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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a building construction, and more particularly, to a bracketing system for creating an even secondary edge along an uneven slab edge for attaching studs.
2. Background Information
Concrete slabs form a part of the load bearing structure of buildings and are used to support non-load bearing walls. In designing the edge of the slab, there are two typical approaches: the slab cantilevers over the spandrel beam and loads are applied to the overhang, or loads are carried by a structural steel plate or assembly attached to a spandrel beam. Furthermore, a slab must also have sufficient strength to carry a load without increasing the thickness of the floor slab system. If the slab does not have sufficient strength, a bent plate or other steel assembly must be designed to transfer loads to a spandrel beam.
One situation that occurs when creating a concrete slab is that the edge of the slab may be formed unevenly. This often occurs because a margin of error from ¼inch to 2 inches is considered acceptable when the framing for the slab is constructed before the concrete is poured. This imprecision results in an uneven slab edge.
The precision required to build the load bearing structures of a building is less precise than what is needed to construct internal non-load bearing walls that support, for example, dry wall. Construction workers building the load bearing structures that support concrete slabs in a multi-story building are not focused on making every slab edge perfectly straight. Even when done carefully, the edges of the slab usually do not line up perfectly due to the imprecision of the multiple slabs placed adjacent to each other. If studs and walls are installed on an uneven slab edge, then the result is a crooked wall. As a consequence, it is necessary to install intermediary components that compensate for the uneven slab edge in order for the non-load bearing walls to be straight and true. Although secondary structures can be used to cover an uneven slab edge to create an even surface, often these secondary attachment structures may cause the slab edge to break or cause spalling. The present invention provides a novel solution for this problem by providing a system and method for evenly attaching studs to an uneven slab edge while preventing the problem of slab edge breakage or spalling.
The present invention is directed to a building construction system that allows for adjustably connecting building components. The present invention is directed toward forming an even surface along an uneven slab edge, and for securely attaching this structure to a slab edge without causing any breakage or spalling.
It is a purpose of the present invention is to provide a building construction system for adaptable on-site installation of structures that allow for a straight even surfaced elongated track to attach to other structures embedded within a concrete slab in order to create a secondary surface for attaching studs, walls, facades, and the like.
It is another purpose of the present invention to have elements of the building construction system provide means to secure the system to the slab edge without breaking the slab edge by attaching the system to foam inserts embedded within the concrete slab instead of attaching the system directly to the slab. By having the building construction system attached to foam inserts, and not concrete, the occurrence of breakage, chipping, and spalling on the slab is is reduced when the straight track is placed over the uneven slab edge.
The building system comprises a bent plate (or pour stop), a screw pocket bracket, a foam insert within the screw pocket bracket, and an elongated track (or bypass clip track). The bent plate has two regions that are perpendicular to each other. The first region of the bent plate can be secured to a spandrel beam for support, and is adjacent to the bottom surface of the slab. The second region of the bent plate is substantially perpendicular to the first region, thereby forming an L-shaped plate. Attached to the bent plate is a screw pocket bracket. The screw pocket bracket has a screw pocket plate, a screw pocket flange extending substantially perpendicular from the screw pocket plate, and a screw pocket lip extending substantially perpendicular from the screw pocket flange. The screw pocket plate, flange, and lip, form the outer boundaries of a screw pocket internal channel or pocket. Disposed within this internal channel is a foam insert that becomes embedded within the top surface of a concrete slab.
When wet concrete is poured into a metal deck to form a slab, the concrete fills the deck, but is prevented from filling the entirety of the screw pocket internal channel due to the presence of the foam insert, which is located near the top front edge of the concrete slab. As the concrete hardens, it hardens around the foam insert along the front edge of the concrete slab, providing a region along the top and/or bottom surface of the slab for attaching other elements of the building construction system.
To create an even surface along an uneven concrete slab edge, an elongated track (also known as a bypass clip track) is placed and secured over the slab edge. The elongated track has a track web from which two flanges (a bottom and top flange) extend perpendicularly, and a stud attachment plate, which extends perpendicularly from the track web. The first flange of the track is secured to the bent plate (adjacent the bottom of the slab) via an attachment member such as a nail, screw, pin, bolt, or the like. The second flange of the elongated track is secured to the screw pocket bracket and foam insert embedded within the concrete slab.
The stud attachment plate of the elongated track extends perpendicularly from the web, and is capable securing studs along the elongated track by attachment members such as screws, nails, pins, bolts, or the like. Since the web of the elongated track has an even surface (as opposed to an uneven slab edge surface) the use of the stud attachment plate on the even surfaced track allows the installer to place studs evenly along an uneven slab edge, since the slab edge is overlaid by the even surfaced elongated track. The elongated track can be placed and secured at various distances from the slab edge to accommodate the uneven front edge of the slab, leading to the formation of adjustment gap spaces between the elongated track and the slab edge.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the building construction system has a screw pocket bracket, elongated track, and an elongated track attachment member capable of securing the elongated track to the screw pocket bracket. The screw pocket bracket has a web from which two screw pocket flanges extend perpendicularly, a screw pocket internal channel formed between the screw pocket web and the two screw pocket flanges, and a plurality of foam inserts disposed within the internal channel of the screw pocket bracket.
