U.S. patent number 3,866,376 [Application Number 05/298,314] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-18 for metal clad gypsum walls.
This patent grant is currently assigned to United States Gypsum Company. Invention is credited to Nels Nelsson.
United States Patent |
3,866,376 |
Nelsson |
February 18, 1975 |
METAL CLAD GYPSUM WALLS
Abstract
A demountable wall assembly comprising two rows of panels having
metal sheets adhered to the faces thereof, and characterized by the
vertical edges of the sheet extending across the space between the
rows to support the panels without the need for separate studs.
Inventors: |
Nelsson; Nels (Des Plaines,
IL) |
Assignee: |
United States Gypsum Company
(Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
23149970 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/298,314 |
Filed: |
October 5, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/241; 52/570;
52/574; 52/579; 52/762; 52/481.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
2/7401 (20130101); E04C 2/043 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04C
2/04 (20060101); E04B 2/74 (20060101); E04b
002/62 (); E04b 002/02 (); E04c 001/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/238,241,242,243,479,481,493,496,497,570,574,588,619,404-407,630,489,561,569 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Abbott; Frank L.
Assistant Examiner: Ridgill, Jr.; James L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Kurlandsky, Esq.; Samuel Hadley;
Stanton T. Roberts, Esq.; Kenneth E.
Claims
1. In a demountable hollow wall assembly including two opposed,
parallely extending, spaced-apart rows of panels, each row
assembled independently of the other, the panels of at least one of
the rows each being provided with a core having a front surface and
a back surface, and a metal sheet adhered to the front surface; the
improvement wherein said sheet includes an edge portion integral
with said sheet along a vertical margin of said sheet which depends
out of the plane of said sheet along the edge of said core and
extends inwardly of said wall to a point beyond the back surface of
the panel it covers, said edge portion being in releasible contact
engagement with the back surface of a panel of the opposite row,
and runner means at both the upper and lower ends of said panels
providing lateral restraint for maintaining the inner walls of said
panels in engagement with edge portions of opposite panels, whereby
said panels are
2. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the portion of said
vertical edge in abutment with the back face of the opposite row
includes a flange
3. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said edge
portions of each panel in one of the rows releasibly abuts against
an edge portion of
4. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the panels of both
of said rows are provided with said core and said metal sheet, the
edge portions of all of said sheets extending inwardly of the wall
beyond the back surface of the adhered core so as to releasibly
contact the back surface
5. The assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said one row is the
exterior wall of a building row is attached to said supporting
means of said one
6. The assembly as defined in claim 5, and further including a
layer of
7. The assembly as defined in claim 1, and further including means
on adjacent edge portions of the metal sheet of adjacent panels in
one of
8. The assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein said engaging means
includes a flange on one of said edge portions projecting from one
side thereof defining a vertical socket between the flange and the
edge portion opening outwardly towards the front face of said
adjacent panels, and a bead terminus on the adjacent vertical edge
releasibly snapped into said socket, whereby said adjacent panels
may be held in a releasibly fixed
9. The assembly as defined by claim 8, and further including on
said flange, means resisting inward movement of the bead terminus
with respect
10. The assembly as defined by claim 8, wherein said flange is
shaped so as to extend outwardly away from said one edge portion
generally perpendicularly thereto, then so extending generally
parallel to said one edge portion and outwardly towards the
adjacent panel, and thence
11. The assembly as defined by claim 8, and further including on
said
12. The assembly as defined by claim 11, wherein said guiding means
includes a portion of said flange inclined outwardly away from said
one edge portion and towards said adjacent panel so as to define,
if extended, an angle with said one edge portion of about
45.degree..
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An improved type of wallboard or panel which has been introduced
into the building industry is gypsum panel clad or adhered to a
metal sheet. In partitions or walls assembled from these panels,
the sheet may constitute the exposed face of the panel and thus
impart greater durability to the panel. In addition, the sheet
permits a variety of exterior finishes that are not posssible on
gypsum wallboard alone, such as baked-on enamel.
However, one drawback of such metal clad panels heretofore
available has been their reliance on separate, and often
complicated, studs for support. Such studs not only are quite
expensive to manufacture, they also are time consuming to erect,
and render difficult if not impossible the independent disassembly
of individual panels. An example of such a construction is shown in
U.S. Pat. No. 3,026,977. In part, the use of studs has been
required in such constructions because the metal sheet does not
extend appreciably beyond the back face of the panel attached
thereto.
