US2097697A - Wall structure - Google Patents

Description

' Nov. 2, 1937. H. E. MARKS WALL STRUCTURE Filed July 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES ATTORNEYS,

Patented Nov. :2,

D-STA PATEN OFFICE- I w wmz:::;;u I t I V E. maria, Sewlckley, r M Application July 5, 19 35 SerlalNo. 29,816 scum. (can-4a) This invention relates to wall structures, and p more particularly to partition walls. a y In erecting partitionwalls it is the general practice to first build up a supportingframework extending from floor to ceiling, and-to then attach plaster-supporting means of some kind, such as wood or wire lath or.v plasterboard, to both sides of the framework, after which plaster isapplied. Erecting a wall in this manner involves a considerable amount of time and labor to handle and fasten together the numerous parts. Fure thermore, when the distance from floor to ceiling is not uniform throughout thelength of the wall,

the upright members may have. to be cut of! or pieced to compensate for the irregularities; This requires still more time and labor and often results in.a wall of unpleasing appearance.

Itis among the objects of invention to provide a wall structure which-can be quickly and easily erected, in which hoth'sides ofthe wall are formed simultaneously, in which irregu larlties in thedistance from floor to ceiling are automatically taken care of, and in which all joints are tight and durable."

5 The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichl 'ig. 1 is aside elevation of a portion of a wall; m dis-amend view taken "on the line 11-11 of. 1; Big. 3- is a perspective view of one of the wall panels shown in the preceding figures; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified ent of theinvention; is a'horizontal section taken onthe-linelF-Vof ls- 4; n a t- 81m wed asme r vertical section taken on theline of Hg, 5. 35 Referring to Figs. 1 and 2,01. the drawings, the web of a metal channel I ls secured in any suitable manner to the floor. 2 along the linewhere the wall is to be erected, with theside flanges 3 of the channel projecting upwardly.

40 Secured to the ceiling 4 directly above this channel is another. metal channel I thesideflanges 'l of which project downwardly. These horizontal upper and lower channels are the only supporting members for the wall, and serve the purpose of 45 the built-up frameworkused heretofore.

The main portion of the wall is formed of prefabricated panel members 8 the ends of which are disposed between the vertical side flanges of the channels by which the panels are supported in 50 upright position. The two outer surfaces of each panel are substantially identical inappearance and form the opposite sidwor the wall, thereby mahng it unnecessary to panel first one side of the wall and then the other. Asia shown in Pig. 2, 55, the panels do not engage the web of upper chap-t nel 6, but are spaced therefrom a distance greater than the width of flanges; of the lower channel.

Also, flanges 1 of the upper channel are considerablywider than fianges 3 in order to overlap the upper ends of the panels. 1

This construction permits the wall to be quickly and easily erected by mounting the panels in the supporting channels after the latter have been 'securedin position. That is, the upper end of each panel is'inserted between the flanges of the 10 upper channel, and the panel is then raised until its lower end clears the, tops of flanges 3.. The lower end is then swung inwardly until the panel is in a vertical plane, whereupon the. panel is lowered until it rests on the webof the lower 15 channel, asshown in Fig. 2. The flanges 01' the upper channel are sufflclently resilient to yield the necessary slight amountwhen the upper end ofa panel is inserted between them at-a slight ang1e before the lower end can beiswung into position, and to gripthe panel after it is in posi- ,tion. Preferably, the lower edges of upper flanges 'wall surfaces of adjoining panels in the same parallel vertical planes, one side of each panel is provided with a tongue, H formed by bending one verticaledge of the metal sheet outwardly and overlapping it with the-opposite edge and v the opposite edge of the panel is provided with a tongue-receivingrflroove l2. \The tongues and grooves of adjoining panels register with each other in an obvious manner when the panels are placed side by side in the wall, whereby the panels are prevented from moving, transversely relative to one another. i a

To lock the panels together, two diametrically opposite corners of each paneiare provided with hook-like members which maybe integral with the panels or attached thereto, such as by weld ing. The hooks I3 at the bottom of the panels open upwardly while the hooks" M at the top open downwardly, andthey are all spaced the thickness of the sheet metal from the panels to which they are attached. 'Consequently, just priorto lowering a panel into the lower channel it is moved up tight against the preceding panel which is already in position sothat when the firstmentioned panel is lowered one lower edge slides down behindlower hooks .13 on the adjoining panel slide down over the upper edge of the second panel.

