The present invention is directed to a load supporting blocking member for use in a metal stud wall having a plurality of parallel spaced apart metal studs, each of the studs having an aligned opening and horizontal bridging member passing through the aligned openings and tying the studs together. The load supporting blocking member comprises a base for overlying and being attached to the bridging member and an upstanding flange extending from one edge of the base the depth of the base being sufficient to overly the bridging member and position the upstanding flange in line with the edges of the studs in the metal stud wall.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a load supporting blocking member for use in a metal stud wall to transfer load from an object mounted on the surface of the wall to the metal studs. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is common practice in both commercial and residential buildings to separate and define rooms using partition walls. In most commercial buildings, these walls are typically constructed of metal studs. The metal stud wall typically has a top track located horizontally at ceiling level, a bottom track located horizontally along the floor and vertically parallel stud members spaced evenly throughout the length of the wall secured between the top track and bottom track. Typically for non-loading bearing interior partition walls, the studs and tracks are constructed of 22 to 26 gauge steel which provides for sufficient structure to support the drywall mounted to the outside of the stud wall. For load bearing walls, either walls where the wall is required to carry a load of the ceiling and room structure or where it is desired to install fixtures such as hand rails, cabinets, or other fixtures, the studs and track are typically made from a heavier gauge steel such as 16 to 20 gauge. Such walls constructed of the heavier gauge steel are more expensive both in terms of the cost of the steel from which the studs and track are manufactured as well as in the time required to handle the heavier gauge member and to construct the wall, as such walls require heavier duty fastening systems and owing to the thickness of the metal require more time to install the fastenings compared to the lighter gauge non-loading bearing members. Heavier gauge metal also has the drawback of having better sound transmission and requires more layers of wallboard to maintain the desired reduced sound transmission properties. 
     Typically when a fixture such as a cabinet or handrail is to be mounted to the wall, the wall is constructed utilizing the heavier gauge load supporting members and a metal strip of a 16 to 20 gauge metal is installed horizontally along the wall at the position where the fixture is to be mounted. The drywall is then mounted to the wall in the usual manner and after finishing, the fixture is mounted to the metal strip to transfer the load of the fixture through the metal strip to the studs of the wall. 
     It would be desirable to provide for a load supporting blocking member for use in a light gauge metal stud wall which would allow for proper support for fixtures while reducing the cost of constructing the wall through the use of the lighter gauge materials and less layers of wallboard. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a load supporting blocking member for use in a metal stud wall having a plurality of parallel spaced apart metal studs, each of the studs having an aligned opening and a horizontal bridging member passing through the aligned openings and tying the studs together. The load supporting blocking member comprises a base for overlying and being attached to the bridging member and an upstanding flange extending from one edge of the base, the depth of the base being sufficient to overly the bridging member and position the upstanding flange in line with the edges of the studs in the metal stud wall. 
     In an aspect of the invention, the base of the blocking member is provided with a downwardly extending tab at the opposite edge from the upstanding flange to butt against the side of the bridging member and properly position the blocking member within the wall cavity. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the base of the blocking member is provided with cut outs adjacent to the upstanding flange to allow for passage of wiring, plumbing and other services through the base. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the attached drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wall having a hand rail supported by the blocking members of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a section of a wall illustrating the positioning of the blocking members of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the blocking members being attached to a bridging member; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the blocking members of the present invention attached to a bridging member of a metal stud wall; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the blocking members of the present invention being attached to a section of a metal stud wall; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the metal panels being attached to the blocking member of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the metal panels being attached to the wall section; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the wall section having the blocking member of the present invention attached thereto; 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevation view in cross section of the blocking member being attached to the bridging member; 
         FIG. 10  is a side elevation view in cross section of the wall with the blocking members attached thereto illustrating the passage of the services through the blocking member; 
         FIG. 11  is a section of a wall where the blocking member and metal panel are provided on only one side of the wall; and 
         FIG. 12  is a side elevation and cross section illustrating the attachment of a hand rail to the wall utilizing the blocking member of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a metal stud wall constructed utilizing a preferred embodiment of a blocking member of the present invention to support a fixture such as a hand rail attached to the wall. The metal stud wall  10  is constructed of a top track  14  attached to a ceiling and a bottom track  16  attached to the floor. A plurality of metal studs  18  are installed vertically within the top track  14  and bottom track  16  evenly spaced along the wall  10 . The spacing of the studs is typically 16 or 24″ on center. The studs  18  are attached to the top track  14  and bottom track  16  through the use of suitable fasteners  20 . The studs  18  are provided with a first opening  22  which allows for a bridging member  24  to be passed through the opening and attached to the web of the stud  18  by friction fit to provide axial support for the studs  18 . A second opening  28  may also be provided in the stud for the passage of services such as wiring or plumbing through the studs within the wall. While the drawings only show one set of first  22  and second  28  openings, it is common in the art to provide sets of such openings at regularly spaced interval along the web of the stud, typically 24 to 36 inches apart. The surface of the wall  10  is provided with a wall covering  30  such as drywall to provide for a finished appearance to the wall  10 . The wall covering or drywall  30  is attached to the studs through the use of suitable fasteners  32 . 
