A PARTITION FRAME STRUCTURE

Abstract: The invention relates to a frame structure to be provided with panels and comprising vertical stud members (12) and transverse girders (13) mounted therebetween. The stud members and the transverse girders comprise channel shaped metal sheet sections having inwardly bent edge flanges (18, 18'). According to the invention, the transverse girders form at one end thereof two slots (22, 22') extending through the limbs (20) of the channel shaped section and partly into the edge flanges (21) and the web (19) of the channel shaped sections in order that the transverse girders (21) shall receive therein the edge flanges of a vertical stud member. Moreover, the transverse girders at the other end form at least one tongue (25) to be received in an aperture (29) in the web (16) of a vertical stud member. The tongue has a latch member (27) for latching the tongue when inserted into the aperture.

Description: A PARTITION FRAME STRUCTURE The present invention relates to a partition frame structure to be provided with panels, comprising vertical stud members and transverse girders mounted therebetween said stud members and said girders consisting of channel shaped metal sheet sections having inwardly bent edge flanges. In the Swedish patent application 9003588-2 which has not been made available to the public so far, a frame structure of this kind is described having transverse girders, so called noggings, and the invention is proposed especially for the attachment of such noggings but can be applied also to other embodiments of the frame structure of the kind referred to above. The purpose of the invention is to provide a simple connection of the transverse girders to the vertical stud members without the use of special fasteners and particu¬ larly without the use of tools so as to facilitate the erection of the frame structure. However, the purpose of the invention is also to define accurately the distance between the vertical stud members when the frame struc¬ ture is being erected, by the mounting of the transverse girders, in order that the junctions between the panels of standard width mounted later on to the frame struc¬ ture, will be located centrally on the vertical stud members. Then, it must be taken into account that the panel at a vertical end stud member should have its edge flush with the stud member, i.e. it should cover the end stud member completely, and that the distance of a stud member to a joining partition may be less than the standard width of a panel. For the purpose mentioned above the partition frame structure of the kind referred to according to the invention includes the characterizing features of claim 1. In order to explain the invention in more detail embodiments thereof will be described below, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a side view of a partition having the frame structure of the invention the panels at one side of the partition being partly broken away, FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of one of the transverse girders, FIG 3 is a plan view of the girder shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a further enlarged horizontal cross sectional view, taken along lines IV-IV in FIG. 1, FIG 5 is an exploded perspective view of the transverse girder in FIGS. 1 to 4 and the joining vertical stud members, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the left end of the transverse girder as seen from a position opposite to that in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a perspective view corresponding to that of FIG. 5, with a transverse girder of the telescopic type, FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of the telescopic type girder shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified embodiment of the transverse girder, FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the vertical stud member to be associated with the girder of FIG. 9, FIGS. 11 and 12 are corresponding views of a third embodiment, FIGS. 13 and 14 are corresponding views of a fourth embodiment, and FIG. 15 and 16 are corresponding views of a fifth embodiment of the transverse girder and the vertical stud members. In FIG. 1 there is shown a frame structure of channel shaped metal sections, which comprises horizontal runners 10 and 11 mounted to the ceiling and the floor, respectively, and vertical stud members 12 mounted therebetween one member thereof being indicated at 12' and forms the termination of the frame structure and a door opening. A further vertical stud member is indicated at 12'' and is connected to a joining partition or wall. Between adjacent vertical stud members there is mounted substantially at half the height a horizontal girder 13, a so called nogging, the nogging connected to the verti- cal stud member 12' being indicated at 13' and the nogging connected to the vertical stud member 12' ' being indicated at 13' ' . At each side of the frame structure panels are mounted, preferably plaster boards 14 and 15, rspectively. The plaster boards 14 and 15 have the same width as the center distance between the two intermediate vertical stud members 12, and the junctions between the plaster boards are located on these vertical stud members while the end plaster boards cover completely the stud member 12' and the stud member 12'', respectively. The plaster boards are attached by means of screws to the vertical stud members as well as the noggings. Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7 the vertical stud members 12, 12' and 12' ' comprise a channel shaped metal sheet section having a web 16 and limbs 17, the latter having inwardly bent edge flanges 18 and 18', respectively. The flange 18 extends in parallel to the web 16, the flange 18' being bent towards the web. The horizontal girders or noggings 13 and 13' also comprise channel shaped metal sheet sections having a web 19 and two limbs 20 which both have inwardly bent edge flanges 21 extending in parallel to the web 19. Each nogging at one end thereof, the right end as seen in FIGS. 2 to 5, forms two pairs of opposite slots 22, 22' and 23, 23', respectively. Each slot extends along the corresponding limb 20 and a distance into the web 19 and the edge flange 21. The reason for the slots 22 and 23 being narrower than the slots 22' and 23' is that the slots 22 and 23 are intended to receive therein the flanges 18 while the slots 22' and 23' are intended to receive therein the bent flanges 18' of the vertical stud members 12. In the same manner each nogging 13 at the other end thereof forms two pairs of slots, a norrow slot 24 located at the same side and shaped in the same manner as the slots 22 and 23, and a wider slot 24', located at the same side and shaped in the same manner as the slots 22' and 23'. At this end the nogging forms also a tongue 25 which projects centrally from the web 19 and has a circular aperture 26 as well as a punched flap 27 projecting downwards at an oblique angle. A protrusion 28 formed partly by one of the limbs 20 and partly by the edge flange 21 thereof projects at each of the lower corners. It is the intention that the nogging shall be connected to a stud member 12 having the limbs thereof projecting towards the nogging, by the edge flanges 18 and 18' being inserted into the slots 22 and 22', respectively, or alternatively into the slots 23 and 23', respectively, the other end of the nogging being connected with a vertical stud member 12 the web 16 of which faces the nogging, the tongue 25 being inserted into a triangular aperture 29 in the web 16 and the protrusions 28 being inserted into triangular apertures 30 in the web 16. When the tongue 25 is inserted into the aperture 29 the flap 27 can engage behind the web in order to prevent withdrawal of the tongue 25. If a nogging when it is to be mounted between two adjacent vertical stud members 12 is connected initially to the stud member which shall engage the slots 22, 22' or 23, 23', respectively, the nogging will be maintained on this stud member by such engagement projecting substantially horizontally therefrom. However, it can be displaced along the stud member so as to be brought into register with the apertures 29 and 30 in order that the tongue 25 and the protrusions 28, respectively, can be inserted into these apertures in the other stud member, or rather the stud member can be passed onto the tongue and the protrusions. The nogging is dimensioned to define the distance between two adjacent vertical stud members, which means that the distance between the end edge 31 of the nogging from which the tongue 25 and the protrusions 28 project, and the slots 22, 22' equals the distance between two adjacent vertical stud members 12, that is required in order that the junctions 32 (FIG. 4) between two plaster boards will be located exactly centrally of the vertical stud members as shown in FIG. 4. This is true for the two intermediate stud members 12 in FIG. 1 but not as far as the vertical stud members 12' and 12' ' are concerned, which form the termination of the partition, where the plaster boards 14 and 15 should cover the limbs of these stud members completely so as to have the end edges thereof flush with the web of the stud members 12' and 12'' as is also shown in FIG. 4. The nogging 13' then will be connected to the vertical stud member 12' not at the slots 22 and 22' but instead at the slots 23 and 23' which thus are spaced a distance inwardly of the slots 22 and 22' that equals half the length of the limbs 17 of the vertical stud members. Thus, the noggings 13 and 13' utilized to define in an exact and simple manner the pitch of the vertical stud members so that it will be adapted to the standard width of the plaster boards 14 and 15. The aperture 26 in the tongue 25 is provided in case it is desired, e.g. after the tongue having been bent perpendicularly, to connect the nogging by means of screws to the vertical stud or a joining wall or partition or frame structure to which the partition described herein is to be connected. Then it usually may be necessary to cut off also the protrusions 28 so that they will not form an obstruction. Because it is seldom possible to adapt the length of a partition to the width of the plaster boards so that plaster boards of standard width only can be used for panelling the partition, it most often occurs that the plaster boards close to a joining partition or the like must have another width than the standard width and thus must be cut to this width. For the space in the frame structure closest to the joining partition the nogging cannot in that case be used as it is, because it is too long. The nogging according to FIGS. 2 to 6 then is used in order to obtain a telescopic nogging according to FIG. 7. In that case the nogging in FIGS. 2 to 6 or two noggings are divided into two parts, two parts having different end formations from a single nogging or two separate noggings are "boxed" as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. This means that the two parts are put together with one limb of one part located on the outside of one limb of the other part at one side, and with the other limb of said one part located on the inside of the other limb of said other part at the other side as shown in FIG. 8. The webs are mutually spaced and form together with the limbs a box section. The prerequisite for such "boxing" to take place is that one limb of the nogging is longer than the other limb, viz. so much longer as corresponds at least to the double thickness of the metal sheet from which the nogging is made, preferably a little more than the double thickness of the sheet. The two parts forming the nogging can now be telescoped as much as is necessary in order that the composite nogging can be mounted between two vertical stud members 12 and 12' ' which both have the limbs facing the noggings because the vertical stud member 12' ' is connected at the web thereof to the joining partition. Accordingly, it is not possible to use