Building construction panels and method thereof

A building panel may be used for constructing walls, floors, ceilings or roofs. The panel has a wire frame with wire mesh surfaces on opposing sides. The interior of the frame carries a layer of insulation sandwiched between stucco or concrete exterior layers. Spaces are placed between the layers for air flow as for instance in heating or cooling the interior wall of the panel, and conduits may be encased within the insulation or in the spaces for utilities. The method of panel construction uses a grooved planar surface to hold elements of the frame while the insulation layer is sprayed into place. The wire mesh is completed after the insulation is placed and finally the stucco or concrete is placed engaging the wire mesh exterior of the wire frame to provide exterior surfaces of the panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 This invention relates generally to building construction panels and
 methods of their construction and assembly, and more particularly to a
 composite wall construction having a wire frame with medial insulation
 layer sandwiched between hard exterior layers and a method of its
 construction.
 2. Description of Related Art
 The following art defines the present state of this field:
 Miller et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,648 describes a pair of EPS foam panels
 having laterally aligned holes arranged in a rectangular grid. Cross wires
 or rods extend through the holes. Longitudinally extending wires or rods
 are located against the interior surfaces of the walls and are welded to
 the cross rods. Retaining means on the ends of the cross rods are disposed
 against the exterior surfaces of the walls to provide a sandwich
 construction firmly to interconnect the walls and the rods.
 Stevenson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,013 describes an insulated welded wire
 structural building panel and a method for making such panels are
 disclosed. The panel has a plurality of parallel trusses joined together
 with cross wires. Each truss is triangular in cross section. A layer of
 polyurethane foam is provided in the panel spaced from both the front side
 and the back side of the panel. On one surface of the foam is a layer of
 solidified viscous material, such as asphalt or a thermoplastic. The cross
 wires on opposite sides of the panel are offset from each other along axes
 of the truss runner wires to which they are welded.
 Kieffer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,752 describes an invention relating to a
 three-dimensional monolithic structure of expanded metal formed from an
 expandable metal place sheet usable in a building construction panel, said
 structure exhibiting mutually parallel ribs at opposite first and second
 faces of the structure and inclined cross-struts formed by interrupted
 cutting lines in the sheet, the cross-struts inwardly joining the ribs at
 shaped joint nodes of shapes formed by cutting lines.
 Boisbluche, U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,191 describes an invention relating to a
 three-dimensional metal framework, designed for forming isothermic walls
 of buildings, which comprise an inner air cavity in word form of a blade
 along one of its faces. This framework comprises rectilinear and parallel
 rods which are welded, in at least two parallel rows, on sinusoidal wires
 which extend in planes perpendicular to the rectilinear rods and whose
 tops are situated in two planes parallel with the two rows of rectilinear
 rods, the first row of rectilinear rods being furthermore slightly spaced
 apart from a first one of the planes containing the tops of the sinusoidal
 wires. The invention also relates to a constructional element built from
 this framework and comprising a bearing wall and a heat insulating layer
 both disposed between the two rows of the rectilinear rods of the
 framework as well as two finishing coverings formed on the tops of the
 sinusoidal wires of the latter. An air cavity in word form of a blade is
 therefore formed along one of the finishing coverings. The invention also
 relates to a process for constructing a constructional element of this
 type which constitutes an external wall of a house.
 Dickens et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,555 describes a building panel having
 an expanded plastic core with thin reinforcing strips bonded to front and
 back surfaces of the core, at least along the edges thereof, and may have
 a wire grid attached in offset relation to one surface thereof for
 receiving a material such as concrete. The panel is manufactured by a
 process of expanding a plastic material in a mold by the application of
 heat to form a core, removing the core from the mold, placing thin
 reinforcing strips on front and back surfaces of the core with an adhesive
 system between strips and core, returning the core to the mold and heating
 the interior of the mold to bond the strips to the core and achieve
 dimensional stability during molding.
