Patent Grant
7594331
(Not Applicable)
The present invention relates generally to joining systems and, more particularly, to a method of forming joining profiles in structural frames such as metallic frames having a channel shaped cross section. Such structural frames may be used in the construction of wall assemblies such as partitioning walls and curtain walls.
In building construction, conventional wall fabrication techniques employ the use of upper and lower headers that are disposed in spaced relationship to one another. The upper and lower headers may be attached to the ceiling and floor portions of a building structure and are interconnected with a plurality of stud members disposed in spaced, parallel relationship to one another. The stud members are typically connected to the top and bottom headers with mechanical fasteners such as nails, screws and the like.
The framing, which is comprised of the upper and lower headers and the stud members, may be of wooden or metallic construction. Panels such as drywall, gypsum board, sheetrock, and the like are then installed on opposing sides of the framing in order to complete the basic wall structure. Unfortunately, traditional wall construction suffers from several drawbacks include the time consuming nature of such traditional wall construction methods and resultant high costs.
Metallic framing systems typically employ the use of lightweight steel stud members which are generally channel shaped or U-shaped. The stud members are attachable at opposing ends to horizontally oriented top and bottom members. The top and bottom members are, in turn, secured to the building structure adjacent the ceiling and floor. In this regard, a metallic framing system comprises a series of spaced apart steel stud members engaged to the top and bottom plate members and which includes wall board which is attached to opposing sides of the metallic faming system.
In conventional construction methodology, the frames may be assembled on the ground with the top and bottom members being disposed in spaced apart relationship. The stud members are then connected to the top and bottom members by engaging the ends of the stud with screws or other suitable fasteners. Because the metallic framing system is dependent upon fasteners for interconnecting the stud members to the top and bottom members, the framing system is generally structurally weak when the stud members are initially engaged to the top and bottom members prior to fastener installation. The framing system does not achieve full strength until wall board is affixed to the frame and therefore provides insufficient rigidity until fasteners are inserted.
Another method of securing the stud members to the top and bottom members involve the use of a tab and slot arrangement wherein tabs disposed on extreme ends of the top and bottom members engage corresponding slots in the stud members. Such engagement is facilitated by manually urging (i.e., with a hammer) the tabs so that they are reoriented at an angular orientation relative to the stud members which thereby locks the stud members against the top and bottom members.
Unfortunately, such method of interconnecting the stud members to the top and bottom members requires additional material to form the top and bottom members. Furthermore, the reorienting or bending of the tabs into the locking position requires additional labor and is therefore relatively time consuming. Although the tab and slot method of connecting the stud members to the top and bottom members is generally effective in securing such members, the amount of time required to bend the tab a total of four times for each stud member represents a significant drawback which detracts from the overall utility of this type of metallic framing system.
Another method of constructing a metallic framing system from stud members and top and bottom members involves the use of cooperating formations in each of the components. The formations consist of a securing notch formed in the walls of the mating stud member and top and bottom members. In order to facilitate the positioning of the stud member, the walls of the top and bottom members include an upturned lip formed at a location where the stud member mates with the top and bottom members.
Unfortunately, the additional materials required to form such lip increases overall material costs and necessitates the use of a securing clip which further adds to labor and assembly costs. Another drawback associated with such methodology of connection is the low strength of the framing system due to the minimal amount of engagement between the mating components. More specifically, the limited engagement between the mating components minimizes the overall resistance of the framing system to rotation, twisting and separation of the stud member and top and bottom plate members.
Another problem associated with prior art metallic framing systems is a result of irregularities in floor to ceiling heights. More particularly, in building construction, poor concrete finishing and/or irregularities in the height of the ceiling structure necessitates the time-consuming task of cutting and fitting individual stud members to fit between the top and bottom members mounted to the ceiling and floor. Ideally, the spacing between the floor and the ceiling structure is preferably constant such that the stud members may generally be of the same length.
However, irregularities in spacing often occur such that each of the stud members must be custom fit. Furthermore, windows and/or doors installed in many wall structures require that the stud members must be cut and fit on a trial-and-error basis to accommodate the specific window or door size. In other words, a plurality of custom-fit stud members must be first cut to an approximate length and test-fit and then often trimmed in order to form the framing above and below the windows and/or doors. As may be appreciated, such individual cutting, fitting and trimming of the stud members is time consuming and adds additional labor costs to the overall wall installation.