the tongue 25 and the protrusions 28 for connecting the nogging to the vertical stud member 12''. Here, the same type of connection can be used as at the other end because the nogging has the slots 24 and 24' which are engaged with the edge flanges 18 and 18'. The limbs 17 of the vertical stud members are resiliently moved apart so as to allow the edge flanges thereof to be engaged with the slots. It may be necessary to bend the tongue 25 downwards so that it will not abut the web 16 of the stud member 12' when the connection is being made. In the web of the noggings apertures may be provided for passing conduits or conduit pipes through the web, and such a conduit pipe 35 is shown in FIG. 1. However, it is preferred that flaps 33 are punched in the web 19 of the nogging, which can be bent down when it is desired to provide an aperture for the passage of conduits or whatever it is through the nogging. The flaps can also be used for locking the boxed parts of the telescopic nogging laterally as seen in FIG. 8. If the flaps which preferably are tapered towards the free end thereof, are given a width at the base, which corresponds to the distance between the inwardly bent edge flanges 21, the flaps will engage the edge flanges of the boxed parts of the nogging as shown at 34 in FIG. 8, so that the parts will not be moved aparat laterally for example when fastening screws are screwed into flanges for the attachment of the plaster boards. In order that the nogging can be divided in the manner described for making the telescopic type of nogging thin slots may be provided at suitable positions in the web and the limbs, said slots being separated from each other by narrow portions of the web and the limbs, respectively. The sections which form the vertical stud members can be provided with apertures 29 and 30 at suitable intervals in order that the noggings can be mounted substantially at the center if one nogging only is used in each space of the frame structure, or a nogging can be mounted at the top spaced from the ceiling, and another nogging can be mounted at the bottom spaced from the floor if two or more noggings are used in each space. The construction of the nogging at the end thereof where the tongue is provided can be modified, the apertures in the vertical stud member being modified correspondingly. In the embodiment according to FIG. 9 the protrusions 28 are eliminated and the flap provided in the tongue 25, indicated at 27', is angled downwards perpendicularly. In order that this flap can be engaged behind the web 16 of the vertical stud member 12 the triangular aperture 29 has been replaced by a rectangular aperture 29', the height of which is sufficient in order to allow the passage of the flap 27' so that said flap can be engaged behind the web. The flap 27 can also be replaced by a portion 27'' wherein a depression is made at one side of a slot that has been punched in the metal sheet as shown in FIG. 11. The stud member 12 for co-operation with the nogging of this embodiment can form apertures 30' which are rectangular instead of being triangular as the apertures 30. In the modification according to FIG. 13 the nogging has two tongues 25' which replace the tongue 25 and are formed partly by the web 19 and partly by the limbs 20. Each tongue has a flap 27 which is, however, angled upwards instead of being angled downwards, the aperture 29 being replaced by two rectangular apertures 30'' in order that the tongues 25' will be received therein, the upwardly angled flaps 27 then engaging the stud member above the upper edge of the rectangular apertures. Finally, there is shown in FIG. 15 a modification wherein protrusions 28' are provided which are formed exclusively by the limbs 20, not by the edge flanges 21, the stud member 12 forming narrow slots 30''' in order to receive the protrusions therein. Also the aperture for the tongue 25 is formed as a slot 29''. The shape of the tongue or tongues, respectively, and the protrusions as well as the apertures provided therefor can be further modified in different manners within the scope of the invention. The embodiments shown and described herein are examples only of the plurality of possible variations and combinations.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A partition frame structure to be provided with panels (14, 15), comprising vertical stud members (12) and transverse girders (13) mounted therebetween said stud members and said girders consisting of channel shaped metal sheet sections having inwardly bent edge flanges (18, 18'; 21), c h a r a c t e r e r i z e d in that the transverse girders (13) at one end thereof form two slots (22, 22') extending in the limbs (20) of the channel shaped section and partly into the edge flanges (21) and the web (19) thereof to receive therein the edge flanges (18, 18') of a vertical stud member (12) and at the other end has at least one tongue (25) to be received by an aperture (29) in the web (16) of a vertical stud member (12) and provided with a latch member (27) for latching the tongue when inserted into the aperture, and that the distance in the longitudinal direction of the transverse girder (13) from the edge (31) thereof at said other end, from which the tongue (25) projects, to the center of the slots (22, 22') at said one end of the transverse girder equals the intended distance between the vertical stud members (12) of the frame structure. 2. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that two additional slots (23, 23') extending in the limbs (20) of the channel shaped section and partly into the edge flanges (21) and the web (19) of the channel shaped section are provided at said one end of the transverse girders (13) for the edge flanges (18, 18') of a vertical stud member (12) to be received therein, the center distance between the two sets of slots in the longitudinal direction of the transverse girder equalling half the width of the limbs (17) of the vertical stud members (12). 