Frame material for wall

A frame material for a wall of a building, including a metal beam, and a tubular rectangular metal stud having opposite sides each provided with a window through which the beam is capable of being inserted and in which the beam is received such that the lateral movement is prevented. One of the windows has a stopper member which is displaceable between close and open positions and which extends from one side to the other side of the window. The stopper member in the closed state prevents the beam received in the windows to move vertically.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to a metal frame material for walls of a 
building to which wall materials such as panels or laths are attached by 
fixing means such as screws. 
One known metal frame material is shown in FIG. 6. The frame material 
includes a steel stud 1' having a rectangular cross section. The stud is 
formed from a single, axially extending rectangular steel plate having 
opposite longitudinal edges which are joined to form a longitudinally 
extending joined portion 2'. The plate is bent to have the rectangular 
cross section such that the joined portion 2' is located at a middle 
portion of one of the four side wall. In use, a plurality of such studs 1' 
are placed upright between a pair of horizontally disposed upper and lower 
supports secured to a ceiling slab and a floor, respectively. 
The conventional metal frame material has a drawback because the frame 
structure thus constructed cannot withstand a strong force applied in the 
lateral direction along which the studs are arrayed, especially when the 
studs are long. Therefore, the known metal frame material is ill-suited 
for the construction of tall walls. Further, when panels or boards are 
attached to the frame structure with screws, the wall is apt to swing to 
hinder the screwing works. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a frame 
material which can form a firm frame structure for walls capable of 
withstanding lateral forces. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide a frame material of 
the above-mentioned type, which can construct a frame in a simple and 
efficient manner. 
In accomplishing the foregoing object, there is provided in accordance with 
the present invention a frame material for a wall of a building, which 
includes 
a longitudinally extending metal beam having a pair of spaced apart, 
longitudinally extending side walls each having a top edge and a bottom 
edge, wherein the width of the metal beam is equal to the distance between 
the outside surfaces of the side walls; and 
a tubular metal stud having a rectangular cross-section and a pair of 
opposing first and second wall members and a pair of opposing third and 
fourth wall members located between the first and second wall members. 
Each of the first and second wall members is provided with a window having 
a top end, a bottom end, opposite first and second intermediate side ends 
spaced apart from each other a distance greater than the width of the beam 
and opposite first and second lower side ends between which the beam is 
receivable with the beam being oriented in the direction normal to the 
first and second wall members and with the bottom edge of each of the side 
walls of the beam being engaged by the bottom end of each of the windows. 
Each of the first and second lower side ends of the window of the first 
wall member has a protrusion so that the outer surfaces of the side walls 
of the beam are closely fitted between the protrusions, when the beam is 
received between the first and second lower side ends. 
The first intermediate side end of the window of the first wall member has 
a stopper member which is displaceable between close and open positions 
and which extends from the first intermediate side end to a portion 
adjacent the corresponding second intermediate side end. 
The stopper member has an upper end defining a space between the upper end 
and the top end of the corresponding window when the stopper member is in 
the close position and a lower end positionable adjacent the top edges of 
the beam when the beam is received between the first and second lower side 
ends of the window of the first wall member. 
The stopper member permits the insertion of the beam through the windows 
when displaced to the open position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a frame material for a wall of a building 
according to the present invention includes a combination of at least one 
tubular metal stud 1 (generally a plurality of studs) and a longitudinally 
extending metal beam 11. Any metal such as iron, steel or aluminum may be 
used for the stud 1 and the beam 11. 
The beam 11 has a pair of spaced apart, longitudinally extending side walls 
11a and 11b each having a top edge 11c and a bottom edge lid. The distance 
between the outside surfaces of the side walls 11a and 11b represents the 
width D of the metal beam 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the metal 
beam 11 has an inverted U-shaped cross section and is composed of a 
longitudinally extending flat base wall 11e to which the side walls 11a 
and 11b are integrally connected at opposite longitudinal side edges 
thereof. However, any structure such as of an H-shaped, U-shaped or 
rectangular (tubular) cross section may be used for the purpose of the 
present invention. 
The tubular metal stud 1 has a rectangular cross section and is constituted 
of a pair of opposing first and second wall members 5 and 6 and a pair of 
opposing third and fourth wall members 7 and 8 located between the first 
and second wall members 5 and 6. The stud 1 is preferably formed from a 
single plate and is prepared by bending, pressing and other suitable 
processing. 
The first wall member 5 is provided with a window 9 having a top end 9c, a 
bottom end 9d, opposite first and second intermediate side ends 9a and 9b 
spaced apart from each other a distance greater than the width D of the 
beam 11 and opposite first and second lower side ends 12a and 12b between 
which the beam 11 is receivable with the beam 11 being oriented in the 
direction normal to the first and second wall members 5 and 6 and with the 
bottom edge lid of each of the side walls 11b of the beam 11 being engaged 
by the bottom end 9d of the window 9. Similarly, the second wall member 6 
is provided with a window 10 having a top end 10c, a bottom end 10d, 
opposite first and second intermediate side ends 10a and 10b spaced apart 
from each other a distance greater than the width D of the beam 11 and 
opposite first and second lower side ends 16a and 16b between which the 
beam 11 is receivable with the beam 11 being oriented in the direction 
normal to the first and second wall members 5 and 6 and with the bottom 
edge 11d of each of the side walls 11b of the beam 11 being engaged by the 
bottom end 10d of the window 10. 
Each of the first and second lower side ends 12a and 12b of the window 9 of 
the first wall member 5 has a protrusion 15a, 15b so that the outer 
surfaces of the side walls 11a and 11b of the beam are closely fitted 
between the protrusions 15a and 15b, when the beam 11 is received between 
the first and second lower side ends 12a and 12b. 
