Mounting system for building panels

A panel alignment system for aligning a side of a panel being installed with an adjacent side of an already installed panel, each panel having a respective front and back face, first and second sides, a top side, and a bottom side,

• a first mullion guide removably attachable to a first side of a first panel and comprising a body elongated along a first axis and having a respective top end and bottom end and defining a first axial channel between the top end and the bottom end, the first axial channel widening towards the top of the first mullion guide to form a first funnel portion;
• a second mullion guide removably attachable to a second side of a second panel and comprising a body elongated along a second axis and having a respective top end and bottom end, a bottom section of the second mullion guide defining a second axial channel, the second axial channel widening towards the bottom of the second mullion guide to form a second funnel portion;
• the first funnel portion configured to capture at least a portion of the second mullion guide and the second funnel portion configured to capture at least a portion of the first mullion guide when the second mullion is positioned in a start position above the top of the first mullion guide and within a first horizontal tolerance range and then lowered alongside the first mullion guide to a first position;
• wherein the first channel is operative to position a captured portion of the second mullion guide along a first guide axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, the second channel is operative to position a captured portion of the first mullion guide along a second guide axis substantially perpendicular to the guide axis, and the first and second channels operative to confine a position of the second mullion guide relative to the first mullion guide along the first and second guide axes to within a second horizontal tolerance range smaller than the first horizontal tolerance range when the second mullion further lowered alongside the first mullion guide to a second position lower than the first position.

A construction method comprising the steps of:

• accessing a building structure with a first panel mounted to an outer face of the building, the first panel having a top, a respective front and back face, first and second sides, a top side, and a bottom side, a first mullion guide being attached to the first side of the first panel and comprising a body elongated along a first axis and having a respective top end and bottom end and defining a first axial channel between the top end and the bottom end, the first axial channel widening towards the top of the first mullion guide to form a first funnel portion;
• accessing a second panel having a top, a respective front and back face, first and second sides, a top side, and a bottom side, a second mullion guide being attached to the second side of the second panel and comprising a body elongated along a second axis and having a respective top end and bottom end, a bottom section of the second mullion guide defining a second axial channel, the second axial channel widening towards the bottom of the second mullion guide to form a second funnel portion;
• positioning the second panel at a start position above and horizontally displaced from the first panel so that the top of the first panel is lower than the bottom of the second panel and the first side of the first panel is aligned with the second side of the second panel to within a first horizontal placement tolerance;
• adjusting a horizontal position of the second panel relative to the first panel by lowering the second panel from the start position to a first position alongside the first panel wherein the first funnel portion captures at least a portion of the second mullion guide and the second funnel portion captures at least a portion of the first mullion guide;
• and
• confining the horizontal position of the second panel relative to the first panel to within a second horizontal tolerance range smaller than the first horizontal tolerance range by continuing to lower the second panel from the first position to a second lower position alongside the first panel wherein the captured portion of the second mullion guide is confined within the first channel and the captured portion of the first mullion guide is confined within the second channel.