Abstract: A cementitious composition useful for water-resistant construction materials, including floor underlayments, backing boards, self-leveling floor materials, road patching materials, fiberboard, fire-proofing sprays, and fire-stopping materials includes about 20 wt. % to about 75 wt. % calcium sulfate beta-hemihydrate, about 10 wt. % to about 50 wt. % Portland cement, about 4 wt. % to about 20 wt. % silica fume and about 1 wt. % to about 50 wt. % pozzolanic aggregate. The Portland cement component may also be a blend of Portland cement with fly ash and/or ground blast slag.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing gypsum board, comprising apparatus for coating a cover sheet with a relatively high density gypsum slurry, apparatus for forming edge borders on the sheet with relatively high density gypsum slurry, and apparatus for forming a core on the coating and between the edge borders, the core comprising a relatively low density gypsum. The apparatus for coating the sheet comprises a relatively soft pressure roll and a relatively hard coating roll, the two rolls being normally pressed together to form a nip between them and a sheet to be coated passing through the nip. The pressure roll is below the sheet and the coating roll, and the axis of the pressure roll is offset from the axis of the coating roll in upstream direction of the movement of the sheet. The pressure roll has a surface area which contacts and moves in the same direction as the sheet, and the coating roll has a surface area which contacts and moves in the opposite direction of the sheet.

Abstract: A cementitious composition useful for water-resistant construction materials, including floor underlayments, backing boards, self-leveling floor materials, road patching materials, fiberboard, fire-proofing sprays, and fire-stopping materials includes about 20 wt. % to about 75 wt. % calcium sulfate beta-hemihydrate, about 10 wt. % to about 50 wt. % Portland cement, about 4 wt. % to about 20 wt. % silica fume and about 1 wt. % to about 50 wt. % pozzolanic aggregate. The Portland cement component may also be a blend of Portland cement with fly ash and/or ground blast slag.

Abstract: An elongated metal structural member including an expanded metal web formed by severing a metal strip along a sinuous path forming a plurality of keystone-shaped tabs on each half, moving the two halves directly away from each other until outer corners of the tabs of one half overlap outer corners of the tabs of the other half, and affixing together the outer corners of one half with outer corners of the other half.

Abstract: A process for the production of a ready-mixed setting-type joint compound includes the use of calcium sulfate hemihydrate, water, and a set-retarding agent. The retarder includes a polymer composition including acrylic acid and acrylamide monomer units, for example a copolymer (or a mixture of copolymers) of acrylic acid and acrylamide or a blend of a homopolymer of acrylic acid and a homopolymer of acrylamide. The joint compound can be combined with an accelerator including a metallic salt. The joint compound of the invention can be formulated either as a lightweight joint compound or as a conventional weight joint compound. The joint compounds provide short setting times, reduced shrinkage, reduced preparation time, and beneficial application properties.

Abstract: A hollow shaft wall stud corner clip adjoins ends of horizontal studs at a shaft wall structure corner and is readily adaptable for supporting core boards in a fire rated ceiling or a fire rated duct and for holding core board in place at a top or a bottom of a horizontal stud hollow shaft wall. The clip has a central web for positioning against a stud or track flange and an angled flange with a core board-supporting extremity.

Abstract: A hollow shaft wall stud corner clip adjoins ends of horizontal studs at a shaft wall structure corner and is readily adaptable for supporting core boards in a fire rated ceiling or a fire rated duct and for holding core board in place at a top or a bottom of a horizontal stud hollow shaft wall. The clip has a central web for positioning against a stud or track flange and an angled flange with a core board-supporting extremity.

Abstract: A system for delivering a proper proportion of water and starch to form a slurry on a continuous basis responsive to the rate required for the production of gypsum board has a water input controller and a starch input controller to control the rate of water and starch input to a mix/hold tank and a starch slurry output controller to control the output of slurry from the mix/hold tank to the gypsum board production line. A programmable logic controller monitors the output rate and density of the delivered slurry, compares them to a target value and signals the input controllers and/or the output controller to adjust the input and output rates accordingly.

Abstract: An elongated metal structural member including an expanded metal web formed by severing a metal strip along a sinuous path forming a plurality of keystone-shaped tabs on each half, moving the two halves directly away from each other until outer corners of the tabs of one half overlap outer corners of the tabs of the other half, and affixing together the outer corners of one half with outer corners of the other half.

