Wall panel for prefabricated housing
, o Umted States Patent 1 1 11 1 3,874,148 Kato Apr. 1, 1975 [54] WALL PANEL FOR PREFABRICATED 2.628388 2/1953 Poth 52/753 D HOUSING [75] Inventor Yoshiya Kam Tokyo Japan Primary Examiner-Andrew V. Kundrat [73] Assignee: Misawa Homes Institute of Research [57 ABSTRACT &amp; Development Tokyo Japan A wall panel for prefabricated housing comprises an [22] Filed: May 8, 1974 upper horizontal frame member, an outside vertical frame member, and a pair of wall plates. The upper [2]] Appl&#39; 468263 horizontal frame member is arranged perpendicular to the outside vertical frame member with the upper end [30] Foreign Application Priority Data of the vertical frame member separated by a predeter- May 12, 1973 Japan 48-55729 &#34;tilted Spacing from the end of the horizontal frame May 12, 1973 Japan 48-55732 member adjacent to Said upper These frame members are disposed between the two parallel wall 52 us. c1. 52/753 Y, 52/753 w P&#39; At an PP comer of the Wall P there is 51 1m. (:1 E04b 2/00 formed that Joint for teceivihg hhtiwhtal member [58] Field of Search 52/753 w, 753 1), 753 Y, which is defined by the adjacent ends of the heme 52/752 210 234, 92 members or the upper end of the vertical frame member and a reinforcement disposed between said adja- [56] References Cited cent ends, and one or both of the wall plates, thereby UNITED STATES PATENTS eliminating the provision of the joint in the wall panel 1 157 655 9/1915 OH 9/75? Y in the construction location.  
  ara 2,280,687 4/1942 Connelly 52/753 w 7 C a 8 aw g gures mgm wa H575 3.874918 sum 2 n; 4  
 FIG.  
 FIG. 4  
  APR&#39; 1 1925 WI? U? 4 WALL PANEL FOR PREFABRICATED HOUSING This invention relates to a wall panel for prefabricated housing and more particularly to a wall panel for receiving a horizontal member including a lintel with? out using any machining procedure in a construction location.  
  In the prior art wall panel for prefabricated housing, no joint is preformed to receive the corresponding end of a horizontal member. In order to fix the horizontal member to the conventional wall panel, a joint for receiving the horizontal member must be formed in the prescribed position of the wall panel in a construction location. However, such machining operation in the construction location will never meet such requisites for prefabricated housing as quickness and easiness in assembly.  
  Moreover, for the provision of the joint, it is necessary to cut away not only the connected end portions of the vertical and horizontal frame members but also the part of the wall plates adjacent to said connected end portions. The horizontal frame member is connected with the vertical frame member only through the wall plates, and therefore the part of the wall panel in which the joint is formed does not have enough strength to carry the load which the wall panel must withstand.  
  An object of this invention is to provide a wall panel for prefabricated housing, which has at an upper corner thereof a joint for receiving a horizontal member and which eliminates the necessity of cutting out the joint in the wall panel when a horizontal member is mounted on the wall panel in a construction location.  
 According to this invention there is provided a wall panel for prefabricated housing including a frame work comprising horizontal and vertical frame members, one of the outside vertical frame members and the top horizontal frame member being separated from each other at their adjacent ends; a pair of wall plates fixed to both lateral sides of the frame work; and a joint for receiving a horizontal member defined by said adjacent ends and one or both of the wall plates. With the wall panel so constructed, labor consumed in the formation of the joint in the construction location can be eliminated thoroughly.  
  To ensure the connection of the horizontal member with the wall panel, the end portion of the horizontal member inserted in the joint may be fastened with nails to the wall plate or plates.  
  Reinforcing means may be disposed between the adjacent ends of the top horizontal frame member and the outside vertical frame member for firm connection between both frame members. The reinforcing means may also comrpise a connecting member having the upper end fixed to the end of the top horizontal frame member and the lower end to a supporting member disposed parallel to and immediately beneath the top horizontal frame member, and a spacer or spacers disposed between the connecting member and the outside vertical frame member for their connection therethrough.  
