Curtain wall and method of erecting same

Claim 1

IN A CURTAIN WALL FOR BUILDINGS HAVING WINDOW AND SPANDREL UNITS, A CURTAIN WALL WINDOW UNIT, COMPRISING: (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR METAL PANEL WHICH EXTENDS BETWEEN TWO ADJACENT FLOORS OF A BUILDING; (B) A BRACKET MEMBER CONNECTING THE TOP OF SAID PANEL TO THE UPPER OF SAID ADJACENT FLOORS, AND THE BOTTOM OF SAID PANEL TO THE LOWER OF SAID ADJACENT FLOORS OF THE BUILDING; (C) SAID PANEL BEING A UNITARY METAL PIECE WHICH CONSTITUTES THE EXTERIOR FACING OF THE BUILDING WHEN THE PANEL IS IN POSITION; (D) SAID PANEL HAVING A WINDOW OPENING THEREIN BOUNDED BY A PERIPHERAL BEADED FLANGE EXTENDING TOWARDS SAID WINDOW OPENING; (E) AN ELASTOMERIC STRUCTURAL GASKET HAVING A PLURALITY OF LINEARLY EXTENDING RECESSES ON EACH SIDE THEREOF WHICH HAS ONE OF ITS EXTERIOR RECESSES FITTED ON SAID BEADED FLANGE; (F) A GLASS WINDOW WITHIN SAID WINDOW OPENING WHICH HAS ITS PERIPHERAL EDGE EXTENDING INTO ONE OF THE INTERIOR FACING RECESSES ON THE STRUCTURAL GASKET; (G) SAID STRUCTURAL GASKET HAVING A SEALED CONTINUOUS INTERNAL CAVITY CONNECTED AT ONE POINT TO A VALVE, WHEREBY SAID STRUCTURAL GASKET CAN BE EVACUATED PRIOR TO INSTALLATION TO REDUCE ITS SIZE AND TO THEREBY ASSIST IN ITS INSTALLATION ON THE PANEL; (H) SAID STRUCTURAL GASKET WHEN IN POSITION HAVING SAID INTERNAL CAVITY VENTED TO ATMOSPHERE TO EXPAND SAID STRUCTURAL GASKET TO ITS NORMAL SIZE TO THEREBY SEAL AND TIGHTLY ENGAGE BOTH THE BEADED FLANGE AND THE GLASS WINDOW; (I) THE PORTIONS OF SAID METAL PANEL ADJACENT THE WINDOW OPENING BEING OUTWARDLY BOWED TO FORM A HOLLOW CAVITY; (J) INSULATION RETAINING PLATE BEHIND THE BOWED THE PANEL; (K) AN INSULATION RETAINING PLATE BEHIND THE BOWED PORTION OF SAID METAL PANEL BELOW THE WINDOW OPENING HOLDING SAID INSULATION IN POSITION; AND (L) SAID INSULATION RETAINING PLATE HAVING A PERIPHERAL EDGE THEREOF DISPOSED IN A RECESS OF SAID STRUCTURAL GASKET TO HOLD IT IN POSITION.