Wall-supporting device
A wall-supporting device for use in construction of a building to prevent water located on a floor surface from absorbing into a building material forming a vertical wall surface by separating the building material a distance from the floor. The wall-supporting device is placed along a lower portion of a wall so that a lower surface of the wall-supporting device abuts an upper floor surface. The wall-supporting device secures to a portion of a wall, for example, wall studs, and includes an engagement surface located a distance above the upper floor surface that abuts a lower edge of the material.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wall-supporting device used in interior walls of a building, wherein the device separates a material forming a vertical wall surface from an upper floor surface.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Historically, the interior walls of a building were designed such that a lower edge of building material used to form a vertical wall surface, such as wallboard, was located approximately one-half inch above an upper surface of the floor and attached along the length of the wall to support studs, for example, by nails or screws. Recently, as a result of temporal and fiscal concerns, builders have been placing the lower edge of the building material or wallboard directly onto the upper surface of the floor during construction. Therefore, when water enters the building, whether by flooding, a broken pipe, or an open sprinkler head, for example, the water running along the floor contacts the wallboard. Because wallboard is a dry and porous material, the water is quickly absorbed thereinto. As a result, the water not only stains the wallboard, but, over time, the water causes rot and mold growth, further damaging the wallboard and potentially exposing the building occupants to illness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe instant invention addresses these problems, as well as others, by separating a lower edge of building material forming a vertical wall surface, such as wallboard, from an upper surface of a floor.
The present invention is a wall-supporting device that comprises a support member disposed on a floor and having an engagement surface that supports and separates a piece of building material a predetermined distance from the floor. A fastening device secures the support member to a wall.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the support member includes a body comprising a first vertical member and a second vertical member that is in front of and substantially parallel to the first vertical member. A third vertical member, substantially parallel to the first and second vertical members, is disposed above the first vertical member. A first bridging member extends between the first and second vertical members at lower ends thereof. A second bridging member extends between the first and second vertical members at upper ends thereof, wherein an upper surface of the second bridging member is the engagement surface of the support member. In one embodiment of the present invention, the first vertical member is equal to the vertical height of the second vertical member. In another embodiment, the height of the first vertical member is less than the height of the second vertical member but more than one-half of the height of the second vertical member. According to a further embodiment, the vertical height of the first vertical member is less than one-half of the height of the second vertical member. According to an additional embodiment, the first and third vertical members form a continuous member.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the fastening device secures to the wall through the third vertical member.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the second vertical member includes at least one opening. The fastening device is insertable through the at least one opening to secure the support member to the wall through the first vertical member.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the support member includes a cavity. Optionally, the support member includes a fire-retardant material disposed within the cavity. A wall-supporting device having the fire-retardant material within the cavity is used in interior walls of a building designated with a fire rating. Additionally, fire-retardant material is included on the engagement surface, which forms a seal between the building material and the support material.
The wall-supporting device of the present invention can be manufactured or cut into sections of any desired length and optionally includes a coupling nested within the cavities of adjacent sections of the support member. The coupling is particularly used in a fire rated wall of a building but is not limited to any such application. The coupling and the support member include mating dimples for interlocking and positioning adjacent sections of the support member. In one embodiment, the coupling forms a C-shape comprising an upper member, a lower member below and substantially parallel to the upper member, and a front member. When nested within the cavities of adjacent support members, an upper surface of the upper member contacts a lower surface of the second bridging member, a lower surface of the lower member contacts an upper surface of the first bridging member, and a front surface of the front member contacts a back surface of the second vertical member.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the support member comprises a front portion and a back portion. The front portion nests within the back portion and can overlap adjacent sections of the front member. In one embodiment, the back portion comprises an upper member, a lower member below and substantially parallel with the upper member, and a back member. The front portion includes a top member, a bottom member below and substantially parallel with the top member, and a back member. When nested, an upper surface of the top member contacts a lower surface of the upper member, and a lower surface of the bottom member contacts an upper surface of the lower member. The engagement surface is an upper surface of the upper member of the back portion. Optionally, the front portion and lower portion includes mating dimples for positioning and interlocking the front portion within the back portion. In one embodiment, the front portion includes dimples in the top and bottom members, and the back portion includes dimples in the upper and lower members. The fastening device secures the support member to the wall through the back member of the back portion.
