Abstract: A modular partition system includes at least two relocatable panel units. Each panel unit has a frame formed from two horizontal frame elements and two vertical frame elements interconnected so as to define a rectangular opening, and at least one panel mounted within the opening. The system also includes at least one connector for rigidly connecting adjacent vertical frame elements from the panel units to combine them to form a partition. The vertical frame elements are configured to provide attachment portions accessible from the front of the panel unit for receiving the connectors so that the panel units may be connected without dissembling them. Also described is a method for assembly of a partition employing a rigid template for alignment.

Abstract: A repair device which is used to restore planarity to concave damage in a drywall board, which is quickly installed by chucking to a reversible power driver in the manner of a drill bit, thus creating its own hole. The device is inserted into the wall cavity, then powered in the reverse direction to actuate in the manner of a jack to push out a damaged drywall piece, which is still hingedly attached by the cardboard facing. Thus united, the cracks are bonded with cement, while the inexpensive device remains inside the wall, acting as a permanent prop.

Abstract: Wood framed walls of buildings are strengthened against destructive wind and seismic forces by spaced lengths of vertical wire rope having enlarged bulbous portions swagged on each end. A metal sleeve and a metal plate are slipped onto such lengths prior to swagging. Other lengths of wire rope only having bulbous portions are connected to attachments after forming a cross brace, and at least one cross brace is located in each major wall of a one-story building. The cross brace can be attached to a foundation structure of the building below a floor plate and/or to a stud and floor plate. The foundation structure may be concrete or other floor joist or the like. The wire ropes, may be located on a first story with another cross brace on another story thereabove with metal rods therebetween or the wire ropes forming two generally vertical cross braces may be formed from a pair of wire ropes with two metal sleeves between the stories through which the wire ropes extend.

Abstract: An enclosure for a room, patio, or the like is made of modular parts that hide from view all fasteners and other functional parts. The parts include upstanding regular posts, corner posts, open back posts, horizontal beams and chair rails, as well as door frames, door jambs, door sweeps, and other parts required for an enclosure construction. Aesthetic cover members are snap-fittingly engaged to the modular parts and confronting pairs of the cover members, in a first embodiment, are very closely spaced to one another to accommodate a screen between them. In second and third embodiments, the confronting cover members have larger spaces between them to accommodate opaque, translucent, or transparent panels of about one-half inch and three-quarter inches, respectively.

Abstract: A window or a door has a frame structure and a U-shaped bar simultaneously serving as reinforcement section and a turn-tilt mechanism.

Abstract: An integrally reinforced lineal building component including an elongated member having a substantially constant cross-sectional area along substantially the entire length of the building component and comprised of cellular material forming the body and major cross-sectional portion of the building component, and an elongated reinforcement element having a substantially constant cross-sectional area along substantially the entire length of the building component and disposed inside the elongated member and bonded integrally thereto. The reinforcement element is provided at least two flange-like portions integrally attached and disposed at an angle with respect to one another extending lengthwise of and generally parallel to the elongated member.

Abstract: Flexible honeycomb panels are vented by providing vent openings at specific locations within the honeycomb core. The invention is applicable to flexible honeycomb panels which are made from bonded corrugated sheets wherein each of the corrugated sheets has upper and lower node ridges and wherein the lower surfaces of lower node ridges are bonded to the upper surface of lower node ridges located on underlying sheets. The corrugated sheets are stacked so that the adhesive or bond lines between the lower nodes are displaced from each other within the stack. Vent openings are located in the upper node ridges to provide venting of the honeycomb structure. Location of vent openings in the upper node ridges can be controlled to provide selective transport of media through the honeycomb.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thermally efficient and low maintenance enclosed structure, such as a sunroom, made from a framework of joined structural members, thermally insulating kick panels, windows, optional door assembly, optional skylights, and a roof. The structural members include reinforced and non-reinforced polyvinyl chloride extrusions. The structural members are joined together at joints using hardware which cannot be seen from inside or outside the enclosure thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the enclosure. Machines for making the enclosure from a small number of extruded profiles are also described.

Abstract: A steel building having a frame with at least one roof beam on respective top sides of the frame wherein the top ends of the roof beams defines an apex, at least one side wall post and an eave strut member along the outer edge of the roof at the side wall posts being generally square and tubular in construction, having a hollow interior, an open face in which flanges on respective sides are directed inwardly, being insulated by inserting an insertion means into the hollow interior and a barrier wrap around the strut member between each of the side posts. A kit of parts for the building comprising an insertion means at the inner portion and a barrier wrap surround the strut member between each of the side posts.

Abstract: Soffit ventilation system in a building having a horizontal soffit with a plurality of vents and a strip of mat of randomly oriented synthetic fibers covering the attic-facing side of the soffit. An alternative embodiment has a panel of air-impermeable material having upper and lower sections. The strip of mat of randomly oriented synthetic fibers is sandwiched between the lower section and the vertical side of the walls allowing the passage of air into the attic through an opening between the lower section and the upper section of the air-impermeable panel.

