Patent Abstract:
Prior art rolled T-beams used in horizontal grids in suspended ceilings, serve as vertical studs in a grid that supports wallboard in a liner for a structural wall. A horizontal strut extends along, and is connected to, the studs, to unite the studs and the strut to form the vertical grid. The grid is braced from the structural wall.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    Suspended, horizontally extending, drywall ceilings are well known. Such ceilings have wallboard sheets attached by self-tapping screws to rolled T-beams that are suspended from a structural ceiling by hang wires. The T-beams in a horizontal drywall suspended ceiling are united into a horizontal grid of main beams and cross beams, to provide stability. Such a prior art T-beam used in a horizontal suspended drywall ceiling grid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,098 for Beam for Drywall Ceiling, incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0002]    Such a suspended drywall ceiling could be considered a ceiling liner for a structural ceiling. 
         [0003]    The prior art T-beams used in such drywall suspended ceilings are continuously formed by passing a web of sheet metal through a series of rollforming stations, as disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,055, for Process for Producing Rollformed Sections, incorporated herein as reference. 
         [0004]    Such T-beams have a cross section of an inverted T shape, with a bulb at the top, a web depending downward from the bulb, and opposing flanges, extending horizontally from the web at the bottom thereof, as seen in the &#39;098 patent. The beam design lends itself to ready insertion of the self-tapping screws into the flanges of the beams. 
         [0005]    Such a T-beam used in a horizontal suspended ceiling is primarily subjected to a load downward from the weight of the ceiling. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention uses the above-described T-beams of the prior art as vertical studs in a vertically extending grid that supports wallboard in a wall liner. Even though such T-beams are designed to be used horizontally to withstand a downward load, the present invention enables a stud to act as a column subject to buckling and twisting. The T-beam studs are united, and the strength of the studs combined, into the vertically extending grid by a horizontal strut that extends through, and is attached to, the vertical studs. The grid is braced from, for instance, a structural or partition wall. Drywall sheets are attached to the studs by self-tapping screws, as in prior art suspended ceilings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention with elements broken away. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken on the line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a front plan view of the invention before the drywall sheets are attached to the rolled T-beam, acting as a stud. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a partial perspective view, with elements broken away, to show drywall attached to a rolled T-beam, acting as a stud, and to a bottom track. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken on the line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 , showing a T-beam supported in a bottom track. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  showing an embodiment of the invention wherein the T-beams, acting as studs, are positioned against a structural wall. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 2 , taken on the line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 , showing the T-beams, acting as studs, extending vertically along the structural wall. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7A  is an enlarged view of the circled area in  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    The wall liner  10  of the invention is intended to stand in front of a vertical wall  20  between an upper ceiling  21  and a lower floor  22 . 
         [0016]    The wall  20 , may be a structural wall, above or below ground level, of, for instance, poured concrete or concrete block, or wall  20  may be any other form of wall, such as a partition wall. In such instances, it is often desirable to form a liner of wallboard in front of the wall, for decorative or functional reasons. 
         [0017]    A prior art wall liner generally has been built with U-shaped metal channels that act as studs, with the base of the U extending perpendicularly to the wall liner surface. Sheets of wallboard are attached to an arm of a channel by self-tapping screws. The channels stand vertically alone, and are stiff and rigid enough, by virtue of the U cross section which is formed of relatively thick metal, to withstand the forces imparted to the studs by the weight of the wallboard sheets, as well as forces from impact against the liner. The channels can also withstand the forces exerted when the screws are being attached. 
         [0018]    In the present invention, prior art T-beams of the type disclosed in the &#39;098 patent are used as vertical studs  23 , notwithstanding the beams have been designed to extend horizontally and to primarily resist bending loads from the weight of a ceiling. Such prior art T-beams are formed by passing webs of sheet metal successively through rolling stations that fold the metal into a cross section having a bulb  25 , a web  26  depending from the bulb  25 , and a pair of flanges  27  extending oppositely from web  26 . 
