US2851740A - Wall construction - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 16, 1958 G. w. BAKER .2,851,740

WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 15. 195s IN VEN TOR.

2,851,740 Patented Sept..16, 1958 WALL CONSTRUCTION George W. Baker, Chicago Heights, Ill., assigner to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 1S, 1953, Serial No. 349,067

1 Claim. (Cl. Ztl-4) This invention relates toV a wall construction and more particularly to a clip for securing or anchoring wallboard panels to a wire type support.

Various clips of this type have heretofore been proposed, but none of them are particularly suited for use with wire type supports. By wire type support is meant one formed of pairs of elongated wire rods; one of said pairs being spaced from and in parallel relation with the other. The spaced pairs are normally interconnected with respect to one another by a tortuous web rod extending therebetween. Because of the construction of a stud of this type, nails or screws -are not adapted for use therewith.

Thus, it is one of the objects of this invention to provide a clip which is readily adapted for use with supports of the wire type.

' It is a further object of this invention to provide a clip for anchoring wallboard panels to a wire type support wherein the clip is concealed from view when the panels are in place.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a clip which may be readily used by one not possessed of any unique or particular skill for anchoring panels to a wire type support.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a wall construction which is simple and inexpensive to erect, and is possessed of highly desired structural characteristics.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a clip is provided for use in anchoring a plurality of offset edge wallboard panels arranged in abutting, coplanar edgeto-edge relation to a support, said clip comprising a center section which is adapted to be disposed within a joint formed intermediate abutting panels. Formed at one edge of the center section and extending angularly in one direction therefrom is a nger which is adapted to penetrate the edge of one of the abutting panels. Spaced from the nger and extending angularly from the center section is a head section having a portion thereof extending from said center section in substantially the same direction as said finger for resilient engagement with the support against which the panels rest. A second portion of the head section extends angularly from the opposite side of the center section and is adapted to resiliently engage the back surface of one of the abutting panels whose edge is not penetrated by the finger of the clip.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should now be made to the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the improved wall construction;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the improved clip, shown in the wall construction of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a back elevational View of the improved clip;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the abutting edge of the panel which is penetrated by the clip; and

Fig. 6v is an enlarged side elevational view of the clip,

alone.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. l, an improved wall construction is shown comprising a wire type support 1t), a plurality of wallboard panels 11a and 11b arranged' in abutting edge-to-edge re-v lation to form a pair of substantially parallel courses A and B disposed on opposite sides of ythe support 10, a clip 12 for securing the panels of a course to the support and a runner i3 in which the end of the support nests.

The support 10 in this instance is shown to be of a wire type construction comprising two pairs of elongated wire rods 14 and 15 arranged in upright, spaced substantially parallel relation with respect to one another. The pairs of wire rods or chords 14 and 15 are held in spaced relation with respect to one another by a tortuous web rodV or member 16 which is adapted to have a portion thereof secured by welding or any other suitable means to each of the pairs of wire chords 14 and 1S. The bottom and top (the latter not shown) of the support 10 are adapted to nest between the flanges 17 formed on the oor and ceiling runners 13, only the former being shown. The anges 17 of the runner 13, as seen more clearly in Fig. l, converge a slight amount so that the space between the corresponding outer edges thereof is less than the cro-ss width of or the spacing between correspondingA points on the pairs of wire chords of the support 10. Thus, when mounting or positioning the support 10 within the runner 13, the support is rst positioned approximately 45 in either direction from that shown in Fig.' 1 thereby enabling the end of the support to be inserted between the convergent flanges 17. Once the support end has been inserted between the anges, the support 10 is twisted to the position shown thereby causing the flanges, which are resilient, to move outwardly to a substantially parallel relation. Thus the end of the support 10 is positively gripped between the flanges 17 and assumes a substantially xed relation with respect thereto and does not require any further securing of the support to the runner.

T he wallboard panels as shown more clearly in and 5, in this instance, have a gypsum core and are of a laminated construction wherein the laminations 18 and 13 thereof are cemented or glued together in an offset relation with respect to one another to form a shiplap type edge. The exposed abutting edges of the panels, in this instance, are beveled, as shown in Fig. 2. The V-shaped joint which is formed by the abutting beveled edges is subsequently filled with a ller material,- thereby causingv the exposed surface of the course of panels to have a smooth planar appearance. The abutting edge of one of the panes, namely, 11a, as seen in Figs. -2 and 5, is provided with a recess or slot Ztl formed in the edge thereof between the laminations 18 and 18 for receiving a portio-n of the clip 12 to be hereinafter described. When the panels are positioned relative to one another to form a course, it is to be noted that the rearwardly protruding portion of the lamination 18 o formed inthe trailing edge of panel 11b, is disposed behind the forwardly protruding portion of lamination 18, formed in the leading edge of panel 11a, see Fig. 2. It is to be noted that the recess 2t) is formed in the edge of the panel, wherein the forwardly protruding edge of the exposed lamination 18 overlies the rearwardly protruding edge of the concealed lamination 18. While the wallboard panels are shown in this instance to be of laminated construction, it is to be understood, of course, that any typel of wallboard having a shiplap edge may be utilized.

