Building unit and method of constructing buildings therewith

Abstract

A building unit for constructing a wall, a ceiling, a floor, or a roof includes a metal rail, and insulating panel, and an elongated linear stud. The metal rail has a flat surface and at least one flange extending from the flat surface. The insulating panel has a front surface and a back surface bounded by opposing edges. It is made of rigid foamed plastic and it has at least one primary linear passageway extending through it between and perpendicular to two opposing edges. At least one of the opposing edges can be attached to the metal rail. The elongated linear stud has two ends that can be fixed to the rail. The stud fits into the primary linear passageway and is at least as long as the primary linear passageway. Another similar metal rail may be attached to the other end of the stud. The panel may include a second linear passageway that is at right angles to the primary linear passageway. A linear metal strap fits into the second linear passageway. The panel may also include a utility passageway that is supported by a pipe for carrying utilities. A corner post may be used to hold the rails and panels at right angles.

1 . A building unit for a wall, ceiling, floor, or roof comprising 
 (A) a metal rail having a flat surface and at least one flange extending from said flat surface;    (B) an insulating panel having a front surface and a back surface bounded by opposing edges, made of rigid foamed plastic and having at least one primary linear passageway extending therethrough between and perpendicular to two opposing edges, where at least one of said opposing edges is attachable to said metal rail; and    (C) an elongated linear stud having two ends, where said stud fits into said primary linear passageway, is at least as long as said primary linear passageway, and one end of which can be fixed to said rail.    
   
   
       2 . A building unit according to  claim 1  wherein said panel is formed with at least one linear channel open to said front surface that extends between two opposing edges, including a patch placed within the outermost portion of said channel, thereby forming said passageway therebeneath.  
   
   
       3 . A building unit according to  claim 1  including a coating over said facing surface.  
   
   
       4 . A building unit according to  claim 3  wherein said coating is a polymer-modified cement containing a mesh support.  
   
   
       5 . A building unit according to  claim 1  wherein a rigid board is attached over at least one surface of said panel.  
   
   
       6 . A building unit according to  claim 5  wherein said rigid board is selected from the group consisting of cementitious board, fiber cement, gypsum, oriented strand board, foil isolative board, wood board, and plywood  
   
   
       7 . A building unit according to  claim 1  including a second metal rail having a flat surface and at least one flange extending from said flat surface, where the other end of said stud can be fixed to said second metal rail.  
   
   
       8 . A building panel according to  claim 1  wherein said foamed plastic is polystyrene.  
   
   
       9 . A building unit according to  claim 1  including an additional panel, where one of said panels has an edge that has an indention and the other of said panels has an edge that has a protuberance that is insertable into said indentation.  
   
   
       10 . A building unit according to  claim 1  wherein said panel has at least one passageway that extends between opposing edges that is supported by a tube.  
   
   
       11 . A building unit according to  claim 1  including at least one secondary linear passageway that intersects at right angles at least one primary linear passageway, where said panel has an opening to a surface for access to the intersection of said primary linear passageway and said secondary linear passageway.  
   
   
       12 . A building unit according to  claim 11 , including an elongated linear metal strap that fits within said secondary linear passageway and is at least as long as said secondary linear passageway.  
   
   
       13 . A building unit according to  claim 1  including a corner post to which two of said panels at right angles and two of said metal rails at right angles are attachable.  
   
   
       14 . A building unit according to  claim 13  wherein said corner post has an “L” shaped piece of rail mounted perpendicularly to said corner post at the top and bottom thereof, to which top and bottom rails may be attached, and two rails parallel to said post and perpendicular to each other, to which metal straps may be attached.  
   
   
       15 . A method of constructing a wall, ceiling, floor, or roof using a building unit according to  claim 1  comprising 
 (A) securing said metal rail to a support for said building;    (B) attaching an edge said panel to said metal rail;    (C) placing said stud within said passageway; and    (D) attaching said stud to said metal rail.    
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15  wherein said support is the foundation of said building.  
   
   
       17 . A building unit for making a wall comprising 
 (A) a base linear metal rail and a top linear metal rail, each having a flat surface and two flanges that extend from said flat surface;    (B) at least two rectangular rigid foamed plastic insulating panels, each having 
 (1) a front surface and a back surface bounded by left and right vertical edges and by top and bottom horizontal edges, where a left vertical edge of one of said panels has at least one indentation and a right vertical edge of the other of said panels has at least one protuberance that fits into said indentation, and where said bottom horizontal edge of said panels is attachable to said base linear metal rail and said top horizontal edge of said panels is attachable to said top linear metal rail;  
 (2) at least one vertical linear passageway that extends through said panel from one horizontal edge to the other; and  
 (3) at least one horizontal linear passageway that extends through said panel from one vertical edge to the other vertical edge, where the horizontal linear passageways of said at least two panels are aligned;  
   (C) an elongated linear metal strap that fits into and extends through a horizontal linear passageway;    (E) an elongated linear metal stud that fits into and extends through a vertical linear passageway and is attachable to said base linear metal rail and to said top linear metal rail, whereby said metal stud intersects said metal strap;    (F) means for attaching said metal stud to said metal strap where they intersect; and    (G) a covering for each surface of said panel.    
   
   
       18 . A building panel according to  claim 17  wherein said covering is a board that is adhesively attached to a surface of said panel.  
   
   
       19 . A building panel according to  claim 17  wherein said covering is a coating of a polymer-modified cement containing a mesh support.  
   
   
       20 . A building unit for making a wall comprising 
 (A) two base linear metal rails and two top linear metal rails, each having a flat surface and two flanges that extend from said flat surface;    (B) two rectangular insulating panels made of rigid foamed plastic each having 
 (1) a front surface and a back surface bounded by left and right vertical edges and by top and bottom horizontal edges, where the bottom horizontal edge of said panels is attachable to said base linear metal rail and the top horizontal edge of said panels is attachable to said top linear metal rail;  
 (2) at least one vertical linear passageway that extends through said panel from said bottom horizontal edge to said top horizontal edge; and  
 (3) at least one horizontal linear passageway that extends through said panel from said left vertical edge to said right vertical edge, where said horizontal linear passageways of said at least two panels are aligned;  
   (C) a vertical corner post having means for attaching at right angles 
 (1) said two base rails;  
 (2) said two top rails;  
 (3) the right edge of one panel; and  
 (4) the left edge of the other panel;  
   (D) an elongated linear metal strap that fits into and extends through a horizontal linear passageway;    (E) an elongated linear metal stud that fits into and extends through a vertical linear passageway and is attachable to said base linear metal rail and to said top linear metal rail, whereby said metal stud intersects said metal strap;    (F) means for attaching said metal stud to said metal strap where they intersect; and    (G) a covering for each surface of said panel.