PIN AND SLIDE METHOD TO INSTALL AND AFFIX CLADDING

Abstract: An invention to install and affix all kinds of building cladding to both new and existing building structures and to any free-standing structure. It consists primarily of a method to mount and secure in place window and door surrounds and panels made from precast stone or other material. The elements to be mounted and affixed contain protruding pins that are in alignment with openings to channels or slides (1.2) located on a support frame (1.1) secured to the inner periphery of the building reveal, aperture or recessed area to be covered.

Description: PIN AND SLIDE METHOD TO INSTALL AND AFFIX CLADDING DESCRIPTION DEFINITIONS 'Cladding' shall mean all kinds of decorative or functional wall coverings for building structures or any kind of free standing-structure. Mainly, it refers to all types of coverings for both external and intemal building walls and free-standing walls. 'Reveal' shall mean a wall opening, or aperture, or recess for a window or door surround or panel. It is the portion of the side of a door or window between the line where the window frame or door frame stops and the outer edge of the opening starts. 'Surround' shall mean the frame-like border around the window or door reveal, whether for decorative or functional purposes. This invention is designed to facilitate installation of all kinds of cladding for building structures and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, for installation of window and door surrounds. It is also designed to facilitate installation of panels. More particulariy, it consists of an innovative way to mount and secure to a building structure or any free-standing structure / a window or door surround or panel in a simple, easy and fast manner. Firstly, a support frame made of non-corrosive metal or other material is inserted within the periphery of the window or door reveal, or panel recess, and securely affixed to it. See drawing 1 , (1.1). This requires anchoring a support frame with bolts into an exterior or interior building wall. All bolts must be countersunk. See drawing 1, (1.4). Located on the lateral or vertical sides of the support frame are openings for channels or slides. See drawing 1 , (1.2). These channels or slides fall at slight angles along half the depth of the frame. At the end or bottom of the channels are semi-circular cutouts which serve as receptacles for pins. See drawing 1 , (1.3) Secondly, the precast stone casting, or element constructed of some other material, has pins protruding from its vertical sides. See drawing 2, (2.1) and (2.2). The position of these pins correspond precisely to the openings or channels located on the support frame affixed to the window or door reveal or panel recess. When the precast stone surround, or element constructed of some other material, is ready to be mounted and placed within the reveal or recess, the protruding pins are aligned up with the openings located on the affixed support frame and with application of a small force enter it. Force of gravity then makes the pins easily slide down the channels and come to rest in the receptacles. See drawing 1 (1.3). And thus the precast element is securely and permanently in place.

