Diagonally braced sheet metal framing wall
A bracing beam extends at a diagonal between an end portion of a track and a stud, or between two studs. A series of the brace beam sections extend along a diagonal line to diagonally brace a framing wall. Each bracing beam section has a web and a pair of flanges connected to the web. The ends of the beam are cut so as to form end members which are end portions of the web of the bracing beam. The web ends are fastened by screws to two framing members between which the bracing beam extends. Some of the web end portions of the brace beams are connected to the outside of the web of the stud and others are connected to the inside of the web of the stud.
This invention relates to framing walls comprising horizontal and vertical sheet metal framing members. More particularly, it relates to framing walls in which bracing beam sections are provided between the studs for bracing the wall along a diagonal line or along crossing diagonal lines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONU.S. Pat. No. 5,784,850, granted Jul. 28, 1998, to William L. Elderson, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,618, granted Feb. 8, 2000, to William L. Elderson, show prior art framing that includes a bracing member extending horizontally through openings in the webs of sheet metal studs. Some walls need to be braced better than other walls, e.g. walls that are subjected to high wind loads. A known way of bracing these walls is to attach crossing diagonal sheet metal straps to the flanges of the studs on one of both sides of the wall. Wall board is installed over the strapping. The presence of the strapping distorts the wall board enough that it is no longer planar and this can be seen. An object of the present invention is to provide a bracing system for a framing wall comprising one or more diagonal braces which are positioned inside of the wall so that exterior straps and the distortion to the wall board that they cause are eliminated.
There is a need for an improved way of bracing a framing wall without the use of openings in the webs of the studs or straps on the outsides of the studs. The principal object of the present invention is to meet this need.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA wall structure of the present invention includes first and second sheet metal studs, each in the form of a channel having a closed web side and an open side. The open side of the first stud faces towards the closed side of the second stud. A sheet metal bracing beam extends at a diagonal between the first and second studs. The bracing beam is in the form of a channel having a closed side formed by a web and an open side. The bracing beam has web end portions that are bent at an angle from the rest of the web of the bracing beam. One web end portion of the bracing beam is connected to the inside of the web of the first stud and the other web end portion of the bracing beam is connected to the outside of the web of the second stud.
The present invention includes providing a wall composed of a plurality of studs and bracing beam sections extending diagonally between adjacent studs. The bracing beam sections have web end portions which are connected to the webs of the frame members between which it extends.
In preferred form, the sheet metal studs and the sheet metal bracing beams are substantially equal in width. The sheet metal studs and the bracing beams have flanges on a first side of the wall structure that substantially lie in a common plane, and have flanges on the opposite of the wall structure that substantially lie in a common plane. Wall board may be attached to both the studs and the bracing beams on one or both sides of the wall structure.
A first line of bracing beam sections may extend along a diagonal from an upper corner to an opposite lower corner. Also, a second line of bracing beams may extend along a second diagonal extending between the other upper corner and the other lower corner.
More than one bracing beam section may be positioned between adjacent studs. For example, upper and lower bracing beam sections may be positioned between two studs and be connected at their ends to the webs of the studs.
Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the description of the illustrated embodiments, set forth below, from the drawings, from the claims and from the principles that are embodied in the specific structures that are illustrated and described.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGLike reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the several views of the drawing, and:
According to the invention, the framing wall shown by
Referring to
Referring to
The upper ends (as pictured in
The upper end of brace beam 70 is like the upper end of brace beam 92. The lower end of brace beam 80 is like the lower end of brace beam 82. The lower ends of brace beams 70, 72, 76, 78 and the lower ends of brace beams 84, 86, 90, 92 are formed like the lower ends of brace beams 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 in
As shown in
In the embodiment shown by
In all of the embodiments, the brace beams preferably are equal in width to the width of the studs 14. Typically, this width is 3½ inches. When the brace beam widths are substantially the same as the stud widths the brace beam flanges and the stud flanges are substantially co-planar, on both sides of the wall. When the wallboard WB is attached, it can be connected to the brace beams as well as to the studs. This results in the wallboard WB providing additional bracing to the framing wall. This can result in an extremely strong wall construction.
The illustrated embodiments are only examples of the present invention and, therefore, are non-limitive. It is to be understood that many changes in the particular structure, materials and features of the disclosed structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is my intention that my patent rights not be limited by the particular embodiments that are illustrated and described herein, but rather are to be determined by the following claims, interpreted according to accepted doctrines of patent claim interpretation, including use of the doctrine of equivalents.
Claims
1. A wall structure, comprising:
- first and second sheet metal studs, each in the form of a channel having a closed web side and an open side;
- said open side of the first stud facing towards the closed side of the second stud;
- a sheet metal brace beam extending at a diagonal between the first and second studs, said brace beam being in the form of a channel having a closed side formed by a web and an open side;
- said brace beam having web end portions that are bent at an angle from the rest of the web of the brace beam; and
- wherein one web end portion of said brace beam is connected to the inside of the web of the first stud and the other web end portion of the brace beam is connected to the outside of the web of the second stud.
2. The wall structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second sheet metal studs and the sheet metal brace beam are substantially equal in width, and the first and second sheet metal studs and the brace beam have flanges on a first side of the wall structure that substantially lie in a common plane, and have flanges on the opposite side of the wall structure that substantially lie in a common plane.
3. The wall structure of claim 2, wherein the flanges of the brace beam have ends that are substantially contiguous the brace beam web end portions and the studs.
4. The wall structure of claim 1, comprising screw fasteners extending through the brace beam web end portions and the webs of the first and second studs for connecting the brace beam to the studs.
