US3235915A - Sliding panel partition - Google Patents

Description

' Feb. 22, 1966 Filed June 6. 1961 J. W- GLASER SLIDING PANEL PARTITION 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 k E i t S 5 b 7 2 T x 15 l6 5 I...

FIG I 6 5 I k E k a Q q S i N W 5 h INVEN TOR.

JAME W. GLASER bhwmmakyfiomwllg ATTORNEYS Feb. 22, 1966 J. w. GLASER SLIDING PANEL PARTITION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1961 INVENTOR.

JAME W. GLASER ATTORNEYS Feb. 22, 1966 J. w. GLASER SLIDING PANEL PARTITION 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 6, 1961 FIG 9 R M E NS E A l- NG w E M iv Y B 3 wm (lberlirmmdzgdlmmllg FlGll ATTORNEYS Feb. 22, 1966 J. w. GLASER SLIDING PANEL PARTITION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 6. 1961 FIG I4 INVENTOR.

JAME W. GLASER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,235,915 SLIDING PANEL PARTITION Jame W. Glaser, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, assignor to The E. F. Hansel-man Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 6, 1961, Ser. No. 115,209 8 Claims. (Cl. 2019) This invention relates as indicated to a sliding panel partition, and more particularly to a movable partition especially suitable for employment in schools and the like where it may be desired temporarily to divide a large room or other space and then quickly and easily to shift the partition to one side when it is desired to utilize the entire spacefor a single purpose.

In order to provide for more flexible use of available space in school buildings, auditoriums, meeting rooms and the like, it is increasingly becoming the practice to provide large areas adapted to be temporarily divided or partitioned off into a series of adjoining rooms depending on the size of the groups utilizing various portions of such area. The well-known folding door type of partition has customarily been employed for such purpose, successive panel sections being hinged together and suspended from an overhead track so that the partition may be folded and shifted along the track to one side of the room with the successive panels vertically stacked against one side wall of the room. When the partition is of any very great length, however, it thus becomes necessary bodily to shift substantially the entire partition at one time, and this may become both heavy and unwieldy. Furthermore, such folding partitions have not provided an adequate acoustical barrier between the adjoining room areas thus divided, there being su'bstantial sound leakage through the hinged joints even when the panels themselves are adequately soundproofed. The necessary supporting mechanism has sometimes been unsightly and has usually been quite expensive. It has ordinarily also not been feasible readily to separate the panels of such partitions .to provide door openings and the like at selected positions while leaving the balance of the partition in place.

In view of the foregoing, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel sliding panel partition mounted in a manner to facilitate stacking of the panels against a side wall and subsequent return of such panels into .operative position forming the partition.

Another object is to provide such partition, the in dividual panels of which will be strong and rigid, yet easily manually movable into desired position.

Still another object is to provide a supporting track arrangement for the panel-s of relatively inexpensive construction and avoiding employment of switches or the like commonly used when swinging such partition panels into stacking position.

A further object ,is to provide a stacking arrangement for such panels whereby the latter may be shifted into and out ,of such stacked position through engagement of only one vertical edge portion thereof.

Yet another object is to provide novel sealing means for interengaging abutting vertical edge portions of adjacent panels in a manner to afford rigidity to the panel construction and to form a barrier to the passage of sound while at the same time constituting a decorative trim or feature strip adapted to serve as handle means for manipulating the panels and bumper means slightly to space the panels when stacked.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then comprises the features herein- 3,235,915 Patented Feb. 22, 1966 "ice after fully described and paiticularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a sliding panel partition in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of such partition illustrating the panels thereof stacked at one end;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of such partition similar to FIG. 1 showing one of the many arrangements of the panels;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary mirror image plan view of the ceiling tracks employed with the illustrated embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken subst-antially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially on the line 66 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevation of a single panel unit of such sliding panel partition;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the end or door panel of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a similar enlarged fragmentary detail view of the opposite end panel;

FIG. 10 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the ceiling tracks taken substantially on the line 1111 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary vertical section of one of the ceiling tracks taken substantially on the line 1212 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 13 is an.enlarged fragmentary vertical section of an alternative preferred form of bottom guide track for the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary horizontal section of such sliding panel partition; and

FIG. 15 is an alternative form of ceiling track for the present invention.

