U.S. patent application number 11/280948 was filed with the patent office on 2006-06-15 for drywall edge clip.
Invention is credited to Michael Lorenzen, Timothy Smythe, Douglass Wambaugh.
Application Number | 20060123730 11/280948 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36582189 |
Filed Date | 2006-06-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060123730 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wambaugh; Douglass ; et
al. |
June 15, 2006 |
Drywall edge clip
Abstract
A drywall or sheet rock edge clip device that can hold joints of
drywall together at the apex of vaulted ceilings or at any other
drywall seam at any angle. The device can include tabs and a head
or cross member coupled by a stem that fits through the seam or
joint and pulls and holds it together. A wire-tie version of the
invention can have serrations along the stem and pull up and
tighten like a wire-tie. The unused tail section can be broken off
by bending it from side to side.
Inventors: |
Wambaugh; Douglass; (Bend,
OR) ; Smythe; Timothy; (Bend, OR) ; Lorenzen;
Michael; (Bend, OR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Clifford Kraft
320 Robin Hill Dr.
Naperville
IL
60540
US
|
Family ID: |
36582189 |
Appl. No.: |
11/280948 |
Filed: |
November 16, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60629024 |
Nov 18, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/522 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 13/06 20130101;
E04F 13/0841 20130101; F16B 2/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/522 |
International
Class: |
E04D 1/00 20060101
E04D001/00 |
Claims
1. A drywall edge clip that holds drywall edge joints together
comprising: an elongated top member; a stem attached to said top
member at a proximal end, said stem approximately perpendicular to
said top member; a pair of tabs attached to a distal end of said
stem, said tabs being of approximately equal length, said tabs
being elastic so that said tabs can take any angle between being
parallel to said top member to being perpendicular to said top
member.
2. The drywall clip of claim 1 wherein said top member, said stem
and said tabs are plastic.
3. The drywall clip of claim 1 wherein at least one of said top
member, said stem or said tabs is plastic.
4. The drywall clip of claim 1 wherein said stem contains a
plurality of serrations.
5. The drywall clip of claim 1 wherein at least one of said top
member, said stem or said tabs is metal.
6. A drywall clip that holds drywall edge joints together
comprising: an elongated top member; a stem attached to said top
member at a proximal end, said stem approximately perpendicular to
said top member, said stem having a plurality of serrations along
its length; a pair of tabs slideably attached to a distal end of
said stem, said tabs being of approximately equal length having a
hinge between them so that said tabs can take any angle between
being parallel to said top member to being perpendicular to said
top member, said tabs having a locking member that engages said
serrations as said tabs slide on said stem, whereby said tabs can
only slide toward said top member.
7. The drywall clip of claim 6 wherein said top member, said stem
and said tabs are plastic.
8. The drywall clip of claim 6 wherein at least one of said top
member, said stem or said tabs is plastic.
9. The drywall clip of claim 6 wherein said stem contains a
plurality of serrations.
10. The drywall clip of claim 6 wherein at least one of said top
member, said stem or said tabs is metal.
11. A method of holding unscrewed drywall sheets in an edge joint
comprising the steps of: butting said sheets together at a desired
angle to form said joint; inserting an edge clip device into said
joint between said sheets, said edge clip holding said sheets
together in said joint, said edge clip comprising: an elongated top
member; a stem attached to said top member at a proximal end, said
stem approximately perpendicular to said top member; a pair of tabs
attached to a distal end of said stem, said tabs being of
approximately equal length having a hinge between them so that said
tabs can take any angle between being parallel to said top member
to being perpendicular to said top member.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said top member, said stem and
said tabs are plastic.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said top member,
said stem or said tabs is plastic.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein said stem contains a plurality
of serrations.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein at least one of said top member,
said stem or said tabs is metal.
Description
[0001] This application is related to and claims priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent application No. 60/629,024 filed Nov. 18, 2004.
