Extruded plastic panel holding and jointing strips and window assemblies therewith

A one piece extruded plastic panel holding strip adapted to join adjacent panels in an array by receiving the side edges of adjacent panels in separate oppositely facing channels in the strip, said strip consisting of:

• (A) a base member:
• (1) the base member having a rigid "T" shaped member extending from the central portion thereof and essentially dividing the base member into oppositely facing portions;
• (2) the base member further including, in one divided portion of the base member, integral longitudinally extending means for releaseably interlocking with an upper member,
• (B) a hinge element, said hinge element integrally extending from one side of the integral bar crossing the "T" shaped member, the hinge element being integrally connecting to an upper member,
• (C) two substantially flat rigid upper members,
• (1) the first upper member extending from the hinge extending from one side of the "T", and further including integral means for releaseably interlocking with the base member said means of the upper member communicable with the means for releaseably interlocking of the base member,
• (2) the second upper member integrally and rigidly extending from the opposite side of the "T" bar,
• (3) each upper member substantially extending in width to the respective side edges of the flat base member.

In extruded plastic panel holding strips adapted to be attached to the plane surface of the perimeter surrounding a wall opening, said strips having a base member and a releaseably interlockable upper member, the improved one piece extruded plastic hinged panel holding strip having a rigid reinforcing back extending from each of the base and upper members and having an intrinsic hinge between said extending back portions connecting said base and upper members and consisting of:

• (A) a flat rigid base member adapted to be attached adjacent and to the perimeter of the pane surface surrounding the opening, said flat rigid base member including:
• (1) a rigid perpendicularly extending reinforcing back disposed from one side of the width of the base member to form a rigid reinforcing corner therewith;
• and
• (2) means for releaseably interlocking with an upper member, said means for releaseably interlocking with an upper member intrinsically extending from the base member in the same direction as the back longitudinally in the portion of the width of the base member between the inside of the corner formed by the back and the base member and the opposite edge of the width of the base member;
• (B) a hinge element, said hinge element being intrinsically extruded with the back extending from the base member, said hinge element, hingingly connecting the rigid back of the base member to the rigid back of a releaseably interlockable rigid upper member to which said hinge element is also intrinsically extruded;
• and
• (C) a rigid upper member, the upper member being substantially co-extensive in width with the base member and including:
• (1) a rigid perpendicularly extending reinforcing back disposed from one side of the width of the upper member to form a rigid reinforcing corner therewith, said back portion intrinsically connecting to the hinge element;
• and
• (2) means for releaseably interlocking with the base member, said means for releaseably interlocking intrinsically extending from the upper member in the same direction as the back of the upper member, and longitudinally extending in the portion of the width of the upper member between the inside of the corner formed with the back and the opposite edge of the width of the upper member;
• whereby, when the upper member is interlocked with the base member, a channel adapted to receive the edge of a panel is formed between the upper member and the base member in the portion of said members between the interlocked means for interlocking and the extending widths of the members.

A one piece extruded plastic panel holding strip adapted to join adjacent panels in a window array by receiving the side edges of adjacent glazing panels in separate oppositely facing channels in the strip, the strip consisting of the integrally extruded elements:

• a relatively rectangular rigid hollow core member,
• four rigid channel forming members, being two oppositely facing channel forming members extending from each side of two opposite outer surfaces of the hollow core member
• the channel forming members extending from the core member being angularly directed inwardly to the center between arbitrary parallel extending lines which are tangent to the outer opposite surfaces of the core member from which the channel forming members extend,
• each channel forming member further including on the inward facing surface thereof:
• at least one semi-rounded protrusion longitudinally extending adjacent the core member;
• and
• means for providing a gasket air seal with respect to a pane.

