Wall panel machine and method

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a wall panel characterized by a plurality of individual wires having a sine wave configuration having an upper and lower apex, alternate wires being parallel to and out of phase with the adjacent wire, with the lower apexes of the individual wires welded to a lower wire mesh and the upper apexes of said individual wires welded to a upper wire mesh; and an insulation material formed of synthetic expandable resin in situ to surround and embed the individual wires between said lower and upper meshes. Further, the present invention is directed to a machine and method for making the panels of the present invention.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a unique wall panel and a machine and method for making the wall panel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,131 discloses a method for making reinforced modular foam panels which comprises fabricating a three dimensional lattice; placing the lattice on a form surface; introducing a foam resin plastic material; and hard-setting the foam plastic material.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,802 discloses a method and apparatus for producing a three-dimensional composite structural panel composed of a number of parallel truses mutually spaced by interposed isolative elements and connected by cross wires. The panel is fabricated by positioning a cross wire transversely of the longitudinal runner wires of trusses after they are stacked in alternation with the isolative elements, and then welding the cross wires to the runner wires at each point of contact.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,248 discloses 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 laterial or 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.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a monolithic wall panel characterized by a plurality of individual wires having a sine wave configuration having an upper and lower apex, alternate wires being parallel to and out of phase with the adjacent wire, with the lower apexes of the individual wires welded to a lower wire mesh and the upper apexes of the individual wires welded to a upper wire mesh, and an insulation material formed of synthetic expandable resin in situ (formed in the machine as a continuous structure) to surround and embed the individual wires between said lower and upper meshes. Further, the present invention is directed to a machine and method for making the panels of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a top view of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 2B is a side view of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 3A is an isometric view of the feed section of the wall panel machine of the present invention showing a lower wire mesh and individual wires fed to the machine;

FIG. 3B is a side view in partial section with the near side panels of the machine removed to expose the details of the feed section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 3C is a side detail view of the individual wire feed mechanism partially in cross-section (cut along the first wire) and its wire brake that feed the individual wires into the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is an isometric view cut along A-A in FIG. 2 (A and B) of the front side of the wire forming/welding section of the wall panel machine of the present invention, the details on the back side not being shown;

FIG. 4B is an isometric detail view, partially in cross-section (cut along the first wire), of the wire forming/welding section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 4C is a side view in partial section with the near side panels of the machine removed to expose the wire forming/welding section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 4D is an isometric view in partial section, illustrating the start up conditions, to expose the rear of the wire forming/welding section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is an isometric view cut along line B-B of FIG. 2 (A and B) of the front side of the insulation forming section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 5B is a side view in partial section with the near side panels of the machine removed to expose the insulation forming section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 5C is an isometric front detail view of the insulation forming section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 5D is an isometric back detail view of the insulation forming section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 5E is a side view in partial cross-section near side structure removed to expose the details of the insulation forming section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 6A is an isometric view of the back side of the top mesh feeding/welding section of the wall panel machine of the present invention and cut along line C-C of FIG. 2 (A and B);

FIG. 6B is a side view in partial cross-section with the near side panels of the machine removed to expose the top mesh feeding/welding section of the wall panel machine of the present invention;

FIG. 7A is an isometric front view, cut along line D-D of FIG. 2 (A and B), of the cutter section of the wall panel machine of the present invention; and

FIG. 7B is an isometric back view, cut along line D-D of FIG. 2 (A and B), of the cutter section of the wall panel machine of the present invention and along an arbitrary line across the panel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The wall panels produced by the prior art were made of preformed polyurethane or polystyrene insulation members that were placed into a wire grid matrix. However, the problem of the finished panels was a non-uniform structure, often with gaps between the insulation members. The effectiveness of the panels as an insulation barrier, either to heat or cold or moisture, was therefore greatly reduced.

