Abstract: A doorframe assembly for hollow-wall partition construction is disclosed and comprises metal backer jamb members adapted for attachment to opposite sides of a door opening, a metal header member adapted for attachment to an upper horizontal side of a door opening, vinyl jamb members snap-engaged with the metal backer jamb members, a vinyl header cover snap-engaged with the metal header member, hinge plate means for supporting a door attached within a hinge plate recess along a wall portion of a vinyl jamb member at the hinge side of the door opening, strike plate means adapted for receiving lockset means attached within a strike plate recess along a wall portion of a vinyl jamb member at the lockset side of the door opening, wherein said assembly provides an easily installed, finished, and mortised construction.

Abstract: A fire resistant aluminum door frame assembly is provided which comprises a partition wall having a door opening therethrough; a header assembly; opposing jamb assemblies; a strike assembly disposed along one jamb assembly; at least one hinge assembly disposed along the opposite jamb assembly; and a door member supported within said door opening by said hinge assembly and having a lockset engaging said strike assembly; whereby upon exposure to extreme heat, the door frame assembly accommodates expansion of the header and jamb assemblies without buckling, and said strike and hinge assemblies respectively maintain said door support and lockset engagement of the door member, wherein said door frame assembly attains a fire rating.

Abstract: A device for supporting and storing the mainsail of a sailboat on the boom thereof comprising one or more support members composed of a resilient material having resilient clamp apparatus at a median portion thereof adapted to be mounted in clamping engagement with the boom, and flexible arms extending therefrom adapted to support the mainsail as it is lowered and being sufficiently flexible to be folded around the sail and having apparatus at its ends adapted to be affixed to each other, thereby securing the sail to the boom in folded condition.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced cementitious sheet is formed by first co-mixing in an air current reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers, and cementitious mineral materials in finely particulate form such as calcium sulfate hemihydrate, both in substantially dry form, depositing the mixture on a moving foraminous surface by means of the air current to form a sheet, applying water as by spraying in at least an amount which is stoichiometrically sufficiently to hydrate the calcium sulfate hemihydrate to the dihydrate form and to provide the necessary degree of plasticity to the mixture, densifying the sheet by compression, and setting and drying the sheet. A pair of sheets may be utilized as face sheets and, prior to setting, combined with a core formed of for example a calcium sulfate hemihydrate slurry, and the sheets and core then set and dried to form a paper-free gypsum board having excellent strength, surface hardness, and fire-resistant properties.

Abstract: An accessible partition wall construction comprising in combination: Two parallel spaced-apart rows of wall panels; channel-shaped studs disposed at panel joints; stud clips engaging the studs at a flange and rib; interchangeable panel clips removably engaging the stud clips; whereby the partition wall construction allows accessibility by lifting a panel upward to slide an overlapped panel clip off a stud clip and then moving the panel horizontally away from the construction, and wherein reinstallation is accommodated by reversing the procedure, whereby said panel clips are interchangeable at either side of the joint and wherein extending projections of said panel clips are substantially identical and the panel clip is symmetric about a horizontal plane.

Abstract: An attachment system for suspended drywall ceiling panels is disclosed. The attachment system comprises a panel support grid having a series of main-runners and cross-runners disposed with lower panel attachment surfaces in generally co-planar relationship and said grid having intersection points at main-runner and cross-runner crossings. The attachment system has attachment clips positioned at said intersection points interconnecting cross-runners and main-runners. The attachment clips being integrally constructed from light-gauge steel and having a box-like configuration with two opposing vertical walls and opposing upper and lower horizontal walls wherein the upper wall centrally separates into halves. The upper wall halves include upwardly extending tabs with tab connecting means releasably connectiing both halves. The opposing vertical walls of the attachment clip each having an oppositely extending cross-runner attachment flange.

Abstract: An accessible partition assembly is disclosed which comprises two opposed spaced-apart rows of panels, each panel having opposite vertical edges, and interior and exterior panel faces, adjacent panels meeting at joints in edge-to-edge relationship, a plurality of studs located intermediate said rows of panels, and positioned at joints between a pair of adjacent panels, panel and stud engageable means at each said joint, said engageable means comprising a first and second clip, each clip engaging a stud and one panel edge at a joint, whereby panels are demountably engaged to studs by means of a first clip engaged at one vertical edge and a second clip at the opposite vertical edge.

Abstract: A process for preparing calcined gypsum (stucco) which comprises treating a mass of calcined gypsum by adding, with thorough blending, small portions of an aqueous solution of ligno sulfonate; allowing the treated stucco to heal; and optionally drying the healed stucco and further optionally grinding the healed stucco. If the treated calcined gypsum is not to be used shortly after the healing procedure, it should be dried to provide storage stability. If further strength is desired the treated stucco should be ground to expose fresh crystal faces. The process is particularly useful in gypsum board manufacture and production of bagged building and industrial plasters.

