Wall Frame System

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to apparatus for use in a wall frame and to a wall frame.

2. Description of the Related Art

U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,979 issued Dec. 12, 1978 to Price describes a wall frame comprised of vertical studs and horizontal channel members. The vertical studs have a series of horizontally aligned openings and a horizontal channel member extends through each set of aligned openings. The frame may demountably mount a gypsum board wall panel with a plurality of clips attached thereto. More particularly, a number of gang nail plates, each with a clip in the nature of a finger downwardly depending therefrom, may be hammered into a gypsum board panel. The panel may then be supported by the channel members of the wall framing system by setting the clips of the board onto the horizontal channel members. A difficulty with this wall frame is that the horizontal channel members extending along the wall cavity make it difficult to provide vertical electrical conduit within the cavity.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,539 issued Mar. 14, 1989 to Menchetti provides a wall frame for gypsum board panels which can accommodate vertical conduit. In Menchetti, special U-shaped studs have two parallel web portions with aligned openings. Each pair of aligned openings tightly receives a short horizontal channel member. Thereafter, a gypsum board panel with clips of the type described hereinbefore may be clipped into the horizontal short channel members. Blocks of wood may be provided at the free ends of the short channel members to prevent the gypsum board rattling against the short channel members. Alternatively, the short channel members may be provided with metal tags which press against the board panel.

Field assembly of Menchetti's frame may prove time consuming as the short channel members must be inserted into the firmly holding openings in his U-shaped stud.

This invention seeks to overcome drawbacks of the known prior art.

According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus for use in a wall frame comprising: a longitudinally elongated upstanding stud having a plurality of longitudinally spaced sets of mountable means, each said set comprising a transverse upwardly directed lip and a transverse downwardly directed ledge; a plurality of wall panel supports, each having a panel supporting wing extending from either side of a central mounting portion, said mounting portion comprising a hook and a spaced tongue, said hook for hooking over said upwardly directed lip of a set of mountable means of said stud and said tongue thereafter receivable under said ledge of said set of mountable means such that, thereafter, said tongue inhibits upward displacement of said support by abutment with said ledge and, therefore, inhibits unhooking of said hook of said wall panel support from said upwardly directed tongue.

In the figures which disclose example embodiments of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall frame made in accordance with this invention,

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the system of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a wall frame system made in accordance with a further embodiment of this invention.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, a wall frame 10 comprises a vertically extending C-shaped stud 12 with a medial web 14 and two parallel legs 16 and 18 depending therefrom. The legs 16 and 18 terminate in inwardly directed flanges 20 and 22, respectively. The stud has a plurality of longitudinally spaced sets 26 of mountable means.

As best seen in FIG. 2, each set 26 comprises a first pair of side-by-side openings 28a, 28b in leg 16 as well as a longitudinally spaced opening 30 in the leg. The lower edge 32a, 32b of each opening 28a, 28b, respectively, may be considered to be an upwardly directed transverse lip, foe reasons which will become apparent hereafter. Additionally, it should be noted that the upper edge 38 of opening 30 may be considered as a downwardly directed ledge and edges 34, 36 of this opening are vertically extending walls.

Referencing FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of wall panel supports 40 are attached to stud 12. Each wall panel support 40 has a wall panel supporting wing 42a, 42b extending from one of side walls 52a, 52b, respectively, of a central mounting portion 46. Each wing has a top edge 44a, 44b and a terminal wing tip 48a, 48b which extends out of the plane of the wing.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, mounting portion 46 has a pair of side-by-side hooks 48a, 48b, as well as a tongue 50 which is spaced from the hooks.

To assemble the wall frame system of this invention, a number of studs 12 are vertically erected along an area to be walled. Typically such studs 12 are erected at four foot intervals. Each stud is erected such that for any set 26 of mountable means on the stud, openings 28a, 28b are positioned above opening 30, as seen in FIG. 2. Further, each stud is erected such that leg 16 of the stud faces the side which is to bear the wall panels. Although not shown, a standard C-shaped stud (without mountable means) may be vertically erected between each pair of studs 12. A wall panel support 40 is then attached to each set 26 of mountable means of the studs 12 as follows. The side walls 52a, 52b of the panel support 40 slide over flange 20 and web 14 of a stud 12 and hooks 48a, 48b of the support 40 are received within openings 28a, 28b, respectively, of a set of mountable means 26 of the stud. The panel support is then lowered until the hooks rest on upwardly directed transverse lips 32a, 32b of these openings 28a, 28b. In this position, tongue 50 is registered with the opening 30 of stud 12. The panel support may then be tilted so that the tongue projects through opening 30, as seen in FIG. 3. In this regard, preferably the tongue 50 is positioned so that it snap fits to transverse ledge 38 of opening 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, once the panel supports have been attached to the studs 12 thereby forming wall frame 10, wall panels 60 having gang nail clips 62 may be supported by the wall frame. More particularly, typically a wall panel which spans the distance between two studs 12 is placed in abutting relation with frame 10 and then lowered until clips 64 of the gang nail clips 62 attached to the panel rest on the top edge 44a or 44b of a wing 42a or 42b of panel supports 40. Because clips 64 are angled downwardly and outwardly, the panel 60 will, by its own weight, be urged into tight abutment with the wall frame 10 as the clips 64 slip over the top edge 44a, 44b of the wings 42a, 42b. Wing tips 48a, 48b of the panel support 40 abut wall panel 60 and apply pressure to the wall panel in order to inhibit rattling between the wall panel and the wall frame 10. The optional studs between studs 12 provide additional solidity to the wall.

It will be apparent that the weight of the panels themselves is what provides the force to ensure the panels are tightly locked to the wall frame 10.

Wall panels 60 are heavy and it frequently happens that a panel will be bumped into one or more of the wall panel supports 40 while workers attempt to position the panel properly for lowering onto the panel supports. Tongue 50 of the panel support inhibits upward deflection of the support when the support is bumped thereby significantly reducing the likelihood that the support will be knocked off the stud when bumped. Knocking a support off the stud causes considerable assembly delays since the wall panel 60 must then be moved out of the way, the support re-installed, and the panel moved back into position again for another attempt at hanging it on the supports. Therefore, the panel supports of the subject invention, in avoiding most such delays, increase construction efficiency.

If a gang nail clip 62 is only supported on one of wings 48a, 48b of any particular wall panel support 40, this will impart a torque on the panel support. This torque is resisted by virtue of tongue 50 abutting one of walls 34, 36 of opening 30 in the stud 12 and by one of side walls 52a, 52b abutting flange 20 or web 14 of the stud.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein like parts have been given like reference numerals. Turning to FIG. 4, stud 112 has sets of mountable means 26 in both legs 116 and 118. With this embodiment, wall panels 60 may be supported on both legs of stud 112 so as to form a finished wall on both sides of the stud.

Openings punched into stud 12 provide an economical manner of forming the upwardly directed lips 32a, 32b and downwardly directed ledges 38. However, these features could be incorporated on stud 12 in other fashions, such as by welding lips and ledges to the stud.

Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.