The wall panels of the present invention are monolithic. This monolithic structure comes from the forming of the foamed insulation material in situ, as part of the making of the panel, so that as the expandable synthetic resin reacts (expanding both upwardly and across the machine as it foams), it surrounds and embeds the individual wires of the panel.

The foamed insulation material may be made from the components of an expandable synthetic resin such as polyurethane or polystyrene. Preferred is a two component polyurethane system. Modifications to the components allows variation of the time for initial reaction and rate of foaming. The technology for forming the insulation material is known and the synthetic resin components are commercially available.

The wall panel machine 10 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. Referring now also to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the machine comprises five (5) sections: a feed section I (right or front end to line A-A); a wire forming and welding section II (between lines A-A and B-B); an insulation forming section III (between lines B-B and C-C); a top mesh feed and welding section IV (between lines C-C and D-D); and a cutter section V (between lines D-D and left or back or rear end). The drawing of lines is arbitrary and intended only to be helpful in describing the machine. In these figures none of the wires or mesh used to make the wall panel is shown but simply the structure of the machine 10. The machine 10 has a base 12 (a single I-beam or I-beams welded end-to-end on each side of the machine). The base 12 has a number of leveling feet 14 welded to the I-beam. Each foot 14 has a threaded screw 16 that can secure the base 12 to the floor and level and stabilize the machine 10. Frame plates 18(a, b and c) welded to the base 12 provide the vertical structure to mount or hold the rollers and other structure of the machine, as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C, the lower wire mesh 20 and individual wires 50 are introduced into the feed section I of machine 10. A roll of wire mesh 20 is held by four rollers 22 mounted to frame 18(a) to form a cradle 24. The lower wire mesh 20 may be unrolled in a counterclockwise or clockwise direction and any roller 22 may be used to guide the unrolling of wire mesh 20. The wire mesh 20 is drawn through machine 10 by a mechanism that will be described in detail hereinafter. This lower wire mesh 20 is passed under and over a number of rollers (see FIG. 3B). A guide roller 26 aids in straightening the mesh 20. The wire mesh 20 then passes over a support roller 28. Immediately above roller 28 is a brush roller 30 that cleans the top of wires of mesh 20 in preparation for welding. The wire mesh 20 then passes under two tension rollers 32 and 34 and over support rollers 36 and 38. Rollers 32 and 34 are mounted in channels 40 and 42 mounted in frame 18(b) so these rollers may be raised when introducing the wire mesh 20 into the machine 10 and to make it easier to position the wire mesh 20 in the feed section I of the machine 10 to begin operations or make adjustments in the operation. The wire mesh 20 then passes through a pair of compression rollers 44 and 46 before the wire mesh 20 is placed on a plurality of chains that move the wire mesh 20 through the machine 10, the details of which will be set forth hereinafter.

Individual wires 50(a-q) are introduced to machine 10. In a specific example to illustrate the present invention, seventeen wires 50 are individually unwound from coils 52(a-q). The distance between wires 50 is six inches (6″) or a total width between wire 50(a) and 50(q) is eight feet (8′). This determines the height of the panel produced by machine 10. However, panels ten feet (10′) or twelve feet (12′) high may be made by the machine of the present invention by changing the dimensions of the width of the machine 10 and the number and/or spacing of the individual wires introduced into the machine 10.

Each wire 50, illustrated by wire 50(a), is introduced to the machine 10 by drawing the wire from a coil 52, illustrated by coil 52(a). The wire 50 is drawn over one or more rollers 54 and then over roller 56 and under roller 58 that are mounted one above the other on the same vertical axis of an upright part of frame 18(b). The wires 50 then pass through a friction clamp or wire brake 60. Brake 60, see FIG. 3C, comprises two outside plates 62 and 64, that extend across the machine 10 and are mounted to frame 18(b), and an inside movable plate 66. Two pistons 68 are mounted to the outside plates 62 and 64. The piston rod 69 of pistons 68 are attached to the plate 66. There are seventeen holes aligned in each of plates 62, 64 and 66 and each wire 50 passes through the aligned holes, as illustrated by wire 50(a) shown in FIG. 3B. The function of brake 60 will be described in more detail hereinafter.

