Patent Number: 040385531
Section: summary

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. The Field of the Invention This invention relates to apparatus utilized in the construction of enclosures, such as rooms, whose walls preclude the passage of harmful electromagnetic radiation, such as X-rays. 2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art abounds with apparatus useful in the construction of walls impervious to the transmission of X-rays therethrough. U.S. Pat. No. 2,720,105 issued on Oct. 11, 1955 to J. O. Billups teaches a wall construction utilizing lead-filled bricks or blocks interlocked to each other utilizing dovetail marginal edges. Such a construction results in a heavy wall cross-section which requires exterior and interior finished wall board surfaces to provide a finished pleasing construction. The cost of such walls is excessive and frequently requires external vertical support columns to maintain the wall in vertical alignment. U.S. Pat. No. 1,815,922 issued on July 28, 1931 to S. Lapof discloses a composite of a lead layer adhered to one side of a wall covering board, overcoming the need to fasten such layers together in the field. A strip of lead material is utilized as a lath extending along the length of each stud's facing area and horizontally between studs, so as to overlap joints formed by adjacent sheets of lead covered wallboard. Nails, protruding through the wallboard and the lath-like stud facings, secure the composite wallboard to the studs. This invention requires the handling of heavy composite wallboard sheets and does not preclude occasional leakage paths piercing the lead covering of the wallboard or the lead lathing strips. The present invention permits lead sheeting to be installed on the surface of studs without creating a plurality of holes therein, thereby permitting the erection of a lightweight radiation-proof wall. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the present invention is to provide a lead sheet supporting apparatus which does not require the use of nails or other piercing type fasteners to form openings in the lead sheet. Another object of the present invention is to provide a metallic jacket which when combined with a lead sheet abutting thereto, substantially encapsulates a wooden stud. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lead sheet stud facing portion which can effectively bridge an abutting or overlapping joint in the lead sheets affixed to the stud there-behind. Present day hospital X-ray rooms or X-ray rooms utilized in laboratories, physicians' and dentists' offices are frequently constructed utilizing thin lead sheets disposed against the studs along the innermost marginal edges of the walls comprising an X-ray radiation-proof room. The low cost and relatively lightweight of the lead sheeting has resulted in its increased popularlity. However, great care must be exercised in the erection of the sheet so as to prevent cracks or openings to be formed therein. The piercing of the sheet by nails, utilized to support it to the studs forming the wall oftentimes results in protrusions, caused by the heads of the fastening nails, to extend inwardly into the rooms, interfering with the installation of a wallboard covering such as plasterboard or wood panelling to be affixed thereto. Should the nails, used to support the wallboard material contact the nails used to support the lead sheeting, a tearing action may occur in areas of the lead sheeting adjacent the heads of the nails fastening it to the studs, requiring expensive repairs or, if the installer is unaware of such a tearing action, resulting in a leakage path for X-ray radiation generated within the room. The present invention overcomes these objections by providing a stud capturing portion having a pair of inwardly turned edges disposed against the surface of the stud destined to support the lead sheeting. The lead sheeting is placed against the inwardly turned edges and clamped thereto by a stud facing portion, which in turn is bolted to the stud capturing portion. Wallboard is fastened to the exterior face of the stud facing portion, utilizing any convenient fastening means therefor. Ceiling panels having radiation-proof properties may be supported in conventional fashion so as to protect the ceiling area from the transmission of harmful X-ray radiation. These objects, as well as other objects of the present invention, will become more readily apparent after reading the following description of the accompanying drawings.