In this embodiment, the elongated track has a track web from which track flanges extend perpendicularly, and a stud attachment plate extending from the track web. The stud attachment plate is capable of securing a stud to the elongated track by a stud attachment member. The elongated track attachment member is capable of securing the elongated track to the flanges of the screw pocket bracket and foam insert. Here, the elongate bracket is secured to both a top foam insert and a bottom foam insert that are disposed within the internal channel of the screw pocket bracket.
In another embodiment, the elongated track has a track web having an even surface. A first web flange and second web flange extend perpendicularly from the track web, the flanges being perpendicular to each other. A third and fourth flange extend from the first and second web flange, respectively, and are coplanar with each other. A stud attachment plate extends substantially perpendicularly from the track web.
In other embodiment of the system, different embodiments of more than one track, elongated web, stud attachment plate, and flanges can be combined and variably adjusted in order to connect multiple studs along an uneven surface.
While the foregoing describes the present invention in relation to illustrations and examples, it is understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the illustrations and examples described herein. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternative modifications and equivalents that may be included in the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
The above and various other objects and advantages of the invention will be described and understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings:
The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the,” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” and “have” and/or “having,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom,” and “upper” or “top,” and “inner” or “outer,” may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another elements as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to idealized embodiments of the present invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.
Referring to
The system 10 comprises a bent plate (or a pour stop) 32, a screw pocket bracket 18 that has a foam insert 22, and an elongated track (or bypass clip track) 6. The elongated track 6 can be adjustably positioned away from the bent plate 32, which creates an adjustment gap 12. The screw pocket bracket 28 is secured to the bent plate 32. After the concrete is poured into the metal deck 42, the concrete fills to the top of the bent plate 32 and screw pocket bracket 18, which has a foam insert 22. The foam insert 22 is critical in preventing concrete from filling the pocket because if concrete fills the pocket and attachment devices are secured to the concrete near the top edge of the slab, the top edge of the slab may break or spall. Instead, the foam insert 22 provides a non-concrete region to attach the elongated track 6 to the slab edge.
In a preferred embodiment, the foam insert 22 has a depth of approximately one-half inch. The foam insert 22 allows an attachment device 52, such as a pin, screw, nail, bolt, or the like, to drive through the track flanges 8, 14 and screw pocket bracket 18 into the foam insert 22. However, the attachment device 52 that secures the top flange 14 of the elongated track 6 does not penetrate the concrete the slab 44, rather it penetrates the track flanges 8, 14 and the foam insert 22. The engagement of the attachment device 52 with the track flanges 8, 14 prevents lateral movement, which is the primary purpose of any attachment of the wall studs to the slab edge. Vertical movement is not an issue under these conditions. This is advantageous because driving an attachment device 52 through concrete may break the edge of the concrete or cause spalling. Multiple foam inserts 22 may be spaced intermittently near the top front edge of slab 44 to create multiple locations where an elongated track 6 can be secured to the slab 44.
The bent plate 32 must be strong enough to support walls or other structures that are attached to the bent plate either directly or indirectly. The bent plate 32 has a first region 34 substantially perpendicular to a second region 30, thereby forming an L-shaped bent plate 34. The bent plate 32 is designed to be a pour stop that forms the bottom corner barrier and front slab barrier of the formwork. The bent plate 32 is connected to underlying primary structures, such as a spandrel beam, to carry the loads attached to the slab 44.
The screw pocket bracket 18 is secured to the bent plate 32 by any conventional attachment device 26 such as a pin, screw, nail, bolt, or the like. In the embodiment shown in
Façades and walls are generally not secured directly to a concrete slab, but rather are indirectly attached to the slab 44 by steel framing attached to the slab 44. To accomplish this indirect attachment, an elongated track 6 is attached to the bent plate 32, which forms part of the front edge barrier and bottom barrier of the slab 44. To create the structure for the present invention, the screw pocket bracket 18 is first attached to the bent plate 32, then concrete is poured into the form. After the cement hardens, then the screw pocket bracket 18 and foam insert 22 embedded within the slab 44 are used as attachment regions to attached the elongated track 6 to the bent plate 32 and screw pocket bracket 18 by a first attachment member 50 on the bottom, which penetrates the bottom flange 8. A second attachment member 52 penetrates the top flange 14 and foam insert 22 to secure top elongated track 6 to the structures embedded within the hardened concrete slab 44. The geometry of the screw pocket bracket 18 can be varied so long as the geometry is able to define an internal channel 24.
The elongated track 6 has a web 11, a top flange 8 and a bottom flange 14. The flanges 8, 14 are substantially perpendicular from the web 11. The web 11 has a substantially even surface, from which protrude one or more stud attachment plates 4 that form the bracing surface for studs 46, and are capable of securing a stud 46 to the elongated track 6 via attachment members 2.
The elongated track 6 is illustrated in its preassembled form in
In the embodiment of the elongated track 6 shown, the stud attachment plate 4 has two adjustment slots 2, where an attachment member 48 such as a screw, nail, bolt, or the like, passes through and secures the stud 46 to the track 6. In a preferred embodiment, each slot is approximately 0.25 inches in width by 2 inches in length. The slotted stud attachment plate 4 allows for vertical adjustability of the studs 46 along the track 6. Several studs 46 can be placed along a single track 6, and in a preferred embodiment, each stud 46 is positioned approximately between from one foot to four feet from the next stud.
In this embodiment, unlike the embodiment depicted in
The second elongated track member (illustrated in
In the embodiment illustrated in
While the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the words that have been used are words of description and not of limitation. As is understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, a variety of modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the following claims, which should be given their fullest, fair scope.
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