3. A frame structure according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the slots (22', 23') at one side of the transverse girder (13) are-wider than the slots (22, 23) at the other side to receive an edge flange (18') bent towards the web of the vertical stud member (12), the narrower slots being intended to receive therein an edge flange (18) extending along the web of the vertical stud member. 4. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in in that two tongues (25') are provided at said other end of the transverse girder (13) at the corners between the web (19) and the limbs (20) of the girder. 5. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the transverse girder (13) at said other end forms two protrusions (28, 28') projecting from this end in the longitudinal direction of the girder. 6. A frame structure according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the projections (28') are formed by the limbs (20) of the transverse girder (13). 7. A frame structure according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the protrusions (28) are formed partly by the limbs (20) of the transverse girder (13) and partly by the edge flanges (21) thereof. 9. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the latch member comprises a depressed portion (27'') of the tongue (25) at one side of a slot therein. 10. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the transverse girder (13) is unsymmetric in cross section by one limb (20) having a width which so much larger than the other limb as corresponds substantially to the double thickness of the metal sheet. 11. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that flaps (33) are provided in the web (19) of the transverse girder (13) and can be pushed out therefrom, the base of said flaps being spaced from at least one limb a distance which equals substantially the width of the edge flange. AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 27 July 1992 (27.07.92); original claim 10 amended; new claim 8 added; other claims unchanged (3 pages)] 1. A partition frame structure to be provided with panels (14, 15), comprising vertical stud members (12) and transverse girders (13) mounted therebetween said stud members and said girders consisting of channel shaped metal sheet sections having inwardly bent edge flanges (18, 18'; 21), c h a r a c t e r e r i z e d in that the transverse girders (13) at one end thereof form two slots (22, 22') extending in the limbs (20) of the channel shaped section and partly into the edge flanges (21) and the web (19) thereof to receive therein the edge flanges (18, 18') of a vertical stud member (12) and at the other end has at least one tongue (25) to be received by an aperture (29) in the web (16) of a vertical stud member (12) and provided with a latch member (27) for latching the tongue when inserted into the aperture, and that the distance in the longitudinal direction of the transverse girder (13) from the edge (31) thereof at said other end, from which the tongue (25) projects, to the center of the slots (22, 22') at said one end of the transverse girder equals the intended distance between the vertical stud members (12) of the frame structure. 2. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that two additional slots (23, 23') extending in the limbs (20) of the channel shaped section and partly into the edge flanges (21) and the web (19) of the channel shaped section are provided at said one end of the transverse girders (13) for the edge flanges (18, 18') of a vertical stud member (12) to be received therein, the center distance between the two sets of slots in the longitudinal direction of the transverse girder equalling half the width of the limbs (17) of the vertical stud members (12). 3. A frame structure according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the slots (22', 23') at one side of the transverse girder (13) are wider than the slots (22, 23) at the other side to receive an edge flange (18') bent towards the web of the vertical stud member (12) , the narrower slots being intended to receive therein an edge flange (18) extending along the web of the vertical stud member. 4. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in in that two tongues (25') are provided at said other end of the transverse girder (13) at the corners between the web (19) and the limbs (20) of the girder. 5. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the transverse girder (13) at said other end forms two protrusions (28, 28') projecting from this end in the longitudinal direction of the girder. 6. A frame structure according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the projections (28') are formed by the limbs (20) of the transverse girder (13). 7. A frame structure according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the protrusions (28) are formed partly by the limbs (20) of the transverse girder (13) and partly by the edge flanges (21) thereof. 8. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the latch member comprises a punched flap (27, 27') in the tongue (25). 9. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the latch member comprises a depressed portion (27") of the tongue (25) at one side of a slot therein. 10. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the transverse girder (13) is unsymmetric in cross section by one limb (20) having a width which is so much larger than the other limb as corresponds substantially to the double thickness of the metal sheet. 11. A frame structure according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that flaps (33) are provided in the web (19) of the transverse girder (13) and can be pushed out therefrom, the base of said flaps being spaced from at least one limb a distance which equals substantially the width of the edge flange.

Inventors: LARSSON BO, VEJMARKER BO, LARSSON, BO, VEJMARKER, BO
Applicants: GAVLE AHLSELL AB, GYPROC AB
Application year: 1992
Main classification: E04B1
IPC codes: E04B1, E04B2