Referring now to the annexed drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown an end elevation of a sliding panel partition in accordance with the present invention. Such partition extends between the ceiling 1 and the floor 2 and between side walls 3 and 4. Variable width jambs 5 and 6 may be employed between the end panels and the respective side walls, and such partition may include a door panel 8 on one end thereof having a recessed ring pull and latch assembly 7 on each side thereof to facilitate opening of such panel. The remaining panels 9, 10, 1.1, 12, 1'3 and 14 may, for example, be 48 inches wide and with such panels, 46 x 54 inch tack boards of chalk board units 15 and 16 may be secured directly to the face of panels 9 and 10.

As seen in FIG. 2, all the panel units may be slid along upper and lower tracks recessed within the ceilingl and the floor 2, respectively, to be stacked in a group at :the left of the open space between the sidewalls 3, 4 and the ceiling 1 and floor 2. Since the panel units may be only slightly more than 2 inches in thickness, for example, it will be seen that when the units are .stacked side-by-side adjacent the wall 3 that very little of such open space will be obscured.

FIG. 3 illustrates the flexibility of the panel arrangements obtainable with the present invention wherein the door panel 8 and the initial adjacent panel 9 have been stacked side-by-side to form an access opening as shown at 17. All of the panels 10 through 14 may then be slid to the left to form another access opening as shown at 18 to provide, in effect, two door openings within the partition wall. It will now be understood that any of a variety of arrangements may be employed wherein some of the panels may be stacked as shown and some extended along the tracks provided in the floor and ceiling to create any partition arrangement desired.

Referring now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a mirror image of the ceiling tracks which support the panels of the present invention for sliding movement from the extended to the retracted or stacked position. As seen in FIG. 12, each of the panel units is supported by a front and back hanger as shown at and 21 with each hanger being provided with a roller 22 and 23, respectively. The roller 22 on the leading hanger 20 on each panel is vertically spaced above the roller 23 on the trailing hanger 21 of each panel. Although horizontally spaced, the rollers are, however, aligned in the same vertical plane. The roller 22 of the leading hanger rides within a top track 24 and the roller 23 of the trailing hanger rides within a lower track 25 and, as seen more clearly in FIG. 4, the bottom track 25 extends substantially normal to the walls 3 and 4 and almost completely therebetween. However, the top track 24 for the majority of its travel extends directly above the track 25, but adjacent the wall 3, the top track 24 is provided with an S-shape curve as shown at 26. This curve terminates in a straight portion 27 which is at a slight angle to the lower track 25. Since the trailing hangers 21 will be riding in the lower track 25 and the leading hangers 20 will be riding in the top track 24, it can be seen that as the panel 9 is moved to the left in FIG. 1, it will assume the dotted line position as shown at 9 in FIG. 4 adjacent the door panel unit 8. However, since the top track 24 is provided with the S-curve and diverges as shown at 27, the leading brackets of each of the succeeding panels 10, 11, etc. will be slightly spaced closer to the trailing hanger as shown at the dotted line position 30 in FIG. 7. In this manner, the panels may be stacked in the compact package shown more clearly in phantom lines in FIG. 4. The S-shape curve 26 in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention may, for example, start to curve away from the lower track approximately 48 inches from the end of door panel 8 adjacent wall 3. It will, of course, be understood that such tracks may diverge at either or both ends of the partition and accordingly such panels may be shoved either way for storage.

