shoes 500 downwardly and against the frame. 
The squaring jig 480 illustrated in FIG. 16a is placed on the frame 22 and 
the casting form 136 after the casting form is moved onto the guiderails 
125 to a position immediately adjacent the elevator 128. The overhead jib 
hoist carries the squaring jig 480 on a hook (not illustrated). The air 
actuator 507 is operated to extend the piston rod 538 downwardly and 
thereby lower the squaring jig 480 onto the frame 22. The pins 534 insert 
into the holes 145 in the stiffeners 153 to begin aligning the squaring 
jig with the casting form 136. The alignment shoes 500 abut the outside 
faces of the side members 32 and the plates 34 and 36 that define the 
corners of the frame 22. The vibrator motor 550 is operated to vibrate the 
squaring rig 480 and thereby assist forcing the squaring jig downward. The 
alignment shoes 500 push inwardly against the members of the frame 22 to 
force the frame square. The piston arms 522 fully retract into the air 
chambers 502 and the adjusting shoes 522 on the distal ends of the arms 
contact the upper surface of the plate 34 (or 36) in the frame 22 when the 
squaring jig 480 is fully seated on the frame. 
The squaring jig 480 is left in position on the frame 22 and the casting 
form 136 for approximately four to five minutes while another casting form 
is being filled with concrete, as discussed above. The squaring jig 480 is 
removed and held by the overhead jib hoist before the next filled casting 
form 136 is lowered by the elevator 128 onto the guiderails 125. 
Removal of the squaring jig 480 is accomplished by moving the actuator 503 
to supply compressed air to the air chambers 502 and to the lifting 
chamber 507, which communicate with the same source of pressurized air. 
The piston arms 522 simultaneously move downwardly from the respective air 
chambers 502 from a first retracted position to a second extended 
position. The extension of the arms 522 pushes the squaring rig 480 upward 
with respect to the frame 22. A portion of the compressed air is 
communicated to the lift chamber 507 which begins retracting the piston 
rod 538 to raise the squaring jig from the frame 22. When the piston arms 
522 reach their full extent, the supply of air is then substantially 
supplied to the lifting chamber 507 which fully retracts its piston rod 
538 to lift the squaring jig 480 from the frame 22. 
FIG. 11a illustrates a side view of a wheeled cart 300 for transporting and 
handling panels 20 made according to the method disclosed herein, and 
particularly, for handling those panels having a cementitious exterior 
skin. Panels with exterior skins of wood or other like materials typically 
are sufficiently low in weight that workmen may readily move the panel 
without using a cart. The cart 300 includes a base 302, a lift table 304 
pivotally connected at a joint 307 to a vertical support 306 attached to 
the base 302, a hydraulic cylinder 308, and a winch 309 and cable 310. The 
hydraulic cylinder 308 pivotally pins to the base 302. A piston arm 318 
extends from the hydraulic cylinder 308 and the distal end 319 pivotally 
pins to the lift table 304 at a point spaced forwardly from the joint 307. 
The electric winch 309 mounts to the bottom of the lift table 304. The 
cable 310 from the winch 309 passes over a guide roller 324 at a front end 
317 of the lift table 304. A lift and roll guide 326 is removably 
connected to the end of the cable 322. 
The lift and roll guide 326, best illustrated in perspective view in FIG. 
11b, comprises a folded sheet of metal having a lower plate 330, an upper 
plate 332, and a stop plate 334 upstanding at a rear edge of the upper 
plate. A pipe 336 rigidly connects along a back edge of the lower plate 
330. The pipe 336 receives a pair of open-ended cylinders that freely 
rotate on the pipe as wheels 340 on opposite sides of the lift and roll 
guide 326. A nut and bolt (not illustrated) passing through each end of 
the pipe 336 prevents the wheels 340 from coming off of the pipe. The 
upper plate 332 includes a first slot 341 that extends longitudinally from 
a front edge rearward in the upper plate 332 and a second transverse slot 
342 medial the front edge of the plate and the end of the first slot. The 
first slot 341 is wider from the second slot 342 rearward to its end than 
from the front edge to the second slot. The transverse slot 342 receives a 
bracket 343 that secures with a connector 344 to the end of the cable 310. 
The bracket 343 inserts longitudinally in the wider rear portion of the 
slot 341 with the cable 310 entering the forward portion of the slot. The 
bracket 343 is rotated to be parallel to the second slot 342 and is then 
moved forward so that the bracket engages the second slot. 