 Weismann, U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,560 describes a wire matrix for a
 construction panel having a plurality of parallel longitudinal trusses,
 each truss having a pair of parallel longitudinal wire runners and a
 plurality of transverse wire struts in which the struts associated with
 one truss are all parallel to each other and extend diagonally between the
 parallel runners, with the struts in alternate ones of the trusses being
 parallel and the struts in adjacent trusses being skewed. The trusses are
 formed by making a grid of parallel longitudinal runners joined by
 diagonal cross wires which are then cut between adjacent pairs of runners
 to form separate trusses. The trusses are then joined by transverse wire
 runners forming a three-dimensional matrix.
 Nicosia, U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,636 describes a light metal structural panel
 which is adapted to replace other forms of wall and partition studding or
 framing and to which suitable wall coverings are adapted to be secured
 such as wall board or other desirable sheathing materials, and the like.
 Prefabricated built-up panel units may utilize the metal structural panel
 units as body reinforcement for efficient load bearing utility such as in
 prefabricated walls, partitions, roof decking, floor decking, etc.
 The prior art teaches the use of wire core supports for wall panels.
 However, the prior art does not teach that such panels may be constructed
 in the manner of the present invention so as to provide the advantages and
 benefits claimed. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides
 further related advantages as described in the following summary.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use
 which give rise to the objectives described below.
 The present invention provides a building panel useful for constructing
 walls, floors, ceilings or roofs. The panel has a wire frame with wire
 mesh surfaces on opposing sides. The interior of the frame carries a layer
 of insulation sandwiched between stucco or concrete exterior layers.
 Spaces are placed between the layers for air flow and conduits may be
 encased within the insulation for utilities. The method of construction
 uses a grooved planar surface to hold elements of the frame while the
 insulation layer is sprayed into place. The wire mesh is completed after
 the insulation is placed and finally the stucco or concrete is placed
 engaging the wire mesh exterior of the wire frame on opposite sides to
 provide exterior surfaces of the panel.
 A primary objective of the present invention is to provide a mass
 producible building panel and method of construction having advantages not
 taught by the prior art.
 Another objective is to provide such a building panel that is easily and
 inexpensively made so as to enable less expensive building construction
 and wherein the panels may be used for walls, floors and ceilings.
 A further objective is to provide such a building panel that is light in
 weight, fire resistant, insect resistant, stronger than wood frame
 construction, and flexible so as to withstand high wind and earthquake
 forces.
 A still further objective is to provide such a building panel that is
 adaptable to be used for heating the interior walls of a dwelling.
 Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
 from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with
 the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the
 principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
 The above described drawing figures illustrate the invention, a wall,
 floor, ceiling or roof panel apparatus 5 for use in constructing a
 building. In this description the term "wall panel" shall be used, but
 floor, ceiling or roof panel applications are included. The panel
 comprises, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of panel studs 10 arranged in
 spaced apart, side-by-side, parallel positions, each one of the panel
 studs 10 comprising a pair of spaced apart linear longitudinally oriented
 steel wires 12 joined, preferably by welding, by a zigzag shaped steel
 bracing wire 14. Preferably, the diameters of the two wires are the same
 and the size of the wire is determined by strength requirements in the
 particular application. It is shown that the longitudinal wires 12 on each
 common side of the bracing wires 14 establish a pair of opposing faces 16
 of the wall panel 5. Each of the wall panel faces 16 further comprise a
 plurality of linear, laterally oriented wires 20 joined in parallel,
 spaced apart positions to the longitudinally oriented wires 12; the
 longitudinally oriented wires 12 and the laterally oriented wires 20 on
 each of the wall panel faces 16 having sufficient spacing as a planar wire
 grid network to provide construction slurry functional support thereon,
 i.e., the slurry 30, a concrete or stucco is able to adhere to the wire
 grid until it is dry and hard. To assure adherence of the slurry 30 to the
 wire grid, the lateral and the longitudinal wires are preferably placed no
 more than between 2 and 3 inches apart. A layer of the construction slurry
 30 is engaged with each of the planar wire grid networks so that each of
 the construction slurry layers 30 is able to provide a wall panel outside
 wall surface 32 and, in opposition thereto, a slurry layer inside surface
 34. A layer of a thermally insulating material 40 is pre-positioned
 between the two slurry layer inside surfaces 34.