A wall constructed in accordance with this invention can be quickly and easily erected in the manner just described without the use of tools or fastening members. It can likewise be re moved just as easily, which is particularly advantageous when usedin ofllce buildings where partition walls are frequently taken out and rebuilt in different locations to form oflices of various sizes. Another advantage is that panels of a standard size can be used even though the distance from floor to ceiling is not uniform throughout the length of the wall. For example, if the ceiling is lower at one end than at the other, the panels merely extend up into the upper channel a little further at the low end. The panels are securely locked together against move- :ment away fromeachnother in any horizontal direction. If desired, before the panels leave the factory they can be filled with insulating material and their ends closed in any suitable manner.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the panels 20 are made of plaster boards spaced apart by vertically disposed members. As shown in Fig. 5, two inner plaster boards 2| are spaced apart by two pairs of. vertical channelsfl. The two channels of each pair have transversely corrugated websthat are rigidly secured together such as by welding. The inner boards are connected to these upright channels by means of nails 23 driven through some of the spaces between the corrugations and clinched over the boards. Additional strength and rigidity is given to each panel by cementing an outer'board 24 to each inner board. The outer boards donot coincide with the inner boards, but are ofiset sideways relative thereto, that is, they extend past the inner boards along one vertical edge and the inner boards extend past the outer boards along the opposite edge.

These panels are placed in floor and ceiling channels, 26 and 21, respectively, in the same manner as the sheet metal panels previously described, but they are not provided with hooks for locking them together. Instead, the overlapping edge portions of the plaster boards are coated with a suitable adhesive and the panels are then pushed together, whereby they are cemented together at their joints. The lap joints thus formed retain the outer surfaces of the panels in the same vertical planes so that smooth tight joints are formed.

Each end of the wall is preferably strengthened by an upright reinforcing channel '28 rigidly connected in any suitable manner to a stud or the like (not shown) at the end of the wall. The

flanges of. this channel engage the inner surfaces of either the inner or the outer wall boards forming'the adjoining panel, depending upon at which end of the wall the channel is disposed.

If desired, a reinforcing member of this general nature may also be used in the wall of Fig. 1.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lower channel members panel while upper hooks l4 on the first-mentioned having their side flanges extending toward each other in substantially the same parallel vertical planes, and a plurality of'panel members supported in upright position by and between said side flanges, each of said panels comprising upright channel members with their webs rigidly connected together, said webs being provided with transverse corrugations, plaster boards disposed against the side flanges of. said upright channels, and fastening members extending between the corrugations of said webs and connecting the plaster boards to the upright channels.

2. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lower channel members having their side flanges extending toward each other in substantially the same parallel vertical planes, a plurality of panel members supported in upright position by and between said side flanges, each of said panels comprising upright channel members with their webs rigidly connectedtogether, said webs being provided with transverse corrugations, a plaster board disposed against each-side of said upright channels, fastening members extending between the corrugations of said webs and connecting said boards to the upright channels, and a plaster board cemented to the outer face of each of said firstmentioned boards.

3. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lower channel members first-mentioned boards, the outer boards extending past the inner boards along one vertical edge and the inner boards extending past the outer boards along theopposite edge.

4. A portable wall panel comprising a pair of upright metal channel members having their webs rigidly connected together, said webs being corrugated transversely to form openings between them, an inner wall-board disposed against the side flanges of thechannels at each side of the channels, fastening members extending through said boards and said openings for connecting the boards to the channels, and an outer wall-board cemented to the outer face of each of said inner boards and offset sideways relative thereto.

5. A portable wall panel comprising a pair of upright metal channel members having their webs rigidly connected together, said webs being corrugated transversely to form openings between them, a wall-board disposed against the side flanges of the channels at each side of the channels, and nails driven through said boards and frictionally engaging said channels in said openings for connecting the boards to the channels.

6. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lower channel members having their side flanges extending toward each other with the lower edges of the upper channel member turned outwardly and upwardly, and

a plurality of panel members supported in upright pomtion by and between said side flanges, each of said panels comprising upright channel members having their webs rigidly connected together, said webs being provided with transverse corrugations, plaster boards disposed against the side flanges oi said upright channels, and fastening members extending between the corrugations of said webs and connecting the plasterd boards to the upright channels.

'I. A wall structure-comprising substantially horizontal upper and lower channel members having their side flanges extending toward each other. and a plurality of panel members supported in upright position by and between said side flanges, the web of said upper channel member being spaced from the tops of the panels a distance greater than the width of the side flanges of the lower channel, each said panels comprising upright channel members having their webs connected together, said webs being provided with transvelse corrugations, plaster boards disposed against the side flanges of said upright channels, and fastening members extending between the corrugations oi said webs and connecting the plaster boards to the upright channels.

8. A wall structure comprising substantially horizontal upper and lower channel members having their side flanges extending toward each other in substantially the same parallel vertical planes, and a plurality 01 panel members supported in upright position by and between said side flanges. the web of said upper channel member being spaced from the tops of the panels a distance greater than the width 01' the side flanges of the lower channel with the flanges of the upper channel resiliently gripping the upper ends of the panels, each of said panels comprising upright channel members having their webs connected together, said webs being provided with transverse corrugations, plaster boards disposed against the side flanges of said upright channels, and fastening members extendingbetween the corrugations of said webs and connecting-the plaster boards to the upright channels.

T E. MARKS.

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