The door panel unit 8 may be provided with a trailing hanger as is the panel 9 in FIG. 7, but the leading hanger as shown at 32 in FIG. 8 will be provided with a roller 33 riding on track 34 extending normal to the track 25 and parallel to the wall 3. Since the hanging brackets are freely vertically pivotally mounted on the panels as shown, for example, at 35 in FIG. 8, it will be understood that the door panel 8 may be opened by pulling the recessed ring of latch 7 toward the viewer in FIG. 1 which will then cause the end of the panel adjacent the wall to move toward the viewer with the roller 33 riding along the track 34. The hanger roller assembly on the other end of the panel will move along the track 25 toward the wall 3 to position the door unit 8 as shown in the phantom line position in FIG. 4. The next panel unit may be pushed along the tracks so that the leading hanger will follow the track 24 and the trailing hanger will then follow the track 25 to swing the panel to the stacked position as shown at 9 in phantom lines in FIG. 4. Similarly, the other panels may be moved to the left along the track to be stacked as shown.

The rail 34 normal to the rail 25 may be held by brackets as shown at 36 (note FIG. 6) which brackets may include an angle bracket 37 secured directly to the wall 3 by means of a tampin 38 and a member 39 fastened to the member 37 by a nut and bolt assembly 40, the track 34 being suspended and fastened securely to the member 39 as shown at 41.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 8, 9 and 14, it will be seen that the door panel 8 abuts an adjustable 4- jamb 5 and the end panel 14 abuts an adjustable jamb 6. The adjustable jamb 5 for door panel 8 comprises a channel member 50 having a longitudinally extending recess in the bight portion thereof through which a screw or like fastener 51 is employed to secure such channel in 'a tampin 52 in the wall 3. A sound seal 53 such as a strip of foamed elastomeric material, for example, may be employed within the recess to seal any possible sound leaks between the channel 50 and the wall 3. A web 54 is marginally vertically flanged and secured between the legs of the channel 50 as by spot-welding or the like and to the center of such web there is secured an internally threaded nut 55 through which passes an adjusting screw 56. The adjusting screw passes through channel member 57, the legs of which fit over the legs of the channel member 50. Spot-welded to the outside of the legs of the channel 57, there is provided the wall members 58 and 59 which are folded inwardly upon themselves as shown at 66 and 61. The outer ends of such wall portions are flanged with the wall 58 being rebent as shown at 62 to join with the flanger portion 63 of the wall 59. A jamb nut 64 may be threaded on the outer end of the adjusting screw 56 and it will now readily be seen that the jamb comprises an inner fixed member composed of the channel 50 and the web 54 with the nut 55 secured thereto, and an outer adjustable member composed of the channel 57' with the jamb wall members 58 and 59 secured thereto. Adjustment of the adjusting screw 56 will then readily position the outer edge of the jamb wall a desired distance from the wall 3. The rebent portion 62 of the jamb wall 58 accommodates a gasket assembly 65 held thereto by a screw 66. As seen in FIG. 8, there may be several such adjusting screws 56 vertically spaced throughout the vertical extent of the jamb assembly properly to hold the outer portion of the jamb in the proper adjusted spaced relation from the wall 3.

As seen in FIG. 14, the sealing member 65 secured to the jamb assembly 5 by means of the screws 66 may comprise a neoprene member 67 which surrounds a central metal vertically extending frame or skeleton 68 with the outer end of the frame being flanged or bent as shown at 69. The neoprene member snugly fits about each end of the metal member 68 with that portion about the end opposite to the flange snugly fitting within the rebent portion 62 of the jamb wall 58. The portion of the sealing member about the flange 69 is provided with a contact rib 70 adapted to engage the outer wall portion 71 of the door panel 8. Also, such gasket is provided with three vertically extending flexible ribs shown generally at 72 which engage the end wall 73 of the panel 8 when the panel is in the position shown in FIG. 14. A sealing assembly 75 identical in form to the sealing assembly 65 is secured to the end wall of the panel 8 with the screw 76 thereof serving not only to hold the gasket assembly to the end wall of the door panel, but also to hold the side wall members 71 and 77 together, such walls being lapped as shown at 78. It can now be seen that simply by pulling on the latch and ring assembly 7, the end of the door panel 8 will move in the direction of the arrow 80 in FIG. 14 with the ribs 70 on the sealing members serving as stops in the closed position.