Application No. 60/629,024 is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to the field of
drywall construction and installation and more particularly to an
edge clip to capture and hold adjoining edges of sheet rock or
drywall.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Non-Horizontal, or vaulted, ceilings are common in all
construction. Also, building framing many times settles with time
after construction due to shrinkage or expansion of framing
materials or their foundations, particularly in wood framed
structures. It is common to hang sheet rock and to tape the joints
before a frame has settled. This causes the taped joints between
adjoining sheets of sheet rock to be damaged (pop, delaminate,
etc.). This damage has to be fixed. This is particularly evident
and common at the apex of vaulted or non-horizontal ceilings. When
a frame settles, the angle between sheets can change and/or the
sheets can move relative to one another.
[0006] It would be advantageous to have a clip the would capture
and hold adjoining edges of sheet rock or drywall.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention relates to a drywall edge clip that
holds drywall edge joints together that has an elongated top
member, a stem attached to the top member at a proximal end, the
stem being approximately perpendicular to the top member, and a
pair of tabs attached to a distal end of the stem, the tabs being
of approximately equal length having a hinge between them so that
they can take any angle between being parallel to the top member to
being perpendicular to it. The device can be metal or plastic or
any other rigid or semi-rigid material. An embodiment of the
invention can have serrations along the length of the stem to act
as a wire-tie, where the tabs slide along the serrated stem with a
locking device that only allows the tabs to move toward the top
member (being tightened). In this embodiment, the unused tail of
the stem can be broken off using a side to side movement. This
breaking process can be facilitated by having additional serrations
on the side of the stem.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0008] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C show an embodiment of the edge clip of
the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 shows embodiments of the present invention installed
in a vaulted ceiling.
[0010] FIG. 3 shows embodiments of the present invention installed
in a conventional vertical wall seam.
[0011] FIG. 4A shows a first enlarged edge view of a typical
vaulted ceiling.
[0012] FIG. 4B shows a second enlarged view of a typical vaulted
ceiling
[0013] FIGS. 5A-5C show an alternative embodiment of the present
invention.
[0014] FIGS. 6A-6C show a wire-tie embodiment of the present
invention.
[0015] Several drawings and illustrations have been presented to
aid in the understanding of the present invention. The scope of
present invention is not limited to what is shown in the
figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The present invention is related to a specially designed
clip to capture and hold adjoining edges of sheet rock (drywall),
particularly at the apex, or top joint of a vaulted ceiling. The
adjoining sheets of sheet rock may not be screwed to the frame
along the edge of each adjoining sheet that form the joint between
sheets at the apex of the vaulted, or angled, ceiling. The clips of
the present invention can be put in place to capture adjoining
edges of each sheet and hold them relative to one another. With the
edge of the sheet at the apex of the ceiling free of the frame and
joined to the adjacent sheet at the apex joint, the two adjoining
edges can be held together relative to one another and stay
together even if frame settling occurs. Also, because the edges are
normally held firmly together at the apex they will not be able to
droop or sag. Being mutually attached the edges will mutually
support each other in a manner similar to how an arch supports
itself. The remainder of the sheet can be attached to the building
frame as is currently specified. The numbers of nails or screws and
their location will need to be determined to completely support the
sheet while allowing the apex joint to move free of the building
frame.
[0017] FIG. 1A shows a front view of a first embodiment of the edge
clip of the present invention. Flexible tabs 1 can be molded
plastic, spring steel, or other flexible material that can be
deflected without permanent deformation, an elastic material with
memory. In this case the flexible tabs 1 can be temporarily bent by
hand in the direction of the arrows and will be inclined to return
to their original shape. The stem 2 connects the flexible tabs 1 to
the cross member 3.
[0018] The tabs 1 can angle downward and outward and can bend on a
hinge 10 that allows insertion between drywall sheets. The hinge 20
is optional; the present invention can be made without any hinge.
After insertion, the stem 2 runs through the seam with the back 3
pulling against the tabs 1 to hold the seem together. The optional
hinge 10 can be made in the tabs by placing a slot or groove
between the tabs.
[0019] FIG. 1B shows a side view of the edge clip of FIG. 1A as
projected from the right side of FIG. 1A. Again the flexible tabs
1, the stem 2 and the cross member 3 can be seen.
[0020] FIG. 1C shows a isometric view of the edge clip of FIG. 1A.
