GB2125082A - Wall cladding systems - Google Patents

Abstract

Wall cladding comprising tiles (26) hung via recesses (34) on hooked lugs (22) of metal channel members (10) with some or all of said lugs (22) having protrusions (40) therebelow engaging the upper edge of said tiles so that once in place removal is prevented or limited. The said protrusions can be selectively rendered ineffective, by removal or bending aside, for example when replacing a damaged tile. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Wall cladding systems with lockable/replaceable tiles The invention relates to wall claddings.

The use of facing tiles in overlapping horizontal courses supported by elongate vertical attachments secured to walls is known, see for example British patent specification No. 1236537. There, the vertical attachments have, along their lengths, protruding and upwardly-directed hook-like lugs at intervals corresponding to the heights of the tile courses, and hence the tiles themselves, which hook-like lugs engage in undercuts, actually full-width grooves, of the inner sides of the tiles, actually behind a thinned bottom flange that overlaps a rebate of the next lower tile.A much-valued feature of the system of the aforesaid specification is the dimensioning and shaping of the hook-like lugs of the attachment means and the undercuts of the tiles so that the tiles are vertically displaceable between limits set by full engagement of the lugs and recesses and by engagement of the upper edges of the tiles with the undersides of the next higher lugs, the extent of such displacement being sufficient for the lower recess-defining boundary positions of the tiles to clear the upper hook tips of the lugs supporting those tiles.The result is a facing system with good interlocked retention of successive overlapped courses of tiles that nonetheless allows simple removal and replacement of individual tiles from any position in a finished or part-finished wall cladding simply by sliding such a tile upwardly and tipping its -bottom-edge outwards to clear the associated normally retaining lugs, which lugs usually have their undersides upwardly sloped to facilitate such tipping effectively about the inner upper corner edge of the tile by accommodating the edge face without requiring chamferring of such edge which would reduce the extent of overlapped engagement of the lower flanges and upper rebates of the tiles in successive courses.

Such valued replacement feature does, however, have concomitant disadvantage in permitting unauthorised and vandalous removal of tiles from anywhere within the clad area of a wall. We appreciate that such disadvantage can be avoided by extension of the undersides of the lugs and without much effect on the ease of building up a cladding starting from the lowermost course. Then, however, the readyreplacement feature of each tile individually is lost.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide some protection against unauthorised removal without wholly losing the readyreplacement feature.

To that end, we now propose that a wall cladding system, of the type having tiles hung via recessing on elongate attachment means having hooked lugs spaced and configured to permit upward sliding of the tiles and bottom forward tipping to remove same past associated said lugs, shall have, on at least some of its elongate attachment means and below at least some of said hooked lugs thereof, protrusions past which the tiles can be emplaced with their upper edges below such protrusions by engagement of tile recessing with the hooked lugs then topbackward tipping of the tiles, the aforesaid upward sliding then being prevented or limited to be less than required for removal, but the said protrusions being capable of being selectively rendered ineffective, i.e. disabled.

Normally, the protrusions hereof will be below every hooked lug on every attachment means, but, as each tile is normally supported by two or more spaced parallel ones of the attachment means, it would be feasible for only one, or more less than all, of the attachment means engaged by any particular tile to have the protrusion below the relevant lug.

Preferred attachment means of the system of the aforesaid specification has resilience in relation to deformation of the lugs at tile hanging so that the tiles are restrained from rattling.

Slope-sided channel section sheet formations, usually of metal, are suitable for such attachment means, and the protrusions hereof are readily incorporated as localised side extensions of such channel section attachment means. Moreover, such side extension protrusions are, if desired, readily snipped off or bent down in the event that a tile has had to be removed and is to be replaced.

Such removal will require breaking of the tile concerned and the replacement tile will not be secure against subsequent removal. However, security is still improved as it will not be evident which tile or tiles is then removable. Also, clearly, it is possible deliberately, at installation, to leave one or more removable tiles, say for access purposes, by disabling the protrusions at that time.

Specific implementation of the invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partial front view of a partially clad wall; Figures 2 is a partial sectional elevation showing a partial side view of cladding; and Figure 3 shows one form of protrusion.