 In one embodiment (FIG. 4) of the present invention, the thermally
 insulating material 40 layer is positioned so it abuts one of the two
 slurry layer inside surfaces 34 and is spaced apart from the other of the
 slurry layer inside surfaces 34 defining a first longitudinal space 50
 within the wall panel 5 wherein an air flow may be set up within the wall
 panel 5. Such a space, beside being used for an air flow, for heating and
 cooling the interior of the panel, is also a noise and thermal insulating
 means. In another embodiment of the present invention the thermally
 insulating material 40 layer comprises two spaced apart parallel portions
 40A and 40B thereof defining a second longitudinal space 60 within the
 wall panel 5 for noise and thermal insulation. Clearly, the wall panel 5
 may be constructed with both spaces 50 and 60 present as shown in FIG. 4.
 As shown in FIG. 3 the thermally insulating material 40 layer may, in
 still another embodiment, encompass at least one conductor 41 for passing
 water, air, electrical wires, or any other utility desired. Alternately,
 the conductors may be placed in one or the other of the spaces defined
 above within the panel. Clearly it will be understood, by one of skill in
 the art, that spaces in the panel may be left for windows and doors
 wherein frames for such may be placed prior to installing the insulation
 so that cracks between the frames and the insulation will not be present.
 The method of wall panel construction of the present invention comprises
 the steps of providing a first plurality of the linear longitudinally
 oriented wires 12, each one of the first wires joined to one of the zigzag
 shaped bracing wires 14 and extending outwardly therefrom to establish
 free ends 15 thereof; inserting one of the linear wires 12 into one of a
 plurality of parallel grooves 70 in a planar surface 72 of a production
 fixture 74 so the bracing wires 14 are in parallel planes with the free
 ends 15 thereof extending from the planar surface 72; covering each of the
 grooves 70 of the production fixture 74 with a groove cover means 76;
 spraying a layer of the thermal insulation material 40 onto the planar
 surface 72 and the groove cover means 76 to a depth not to cover the free
 ends 15 of the bracing wires 14; curing the thermal insulation material 40
 layer so as to form a rigid assembly comprising the linear wires 12, the
 bracing wires 14, the groove cover means 76 and the thermal insulation
 material 40 layer; withdrawing the rigid assembly from the production
 fixture 74; fixing a second one of the plurality of linear longitudinally
 oriented wires 12 to each of the free ends 15 of each one of the bracing
 wires 14 so that the first and the second wires are in a spaced apart
 parallel relationship defining the first and the second wall panel faces
 16; fixing a plurality of the laterally oriented wires 20 joined in
 parallel, spaced apart positions to the longitudinally oriented straight
 wires 12, the longitudinally oriented wires 12 and the laterally oriented
 wires 20 on each of the wall panel faces 16 having sufficient spacing as a
 planar wire grid network to provide construction slurry functional support
 thereon, preferably spaced apart by between 2 and 3 inches, as previously
 defined; laying on a layer of the construction slurry 30 engaged with each
 of the planar wire grid networks, each of the construction slurry layers
 30 providing the wall panel outside wall surface 32 and, in opposition
 thereto, the slurry layer inside surface 34.
 Clearly the method defined above may be accomplished wherein the step [(i)]
 of laying on a layer of a construction slurry 30 engaged with each of the
 planar wire grid networks, is completed leaving a space between one of the
 slurry layers 30 and the thermal insulation layer 40 such that the
 thermally insulating layer 40 abuts one of the two slurry layers 30 and is
 spaced apart from the other of the slurry layers 30 for air to flow in a
 longitudinal direction within the wall panel. Also, the method may be
 completed wherein the step [(d)] of spraying a thermal insulation material
 40 onto the planar surface and the groove cover means to a depth not to
 cover the free ends of the bracing wires 20, is completed leaving a medial
 space within the thermally insulating layer 40 for air to flow in a
 longitudinal direction within the wall panel. Alternately, the method may
 be completed wherein the previously described step [(d)] is completed by
 encompassing at least one conductor within the insulating material 40.
 While the invention has been described with reference to at least one
 preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in
 the art that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the scope of
 the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended
 claims.