System of interlocking wall and corner components for construction of buildings

Abstract

A system of interlocking wall and corner components for construction of a building include a plurality of elongate key members and a plurality of elongate side members. The key members are arranged as horizontal pairs of parallel upper and lower key members sandwiching therebetween pairs of parallel side members. The pair of parallel upper and lower key members form therebetween a pair of dove-tail joint female receiver sockets. Opposed facing sides of the pairs of the parallel side members have a corresponding pair of laterally inwardly disposed dove-tail joint male members for mating into dove-tail engagement in the female receiver sockets to form a dove-tail joint. The pairs of key members and the pairs of side members form elongate horizontal beams mountable one on top of another to form a vertical array of wall layers.

1 . A system of interlocking wall and corner components for construction of a building comprising: 
 a plurality of elongate key members and a plurality of elongate side members, wherein said key members are arranged as horizontal pairs of parallel upper and lower key members lying symmetrically in a corresponding pair of vertically spaced parallel horizontal planes, said pairs of parallel upper and lower key members sandwiching therebetween pairs of parallel side members, and wherein said pairs of parallel side members lie in a corresponding pair of parallel, laterally spaced apart, vertical planes,    and wherein each said key member having symmetric faces, being each face of oppositely disposed upper and lower faces of each said key member, when assembled in opposed facing relation to an opposed facing said symmetric face of a second key member in said pair of parallel upper and lower key members, form therebetween a pair of joint female receiver sockets,    opposed facing sides of said pairs of said parallel side members having a corresponding pair of laterally inwardly disposed joint male members for mating into engagement in said female receiver sockets to form a joint, wherein, when so mated, said pairs of key members and said pairs of side members form elongate horizontal beams mountable one on top of another to form a vertical array of wall layers comprising a wall,    and wherein each said side member in said pairs of said parallel side members has a thickness when viewed in lateral cross section therethrough and wherein each said key member has a first width when viewed in said lateral cross section, and wherein the sum of substantially one half of said thickness of both of said side members in said pairs of said parallel side members is substantially equal to at least one half of said first width so that a cavity formed between said pairs of laterally inwardly disposed joint male members and correspondingly between said pairs of key members has a second width when viewed in said lateral cross section which is substantially equal to or less than said one half of said first width.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the sum of said first width and said sum of substantially one half of said thickness of both of said side members provides a total width of each of said horizontal beams and wherein said total width is substantially equal to a total height of said each of said horizontal beams whereby said lateral cross section is substantially dimensionally square.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein each said key member is, along a length thereof, substantially symmetric about its corresponding said horizontal plane.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2  further comprising laterally extending channels formed adjacent ends of said key members, said notches for forming overlapping corners between adjacent said beams in a single said wall layer.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein in said vertical array of said horizontal beams, vertically adjacent said beams in vertically adjacent said wall layers share a common said key member therebetween.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said pairs of joint female receiver sockets include sloping faces on each said key member sloping inwardly from opposite sides of said key members and downwardly towards said corresponding horizontal plane so that said joints urge the corresponding mated said joint male members laterally inwardly of said horizontal beams so as to snugly seat said joint male members into said female receiver sockets.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 4  further comprising separate end pieces, said end pieces for sandwiching between said ends of said key members when mounted in said vertical array.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein each end piece of said end pieces has a tongue extending cantilevered from an end thereof, said tongue for mating insertion into said cavity between said pair of key members and said pair of side members.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 2  wherein ends of said key members include notches so that adjacent said key members in a single said wall layer form a corner when overlapped at their ends so as to overlap said notches.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  further comprising vertical end boards mountable to ends of said key members for tying said key members together.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 2  wherein ends of said side members include vertically extending notches so that said pair of parallel side members form vertical joint female receiving sockets at the ends of said pair of parallel side members.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  further comprising at least one post having at least two vertically extending joint male members mountable into said vertical joint female receiving sockets so as to brace between adjacent said beams in a single said wall layer.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein said post is a corner post and said at least two vertically extending joint male members include two orthogonally oriented male members.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said key members are substantially dumb-bell-shaped in lateral cross section.