Load-bearing structures
AssigneePoly Plus Inc.
InventorsDonald G. Needham, William Kinzie, James H. Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one aspect, the present invention provides a load-bearing structure with a novel interlocking edge. Also provided is a method of making a load-bearing structure having an overlapping edge, in which structural members are combined so that a stepped-down lip of one structural member covers a peripheral edge of another member. Also provided is a load-bearing structure having cellular structure and which is useful with or without an overlapping edge. In addition, there is provided a molding method for making cellular, load-bearing structures.
Claims17
A load-bearing structure comprising
- a molded structure comprising a first skin structure covering a face of a first plurality of generally vertical walls forming a first plurality of shaped hollows which have an opposing face, and
- a molded structure comprising a second skin structure covering a face of a second plurality of generally vertical walls forming a second plurality of shaped hollows which likewise have an opposing face,
- joined together with the opposing faces in contact at a joining line formed by said first plurality of generally vertical walls and by said second plurality of generally vertical walls, said opposing faces being otherwise uncovered, to form a cellular core derived from said first plurality of shaped hollows and from said second plurality of shaped hollows, and sandwiched between and covered by said first and second skin structures,
- wherein the walls forming said cellular core include a plurality of cell-connecting apertures adjoining said joining line.
A load-bearing structure comprising a lower stratum and an upper stratum each of which extends beyond the other to provide an upper offset and a lower offset, and being formed of a first molded structural member joined to an underlying second molded structural member, wherein said lower offset comprises a portion of said second molded structural member and a first portion of said first molded structural member that covers said portion of said second molded structural member, and said upper offset comprises a second portion of said first molded structural member and an additional portion of said second molded structural member that underlies said second portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.