Multiple purpose panel for cooling towers

A synthetic resin multiple purpose panel of construction such that when a series of the panels are mounted in side-by-side relationship on supporting structure, they will form a deck or wall thereof, said panel comprising:

• an elongated panel main section of synthetic resin material and provided with a longitudinally extending outer surface defining face, and an opposed, longitudinally extending normally innermost surface, said main panel section having opposed longitudinally extending side margins;
• and
• elongated end sections of synthetic resin material integrally connected to the main panel section longitudinally thereof on opposite sides of the main panel section in proximal relationship to corresponding side margins of the main panel section,
• said end sections extending from the main panel section in a direction away from the outer surface defining face of the main panel section,
• each of said end sections being of generally non-linear configuration transversely thereof and provided with an inner leg presenting a first leg portion integral with and extending away from the main panel section and an L-shaped leg integral with a respective first leg portion,
• said L-shaped legs each having an outer leg portion generally parallel transversely thereof with said first leg portion, spaced from a corresponding first leg portion, and having an outermost elongated margin,
• said L-shaped legs further being provided with an intermediate leg portion joining a respective outer leg portion to a corresponding first leg portion,
• each of said intermediate leg portions being at an angle transversely thereof with respect to the transverse axes of the first leg portion and the outer leg portion joined thereto to cause the outer leg portions of the end sections to both be offset from corresponding first leg portions in the same direction,
• the angle of said intermediate leg portion of each L-shaped leg being within the range of about 30.degree. to at least slightly less than about 90.degree. with respect to a corresponding first leg portion,
• said outer leg portions of each L-shaped leg being offset from the first leg portion to which a respective L-shaped leg is joined, a distance no greater than about three times the thickness of the corresponding first leg portion of an end section,
• one of the end sections being provided with elongated out-turned flange means generally parallel to the main panel section and extending in a direction away from the other end section,
• said other end section being of a transverse width to cause said outermost margin of the outer leg portion thereof to directly rest on and be supported by the flange means of said one end section of an adjacent panel when the panels are mounted in side-by-side relationship on said underlying supporting structure, and
• the leg portions of said end sections collectively being of a transverse width and configured to cause the end sections of adjacent panels mounted in side-by-side relationship to complementally engage and interlock to prevent movement between proximal end sections in a direction away from the supporting structure for the panels to thereby maintain adjacent main panel sections in generally parallel relationship when loads are imposed on the outer surfaces of the panels in a direction essentially normal thereto.