Wall construction

A wall panel, comprising two mutually parallel panel plates generally similar to one another, juxtaposed and spaced apart to define a panel space between them, each panel plate having an edge, a flange extending from the edge toward an adjacent edge, a flange extending from the edge toward an adjacent edge of the other panel plate, and a bent portion of the flange extending from an edge of the flange, parallel to the edge of the plate, into the panel space, and at least one of the panel plates having an aperture adjacent the edge thereof;

• a connecting member disposed between the first and second panel plates, the connecting member having a face parallel to the respective flanges, having two mutually parallel grooves in the face, receiving one of the bent portions in each groove, and being thereby secured to the panel plates, the connecting member also having a blind opening recessed into the face and a through aperture extending transversely of and through the member in the area of the blind opening and of the aperture of the panel plate;
• an anchoring bar having an end portion in the blind opening, the end portion having a bevelled hole;
• and
• a connecting bolt insertable in the connecting member and anchoring bar through the aperture of the panel plate for connecting the anchoring bar to the connecting member, the bolt having a screw-threaded end threadedly engageable with the connecting member in a threaded part of the through aperture, a frusto-conical bolt portion flaring out from the end, and an enlarged body portion extending away from the flaring portion, the enlarged body portion having a diameter substantially equal to the maximum diameter of the bevelled hole, and the flaring portion being normally engageable with the bevelled hole, to permit the insertion of the bolt in the anchoring bar when the panel is slightly spaced apart from a similar panel and connecting member, and to enable the bolt when progressively threaded into the threaded part to move the connecting members together for causing the panels to bear tightly against one another.

A device for interconnecting wall panels, comprising;

• a connecting member disposed between first and second panel plates of a wall panel opposite a similarly disposed connecting member of an adjacent wall panel, the connecting member having a face which can be disposed parallel to an edge of respective panel, the member having two mutually parallel grooves in the face for receiving a bent portion of a flange of the panel in each groove, and for being thereby secured to the respective wall panel, the connecting member also having a blind opening recessed into the face and a through aperture extending transversely of and through the member in the area of the blind opening;
• an anchoring bar having an end portion, in the blind opening, the end portion having a bevelled hole;
• and
• a connecting bolt for connecting the anchoring bar to the connecting member, the bolt having a screw-threaded end threadedly engageable with the connecting member on one side of the blind opening, a frusto-conical bolt portion flaring out from the end, and an enlarged body portion extending away from the flaring portion, the enlarged body portion having a diameter substantially equal to the maximum diameter of the bevelled hole, and the flaring portion being normally engageable with the bevelled hole, to permit insertion of the bolt, through the anchoring bar, when the panel is slightly spaced apart from a similar panel and connecting member, and to enable the bolts, when fully threaded into its connecting member, to draw the panels together to bear tightly against one another.