Continuing the description of the cart 139, a stop bracket 305 extends 
upwardly at a rear end of the lift table 304. A pair of fixed casters 311 
connect on a bottom surface at the rear end of the base 304. Each of the 
casters 311 rotates on a pin 312 connected between a pair of flanges 314 
depending from the base 302. A pair of swivel casters 316 connect to the 
base 302 at a front end 317 of the cart 300. The swivel casters 316 permit 
the cart 300 to be turned while transporting one of the panels 20. 
When the panels are to be installed as an exterior wall of a building, the 
cart 300 illustrated in FIG. 11a is positioned with its front end 317 
adjacent the bottom edge 48 of the uppermost panel 20 in the stack of 
panels. The spacers (described above) between the panels 20 in the stack 
provide a gap between the interior periphery 29 of the uppermost panel 20 
and the exterior face of the exterior sheet 24 of the panel below, and the 
cable 310 is threaded through the gap from the bottom edge 48 to outside 
of the top plate 36. The bracket 343 is passed through the slot 341 of the 
lift and roll guide 326 and engaged in the transverse slot 342 as 
described above to connect the lift and roll guide 326 to the cable 310. 
The winch 309 is operated to rewind the cable 310 and bring the lift and 
roll guide 326 under the panel 20. The top plate 36 is contacted by the 
stop plate 334 of the guide 326 and the panel elevates at a slight angle. 
The winch 309 is operated to pull the uppermost panel 20 off the stack and 
onto the lift table 304 until the bottom plate 34 is stopped by the 
bracket 305 at the end of the lift table 304. 
With reference to FIG. 13, the cart 300 is moved on the floor 370 of the 
building to an edge 372 where the panel 20 is to be installed. The 
hydraulic cylinder 308 is operated to rotate the lift table 304 upwardly. 
The footer portion 50 extends over the edge 372 of the floor 370 as the 
lift table 304 pivots to raise the panel 20 into a vertical position. A 
sheet of insulation 374 can be placed between the side of the floor 370 
and the footer 50. As illustrated in exploded view in FIG. 17, the top 
edge of the wall panel 20 is preferably held temporarily with the adjacent 
wall panel 20a by a U-channel tool 600 that overlaps the gap 603 between 
the panels at the top. The wall 20 is held from the top while it is placed 
in final position next to the adjacent wall panel 20a and rigidly secured 
thereto and to the foundation. The tool 600 includes a pair of side walls 
606 and a top 609 connected therebetween to define an inverted trough 610 
with an open bottom 612. The side walls 606 are preferably disposed at an 
angle so that the open bottom 612 is wider than the top 609. This permits 
the trough 610 to catch the top of the walls 20 at a point on the side 
walls 606 between the open bottom edge 612 and the closed top 609. A 
handle is preferably connected to one of the side walls 606 medial the 
longitudinal ends thereof and is disposed parallel to a transverse axis. 
The handle has a length to permit a worker to reach the trough 610 over 
the top of the erect wall panels 20. The trough 610 receives the upper 
ends of the walls panels 20 so that they can be held while the cart is 
withdrawn and the panels rigidly connected together. 
With the panel 20 in a rear vertical position, the cart 300 is then backed 
away from the edge of the floor 370. The stop bracket 305 at the bottom of 
the lift table 304 slides from under the frame 22. The panel 20 may have 
to be rocked slightly to permit the stop bracket 305 to be withdrawn. The 
bottom edge 48 of the exterior sheet 24 rests on a footing 368 of a 
foundation 369 and the bottom plate 34 of the frame 22 rests on the floor 
270. The panel 20 is rigidly connected to the floor 370 and to adjacent 
panels 20. Appropriate caulking, such as rope caulking, seals the joints 
between adjacent panels 20. The exterior surface of the panels 20 can be 
stained or painted with traditional materials for finishing concrete. A 
top plate 376 is attached to the frame top plate 36 adjacent rafters 377 
for the roof 378 and headers are installed over doorways and window 
spaces. The wall panel 20 provides the dead-air space 30 between the 
exterior sheet 24 and the insulating sheet 26 for improved insulating 
characteristics. The interior of the panel 20 may then be closed by 
nailing a sheet of drywall material, or other interior sheeting, to the 
interior periphery 29 of the frame 22. 
FIG. 14 is a top view of a building corner formed by two wall panels 20a 
and 20b. The wall panels are disposed at perpendicular angles on the edge 
of the foundation of the building as described above. A corner member 430 
inserts into the outwardly facing L-corner defined by the two wall panels 
20a and 20b. In a preferred embodiment, the corner 430 is a composite 
assembly of an elongate board 432, an insulating member 434, and a 
concrete exterior 436. A plurality of nails 435 are driven through the 
side members 32 of the panels 20a and 20b to rigidly connect the corner 
member 430 to the panels. A plurality of lengths of rope caulking 435, or 
the like as appropriate, seals the joints 437 between the corner member 
430 and the adjacent wall panels 20 and 20b. Similar lengths of rope or 
other extrudable caulking also seals the joints 439 between adjacent wall 
panels, for example, panels 20b and 20c, which are rigidly connected by 
nails at the joint 439. 
