Fire retardant shaft wall

Abstract

A wall construction adapted for enclosing an elevator shaft particularly suited for erection solely from one side thereof and resistant to normal distortions resulting from the heat of fire within the shaft.

Parent Case Text

This is a division of application Ser. No. 198,483, filed Nov. 12, 1971, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,912 in turn a continuation of application Ser. No. 34,656 filed May 5, 1970, now abandoned.

Description

This invention relates to an elevator shaft wall of gypsum boards affixed to vertically disposed lightweight metal studs, particularly studs having a central web having a width extending essentially in the direction of the thickness of the wall, a pair of oppositely directed flanges extending generally perpendicularly from the lateral edge of the web only on the shaft side of the wall and a plurality of spaced apart expansion relief slots in the web adjacent to the flanges.

An elevator shaft is, by its nature, a shaft which is subjected to or capable of generating destructive wind loading. An elevator, by its nature, communicates between at least two stories or floors in a building; and; accordingly, an internal elevator shaft must extend continuously through at least two stories with at least one floor and adjacent ceiling extending around the shaft or being cut away to define a continuous elevator shaft therethrough.

The need for special construction systems for walls adapted for being assembled solely from one side, in constructing walls around elevator shafts, is completely obvious. At least in walls of gypsum board, the common construction systems involve assembling operations on both sides of the wall. Gypsum board walls are particularly desirable relative to providing fire retardance and relative to ease of handling of materials during construction.

Walls constructed of metal studs, particularly with one face of the metal stud exposed on a side of the wall where there is a potential of fires and high temperature, are subject to failure in a fire by high temperature expansion of the one side of the stud relative to the lack of expansion on the other side, and the resultant bowing of the wall into the fire-causing disruption and separation of the elements forming the wall.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shaft wall, readily assembled from one side and relatively resistant to high temperatures on the opposite side.

It is a further object to provide a novel metal stud for supporting such improved shaft walls.

These and other objects will be clearly understood in considering the preferred embodiments as set forth in the specification and shown in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a metal stud made in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional perspective view of a vertical wall embodying the stud of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to cross section of FIG. 2, of a modified form of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a further modified form of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a still further modified form of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of an elevator shaft enclosed with walls constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 there is shown an elongate, lightweight, metal stud 10, formed from sheet metal, preferably 24 gauge galvanized steel, and formed as a one-piece metal channel to include a central web 12, a pair of elongate, oppositely directed flanges 14 and 16 in a plane perpendicular to the general extent of web 12 and along one lateral edge thereof, and a single, elongate flange or base 18, parallel to flanges 14 and 16 and along the opposite lateral edge of web 12. As shown in FIG. 1, stud base 18 has no openings therethrough.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, web 12 includes an elongate perpendicular portion 20, adjoining and perpendicular to flanges 14 and 16 and an elongate acutely angled portion 22 disposed between perpendicular portion 20 and flange 18.

Flanges 14 and 16 are formed by the sheet metal of the stud being bent to extend from the web 12 outward to the edge 24 of one flange 14, being reversely folded to extend therefrom to the outer edge 26 of flange 16, and then being reversely bent back on itself for a short distance from edge 26.

A short lip 28 extends inwardly, perpendicularly, from the edge of single flange 18 remote from web 12, for stiffening of flange 18.

A plurality of openings 30, 30 are disposed in web 12, at about six inch intervals, having an extent of about three inches along the side 32 of the opening 30 which is adjacent the flanges 14 and 16. Openings 30, 30 are shown in the preferable form of isosceles triangles, however they can be merely slits extending along the junction of web 12 and flanges 14 and 16 or any shape opening extending up to about halfway across the width of web 12.

In FIG. 2, the stud 10 is shown supporting wall 40, which is constructed on floor 42 at an edge 44 adjacent an elevator shaft 46 which is an air shaft. As shown in FIG. 2, floor 42 is cut away at edge 44 to define a continuous vertical elevator shaft 46 extending continuously through floor 42. Studs 10 are vertically disposed at two foot spacings with the bottom of each stud 10 affixed within a floor channel or runner 48 having a pair of flanges and means for mounting the stud in a vertical disposition comprising a web affixed to floor 42.

One inch thick, two foot wide gypsum core boards or liner panel members 50 are disposed between adjacent studs 10 with a back face or shaft side 52 abutting the inner surface 53 of flanges 14 and 16. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, stud 10 includes means for engaging the liner members 50 on more than one vertical side. Core boards 50 are a standard form of gypsum board, with a set gypsum core enclosed within a paper covering. Boards 50 extend the full distance from the floor 42 to the ceiling thereabove (not shown). Self-drilling, self-tapping drywall screws 54 affix the boards 50 to the flanges 14 and 16.

