US1727117A - Wall and ceiling construction - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 3, 1929- K. S LIDELL ET AL 1 1,727,117

WALL .AND CEILING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 29, 1927 Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

I UNITED STATESiPA-TENT OFFICE.

KEMPER SLTDELL GILBERT J. SCHULTZ, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOBS TO 0. F. BURGESS LABORATORIES, INC., OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, A CORIORATION or DELAWARE.

WALL ANn CEILING cons'rnncrrxon.

Application filed January 29, 1927. scrial'li'o. 164,498.

This invention relates to improvements in and method of Wall and ceiling construction, and has particular reference to the use of wallboards to form a contiguous wall and ceiling structure.

The principal object of the invention is to prevent stresses and consequent buckling of wallboards mounted on side walls caused by v the contraction of certain portions of the 0 wooden framework to which the wallboards are nailed or otherwise fastened.

Other advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional \lCW of a room illustrating our invention Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating the application of the invention to a slightly modified form of framing.

The method of applying wallboard which has heretofore been used is, first, to nail the ceiling sheets to the ceiling'joists and then I apply the wall sheets, the tops of these wall sheets fitting tightly against the ceiling sheets. 25 In our improved construction, as illustrated in cross-section in Fig. 1,, are the floor joists supporting the floor 11, and .12 are the lower plates upon which rest the wall studding 13 on which in turn are the upper plates 36 14 to which the ceiling joists 15 are fastened. Instead of the plates 14:, shown in Fig. 1, the

ceiling joists may rest on ribbons 16 which are supported by the studding 13, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The upper floor isindicated bynumeral 17 This framing arrangement is of conventional form and requires no further description. The wallboard is first applied and fastened'to the studding 13 by nails or other fasteners 18 to form the side walls 19.

These side sheets 19 do .not abut the ceiling joists 15 but are spaced from them, preferably about one-quarter inch. The side sheets-are fastened only to the studding 13 and not to the upper plates 14 or ribbons 16, as in the prevailing practice. It is known that wood does not expand or contract appreciably in the direction of its grain and, hence, the studding does not expand or contract horizontally with varying moisture, but the plates and ribbons, being horizontally disposed, in expand--' mg and contracting across their grain frequently cause the joints between wallhoards secured thereto to crack. This expansion and contraction may be aggravated by the weight 55, of the joists. Therefore, the wallboard is not subject to stresses where itis fastened to the studding only, but is so subjected wherefastoned to the ceiling joist supports.

It is also usual, according to the prevailing practice, to mail or otherwise fasten the lower end of the side wall-board sheets 19 to the lower plates 12, shown in Fig. 1,

or to a nailing strip or block 20, as in Fig. 2. We have also found it advantageous to omit nailing the wallboard to the bottom supports, such as the bottom plate 12 or the nailing block 20, thereby forming a slip joint at these points and preventing any stresses which may result in buckling of the wall board; A. baseboard 21 may be employed to finish the structure.

In our construction, the ceiling sheets 22- are applied by means of nails or other fasteners 23, preferably after the wall sheets are applied, which is the reverse of the usual practice. The ceiling sheets abut the wall sheets. Since the ceiling joists rest on the upper plates 1a or ribbons 16 any movement due to contraction or expansion of these plates or ribbons is transmitted to the ceiling joists 15 and thence to the wallboard ceiling sheets 22. Since in our construction the ceiling sheets 22 are free, to;

move or slip along the wall sheets 19, the

wall sheets will not be put under pressure as in the construction heretofore used in which the wall sheets abut the ceiling sheets. If the wall sheets are put under pressure by contiguous ceiling sheets they will buckle, with consequent cracking and spelling of the plaster or other decorativematerial used on the wallboard and loosening of the joint filler between adjacent wall sheets. In our construction, it will be ap parent the wall sheets are not subjected to strains. The ceiling sheets as well as the upper plates move relatively to the side wall sheets. A molding 24, preferably is used along the joint between the wall and ceiling and serves,- in addition to its usual function, to conceal any slight cracking of finishing material which may occur along the joint between the walland ceiling.

Although we prefer to apply the wall sheets first, it is. possible in our construction'to apply the ceiling sheets first, leaving sufiicient room between the ends of the ceiling sheets and side walls to insert the wall sheets and form the slip joint. It is apparent also that the advantage of this construction in relieving the vertical side wall boards of end compression stresses is obtainable regardless of the material of which the ceiling may be constructed.

What we claim is:

-1. In a building construction, a contiguous wall and ceiling, the ceiling material slidably abutting the wall material, 'whereby an upward or downward movement of said ceiling material may take place relatively to the wall material and without applying stresses to said wall material.

2. In a building construction, a contiguous wall and ceiling of wallboard, the ceiling sheets slidably abutting the wall sheets.

and the upper ends of said wall sheets being spaced from the ceiling joists to permit vertical movement of said joists and ceiling relatively to the wall sheets with.- out imposing stresses on the latter.

3. In a building construction, a contiguous wall and ceiling of wallboard, the ceiling sheets slidably abutting the wall sheets,

and said wall sheets terminating about onequarter inch from the ceiling joists to permit vertical movement of said joists and ceiling relatively to the wall sheets without imposing stresses on the latter.

4. In a building construction, a contiguous wall and ceiling of wallboard, the ceiling sheets abutting the wall sheets, the wall sheets being secured independently of the ceiling joist supports and being spaced from said joists whereby said supports are ceiling sheets abutting the wall sheets, said wall sheets being spaced from the ceiling joists, and'the ceiling joist supports being free to move relatively to Said wall sheets.

6. In a building construction including studding and ceiling joists, a contiguous wall and ceiling of wall board, the ceiling sheets abutting the wall sheets. said wall sheets being fastened to studding, said ceiling sheets being fastened to ceiling joists resting on supports attachedto said studding, and said ceiling joist supports being free to move relatively to said wall sheets.

7. In a building construction, including bottom supports for the wall studding, a contiguous wall and ceiling of wallboard, the ceiling sheets being slidable relatively to the wall sheets, said wall sheets being unsecured to said bottom supports whereby said sheets are free to move relatively to said bot tom supports. i

8. In a building construct-ion; a wall structure faced with wallboard, the top and botton'i ends of said wallboard forming slip joints'with the ceiling joist and bottom supports.

In testimony whereof, we have subscribed Olll' names.

KEMPER SLIDELL. GILBERT J. SCHULTZ.

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