Wires 50 then pass through a wire feed advance device 70. Wire advance device 70 comprises a jaw 72 having an upper jaw 72(a) and a lower jaw 72(b) that have surfaces 74 that are complimentary (shown in FIG. 3C as curved) to clamp a substantial portion of the wire 50. The lower jaw 72(b) is mounted on a carrier 76, more specifically on a bar 77 between the two frame members of carrier 76. The carrier 76 moves on two inclined rails 78 mounted to frame 18(b). Wheels or sled members 80 reduce the friction of the carrier 76 as it moves on the inclined rails 78. Two pistons 82 are mounted on the inclined rails 78, one on each side of machine 10. Two pistons 84 are mounted on each frame member of carrier 76 to lower jaw 72(a) and grasp a substantial portion of the wire 50.

After manually drawing the lower wire mesh 20 and the wires 50 into the machine 10, the operation of drawing the wires 50 into machine 10 is accomplished by the advance device 70 by the following sequence: with the brake 60 and the wire feed advance device 70 in the position as illustrated in FIG. 3(a, b and c), piston 84 is actuated moving jaw 72(a) down on lower jaw 72(b) clamping or grasping a substantial portion of the wires 50 in the jaw 72. With wires 50 in the grasp of jaw 72, piston 82 is actuated to move the carrier 76 down the inclined rails 78 pulling or drawing the wires 50 from their respective coils 52 into the machine 10. Upon the carrier 76 reaching a desired point on the inclined rails 78, the piston 68 is actuated, moving center plate 66 either upward or downward and clamping the wires 50 in the wire brake 60. Once the wires 50 are secured in wire brake 60, the piston 84 is actuated in the reverse direction and the jaw 74 is opened, and the piston 82 is also actuated in the reverse direction to move the carrier 76 up the inclined rails 78 where the operation sequence is repeated.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D, the wire mesh 20 and the individual wires 50 converge as they enter the wire forming and welding section II. The lower wire mesh 20 is hooked to a drive device 90 that moves the wire mesh 50 through the machine 10. Only the plurality (four shown) of chains 92, the hooks 93 on the chains and the sprockets 94 on a front axle 96 of the drive device 90 are shown in FIGS. 4(A, B, C and D). The details of the drive device for the wire mesh 20 will be described in more detail hereinafter. The individual wires 50 enter a wire forming and welding device 100. The wire forming and welding device 100 comprises a pair of carriages 101 and a pair of pistons 103 that move the carriages 101 on the base 12, one on each side of the machine 10. The operation of these pistons 103 with piston rods 105 to move the carriages 101 on base 12 will be described in more detail hereinafter. A supporting plate 107 (see FIG. 4C) is welded (at each end of the plate 107) to a carriage 101. On the supporting plate 107 are a plurality (17) of base plates 109, alternate base plates 109 being spaced (as viewed in the drawings) to the left or toward the rear of machine 10. On each base plate 109 are a clamp device 111 and a sine wire forming device 113 for each individual wire 50. Therefore, base plates 109 are aligned across the machine 10 for wires 50(a,c,e,g,l,k,m,o and q) while base plates 109 for wires 50(b,d,f,h,j,l,n and p) are aligned across the machine 10 but spaced toward the back of the machine 10. The clamp device 111 comprises two parallel vertically extending plates 115, that are spaced so that each wire 50 passes between the parallel plates, are welded to and at the rear of base plate 109. A pinching or third plate 117 (see FIG. 4C) which is part of clamp device 111 will be described in more detail hereinafter. The sine wire forming device 113 comprises a vertically extending slotted plate 119 welded to base plate 109; a brace 121 that extends from the top of slotted plate 119 to base plate 109; a securing base 123 welded to base plate 109 and to the backside of brace 121; a pair of pins 125 and 127 that are parallel to base plate 109 but above plate 109 sufficiently that the individual wires 50 pass under pin 127 and between pins 125 and 127; and a movable plate 129 having a pin 131 that can be raised and lowered within the slot of slotted plate 119 (the movement of plate 129 will be described in more detail hereinafter).