  To establish a closer connection of the wall panel with the horizontal member, the end portion of the horizontal member inserted in the joint may also be fastened with nails to the top portion of the outside vertical frame member and those end portions of the top horizontal frame member and the supporting member which are adjacent to the outside vertical frame member.  
  This invention will be described by Way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of wall panels of this invention which are arranged in alignment with each other and support a horizontal member;  
  FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the essential parts of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the essential parts of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 4 is a front elevational view illustrating the essential parts of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the parallel wall panels according to the present invention which hold a horizontal member arranged perpendicular thereto;  
  FIG. 6 is an exploded view illustrating the essential parts of FIG. 5;  
  FIG. 7 is a plan view-showing the essential parts of FIG. 5; and  
  FIG. 8 is a front view representing the essential parts of FIG. 5.  
  Throughout these figures, like numerals designate like parts. Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 4, an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail. Wall panels 10, 11 each comprise a frame work 12 and a pair of parallel wall plates 15, 16 fixed to both lateral sides of the frame work 12. The frame work 12 includes a top horizontal frame member 13 and an outside vertical frame member 14 which is located adjacent to the opposed wall panel. The wall panels 10, 11 stand upright on a floor (not shown) in alignment with each other, leaving a predetermined spacing L therebetween. In each of the upper corners 17 of the wall panels 10, 11 which face each other, the top end 18 of the outside vertical frame member 14 is separated from the adjacent end 19 of the top horizontal frame member 13 (as best shown in FIG. 2). In the upper corner 17, a columnar joint 20 is defined by the wall plates 15, 16, the top end 18 of the outside vertical frame member 14,  
 r and the end 19 of the top horizontal frame member 13.  
 The horizontal member 21 such as a lintel has both ends or tenons 22 having same width, height and thickness as those of the joints 20. With the tenons 22 inserted in the corresponding joints 20, the horizontal member 21 is made flush with the wall panels 10, 11 as shown in FIG. 1.  
  The tenons 22 of the horizontal member 21 are inserted into the corresponding joints 20 and thereafter fastened with nails 23 to the wall panels l5, l6. Alternatively, the tenons 22 are fixed to the wall plates 15, 16, the ends 19 of the top horizontal frame member 13 and the top end 18 of the vertical frame member 14 by means of screws, adhesive, or the like instead of or together with the nails 23.  
  It is noted that the horizontal member 21 and the wall panels 10, 11 are substantially formed into a body by the use of the fixing means such as the nails 23, screws, adhesive, etc., and the tenons. Although there is a separation between the top end 18 of the outside vertical frame member 14 and the end 19 of the top horizontal frame member 13, the tenons 22 fill the separation and abut against the corresponding top ends 18 of the out- .side vertical frame members 1 4 and the ends 19 of the top horizontal frame members 13. Accordingly, the tenons 21 reinforce the upper corners 17 of the wall panels 10, 11. Moreover, if such joints 20 are preformed in the upper corners 17 of the wall panels 10, 11, it will no longer by necessary to form a joint for holding the horizontal member 21 in the construction location. It will therefore be well understood that the previously provided joints can improve the building efficiency ofprefabricated housing and reduce the manufacturing cost thereof.  
  FIGS. 5 through 8 show another embodiment of the present invention. The components are designated by same reference numerals as the corresponding components of the embodiment in FIGS. 1 through 4.  
  In this embodiment, a horizontal member 21A is disposed perpendicular to the wall panels 10, 11 which stand upright on a floor (not shown) and are arranged parallel to each other with a predetermined spacing L1. The adjacent ends 19, 18 of a top horizonal frame member 13 and an outside vertical frame member 14 which a frame work 12 of each of the wall panels 10, ll comprises are separated aa in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 4. Within each of the wall panels 10, 11,21 supporting member 24 parallel to the top horizontal frame member 13 is fixed to a vertical frame member (not shown) with one end 25 fixed to the outside vertical frame member 14 and the other end fixed to a vertical frame member (not shown) on the opposite side of the wall to the frame member 14 or a vertical frame member (not shown) provided within the corresponding wall panels and 11.  