As seen in FIG. 14, the outer end wall of the panel 8 is formed by bending the walls 71 and 77 with the wall 71 being rebent as shown at 81 and lapped with an end flange 82 of the wall 77 as shown at 83. Thus the end of the panel wall 71 extends considerably beyond the end flange 82 of the panel wall 77 to form an L-shape end to the panel. A sound sealing assembly 84 is held to the panel 8 by means of screws 85 passing through the lapped end marginal portions of the walls 71 and 77. The assembly 84 is generally similar to the sealing assembly 65, but includes a central frame member 86 having both ends flanged with the sealing member 87 completely enclosing both of such flanges. The neoprene seal is diagonally shaped as shown at 88 completely to. fill. t e

angled recess between th rebent portion 81 of the wall 71 and the lapped marginal end plates of such wall. The outer end of the seal is molded about the flange 89 and is slightly undercut as shown at 90 where engaging the edge of wall 91 of the adjacent panel. A series of flexible ribs 92 engage the extending end wall 93 of the adjacent panel 9 with the wall 91 being substantially identical in form to the wall 71 of the panel 8 on the opposite side thereof. A sealing assembly 94 identical in form to the assembly 84 is provided on the panel 9 to mate with the extending laterally offset portion of the panel 8. Similarly, the extended portion provided by the end wall of the wall 91 mates with the sealing assembly 84 on the panel 8. Accordingly, the joined panels provide a double inverted tongue-and-groove joint when in abutting relation. The flexible ribs on each sealing assembly engaging the opposed panel end wall provide a substantially completely sound sealed inter-panel joint. It can readily be seen that such joint is much more soundproof than a conventional hinged joint even when provided with sound seals.

The end panel 14 is provided with a sealing assembly 95 which is identical in form to the assembly 84. The end panel 14 mates with an adjustable jamb panel portion 96 which is the outer end of the adjustable jamb 6, such jamb panel assembly being substantially identical in form to the end of a panel. The adjustable portion 96 of the jamb assembly 6 is provided with a sealing assembly 97 which is identical in form to the assembly 95. Such assembly is secured to the inwardly bent portion 98 of the plate 99, and the plate 100 is flanged and locked with the end marginal portion of the plate 99 as shown at 101. A web 102 is welded to the wall portions 99 and 100 and is provided with a threaded jam nut 103 through which adjusting screw 104 is threaded, such screw extending through nut 105 on web 106 extending between the wall members 107 and 108. Such wall members are fitted between the legs of interior channel member 109 and exterior channel member 110, such channel members being welded together and secured to the wall 4 by screws 112 secured in tampins 113. The sound seal 114 similar to seal 53 may be provided in a longitudinally extending recess in the channel 110 to seal the jamb 6 and the wall 4. Thus the assembly 95 is adjustable with respect to the assembly provided by the plates 107 and 108 and the interconnecting web 106 so that the distance between the outer end of the jamb assembly and the wall 4 may be adjusted as desired. It will, of course, be understood that the end walls of the jamb assemblies may be provided with access openings so that a screw driver or the like may readily be employed to adjust screws 56 and 104 to determine the extent of the jamb assemblies.

It will also be understood that rockwool packing, for example, may be placed within the interior of the jambs and the panels as shown to provide a substantially soundproof assembly. Also, it is apparent that the sealing assemblies 84, 95, etc. provide the desired soundproof joint between the panels, provide a feature strip which may be preferably of a different color than the panels therebetween, and provide a handle or the like by which the panels may readily be grasped and slid along the rails to be stacked or adjusted as desired. Moreover, such laterally extending gaskets serve as bumpers so that when the panels are stacked in side-by-side position as shown in FIG. 2, the surfaces thereof will not be in contact and thus in any way marred. Moreover, the boards 15 or 16 positioned on the surface of the panels will then be protected by the bumper function aflorded by the unique seals illustrated.

As seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the end panel 14 which is exemplary of the other panels, may have its walls 120 and 121 bent at the top to form top surface flanges 122 and 123 and then rebent to be clamped between nuts 124 and 125 on threaded hanger stud 126. The hanger stud then not only serves to support the pivotally mounted hanger bracket 127 which carries grooved roller 128 riding on V-shape rail 25, but also serves to hold the walls and 121 at the top thereof properly together and yet spaced. The bottoms of the walls are bent inwardly as shown at 130 and 131 and then rebent as shown at 132 and 133 to form a flattened rubber or like strip retaining groove or sealing strip 134. Such sealing strip is provided with four downwardly extending flexible ribs 135 which engage and wipe along upstanding channel shape rail 136. In order to hold the panel aligned with the upwardly projecting rail 136, there is provided a channel-shape guide 137 mounted on a pivot pin 138 which extends through the bottom of the panel into cylindrical guide or housing 139. A spring 140 within such housing bears against the top of the pivot pin to hold the channel-shape guide properly on the upstanding rail 136. It is noted that the channel guide 137 is pivotally vertically aligned with the trailing hanger on the panel assembly and in this manner, as will the other panels 9 through 13, be pivoted about this particular axis extending through the hanger and the bottom rail pivot by the movement of the leading hanger through the S-shape curve 26 in the rail 24. Thus this pivot will always be confined to the horizontal plane formed by the parallel bottom rail and the rail 25.

The upstanding rail 136 is provided by the channel member 141 which is mounted on shims 142 within a recess in the floor 2.

Referring now to FIG. 11, it will be seen that the lower straight track 25 and the upper curved track 24 may be securely fastened to the ceiling and preferably secured directly to a large I-beam as shown at 150. The beam will, of course, be encased in a fireproofing material such as concrete as shown at 151 and nut and bolt assemblies 153 and 154 extending through the beam flange may be employed to support a suspension bracket 155 composed of side plates 156 and 157 and top and bottom plates 158 and 159. Such plates may be welded or otherwise secured together to form a hanging bracket and such hanging bracket is secured to a channel member 160 through nut and bolt assemblies 161 and 162 with shims 163 being positioned between the plate 159 of the hanging bracket and the bight or back of the channel 160. The legs 164 and 165 .of the channel 160 extend downwardly and are flanged inwardly with trim members 166 and 167 being secured to such flanged legs by suitable fasteners 168 and 169. As seen in FIG. 4, the trim members 166 and 167 may extend completely along the partition with the exception of the opening 169 for the S- curve 26 and the opening 170 for the track 34 extending normal to the track 25. The hangers, of course, will be longitudinally spaced along the partition as required to support the tracks and the weight of the rather heavy partitions suspended therefrom.

As seen in FIG. 11, the panel unit 9 may be suspended from the rails 24 and 25 with the walls thereof rebent to form horizontally extending top flanges as shown at 171 and 172 with such flanges being rebent and clamped between the nuts threaded on the stud 173 of the hanging bracket 21 (see FIG. 7). The top flanges may be held between the shakeproof lock washer 174 and the channel member 176 which serves to retain and hold the walls of the panel properly spaced and yet locked together. The horizontal top flanges provide contact surfaces for top seal members 177 and 178, each of which are provided with three flexible downwardly extending ribs as shown at 179 and 180 which engage and wipe along the horizontally extending flanges 171 and 172 of the panel. The elastomeric sealing strips are held in channels formed by the vertically adjustable sealing members 181 and 182 which are formed with vertically extending slots through which screws 185 and 186 may be employed to fasten adjustably vertically such sealing strips to the trim members 166 and 167.

The top rail 24 and the lower rail 25 are both supported from a bracket 188 which may be provided with a top flange which is welded to the inside bight portion of the channel 160. Both of the rails may then be welded or otherwise suitably secured directly to the bracket 188 in the vertically spaced relation shown.

The trim members 166 and 167 may be provided with upwardly extending flanges 190 and 191 which serve to retain sheetrock or the like panels 192 and 193 with the tops of such sheetrock panels being nailed to wooden strips or the like which are cut to fit between the suspension channel brackets 155 as shown at 194 and 195. It will, of course, be understood that the upwardly extending flanges 190 and 191 on the trim members may be omitted and that the horizontally extending portions thereof may be used to support an acoustical or like false ceiling suspended beneath the beam 150.