5. The wall structure of claim 3, wherein the ends of the flanges of the brace beam are substantially parallel to the webs of the first and second sheet metal studs.
6. The wall structure of claim 2, comprising screw fasteners extending through the brace beam web end portions and the webs of the first and second studs for connecting the brace beam to the studs.
7. The wall structure of claim 6, wherein the flanges of the brace beam have ends that are substantially contiguous the brace beam web end portions and the studs.
8. A wall structure, comprising:
- first, second and third sheet metal studs, each in the form of a channel having a closed web side and an open side;
- said open side of the first stud facing towards the closed side of the second stud;
- said open side of the second stud facing towards the closed side of the first stud;
- a first sheet metal brace beam extending at a diagonal between the first and second studs, said brace beam being in the form of a channel having a closed side formed by a web and an open side;
- a second sheet metal brace beam extending at a diagonal between the second and third studs, said second brace beam being in the form of a channel having a closed side formed by a web and an open side;
- said second sheet metal brace beam being substantially co-linear with the first sheet metal brace beam;
- said first brace beam having web end portions that are bent at an angle from the rest of the web of the first brace beam;
- said second brace beam having web end portions that are bent at an angle from the rest of the web of the second brace beam;
- wherein one web end portion of the first brace beam is connected to the inside of the web of the first stud and the other web end portion of the first brace beam is connected to the outside of the web of the second stud; and
- wherein one web end portion of the second brace beam is connected to the inside of the web of the second stud and the other web end portion of the second brace beam is connected to the outside of the web of the third stud.
9. The wall structure of claim 8, wherein the first, second and third sheet metal studs and the first and second sheet metal brace beams are substantially equal in width, and the first, second and third sheet metal studs and the first and second brace beams have flanges on a first side of the wall structure that substantially lie in a common plane, and have flanges on the opposite side of the wall structure that substantially lie in a common plane.
10. The wall structure of claim 9, wherein the flanges of the brace beams have ends that are substantially contiguous the end portions of the webs of the brace beam.
11. The wall structure of claim 8, comprising screw fasteners extending through the end portions of the webs of the brace beams and the webs of the studs to which they are connected.
12. The wall structure of claim 8, wherein the first brace beam slopes upwardly from its connection to the second stud to its connection with the first stud, and the second brace beam slopes downwardly from its connection to the second stud to its connection with the third stud.
13. The wall structure of claim 11, comprising a third brace beam extending at a diagonal between the first stud and the second stud;
- a fourth brace beam extending at a diagonal between the second stud and the third stud;
- wherein the third brace beam slopes downwardly from its connection to the second stud to its connection with the first stud, and the fourth brace beam slopes upwardly from its connection to the second stud to its connection with the third stud;
- wherein the third and fourth brace beams are each in the form of a channel having a closed side formed by a web and an open side;
- wherein the web portion of the third brace beam has web end portions that are bent at an angle from the rest of the web of the third brace beam;
- wherein the web portion of the fourth brace beam has web end portions that are bent at an angle from the rest of the web of the fourth brace beam;
- wherein the web end portion of the third brace beam is connected to the inside of the web of the first stud, and the opposite web end portion of the third brace beam is connected to the outside of the web of the first brace beam;
- wherein the web end portion of the fourth brace beam is connected to the inside of the web of the second stud; and
- wherein the web end portion of the fourth brace beam is connected to the outside of the web of the third stud.
14. A wall structure, comprising:
- a plurality of laterally spaced apart sheet metal studs;
- said wall structure having first and second ends, an upper corner portion at one end and a lower corner portion at the other end;
- a plurality of sheet metal brace beam sections positioned between the studs, and together forming a diagonal brace extending substantially from the first corner to the second corner;
- said sheet metal studs each being in the form of a channel having a closed web side and an open side;
- said open side of each stud facing towards the closed side of an adjacent stud;
- said sheet metal brace beam sections comprising channels, each including a web;
- said brace beam sections having web end portions that are bent at an angle from the rest of the web of the brace beam section; and
- wherein said brace beam sections have web end portions that are connected to the webs of the studs.
15. The wall structure of claim 14, comprising two brace beam sections between adjacent studs, one above the other, each said brace beam section having web end portions that are connected to the webs of the studs.
16. The wall structure of claim 14, wherein the sheet metal studs and the sheet metal brace beam sections are substantially equal in width, and the studs and the brace beam sections have flanges on a first side of the wall structure that substantially lie in a common plane, and have flanges on the opposite side of the wall structure that substantially lie in a common plane.
17. A brace beam section, comprising:
- an elongated body including a web, a pair of side flanges connected to the web and projecting perpendicular from the web, and a pair of lips connected to the side flanges and extending inwardly towards each other, in co-planar parallelism, and extending parallel to the web and perpendicular to the flanges;
- web end portions at the ends of the brace beam section;
- diagonal end surfaces on the flanges and the lips; and
- said web end portions being bent at an angle to the web of the brace beam body.
18. The bracing beam section of claim 17, wherein at least one of the web end portions makes an angle of less than 180° with the outer surface of the web of the bracing beam section at an angle greater than 180° with the inner surface of the web of the bracing beam section.
19. The bracing beam of claim 17, wherein at least one web end extends at an acute angle to the inside surface of the web of the body of the bracing beam.
20. The bracing beam section of claim 17, wherein the flanges and lips at one end of the bracing beam section form a diagonal end surface that is substantially co-planar with the web end section.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 29, 2005
Publication Date: Feb 1, 2007
Inventor: Matt F. Surowiecki (Seattle, WA)
Application Number: 11/192,597
International Classification: E04C 3/02 (20060101);