Partition With Concealed Slotted Standard

Abstract

The invention relates to the installation of concealed slotted standards in partitions for supporting shelving and the like.

Description

This application is related to copending application Ser. No. 315,885, filed Dec. 18, 1972, in the name of William J. H. Law.

This invention relates to wall construction and in particular to concealed slotted standards in partitions for supporting shelving and the like.

As a matter of common practice today, shelving and other similar attachments to a wall are installed utilizing vertical strips, i.e., slotted standards, in which brackets or similar devices can be installed to support the shelving and the like. Such standards normally have a plurality of slots spaced at regular intervals along a line extending lengthwise of the standard into which suitable lugs on the bracket or the like can be inserted. In construction of interior partitions in contemporary merchandising establishments substantial use of shelving and other wall attachments is employed. Present practice is to install such shelving and other wall attachments by brackets located in slotted standards which have been concealed in the wall partitions during the constructions of such partitions.

Generally such construction is feasible utilizing wall panels supported on framing composed of upright studs and horizontal plates on which the wall panels are installed. Concealed standards have heretofore been installed either of two ways. In one case the slotted standard is built into an upright member designed to replace the stud, such that the vertical joint between a pair of wall panels coincides with the slotted standard and the wall panels are secured to the upright member with a slight spacing between the panels to permit access through the joint to the slotted standard. While this arrangement is relatively simple to install it is relatively expensive and the weight required for such preassembled structure is costly to ship. In the second case conventional studs are employed in pairs at each joint between wall panels and an adaptor is positioned between each such pair of studs carrying a slotted standard and having a pair of coplanar flanges which overlie the sides of the stud. In this arrangement the adaptor is secured first to the studs and thereafter the wall panels are positioned such that the joint between them coincides with the location of the slotted standard within the adaptor. Typically, the adaptor has an additional pair of parallel flanges which project at right angles to the flanges overlying the studs and which provide access between them to the slotted standard, such that the wall panels can be brought up butting such parallel flanges. Thereafter, the adaptor is further secured by driving screws or other fastening devices through the wall panels, flanges and studs. This arrangement, while relatively inexpensive in terms of materials requirements, becomes excessively expensive in installation because of the difficulty in horizontal alignment from one adaptor to the next in order that shelving and other articles supported on the slotted standards not be askew along the length of the partition. This is particularly so because of the need to secure the adaptor vertically to the double studs with which it is associated prior to installation of the wall paneling.

It is thus an important object of the present invention to provide a concealed slotted standard in a partition which can be moved vertically after installation of the drywall or other wall paneling to permit horizontal alignment with other slotted standards located in the same partition.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a concealed slotted standard utilzing stud adaptors requiring minimal labor for installation.

These and other objects of the invention are basically achieved through the use of a slotted standard stud adaptor construction which is adapted to receive studs slidably, such that horizontal alignment with the associated stud adaptors along a partition can be simply made by sliding the stud adaptors on the studs prior to securing the adaptors in position. Thus in accordance with this invention conventional studs, such as metal studs in the form of channels, are employed. In order to receive a side of a stud a deep, narrow recess is formed along each coplanar flange of the slotted standard stud adaptor extending lengthwise of the adaptor and parallel to the flange. Typically the recesses are formed by adding a second flange parallel and adjacent to each of the coplanar flanges such that the spaces between the flanges constitute the recesses. In installation of the partition a stud is installed at the location of an intended joint between wall panels with its sides extending toward the center line of the joint. The adaptor is then slipped onto the stud receiving a side of the stud in the recess along one of the coplanar flanges of the adaptor, a second stud is thereupon positioned with a side of the stud received in the recess along the other of the coplanar flanges of the adaptor, and the second stud is then installed in position. Subsequently, the wall panels are installed overlying the flanges with their joint just clearing the slotted standard which lies between the two coplanar flanges on the adaptor. The adaptor then is moved vertically to the desired horizontal alignment of the slots, and the wall panels are secured to their associated studs by driving fasteners through the panel and studs, such that the fasteners also secure the associated flanges on the adaptor, thus anchoring the adaptor in proper vertical position.

For a more complete understanding of the practical application of this invention, reference is made to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the partition containing concealed slotted standards in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a fragment of a partition wall containing concealed slotted standards in accordance with the present invention is shown. The partition generally includes a bottom plate, a top plate, upright studs 16 secured to the plates, stud adaptors 18 and wall panels 20.

Studs 16 are installed where required in accordance with the structural characteristics desired of the partition, but in any event are installed in pairs at the locations of joints 22 between wall panels 20. Typically, such joints 22 are on four foot centers.

In accordance with the invention the double studs 16 provided at the location of each intended joint 22 are of generally conventional metal stud configuration, i.e., they are in the form of a channel having a base 24 with a pair of side walls 26 outstanding to one side of base 24 from opposite longitudinal edges of base 24. In the finished construction the pair of studs 16 located adjacent the joint 22 between a pair of wall panels 20 is positioned secured in upright position spaced from each other and centered along the line of joint 22 with sides 26 confronting each other.

