Patent ID: 8151530

Claim:
A wall covering for mounting on a support surface comprising: a plurality of panels each having a body portion formed with a plurality of horizontal rows of simulated building elements; said panels each having upper and lower elongated marginal edge regions and opposite first and second side marginal edge regions, said panels having a vertical axis extending from the lower marginal edge region to the upper marginal edge region; and said panels having a front surface and a rear surface; said panels being mountable on said support surface in a plurality of horizontal courses with said panels in a first horizontal course having a lower marginal edge region overlying an upper marginal edge region of previously mounted panels in a second horizontal course positioned below the first horizontal course, and with said panels in each horizontal course having a first side marginal edge region overlying a second side marginal edge region of an adjacent previously mounted panel in the same horizontal course; said upper and lower marginal edge regions having interengageable interlocks for positively securing together overlying upper and lower marginal edges regions; said first side marginal edge region of each panel being formed with a substantially T-shaped hook projecting rearward from the rear surface of the panel, said hook having a center post molded integrally with the panel and protruding out therefrom, the center post having a width in the direction of the vertical axis, said hook including at least two wings molded onto and extending outward from the center post at a point spaced apart from the rear surface of the panel, the wings extending from the post substantially along the vertical axis such that the wings extend generally parallel to and spaced apart from the rear surface of the panel, and said second side marginal edge region of each panel being formed with a hook receiving slot, said slot extending from the front surface through the rear surface and formed with an opening in the second side marginal edge and so as to permit passage into the slot from the side of the panel, the slot having a width in the direction of the vertical axis that is sized to receive the center post of a corresponding hook in an adjacent panel, and said hook and slot of adjacent panels being interengageable as an incident to relative lateral movement of the panels during installation such that the first side marginal edge region overlies the second side marginal edge region with the rows of simulated building elements of one panel in aligned and predetermined spaced relation to the rows of simulated building elements of the adjacently mounted panel, and wherein the interengagement of the hook and the slot results in the center post of the hook being positioned between opposite sides of the slot, and the wings overlying and in contact with portions of rear surface of the underlying panel thereby securing the underlying panel to the overlying panel.