In the drawings, an elongate vertical attachment means is shown at 10 as a channel formation of resilient metal affixed, see 12, via its web 14 to a wall 1 6. Sides 18, 20 of the channel formation diverge away from the wall and carry upwardly directed hook-like lug formations 22, 24 at their free edges. The lugs 22, 24 are spaced according to requirements of tiles 26 actually indicated as hung in staggered formation. The tiles 26 have a rearward face 28 extending from a top inner edge corner 30 to bottom boundary 32 of a groove-like undercut recess 34 sloped to a hook-tip accommodating bottom 36. The recesses 34 and hooked lugs 22, 24 are configured to cooperate in resiliently deforming the lugs in order to hold the tiles on the attachments in a rattle-free manner, see the above-mentioned specification.

Below the lugs 20, 24 are shown protrusions as tabs 40, 42 from free edges of the channel sides 18, 20 which offer 3 small clearance 44 to the top edge corner 30 of the tiles, but prevent sliding of the tiles upwards sufficiently for their recesses 34 to clear the hook tips (referenced 38 in Figures 2 and 3). In the absense of the tabs 40, 42, such upward sliding of the tiles 26 would, of course, be permitted by the positions of the heels of the lugs 40, 42 see 46 in Figures 2 and 3.

Then, of course, any tile 26 would always be freely removable from a clad wall.

However, the tabs 40, 42 hereof now prevent such free removal of tiles. Nonetheless, the tiles 26 are still readily installed in courses from the bottom upwards by engaging their recesses 34 over the hook-tips 38 of the lugs and covering or pushing the tiles downwards and tilting their tops backwards below the tabs 40, 42. After the next higher tile is hung, the overlap of front downwardly extending flange 50 thereof over front upper rebate 52, and the resiliently deformed lugs 22, 24 in tile recesses 34, ensure that the tiles 26 are locked in place.

Radiussed edges 56 of the tabs 40 will be noted to facilitate installation of the tiles, and the inner edge 58 from the hook tips 38 are also shown radiussed, see Figure 3. Formations other than radiussing, e.g. straight chamfers etc., could, of course, be employed, and the heels 60 of the tabs could, moreover, have at least a noticeable initial extension edge making a right-angle to edge 62 of the channel sides see 18.

Should a tile have to be replaced, probably because it has suffered damage, it will have to be broken to remove, or complete its removal. At replacement, the associated tabs 40, 42 will have to be disabled, which could be done by snipping them off, or more usually, by bending them over to one side or the other. Most conveniently, in view of the splaying of the channel sides 18, 20, such bending will be outwardly. Short cuts 64, 66 are shown into the channel side flanking each tab 22 (Figure 3) to enable bending at a position (dashed line 68) below the free edge of that side, so as not to obstruct the replacement tile.

As will be appreciated, there is no need for a significant gap between the tabs 40, 42 and the nearest lugs 22, 24, so long as there is a cut between them which cut could be extended slightly into the channel for the purposes just discussed.

Integral tabs have been described and illustrated as tile locking protrusions, but other forms could be suitable, so long as they serve the purpose and can be disabled.

Thus, rivetted-on tabs would bend just above their rivets and thus below channel side edges.

Claims (9)

Claims

1. Wall cladding comprising tiles hung via recessing on elongate attachment means having hooked lugs spaced and configured to permit upward sliding of the tiles and bottom forward tipping to remove same past associated said lugs at least some of the attachment means further having below at least some of said lugs thereof protrusions part which the tiles can be emplaced with their upper edges below such protrusions by engagement of tile recessing with the hooked lugs then top backward tipping of the tiles, the aforesaid upward sliding then being prevented or limited to be less than required for removal, but the said protrusions being capable of being selectively rendered ineffective.

2. Wall cladding as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protrusions are below every hooked lug on every attachment means.

3. Wall cladding as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the attachment means has resilience in relation to deformation of the lugs at tile hanging.

4. Wall cladding as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein the attachment means is of slope-sided channel section sheet formation.

5. Wall cladding as claimed in claim 4 wherein the attachment means are of metal.

6. Wall cladding as claimed in claim 4 or 5 wherein the protrusions are localised side extensions of the channel section formations.

7. Wall cladding as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the protrusions are removable.

8. Wall cladding as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 6 wherein the protrusions are deformable.

9. Wall cladding substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.