Low cost housing wall structure

• US 4,130,970 A
• Filed: 05/29/1973
• Issued: 12/26/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Angeles Metal TRIM Company
• Original Assignee: Angeles Metal TRIM Company
• Inventors: Cable, Daniel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Murtagh, John E.
• Application Number:
  US05/364,293
• Time in Patent Office: 2,037 Days
• Field of Search: 52/236, 52/349, 52/206, 52/236.3, 52/648
• US Class Current: 52/236.3
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/58 with elongated members of metal

Abstract

The present invention comprises a portable wall structure for use on the top floor of a multiple story building. The wall structure includes a metal cap forming the top of a wall structure, a metal floor track forming the bottom of the wall structure, and a series of channeled load-bearing studs that are secured vertically between the cap member and the floor track member. These vertical studs are composed of steel of about 26 gauge thickness. This wall structure forms a separate unit which may be prefabricated and separately transported to a building construction site for use on the top floor of a multiple story building. Some parts, such as top plates, corners, door surrounds, and window surrounds, made of wood, are included in some embodiments of the invention.

Claims

1. In a multiple story housing structure having an upper story and a lower story, the combination in which said lower story has a load-bearing wall structure comprising a series of load-bearing studs secured vertically between a cap member and a floor track member, said studs being composed of steel of about 20 gauge thickness;

and

said top story has a load-bearing top wall structure comprising;

an elongated normally horizontal top cap member adapted to overlie the top of a series of metal studs, said top cap member forming the top of the top wall structure;

an upwardly facing metal top floor track member adapted to receive the lower ends of a series of metal studs, said top floor track member forming the bottom of said top wall structure;

a series of upstanding load-bearing top studs secured vertically between said top cap member and said top floor track member, said top studs being composed of steel of about 26 gauge thickness; and

a pair of wooden top plates secured one above the other to the top of said top cap member, the lower top plate being coextensive with the top cap member and the upper top plate being shorter than the top cap member; and

a pair of metal straps secured diagonally on opposite sides of the top wall section across a plurality of said top studs; and

a stud secured vertically at one end of said top wall section between said top cap member and said top floor track member to provide a corner stud for said top wall section.

2. In a multiple story housing structure having an upper story and a lower story, the combination in which said lower story has a load-bearing wall section comprising a series of non-planar load-bearing studs secured vertically between a cap member and a floor track member, said studs being composed of steel of about 20 gauge thickness;

and said upper story has a prefabricated metal load-bearing wall section comprising;

a second downwardly facing elongated normally horizontal channeled cap member, less than approximately 20 feet in length, having a main web and having a flange depending downwardly from each side of said main web, said main web having a plurality of apertures for passing conduits therethrough;

a second upwardly facing elongated normally horizontal channeled floor track member of about the same length as said cap member, said second track member having a main web and having a flange extending upwardly from each side of said main web;

a second series of parallel non-planar metal studs positioned vertically between said second cap member and said second floor track member, said second studs being composed of steel of about 26 gauge thickness, each second stud having at least one aperture in its main web, the upper ends of said second studs bearing against the main web of said second cap member, and the lower ends of said second studs bearing against the main web of said second floor track member, said second studs being positioned at approximately 2 foot intervals along said top wall section, one of said second studs being positioned at each end of said wall section facing towards each other;

said second studs being connected at their upper ends of said second cap member by securing each flange of the cap member to a flange of each stud;

said second studs being connected to said second floor track member at their lower ends by securing each flange of said floor track member to a flange of each stud;

said upper wall section having portions of a plurality of adjacent second studs cut away in order to provide an aperture through said second wall section;

a steel header connected above said second wall section aperture to an uninterrupted second stud on each side of said second wall section aperture; and

a pair of wooden top plates secured one above the other to the top of said second cap member, the lower top plate being coextensive with the upper cap member and the upper top plate being shorter than the second cap member;

a pair of metal straps secured diagonally on opposite sides of the second wall section across a plurality of said second studs; and

a stud secured vertically at one end of said second wall section between said second cap member and said second floor track member to provide a corner stud for said second wall section.

3. In a multiple story housing structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said upper load-bearing metal wall section further comprises:

a U-shaped metal member secured across the top of said upper wall section aperture to uninterrupted studs on each side of said wall section aperture to form a lintel; and

a U-shaped metal member secured across the bottom of said upper wall section aperture to uninterrupted studs on each side of said wall section aperture to form a sill.

4. In a multiple story housing structure as defined in claim 3 wherein:

wooden surround members frame the inside of said upper wall section aperture and are secured to the lintel, to the sill, and to the uninterrupted studs on each side of said wall section aperture.