Interlock for wall panel system

A system of interlockable panel frames, each panel frame having means for engageably attaching wall panels thereto, comprising:

• vertical support members and horizontal support members, a plurality of the vertical support members being located at joints between panel frames and the vertical support members at said joints each having a tubular configuration, slot means formed through said vertical support members at spaced apart intervals therealong whereby corresponding slot means align generally in horizontal registry;
• at one of said joints between panel frames, a carriage bolt extending through at least two registering slot means of the vertical support members, the carriage bolt having a head, an integral polygonal nut portion and a threaded shaft extending from the nut portion to project through the slot means in a first of said vertical support members, and said polygonal nut non-rotatably engaged in the slot means of a second of said vertical support members, the threaded shaft extends outwardly of the slot means of the first of said vertical members;
• a rotatable latch bracket pivotally retaining a dowel member having means for thread-engaging the threaded shaft of the carriage bolt, the latch bracket being rotatable to rotate the dowel member on said threaded shaft of the carriage bolt to cause the latch bracket to travel to or away from said first of said vertical support members;
• and, said latch bracket being pivotable around said dowel member, and the latch bracket including camming means for camming against said first of said vertical support members whereby to draw said frame members together for interlocking adjacent panel frames.

An interlock for locking a first vertical frame member to a second vertical frame member in a wall panel system, said first vertical frame member and the second vertical frame member each including at least one keyhole-shaped opening vertically aligned with the at least one keyhole-shaped opening of the other, a bolt means passing through both said keyhole-shaped openings, said bolt means having a head and said keyhole-shaped openings having a first aperture capable of receiving said head therethrough, said bolt means having a polygonal nut having a width less than the width of said head and wherein said keyhole-shaped openings include a second aperture formed continuously with the first aperture for non-rotatably holding said polygonal nut of the bolt means, the polygonal nut being non-rotatably held in the keyhole-shaped opening of said second vertical frame member, said bolt means having a threaded shaft extending from said polygonal nut to extend through said keyhole-shaped opening of the first vertical frame member;

• a rotatable means having a threaded bore therethrough, the threaded bore being threadably engaged to said threaded shaft of the bolt means, said rotatable means being freely pivotally retained by a pivotal lever bracket;
• the lever bracket capable of rotating the rotatable means along said threaded shaft whereby to move the lever bracket toward and lock against said first vertical frame member, said lever bracket being pivotal around said rotatable means, said lever bracket including camming surfaces capable of camming against said first vertical frame member by the pivoting of said lever bracket around said rotatable means whereby to cam against said first vertical frame member and draw said bolt means and the second vertical frame member toward the first vertical frame member to interlock the first and second vertical frame members together.