Method and apparatus for erecting wall panels

#The present invention is directed generally to apparatus and methods for erecting wall panels and specifically to perimeter framing members for attaching wall panels to structural members.

#The exterior walls of many commercial and industrial buildings are formed by mounting a number of wall panels and attached perimeter extrusions on a grid framework of structural members attached to the building. The resulting grid of wall panels are aesthetically attractive and protect the building, structure from fluids in the terrestrial environment.

#In designing a wall panel mounting system, there are a number of objectives. First, the joints between the wall panels should be substantially sealed from terrestrial fluids. Penetration of terrestrial fluids behind the wall panels can cause warpage and/or dislocation of the wall panels, which can culminate in wall panel failure. Second, any sealing material used in the joints between the wall panels should be non-skinning and non-hardening. The sealing material is located in a confined space in the joint. To maintain the integrity of the seal between the wall panels when the panels expand and contract in response to thermal fluctuations and other building movements (e.g., seismically induced movements), the sealing material must be able to move with the wall panels without failure of the seal. If the sealing material hardens or “sets up”, the sealing material can break or shear, thereby destroying the weather seal. Third, the longevity of the sealing material should be at least as long as the useful life of the wall panels. Fourth, the sealing material should be capable of being pre-installed before erection of a wall panel beside a previously installed wall panel to provide for ease and simplicity of wall panel installation and low installation costs. Wall panel systems presently must be installed in a “stair step” fashion (i.e., a staggered or stepped method) because the sealing material must be installed only after both of the adjacent wall panels are mounted on the support members. Fifth, a drainage system or gutter should be employed to drain any fluids that are able to penetrate the seal in the joints. The gutter, which commonly is a “U”-shaped member in communication with a series of weep holes, must not overflow and thereby provide an uncontrolled entry for terrestrial fluids into the interior of the wall. During storms, winds can exert a positive pressure on the wall, thereby forcing terrestrial fluids to adhere to the surface of the wall (i.e., known as a capillary attraction). In other words, as the fluids follow the wall profile, the fluids can be drawn through the weep holes into gutter. The amount of terrestrial fluids drawn through the weep holes is directly proportional to the intensity of the storm pressure exerted on the wall exterior. If a sufficient amount of fluids enter the weep holes, the gutter can overflow, leaking fluids into the wall interior. Such leakage can cause severe damage or even panel failure.

#FIG. 1 depicts a number of adjoining wall panels attached by a first embodiment of the wall panel mounting system according to a first aspect of the present invention;

#FIG. 1A is an exploded view of interconnected upper and lower perimeter framing members of the first embodiment viewed from behind the wall panels, with a portion of the upper perimeter framing member being cutaway to reveal the drainage holes and capillary break;

#FIG. 1B is an exploded view of the lower perimeter framing member of the first embodiment;

#The first aspect of the present invention is directed to retarding the passage of terrestrial fluids through the joint between adjoining upper and lower wall panels. FIG. 1 depicts four adjacent wall panel mounting assemblies 50a-d and the attached vertically oriented wall panels 54a-d according to the first aspect of the present invention. Each wall panel mounting assembly 50a-d includes a number of perimeter framing members 58a-d, 62a-d, 66a-d and 70a-d engaging each edge of the wall panels 54a-d. Perimeter framing member 50 engages perimeter framing member 66, and perimeter framing member 62 engages perimeter framing member 70. As can be seen from FIGS. 1B-1D, the upper perimeter framing members 66 are configured to interlock in a nested relationship with the lower perimeter framing members 58. Referring to FIG. 1A, at least one of the upper and lower perimeter framing members has a capillary break 74 and a plurality of drainage holes 78a-c in communication with a gutter 83 (defined by the perimeter framing member).

#The wall panels can be composed of a variety of materials, including wood, plastics, metal, ceramics, masonry, and composites thereof. A preferred composite wall panel is metal- or plastic-faced with a wood, metal, or plastic core. A more preferred wall panel is a composite of metal and plastics sold under the trademark “ALUCOBOND”.

#Referring to FIGS. 1A, 2 and 3, the upper and lower perimeter framing members 66 and 58 define a recess 82. The capillary break 74 extends downwardly from the upper perimeter framing member 74 to divide the recess 82 into a circulating chamber 86 and an inlet 90. The capillary break 74 is located nearer the wall panel 54 than the drainage holes 78 to block or impede the flow of droplets 94 entrained in the airstream 98 into the drainage holes 78.