Claims: CLAIMS 3 I hereby make claims to (1) the manufacture of an original building product and (2) the creation of an original installation method for said building product in whatever nature or manner the same are to be performed. And I hereby declare that what is claimed is specifically as follows: 1. A product designed to facilitate the fast, simple, secure and economical installation of all kinds of cladding either for building exteriors or interiors whether for ornamentation or functionality. 2. A product designed to facilitate installation of a window or door surround into a reveal; or facilitate installation of a panel into an aperture or recessed area to either a new or existing building structure or any free-standing structure. 3. A product consisting of pins strategically embedded into an element to be inserted into a reveal, aperture, recess or wall opening; and a frame affixed to the inside of the said reveal, aperture or wall opening containing cutouts for channels or slides falling at an angle and which lead to receptacles. 4. A product in which elements simply 'sit' without any fastings in a frame affixed to a reveal, aperture, recess or wall opening. 5. A product that enables elements to be 'fixed' but nevertheless permits them to move slightly in three directions without any form of restraint thereby eliminating any stress or strain building up within the element which is the principal cause of cracking or crazing. 6. A product that enables installation to be complete in every respect when elements are inserted into a reveal, aperture, recess or wall opening. 7. A method to install and affix all kinds of building or wall cladding in which architectural elements rest on their own weight and do not require screws, bolts, clips, brackets, hinges or any other fastening hardware. 8. A method to install and affix building cladding of every description in a single step requiring minimal man hours. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 13 January 1997 (13.01.97); original claims 1-8 replaced by amended claims 1-8 (2 pages)] 1. A method to manufacture, install and affix permanently, all kinds of precast concrete cladding for the building facade industry, whether for decorative or functional purposes, consisting of the following innovations: A. The manufacture in a factory of a precast element in its entirety i.e. the manufacture of a casting in a single, whole piece ready for shipment to and installation at the site. B. An installation method that avoids the following time-consuming and costly functions which, in current practice, need to be performed at the site: 1) Assembly on site of numerous custom-made precast parts, or of several component sections 2) Positioning and fitting together each part to the other and each part to the building structure 3) Joining together with a mortar substance each part to the other and each part to the building structure 2. An installation device consisting of a frame of metal, or some other material, affixed to a building or free-standing building structure's reveal, aperture, recess or wall opening and having channels cut into said frame and where such channels are angled downward toward the building structure. Channels are angled downward to cause pins that protrude from each side of the element to slide or roll down them when mounted, using weight of the precast element. That is to say, the principle of gravity is employed to cause elements to install themselves. This method eliminates a number of conventional installation functions as set out in Claim 1 B and achieves the following benefits: 1) Makes the element work to slide down the channels by itself 2) Makes the element work to affix and secure permanently itself 3) Avoids the possibility of misalignment or improper positioning 4) Reduces substantially the number of man hours needed to install the element on site 3. An installation device consisting of protruding pins, or (optional) protruding rotating pins, the latter to reduce friction between the pin and channel surfaces, especially in a case where there is installation of a heavy precast concrete element. Moreover, these two types of pins that protrude from the sides of the element may both (optional) adjust in an inward-outward direction i.e. perpendicular from the element for more precise fitting into the channels. These protruding pins or protruding rotatable pins, both with or without the inward-outward adjustment option, are designed to achieve to following functions: 1) to mount elements to openings to channels on the affixed frame 2) to slide down or roll down the element into sloping channels that lead to the holding receptacles 3) to facilitate any slight movement of the affixed element, whether to the right side or the left side or upward 4) to hold in suspension elements within the affixed support frame 4. An installation device in which pins attached to sides of an element 'sit' permanently in sufficiently large U-shaped holding receptacles in order to accommodate any slight movement of the element, as described in Claim 3, point 3. No other additional fixing is required to support and secure in position the element as force of gravity and the U-shaped holding receptacles maintain the pins in correct position. 5. A method that provides for release of possible build-up of pressures within the precast element that result in stress and strain by permitting some movement within the U-shaped holding receptacles. Reasons for build-up of pressures are peculiar to the precast concrete industry and are elaborated below: 1) expansion and contracting from heating and cooling 2) effects of water accumulation and chemical reactions 3) any slight movement of the building structure and hence the supporting frame, or the element itself, or both caused by building settlement, earth tremors and earthquakes 6. A mounting and fixing device that is self-aligning, self-positioning and self-operating, as once the protruding pins of the element to be mounted have been matched to the openings to the sloping channels, the precast element falls by itself into correct and secure position. 7. An installation method to mount and secure, and also to remove by lifting the element slightly and then pulling it away from the building, all kinds of precast concrete cladding elements to both new and existing building structures. Besides the support frame and its bolts to the inside of the wall, no other additional fixing of any kind is needed, such as, screws, nails, bolts, brackets, flanges or clips. And moreover, no modification to the building structure is required, such as for example, the application of adhesives or glues. 8. An installation method to install and secure all kinds of precast concrete elements to buildings and building structures that can be performed with the least number of man hours on site and that does not need any special equipment or tools, other than lifting devices, and does not require the use of skilled labour.

Inventors: MARKS ANTHONY DAVID, MARKS, ANTHONY, DAVID
Applicants: MARKS ANTHONY DAVID, MARKS, ANTHONY, DAVID
Application year: 1996
Main classification: E04F19
IPC codes: E04F19, E06B1