Abstract: A structural panel, including a plurality of contiguous elongated filler members mutually contiguous ones of the filler members having opposed surfaces pressed against one another in vapor tight face-to-face contact with each other and having opposite side surfaces extending from the opposed surfaces, a three-dimensional supporting matrix, including a plurality of lattice structures, each being interposed between and pressed into adjacent surfaces of the members, each of the lattice structures having opposite side portions projecting slightly beyond the opposite side surfaces of the members, and a mesh of wire, in the form of lateral and longitudinal wires attached together at their right angle intersections extending across the filler members, the members being fixed to the projecting opposite side portions of the lattice structures by C-clips to thereby hold the lattice structures and filler members pressed together in a unitary panel configuration.

Abstract: A three-dimensional composite structural panel composed of a number of parallel trusses mutually spaced by interposed insulative elements and interconnected by cross wires, is fabricated by positioning a cross wire transversely of the longitudinal runner wires of trusses after they are stacked in alternation with the insulative elements, and then welding the cross wire to the runner wires at each point of contact. Rows of electrodes, one for each side of the lattice, are mounted to simultaneously resistance weld a single cross wire at each side of the lattice to all of the trusses of a panel. All of the electrodes are pressed against the wires to be welded by means of individual fluid motors energized with a common fluid pressure and separately driving individual electrodes.

Abstract: A modular light-weight structural panel is made by stacking in consecutive alternation a number of long, narrow foam plastic filler elements with a number of substantially flat lattice structures. The sub-assembly is laterally compressed to cause each of the lattice structures to be pressed into and partially embedded in mutually abutting surfaces of adjacent ones of the filler elements. While in such compressed condition cross members are welded to side portions of the lattice structures that protrude beyond the filler element surfaces to thereby hold the assembly in its pressed condition with the lattice structures embedded in the filler elements and surfaces of adjacent filler elements in close face-to-face contact with one another.

Abstract: A modular lightweight structural panel is made of a lightweight, foil-faced expanded plastic filler reinforced by wire lattice structures. A number of long, narrow pre-coated filler elements are interleaved with a number of substantially flat lattice structures to form a laminated panel subassembly with corresponding reflective surfaces of the filler elements collectively forming substantially planar surfaces of the multilayered reflective panel core. The subassembly is laterally compressed, in a direction perpendicular to the planes of laminations, to thereby force each of the lattice structures to be pressed into and partially embedded in mutually contiguous surfaces and foil edges of adjacent ones of the filler elements.

Abstract: A plurality of wire trusses is employed in a three-dimensional wire matrix having a foam core to provide a light-weight structural building panel. Each truss, comprised of a sinuously bent strut wire having its apices welded to lateral runner wires, is formed by a continuous bending and wire processing apparatus which simultaneously withdraws three wires from wire supplies, sinuously bends the strut wire, assembles the bent strut wire with the runner wires, welds the joints therebetween, and severs desired lengths of completed truss sections. Several wires are fed to the bending station at different speeds and intermittently via three individually automatically controlled wire storage loops. The arrangement is such that even with the several different wire feed rates, all three wires are pulled from wire supply rolls by a single motor and all three are driven to the truss fabrication station by a single motor.

Abstract: A modular lightweight structural panel is made of a lightweight expanded plastic filler reinforced by wire lattice structures. A number of long, narrow filler elements are interleaved with a number of substantially flat lattice structures to form a laminated panel subassembly with corresponding surfaces of the filler elements collectively forming substantially planar surfaces of the panel core. The subassembly is laterally compressed, in a direction perpendicular to the planes of laminations, to thereby force each of the lattice structures to be pressed into and partially embedded in mutually contiguous surfaces of adjacent ones of the filler elements.