The corner member 430 is formed in a mold (not illustrated). The mold in 
cross section defines a V-shape and is supported in a stand with the V 
pointed downward. The inside surfaces of the mold includes a form liner to 
match the selected exterior ornamental appearance of the building. A 
square beam is ripped diagonally to form a wedge-shaped section, such as 
the wood wedge 432. The insulating member 434 is secured to the face 438 
of the wedge 432 with a plurality of nails. The nails are left extending 
from the member 434. In an especially preferred embodiment, a beam of the 
insulating sheet 434 is also cut in a wedge shape. The matching faces of 
the insulating sheet 434 and the wedge 432 abut together and the 
insulating sheet 434 is secured with nails to the wedge 432. 
Concrete is poured into the mold on top of the form liner. The assembled 
corner 432 and insulating sheet 434 are inserted into the mold with the 
insulating member 434 embedded into the fluidal cementitious material, 
thereby forcing the material to fill a V-shaped space between the member 
434 and the mold with the nails protruding into the material. After 
curing, the finished corner 430 is removed from the mold. The corner 
member 430 is installed by raising it from the outside of the wall into 
the corner. A length of tubing with a pulley at a distal end can be 
attached to the cart 300 to be a boom that is positionable over the upper 
edge of the wall panels in the corner for raising and positioning the 
corner member 430. A support attached to the boom rests on the upper 
surface of the wall panels, and the cable 310 passes over the pulley. The 
end of the cable 310 connects to the corner member 430, such as with an 
eye bolt or the like, and the winch is operated to lift the corner member 
430 into position on the outside of the wall. In a preferred embodiment of 
the corner 430, a beam of treated lumber having a cross section of six by 
six nominal inches is used for the corner 430. The combined wood wedge 432 
and the insulating member 434 have a cross-sectional width of 
approximately five and one-half inches. The cementitious exterior sheet 
436 is approximately two to two and half inches deep between the exterior 
face and the insulating member 434. 
The wall panel 20 illustrated in FIG. 1 provides an exterior sheet 24 
without openings for windows and doors. The frame 22, however, is readily 
adapted to providing such openings. FIG. 15a illustrates a perspective 
view of a frame 22a having a doorway opening 440. A pair of boards 442 and 
444 are disposed against the side members 22 parallel to the longitudinal 
axis of the frame 22. A header board 446 is connected in notches between 
the boards 442 and 444 to define the top of the door opening. A plywood 
fascia board 448 is inserted between the top plate 36, the side members 
32, and the header board 446. The header board 446 preferably has a slot 
that aligns with the slots 39 in the top plate and the side members. The 
slots receive the edges of the board 448. A bulkhead (discussed below) 
matching the outline of the frame for the doorway 440 inserts into the 
casting form 136 to prevent the cementitious exterior sheet 24 from being 
formed over the doorway. 
Similarly, FIG. 15b illustrates a window frame defined by a pair of members 
456 disposed parallel to the side members 32 and rigidly connected to the 
top plate 36 and the bottom plate 34. A pair of horizontal boards 452 and 
454 are connected in notches between the members 456 to form a window 
frame 458. A plywood fascia board 448 inserts as discussed above into 
slots 39 in the top members 456, and the board 452. The members 456 and 
454 are grooved to receive the edges of the sheet of insulation 26. A 
bulkhead installs in the casting form 136 so that the cementitious 
exterior sheet includes an opening for the window 458. 
FIG. 15c illustrates in side view a bulkhead 460 with a line-up pan 462 
that is rigidly attached to the plywood sheet 150 of the casting form 136 
with a plurality of screws 464. The line-up pan 462 outlines the window or 
doorway in the cementitious exterior sheet 24; for example, the boards 
452, 454, and the 456 for the window frame 458 discussed above are shown. 
A rubber ring 466 or the like is disposed around the periphery of the 
line-up pan 464 as a dam against the fluidal cementitious material. A core 
pan 468 sits on the line-up pan 462 and abuts the back side of the ring 
466 as a support and to prevent the cement from flowing under the ring. 