An insulating window for a large existing prime window including:

• (A) a hinged perimeter panel holding strip, said panel holding strip being adapted to be attached to a plane surface surrounding the perimeter of the existing prime window, and further being adapted to hold an independently removeable glazing pane in a channel therein, and said perimeter strip having a rigid reinforcing back extending from each of the base and upper members and having an intrinsic hinge between said extending back portions connecting said base and upper members and further consisting of:
• (1) a flat rigid base member adapted to be attached adjacent and to the perimeter of the plane surface surrounding the opening, said flat rigid base member including:
• (a) a rigid perpendicularly extending reinforcing back disposed from one side of the width of the base member to form a rigid reinforcing corner therewith;
• and
• (b) means for releaseably interlocking with an upper member, said means for releaseably interlocking with an upper member intrinsically extending from the base member in the same direction as the back longitudinally in the portion of the width of the base member between the inside of the corner formed by the back and the base member and the opposite edge of the width of the base member;
• (2) a hinge element, said hinge element being intrinsically extruded with the back extending from the base member, said hinge element, hingingly connecting the rigid back of the base member to the rigid back of a releaseably interlockable rigid upper member to which said hinge element is also intrinsically extruded;
• and
• (3) a rigid upper member, the upper member being substantially co-extensive in width with the base member and including:
• (a) a rigid perpendicularly extending reinforcing back disposed from one side of the width of the upper member to form a rigid reinforcing corner therewith, said back portion intrinsically connecting to the hinge element;
• and
• (b) means for releaseably interlocking with the base member, said means for releaseably interlocking intrinsically extending from the upper member in the same direction as the back of the upper member, and longitudinally extending in the portion of the width of the upper member between the inside of the corner formed with the back and the opposite edge of the width of the upper member;
• and in which at least one of the base and upper rigid members includes means for providing a gasket seal with respect to a pane at the inside surface of the member forming the channel, whereby, when the upper member is interlocked with the base member, a gasket sealed channel adapted to receive the edge of a glazing pane is formed between the upper member and the base member in the portion of said members between the interlocked means for interlocking and the extending widths of the members;
• and
• (B) at least one independently removeable glazing panel held at an edge thereof, adjacent the plane surface surrounding the perimeter of the prime window, in the channel of the said perimeter panel holding strip.

In extruded plastic panel holding strips adapted to be attached to the plane surface of the perimeter surrounding a wall opening, said strips having a base member and a releaseably interlockable upper member, the improved one piece extruded plastic hinged panel holding strip including a protruding right angle mounting member for attachment of the perimeter strip to the inside surface of a frame perpendicularly extending with respect to the plane surface of the prime window, said strip consisting of:

• (A) a flat rigid base member adapted to be attached adjacent and to the perimeter of the plane surface surrounding the opening, said flat rigid base member including:
• (1) a rigid perpendicularly extending reinforcing back disposed from one side of the width of the base member to form a rigid reinforcing corner therewith;
• and
• (2) means for releaseably interlocking with an upper member, said means for releaseably interlocking with an upper member intrinsically extending from the base member in the same direction as the back longitudinally in the portion of the width of the base member between the inside of the corner formed by the back and the base member and the opposite edge of the width of the base member;
• (B) a hinge element, said hinge element being intrinsically extruded with the back extending from the base member, said hinge element, hingingly connecting the rigid back of the base member to the rigid back of a releaseably interlockable rigid upper member to which said hinge element is also intrinsically extruded;
• and
• (C) a rigid upper member, the upper member being substantially co-extensive in width with the base member and including:
• (1) a rigid perpendicularly extending reinforcing back disposed from one side of the width of the upper member to form a rigid reinforcing corner therewith, said back portion intrinsically connecting to the hinge element;
• and
• (2) means for releaseably interlocking with the base member, said means for releaseably interlocking intrinsically extending from the upper member in the same direction as the back of the upper member, and longitudinally extending in the portion of the width of the upper member between the inside of the corner formed with the back and the opposite edge of the width of the upper member;
• whereby, when the upper member is interlocked with the base member, a channel adapted to receive the edge of a panel is formed between the upper member and the base member in the portion of said members between the interlocked means for interlocking and the extending widths of the members;
• and
• (D) an additional flat rigid member for attachment of the perimeter strip to the interior surface of the frame perpendicularly extending with respect to the plane surface of the prime window, said additional flat rigid member intrinsically extending perpenditularly from the base member in a direction opposite the extending direction of the perpendicularly extending back, and further including therein means for fastening such additional member to the frame.