A partition member comprising two continuous rows or layers of four foot wide 5/8 inch fire-rated gypsum wallboard 56 is attached to the outer surface 57 of flange 18 with appropriate length drywall screws 54, with the lateral edges 58 of the boards 56 of the two respective layers being located over alternate studs 10. As shown in the drawings (e.g. FIG. 3), partition member 56 is spaced from liner panel members 50, 50 by an air gap. Thus, the structure just described comprises means for erecting partition member 56 away from liner members 50, 50 so as to leave an air gap therebetween, the erecting means being independent of the liner members 50, 50.

In the modification of FIG. 3, the stud 10 is provided with a plurality of small holes 60 located in web 12 along a line one inch from the flanges 14 and 16, and core board 50 is affixed against flanges 14 and 16 by small nails or clips 62 inserted in the holes 60. The alternative of a single layer of fire-rated wallboard 56 is shown screw-attached to flange 18. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, stud 10 comprises a one-piece metal channel having means for engaging the liner members 50 on two vertical sides thereof. More specifically, stud flanges 14 and 16 each includes means for engaging the vertical shaft-facing side of a liner member 50 and stud web portion 20 includes means, on each surface thereof, for engaging the vertical edge-side of a respective liner member. Stud web 12 also includes openings 60 which, together with nails or clips 62, constitutes means for engaging a third vertical side of liner member 50, namely that vertical side of a liner member 50 opposite shaft 46. The above-described structure comprises means, independent of the floor runner, for engaging the liner members 50 on three vertical sides thereof.

In FIG. 4, the stud 10 has a prelaminated panel 70 mounted on each of the respective flanges 14 and 16, with the respective flanges disposed in between the laminations 72, 72, along each of the panel vertical edges 74.

FIG. 5 shows a modified stud 80 having a flat web 82, flanges 84 and 86 along edge of web 82 and a single flange 88 along the other edge of web 82. Core boards 50 are affixed against flanges 84 and 86 with nails or clips 62. Two layers of fire-rated gypsum wallboard 56 are screw-attached to flange 88.

The erection of the walls of the present invention can be done by builders working from only the one side of the wall, and the wall 40 comprises means, described below, permitting the liner members 50, 50 to be inserted within the runner 48 from only the side of the wall 40 opposite shaft side 52. After one stud 10 or 80 is affixed at its bottom and top, a core board 50 or panel 70 is positioned relative thereto, working from the one side of the wall, and another stud is then positioned relative to the opposite edge of the board or panel. This provides a plurality of studs engaging the panels or liner members. Subsequently, the wallboards 56 are screwattached to the studs 10 or 80. Accordingly a first series of coplanar gypsum boards 50 or panels 70 are disposed against and are supported by the inner surface 53 of flanges 14 and 16, or of flanges 84 and 86. A second series of coplanar gypsum boards 56 are disposed against and are supported by the outer surface 57 of flange 18 or 88.

The studs may alternatively be all affixed in place first, particularly the flat webbed stud 80, after which boards 50 are respectively set in place and affixed against flanges 14, 16 or 84, 86.

The structure just described results in the abutting of the shaft-facing side of board or panel member 50 to the inner side of the outer flange of runner 48. The structure for abutting panel member 50 to the flange of runner 48 includes the structure, described above, for engaging the three vertical sides of panel member 50, but the latter structure, by itself, does not attach the panel member to the runner flange. Additional structure, such as a screw, is used to attach the panel member to that flange.

The stud 10 permits of improved access for the purpose of screw-attaching core boards 50 to flanges 14 and 16, by reason of the angled portion 22 of web 12. The affixation of core boards 50 with nails or clips 62 is preferred, relative to screw attachment, with studs 80, which lack a web angled portion.

The presence of openings 30, 30 in either the stud 10 or the stud 80 is for the purpose of expansion relief of the side of the stud facing an elevator shaft, in the event of fire and high temperatures in the elevator shaft. It has been found that wall structures of the type disclosed herein, without such means for expansion relief in the studs, undergo an extreme bowing into the zone of the shaft under high temperature conditions in the shaft. Openings 30 permit the flanges 14, 16 to bow toward the shaft in a plurality of short sections adjacent each opening 30, whereby the balance of the stud remains substantially in place, and the wall continues to restrict the passage of fire and heat.

