Abstract:
A tall wall construction for a multiple floor building is provided. The tall wall includes a bottom or first wall frame panel constructed to a standard wall height specification, a top or second wall frame panel constructed to a standard wall height specification, and a structural truss having a height equal to a corresponding floor system. The first framed wall panel is connected directly to the bottom of the structural truss panel and the second framed wall panel is connected directly to the top of the structural truss panel so that the first framed wall panel, the structural truss panel and the second framed wall panel are connected together in vertically alignment forming the tall wall construction.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to light-frame wood lumber wall constructions, and more particularly, relating to a new light-frame wood lumber tall wall construction. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Light-frame construction is a well-known and a predominate building technique for building single and multiple story homes in North America and other parts of the world because of its economy. Broadly, light-frame construction is a building method that utilizes interconnected horizontally and vertically oriented dimensional lumber to form wall frames, floor systems, and roof systems to which interior and exterior rigid sheet panels are attached. 
         [0003]    Standard walls or standard wall frames and tall walls or tall wall frames are two types of wall frame panel constructions used in light-frame construction. Although wall construction parameters that determine if the wall is a tall wall or a standard wall are well known in the field of the invention, it is beneficial for the purpose of discussion herein to briefly characterize some of the more important distinctions between a tall wall and a standard wall. 
         [0004]    Generally, a standard wall is a wall construction having a total height of between 8 and 10 feet. And in a multiple floor building, standard walls on separate floors are separated by a floor system which serves to support and transfer loads from the above walls. Relatively inexpensive dimensional lumber is readily available in pre-cut, standardized lengths for use as wall studs in the building of standard walls. 
         [0005]    A tall wall is a wall construction having a total height greater than the height of a standard wall, and typically has a height that spans two floor levels, and is not separated by a floor system. The floor system separation is a key distinguishing feature between a standard wall and a tall wall. An example of a tall wall is at wall at a stairwell opening that is situated at an exterior wall of the house. Unlike standard wall construction, inexpensive dimensional lumber is not as readily available in over-sized lengths for use as wall studs in the building of tall walls. 
         [0006]    While exterior walls and interior loading bearing and non-loading bearing walls must be constructed in a manner suitable for providing the required structural support, tall walls require different construction techniques that include higher strength and more expensive lumber compared to standard walls. This is especially true in exterior walls where the wall framing must be of a construction to not only support floor and roof loads, but also resist lateral wind loads. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Embodiments of the present invention provide a new tall wall construction capable of supporting floor and roof loads and also resist lateral wind loads by using two more stacked standard wall constructions. 
         [0008]    To achieve these and other advantages, in general, in one aspect, new wood framed tall wall construction is provided. The tall wall construction includes a first framed wall panel having a horizontally extending sole plate, a horizontally extending double top plate vertically spaced from the sole plate, and a plurality of horizontally spaced studs vertically extending between the sole plate and the double top plate. A second framed wall panel includes a horizontally extending sole plate, a horizontally extending double top plate vertically spaced from the sole plate, and a plurality of horizontally spaced studs vertically extending between the sole plate and the double top plate. A structural truss panel includes a horizontally extending single bottom chord, a horizontally extending double top chord vertically spaced from the bottom chord, and a plurality of web vertically extending between the bottom cord and the top chord. The double top plate of the first framed wall panel is connected directly to the bottom chord of the structural truss panel and the sole plate of the second framed wall panel is connected directly to the double top chord of the structural truss panel so that the first framed wall panel, the structural truss panel and the second framed wall panel are connected together in vertically alignment forming a tall wall construction. 
         [0009]    There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
         [0010]    Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting. 