  In each of the wall panels 10 and II, a connecting member 26 is mounted with the upper end 27 and the lower end 28 respectively fixed to the end 19 of the top horizontal frame member 13 and the supporting member 24 so as to make right angles with the supporting member 24. A spacer or spacers 29 are interposed between the outside vertical frame member 14 and the connecting member 26 so as to adjust the distance therebetween. The rigid connection between the vertical frame member 14 and the spacer 29 adjacent thereto, between the connecting member 26 and the spacer 29 adjacent thereto and between the spacers 29 adjacent to each other is attained by fastening means such as nails, screws, adhesive. In this embodiment. reinforcing means 30 comprises the connecting member 26, spacer or spacers 29 and supporting member 24 and ensures the rigid connection of the top horizontal frame member 13 with the outside vertical frame member 14. However, when the horizontal member 21A has the equal thickness to that of the vertical frame member 14, the spacers 29 will no longer be necessary. and the connecting member 26 is directly coupled to the outside vertical frame member 14. If the rigidness of the upper corner 17 of each of the wall panels 10, 11 allows, the supporting member 24 may be omitted.  
  Each of the opposed wall plates 16 ofthe wall panels 10, 11 is provided with a rectangular cut-away portion 32, the edges of which are aligned with the outer surface 31 of the connecting member 26 and the top end 18 of the outside vertical member 14. In the upper corner 17, a joint A is defined by the outer surface 31 of the connecting members 26, the top end 18 of the outside vertical frame members 14, the inner surface of the wall plates 15, and the upper ends of spacers 29. The joint 20A receives the corresponding end portion 33 of the horizontal member 21A. The end portions 33 are fixedly fastened with nails 23A to the corresponding wall plates 15. The connecting member 26 is fixed to the wall plates 15 with nails 34. The spacers 29 are fastened with nails 37 to the wall plates 15.  
  In addition, the end portions 33 of the horizontal member 21A may also be fixed with nails 35, 36 to the corresponding outside vertical frame members 14 and top horizontal frame members 13.  
  Screws, bonding agents, etc. may be used instead or together with the nails 23A, 34, 35, 36 and 37. Despite the presence of the joint 20A, the provision of the reinforcing means 30 will not weaken the upper corner 17 of the wall panels 10, 11. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 through 8 the horizontal member 21A perpendicular to the wall panels 10, 11 is employed, but when the wall panels 10, 11 are arranged in alignment with each other, the horizontal member is made flush with the wall panels 10, 11 as shown in the embodiment in FIGS. 1 through 4.  
 What is claimed is:  
 l. A wall panel for prefabricated housing comprising:  
 a frame work comprising a top horizontal frame member and an outside vertical frame member with the top end thereof separated from the end of the top horizontal frame member adjacent to said top end;  
 a pair of wall plates fixed to both lateral sides of said frame work, and both frame member ends spaced from the corner of at least one of said wall plates;  
 a joint for receiving a horizontal member defined by said top end of the outside vertical frame member, said adjacent end of the top horizontal frame member and at least one of said wall plates.  
 2. A wall panel according to claim 1 further including nails for fastening said horizontal member to said wall plate.  
 3. A wall panel according to claim 1 wherein there is provided reinforcing means between said top horizontal frame member and outside vertical frame member for firm connection therebetween.  
  4. A wall panel according to claim 3 wherein said reinforcing means comprises a connecting member having the upper end fixed to said adjacent end of the top horizontal frame member and the lower end connected with said outside vertical frame member.  
  5. A wall panel according to claim 4 wherein said reinforcing means includes a supporting member arranged parallel to said top horizontal frame member so as to carry the lower end of said connecting member.  
  6. A wall panel according to claim 4 wherein said reinforcing means includes at least one spacer interposed between said outside vertical frame member and connecting member to adjust the distance therebetween.  
  7. A wall panel according to claim 3 further including nails for fastening said reinforcing means to said outside vertical frame member and top horizontal frame member.