Improvements in Panels or Composite Sections for Constructing Various Articles.
Year: 1889

page_text: e of Application, 10th July, 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept.,
1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Panels or Composite Sections for Constructing
Various Articles.
I, HERMAN ALLEN BENEDICT, Mechanic, of 107 South Clinton Street, of Syracuse
in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, United States of America, do
bereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN PANELS OR COM-
POSITE SECTIONS FOR CONSTRUCTING VARIOUS ARTICLES and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to panels or composite sections for constructing various
articles, among which may be mentioned those which are usually constructed of wood,
although such class of articles does not include all to which the invention may be
applied. It will be seen that the word panel is herein employed with the usual
signification, for example in a door, blind, trunk, desk and other cabinet constructions,
a wall is usually made up of stiles and cross-bars constituting a framework and this
The same
framework is provided with panels proper to complete the structure.
features of construction occur in wainscoting and ceilings. My invention relates
primarily to the construction of such panels; and, secondarily to the embodiment of
the invention in stiles, cross-bars and other framework as will more clearly herein-
after appear.
The principal material employed in the embodiment of the invention consists of pulp
of any desired character whether of paper or other material, it may be the article of
manufacture straw board, pulp board or any other well known form of paper board
or similar fabric. In this invention the body portion of a section is constructed of
any desired material mentioned above or having characteristics similar to those
mentioned while the exterior surface or surfaces of the section may be covered with
or consist of a veneer or any desired wood or of any other material in sheet or veneer
form. Another characteristic of the section embodying this invention is that it is
provided with a complete frame of wood and jointed to said frame in a manner which
renders the connection of the body portion firm and lasting. This frame may be
connected with the body by a mortise and tenon connection of any character and the
section may be put upon the market with the frame thicker than the body portion or
without the exterior veneer surface, whereby said frame or said body portion may be
planed or otherwise thinned either along the frame or over the entire surface of the
section to adapt it for use in connection with grooved stiles, mullions or other casings
and structures, or which the section has to become a part or said section may be put
upon the market with the exterior finishing sheet or other veneer surface applied
thereto.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following
description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the
claims.
Referring to the drawing:
Figure 1 represents aldoor constructed of sections made in accordance with my
invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are perspectives of a desk and box or case formed of sections
embodying my invention.
Figure 4 is an edge view of a stile for doors and other structures constructed in
accordance with my invention.
Figure 5 is a section on the line xx and Figure 6 is an end elevation of a stile
looking in the direction of the arrow in Figure 4.
Figure 7 is an edge view of a cross-bar or what may be designated as a cross stile,

page_text: to be used in connection with structures which consist of or are composed of frame-
work and panels.
Figure 8 is an edge view, and Figure 9 is a section on the line of the panel
used in the structure mentioned in the description of Figure 7.
Figure 10 is a cross section of the composite board which may be. used for any of
the purposes herein before specified, and,
Figure 11 is a plan of my section with the finishing surface removed.
Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawing.
In constructing a section A, in accordance with my invention, I take a number of
sheets of straw board, pulp board or any other desired suitable material and compress
and cement the same into one compact mass, (as shown at A×, Figure 10). I then
completely surround the same with a wooden frame B, having either a groove B¹,
into which a tenon A¹, of the body of the section is fitted or having a tenon B2,
entering a groove A², formed in the body. The frame B, may be thicker than the
body, as shown by dotted lines B³, Figure 10, in order that the same may be planed
down to the required thickness to fit a groove formed in any structure intended to
receive a panel. The tenons above mentioned are made shorter than the depth of the
groove for their reception in order that the finish and strength of the frame may
not be impaired.
The veneer C, of any desired material is now secured upon the body at one or both
sides of the same, as desired and upon the frame B, thus serving to reinforce the
joint of the body and frame and thus also serving the presentation of an entire exterior
surface of wood.
The board is now ready to receive exterior ornamentations as for example by means
of molding D, arranged on one or both sides thereof in accordance with the taste or
judgment of the user, so that it can be applied to a useful purpose in constructing
desks, trunks, doors, wainscoting, window cases, ceilings, floors and any other purpose
to which wood, sheet metal and other similar materials may be applied. My panel or
section may be duplicated, so as to adapt it to many varied uses. For example the
corner posts of a desk or of a box or case with which panels are connected and also
the stiles and cross bars of doors or what is considered the equivalents, the base
board cap piece, and standards of wainscoting or the borders and cross-pieces or
ceilings may be made of sections constructed in accordance with my invention.
The corner posts, stiles, cap and base pieces are constructed of two or more sections A,
arranged side by side but spaced or separated by strips of wood E, or other suitable
material, whereby a groove is formed for the reception of the edges of the panel, to
be used in connection therewith (see dotted lines Figure 1) and for the reception of
tenons F, projecting from the cross-bars. In this use of the section, one of its surfaces
may be not provided with veneer C, or other surface finish and the portion of the
section of the frame B, at one edge thereof is preferably extended to and formed
integrally with the frame B, of the adjacent panel, as shown at B³, Figure 6, whereb
the stile or standard has a solid wooden edge. The cross-bars are constructed of
two sections spaced with the strips E, and provided with the tenons F, all as shown
in Figure 7.
By the use of my section, constructed and adapted as above described, either singly
or in duplicate, it will be seen that almost any desired structure can be made light at
a minimum cost, strong and serviceable and that the structure will not split, warp,
swell or shrink and for this reason the various stiles, cross-bars and panels or the
structure may be glued together at the joints, a method of fastening which is not
and cannot be practically adapted in similar structures when made wholly of wood,
as in time the unpainted portions thereof become exposed to view. This is always
liable to occur whereas in my invention said objections are overcome.
All the parts of my section are glued or cemented solidly together, therefore it is
apparent that in some instances, it is desirable to connect the section with the
adjacent parts of a structure by mounting it on a rib or tenon instead of arranging
it in a groove in said structure. This may be readily accomplished by grooving the

page_text: frame B, at and along one edge of the section, as shown by dotted lines B, Figure 10
In this way several sections may be connected with each other to form close and
accurate joints, thereby adapting the same for use in parquetry for floors and other
purposes.
Various other modifications may be adopted so that a strong, non-shrinkable, light
and comparatively inexpensive panel or section is provided and one which will
withstand exposure and wear and possess the strength of a section made wholly of
wood and yet be free from objections accompanying the use of that material which
arise from contraction and expansion, and exposure to dampness.
It is apparent that the sections can be molded or beveled and coped the same as in
ordinary door work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. A section consisting of pulp board or its described equivalent completely
framed with wood, the pulp and frame being jointed together and having a surface
finishing material, substantially as specified.
2. A stile standard or cross bar comprising two sections which consist of a body
of pulp board and having a surrounding frame of wood jointed and secured thereto,
said sections being spaced to form grooves for the reception of panels, substantially as
specified.
3. A structure comprising sections consisting of two or more sheets of pulp board
cemented and pressed together, jointed to a wooden frame and surfaced with veneer
and standards and cross-bars each comprising of two of said sections connected together,
substantially as specified.