       FIGS. 2 through 4  illustrate a preferred embodiment of the load supporting blocking member of the present invention and the method for installing it within the metal stud wall. Blocking member  34  is utilized when it is necessary only to provide the support of one side of the stud wall. If support on both sides of the stud wall is required, then a second blocking member  36  is utilized to overlay the first blocking member  34 . Blocking member  34  has a base  38  of a depth sufficient to overlay the bridging member  24  and extend to the edges of the metal studs  18 . In order to provide for proper positioning of the blocking member  34 , a downwardly extending tab or lip  40  is provided along one edge of the base  38 , the downwardly extending lip or tab  40  butting against the edge of the bridging member  24  for the proper positioning of the blocking support member  34 . The edge of the base  38  of the blocking support member  34  is provided with an upstanding tab extending upwardly perpendicularly from the base  38  to which metal panels, as will be described below, may be attached. As the blocking support member  34  is preferably constructed of a heavy gauge steel such as 14 to 18 gauge metal, it is preferred if pilot holes  44  are provided in the base  38  for attachment of the blocking support member  34  to the bridging member  24  utilizing fasteners  46  preferably self-tabbing fasteners. The provision of the pilot holes  44  allows for the fasteners to be more easily inserted through the base  38  and into the bridging member  24 . 
     As it is common that various services such as electric, telephone, data, plumbing, etc. are fed through the wall cavities particularly in an institutional environment such as a hospital or clinic, it is preferred if cutouts  48  are provided in the base  38  to allow for passage of such services through the base. 
     When it is desired to provide support for fixtures on both sides of the wall  10  a second blocking support member  36  is provided which will overly the first blocking support member  34  attached to the bridging member  24 . Similar to the first blocking support member  34 , blocking support member  36  has a base  50  with downwardly extending tabs  52  at one edge of the base  50  and an upstanding tab  54  at the opposite edge of the base  50 . In order to allow the second blocking support member  36  to properly overly the first blocking support member  34 , the downwardly extending tabs  52  are provided at the outside edges of the base  50  with a space therebetween to accommodate the upstanding tab  42  of the first blocking member. In order to provide for uniform thickness of the metal for the two blocking support members  34  and  36 , the base  38  of the first blocking support member  34  extends outwardly in the region overlying the bridging member  24  such that the length of the base  38  in, this region is the same as the length of the base  50  of the second blocking support member  36 . The open area behind this portion of the base  38  extending to the upstanding tab  42  allows for the downward tabs  52  of the second blocking support member  36  to be accommodated. The base  50  of the second blocking support member  36  is also provided with opening  56  to accommodate the heads of the fasteners  46  utilized to attach the first blocking support member  44  to the bridging member  24 . In this way, the bases  38  and  50  of the blocking support members  34  and  36  lie one on top of the other with no spacing therebetween. Similar to the first blocking support member  34 , the base  50  of the second blocking support member  36  is provided with pilot holes  58  for fasteners  46  to attach the blocking support member  36  to the first blocking support member  34  and the underlying bridging member  24 . Also similar to the first blocking support member  34 , the second blocking support member  36  is provided with cutouts  60  to accommodate wiring and other services. 
     A method of installing and using a blocking support member of the present invention is illustrated in  FIGS. 5 through 10 . The stud wall  10  is constructed in the usual manner by attaching a top track  14  to the ceiling and the bottom track  16  to the floor. The studs  18  are then placed within the track at the desired spacing typically 16 inches on center and fastened to the top track  14  and bottom track  16  through the use of fasteners  20 . Bridging members  24  are then installed within the studs  18  by passing through the first openings  22  and then attached to the web of the stud through friction fit. The first blocking support member  34  is then installed within the space between two adjacent studs  18  by laying the blocking support member  34  on top of the bridging member  24  such that the downwardly extending tab or lip  40  butts up against the side of the bridging member  24 . Fasteners  46  are then utilized to attach the first blocking support member  34  to the bridging member  24  utilizing the pilot holes  44 . If it is desired to have load bearing support on both sides of the stud wall  10 , then second blocking support member  36  is placed on top of the first blocking support member  34  with the fasteners  46  attaching the first blocking support member  34  passing through the openings  56  in the base  50  of the second blocking support member. The downward tabs  52  are contained within the opening area adjacent the upstanding tab  42  of the first blocking support member  34  until they butt against the side of the bridging member  24 , the second blocking support member  36  is then attached to the first blocking support member  34  and bridging member using the fasteners  46 . Metal strips  62  are then attached to the stud wall in the area where the blocking support members  34  and  36  are located. The metal strips  62  are attached to the flanges of the studs  18  as well as to the upstanding tabs  42  or  54  of the first blocking support member  34  or second blocking support member  36 . In this way, the load of any fixtures attached to the wall and in particular to the metal strips is carried through the blocking support members to the bridging member  24  and then distributed along the length of the wall  10 . 
     Once the metal strips  62  have been attached services such as wiring  64  is installed within the wall cavity. If the wiring is required to pass through the blocking support members  34  or  36 , it may be fed through the cutouts  48  or  60  of the respective blocking support members. Once all the services are installed, then the wall covering material such as drywall  30  is installed to the wall in the usual manner using drywall fasteners  32 . 
     As noted above, there may be situations where it is necessary to provide the load supporting structure on only one side of the wall. In such a situation, typically only the first blocking support member  34  is utilized. Such a set up is illustrated in  FIG. 11  showing the blocking support member  34  attached to the bridging member  24  and the metal strip attached to the blocking support member upstanding tab  1 . 
       FIG. 12  illustrates in cross section one use of the system of the present invention for carrying the load of a handrail for example. The handrail is attached to the wall  10  by suitable fasteners which pass through the wall into the metal strip and the upstanding tab  42  or  54  of the blocking support members  34  or  36 . In this way, the load from the handrail is transferred through the blocking support member to the bridging member  24  and thereafter throughout the length of the wall. 
     The load supporting blocking member of the present invention allows for the support of fixtures attached to metal stud walls constructed of lighter gauge metal, such as 25 gauge. The use of the lighter gauge metal results in significant savings, both in terms of material and labor costs associated with the construction of the metal stud wall as well as requiring less wallboard to achieve desired STC values. 
     Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.