The first intermediate side end 9a of the window 9 of the first wall member 
5 has a stopper member 14 which is displaceable between close and open 
positions (close position in FIG. 1) and which extends from the first 
intermediate side end 9a to a portion adjacent the corresponding second 
intermediate side end 9b. The stopper member 14 has an upper end 14a 
defining a space 20 between the upper end 14a and the top end 9c of the 
window 9 when the stopper member 14 is in the close position and a lower 
end 14b positionable adjacent the top edges 11c of the beam 11, preferably 
with a small gap S as best seen in FIG. 2 being defined therebetween for 
reasons of smooth closing of the stopper member 14, when the beam 11 is 
received between the first and second lower side ends 12a and 12b of the 
window 9 of the first wall member 5. The gap S should not be so large as 
to permit the beam 11 received in the bottom of the window 9 from being 
disengaged therefrom. 
The stopper member 14 permits the beam 11 to pass through the windows 9 and 
10 when displaced to the open position. The stopper member 14 in the 
illustrated embodiment is bendable along a bending line 13 coinciding with 
the first intermediate side end 9a of the window 9 and resumes the open 
position when bent at an angle of 90 degrees or more. To facilitate the 
bending operation, the upper and lower slits or cuts 17a and 17b and one 
or more intermediate slits 18 are formed along the bending line 13. 
The stud 1 is preferably formed from a single, longitudinally extending 
rectangular plate having opposite longitudinal edges. FIGS. 4 and 5 depict 
the construction of a connecting portion 2 of the opposite longitudinal 
edges 31 and 32. As shown in FIG. 4, an end portion 33, 34 adjacent each 
of the opposite longitudinal edges 31, 32 is longitudinally folded to form 
a J-shaped end 4, 3 and to form a longitudinally extending groove 35, 36 
inside the J-shaped end 4, 3. The folded end portions 33 and 34 are fitted 
into respective grooves 36 and 35 and pressed so that the opposite 
longitudinal edges 31 and 32 are joined to form a longitudinally extending 
joined portion 2. The plate is bent to have the rectangular cross section 
such that the joined portion 2 is located at the corner of the fourth wall 
member 8 and the second wall member 6 as shown in FIG. 5. 
The fourth wall member 8 is preferably bent to form an inwardly depressed, 
U-shaped, longitudinally extending rib 19 as shown in FIG. 5 such that the 
rib 19 is in contact with an outer surface 3a (FIG. 4) of the J-shaped end 
3 of the second wall member 6 to prevent the disengagement of the folded 
end portions 33 and 34 from respective grooves 36 and 35. 
In constructing a frame structure using the above frame material, a pair of 
upper and lower supports (runners) 21a and 21b each having a U-shaped, 
rectangular groove are fixed to a sealing and a floor such that the 
grooves face to each other. A plurality of studs 1 having the above 
described structure are then fitted between the upper and lower supports 
21a and 21b and positioned with a suitable space being defined between 
each adjacent studs 1, so that the studs 1 are supported upright between 
the upper and lower supports 21a and 21b with the third and fourth wall 
members 7 and 8 of each stud 1 being oriented in the direction 
perpendicular to the direction along which the supports 21a and 21b 
extend. In this case, it is preferred that the first wall member 5 having 
the window 9 provided with the stopper member 14 of each of the studs 1 be 
oriented in the same direction (P in FIG. 3). 
The beam 11 is then inserted through the windows 10 and 9 of each of the 
studs 1 in the direction P, with the base wall 11e of the beam 11 being 
preferably oriented vertically (as shown by the one dotted line in FIG. 2) 
so that each of the stopper member 14 is pushed by the beam 11 and 
displaced from the closed position to the open position. The beam 11 is 
then turned so that the base wall is oriented horizontally as shown by the 
two-dotted line in FIG. 2. The beam 11 is further moved downward and is 
closely fitted between the pair of protrusions 15a and 15b and between the 
protrusions 16a and 16b of each of the studs 1. Thus, the beam 11 is 
prevented from being displaced in the lateral direction. The opened 
stopper member 14 of each stud 1 is then manually closed so that the beam 
11 is prevented from being displaced in the vertical direction. The 
prevention of the vertically movement is attained even when the stopper 
member 14 is not in the fully closed position. Therefore, the studs 1 are 
tightly interconnected by the beam 11. 
If desired, each of the studs 1 may be provided with a plural pairs of 
windows 9 and 10 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the stud 1. In 
this case, the same plural number of the beams 11 are used to interconnect 
the studs 1, so that the resulting frame structure is very firm. The use 
of a plural number of the beams 11 is effective when a tall wall is 
constructed. 
A wall material such as a board 22 is then attached by, for example, screws 
to the third wall members 7 of the studs 1. Since the frame structure is 
firm and does not swing, the board attaching work can be smoothly 
performed. 
In the above assembling procedures, the stopper member 14 is opened by 
pushing with the beam 11. It is, however, without saying that the stopper 
member 14 may be manually opened before the insertion of the beam 11 
through the windows 9 and 10. In this case, the first wall members of the 
studs 1 need not be oriented in the same direction. In the above-described 
construction, the U-shaped beam 11 is received in the bottom of the window 
with the base wall lie being oriented upward. If desired, however, the 
base wall 11e may be oriented downward for engagement with the bottom ends 
9d and 10d of the windows 9 and 10. 
The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing 
from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present 
embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative 
and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the 
appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all the 
changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the 
claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.