Having completed a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of our invention so that those skilled in the art may practice the same, we contemplate that variations may be made without departing from the essence of the invention.

Claims

We claim:

1. An air shaft cavity wall in a building generally surrounding a vertical air shaft extending continuously through at least two stories and subjected to destructive wind loading, the wall comprising at least one floor and adjacent ceiling cut away to define the continuous shaft therethrough, a plurality of liner panel members, a plurality of studs engaging the liner members, at least one partition member spaced away from the liner members by the studs so as to form an air gap between the partition member and a corresponding one of the liner members, means for mounting the stud in a vertical disposition, said stud-mounting means comprising a floor runner attached to said floor, and means permitting said liner members and the studs to be inserted within the runner from only the side of the wall opposite to the shaft side.

2. The wall as defined in claim 1, wherein some of said studs are each a one-piece metal channel having means for engaging the liner members on more than one vertical side thereof, said wall comprising means for engaging the liner members on three vertical sides thereof.

3. The wall as defined in claim 2, wherein said partition member comprises two continuous rows of wall-board panels.

4. The wall as defined in claim 2, and further including a base as an integral part of said stud for supporting the partition member, the base having no openings therethrough.

5. An air shaft wall in a building generally surrounding a vertical air shaft extending continuously through at least two stories and capable of generating destructive wind loading, the wall comprising at least one floor and one adjacent ceiling cut away to define the continuous shaft therethrough, means for mounting a stud in a vertical disposition, said studmounting means comprising a floor runner attached to said floor, said runner having at least one flange, at least two liner panel members one side of which is exposed to the shaft, means for abutting said one side to the flange of the runner, at least one stud characterized by means for engaging said liner members on more than one vertical side thereof, means for engaging said liner members on three vertical sides thereof, and means for erecting at least one partition member away from the shaft and spaced from said liner members so as to leave an air gap there-between, said erecting means being independent of said liner members.

6. An air shaft cavity wall in a building generally surrounding a vertical air shaft extending continuously, the wall comprising at least one floor having an edge adjacent the continuous shaft, a plurality of liner panel members, a plurality of studs engaging the liner members, at least one partition member spaced away from the liner members by the studs so as to form an air gap between the partition member and a corresponding one of the liner members, means for mounting the stud in a vertical disposition, said stud-mounting means comprising a floor runner attached to said floor, and means permitting said liner members and the studs to be inserted within the runner from only the side of the wall opposite to the shaft side.

7. The wall as defined in claim 6, wherein some of said studs are each a one-piece metal channel having means for engaging the liner members on more than one vertical side thereof; said wall comprising means, including said engaging means of said one-piece metal channel and independent of said floor runner, for engaging said liner members on three vertical sides thereof.

8. The wall as defined in claim 6 wherein said shaft is an elevator shaft.

9. An air shaft wall in a building generally surrounding a vertical air shaft extending continuously, the wall comprising at least one floor having an edge adjacent the continuous shaft, means for mounting a stud in a vertical disposition, said stud-mounting means comprising a floor runner attached to said floor, said runner having at least one flange, at least two liner panel members one side of which is exposed to the shaft, means for abutting said one side to the flange of the runner, at least one stud characterized by means for engaging said liner members on more than one vertical side thereof, means, including said engaging means of said stud and independent of said floor runner, for engaging the liner members on three vertical sides thereof, and means for erecting at least one partition member away from the shaft and spaced from said liner members so as to leave an air gap therebetween, said erecting means being independent of said liner members.

10. The wall as recited in claim 9 wherein said shaft is an elevator shaft.

11. The wall as defined in claim 5 wherein:

said means for abutting said one side of the liner panel members to the flange of the runner includes said means for engaging the liner members on three vertical sides thereof; and

said means for engaging the liner members on three vertical sides thereof comprises means for abutting but not attaching said one side of the liner panel members to the flange of the runner.

12. The wall as defined in claim 11 and comprising:

screw means for attaching said one side of the liner panel members to the flange of the runner.

13. An air shaft cavity wall as recited in claim 1 wherein said liner panel members each have one side facing said shaft and said wall comprises means, including means on each stud for abutting said one side of a liner panel member, permitting said liner panel members and the studs to be assembled in said wall without preassembly of the liner panel members and the studs.

14. An air shaft cavity wall as recited in claim 6 wherein said liner panel members each have one side facing said shaft and said wall comprises means, including means on each stud for abutting said one side of a liner panel member, permitting said liner panel members and the studs to be assembled in said wall without preassembly of the liner panel members and the studs.