Therefore, considerable advantages in terms of inexpensive
manufacturing and ease of assembly could be obtained if metal clad
panels could be provided which would not require separate
studs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a hollow wall assembly of opposed, spaced
rows of panels some of which are clad with metal sheet, wherein at
least one of the vertical edges of the sheet extend back into the
space between rows into releasible contact with the opposite row of
panels, whereby the edge portions of the sheet provide the support
of the panel without the need for separate studs. More
specifically, an improved wall assembly is provided from two
opposed, parallely extending, spaced-apart rows of panels, each row
assembled independently of the other, the panels of at least one of
the rows each having a core, a front face, a back face, and a metal
sheet adhered to the front face; the improvement comprising at
least one vertical edge of the sheet being bent back beyond the
back face of the panel so as to define a portion extending across
the space between the rows until it releasibly abuts against the
back face of a panel of the opposite row. In addition, means are
provided for releasibly engaging one edge portion of one clad panel
with the adjacent edge portion of an adjacent panel in the same
row.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a
demountable wall assembly incorporating panels clad with metal
sheet, wherein support means are provided integral with the panel
which eliminate the need for separate studs.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a wall in
an inexpensive, yet versatile manner.
It is a related object of the invention to provide such a wall
wherein adjacent panels in the same row can be releasibly engaged
with respect to each other so as to be releasibly fixed relative to
each other when assembled.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon reference to
the following discussion of the drawings and of the preferred
embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view in section, parts of which are
broken away, of a wall constructed in accordance with the
invention, the floor runner having been omitted for clarity;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view in section of the wall of
FIG. 1, illustrating the conventional components of the
construction;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a panel illustrating
another embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 4 is a plan view in section similar to FIG. 1, but
illustrating yet another embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating the
details of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4; and
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view in section similar to FIG. 1, but
illustrating still another embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The disclosure concerns an assembly of wall panels faced with sheet
metal adhered to a core, the sheet metal being either the exposed
surface, or a base upon which a decorative coating may be applied.
The core, the sheet metal, and the adhesive bonding the two all are
conventional in and of themselves, so that a variety of each may be
used in addition to those specific examples disclosed hereafter,
without departing from the invention.
Turning now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a hollow,
demountable wall assembly 10 incorporating two opposed, parallely
extending, spaced-apart rows 12 and 14 of panels 30. The entire
wall is mounted in ceiling and floor runners 18 and 20,
respectively (FIG. 2) in a conventional manner. That is, the floor
edges of the partition may be finished with either a "top set" base
22 or a base and attachment clip 24. The panels may be of any
conventional material, preferably gypsum wallboard, having a core
31, a back face 32, and a front face 34 to which metal sheets 40,
described hereafter, are adhered by a suitable adhesive 36.
Portions of the sheet 40 have been removed for illustration, in
FIGS. 1 and 2. Examples of such adhesives, which are included by
way of illustration only, and not as limitations, are SBR rubber,
epoxy, hot-melt, polyvinyl acetate-based, and neoprene-based
adhesives, as well as a terpolymer acrylic emulsion adhesive
available from the United States Gypsum Company as "Durabond 700"
adhesive.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the sheet 40 is
provided with vertical edge portions 42 and 44 which are extended
and bent back so as to extend across the space between the two rows
of panels until they abut against, without interengaging, the back
face 32 of the panels of the opposite row. The abutment is
preferably accomplished by end flanges 46 provided on each edge
portion, which extend generally parallel to the abutted back face
of the panel. The edge portion 42 of one panel, when assembled,
also releasibly abuts against the edge portion 44 of the adjacent
panel. Each edge portion extends down to substantially the floor
level 48 of the panel, FIG. 2.
By means of the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that a
greatly simplified assembly is provided wherein each panel supports
itself by virtue of its edge portions, independently from every
other panel and without the need for separate studs. Furthermore,
each panel is independently and quickly accessible, permitting
immediate access to the interior of the wall, if necessary, without
requiring disassembly of the remaining panels. The elimination of
studs greatly reduces the cost of both the manufacturing and the
labor involved in the installation.
A variety of gauges and materials may be provided for the metal
sheet. For example, steel may be used in gauges as thin as 30.
However, for the wall assembly to be load-bearing, the sheet should
be no thinner than 20 gauge. As for the core 31, regardless of the
use, gypsum wallboard having thicknesses ranging from 1/2 to 3/4 of
an inch are appropriate, as are larger sizes.
The surface of the sheet 40 left exposed on the wall may be left so
exposed, or decoratively covered in any conventional fashion, such
as by paint.
FIG. 3 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the panels, which
will permit the alternate use of a different, although
conventional, ceiling runner, not shown. Parts similar to those
previously described bear the same reference numeral to which the
distinguishing suffix a has been added. Thus, some ceiling runners
include depending rails interiorly located which assist in holding
the wallboard against the exterior side flanges of the runner.
These rails would interfere with the edge portions of the panels,
and accordingly the edge portions have been modified. That is,
panel 30a comprises as in the previous embodiment a core 31a, a
metal sheet 40a clad or adhered to the front face 34a thereof by an
adhesive 36a, the vertical edge portions such as 42a being bent
back to extend across the space between the rows of panels.
