Structural panel

The method of making a reinforced panel comprising the steps of:

• interdigitating a plurality of elongated filler elements and a plurality of substantially flat lattice structures in consecutive alternation,
• laterally compressing said interdigitated lattice structures and filler elements to deform at least some of the filler elements along lines of contact thereof with the lattice structures and to at least partially embed the lattice structures in said filler elements, and
• fixedly securing said lattice structures to one another while said structures and elements are in their compressed condition.

The method of making a reinforced panel comprising the steps of:

• interdigitating a plurality of elongated filler elements and a plurality of substantially flat lattice structures in consecutive alternation, laterally pressing said interdigitated lattice structures and filler elements to at least partially embed the lattice structures in said filler elements, fixedly securing said lattice structures to one another in their pressed condition, and
• including the step of forming said lattice structures by sinuously bending a rod and fixedly securing first and second side rods in mutually spaced relation along the length of said sinuous rod.

A reinforced panel made by the steps of:

• interdigitating a plurality of elongated filler elements and a plurality of substantially flat lattice structures in consecutive alternation to form a stack having a width greater than the width of the panel,
• laterally compressing said interdigitated lattice structures and filler elements to deform the latter along lines of contact with the lattice structures so as to at least partially embed the lattice structures in said filler elements and to decrease the width of said stack, and
• fixedly securing said lattice structures to one another in compressed condition.

A reinforced panel comprising:

• a plurality of laterally contiguous elongated filler elements each having opposite faces lying in first and second common planes, respectively,
• a plurality of lattice structures respectively interposed between elements of respective adjacent pairs of said filler elements and pressed at least partly into laterally contiguous surfaces of such adjacent elements, thereby to form a laterally laminated panel assembly of alternate laminations of lattice structures and filler elements, said laterally contiguous surfaces including planar portions in face-to-face contact for a major part of the distance between said opposite faces, and a plurality of cross members fixed to at least some of said lattice structures to hold said lattice structures and filler elements in said laterally laminated panel,
• said laterally contiguous surfaces of said filler elements having grooves therein formed by pressures of said structures in patterns that mate with groove patterns in a contiguous filler element surface and with said lattice structures, portions of said lattice structures being substantially completely embedded within said grooves whereby said elements provide an enhanced barrier to vapor.

The method of making a reinforced panel comprising the steps of:

• forming a stack of alternate layers of relatively compressible filler elements and relatively incompressible structural support elements, said filler elements being mutually spaced from one another by interposed structural support elements, comprising said stack to force said structural support elements into said filler elements and to force said filler elements into contact with one another, and connecting at least some of said structural support elements to each other so as to hold said stack in compressed condition.