Abstract: A decorative, modular wall panel system is disclosed that allows easy installation and that is adaptable to a variety of wall lengths by allowing the decorative panels to float on an easily installed frame assembly. A skeletal, hidden frame structure is attached to the preexisting wall over which the modular wall panel system is to be installed, and is configured to hold the decorative panel system in place without penetrating the decorative members with fasteners such as nails or screws, thus eliminating the need for wood fillers, plugs, caulking, paints, or stains and touch-up kits to fix blemishes on the decorative panels that would otherwise be caused by attaching them to a wall surface.

Abstract: A shower corner seat assembly is made up of a seat plate and supporting bracket frame. To fit in the corner, the seat is generally triangular like most others, but with the corner tip of the triangle cut away leaving a four-sided shape. Other minor modifications to true triangularity may also be present. The frame follows the contour of the seat and it, too, is formed to match the corner opening of the seat plate, leaving the framework to be more or less “U”-shaped with the arms of the “U” bent inward tending to somewhat follow the sides of the seat plate. Their ends are, in fact, bent even farther inward so they have to be forced or sprung outward to attach the frame to the shower wall. The openness of the frame near the shower corner makes this possible. The seat plate is then attached to it.

Abstract: A floor hole repair fixture has at least one vertical side wall and a bottom wall which together define an inner volume. The fixture is connected to a hole in a floor with one or more fasteners and is filled with a non-shrink grout. A depending rim or flange extending from the at least one side wall helps seat the fixture within the hole. Intumescent material may be coated onto or applied to external fixture surfaces before the fixture is inserted into the hole. Floor covering material is installed over the grout-filled fixture.

Abstract: A surface facing system for covering edifices includes vertical intermediate profiled members, two profiled support members, and at least one exposed element accommodated therein. A top and a bottom receiving and guiding groove is formed on the profiled support member by situating a segment on the front side of the profiled support member and a profiled holding element. The exposed element has a base frame and a plate-shaped element connected to the base frame via its back side. The base frame has at least two horizontal profiled members and at least two vertical profiled members. At least one of the vertical profiled members is connected in a non-positive, form-fit manner to the horizontal profiled members while the other vertical profiled members are connected in a form-fit manner. The exposed element is received in the receiving and guiding groove as a spring via a leg of the horizontal profiled members.

Abstract: A standing seam roof assembly is formed by overlapping adjacent panels, the female sidelap portion of one panel forming a male insertion cavity to receive a male sidelap portion of a second panel. Restraining mechanisms prevent relative in-plane movement between the first and second sidelaps, including connecting selected male and female leg members to prevent in-plane movement there between. In a preferred embodiment, the female sidelap has a hook portion forming a female retaining groove and the male sidelap has a male tab member, and in the assembled mode, the male tab member is disposed in the female retaining groove, and the female and male sidelaps are folded so the hook portion of the female sidelap and the male tab member are tightly brought into pressing engagement to form the standing seam between the first and second panels.

Abstract: Floor panels with a flexible tongue in an insertion groove, the flexible tongue is designed to cooperate, in a connected state with a tongue groove of another panel, the panels are adapted to be locked together by vertical folding, the flexible tongue has a projection portion which, in a connected state projects outside the insertion groove and cooperates with the tongue groove, said projecting portion has a bevelled and/or rounded sliding surface and the panels have a sliding surface adapted to cooperate therewith during vertical folding, the flexible tongue during the vertical folding is displaced twice in the horizontal direction, a first displacement is effected by the vertical folding of the fold panel whereby at least a part of the flexible tongue is bent, a second displacement of the flexible tongue towards its initial position is accomplished substantially by a spring effect caused by said bending of said flexible tongue.

Abstract: A roof or wall covering comprising a plurality of horizontal courses of molded plastic panels each formed with a single row of simulated shake shingles. The panels have a continuous upper interlock flange that facilitates inner-engagement of the panels of overlying courses without cumbersome handling of numerous small interlock fingers which can be missed during installation. Cooperating detents are provided between the overlying lower and upper marginal edge regions which facilitate proper positioning of the panels and which support the weight of the panel during securement to a wall surface. A bottom interlock flange is supported transversely across a rear side of the panel by vertically-spaced support plates which facilitate both liquid drainage and air circulation through the installed wall covering. In the preferred embodiment, the panels in alternate courses are identically formed with different shake patterns for enhancing the natural appearance of the wall covering.

Abstract: The lining structure of the present invention comprises lining plates each having supporting portions formed at two opposite sides of a square lining plate body via bent step portions, and covering portions formed at the remaining sides of the lining plate body; the lining plates being arranged in longitudinal and transverse directions on a surface to be lined; in the first and second lining plates that are adjacent to each other in longitudinal and transverse directions, a covering portion of one of the lining plates being superposed on a supporting portion of, and being butted against the lining plate body of, another of the lining plates, with the butted portion being joined by welding, with an adhesive, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A C-type underbracing has developed for installing on a lower portion of a utility pole for firmly anchoring the utility pole. The underbracing is comprised of: a body (12) formed a half-annular or C-shape with a rectangular cross section; a pair of the enlarged end portions (11, 11?) having larger rectangular cross section than that of the body; a pair of the conjunction (17, 17?) for connecting between the body and the enlarged end portions; a hook receiving hole (13) horizontally through a center of the body, and a pair of nut mounting portions (16, 16?) formed flat surfaces for seating the nuts and a pair of slit-shaped holes (14, 14?) for horizontally inserting U-bolts (20) through the body portion, the nut mounting portions and slit-shaped holes disposed both sides of said hook receiving hole, and an earth plate (30) made of conductive material is attached to the bottom surface of the body.

