Corrugated fiberboard panels for use in the construction of walls, ceilings and floors

Abstract

A corrugated wooden fiberboard panel system provides a new structural member for use in the construction of building walls, ceilings, and floors as a substitute for conventional framing members, such as studs and joists.

1 . A building framing structure for use in the construction of a building wall, ceiling or floor as a substitute to conventional framing members, said building framing structure comprising a structural member in the form of a rigid corrugated fiberboard panel defining alternate ridges and grooves.  
     
     
         2 . A building framing structure as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said fiberboard panel includes wooden fibers.  
     
     
         3 . A building framing structure as defined in  claim 1 , further including an end member defining a groove shaped and configured for receiving one end of the fiberboard panel.  
     
     
         4 . A building framing structure as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said fiberboard panel is a double-faced corrugated panel.  
     
     
         5 . A framing member for carrying wall boards, flooring boards or ceiling boards, comprising a corrugated wooden fiberboard panel defining alternate longitudinally extending ridges and grooves, each ridge having a planar surface to which a selected one of the wall boards, the flooring boards and the ceiling boards is securable.  
     
     
         6 . A framing member as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said ridges and grooves are defined by linear segments.  
     
     
         7 . A framing member as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said ridges and grooves are generally trapezoidal in shape.  
     
     
         8 . A framing member as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said corrugated wooden fiberboard panel includes a number of flat fiberboard panels secured together along adjoining lateral edges to form an alternating series of ridges and grooves.  
     
     
         9 . A framing member as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said flat panels are bonded together and secured in a rigid assembly by means of a plurality of fasteners.  
     
     
         10 . In a building wall having a framing structure, said framing structure comprising at least one upstanding corrugated fiberboard panel defining alternate upstanding ridges and grooves, each said ridge offering a mounting surface for a wallboard.  
     
     
         11 . A method for manufacturing a corrugated waferboard, comprising the steps of: providing a mat of wood wafers mixed with a resin binder, forming at least one preliminary corrugation in said mat by passing said mat between at least a first pair of heated nip rolls having complementary male and female forming portions, and by imparting to said preliminary corrugation a final form by passing said preliminary corrugation between complementary male and female forming portions of at least a second pair of nip rolls.  
     
     
         12 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , comprising the steps of at least roughly forming a central corrugation in said mat before starting to form a pair of corrugations on opposed sides of said central corrugation.  
     
     
         13 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the step of: gradually reducing the dimensions of the first central corrugation to final desired dimensions.  
     
     
         14 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of passing said mat between at least one pair of heated pressing rolls before forming said preliminary corrugation.  
     
     
         15 . A method for manufacturing a corrugated waferboard, comprising the steps of providing a number of flat waferboard panels, assembling said flat waferboard panels in a corrugated configuration by bonding and fastening the panels along lateral edges thereof.  
     
     
         16 . A method as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of: placing the flat waferboard panels on a work table having a corrugated support surface corresponding to the desired profile of the final product, applying a vacuum to maintain the panels in place on the corrugated support surface, and securing the panels together by means of a plurality of fasteners.  
     
     
         17 . A method as defined in  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: binding the panels together prior to securing the panels together with said fasteners.