The wire forming and welding device 100 further includes a pair of pistons 133, one on each side of the machine 10, with piston rods 135 attached to the carriages 101A rectangular hollow beam 137 is attached to a piston 133 at each end of the beam. Movable plates 129 are welded to both sides of bar 137 such that the pins 131 in plates 129 moves in the slot of slotted plate 119 for wires 50(a,c,e,g,i,k,m,o and q) while plates 129 are welded to the other side of bar 137 for wires 50(b,d,f,h,j,l,n and p). Another pair of pistons 141, one on each side of machine 10, has piston rods 143 attached to the carriage 101. These pistons 141 carry a larger rectangular hollow beam 145. Pinching plates 117 are either welded directly to the side of beam 145 or have an extension 147, placing the plates between the parallel plates 115. Beam 145 also holds a plurality (17) of welding devices 161 which match the spacing and alignment of plates 109. In other words, the welding devices 161(a) for wires 50(a,c,e,g,i,k,m,o and q) are welded on the bottom of beam 145 nearer the front of machine 10 whereas the welding devices 161(b) for wires 50(b,d,f,h,j,l,n and p) are welded to the bottom rear of beam 145. The welding devices 161 each include a scissor-like electrical contact 163 that when activated pinch an individual wire 50 in contact with a wire of the wire mesh 50 to heat both sufficiently that the metal partially melts to form a weld between the wires.

The machine 10 may have dimensions that produce a panel of any reasonable dimension (i.e. up to 12′); however, the dimensions of the panel and the choice of wire mesh 20 and wires 50 will set certain dimensions within the machine 10. To illustrate the present invention a wire mesh 20 of 8′ width with wires every two inches (2″) and the number of individual wires 50 at seventeen (17) will produce a panel with individual wires 50 that match with the first and last wire of the wire mesh 20 and every third wire of the wire mesh 20.

The sequence of operation of the forming and welding section II is as follows: The lower wire mesh 20 after being hooked to the chains 92 of the drive device 90 is moved by the drive device 90 to a position to the back or left of the wire forming and welding section II. The pistons 133 and 141 start in a position opposite that shown in the drawings, namely, pistons 133 are in the down position and the pistons 141 are in the up position. In other words, with pistons 133 down and the movable plates 129 down, the individual wires 50 are threaded under pin 127 and between pins 127 and 125 of forming device 113. The wires are then passed over the pin 131 (in the down position) and between the parallel plates 115 of the clamping device 111. With all wires 50 extending past the parallel plates 115, piston 141 is activated to the down position and the pinching plates 117 move down on the wires 50 and clamp them rigidly to their respective base plates 109. It is apparent that the distance between the point of the pinching plates 117 clamping the wire 50 to plate 109 and the pin 127 sets the distance between adjacent lower apexes of the wire 50 when formed. The piston 133 is then activated to the up position, raising movable plates 129 with pin 131, resulting in creating an upper apex in the wire 50. It is apparent that raising of the moveable plates 129 draws a sufficient amount of wire 50 into the forming device 113 to produce a sine wave configuration to the wires 50 and the height of the upper apex from the lower apex is related directly to the distance of the rise of pin 131 (in other words, the height of rise determines the thickness of the panel which may vary from 4″ to 8″ or more). It is also apparent that having the forming devices 113 for alternate wires 50 spaced so that they are not aligned but in two lines across the machine 10 that the sine wave configuration of alternate wires is out of phase (providing strength and stability to the panel). The operation continues by piston 141 being activated to raise the pinching plates 117 and this is followed by piston 133 being activated to lower the movable plates 129 and pins 131.