Abstract: An end cap for an H-shaped header bar used to secure a corrugated hurricane shutter attachable to a window frame and having a generally inverted U-shaped pocket adapted in size to receive an upper margin of the hurricane shutter and the end cap at each end of the header bar. The header bar cooperates with a lower support channel also attached to the window frame to support and secure the hurricane shutter over the window. An end cap is positionable and attachable within an inner upright side of the pocket to engage with the upper corner of the hurricane shutter preventing substantial lateral expansion movement or corrugation deformation from being struck by flying objects during heavy hurricane wind.

Abstract: A partition with a frame having two vertical end post members spanned by beam members with each end post member having an internally directed longitudinal slotway open towards the other end post member and within which the ends of the beam members are received and, preferably, with the end post members having a front to back width greater than the front to back width of the beam members such that vertical raceways are defined between the post members outward of the beam members and inward of removable cladding panels coupled to each front and back of the frame outward of the post members. Preferably, channelways through each post member, preferably at the upper and/or lower ends of each post member, provide for access to the vertical raceways via horizontal raceways extending between the posts above and below each beam.

Abstract: A storage building for the storage of corrosive materials. The storage building comprises a floor, a plurality of columns extending from the floor, a plurality of crossbeams with each beam connecting at least two of the columns, a plurality of substantially vertically oriented supports extending from the crossbeams, a plurality of rafters attached to the supports and at least one roof panel spanning between two of the rafters.

Abstract: A drywall repair patch is disclosed. It includes a coated sheet attached to an adhesively coated porous substrate, which includes a porous sheet and a layer of dry, water-hardenable cement product carried on at least one side of said porous sheet. The repair patch is free of any rigid supporting plate.

Abstract: Stairway balusters are described which includes baluster extensions for ease in use, adjustability and convenience during installation, replacement or remodeling. The various extensions illustrated all allow the baluster shaft to adjust longitudinally. If a single baluster is being replaced on site, the baluster can be shortened using the adjustable features while removing. Also, during retrofitting the described method allows a baluster to be shortened, positioned in place and then lengthened to the desired height without undue modification or effort by the installer. Various extension embodiments are demonstrated.

Abstract: A shingle layer of shingle is provided having an increased thickness adhesive coating on at least a portion of its rear surface, with granules embedded therein, with the granules being of a size range that is larger than the fine particles normally applied to the rear surface of a shingle layer.

Abstract: A tubular insert sleeve for an excavated hole and a safety cover fitted to cover an operatively upper end of the insert sleeve are provided to maintain the integrity of an excavated hole and limit access to the hole in order to improve the safety of the public. The sleeve is made of cooperating segments which can easily be separated and which a form a sleeve when assembled. The operatively upper end of the assembled sleeve forms an outwardly extending bell-shaped end of greater outer diameter to define an outwardly extending flange which is more easily grasped for removal of the sleeve from an excavated hole.

Abstract: There is described a wall structure for absorbing or transferring heat from or to the ground, the wall structure comprising a footing for the wall structure disposed in the ground below grade extending in the longitudinal direction of the wall structure, a vertical wall supported on and extending longitudinally in the direction of the footing, the vertical wall extending upwardly from the footing above grade to a predetermined height, and having upper, lower, interior, exterior and end surfaces, a sheath of insulation for enveloping the vertical wall's upper, end, interior and exterior surfaces and thermal conductors disposed in the wall structure to be in thermal communication with one another, at least some of the conductors extending outwardly from the footing into the ground, the thermal conductors facilitating heat transfer between the ground and the vertical wall.

Abstract: A fixing device for fixing a photovoltaic module on a sloping roof having a roof structure and a roof covering with individual roof covering elements includes a roof-side connecting piece disposable beneath the roof covering and a module-side connecting piece disposable on an edge of the photovoltaic module. A flexible retaining element interconnects the roof-side connecting piece and the module-side connecting piece. The flexible retaining element is loadable by pulling and adapted to be guided through the roof covering without altering a position or shape of the individual roof covering elements.

Abstract: An inflatable barrier system for a doorway or other opening comprising a front side envelope of rectangular front elevation and dog bone shaped horizontal plane cross section, inflatable with gas and fillable with a hardening foam, combined with an inflatable back side array of tubular air beams configured with self sealant, both connected to a source of gas for inflating the fabric envelope and the back side array of tubular air beams. The front side envelope is configured for frontal resistance to predetermined levels of push, cut, puncture, flame, chemical, and ballistic attack. The system is used as a method for closing a doorway to such attacks by erecting and inflating the system within the opening such that the edges on either side of the opening are gripped between the lobes of the respective ends of the dog bone profile of the front side envelope.

Abstract: A standing seam roof assembly. The assembly includes at least one first panel with a first side edge turned vertically upward. At least one second panel has a side edge turned vertically upward with the second panel side edge adjoining the first panel side edge. A plurality of clips each have a fixed base with a slot therethrough. At least one base insert has a substantially flat first section installable beneath the first panel, a substantially flat second section installable beneath the second panel, and a plurality of upturned tabs between the first and the second side edge. The upturned tabs are received in the slots of the clips. Adhesive on the first section adheres to the first panel and adhesive on the second section adheres to the second panel.