Abstract: A mobile home ceiling unit and a method for manufacturing said unit are disclosed. The mobile home ceiling unit comprises an arranged plurality of panels fastened to a roof frame. The roof frame has an outer truss member at opposite ends and a multiplicity of intermediate truss members therebetween. Intermediate truss members being rigidly affixed to the panels by means of back fasteners and adhesive material. The roof frame additionally provides perimeter side edge rails. The side edge rails and outer truss members are fastened to the panels by means of front face fasteners along the perimeter of the front face surface of the panel arrangement. The front face surface perimeter of the ceiling unit is adapted to supportively coact along support wall means. The ceiling unit provides a concealed back fastened ceiling structure having unitized construction. A method for making said unitized, ready-to-install, mobile home ceiling structure is also disclosed.

Abstract: A calcining apparatus comprising a kettle, a heating chamber for heating the outside of the kettle, a stack for exhausting gas from the heating chamber, a duct connected at one end to the stack and having the other end extending for a limited distance into the contents of the reaction chamber of the kettle for introducing a portion of the stack gas directly into the calcining reaction mixture, and means for propelling the stack gas through the duct and into the reaction chamber of the kettle, thereby directly adding heat to the reaction mixture and accomplishing fuel conservation by recapturing and utilizing a portion of the heat from the stack gas.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for producing a healed stucco having lowered water demand without loss of normal strength development potential which comprises, while blending a small amount of water with the calcined gypsum, simultaneously or substantially simultaneously grinding the calcined gypsum so as to increase the surface area of the calcined gypsum particles while incorporating about 1-10% by weight of the calcined gypsum of free water.

Abstract: Sheet metal is processed by providing one or more corrugations longitudinally along the sheet in a position spaced from both lateral edges of the sheet while the lateral edges are maintained in fixed relationship to each other, thereby causing the sheet metal portion containing the corrugations to be stretched. The corrugated portion is subsequently rolled or otherwise pressed to flatten out the corrugations either partially or completely, resulting in a sheet which is wider than the original, but which still has certain areas having the original thickness. The sheet metal thus processed may be utilized to form structural members such as channels or studs which are less expensive for a given size than conventional structural members, but which still exhibit sufficient supportive strength by virtue of the portions thereof which retain their original thickness.

Abstract: A fiber-reinforced cementitious sheet is formed by first co-mixing in an air current reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers, and cementitious mineral materials in finely particulate form such as calcium sulfate hemihydrate, both in substantially dry form, depositing the mixture on a moving foraminous surface by means of the air current to form a sheet, applying water as by spraying in at least an amount which is stoichiometrically sufficient to hydrate the calcium sulfate hemihydrate to the dihydrate form and to provide the necessary degree of plasticity to the mixture, densifying the sheet by compression, and setting and drying the sheet. A pair of sheets may be utilized as face sheets and, prior to setting, combined with a core formed of for example a calcium sulfate hemihydrate slurry, and the sheets and core then set and dried to form a paper-free gypsum board having excellent strength, surface hardness, and fire-resistant properties.

Abstract: A steel edged gypsum wall panel engageable by flanged studs is disclosed. The panel having a body portion being from about 5/16 inches to about 3/4 inches thick with front and back faces and having opposite marginal edges. Said steel edging having a chan- nel shape and comprising a front flange, a back flange, and a web portion integrally connecting said flanges and adapted to contact the marginal edges wherein said back flange terminates in a return flange providing an engageable slot therebetween.

Abstract: A process for improving the strengths and resistance to water absorption of wood fiber hardboard, along with a lessening in the number of conventional steps, is disclosed. Hardboad is thereby produced by a process wherein drying oil is added to the wood chips prior to the pulp preparation stage; and optionally an oxidation accelerator is added during the pulp preparation stage. The hardboard is then formed in the usual manner without requiring the conventional addition of binder ingredients in the stock chest, without requiring conventional baking following pressing and, in the case of "tempered" hardboard without requiring the subsequent addition of tempering materials and baking following the conventional press operation.

Abstract: A door formed of a pair of spaced-apart metal skins and a core provided intermediate the skins composed of a foamed plastic material. A plastic housing is provided having a wall substantially perpendicular to and engaging the metal skins and cooperating therewith to define a lock cylinder chamber and a communicating lock bolt chamber and preventing the foam plastic material from entering the chambers.

Abstract: A remountable unitary extruded plastic base for wall construction providing a decorative finished appearance, said extrusion having a preinstalled generally L-shape comprising a first leg connected to a second longer leg by means of a flexible hinge connection wherein the first leg is rotated to snap engage with the second leg to thereby conceal an attachment surface having fasteners therethrough, wherein the attachment surface and fasteners are concealed within a pocket portion between the first leg and second leg.

Abstract: An attachment system, and attachment clip therefor, is disclosed for attaching panel engaging ceiling runners, positioned either parallel or perpendicular, to air distribution bar structures and inverted-T runner ceiling supporting structures.