Curtain wall for a building

• US 5,063,718 A
• Filed: 12/20/1990
• Issued: 11/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Al Nonis
• Original Assignee: Al Nonis
• Inventors: Nonis, Al
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Jr., Richard E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US07/630,555
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 52/235, 52/281, 52/282, 52/461, 52/463, 52/136, 52/137
• US Class Current: 52/235
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/90 comprising panels directly attached to the structure E04B2/885 takes precedence

Abstract

A curtain wall for a building structure is provided in which structural members and diaphragms are used to reinforce a relatively light frame such that the number of connections to the building required is reduced to one or two. The curtain wall module comprises a frame having a top and bottom chord and a plurality of transverse studs spaced at intervals along the length of the chords defining a plurality of panels. Exterior cladding including a layer of sheet metal is mounted to the exterior face of the frame strengthening the frame as a stressed diaphragm. In the preferred embodiment the top chord of the frame includes a relatively strong reinforcing beam (such as a square hollow structural section) parallel to and connected to the top chord along the full length of the top chord. The weight of the wall may be supported upon the building by vertically adjustable connectors at two points on the beam. Vertical pins connected to the upper surface of the beam project through the bottom chord web of a like upper adjacent wall module. Diagonally slotted washers engage the pins to allow adjacent modules to be aligned while allowing adjacent modules to deflect vertically relative to each other in an unrestricted fashion.

Claims

1. A curtain wall module for a building, comprising:

a frame having a top chord, a bottom chord and a plurality of transverse studs spaced at intervals along the length of the chords defining a plurality of panels, the top end of each stud being connected to the top chord and the bottom end of each stud being connected to the bottom chord, the top chord being a single downwardly open channel section, the bottom chord being a single upwardly open channel section, and with one chord being reinforced with a beam of strength greater than said channel section;

sheet form cladding mounted to the frame; and

adjustable restraint means connected at two or more places along the top of the frame to the building structure for transferring the weight of the wall module, and the loads imposed upon the module, to the building structure.

2. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing beam is a hollow square section metal beam which coacts with the top chord and extends along substantially its entire length.

3. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcing beam comprises at least one stub beam extending along a portion of the top chord and at least from one transverse stud to the next adjacent stud, and the sheet form cladding provides the frame with diaphragm strength.

4. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 3, wherein the top chord has two stub reinforcing beams spaced along its length for engaging two adjustable restraint means for providing adjustment of the module vertically and transversely relative to the building structure.

5. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 4, wherein the restraint means each have a bracket attached to and extending from the building, the bracket having a bolt threaded through it for engaging a stub beam attached to the top chord.

6. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the restraint means includes a brace attached from the building to the stub beam, the brace providing a transfer of lateral loads from the module to the building.

7. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 5, wherein the restraint means includes a brace attached from the building to a stud, the brace restraining the module laterally and having means coacting with the stud to allow relative vertical movement between the module and the building.

8. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the stud is a roll formed sheet metal channel section defining a keyway for receiving a portion of the brace shaped to slidingly engage within the keyway.

9. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 3, further comprising means for connecting and laterally aligning the bottom chord of the module with the top chord of a lower adjacent module.

10. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 9, wherein the bottom chord of the upper module has a web defining a plurality of holes along the length of the channel, the lower adjacent module has a plurality of pins extending upwardly from the top chord or reinforcing beam, which pins are engageable through the holes in the bottom chord of the upper adjacent module, and further comprising transverse alignment means coacting with the pin and bottom chord to align the two modules.

11. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 10, wherein the alignment means is a diagonally slotted rectangular washer sized to engage opposing longitudinal walls of the bottom chord channel section.

12. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cladding comprises a backing to which a weatherproof finishing material is attached.

13. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 12, wherein the backing is sheet metal.

14. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 13, wherein a layer of thermal insulating material is attached to the sheet metal and the weatherproof finishing material is attached to the layer of insulating material.

15. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top chord has a reinforcing beam attached substantially along its entire length, and two adjustable restraint means engage the open channel section of the top chord to provide adjustment for the module vertically and transversely relative to the building structure.

16. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top chord has a reinforcing beam attached substantially along its entire length, and the adjustable restraint means engage the open channel section of the top chord, the restraint means providing vertical adjustment for the module relative to the building, the restraint means having a bracket attached to and extending from the building, the bracket having a bolt threaded through it for engaging the open channel section of the top chord.

17. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the restraint means includes a brace attached from the building to the reinforcing beam, the brace providing a transfer of lateral loads from the module to the building.

18. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 16, wherein the restraint means includes a brace attached from the building to a stud, the brace restraining the module laterally and having means coacting with the stud to allow relative vertical movement between the module and the building.

19. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 18, wherein the stud is a roll formed sheet metal channel section defining a keyway for receiving a portion of the brace shaped to slidingly engage within the keyway.

20. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for connecting and laterally aligning the bottom chord of the module with the top chord of a lower adjacent module.

21. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 20, wherein the bottom chord of the upper module has a web defining a plurality of holes along the length of the channel, the lower adjacent module has a plurality of pins extending upwardly from the top chord or reinforcing beam, which pins are engageable through the holes in the bottom chord of the upper adjacent module, and further comprising transverse alignment means coacting with the pin and bottom chord to align the two modules.

22. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 21, wherein the alignment means is a diagonally slotted rectangular washer sized to engage opposing longitudinal walls of the bottom chord channel section.

23. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the studs are roll formed sheet metal channel sections.

24. A curtain wall module for a building which module is used in combination with a span of window frames, the module comprising:

a frame having a top chord, a bottom chord and a plurality of transverse studs spaced at intervals along the length of the chords defining a plurality of panels, the top end of each stud being connected to the top chord and the bottom end of each stud being connected to the bottom chord, the top chord being a single downwardly open channel section, the bottom chord being a single upwardly open channel section, the studs being roll formed sheet metal channel sections with at least one stud being a reinforcing beam having a strength greater than that of the other studs;

sheet form cladding mounted to the frame; and

restraint means for attaching the module to the building, the restraint means extending from the reinforcing beam to the building structure.

25. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 24, wherein the frame has two spaced reinforcing beams.

26. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 25, wherein the reinforcing beams are hollow square section metal columns.

27. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 24, wherein the restraint means comprise back-to-back metal angles connected to the reinforcing beam which coact with means attached to the building for fixing the module in place.

28. A curtain wall module as claimed in claim 24, wherein the cladding is sheet metal providing diaphragm strength to the frame.