         [0011]    As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
         [0012]    For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The following drawings illustrate by way of example and are included to provide further understanding of the invention for the purpose of illustrative discussion of the embodiments of the invention. No attempt is made to show structural details of the embodiments in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. Identical reference numerals do not necessarily indicate an identical structure. Rather, the same reference numeral may be used to indicate a similar feature of a feature with similar functionality. In the drawings: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of an existing tall wall construction; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of another existing tall wall construction; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of a tall wall construction in accordance with the principals of an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged, partial view of the tall wall construction of  FIG. 3 , showing the interconnection between a successive vertical wall panels and a structural truss in accordance with the principals of an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Now with reference to  FIG. 1 , there is representatively illustrated a conventional two story wall frame construction  100  including a tall wall frame section or panel  102  spanning the first and second floors  104  and  106 . For illustrative purposes, the tall wall frame panel  102  is shown between standard wall frame panels  108 ,  110  on the first floor  104  and standard height wall frame panels  112  and  114  on the second floor  106 . 
         [0019]    Tall wall frame panel  102  representatively illustrates one existing tall wall frame construction that is a unitary frame construction including a sole plate  116  located at the base of the first floor  104 , a double top plate  118  vertically spaced from the sole plate and located at the roof level of the building, and a plurality of horizontally spaced studs  120  vertically extending between the sole plate and the double top plate. The construction of tall wall frame panel  102  is not desirable because of the construction requires expensive and specialized over-length studs  120  that are capable of spanning the distance between the first floor and rough level of the second floor and meeting support and load requirements. Additionally, studs  120  are required to be more closely spaced than a single story wall, and thus requiring more studs to build the tall wall. In essences the non-standard wall height of tall wall  102  increases the costs of its construction in both material and labor costs. 
         [0020]    Now turning to  FIG. 2 , there is representatively illustrated a conventional two story wall frame construction  200  similar to wall frame construction  100  of  FIG. 1 , and also including a tall wall frame section or panel  202  spanning the first and second floors  204  and  206 . Again, for illustrative purposes, the tall wall frame panel  202  is shown between standard wall frame panels  208 ,  210  on the first floor  204  and standard height wall frame panels  212  and  214  on the second floor  206 . 
         [0021]    Tall wall frame panel  202  representatively illustrates another existing tall wall frame construction that is a stacked wall construction including a bottom or first floor wall frame panel  216  and a top or second floor wall pane frame  218  connected to the bottom wall frame panel such that the wall frame panels are vertical aligned. The bottom wall frame panel  216  includes a sole plate  220  located at the base of the first floor  204 , a triple top plate  222  (including three-horizontal plate members) vertically spaced from the sole plate and located at the base of the second floor (above the ceiling of the standard wall panels  208  and  210 ), and a plurality of horizontally spaced studs  224  vertically extending between the sole plate and the top plate. The top wall frame panel  218  also includes a sole plate  226  located at the base of the second floor  206 , a double top plate  228  located at the roof level, and a plurality of plurality of horizontally spaced studs  230  vertically extending between the sole plate and the top plate. The sole plate  226  of the top wall frame panel  218  is connected directly to the top plate  222  of the bottom wall frame panel  216  such that such that the wall frame panels are vertical aligned and loading forces are distributed between the wall frame panels. 
         [0022]    It can be seen the bottom wall frame panel  216  is not of a standard wall height construction and spans a height from the first floor to the second floor which includes the height of the floor system  232  of the second floor. This construction requires specialized over-length studs  224  that are more closely spaced to meet support and load requirements. Further it can be seen, the top wall frame panel  218  is of a standard wall height construction that can take advantage of using standard length studs. Although studs  230  are standard length studs, to meet support and loading requirements the spacing of studs must be the same as the spacing of studs  224 , and thus more studs are required than a standard wall construction. 
         [0023]    Although the stacked tall wall construction  202  has advantages over the full length tall wall construction  102  such as lower material costs from not requiring the more expensive over-length studs that span the full two floor levels, its construction has drawbacks. One drawback is the non-standard wall construction of both the bottom wall frame panel  208  and the top wall frame panel  210  which requires over-length studs in the bottom wall frame panel and additional studs having a closer spacing in both the bottom and top wall frame panels. 
