AU729619B2 - Improvements in wall panels - Google Patents

Description

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl: Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification-Lodged: Accepted: Lapsed: Published: Priority: Related Art: Name of Applicant: Brian Name of Applicant: Brian o oo*o* TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT John Aulsebrook rinces Highway FALLS CREEK NSW 2540 Address of Applicant: 989 P Actual Inventor: AS ABOVE Address for Service: ANDERSON-TAYLOR ASSOCIATES, Registered Patent Attorneys of 10 Harrison Avenue BONNET BAY N.S.W. 2226 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: IMPROVEENTS IN WLL The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: '1 This invention relates to building products. More particularly although not exclusively it discloses an improved timber wall panel for building structures.

Much of the framework for building structures such as timber wall panels is normally constructed at a factory and then shipped to the construction site for assembly. Existing wall panels in the basic form shown in figure 1 typically comprise a series of spaced apart upright studs 1 extending between top and bottom plates 2 and 3. Diagonal metal straps 4 may be used to brace the panel against lateral deflection under load S: and offset noggings 5 are fitted between adjacent studs to reinforce against buckling. With prior art panels the noggings are normally fitted as individual sections between :each set of studs. They may be fixed by means of either skew nailing or end nailing in the case of the staggered or offset noggings shown. Alternatively, one piece ribbon noggings (not shown) are sometimes used which are set into aligned rebates cut into the side faces of the studs. Such prior art panels however suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example.

the individually cut noggings are slow and laborious to fit and the resulting joints are often loose. Further, skew nailing or nailing into the end grain of the noggings provides only limited strength and can lead to looseness and loss of lateral stability under load. While some of these problems are avoided by ribbon noggings the rebates required in the side faces of the studs cause substantial reduction in their load bearing ability.

It is therefore an object of this invention to ameliorate the aforementiooned disadvantages and accordingly a wall panel or frame is disclosed for incorporation into a building structure, said wall panel or frame comprising a plurality of spaced apart upright studs between top and bottom plates and reinforcing means extending substantially horizontally between adjacent studs intermediate the ends thereof, said reinforcing means comprising one or more lengths of nogging which extend continuously as one piece through slots located between the side faces of said studs.

Preferably said slots are located centrally between the side **o faces of the studs.

It is also preferred that the noggings are fixed in place by means of nailing through the side faces of the studs adjacent the slots.

Currently preferred examples of the invention are shown in the attached drawings in which: Figure 2 is a perspective side view of a wall panel constructed according to this concept, Figure 3 is a detailed view of the joints between the noggings and studs of figure 2, and Figure 4 is a second example of a panel according to this invention.

Referring first to figure 2 there is shown a timber wall panel comprising standard 90 x 35 mm building studs 6, and top and bottom plates 7 and 8. A diagonal metal strap (not shown) may also be fitted. In accordance with this invention the individualstuds are braced against lateral deflection under load by a one piece nogging member 9 which extends continuously through aligned slots 10 in the studs. For a standard stud cross-section of say 90 x 35 mm the slots may be rectangular and measure 70 x 19 mm so as to provide a close tolerance sliding fit for correspondingly sized noggings. It is also important that the slots 11 be located midway between the side faces 6A and 6B of the studs.

Positioning the slots in this manner preserves the outer load bearing fibres of the timber stud so as to minimise any loss of bending strength. Consequently these studs are much stronger than those fitted with prior art ribbon noggings where sections of the outer fibres are cut away to form the rebates in the side faces. Further, the preferred method of nailing 11 allowed by this invention through the side face of the studs and directly into the noggings provides a stronger and more rigid joint which has better resistance to stud buckling and lateral distortion of the panel both during handling and under load.

Preferably the slots 10 are cut into the studs prior to assembly between the top and bottom plates. The continuous one piece noggings are then be push fitted through the aligned slots 10 and nailed through one side face as described earlier. Such procedure has been found to be substantially cheaper and faster than the prior art fitting of large numbers of individual short sections of noggings between adjacvent pairs of studs. The continuous nature of the noggings with this invention and the close tolerance fit obtained at each joint provides additional resistance to angular deflection and a tighter restraint against lateral deflection of the studs.

Although only a single continuous piece of nogging 9 is shown in figures 2 and 3, in high walled structures two or more lengths may be fitted at different heights through the panel.

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In accordance with a further aspect of the invention a continuous one piece nogging 12 may also be fitted immediately under the top plate 7' as shown in figure 4. The main components here which correspond in function to those of figures 2 and 3 are marked by the same number but with the addition of an accent Rebates 13 matching the crosssection of the nogging are cut into the upper edges of the studs 6' midway between the side faces 6A' and 6B' prior to fixing the top plate in position. This arrangement has been found to provide substantial reinforcement for the load bearing top plate. Accordingly the cross-sectional size of the top plate for typical construction may be reduced to by 35 mm as compared with 90 by 70 mm in prior art frames. Significant reductions in manufacturing costs result from this arrangement which provides equivalent or increased load capacity.

Although not shown in the drawings the underside of the top plate 7' may also grooved so that the upper face of tghe nogging 12 is partially set into this member.

It will thus be appreciated that this invention at least in the form of the embodiment described provides a novel and useful improvement in the construction of timber wall panels or frames. Indeed, it is envisaged that the improvements in joint rigidity mentioned above will allow the cross-sectional size and cost of the noggings to be substantially reduced while still achieving the same or improved strength relative to prior art wall panels. Clearly however the example disclosed is only the currently preferred form of this invention and a wide variety of modifications may be made which would be apparent to a person skilled in the art. For example the shape, size and cross-sectional configuration of the noggings as well as the slots through the studs may all g o be changed according to design preference or the type of panel to which the invention is applied. Also, while the embodiment described was constructed of timber the invention extends to the use of steel members.

Claims (4)

1. A timber wall panel or frame for incorporation into a building structure, said wall panel or frame including a plurality of spaced apart upright studs between top and bottom plates and reinforcing means within said wall panel or frame extending substantially horizontally through and between said studs, said reinforcing means including at least one length of timber nogging which extends continuously as one piece through rectangular slots formed between the side faces of said studs, said slots being dimensioned and shaped to provide a close tolerance sliding fit for said nogging, said nogging being fixed in place by means of nailing through at least one of said stud side faces adjacent the slots to thereby resist buckling and lateral deflection of the panel or frame.

2. The wall panel or frame as claimed in claim 1 wherein said S. reinforcing means extends between adjacent studs intermediate the ends thereof.

3. The wall panel or frame as claimed in claim 2 wherein said slots are located centrally between the side faces of said studs.

4. The wall panel or frame as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one length of nogging is located immediately under said top plate and within rebates cut in the ends of said o\ studs. A wall panel or frame substantially as described herein with reference to figures 2 and 3 or figure 4. Dated this 25th day of October 2000 Brian John Aulsebrook By His Patent Attorney MICHAEL ANDERSON-TAYLOR a a a. a