Both of the tracks 24 and 25 have the same cross-sectional shape and both are provided with top flanges as shown at 196. These top flanges hold the V-grooved rollers in proper engagement with the V-shape bottom flange of such rails as shown at 198. In this manner, the rollers within the rail cannot become derailed.

The suspension of the curved portion of the rail 24 may be accomplished by a series of ceiling bracket assemblies shown at 200 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 12, such assemblies including a ceiling plate 201 and a ceiling bracket 202 which is fastened through the ceiling plate directly to the plaster ceiling or the like by nut and bolt assemblies 203 and 204. A cover plate 205 may be held to the bracket by screws 206 and 207. The bottom of the channel bracket 202 is provided with a reinforcing plate and a hanger rod 208 is threaded through nuts 209. The hanger rod is vertically adjustably secured to a hanger bracket 210 by nuts 211 and 212 threaded thereon. Such hanger bracket includes members 213 and 214 welded together to form a unitary assembly with the rail 24 being secured directly to the downwardly extending portion of the member 214. A trim member 215 is secured to the flanged downwardly projecting leg of the member 213 as shown at 216. It can now be seen that the panel 9, for example, supported by the hangers 20 and 21 moving to the collapsed or folded position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 4 will have its leading edge guided by the curved track 24 with the roller 22 confined therein and pivoting about the axis of the threaded rod 217 as shown at 218 so that the roller 22 will readily follow the curve portion of the track. This then leads the leading end of the panel to the position shown in FIG. 4 while the trailing end follows the straight lower track 25 due to the confinement of the roller 23 therein and the guide 219 holding the panel on the bottom track, the panel pivoting about the axis of the trailing hanger 21.

Referring now to FIG. 13, there is illustrated an alternative form of bottom track and guide therefor. As seen, the floor is provided with a recess 220 with a channel member 221 being inserted therein. Such channel member has a central inverted channel 222 through which a screw or the like 223 may be employed to secure such channel to the floor with the aid of a tampin 224. Shims may be employed properly vertically to space the channel 221. On the top of the inverted channel 222 there are provided shims 225 which may be employed to hold the channel guide structure 226 at the proper vertical height where the top surface thereof will be flush with the finished floor 227. Such guide comprises a bottom web 228 forming the bottom of the guide 229 with side members as shown at 230 and 231 secured to the downwardly extending edge flanges thereof forming the sides of the guide. A guide pin 233 may extend through the bottom of the channel from within a cylindrical housing 234 with a spring 235 holding such round nose guide pin firmly within the guide channel 229. A retaining member 236 may be provided on the bottom of the panel to house a sound sealing strip 237 having a pair of flexible downwardly extending ribs on each side thereof adapted resilmanner as shown in FIG. 11.

iently to engage and wipe the top surface of the channel guide members 230 and 231 as the panel is moved therealong. Such strip may be substantially identical in form to the bottom sealing strip shown in FIG. 10. In this manner, it can be seen that a complete sound seal will be provided both at the top and bottom of the movable partition by the sealing strips having their plurality of flexible ribs bridging the top and bottom space between the panels thus precluding the passage of sound therethrough.

In FIG. 15, there is illustrated an alternative form of track assembly wherein tubes 240 and 241 may be employed in place of the rails illustrated-in FIG. 11, for example. Such tubes may be secured to a suspension bracket 242 held to the bight portion of a channel shape hanger member 243 which may be suspended in the same Rollers 244 and 245 pivotally mounted on hanging brackets 246 and247 may be provided with arcuate or semi-circular grooves more closely to mate and engage with the cylindrical rails 240 and 241. It is noted that the rollers will, as in the FIG. 11 embodiment, be confined within the top flange members 248 and 249 respectively so that they cannot be derailed during movement of the panel. The tubes may be secured directly to thebracket 242 by suitable fasteners such as nut and'bolt assemblies shown at 250 and 251. Trim members 252 and 253 may be provided for a finished ceiling or to support suitable sheetrock or the like as shown in FIG. 11.