At the beginning of the operation of this wire forming and welding section II (which FIGS. 4A and 4D specifically illustrate), the wires 50 are advanced by hand until the beginning end of each wire 50 is positioned beyond the clamp device 111 and the pistons are activated as described above to form the sine wave configuration in the wires 50. All wires 50 are then advanced until the lower apex just formed is positioned between plates 115, the operation of the pistons 133 of this and 141 is repeated and additional wire is formed in the sine wave configuration. This operation may be done manually more than one time to assure that the lower apexes of wires 50 are aligned under a welding device 161 (see FIG. 4D). In addition, the wire mesh 20 is manually advanced into this wire forming and welding section II. When piston 141 is activated to lower the pinching plates 117, the welding devices 161 are also lowered. With the movement of the wires 50 further toward the back or end of machine 10, there are wires 50 that are under the welding devices 161 and aligned with the scissor-like electrical contacts 163 so that when the welding devices 161 are lowered, each contact 163 is checked to make sure that wires 50 are within the electrical contact 163 and that in addition that the wires 50 are in contact with the wires of mesh 10. The welding devices 161 are then activated to produce the first weld of the wires 50 to mesh 20. The operation then is ready to be operated in an automated manner. The movement of the wire mesh 20 will move wires 50 and the need for the clamp device 111 and the wire forming device 113 being mounted on carriages 101 becomes apparent. The movement of the wire mesh 20 and the carriages 101 are at the same (speed in inches per minute) or in other words the piston rod 105 of pistons 103 moves at the same speed as the wire mesh 20 is moved. The coordinated movement of both the mesh 20 and the carriages 101 is initiated when the pistons 141 are activated to lower the pinching plates 117 to clamp the wires to base plates 109 and the electrical contacts 163 of the welding devices 161 bring the wires 50 into contact with the wires of the wire mesh 20. The distance the carriages 101 move is sufficient to provide time for the welding device 161 make a weld and for the forming device 113 to rise to the uppermost position. When this is accomplished the pistons are activated to lower piston 133 and raise piston 141. At the same time pistons 103 are activated to move the carriages 101 toward the front of the machine 10 for positioning to form another sine wave configuration in the wires 50. The activation of the automated operation of the wire forming and welding device 100 requires the activation of the wire advance device 70 to draw sufficient wire into the machine 10. The machine 10 at this point is ready for automated operation to move the lower wire mesh 20 and the wires 50 toward the left or end of machine 10 and draw the wires 50 into the machine 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D and 5E, the lower wire mesh 20 with the wires 50 formed into a sine wave configuration and welded to the wire mesh 20 are introduced into the insulation forming section III of machine 10. In this section a polymeric resin that is foamable is introduced into a plurality of troughs. A resin such as a polyurethane or a polystyrene that have good insulating and water resistance properties are preferred. These resins are readily available in a two part package; an A part and a B part. When Part A and Part B of a resin are mixed according to the directions of the manufacturer, the foaming agent in the resin quickly causes the resin to foam and expand. The amount of resin is sufficient to substantially fill the space between the bottom and top apexes of the wires 50 and form a monolithic panel by expanding to extend from the wire 50(a) on one side to the wire 50(q) on the other side of the panel and encapsulating all the intermediate wires 50(b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, and p). The insulation forming device 200 includes a beam supporting structure 202, a plurality of trough structures 204 and a polymer introduction structure 206. The beam structure 202 includes a lower beam 210 that is welded to the top of base 12 on one side of machine 10 and extends to the base 12 on the other side of the machine 10. Two upright beams 212 are welded, one at each end of beam 210. An upper beam 214 is welded to the two upright beams 212. In addition, a plurality (four shown in FIG. 5A) of L-shaped racks 216 are attached to the upper beam 214. The trough structure 204 hangs from upper beam 214. Trough structure 204 includes a plurality of plates 218 which are welded to the lower surface of upper beam 214, with one such plate spaced above and essentially the width of each wire 50 entering the insulation forming section III of machine 10. Suspended between and attached to two adjacent plates 218 and between two adjacent wires 50 is a trough 220 (16 troughs spaced across the machine 10). Each trough 220 includes two side plates 222 and a bottom plate 224 that has a front portion 226 that bends upward to close the front of the trough (see FIG. 5C). Plates 222 extend toward the rear of the machine 10 and then slant downward and then extend further with a height sufficient to hold a small roller 230 that is attached across the trough 220. Rollers 232 and 234 are attached to the front of trough 220 (see FIG. 5E). These rollers 230, 232 and 234 guide a belt 236 that moves within each trough 220. The belt 236 passes over a motor driven drive roller 238. Drive roller 238 drives all belts 236 in each of the troughs 220. The troughs 220 function as a restraining structure for the foamed insulation resin, I.e. at the beginning or front portion of the tough 220 the walls are higher than the desired height of the foamed insulation resin being produced in situ (in the machine 10). As the resin moves toward the back or end of machine 10, the trough structure has no restraining walls and the resin is permitted to expand to join the resin in the next adjacent trough and encapsulate the wire 50 moving next to the trough 220. A wall 240 is on the outside of wire 50(a) and 50(q) that restrains the resin from expanding beyond these outside wires. The polymer introduction structure 206 includes a pair of manifolds, a manifold 243 for the Part A resin and a manifold 245 for the Part B resin, both manifold carried by the L-shaped racks 216 are attached to the upper beam 214. Flexible piping 247, one for each trough 220, is connected at one end to manifold 243 to supply Part A resin to that trough. Likewise, flexible piping 249, one for each trough 220, is connected at one end to manifold 245 to supply Part B resin to that trough. Each piping 247 and 249 may have a nozzle at the end in trough 220 or a valve within the piping to control the amount of Part A and Part B supplied to the trough 220. The reaction is initiated within seconds and occurs rapidly.