In this view you can see the flexible tabs 1 are shown deflected as
they might be during a normal installation. Also shown are the stem
2 and the cross member 3.
[0021] FIG. 2 shows a typical room vaulted ceiling arrangement
viewed from above the ceiling as though the roof was removed and
one could see the top side of a room ceiling. The rafters 4 are
shown coming to an apex forming the raised (or vaulted) ceiling.
Sheet rock 5 is shown as it would normally be screwed to the
rafters 4. At the apex 6 of the ceiling, where the two edges of the
sheet rock 5 meet, one can see that the cross member 3 of the edge
clips as they would be installed.
[0022] FIG. 3 shows a typical room vaulted ceiling arrangement
viewed from inside of the room looking up at the ceiling. No walls
are shown in this view and therefore one can still see the rafters
4. The sheet rock 5 can be seen as it would normally be screwed to
the rafters 4. The screws 7 can be seen in a typical pattern used
to attach the sheet rock 5 to the rafters 4 except that the screws
7 have not been installed at the apex 6 of the ceiling where the
sheet rock 5 edges meet. This is done so as the wood the rafters 4
shrinks or settles the two edges of the sheet rock 5 that meet at
the apex 6 will be held together relative to one another by the
edge clip cross member 3, not shown, and the edge clip flexible
tabs 1, which can be seen in this view. This keeps the drywall
corner finishing material from delaminating, peeling or otherwise
loosing its bond to the drywall.
[0023] FIG. 4A shows a edge on view of a typical vaulted ceiling
arrangement blown up so the details of how the edge clip flexible
tabs 1, stem 2, and cross member 3 capture the edge of the sheet
rock 5 at the apex 6 of the ceiling. The rafters 4 can also be
seen. One of the rafters 4 has been hidden so the complete edge
clip can be seen. The flexible tabs 1 normally try to return to
their original shape and so push against the sheet rock 5 which
causes the sheet rock 5 to be captured between the flexible tabs 1
and the cross member 3.
[0024] FIG. 4B shows a edge on view of a typical vaulted ceiling
arrangement blown up so the details of how the edge clip flexible
tabs 1, stem 2, and cross member 3 hold the matching edges of the
sheet rock 5 at the apex 6 after the wood rafters 4 have shrunk or
settled. As the wood rafters 4 shrink the angle formed at the apex
6 increases causing the edges of the sheet rock 5 at the apex 6 to
move away from one another. This typically causes the finishing
tape to delaminate or peel away from the sheet rock 5 since it is
typically screwed to the rafters 4. Using the edge clip rather than
screws to secure the sheet rock 5 edge at the apex 6 of the rafters
4 allows the sheet rock 5 to flex away from the rafter 4. This view
shows the drywall screws 7 set back from the apex 6 an appropriate
distance to allow the sheet rock 5 to flex. This keeps the finished
corner from intact and structurally sound even if after the rafters
4 shrink or settle.
[0025] FIGS. 5A-5C show an embodiment of the present invention
similar to the edge clip shown in FIG. 1A-1C except it may be made
of metal components. Features and usage of this embodiment are
similar to those of previously described embodiments.
[0026] FIGS. 6A-6C show a zip-tie embodiment of the present
invention. In this embodiment, the stem of the clip can be serrated
in the same manner as a plastic cable tie. Tabs 1 can slide along
the stem 2 of the device to pull the edges of the sheet rock
together. The edge clip of this embodiment can be zipped tight
since the serrations do not allow motion of the tabs 1 in a
direction that would loosen the seam. When the desired tightness is
reached, the remaining tail of the clip can be broken off by moving
it in the direction of the arrows 9 in FIG. 6A. The breaking off of
the tail can be facilitated by having addition serrations on the
side of the stem. This process is further described in our related
United States patent application Ser. No. 11/070,625 filed Mar. 1,
2005. Application Ser. No. 11/070,625 is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0027] Several descriptions and illustrations have been provided to
better aid in the understanding of the present invention. One
skilled in the art will understand that many changes and variations
are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Each of these changes and variations is within the scope of the
present invention.
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