Wooden frame building construction

A method of covering a structural frame comprised of elongated framing members arranged in spaced parallel relationship to one another, with first longitudinally extending edges thereof disposed in a plane, and mutually opposing sides thereof extending generally transverse the first longitudinally extending edges thereof and coterminating with the respective first longitudinally extending edges thereof to form pairs of corners therebetween and to define first longitudinally extending edge portions of the respective framing members between the respective pairs of corners thereof, comprising:

• forming grooves in the first longitudinally extending edges of the framing members, which extend longitudinally of the respective framing members to subdivide the respective first longitudinally extending edge portions thereof into at least pairs of longitudinally extending edge sections which are adapted to be resiliently deflected relatively toward one another transverse the longitudinally extending axes of the respective framing members when a pincer effect is applied to the respective first longitudinally extending edge portions of the framing members at the respective pairs of corners corresponding thereto, and
• driving first one elongated piece of facing material into engagement with the respective framing members, and then a second piece of elongated facing material into engagement with the respective framing members, so that the respective pieces of facing material are juxtaposed to one another in the aforesaid plane with corresponding first sides of the pieces of facing material oriented relatively toward the frame and the respective pieces of facing material abutted against one another at adjacent edges thereof to form a butt joint therebetween,
• the pieces of facing material having first grooves in the respective first sides thereof which extend crosswise the longitudinally extending axes of the respective pieces of facing material and are arranged in registry with the respective first longitudinally extending edges of the framing members, and
• the respective pieces of facing material being driven into engagement with the respective framing members along angles to the plane and in the direction of the frame so as to apply a pincer effect to the respective first longitudinally extending edge portions of the respective framing members when the first grooves in the first sides of the respective pieces of facing material engage about the first longitudinally extending edge portions of the respective framing members at the respective pairs of corners corresponding thereto, and
• the first grooves in the first sides of the respective pieces of facing material and the first longitudinally extending edge portions of the framing members having means therein and thereon, respectively, which cooperatively engage one another when the longitudinally extending edge sections of the respective first longitudinally extending edge portions of the framing members resiliently deflect relatively toward one another as the respective first grooves in the pieces of facing material straddle the pairs of corners corresponding to the respective first longitudinally extending edge portions of the framing members, to releaseably interlock the respective pieces of facing material and the respective framing members against relative movement crosswise the plane.

A framing member for forming a structural frame, said framing member comprising:

• an elongated board of wood having a longitudinally extending axis, pairs of mutually opposing sides and first and second edges extending along parallels to the longitudinally extending axis of the board of wood, and coterminating with one another to form pairs of corners therebetween and to define mutually opposing first and second longitudinally extending edge portions of the board of wood between the respective pairs of corners corresponding thereto,
• said first edge of the board of wood having a groove therein which extends along a parallel to the longitudinally extending axis of the board of wood, to subdivide the first longitudinally extending edge portion of the board of wood into at least a pair of longitudinally extending edge sections which are adapted to be resiliently deflected relatively toward one another transverse the longitudinally extending axis of the board when a pincer effect is applied to the first longitudinally extending edge portion of the board at the pair of corners corresponding thereto,
• said pair of corners corresponding to the first longitudinally extending edge portion of the board of wood having convexly rounded surfaces thereon coterminating with said first edge, and extending in spaced, parallel relationship to one another, and
• said sides of the board of wood having mutually opposing recesses therein which extend along parallels to the longitudinally extending axis of the board of wood on the opposite side of the convexly rounded surfaces of the pair of corners corresponding to the first longitudinally extending edge portion of the board, from said first edge of the board, to cooperate with releasable interlock means in a groove of a facing material applied to the first longitudinally extending edge portion of the board to generate the aforesaid pincer effect therein.

A kit for assembling the body of a structural panel having opposing sides and a body plane therebetween, said kit comprising:

• a plurality of elongated framing members and a plurality of elongated pieces of facing material,
• said framing members having longitudinally extending axes, first longitudinally extending edges generally parallel to the longitudinally extending axes thereof, and mutually opposing sides which extend generally parallel to the axes of the respective framing members transverse the first longitudinally extending edges thereof, said sides and said first longitudinally extending edges of the respective framing members coterminating with one another to form pairs of corners therebetween and to define first longitudinally extending edge portions of the respective framing members between the respective pairs of corners thereof,
• said pieces of facing material having longitudinally extending axes, peripheral outlines about the respective axes thereof, and generally polygonal cross sections defining the peripheral outlines of the respective pieces of facing material in planes transverse the respective axes thereof, the cross sections of the respective pieces of facing material defining at the respective peripheral outlines thereof, a pair of mutually opposing first and second sides, a pair of mutually opposing first and second edges, and corners interposed between the respective pairs of first and second sides and edges of the pieces of facing material,
• said pieces of facing material having first grooves in the respective first sides thereof, which extend crosswise the longitudinally extending axes of the respective pieces of facing material,
• said first longitudinally extending edges of the framing members having grooves therein which extend longitudinally of the respective framing members to subdivide the respective first longitudinally extending edge portions thereof into at least pairs of longitudinally extending edge sections which are adapted to be resiliently deflected relatively toward one another transverse the axes of the respective framing members when a pincer effect is applied to the respective first longitudinally extending edge portions of the framing members at the respective pairs of corners corresponding thereto,
• said sides of the respective framing members having mutually opposing recesses therein which extend along parallels to the longitudinally extending axes of the respective framing members at sites adjacent the corners of the first longitudinally extending edge portions of the respective framing members,
• said first grooves in the respective first sides of the pieces of facing material having mutually opposing sidewalls therein, bottoms interposed therebetween, and mutually opposing relatively inturned lips on the sidewalls of the respective first grooves which extend transverse the longitudinally extending axes of the respective pieces of facing material,
• said first grooves in the first sides of the respective pieces of facing material being adapted to engage about the corners of the first longitudinally extending edge portions of the respective framing members when the respective framing members are arranged in spaced parallel coplanar array with one another to register with the first grooves in the first sides of the pieces of facing material, and the pieces of facing material are driven into engagement with the array of framing members at the first longitudinally extending edge portions thereof, and at angles to the plane thereof, and
• said pairs of lips in the first grooves in the first sides of the respective pieces of facing material being adapted to releaseably engage in the recesses in the sides of the respective framing members, to releaseably interlock the pieces of facing material with the array of framing members, and vice versa, when the first grooves in the first sides of the pieces of facing material are engaged about the first longitudinally extending edge portions of the respective framing members.