Abstract: A reamer screw having an elongated shank, with a leading end and a trailing end, at opposite ends, and having a self-tapping/cutting threaded portion at the leading end adapted for self-tapping and cutting an opening through a workpiece, and driving securely into a substrate, a torque formation at the trailing end for engagement by a suitable driving tool for the single function insertion of the threaded portion through the workpiece and into the substrate, in a single operation, a smooth shank portion extending between the threaded portion and the trailing end and having a length sufficient to extend through the workpiece, driving in of the threaded portion through the workpiece, releasing the workpiece allowing the threaded portion to be tightened up in the substrate, while the smooth shank portion rotates freely in the workpiece permitting the workpiece to be drawn snugly against the substrate without binding in the workpiece, and reamer formations formed by outwardly extending wing portions of the smooth

Abstract: A vision frame assembly for use in fire-rated structures such as doors and alls. The frame assembly includes a pair of opposed frame members that snap-fit into a plurality of resilient latching clips mounted in the door or wall. The latching clips include mounting members to mount the clip to the door or wall and spring finger elements having differing lengths. The unique configuration of the spring finger elements makes the frame assembly adaptable to wide tolerance variations from different manufactures of doors, walls, and other fire-rated structures.

Abstract: A plaster hole restoration insert employs a shield which opens as an umbrella once inserted through a hole in a wall and which is propped or jacked against the interior of the wall with the hole by a ratchet type jack extending through a hub in the center of the shield and bearing against the opposite side of the wall. The shield may be trimmed to fit, or more than one shield may be employed for a larger hole. The shield has hinged fingers projecting from the hub with a flexible membrane or sheet extending between the fingers. The fingers are limited in their hinging movement to provide a backstop for plaster restoration of the hole. A removable handle is provided to facilitate the propping of the insert against the interior of the hole.

Abstract: A stair frame may be used to form a straight staircase, a spiral staircase, or a combination of the two. The stair frame includes an elongated angle having a leg and a back, the back cut into a plurality of independent back portions and the leg bent into a zigzag shape with alternating vertical and horizontal leg portions. A rail is fastened to the upper end of each vertical portion back and the forward end of each horizontal portion back to secure the angle into a sturdy frame which may be bent into a helical pattern. The horizontal leg portions serve the dual purpose of forming sturdy frame, and supporting one end of the staircase treads.

Abstract: A columbarium which includes a pair of end walls disposed along substantially vertical planes resting on a base and supporting a top forming an enclosed open area. A plurality of containers which are arranged in horizontal and vertical rows are positioned within the open area. A pair of side walls which are supported solely by the base are disposed along substantially vertical planes forming the outer limits of the open area. The side walls are formed of a plurality of removable cover plates which are arranged in horizontal and vertical rows which substantially correspond with the horizontal and vertical rows formed by the containers.

Abstract: A structural panel is described which includes a thin substantially rectangular member of preselected length, width and thickness having a substantially flat upper surface and a peripheral flanged edge and supported on the lower surface thereof by a first plurality of evenly spaced transverse ribs and a second greater plurality of evenly spaced longitudinal ribs, and at least one pair of intersecting diagonal ribs extending from diagonal corners of the member, the panel being hot formed of a composite of plastic, about 20 to 25 weight percent comminuted cellulosic matter or glass fibers and about 3 to 5 weight percent flame retardant.

Abstract: A slatwall display system is provided for retaining at least one article holder thereon. The system includes a mounting member having a series of spaced projecting ears formed with upwardly projecting surfaces defining slat panel supports. The system further includes a multiplicity of slat panels interconnected together, one on top of another, at spaced slatwall panel joints to define a slat panel assembly. Each of the slat panels has a plurality of coplanar forward wall portions, a plurality of coplanar rearward wall portions spaced rearwardly of the forward wall portions, and a plurality of central wall portions joining the forward wall and rearward wall portions. The rearward wall portions are separated from each other by projecting ear recesses formed between the forward wall and rearward wall portions. The projecting ear recesses include a series of spaced, inverted, generally V-shaped notches receiving the upwardly projecting surfaces of the projecting ears.

Abstract: The method of combining barbed wire and conventional bags to create structures includes the steps of: providing a plurality of bags; filling the bags with a predetermined mixture of organic, manufactured, recycled, particulate, fill material; stacking and arranging the bags in a predetermined array; and, placing at least one strand of barbed wire or similar wire between at least a major portion of the stacked layers of bags as they are being stacked to create frictional resistance to sliding between layers and tensile strength in a wall or other structure formed by the stacked layers of bags thereby to provide earthquake resistant structures. The structures include a building structure retaining wall, and an erosion resistant embankment for a body of water made by the method. The bags can be of different length, the fill material can include a cementious material thereby to create a permanent structure and one to three spaced apart strands of barbed wire can be used between layers of bags.

Abstract: An improved building block (12) for constructing an exterior wall (14) comprising a solid body (16) having a front face (18), a rear face (20), two end faces (22), a top face (24) and a bottom face (26). A plurality of alignment projections (28) are on the top face (24) of the solid body (16). The bottom face (26) of the solid body (16) has a plurality of alignment sockets (30) therein. When a plurality of the solid bodies (16) are laid side by side and are stacked offset one upon the other to make a plurality of courses (32), the alignment projections (28) will engage with the alignment sockets (30) to form equally spaced joints (34) therebetween to be filled in later with mortar (36), to construct the exterior wall (14).

Abstract: A spherical structure is formed by assembling a plurality of elementary constructs each of which is composed of three first triangular elements, three second triangular elements, three third triangular elements, and three fourth triangular elements. These triangular basic elements are different-sized triangular frameworks covered by respectively corresponding panels. A self-supporting spherical radome or other spherical structures can be constructed from a random distribution of these four basic elements by repeatedly arranging the elementary constructs assembled by the basic elements. Only four different triangular basic elements are required for constructing and dovetailing the whole spherical structure.