Curtain wall anchor

Abstract

The panels and mullions of a curtain wall are attached to the frame of the building enclosed by the curtain wall with anchors which permit the frame to shift horizontally and vertically relative to the curtain wall so that the frame and the curtain wall can experience different degrees of racking. Each anchor includes a base member and a displaceable member located in front of the base member. Both members have keyways and are coupled together with a horizontal key that engages the members at their keyways, allowing the displaceable member to shift horizontally relative to the building frame, but preventing it from pulling away from the base member. Each anchor also has a mullion clamp which is attached firmly to one of the mullions. It has a vertical keyway where it is engaged by a key on the displaceable member, thus permitting vertical displacement of the mullion relative to the building frame.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An anchor for attaching curtain wall panels to the frame of a building; said anchor comprising: a base member adapted to be attached to the frame of the building; a displaceable member located in front of the base member and being coupled to the base member such that it can shift relative to the base member along a first axis, yet cannot pull away from the base member, an attachment member configured to be attached to a component of a curtain wall and being coupled to the outside member such that it can shift relative to the outside member along a second axis which is located at an angle to the first axis, yet cannot pull away from the displaceable member.  
     
     
         2 . An anchor according to  claim 1  wherein one of the axes is horizontal, and the other axis is vertical.  
     
     
         3 . An anchor according to  claim 1  wherein the first axis is horizontal and the second axis is vertical.  
     
     
         4 . An anchor according to  claim 3  wherein the displaceable member slides relative to the base member along the first axis, and the attachment member slides relative to the displaceable member along the second axis.  
     
     
         5 . An anchor according to  claim 3  wherein one of the base or displaceable members has a keyway and the other member carries a key which engages said one member at the keyway such that the other member can shift along the first axis, but cannot be displaced laterally with respect to the first axis, whereby the displaceable member can shift horizontally, but cannot be withdrawn from or drift toward the base member.  
     
     
         6 . An anchor according to  claim 5  wherein each of the base and displaceable members has a keyway, and the key engages both members at their keyways such that the key can slide in the keyways along the first axis, but cannot be displaced laterally with respect to the keyways.  
     
     
         7 . An anchor according to  claim 5  wherein the attachment member has a keyway and the displaceable member carries another key which engages the attachment member at its keyway such that the attachment member can slide along the second axis but cannot be displaced laterally with respect to the second axis.  
     
     
         8 . An anchor according to  claim 7  wherein the attachment member has spaced apart walls to receive a mullion between them.  
     
     
         9 . The anchor of  claim 1  in combination with a building having a frame provided with mounting surface; and wherein the base member of the anchor is attached securely to the mounting surface on the frame.  
     
     
         10 . In combination with a building having a frame provided with a mounting surface, a curtain wall comprising: side-by-side panels located outwardly from the frame; a mullion located between the side-by-side panels; and an anchor located between the mounting surface on the building frame and the mullion to position the panels beyond the frame, the anchor including a base member attached securely to the frame against the mounting surface, a displaceable member coupled to the base member such that it can slide relative to the base member along a first axis but cannot pull away from the base member, and a mullion clamp attached to the mullion and coupled to the displaceable member such that it can slide relative to the displaceable member along the second axis, but cannot pull away from the displaceable member, one of the axes being oriented vertically and the other of the axes being oriented horizontally.  
     
     
         11 . The combination according to  claim 10  wherein one of the base or displaceable members has a keyway and the other member carries a key which engages said one member at the keyway, with the keyway and key being configured such that the other member can shift relative to said one member along the first axis but cannot be displaced laterally with respect to the first axis.  
     
     
         12 . The combination according to  claim 11  wherein the mullion clamp has a keyway and the displaceable member carries another key which engages the mullion clamp at the keyway on the mullion clamp, with the other key and the keyway of the mullion clamp being configured such that the mullion clamp can slide relative to the displaceable member along the second axis, but cannot be displaced laterally with respect to the second axis.  
     
     
         13 . The combination according to  claim 10  wherein both the base and displaceable members have keyways and the key engages both members at their keyways, with the keyways and key being configured such that the displaceable member can slide relative to the base member, but cannot be displaced laterally with respect to the first axis.  
     
     
         14 . The combination according to  claim 13  wherein the mullion clamp has a keyway and the displaceable member carries another key which engages the mullion clamp at the keyway on the mullion clamp, with the other key and the keyway of the mullion clamp being configured such that the mullion clamp can slide relative to the displaceable member along the second axis, but cannot be displaced laterally with respect to the second axis.  
     
     
         15 . The combination according to  claim 10  wherein one of the axes is horizontal and the other axis is vertical.  
     
     
         16 . The combination according to  claim 10  wherein the first axis is horizontal and the second axis is vertical.  
     
     
         17 . In combination with a building having a frame provided with a mounting surface, a curtain wall comprising: side-by-side panels located outwardly from the frame; a mullion located between the side-by-side panels, and an anchor located between the mounting surface on the building frame and the mullion to position the panels beyond the frame, the anchor including a base attached to the building frame at the mounting surface on the frame, a displaceable member located in front of the base member, one of the base or displaceable members having a keyway and the other member carrying a key which engages said one member at the keyway, with the keyway and key being configured such that the other member can shift horizontally relative to said one member along a horizontal axis but cannot be displaced laterally from the axis, the displaceable member also being connected to one of the mullions.  
     
     
         18 . The combination according to  claim 17  wherein both the base and displaceable members have a keyway and the key engages both members at their keyways, with the keyways and key being configured such that the displaceable member can slide relative to the base member, but cannot be displaced laterally from the axis.