Ilie.clip-12,.as.seen.more clearly in Fig. 3,' is formed of.. sheet, metal material and comprises a center section 21 which is adapted to be disposed within the joint formed between the abutting panels 11a and 11b. Extending angularlywfromonetedge;ofcenter section 21. is a curved resilientlngerrZZihaving a pointed end 23` which is adapted to be inserted within the recess 20 of panel 11a when theiwallisrbeing erected. The curvature of the` finger 22 facilitates insertion of the pointed end 23 within-the recessi20.' By reason ofn the resiliency of iinger'22, the latter'assumesfa relatively straight position, see Fig. 2, oncef-ithas been inserted to its fullest extent within the recess20. Thefsizeof the recesst20 is substantially the samebasxlthe; thickness of material of the finger 22. In instancesghowever, where no recessV 20 is formed in the abut-ting*edge'V of oneofY the panels, the finger 22 may be readilycaused to penetrate theabutting edge ofthe panel by'reason of the fact that it has a pointed end 23. Formed. on the opposite edge of center section 21 is a head. section24 having portions 24a and 24b arranged in' stepped relation with respect to one another. The center and finger portions 21 and 22 of the clip in this instance'y are struck out from the portion 24a of head section 24,- as -seen more clearly in Fig. 3, thereby resultingin theportion 24a comprising a pair of spaced parallel'resilient-strips 25. The corresponding outer edge of ea'ch strip 25 is offset in a direction toward linger 23 to form-Ja bead 26. The bead 26 is spaced from the center -section 21 a distance substantially the same as the width'of a pair of the wire chords 14 or 15 of the support 10 as seen more clearly in Fig. 2, so that, when the clipfis mounted on the support, portion 24a will snap into interlocking relation with the adjacent pair of Wire chords'l 14- or 15. The other stepped portion 24h of head section 24 has the outer edge thereof offset in substantiallythe same direction as bead 26 to form a bead 27 which, when the clip is in place, is adapted to yieldably engage thel back surface 28 of the abutting panel 11b, which panel has the adjacent edge'thereof not penetrated bythe tinger 23 of the clip.

While-the clip, as shown in the drawing, incorporates a head section 24 having portions 24a and 2419 thereof in stepped relation, it is to be understood, of course, that the portions 24a and 24b may be in coplanar relation without departing from the scope of the invention and that bead 27 formed on portion 24b may extend a greater distance than bead 26 so as to compensate for th'e'stepped relation.

In; attaching the clip to the support 10, the applicator ii'rstipositions panel 11a. against the wire chords 14 or 15 of the support 10. It is assumed, of course, that the support'.` 10-l1as already been positioned on the runner 13 in .a' manner, as heretofore described. It is important that the leading edge of lamination 18 of panel 11a terminate at a .point with respect to the support, as seen in Fig/.2.. Thetpointed edge 23 of the clip is then brought into alignment with the opening of the recess 20 and the bead..26 ofstrips abuts the right hand wire chord oftthespair-of chords 14 of the support 10. The clip is then moved to the left causing the strips 25 of the clip tolslipover `and in back of the chords 14 and simultaneously `therewith the nger 22 is moved into the recess 2t).

While the clip 12 is shown used in combination with a. wireitypesupport, it is to be understood, of course, that another type of support may be used which is provided with a part thereof over which the resilientstrips 25 of the clipM may snap into interlockingV relation therewith.

Thus it will be seen that when the clip is in place it is completely concealed from the exposed surface of each of the courses A and B. The improved construction is simple and inexpensive toerect and is possessed of highly desired structural characteristics. Furthermore, the clip is adapted primarily: for useiwith supports or studs 10 which are of the wire type construction.

While a particular' embodiment of this inventionv is shown above, it will be understood, of course, thatthe invention is not to be limited thereto, since many modications may be made, andit iscontemplated, therefore, by the appended claims, tocover any such modications as fall within the true spirit andscope of this invention.

I claim:

A wall construction comprising, a plurality of wall panels having offset edge portions arranged -in abutting coplanar edge-to-edge relationship to form a course of panels with joints therebetween; an upright stud disposed adjacent an interior surface of said course in close proximity to a joint, said stud -abutting the interior surface of one of the joint-forming panels having a portion of the abutting edge thereof exteriorly overlapping an-interior portion ofthe abutting edge of thefother joint forming panel, and a clip for securing said overlapping edges together and for securing said stud to said interior surface; said clip comprising a substantially at, thin center section inserted in the portion of the joint formed by the abutting panels and behind said exterior portion, a resilient fingery extending transversely from said center sectio-n and penetrating-the joint-forming edge of said abutting panel having the exterior overlapping portion, and a head section formedfon the interior edge of said entersection, said head section including a resilient first portion spaced from said finger and extending trans'- versely from said center section in substantially the same direction as said nger, the distal end of said iirstl portion being offset toward said finger whereby said distal end and said first portion cooperate withsaid interior surface of the panel to form a pocket in which said stud is resilientlyheld in snapein interlocking relationship, and -a second portion of said head portion disposed in stepped relationship with respect to said first portion and extending transversely from said center section in a direction opposite from that of said rst portion and yieldingly contacting the interior surface of said adjacent panel, said `second portion resiliently urging the interior portion of saidl adjacent panel into'positive engagement with said exterior portion, said head comprising a relatively rigid member with said center section as a central support whereby the resilient engagement of said second portion withsaid adjacent panel effects the resilient engagement of said rst portion with saidstud against said interior surface.

ReferencesCited 'in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,974,819 Koerner Sept. 25, 1934 2,056,328 Price Oct. 6, 1936 2,271,472 Balduf Jan. 27, 1942 2,317,428 Anderson Apr. 27, 1943

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