Precast panel mounting system

Abstract

A rigid elongate mounting bracket has an embedment portion and an extension portion. The extension portion has a fastener opening and abutment means. When cast into a precast panel in an appropriate angular orientation adjacent to an edge of a cladding panel, the extension portion projects rearwardly and laterally away from the rear face of the panel end such that the end of the extension portion is disposed at a distance away from the panel's rear face corresponding to a desired air space, and the abutment means is substantially aligned with the panel's rear face. Each panel preferably has at least two brackets spaced along its upper edge and two more along its lower edge. A first panel may be mounted to a supporting structure using fasteners driven through the fastener openings of the upper brackets. A second panel may then be positioned with its lower brackets extending downward behind the first panel, with the abutment means of the second panel's lower brackets engaging the rear face of the first panel, such that the lower end of the second panel is laterally stabilized by the first panel, with a uniform air space being formed between the supporting structure and the panels' rear faces.

1 . A mounting bracket for partial embedment in a precast panel having a front face, a generally planar rear face, an upper edge, and a lower edge, said bracket comprising: 
 (a) a rigid, elongate main body having an outer side, an inner side, and two longitudinal edges, said main body also defining: 
 a.1 an embedment portion; and  
 a.2 an extension portion contiguous with the embedment portion, said extension portion having an inner end; and  
   (b) abutment means associated with the outer side of the extension portion, said abutment means having an outer edge;    wherein when the embedment portion is embedded in a precast panel such that the extension portion projects from the rear face of the panel so as to form an obtuse angle between the inner side of the extension portion and the rear face of the panel, the outer edge of the abutment means will substantially coincide with the plane of the rear face of the panel.    
   
   
       2 . The mounting bracket of  claim 1  wherein the extension portion has a primary fastener opening near its inner end.  
   
   
       3 . The mounting bracket of  claim 2  wherein the extension portion has an auxiliary fastener opening positioned away from the primary fastener opening and toward the embedment section.  
   
   
       4 . The mounting bracket of  claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary anchorage element associated with the embedment portion.  
   
   
       5 . The mounting bracket of  claim 1  wherein the bracket is formed from sheet metal.  
   
   
       6 . The mounting bracket of  claim 5  wherein the abutment means is a punch-formed angled tab.  
   
   
       7 . The mounting bracket of  claim 4  wherein the bracket is formed from sheet metal and the auxiliary anchorage element main body is a punch-formed anchor tab.  
   
   
       8 . The mounting bracket of  claim 1 , further comprising a stiffening flange extending from one of the longitudinal edges of the main body  
   
   
       9 . The mounting bracket of  claim 5  wherein the abutment means is formed integrally with the main body.  
   
   
       10 . The mounting bracket of  claim 1  wherein the bracket is formed from metal wire.  
   
   
       11 . A precast panel having a front face, a generally planar rear face, an upper edge, and a lower edge, and further having at least two mounting brackets embedded in spaced-apart relation adjacent a selected one of said upper and lower edges of the panel, each said mounting bracket comprising: 
 (a) a rigid, elongate main body having an outer side, an inner side, and two longitudinal edges, said main body also defining: 
 a.1 an embedment portion; and  
 a.2 an extension portion contiguous with the embedment portion, said extension portion having an inner end; and  
   (b) abutment means associated with the outer side of the extension portion, said abutment means having an outer edge;    wherein the embedment portion of each mounting bracket is embedded in the panel such that:    (c) the extension portion projects from the rear face of the panel so as to form an obtuse angle between the inner side of the extension portion and the rear face of the panel;    (d) the outer edge of the abutment means substantially coincides with the plane of the rear face of the panel; and    (e) at least a portion of the abutment means is disposed outboard of the associated panel edge;    and wherein the outer edges of the abutment means of each bracket is disposed at a substantially uniform distance from the inner ends of their corresponding extension portions, as measured perpendicular to the plane of the rear face of the panel.    
   
   
       12 . The precast panel of  claim 11 , wherein each mounting bracket has at least one fastener opening near the inner end of its extension portion.  
   
   
       13 . The precast panel of  claim 11 , having at least two mounting brackets embedded in spaced-apart relation adjacent its upper edge and at least two mounting brackets embedded in spaced-apart relation adjacent its lower edge, wherein each mounting bracket embedded adjacent the upper panel edge has at least one fastener opening near the inner end of its extension portion.  
   
   
       14 . The precast panel of  claim 11  wherein the extension portion of each mounting bracket has a primary fastener opening near its inner end.  
   
   
       15 . The precast panel of  claim 14  wherein the extension portion of each mounting bracket has an auxiliary fastener opening positioned away from the primary fastener opening and toward the embedment section.  
   
   
       16 . The precast panel of  claim 11  wherein each mounting bracket further comprises an auxiliary anchorage element associated with the embedment portion.  
   
   
       17 . The precast panel of  claim 11  wherein each mounting bracket is formed from sheet metal.  
   
   
       18 . The precast panel of  claim 17  wherein the abutment means of each mounting bracket is a punch-formed angled tab.  
   
   
       19 . The precast panel of  claim 16  wherein each mounting bracket is formed from sheet metal and the auxiliary anchorage element is a punch-formed anchor tab.  
   
   
       20 . The precast panel of  claim 11  wherein each mounting bracket further comprises a stiffening flange extending from one of the longitudinal edges of the main body  
   
   
       21 . The precast panel of  claim 17  wherein the abutment means of each mounting bracket is formed integrally with the main body.  
   
   
       22 . The precast panel of  claim 11  wherein each mounting bracket is formed from metal wire.