Abstract:
An assembly system for attaching marble panels to walls is illustrated in which individual marble panels are formed of a thin marble layer attached to a carrier with the carrier being formed of a tongue groove assembly. Adjoining panels are interfit with each other, and this assembly system allows for relatively foolproof installation of marble walls.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the assembly of marble walls, and to the replacement of marble slabs for such installation. 
     Marble panels and walls have always been a desirable architectural and interior design feature. Conventionally, such marble panels are provided either by a solid marble slab which must be secured to a flat surface. A skilled artisan is required to handle the slab and to secure it to the flat surface without cracking or breaking the marble. Obviously, this is a time consuming and expensive process, and the damage to marble slabs which occurs is a very expensive problem. 
     One attempt to eliminate the need of such an assembly procedure has been to provide materials made of plastic which are marble look-alikes and which are assembled as squares on a wall surface. Obviously, such squares do not resemble a marble panel, and the undesirability of such squares as a replacement for natural marble is quite clear. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,846 entitled Marble-Faced Composite Surface Element discloses a composite marble panel formed of a thin marble layer attached to a honeycomb backing structure. This composite panel is difficult to assemble and also leaves unfinished edges. 
     An object of this invention is to provide a marble panel and assembly system which enables whole marble panels of the size of a natural marble slab to be installed without requiring skilled artisans. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide such an assembly system which is relatively foolproof, simple to use and easily adaptable to on-site installation. 
     Still another object of this invention is to improve the time and efficiency of installation of marble walls which materially can reduce the installation cost. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a system in which cracking and breaking of marble slabs is eliminated, yet in which marble walls are installed with the apparent thickness of marble slabs. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a marble panel which only has a thin marble layer but which has substantially finished side edges. 
     Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become more apparent from the following description. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the principles of this invention, the above objects are accomplished by providing a marble panel formed of a marble sheet and a mounting carrier secured thereto, the mounting carrier being substantially coextensive with the sheet of marble. The individual marble panels are formed so that a tongue-in-groove arrangement is provided in the mounting carrier so as to have adjoining marble panels interlock with each other. Apertures are provided in the tongues of the carriers to ensure that adjoining panels are accurately located next to each other to assist in the installation of the marble panels. 
     The carriers may be formed of molded plastic members with the tongue-in-groove constuction molded therein. The carriers also may be solid or be formed holow with an internal web construction provided for structural strength. 
     The installation system of this invention further includes intermediate assembly panels which themselves are attached to the wall. These intermediate assembly panels are provided with alternating rows of recessed and flat mounting surfaces. The intermediate assembly panels are attached to the flat wall or surface through the recessed surfaces, while the front mounting surfaces are flush with the individual marble panels. A bottom intermediate assembly foot panel is also provided which provides vertical support for the marble panel. The apertures in the tongue of the carrier align with apertures in the mounting surface of the intermediate assembly panels to ensure that the marble panels are accurately installed. As may be seen, such a foolproof arrangement eliminates the need for skilled artisans to do the installation, and the effectiveness, efficiency and cost of such installation is materially improved. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front and side wall to which the intermediate carriers are attached. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an intermediate and lower panel assemblies. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a marble panel attached to a carrier. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the front and side wall assembled. 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 4 showing the installation of the marble panels to the intermediate assembly and wall. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view along lines 6--6 of FIG. 4 showing a kickplate section. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a corner clip used in the assembly procedure of this invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a marble panel. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The marble panels 8 illustratively are to be installed on a front wall 10 and a perpendicular side wall 12. FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment for a marble panel which comprises a layer 14 of marble attached to a solid mounting carrier 16, the carrier comprising a tongue 18 and groove 19 assembly to enable adjoining marble panels to fit and interlock one in the other to ensure abutting of adjoining panels. Solid mounting carrier 16 comprises a front attaching surface 17 coextensive with the marble sheet or layer 14 and a rear mounting surface 20 parallel to the front surface 17. 
     The carrier 16 may alternatively be formed of a series of support webs 22 (see FIG. 3) to which a rear mounting surface 26 is attached. Marble panel 14 is attached to the feet 49 of webs 22 which form a discontinuous front attaching surface. The tongue 18 and groove 19 may be molded of plastic. The entire carrier assembly of FIG. 3 may be manufactured of molded plastic by providing a mold and injecting a plastic material to form the panel shown in FIG. 3. Whether the panel is an integrally molded structure or a composite structure, it may be seen that the edges 27 of the carrier panel 16 are finished and may be clad with marble strips. The marble layer 14 is attached to carrier panel 16 and is coextensive therewith. 
     Once the individual marble panels are assembled, they can then be mounted directly to the wall with mounting surface 20 or 26 bearing against the wall. 
     A preferred and different embodiment for a mounting system for such marble assemblies is illustrated in FIG. 2. There is shown a perspective view of an individual intermediate assembly panel 28 which may be a molded structure having parallel recessed areas 32 which alternate between parallel projecting mounting surfaces 34. The mounting surfaces 34 lie in a single plane. These molded intermediate panels 28 are attached to wall 10 through apertures 36 in the recessed portions 32. The intermediate assembly panels 28 are level with respect to the floor, and once so assemblied, the individual marble panels 8 can be attached to the wall. 
     An intermediate foot panel 38 comprises a recessed area 40 between two projecting mounting co-planar surfaces 42 and 44. Recessed and projecting portions 42 and 44 are parallel and arranged in rows. A bottom support lip 46 is also provided in foot panel 38 to provide support for the individual marble panels attached to the intermediate assembly panels 28. 
     Once the intermediate assembly panels are attached to the walls, the individual marble panels are then attached to the intermediate assembly panels by utilizing apertures 100 provided in the extensions 102 on the sides of the carriers containing grooves 19. Intermediate assemblies panels 28 and 38 may be formed of unitary members of a molded plastic material. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates using the embodiment of FIG. 3 for an individual marble panel which includes the substantially hollow carrier 16, the mounting surface 26 adapted to be mounted against the intermediate panels or to the wall surface. The plurality of webs 22 extend perpendicular to surface 26 and terminate in ledges 49 onto which the marble sheet 14 may directly be secured. The mounting surface 26 and webs 22 may be molded of plastic and the tongue 18 and groove 19 may also be simultaneously molded at the opposite side edges of the carrier. 
     To complete the assembly of the panels on the walls, corner clips 50 are provided. The corner clip 50 comprises a unitary plastic member having a rear mounting leg 52 attached to a flexible finger 56 through a base 57. The leg 52 has an aperture 54 to enable the clip to be attached to a recessed portion 32 of an intermediate panel 28. The clip is attached to the first intermediate panel attached to the side wall 12, as illustrated in FIG. 1. When so installed, the flexible finger 56 is flexed outwardly so that base 57 bears against the left portion of the marble panel installed against front wall 10. Additionally, the flexible finger 56 bears inwardly against the first marble panel installed against side wall 12, as shown in FIG. 5, and the recessed area 32 accommodates the flexible finger 56 of clip 50. 
     The illustration of this invention is shown above. Other modifications and changes will be obvious to those skilled in the art without departing from the teachings of this invention.