Abstract: A laterally stiffened, elongate, roll-formed metal stud, or equivalent structural member having a central web with alternating deformed and undeformed portions.

Abstract: A generally flat attachment plate for providing a mounting surface on a side of a Z-stud, which surface is perpendicular to the Z-stud flanges. The plate has tongues on one edge engaging an inwardly directed lip on the Z-stud flange, and means on the opposite edge to affix the plate to the angled web of the Z-stud, such as by tabs which fit into slots on the web. The Z-stud has two rows of slots for use in mounting the plates or for suspending the Z-stud from a ceiling.

Abstract: A hollow shaft wall with horizontal studs held between corner posts and an intermediate vertical wall support post, which intermediate post has a central reinforcement channel, the reinforcement channel has a bottom and two side walls, the channel is filled with strips of gypsum board, and the two side walls have metal channels affixed thereto providing oppositely opening grooves for receiving and supporting the ends of said horizontal studs.

Abstract: A veneer plaster having strengths of substantially greater than 3,000 psi, abrasion resistance of penetrations less than 0.04 inch with 1,000 cycles of a five-pound brush using a 3M Granule Embedding Testing Machine, made from about 1,800 pounds of calcium sulfate beta hemihydrate, 200 pounds of fine silica sand, and about 4 pounds of a fine, white powder dispersant typified by a melamine-formaldehyde-sodium bisulfite polymer.

Abstract: An extendible stud, consisting of two substantially identical C-studs each of which has opposed flanges of substantially different widths and inwardly turned lips at the flange outer edges, and each C-stud having an elongate central area in its web located at substantially the middle of said C-stud cross-section, which two C-studs are interconnected by the narrow flange of each being held within the channel formed by the wider flange and the associated lip and web of the other C-stud, and the elongate central areas of the webs of the two C-studs abutting one another.

Abstract: A bundling tape has two rows of perforations extending from one end of the tape to the other; the perforations are arranged inward of and substantially parallel to the edges. A first band is formed between one edge and a first row of perforations, and a second band is formed between the other edge and the second row of perforations; between the two rows of perforations is a center band tear strip. The bands have co-planar upper and lower surfaces. A laminated bundling tape embodiment also has an additional zipper tape attached to the lower surface of the center band, and apparatus and methods are described for making this laminated tape. Bundles of material, such as wallboard, are fastened together by adhering the bottom surface of the first band to the uppermost sheet of material, and by adhering the bottom portion of the second band to the lowermost sheet.

Abstract: A foldable floor track or ceiling track having 1/8-inch-wide slots in the flanges and a 1/8-inch-high rib in the web, between the slots, permitting the track to be cleanly folded in half at the factory, for convenient packaging and handling, and then unfolded and fastened to the floor and the ceiling at a job site.

Abstract: A wallboard package having edge protective tape which connects two wallboards face-to-face, with an adhesive film on the tape inner surface adapted for use in affixing the wallboards to wall studs.

Abstract: A hollow shaft wall having a cavity of a first width substantially throughout said wall and a cavity of a greater width in a limited section for the reception of a relatively deep utility box, the limited section having board omitted on one side thereof, and a short section of board affixed over the omitted section, creating the cavity of a greater width. The short section of board is affixed to boards or studs of the wall by short elongate clips having a pair of channels opening in opposite directions.

Abstract: Horizontal panels, each consisting of top and bottom horizontal studs, with gypsum boards affixed therebetween, are stacked vertically, with suitable means for maintaining the wall vertical.

Abstract: A bundling tape has two rows of perforations extending from one end of the tape to the other; the perforations are arranged inward of and substantially parallel to the edges. A first band is formed between one edge and a first row of perforations, and a second band is formed between the other edge and the second row of perforations; between the two rows of perforations is a center band tear strip. The bands have co-planar upper and lower surfaces. A laminated bundling tape embodiment also has an additional zipper tape attached to the lower surface of the center band, and apparatus and methods are described for making this laminated tape. Bundles of material, such as wallboard, are fastened together by adhering the bottom surface of the first band to the uppermost sheet of material, and by adhering the bottom portion of the second band to the lowermost sheet.