The operation of the insulation forming section III of machine 10 is as follows (assuming that all the upper wire mesh feed and welding section IV is lined out and operational) the lower wire mesh 20 with the out-of-phase sine wave configuration of wires 50 welded to the wire mesh 20 at the lower apexes of wires 50 is moved into the insulation forming section III by drive device 90. The individual wires 50 are moved into the slots 250 that exist between two adjacent troughs 220. To assist the wires 50 into its slot are guides 254 attached to the front of each trough 220 (see 5C). Within each trough 220, the belts 236 are moving at the speed of wire mesh 20. The appropriate amount of Part A and Part B resin is introduced to each trough 220 on top of a belt 236 and the expansion is upward since the belt 236 prevents and downward movement and toward the side plates 222; however, when the foaming resin passes the downward slanting portion of side plate 222 the resin expands past the adjacent wire 50 so that a monolithic structure is produced, i.e. the foamed resin extends as a single, continuous structure from wire 50(a) to wire 50(q). The amount of resin fed to the troughs 220 is sufficient to permit the expanded foamed resin to reach the upper apexes of wires 50. A skimmer device 255 removes excess foamed resin. The skimmer device 255 includes a wire roller 256 attached to the end of a pivot arm 257 and has a piston 258 with a piston rod 259 that adjusts the position of the roller 256 on top of the monolithic foamed insulation resin. The skimmer device 255 removes any expanded foamed resin that extends over the top apexes of wires 50 since the tops of wires 50 need to be exposed to carry out the operation in the top mesh feed and welding section IV which follows.