According to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, the cavity is formed when the front portion and the back portion are nested. A fire-retardant material is disposed within the cavity when the present embodiment is used in a fire rated wall. Additionally, a fire-retardant is disposed on the engagement surface and forms a seal between the support member and the building material.
The wall-supporting device is manufactured from metal, such as galvanized steel, or any other suitable material (e.g., alloys and any other such waterproof materials).
Additional aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be better understood as set forth in the following description and accompanying drawings and will also become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In the different figures, the same reference numbers designate identical or similar features or components.
Referring to
While the first vertical member 20 is illustrated as having a height substantially equal to a height of the second vertical member 30, it is within the scope of the invention that the first vertical member 20′ have a height significantly less than the height of the second vertical member 30, such as, for example only, the first vertical member 20′ has a vertical height that is less than 50% of the vertical height of the second vertical member 30, as shown in
Referring to
In a preferred embodiment, the wall-supporting device 10 is formed from metal, such as galvanized steel, and by a sheet metal forming operation well known in the metal forming art. Alternately, the wall-supporting device 10 can be formed by an extrusion manufacturing technique also well known in the metal forming art. Additionally, it is within the scope of the present invention that the wall-supporting device 10 be formed by any suitable metal-forming operation. Further, it is also within the scope of the present invention that the wall-supporting device 10 be manufactured from any suitable material, for example, thermoplastics or fiberglass, wherein the selection of the material of the wall-supporting device 10 is partially determined by the characteristics of wall surface material being supported, such as the size and weight of the material.
Again referring to
A wallboard 80, or any other suitable building material for forming a vertical wall surface, engages the wall-supporting device 10 such that a lower edge of the wallboard 80 abuts an upper surface of the upper bridge member 50 and a lower portion of a back surface of the wallboard 80 abuts a front surface of the third vertical member 60. The wallboard 80 is then secured to the wall studs 110 in a traditional manner, such as with nails or screws (not shown).
A baseboard 130 optionally attaches to a lower portion of a front surface of the wall 100 such that, for example, the baseboard 130 covers at least one of a front surface of the second vertical member 30 of the wall supporting device 10, a lower portion of a front surface of the wallboard 80, and the interface between the lower edge of the wallboard 80 and the upper bridge member 50. The baseboard 130 attaches to the wall 100 with, for example, adhesive glue, although it is within the scope of the present invention that the baseboard 130 be attached in any suitable manner, such as with nails or screws, that is preferred in the industry.
It is preferable that the upper bridge member 50 and the third vertical member 60 abut the wallboard 80 along the entire span of a wall. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to have neighboring sections of the wall-supporting device 10 separated so that the lower edge of the wallboard 80 is not in continuous contact with the wall supporting devices 10 along the span of the wall 100.
Once installed, the wall-supporting device 10 separates the wallboard 80 above the upper surface of the floor 90 by a distance corresponding to the height H of the second vertical member 30, to prevent any water existing on the floor 90 at a depth less than H from contacting, and being absorbed into, the wallboard 80. By preventing water absorption into the wallboard 80, a substantial cost associated with drying or replacing the wallboard 80, the risk of mold growth on the wallboard 80, and the health risks associated therewith can be avoided.
It is readily understood that the wall-supporting device 10 can be manufactured in numerous sizes to accommodate wallboards 80 having various thicknesses as well as to increase or decrease a separation distance of the wallboard 80 from an upper surface of the floor 90 by altering the height H and width W of the passageway 70.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
The wall-supporting device 10 can be used in both fire-rated and non-fire rated walls of a building. A fire rating designates the extent to which a portion of a building must be resistant to fire.