         [0024]    Now with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , there is representatively illustrated a two story wall frame construction  300  including a new tall wall frame or section  302  constructed in accordance with the principals of an embodiment of the present invention. Tall wall  302  spans the first and second floors  304  and  306 , and includes a bottom wall frame panel  308 , a top wall frame panel  310  and a structural truss  312  disposed between and connected to the top and bottom wall frame panels. 
         [0025]    Bottom wall frame panel  308  includes a horizontally extending sole plate  314 , a horizontally extending double top plate  316  vertically spaced from the sole plate, and a plurality of horizontally spaced studs  318  extending between the sole plate and the top plate. As it can be seen with comparison to standard wall frame panel  320 , wall frame panel  308  has a standard wall panel construction including studs  318  of standard length (not over-length studs) and conventional spacing, a standard single sole plate and a standard double top plate. 
         [0026]    Similarly, top wall frame panel  310  is of a standard wall construction and includes a horizontally extending sole plate  322 , a horizontally extending double top plate  324  vertically spaced from the sole plate, and a plurality of horizontally spaced studs  326  extending between the sole plate and the top plate. As it can be seen with comparison to standard wall frame panel  328 , wall frame panel  310  has a standard wall panel construction including studs  326  of standard length (not over-length studs) and conventional spacing, a standard single sole plate and a standard double top plate. 
         [0027]    The structural truss panel  312  includes a horizontally extending single bottom chord  330 , a horizontally extending double top chord  332  vertically spaced from said bottom chord, and a plurality of webs  334  vertically extending between the bottom cord and the top chord. Structural truss panel  312  is constructed to have a height equal in height to the second floor  306  floor system  336 . 
         [0028]    Tall wall  302  is includes the bottom wall frame panel  308  and the top wall frame panel  310  connected to the structural truss panel  312  with the double top plate  316  of the bottom wall frame panel connected directly to the bottom chord  330  of the structural truss panel, and with the sole plate  322  connected directly to the top chord  322  of the structural truss panel. Structural screws  336 , positioned at each truss panel, are used to connect the top plate  316  to the bottom chord  330  and to connect the sole plate  332  to the top chord  322 . 
         [0029]    An advantage of tall wall construction  302  the bottom and top wall frame panels  308  and  310  to having the same construction as a standard wall panel which serves to standardize construction of the building and reduce material and labor costs that is not available with existing tall wall constructions. A further advantage of tall wall construction  302  is the construction is not constrained to only two floor levels as are the existing tall wall constructions, thereby now allowing tall wall constructions to span several floor levels and providing new building construction techniques heretofore not available. 
         [0030]    In embodiments bottom wall frame panel  308  is constructed to a standard wall height of 8-feet, 9-feet or 10 feet, and studs  318  are of a standard length of 92⅝ inches, 104⅝ inches, and 116⅝ inches, respectively. In embodiments top wall frame panel  310  is constructed to a standard wall height of 8-feet, 9-feet or 10 feet, and studs  318  are of a standard length of 92⅝ inches, 104⅝ inches, and 116⅝ inches, respectively. 
         [0031]    Further, and although tall wall  302  is illustrated as including bottom wall frame panel  308  and top wall frame panel  310  having the same standard wall height construction, either or may be of a different standard wall height construction that corresponds to the wall height of standard walls on the same floor level. For example, a first floor of a building may have a standard wall height of 10 feet and a second floor of the building may have a standard wall height of 8 feet. In this example, the bottom wall frame panel of the tall wall would be constructed of a standard wall height of 10 feet to correspond with the other walls on the floor level, while the top wall frame panel of the tall wall would be constructed of a standard wall height of 8 feet to correspond with the other walls on the second floor level. 
         [0032]    Additionally, while only a two floor wall construction is illustrated in  FIG. 3 , tall wall  302  may be constructed to span several floor levels by successive stacking in the manner illustrated. 
         [0033]    A number of embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.