         [0019]    The flanges  27  generally have indentations  31  that capture a self-tapping screw  32  which passes through wallboard  33  to hold the wallboard  33  to the stud  23 , as disclosed in the &#39;098 patent. 
         [0020]    The studs  23  are positioned close to the wall  20  as seen in  FIG. 2 , or against the wall  20 , as seen in  FIG. 7 . The studs  23  are anchored at the bottom in bottom track  35 , and the top in top track  36 . 
         [0021]    The tracks  35  and  36  are formed of a U-shaped channel having in cross section, a shorter arm  37  and a longer arm  38 , and a base  40 . The base  40  is nailed at  39  to the floor  22  and at  44  to the ceiling  21  along the wall  20 , and the vertical studs  23  are locked into the tracks  35  and  36  by means of locking tabs  41  that are spaced, as seen particularly in  FIG. 5 , to capture the bulb  25  of stud  23  in arm  38 , and the flanges  27  in arm  37 . The tabs  41  are pierced from the arms  37  and  38 , and have sloping sides that permit the stud  23  to be maneuvered and locked into place in the tracks  35  and  36 . 
         [0022]    The tabs  41  are placed along the tracks  35  and  36  to provide suitable spacing, for instance,  16  inches between the stud centers. The tabs  41  on the top  36  and bottom  35  tracks are in vertical registry with each other. 
         [0023]    The studs  23  during insertion into the tracks  35  and  36 , engage the sloping sides of the locking tabs  41  of the tracks  35  and  36  and flex the arms  37  and  38  of the tracks  35  and  36  outward to permit the studs  23  to be forced into place. 
         [0024]    The studs  23  have openings  42  spaced vertically in the webs  26 . The openings  42  have a larger upper portion  45 , which is roughly rectangular, and a smaller bottom portion  46 , which is U-shaped. Such openings  42  are of a similar shape to the prior art openings in prior art U-channel studs, that provide means for passing electrical wiring through such U-channel studs. 
         [0025]    A strut  50  having a U-shaped cross section corresponding to the shape of the lower portion  46  of opening  42 , that has been maneuvered through the larger opening  45 , engages the lower section  46  in a force fit, as shown particularly in  FIGS. 2 ,  7  and  7 A. The struts  50  may be spliced together longitudinally with a splice plate  51 , using pre-tapped holes in the strut  50  and plate  51 . 
         [0026]    The strut  50 , which in the embodiment shown, has a cross section of an inverted U, unites each of the vertical studs  23 , and the strut  50 , into a rigid grid  55 . 
         [0027]    Grid  55  is anchored at the top and bottom in tracks  35  and  36 , wherein any horizontal force exerted against the wall liner at an individual stud  23 , is distributed among all the studs  23 , and resisted by the strength of the combined studs  23 . Angle shaped braces  57 , spaced along strut  50  to stabilize the strut, are anchored into wall  20  with suitable fasteners, such as hardened nails  61 , and are secured to strut  50  by screws  62 . The braces  57  may have a relatively long arm  63 , such as seen in  FIG. 2 , where the grid  55  is set away from the wall  20 , or may have a shortened arm  64 , as seen in  FIGS. 7 and 7A , where the grid  55  is against the wall  20 . 
         [0028]    The wall liner  10  is completed by attaching the wallboard sheets  33  to the grid  55 . The wallboard sheets  33  register with the studs  23  at the edges of a sheet. 
         [0029]    The sheets  33  are secured to the studs  23 , at the sheet  33  edges, as well as optimally within the sheet  33 , with self-tapping screws  32 , which enter indents  31 , where they pierce and are screwed into the flange, as seen in the &#39;098 patent. 
         [0030]    The grid  55 , anchored at the bottom and top in tracks  35 ,  36 , and braced against wall  20  by braces  57 , supports the wallboard sheets  33  of the wall liner  10 , both against horizontal forces against the wall liner, and vertical forces created by the wallboard, and matter connected to the wallboard, such as decorative wall hangings.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4