Optionally, the wall-supporting device 10 includes dimples 220 protruding inwards towards the passageway 70 in the upper and lower bridge members 40 and 50, as shown in
The dimples 220 are positioned along sections of the wall-supporting device 10 and mate with the dimples 230 when adjacent sections of the wall-supporting device 10 abut at respective ends. As a result, the dimples 220 and 230 provide both positioning and locking functions. Further, it is within the scope of the invention that the dimples 220 be provided at regular intervals along a length of the sections of the wall-supporting device. By providing the dimples 220 at regular intervals, a section of the wall-supporting device 10 retains the positioning and locking functions even when the section must be cut to a smaller length.
The wall-supporting device 10 used in a fire-rated application optionally includes a bead of fire retardant material 240 along the upper surface of the upper bridge member 50, as illustrated in
Referring again to
The embodiments of the present invention illustrated in
In a preferred embodiment, the wall-supporting device 250 is formed from metal, such as galvanized steel, and is formed by a sheet metal forming operation or an extrusion manufacturing technique well known in the metal forming art. Moreover, it is within the scope of the present invention that the wall-supporting device 250 be formed by any suitable metal-forming operation. It is also within the scope of the present invention that the wall-supporting device 10 be manufactured from any suitable material, for example, thermoplastics or fiberglass, wherein the selection of the material of the wall-supporting device 250 is partially determined by the characteristics of wall surface material being supported, such as the size and weight of the material. Additionally, each of the front and back portions 260 and 270 can be cut or otherwise formed into sections of any desired length.
Optionally, both the front and back portions 260 and 270 include dimples and 370 and 380, respectively, as illustrated in
Preferably, the dimples 370 and 380 are formed at a fixed interval along respective first and second portions 260 and 270, so that the dimples 370 and 380 mate along an entire length of the wall-supporting device 250. Further, the outermost dimples 370 and 380 on each section of the front and back portions 260 and 270, respectively, are located at approximately one-half of the interval distance from the ends of the sections. Therefore, when two sections of the back portions 270, for example, are made to abut in an end-to-end fashion, a distance approximately equal to one interval separates the two outermost dimples 370. Accordingly, the dimples 370 will mate with the dimples 380 when a section of the front portion 260 is made to overlap two abutting sections of the rear portion 270.
Referring to
Next, a building material forming a vertical wall surface, such as a wallboard 430, is set onto an upper surface of the upper horizontal member 310. However, it is within the scope of the present invention that any suitable building material for forming a vertical surface of an interior wall (wall surface materials) can be used, such as, wood, paneling, stone, or marble. The wallboard 430 is then secured to the studs 410, such as with nails or screws (not shown). Optionally, a baseboard 440 is attached to a lower portion of the wall 390 such that, for example, the baseboard 440 covers an outer surface of the vertical member 300 and a lower portion of a front surface of the wallboard 430. The baseboard 440 attaches to the wall 390 with an adhesive, such as glue, although it is within the scope of the present invention that the baseboard 390 can be attached in any suitable manner, such as with nails or screws.
Once installed, the wall-supporting device 250 separates the wallboard 430 above the upper surface of the floor 400 by a distance H2, thereby preventing any water existing on the floor 400 at a depth less than H2 from contacting and being absorbed into the wallboard 430. By preventing water absorption, a substantial cost associated with drying or replacing the wallboard 430, the risk of mold growth on the wallboard 430, and the health risks associated therewith are avoided. Moreover, it is readily understood that the wall-supporting device 250 can be manufactured in numerous sizes to accommodate wallboards 430 having various thicknesses as well as to increase or decrease the separation distance of the wallboard 430 from an upper surface of the floor 400 by altering the height H2 and width W2 of the wall-supporting device 250.
The embodiments shown in
While there has been described what are at present considered to be preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made thereto, and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the invention. Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Claims
1. A wall-supporting device to support building material thereon, the device comprising:
- a support member disposed on a floor and having a body; and
- a fastening device to secure the support member to a wall,
- wherein the body includes an engagement surface located a predetermined vertical distance from the floor, and
- wherein a piece of building material is supported by the engagement surface.