Referring now to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the structure and operation of the top mesh feed and welding section IV are set forth. An upper roll of wire mesh 270 is held by four rollers 272 mounted to frame 18(c) to form a cradle 274. The wire mesh 270 may be unrolled in a counterclockwise or a clockwise direction and any roller 272 may be used to guide the unrolling of the wire mesh 270. The wire mesh 270 is drawn through the machine when the wire mesh is welded to the top of the wires 50, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. The wire mesh 270 is passed under and over a number of roller (see FIG. 6B). The wire mesh 270 passes under two tension rollers 276 and 277 and over support rollers 278 and 279. Rollers 276 and 277 are mounted in channels 280 and 282 mounted in frame 18(c) so these rollers may be raised when introducing the wire mesh 270 into the machine 10 and to make it easier to position the wire mesh 270 in the upper wire mesh feed and welding section IV of the machine 10 to begin operations or make adjustments in the operation. The wire mesh 270 then passes under a compression roller 284 for placing the wire mesh 270 in contact with the wires 50 before the wire mesh 270 is welded to the top of wires 50, the details of which will be set forth hereinafter. The top welding device 300 has essentially the same structure as welding devices 161 in wire forming and welding section II described hereinabove. A pair of pistons 302, one mounted on each side of machine 10, has piston rods 304 attached to a base 305 that is attached to a carriage 306. These pistons 304 carry a rectangular hollow beam 308. Beam 308 holds a plurality (17) of welding devices 310 which match the spacing and alignment of the apexes of wires 50. In other words, the welding devices 310(a) for wires 50(a,c,e,g,l,k,m,o and q) are welded to the bottom of beam 308 nearer the front of machine 10 whereas the welding devices 310(b) for wires 50(b,d,f,h,j,l,n and p) are welded to the bottom rear of beam 308. The welding devices 310 each include a scissor-like electrical contact 312 that when activated pinch an individual wire 50 in contact with a wire of the upper wire mesh 270 to heat both sufficiently that the metal wires partially melt to form a weld between the wires. It is apparent that when the panel moves toward the rear or back of machine 10 that welding devices 310 must be moving at the same speed to allow the weld to be made. A pair of pistons 314, one mounted on base 12 on each side of machine 10, has piston rods 316 attached to carriage 306 to maintain the welding device 310 and a wire 50 being welded in the same relative position during the welding operation.

Referring now to FIG. 6B, drive device 90 includes a rear axle 317 on which four sprockets 319 are spaced for the four chains 92. The rear axle 317 is driven by a belt 320 powered by a motor 322.

The operation of the upper wire mesh feed and welding section IV of the machine 10 is as follow: The sequence of operation during start-up and change to a new roll of upper wire mesh 270 may be different than when the continuous, automated mode is running. During start-up, the upper wire mesh 270 has to be hand drawn into the machine 10 and it is easier to align and stop and start operations if the resin is not introduced in the insulation forming section III. The upper wire mesh 270 is threaded under and over the rollers, including rollers 272 and 274 that are in the raised position, and is aligned under the welding devices 310. At least one weld is made.

It is noted that pistons are used in the various sections of the machine 10. The hydraulic system for operating the pistons are computer operated. Each system of pistons, pistons that carry out a function in a section or all pistons in a section, are independently computer operated. This permits each function in a section to be operated independently and at varying speeds such that the wire meshes 20 and 170 and the individual wires 50 may be aligned. The electrical activation of the welding devices is also independently operated. Safety overrides are placed into the system so that it is safe to manually draw the wires and meshes into the machine or align the wires with the welding devices.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the structure and operation of the cutter section V is set forth. An open beam structure 350 extends across the machine 10 in this section. The beam structure 350 includes an I-shaped beam 352 across the top, two vertical beams 354 (one at each end), and a pair of bottom support beams 356 with a slot 358 there between. This beam structure 350 rests on a carriage 360, one on each side of the machine 10, that moves on base 12. An L-beam 362 is mounted to a carriage 360 (far side in both FIGS. 7A and 7B) that holds I-beam 352 by a pivot connection 364. At the other end of beam structure 350 is an L-beam 368 mounted to carriage 360 that holds I-beam 352 by a pivot-slide connection 370. This permit's the beam structure 350 to be placed on an angle, the pivot-slide connection moving on rail 372 to compensate for the distance increase when the beam structure 350 is not at right angle to the panel in the machine 10. A saw 375 with its motor 377 is carried by a rail car 377 that is mounted to I-beam 352 for movement from one side to the other. The rail car 377 has structure (not shown) to raise the blade of the saw 375 above the panel after cutting the panel from one side to the other. The lower support beams 356 provide a support for the panel as the saw 375 is moved from one side to the other and the saw blade is within the slot 358. The carriages 360 are moved on the base 12 at the same speed as the panel is moving by a cog system (details not shown) between the carriage 360 and a rail on top of base 12. Alternatively, a piston system can be attached to carriage 360 in the same way pistons 103 move carriage 101 and pistons 314 move carriage 306.

