Bracket for interconnecting a building stud to primary structural components

Apparatus is provided for assembling a curtain wall, which is anchored at one end to a floor and at an opposite end to a primary structure in a sliding relation thereto in order to allow relative vertical flexibility in case of severe vertical deflection due to loading. This sliding relation permits the building sections to move under wind, live load, dead load or seismic forces with a minimum of damage transferred to the curtain wall. The apparatus is a bracket with a first plate for mounting to the primary structure and a second plate for mounting in sliding relation to the wall studs. The second plate is formed with slots which are vertically oriented, and a fastener with a spacer are fastened through each slot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to steel stud building systems, and, more 
particularly to apparatus for connecting vertical steel wall studs to a 
building structure in a manner to permit relative vertical movement but 
prevent relative horizontal movement therebetween. 
2. Description of the Related Art 
Many industrial and commercial buildings and an increasing number of 
residential buildings are being constructed with steel stud wall systems 
for the various benefits obtained, such as reduced environmental concerns, 
fire safety and freedom from warpage, insects, rust and rot. 
In the construction of buildings which may be subject to deflection due to 
wind or seismic forces, it is preferable to allow a degree of freedom of 
movement to reduce stress and fracture of connected parts. Ceilings must 
rest directly on a structural frame or on load-bearing walls. Curtain 
walls, meaning walls such as partition walls which are not intended to 
support vertical loads, are best designed to not support vertical loads 
due to deflection of the primary structure of the building. Deflection is 
due to changes in the live loads. The term "primary structure" as used 
herein is meant to denote main supporting components to which secondary 
members are attached. 
In addition to the occurrence of wind induced or seismic stress loading of 
a building structure, building component deflection is caused by changes 
in live or dead loading of the floor below or the ceiling above the 
curtain wall. However, typical prior construction systems have been 
designed according to the principal that all parts of a building must 
necessarily be connected in a rigid and permanent fashion. When such a 
building structure is stressed, curtain walls tend to be damaged and the 
degree of damage sustained by other building parts is also increased. 
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus for 
connecting a curtain wall to the primary structure so as to allow relative 
vertical movement therebetween while restricting relative horizontal 
movement. 
It is an additional object of this invention to provide an apparatus for 
connecting a curtain wall which is relatively economical to produce and 
install. 
Other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following 
disclosure and appended claims. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention comprises a stabilizing bracket presented in three 
embodiments for connecting the upper end of each stud in a curtain wall to 
a primary structure above so as to provide for relative vertical movement 
without permitting a significant amount of horizontal movement 
therebetween. The bracket provided is formed by bending a metal panel into 
two intersecting plates, one formed with or without one or more holes and 
the other with slots. The bracket is assembled securely to the primary 
structure above while being vertically slidingly connected to each stud's 
upper end. Components are provided to securely connect the bracket to the 
stud, while not restricting sliding movement between the two parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS THEREOF 
According to the objects outlined above, the steel stud stabilizing bracket 
10 of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1 in an assembled building 
structure as it is connecting each of a series of studs 20 of a curtain 
wall (not shown) to primary structure C installed thereabove. An enlarged 
segment of FIG. 1 is shown in FIG. 3. Primary structure C in the example 
used for illustration is made of a plurality of reinforced, hollow-core, 
cast stud-plank members which are connected to each other at their mutual 
contact edges and supported by a building frame (not shown). For reasons 
of flexibility in case of vertical movement cycles, the floor below a 
curtain wall and the ceiling above a curtain wall each need to be able to 
move independently in a vertical direction. For this reason, bracket 10 of 
the invention is provided with the ability to allow relative vertical 
movement of assembled building components when bracket 10 is assembled to 
track 26. Bracket 10 is shown alone in greater detail in FIG. 2 and as 
assembled in FIG. 3. Studs 20 illustrate one form of structural support 
for a curtain wall, but are not to be construed as limiting the scope of 
the invention. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, bracket 10 is formed from a stiff, thin material, 
such as, for example galvanized sheet steel having a thickness of about 
0.056 inch (commonly known as 16 gauge). Bracket 10 has a pair of mutually 
perpendicular planar portions, designated top plate 12 and side plate 16. 
According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, top plate 12 is 
formed without a hole since the preferred mode of mounting to primary 
structure C involves use of an explosive fastener nail gun, such as the 
type device known in the trade under the name "Hilti" or the name 
"Ramset". Optionally, a hole may be formed through top plate 12. Side 
plate 16 is formed with a pair of substantially parallel, elongate slots 
18, and 18' the axes of which are oriented perpendicular to the plane of 
top plate 12. In an alternate embodiment (not shown) top plate 12 is 
formed with two holes and side plate 16 is formed with only one slot. 