2. The wall-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the body of the support member comprises:
- a first vertical member;
- a second vertical member positioned opposite and substantially parallel to the first vertical member;
- a third vertical member disposed above and substantially parallel to the first vertical member;
- a first bridging member extending between lower end portions of the first and second vertical members;
- a second bridging member disposed above and substantially parallel to the first bridging member and extending between an upper end portion of the second vertical member and a lower end portion of the third vertical member,
- wherein the engagement surface is an upper surface of the second bridging member.
3. The wall-supporting device according to claim 2, wherein the fastening device secures the support member to the wall through the third vertical member.
4. The wall-supporting device according to claim 2, wherein a vertical height of the first vertical member is equal to a vertical height of the second vertical member.
5. The wall-supporting device according to claim 2, wherein a vertical height of the first vertical member is less than a vertical height of the second vertical member but is more than one-half of the vertical height of the second vertical member.
6. The wall-supporting device according to claim 2, wherein a vertical height of the first vertical member is less than one-half of a vertical height of the second vertical member.
7. The wall-supporting device according to claim 2, wherein a vertical height of the first vertical member is equal to a vertical height of the second vertical member, and wherein the first vertical member and the third vertical member for a continuous member.
8. The wall-supporting device according to claim 2, wherein the body of the support member further comprises at least one opening in the second vertical member.
9. The wall-supporting device according to claim 7, wherein the fastening device secures the support member to the wall through the first vertical member.
10. The wall-supporting device according to claim 2, wherein the body of the support member further comprises a cavity defined by the first and second vertical members and the first and second bridging members, wherein a fire-retardant material is disposed within the cavity.
11. The wall-supporting device according to claim 10, wherein the support member further comprises a fire retardant material disposed on the engagement surface forming a seal between the support member and the piece of building material.
12. The wall-supporting device according to claim 10, wherein the wall-supporting device further comprises a coupling, which nests within a channel defined by the first bridging member, the second bridging member, and the second vertical member.
13. The wall-supporting device according to claim 12, wherein the coupling further comprises:
- an upper member;
- a lower member below and substantially parallel to the upper member; and
- a front member extending between end portions of the upper and lower member;
- wherein an upper surface of the upper member contacts a lower surface of the second bridging member of the body of the support member, a lower surface of the lower member contacts an upper surface of the first bridging member of the body of the support member, and a front surface of the front member contacts a back surface of the second vertical member of the body of the support member.
14. The wall-supporting device according to claim 12, wherein the support member further comprises at least one dimple formed in at least one of the first and second bridging members that mate with corresponding at least one dimple formed in at least one of the upper and lower members, respectively, of the coupling for positioning and locking the support member and the coupling to each other.
15. The wall-supporting device according to claim 1, wherein the body of the support member comprises:
- a back portion comprising: an upper member; a lower member disposed below and substantially parallel to the upper member; and a back member extending between the upper and lower members; and
- a front portion comprising: a top member; a bottom member disposed below and substantially parallel to the top member; and a front member extending between the top and bottom members,
- wherein the front portion is nested within the back portion, and
- wherein the engagement surface is an upper surface of the upper member.
16. The wall-supporting device according to claim 15, wherein the body further comprises a cavity defined by the top member of the front portion, the bottom member of the front portion, the front member of the front portion, and the back member of the back portion and having a fire retardant material disposed therein.
17. The wall-supporting device according to claim 16, wherein the fire retardant material is disposed on the engagement surface and forms a seal between the body and the building material.
18. The wall-supporting device of claim 15, wherein the back portion further comprises at least one dimple formed in at least one of the upper and lower members that mate with at least one dimple formed in at least one of the top and bottom members, respectively, of the front portion for positioning and locking the front portion within the back portion.
19. The wall-supporting device of claim 15, wherein a section of the front portion overlaps adjacent sections of the back portion.
20. The wall-supporting device of claim 19, wherein the fastener secures the support member to the wall through the back portion.
Type: Application
Filed: May 18, 2005
Publication Date: Nov 23, 2006
Inventors: Paxton Orndorff (Manassas, VA), Greg Orndorff (Manassas, VA)
Application Number: 11/131,246
International Classification: E04G 11/00 (20060101);