Adaptors 18 are aluminum extrusions and include a hollow body portion 34 of generally rectangular cross-section which has an opening 36 extending along one side of body portion 34, in which is fixedly received a slotted steel standard 38. Standard 38 typically has a series of slots 40, which, for example, can be one half inch long and spaced on one inch centers which series extends lengthwise along standard 38 and hence along adaptor 18. A pair of flanges 42, which are coplanar with each other, extend outwardly of body 34 from opposite sides of opening 36 and extend along the length of body 34. A second pair of closely spaced parallel flanges 44 extend from body 34 generally at right angles to flanges 42 and from opposite sides of opening 36 along the length of body 34.

The conventional adaptor construction just described is modified in accordance with this invention by adding a third pair of flanges 45 which extend from opposite sides of body portion 34 of adaptor 18 and which are each parallel and adjacent to one flange 42 such that each pair of associated flanges 42 and 45 are separated by a deep, narrow recess 47 sized snugly to receive a side 26 of a stud 16. Each adaptor 18 is thus positioned between the pair of studs 16 at the location of a wall joint 22 with each recess 47 receiving a side 26 of one of the pair of studs 16. The spacing of each associated pair of flanges 42 and 45 is such that the associated side 26 is received snugly and adaptor 18 is held in vertical position by the frictional contact of side 26 and flanges 42 and 45. Adaptor 18 can be moved, however, vertically with mechanical pressure.

As can be seen in the drawings, body 34 of adaptor 18 is positioned within the space between its associated pair of studs 16, such that parallel flanges 44 project outwardly of studs 16. Wall panels 20, which typically are sheetrock, are positioned with their edges overlying each stud 16 up to and butting parallel flanges 44 and are secured by screws or other fasteners 46 to their associated studs 16 through the associated flanges 42 of adaptor 18, thus fixing the vertical position of adaptor 18. It will be observed that parallel flanges 44 are sized to project about a sixteenth of an inch beyond the associated wall panels 20 and provide a space between wall panels 20 through which brackets 48 or the like can be inserted into slotted standard 38. Normally the slight gap between wall panels 20 above and below the location of adaptor 18 is covered with tape and spackled in the conventional manner of covering a joint in drywall construction.

In accordance with the invention, a partition is generally erected in a conventional manner. With regard to each pair of studs 16 to be located at a joint 22 between panels 20, one of the studs 16 is first located in upright position with its sides 26 extending toward the center line of the joint 22. Such stud 16 is then plumbed in position and secured. The associated adaptor 18 is then positioned with one pair of associated flanges 42 and 45 receiving a side 26 of the stud 16 thus erected, and the vertical position of adaptor 18 is adjusted to approximately the desired position. The second stud 16 of the pair is then positioned with its sides 26 confronting the first stud and received in the other recess 47 of adaptor 18. The stud is then plumbed and secured. The operation is then repeated as desired along the length of the partition at the intended location of each joint 22. Thereafter wall panels 20 are placed in position with their vertical edges butting against parallel flanges 44. At this point the desired horizontal line of one line of shelving or the like is located and adaptors 18 are then adjusted vertically to bring them into proper horizontal alignment. Fasteners 46 then are secured in position to fix wall panels 20 to studs 16 and to fix the vertical position of adaptors 18.

The assembly of studs and slotted standard stud adaptors according to this invention can also be carried out on the bench prior to installing the studs. When doing so it is desirable to provide some means of fastening the assembly of double studs and adaptor to prevent it from coming apart while it is moved to the place of installation. To facilitate this and yet permit horizontal alignment of adaptors after installation screws are used which are received in slots in the studs located in sides 26 and pass through flanges 42 and 45. The slots are formed lengthwise in the studs, for example, at three foot intervals and extend, for example, for six inches. The screws need be only thumb tight in flanges 42 and 45 and only four are required for each double stud and adaptor assembly. When the studs are installed and the wall panels are in place the adaptor can be adjusted vertically, as before, since the screws holding the adaptors to their associated studs can slide in the slots in the studs.

Claims

I claim:

1. In combination a pair of studs each in the form of a channel having an elongated base and a pair of parallel outstanding sides attached to opposite edges of and extending along said base, said pair of studs being positioned parallel to each other with the sides of one said stud confronting the sides of the other said stud, an adaptor including an elongated hollow body having a plurality of slots therein spaced at intervals along a line extending lengthwise thereof, a pair of coplanar flanges projecting from said body extending lengthwise therealong with said line of slots lying between said pair of flanges, means defining a deep, narrow recess along each said flange extending lengthwise of said adaptor and parallel and adjacent to said flange, one side of a said stud being received in the recess along one said flange and one side of the other said stud being received in the recess along the other said flange with said body lying between said studs.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said means defining a recess includes a said coplanar flange and a flange projecting from said body extending lengthwise thereof parallel and adjacent to said coplanar flange whereby the space between said coplanar flange and said flange parallel thereto constitutes said recess.

3. A slotted standard stud adaptor including an elongated hollow body having a plurality of slots therein spaced at intervals along a line extending lengthwise thereof, a pair of coplanar flanges projecting from said body extending lengthwise therealong with said line of slots lying between said pair of flanges, and means defining a deep, narrow recess along each said flange extending lengthwise of said adaptor and parallel and adjacent to said flange.

4. The adaptor of claim 3 in which said means defining a recess includes a said coplanar flange and a flange projecting from said body extending lengthwise thereof parallel and adjacent to said coplanar flange whereby the space between said coplanar flange and said flange parallel thereto constitutes said recess.