Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ 3 ~ 8
^ 1 - P 1891-2 CA
BUILDING PANELS
-
This invention relates broadly to building systems. More particularly
it relates to drywalling systems or the llke, although it is to necessarily
restricted thereto.
In drywalllng systems, particularly in commercial operations where
5 ~ metai studs are commonly used, an Installatlon of a double slded wall proceeds
by flrst positioning and fixing header and footer channels. A first stud on one
lateral edge of the wall will normally be secured to the header and footer
channels, and remaining studs are loosely positioned in the channels. A drywall
panel, which may typically measure four feet wide by the height of the studs up
10 ~ to about t~,velve feet, is then screwed to the channels and the first stud by a
first operator, working from the obverse side of the panel. A second operator,
workmg from tlle reverse side, positions the remalning studs successively7 whiie
:
the first operator inserts screws through the pane~l and stud.
Generally speaklng the operators will pre-mark the obverse face of
:
l5~ ~ ~ the~ panel \,vlth pencil llnes located at modular intervals, usually on sixteen or
twenty-four inch centers. The second operator will normally use a scrap of
lumber cut to the appropriate length to form a spacer. Disadvantages of this
2n
:
- ~ :
:
131~ 9 ~ 8 p 1891-2 CA
procedure Is that It Is tlme consuming, and that errors in positioning any stud
may be repeated m positioning successive studs. In the event that long panels
are positioned hori~ontally on the studs, positioning errors can be appreciable.Specifications normally required that panel retaining screws be inserted into the
studs at eight inch intervals along the periphery thereof, and at sixteen inch
intervals in the field thereof. Generally the operators will gauge the distance
between adjacent screws by eye, and it is often found that fewer screws than
are specifled are used.
It is a broad object of thls invention to providé a building panel
with indicla on the obverse and reverse surfaces thereof to assist operators in
locatlng and positioning studs and screws.
In accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, a drywall sheet
having obverse and reverse faces and a bounding edge therearound is provided
with flrst indicia on the field of the reverse face to facilitate the placement of
a stud with respect to the sheet, and with complementary indicia locating on theobverse face to facilitate the placement oF securing means such as screws.
Generally speaking the sheet wlll be rectangular and the indicia on
the reverse face may comprise one or more bands which will suitably have a
width marglnally greater than the flange of the stud to be secured thereto,
2n whereby the band will not be wholly masked by the stud when placed in its
deslgnated positlon, so as to permit a rapld and accurate placement of a stud
and a quick visual inspection.
Drywall sheets generally have a width of four feet, and a length
which is a multiple thereof, usually two, two and half or three. The sheets may
be secured to the studs with their length vertically or horizontally oriented.
According!y it is preferred that the sheets wlll have indicia on the obverse and
~31~9~8
- 3 - P 1891-2 CA
reverse faces that i5 parallel to each bounding edge i.e. arranged in a grid
fashion.
The studs in a drywall are commonly spaced at modular intervals of
sixteen inches or twenty-four inches. Preferably the indicia will indicate both
5 modular spacings, the indicia associated with one modular spacing preferably
having a characteristic appearance which differs from that associated with the
other modular spacing.
Desirably the ind~cla on the obverse face will comprise discrete
markings located along the notional center line of each band and spaced apart
along the length thereof by a predetermined distance according to the desired
spacing between adjacent screws in the field of the sheet. Where the
predetermineo distance is equal to the modular spacing of the studs, intersecting
grid lines will indicate preferred screw placement.
Also desirably, the markings on the obverse face may be coded in
15 sirnilar manner to the indicia on the reverse face, according to the modular
spacing of the studs.
It is also preferred that the obverse face contain indicia thereon
adjacent the bounding edges of the panel in the form of discrete markings spaced
apart by a predetermined distance to facilitate the accurate positioning of
20 fastening screws about the periphery of the sheet.
~ My invention will be further described in relation to a preferred
embodiment thereof as illustrate~d in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. I - shows a wall panel from the reverse face
.
thereof in accordance with the invention;
~ FIG. 2 - shows the panel of Flg. I from the obverse face
~ ~ thereof.
:~:;: : ,`j
'
.. ~. :, ., ~ .
~3~48 p 1891-2 CA
f~eferrtng to the drawings in detail, a drywall sheet is identified
generally therein by the numeral 10. Sheet 10 has an obverse face 12 and a
reverse face 14, and bounding edges 16 along the length thereof and 18 along
the width thereof. Sheet 10 is here considered for illustrative purposes to have a
length of eight feet and a width of four Feet.
Reverse face 14 has marked thereon a first pJurality of bands 20
parallel to edge 16 and a second plurality of bands 22 transverse thereto. Each
band 20,22 has a similar appearance, here shown by way of example by the
longitudinal edges of the bands being delimited by a continuous line. Bands 2û,22
each have a notional center line 24 along the length thereof. The center line 24
those of bands 20,22 closest to a parallel edge 16 or 18 are spaced from that
edge by a modular distance equal to one third of the width of sheet 10, which i3
to say in this instance sixteen inches. Adjacent ones of these bands 20,22 are in
the field of sheet 10 are also spaced apart by a similar distance between their
15 center l~nes.
A second grid is seen on reverse face of sheet 10 formed by a ~and
26 parallel to edge 16, and transverse bands 28, these bands being here shown as
dellmited along their longitudinal edges by dashed lines. Bands 26,28 have
notional center lines 30 along the length thereof, these locating at modular
20 distances of one half the width of sheet 10, or twenty-four inches in this
instance. The width of bands 20,22, 26,28 is not critical, but desirably it is
marginally greater than the width of the flange of a stud to be positioned
against a band, so that edges of the band will be visible along the length of the
stud on each transverse side thereof when the stud is accurately positioned
~r
~ ' relative to the sheet 10. The precise ~ manner of indicating the bands is not
,
~ ~ ; critical, and they need not be continuous as here shown for illustrative purposPs
:
~ ~ only. However, given that sheet 10 may often be cut to adjust the length or
.
13~9~8
- 5 - P 1891-2 CA
width or both for a particular requirernent, where the band markings are
discontinuous and widely spaced apart along their length, this may result in the
markings being eliminated. It may be remarked that where tha bands of both
grids are coincident, as at 36, both markings are desirably indlcated.
Considering now the obverse face 12 of sheet 10, one set of
markings 4û are located along the notional center lines 24 of bands 20,22, to
form a sixteen inch grid, and a second set of markings 42 locate on the notional
center lines 30 of bands Z6,2B to form a twenty-four inch grid. Suitably grid
markings 40 visually relate to the markings on the underlaying grid formed by
bands 20,22; similarly grid markings 42 will preferably visually relate to the
underlaying grid formed by bands 26,28, as exemplified in Figs. I and 2 harein.
Coincident grid lines may conveniently be shown by slightly off setting the lines
as at 46.
Obverse face 12 Is further provided with a plurality of marks 5û
5 adjacent the bounding edges 16,18 thereof to indicate the preferred position of
securing screws; current standards specify screws on about eight inch centers.
Grld lines 40,42 while they intersect bounding edges 16,18 will indicate alternate
screw placement positions about the periphery of sheet 10. In the field of sheet
10, screw placement positions specified at sixteen inch intervals will be
20 i ndicated by intersecting grid lines. Where the specified screw placament
position is not coincident v,lith the modular stud distance other specific screw
placement indicia may be marked on the grid lines.
It will be apparent that many changes to the exemplary embodiment
of the invention may be made within the spirit of the invention, and it is
intended that all such changes be encompassed in the scope of the claims
appended hereto.
, . . .
.