The length of the panel produced in machine 10 is determined by how the panel is to be used. If used for forming a cement fence, the panel may be as long as 40 feet or more, depending only on the equipment available to handle the panel. If used for forming a cheap cement house, the panel is as long as the long dimension of the house, producing a panel eight feet high and 40 feet long. On the other hand, panels may be cut at an angle at one end and square at the other to produce the panels for the side of the house. These side panels are turned to be 8 feet wide with the angle for the roof. Four or more panels are used. The panels are cut for the necessary doors and windows by simple equipment. It is apparent the present machine has great flexibility.

Claims

1. A machine for making wall panels comprising:

a feed section including means for feeding a wire mesh and means for feeding a plurality of individual wires;

a wire forming/welding section including means to form the individual wires into a sine wave configuration having an upper and lower apex, alternate wires being parallel to and out of phase with the adjacent wire, and means for welding lower apexes of said individual wires to said wire mesh;

an insulation forming section including means to introduce the components of a synthetic expandable resin to form a foamed insulation material on top of the mesh, said insulation material as it foams surrounding and embedding said individual wires;

a top mesh feeding/welding section including means to feed a top wire mesh and means for welding top apexes of said individual wires to said top wire mesh; and

a cutter section including a saw to cut the panel made in said machine to a desired length.

2. A machine according to claim 1 further including:

at least one chain having means to move said lower wire mesh directionally from said feed section toward said cutter section.

3. A machine according to claim 2 further including:

means for moving said welding means during welding in the same direction and speed as said chain moves said lower wire mesh.

4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said insulation material is polyurethane.

5. A machine for making monolithic wall panels comprising:

means to feed a wire mesh and a plurality of individual wires;

means to form the individual wires into a sine wave configuration having an upper and lower apex, alternate wires being parallel to and out of phase with the adjacent wire, and to weld lower apexes of said individual wires to said wire mesh;

means to introduce the components of a synthetic expandable resin in situ to form a foamed insulation material on top of the mesh, said insulation material as it foams surrounding and embedding said individual wires; and

means to feed a top wire mesh and to weld top apexes of said individual wires to said top wire mesh thereby making a panel.

6. A monolithic panel comprising:

a plurality of individual wires having a sine wave configuration having an upper and lower apex, alternate wires being parallel to and out of phase with the adjacent wire, most lower apex of said individual wires welded to a lower wire mesh and most upper apex of said individual wires welded to a upper wire mesh; and

an insulation material formed of synthetic expandable resin in situ to surround and embed the individual wires between said lower and upper meshes.

7. A panel according to claim 6 wherein said synthetic resin is polyurethane.

8. A method for making wall panels comprising:

feeding a wire mesh into a machine for making wall panels;

feeding individual wires having a sine wave configuration, alternate wires being parallel to and out of phase with the adjacent wire;

welding the lower apexes of said individual wires to said wire mesh;

forming a synthetic expandable resin in situ to form a monolithic foamed insulation material on top of the mesh, said insulation material as it foams surrounding and embedding said individual wires; and

welding a top wire mesh to the top apexes of said individual wires.