Width X of bracket 10 is preferably of a dimension which permits plate 12 
to fit slidingly into track 26 and prevent relative rotation therebetween. 
A modified version of bracket 10 is shown in FIG. 2A, where a pair of 
stiffening ridges 14 are formed on top plate 12 in perpendicular relation 
to side plate 16. Stiffening ridges 14, and 14' each comprise a 
substantially "U" shaped channel in top plate 2, forming perpendicular 
members to increase the bending stiffness thereof. 
Further details of the first embodiment bracket of the invention are shown 
in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 illustrates bracket 10 in cross section as it is 
being positioned for permanent installation to a stud 20 and primary 
structure C. In assembled configuration, bracket 10 is placed in contact 
with the inner surface of the inverted U-shaped track 26 and is positioned 
to be moved into contact with stud 20. Fastener 28, e.g., an explosive 
fastener, is driven through top plate 12 and the horizontal planar web of 
track 26, and into primary structure C. In the first preferred embodiment, 
a spacer 22, having a shank diameter D and a shank length L, is used to 
maintain sliding space between bracket 10 and stud 20 so as to permit 
relative vertical movement between the floor and the ceiling connected 
thereby. With side plate 16 of bracket 10 substantially in contact with 
stud 20, a fastener 24, such as a sheet metal screw, is assembled through 
slot 18. A space, represented by height H, is maintained between the upper 
end of stud 20 and primary structure C, with fastener 24 inserted 
substantially in the center of the length of slot 18. Length L of spacer 
22 is designed to be incrementally longer than the thickness of bracket 
10, for example, 0.066 inch. A fastener formed with an integral shank, 
such as a shoulder screw or a stepped rivet, generally termed a spaced 
fastener, would serve similarly. Diameter D of the shank of spacer 22 is 
somewhat smaller than the width W of slot 18 (see FIG. 1) to allow freedom 
of relative vertical movement. Spacer 22 may be formed of either metal or 
a plastics resin, at the discretion of the designer. When fastener 24 and 
spacer 22 are assembled through slot 18, as shown in FIG. 5, the length L 
of the shank of spacer 22 prevents bracket 10 from binding tightly against 
stud 20, and permits relative sliding movement therebetween. Optionally, a 
lubricant may be used to reduce friction between moving parts. 
A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 to 
enable laterally adjacent stud and ceiling components to be connected with 
relative vertical freedom of movement. Lateral bracket 30 is formed in 
similar fashion to the first bracket 10 by bending of a sheet of thin, 
stiff material to form a first side plate 32 and a second side plate 36. 
The difference, as portrayed in the drawings, is that three holes 34, 34' 
and 34" are provided in first side plate 32 and the axes of slots 38 and 
38' in second side plate 36 are parallel to the bend line between the 
plates. In this fashion, lateral bracket 30 is prevented from rotating 
under stress. Similar fasteners with similar spacers are utilized to 
slidingly secure bracket 10 to primary structure C and stud 20 as 
described above. 
The invention provides yet a third embodiment which is useful in a 
construction situation where a curtain wall of steel stud construction is 
positioned adjacent a structural girder. The third embodiment of the 
invention adapted to the condition described is shown in FIG. 8 and in 
assembly in FIG. 9. 
FIG. 8 shows bracket 40 which is similar to the bracket of the first 
embodiment and is also formed of sheet metal. Bracket 40 is adapted for a 
generally offset connection between a building structural frame and a 
curtain wall stud such as is encountered where a curtain wall is 
constructed over more than one building level. Bracket 40 has a first 
plate 42 which is formed at a substantially right angle connection to 
second plate 46. First plate 42 has a pair of holes 44 and 44' through 
essentially one end thereof. Second plate 46 has a pair of slots 48, and 
48' formed through the end opposite to that wherein holes 44 are formed. 
In a mounted condition, a pair of fasteners, either screws or explosive 
driven nails, assembly bracket 40 to a flange F of girder G (see FIG. 9). 
Then a pair of screw fasteners with spacers attached as described above 
with regard to the first embodiment (FIG. 4) anchor the opposite end of 
bracket 40 in vertically sliding relation to stud 20. 
As described above, all three embodiments of the invention disclosed 
accomplish the same objectives in substantially similar fashion. All the 
embodiments of the invention bracket comprise two plates, one of which is 
fastened fixedly to a first building component, and the second of which is 
fastened to a second building component in a manner to permit relative 
vertical movement therebetween. 
While the invention has been described with reference to specific 
embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that numerous variations, 
modifications, and embodiments are possible, and accordingly, all such 
variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regarded as being 
within the spirit and scope of the invention.