The core pan 468 includes an angled side 470 that conforms the inside face 
472 of the rubber ring 466 and a flange 474 that extends outwardly over 
the upper face 476 of the ring. The flange 474 helps prevent leakage of 
cement past the rubber ring 466. 
FIG. 16d is side view illustrating a jig 543 that is disposed transversely 
across the squaring jig 480 discussed above for removing the core pan 468 
of a bulkhead 460. The jig 543 includes a pair of spaced-apart A-frames 
548 that each include two side supports 545 with an inverted U-shaped clip 
547 rigidly attached to the end of each of the supports.The clips 547 
forcibly straddle the side tubes 482. An air chamber 554 bolts to an upper 
surface of each of the A-frames and spans the space between them. A piston 
arm 556 extends downwardly from the air chamber 554 and connects with a 
chain 558 to the core pan 468. The air chamber 554 connects to a supply of 
compressed air and is operable to move the piston arm 556 from a first 
extended position to a second retracted position to lift the core pan 468 
from the casting form 136 before the squaring jib 480 is removed from the 
frame 22 as discussed above. Similar jigs may be assembled for lifting a 
large core pan or for lifting a core pan from an area that is off-center 
of the casting form. 
Removal of the core pan 468 is accomplished by positioning the jig 543 over 
the core pan 468 and engaging the inverted U-shaped clips 547 with the 
side tubes 482. The chain 558 extending from the piston arm 556 is then 
connected to a lug (not illustrated) on the core pan, and the air chamber 
is operated with a supply of compressed air to retract the piston arm from 
a first extended position to a second retracted position. As the piston 
arm 556 retracts, the core pan 468 is raised from the casting form 136 and 
is then manually moved away from the casting form. 
FIG. 16e illustrates in cross-sectional view a preferred bulkhead 570 
comprising a U-shaped channel 572 that is connected by a plurality of 
screws 574 to the plywood sheet 150 of the casting form 136. A plurality 
of the channels 572 outline the opening in the frame 22, such as the 
window defined by members 452, 454, and 456 in FIG. 15b. A resilient seal 
576, such as foam or rubber, is disposed on the form liner 151 on the 
outer perimeter of the channels 572. A core pan 578 covers the opening 
defined by the channels 572. The core pan 578 includes a cover 580 and a 
plurality of U-channels 582 that conform in orientation to the opening as 
outlined by the channels 572. The inverted U-channels 582 insert into the 
open U-channels 572 in the bulkhead. The channels 582 are connected with 
screws to the cover 580 and a lip 584 extends laterally from the cover 580 
over the upper surface of the seal 576. 
The core pan is placed on the opening by inserting the inverted channels 
582 into the open channels 572 attached to the plywood 150. The lip 584 
covers the seal 576 and prevents its being dislodged when the cementitious 
material is poured into the cavity 148. The core pan 578 is removed from 
the casting form 136 prior to operating the elevator to lower the casting 
form onto the guiderails 125 as discussed above. 
FIG. 16f illustrates a tool 590 that is used to position and to remove the 
core pan 578 from the casting form. The tool 590 includes a contact bar 
592 generally aligned on an axis of the core pan 578 for balancing the 
weight thereof on the tool. A pin 594 rigidly connects to each end of the 
bar 592 and curves outwardly. The tool 590 includes a first arm 596 that 
connects to the middle of the bar 592 and extends laterally therefrom. A 
second arm 597 angularly connects at a junction 598 to a distal end of the 
first arm 596. The junction 598 between the first and the second arms 
defines a fulcrum, and an open U-channel 599 connects to a bottom surface 
of the junction. The tool 590 is operated by inserting the pins 594 in 
respective holes in the cover 580 of the core pan 578. The second arm 597 
is lowered to engage the channel 599 with the side rail 144 of the casting 
form. Downward pressure is applied to the end of the second arm 597 which 
causes the first arm 596 to pivot upwardly around the fulcrum and thereby 
raise the core pan 578 from the casting form 136. It may be necessary to 
inject air into the cavity between the cover 580 and the form liner 151 to 
assist raising the core pan 578. 
It will be appreciated from this discussion that other arrangements in the 
intermediate members of the frame 22 can readily accommodate variations in 
doorways and windows. The modular panel of the present invention 
accordingly increases the flexibility for the exterior ornamental design 
for modular buildings to include windows and doors, without sacrificing 
cost savings, strength, insulative characteristics, and ease of assembly 
of the modular panels and the building. 
The principles, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of the present 
invention have been described in the foregoing specifications. The 
invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms 
disclosed, because these are regarded as illustrative rather than 
restrictive. Moreover, variations and changes may be made by those skilled 
in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth 
by the following claims.