It can now be seen that there has been provided a unique sliding panel partition in which the panels may readily be stacked against a side wall and quickly and easily returned to an operative position forming a partition. The individual panels may be conventional panels which are quite heavy, strong, rigid and soundproof. Such panels may have rigidified metal face plates with a soundproofing material disposed therebetween. In a soundproof partition if even a crack shows beneath the door, the door might nearly as well be left open for all the sound barrier it will provide. Accordingly, it can readily be seen that all of the potential sound leaks in the construction of the present invention have been sealed and an effective sound barrier has been provided in a completely flexible sliding partition.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. An interior partition construction comprising a plurality of independently movable panels, laterally offset end extensions on the ends of certain panels, and sound seal means laterally adjacent said extensions adapted to receive therein said extensions on adjacent panels, said sound seal means being U-shaped and said extensions and sound seal means being adapted to form a double tongue and groove joint therebetween.

2. An interior partition construction comprising a plurality of independently movable panels, laterally offset end extensions on the ends of certain panels, sound seal means laterally adjacent said extensions adapted to receive therein said extensions on adjacent panels, overhead rail means for suspending said movable panels, said overhead rail means comprising two rails vertically spaced one above the other, one said rail having a laterally directed curved end portion whereby said panels can be swung around to be stacked substantially normal to the greater extent of said rails, and hanger means suspending said panels from said rails, said hangers including rollers engaging said rails and vertical pivots, the end portion of said laterally offset curved track portion being inclined with respect to said other track, and said hangers of succeeding panels being spaced closer together,

3. An interior partition construction as set forth in claim 2 including guide means in said floor parallel to said rail means, and means projecting downwardly from said panels engaging said guide means.

4. An interior partition construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said downwardly projecting guide means is aligned with one of said hanger means, and said guide means is parallel to the rail on which said hanger means is supported.

5. An interior partition construction comprising a plurality of independently movable panels, laterally offset end extensions on the ends of certain panels, and sound seal means laterally adjacent said extensions adapted to receive therein said extensions on adjacent panels, said sound seal means including laterally enlarged portions extending beyond the faces of said panels adapted to be used as handle means to facilitate movement of said panels.

6. The interior partition construction set forth in claim 5 wherein said sound seal means includes a metallic skeleton, and a series of flexible outwardly directed ribs adapted to engage end wall portions of opposed panels.

7. A sliding partition construction comprising a series of panels, two vertically spaced rails one directly above the other supporting said panels for endwise movement, each said panel including longitudinally spaced hangers for th us slidably supporting said panels on said rails directly there-beneath, one of said rails diverging from the other adjacent an end of said partition and terminating in a portion at an angle to the other of said rails, the hangers of each succeeding panel being spaced according to the UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,448,845 3/1923 Johnson et al. 2019 1,462,302 7/1923 Phillips 2019 2,162,104 6/ 1939 Mosher 2069 2,198,436 4/ 1940 Hoifman 2052 2,299,573 10/ 1942 Fiarhurst 2019 2,595,506 5/ 1952 Backman 1-89-46 2,706,837 4/ 1955 Jackson 2011 2,756,468 7/1956 Bright 2069 2,837,151 6/1958 Stroup 2065 2,942,561 6/1960 Cheshire 160201 2,949,651 8/1960 Hill 2069 2,978,755 4/ 1961 Walker 2016 3,034,575 5/1962 Stroup 160 FOREIGN PATENTS 77,296 7/ 1919 Austria. 717,890 11/1954 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, NORTON ANSHER,

Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. AN INTERIOR PARTITION CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENTLY MOVABLE PANELS, LATERALLY OFFSET END EXTENSIONS ON THE ENDS OF CERTAIN PANELS, AND SOUND SEAL MEANS LATERALLY ADJACENT SAID EXTENSIONS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THEREIN SAID EXTENSIONS ON ADJACENT PANELS, SAID SOUND SEAL MEANS BEING U-SHAPED AND SAID EXTENSIONS AND SOUND SEAL MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO FORM A DOUBLE TONGUE AND GROOVE JOINT THEREBETWEEN.

Images