However, to accommodate the different ceiling runner, the top part
of the edge portions is cut out as at 50, leaving a shortened edge
portion 52. Or alternatively, instead of the metal sheet extending
the full height of the panels as shown in FIGS. 1-3, a shorter
sheet may be used which will extend up only to the height of
portion 52 all along its circumference.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, FIGS. 4 and 5
illustrate yet another embodiment wherein the panels of either or
both row may be releasibly fixed with respect to the adjacent panel
of that row when assembled. Parts similar to those previously
described bear the same reference numeral to which the
distinguishing suffix b has been added. Thus, the wall 10b
comprises two rows of panels 30b which are identical to those
described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, except that the edge
portions 42b and 44b of each panel have been modified. That is,
edge portions 42b have been lanced at spaced intervals to form
socket flanges or tabs 60 in a manner similar to that disclosed in
my copending application Ser. No. 288,197, filed on Sept. 11, 1972.
However, instead of tabs formed on studs, the tabs are formed as
part of the edge portions in the absence of studs. Specifically,
flanges 60 project from the side of the edge portion 42b which is
opposite from the side from which flanges 46 project, to define a
vertical slot 62 opening outwardly towards the adjacent panel of
that row. Flanges 60 are each characterized by a socket (FIG. 5)
formed by shaping the flanges so as to extend outwardly away from
the edge portion and generally perpendicular thereto, defining a
stop surface 64. Thereafter, the flange extends generally parallel
to the edge portion, back towards the panel, and thence back at 66
towards the edge portion, completing the socket. Finally, to form a
guide means for guiding the edge portion 44b into the socket, as
indicated below, the flange has a portion 68 which is inclined
outwardly away from the edge portion but towards the row of panels,
an extension of portion 68 back to the edge portion defining an
angle alpha, which is preferably about 45.degree. (FIG. 5). This
angle causes the edge portion 44b to be readily guided into
engagement with the flange 60 as will be seen. Terminal portion 69
of flange 60 abuts against the adjacent panel.
The lancing of the flanges 60 out of the edge portion 42b leaves
holes 70. Such a construction permits the flanges 60 to be formed
as a series of three vertically spaced tabs, preferably located 2
feet, 8 inches; 4 feet; and 5 feet, 4 inches; respectively, from
the floor. However, if desired, the flanges can extend the full
length of the stud member, in which case the metal sheet 40b is
preferably extruded.
The other edge portion 44b is provided with a bead terminus 72.
Preferably, to permit ready deliberate disengagement of the bead
terminus from flange 60, it is rounded slightly so as to provide
some space, designated as S, FIG. 5, between the return and the
rest of the edge portion. Thus, for an edge portion having a
thickness of about 0.027 inch, spacing S should be about 0.011
inch, defining a bead terminus having an exterior width of about
0.065 inch. On the other hand, spacing S must be such as to permit
the bead 72 to lock within the socket 63 against accidental
release. That is, the extreme edge 78 of the return abuts against
portion 66 of flange 60 when engaged within the socket, so as to
require a deliberate, forceful separation of the edge portion 44b
from flange 60. Accidental forces are not sufficient, however, to
cause separation. For this function, the closest approach of flange
60 to the rest of the edge portion 42b at the slot 62 should be, in
the case of the dimensions listed above, on the order of about
0.02.
As in my aforesaid application, assembly of edge portions 42b and
44b is accomplished by pushing portion 44b into place so that the
bead terminus 72 slips into the socket and is stopped against
surface 64. Edge 78 of the bead terminus locks the two edge
portions together against all but deliberate separation.
By means of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the row of
panels incorporating the embodiment is rendered progressively
accessible only. Although both rows 12b and 14b may be so
constructed, row 14b may, for example, be left as in the previous
embodiments. Furthermore, individual panels of row 12b can be made
individually accessible by forming the sheet with only vertical
edge portions 44b. Both of the adjacent panels then must have the
adjacent vertical edge portions be portions 42b. As the panels are
symmetrical about a horizontal axis, this is readily accomplished
by rotating one of the adjacent panels end for end.
Turning now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated yet another embodiment
of the invention wherein the wall assembly is an exterior wall.
Parts similar to those previously described bear the same reference
numeral to which the distinguishing suffix c has been added. Thus,
wall 10c is an exterior or curtain wall wherein row 12c composed of
panels 30c as in the first embodiment above, is exposed to the
elements. Unlike the previous embodiments, row 14c is conventional
wallboard 80 attached conventionally in a double layer by means of
screws or other fasteners secured to flanges 46c of the panels 30c.
To assist in the weathering of the metal sheet 40c, a baked-on
enamel layer 82 may be coated thereover.
Although the invention has been described in connection with
certain preferred embodiments, it is not intended that it be
limited thereto. Rather, it is intended that it cover all alternate
arrangements, embodiments, and equivalents as may be included
within the scope of the following claims.
* * * * *