A further deficiency associated with conventional wall structures is the rigid or non-adaptive nature of the wall structure to changes in ceiling height as a result of settling of the building foundation and/or building movement such as may be caused by seismic activity or creeping of load-carrying beams in the building structure over time. The same drawbacks described above associated with relative movement between the framing system and the wall board is present in ceiling movement or building settling.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a method of producing joining profiles in metallic framing for a wall structure such that structural members which make up the metallic framing may be securely fastened in a convenient and time efficient manner. It should be pointed out that it is well known in the art that relatively thin or light gauge steel is particularly prone to tearing and unwanted deformation during manipulation or forming thereof. In the case of producing joining profiles in light gauge steel, simultaneous stretching and compression operations are performed on different planes of a structural member.
The combined effects of the conflicting stretching and compression forces during forming of a joining profile greatly increases the propensity of the steel material to tear and produce unwanted deformations. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a method of introducing such joining profiles in structural members fabricated of light gauge steel which overcomes propensities for unwanted tearing and deformation during simultaneous stretching and compression of the structural members. Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for introducing joining profiles via a method that provides for the manipulation of light gauge structural steel members at very high speeds such that such structural members may be mass-produced quickly, economically, and efficiently.
The above-mentioned deficiencies and drawbacks associated with prior art wall framing methods are specifically addressed and alleviated by the method disclosed herein. More specifically, provided herein is a method for introducing a joining profile into a structural member such (e.g., stud) that the structural member may detachably engage another member (e.g., horizontal member, header or footer)having a corresponding mating profile. The structural member may be configured as a channel shaped cross-section having a web with a pair of flanges extending outwardly therefrom.
The method comprises an ordered sequence of steps that includes the use of a forming assembly and which entails mounting the structural member on the forming assembly, advancing a mid anvil toward the structural member until the structural member is clamped to a base member, urging a pair of side anvils toward a respective one of the flanges of the structural member, and forming the joining profile in the flanges while engaging protrusions underneath the web of the structural member in order to force the web upwardly to accommodate formation of the joining profile.
The forming assembly preferably comprises the base member and includes a forming body and/or mid anvil and which has at least one, and preferably, a pair of the side anvils each having an anvil profile formed therein. The side anvil includes a vertically oriented protrusion disposed adjacent to the anvil profile. Likewise, the mid anvil has opposing faces each including anvil profiles formed thereon. Preferably, the anvil profiles of the mid anvil are formed complementary to the anvil profiles of the side anvils.
The structural member is mounted on the base member or base plate of the forming assembly by placing the web thereon. A hydraulic cylinder or hydraulic actuator may be used to actuate the forming body in alternating retraction and advancement of the mid anvil toward the structural member until the web is clamped between the forming body (i.e., mid anvil) and the base of the forming body member. Hydraulic cylinders may also be utilized to actuate the side anvils toward a corresponding one of the flanges until the anvil profiles engage the flanges. In this manner, at least one and, more preferably, a pair of parallel, spaced joining profiles are formed in each of the flanges of the structural member.
Such joining profiles are introduced by clamping the flanges between the mid anvil and the side anvils. As was earlier mentioned, the joining profiles are preferably formed with a gender opposite that of the gender of the anvil profiles. The protrusions simultaneously engage an underside of the web adjacent the anvil profiles while the side anvils are advanced into the flanges. In this manner, the protrusions force localized portions of the web upwardly (when under compression) into areas adjacent to each one of the joining profiles and thereby direct excess compressed material into a receptacle area that, in turn, provides stress relief to the web which minimizes distortions that may otherwise occur into the structural member.
The method may further include the step of cutting the structural member along a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the structural member. Such cutting may be facilitated by advancing a vertically reciprocative cutting assembly or cutting blade (e.g., knife) downwardly into the structural member while the web is clamped between the forming body (i.e., mid anvil) and the base member. Ideally, the pair of joining profiles are formed in each of the flanges in spaced relation to one another such that each of the joining profiles is located proximate ends of the newly formed pair of structural members.
The anvil profiles may be V-shaped such that the joining profile is also V-shaped. However, it is contemplated that the anvil profiles may be provided in any size, shape and configuration. In addition, the joining profiles may be formed in either parallel or normal orientations relative to the longitudinal axis of the structural member. The joining profile thereby results in a recess formed in an external face of the flange and a projective formed in an opposing internal face of the flange opposite the recess.
These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout and in which:
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the present invention and not for purposes of limiting the same, shown in the figures is a forming assembly 10 as may be used for introducing joining profiles 84 in structural members 70 such that the structural members 70 may detachably engage another member having a corresponding mating profile. Advantageously, the present invention provides a method by which the forming assembly 10 may be utilized to provide an improved, efficient and economic method for introducing such joining profiles 84 into structural members 70 in mass production.
The method may be performed in a two-step or three-step process wherein certain steps may be sequentially and/or simultaneously performed. In this regard, the method of formation of the joining profiles 84 provides a clamping step wherein the structural member 70 is clamped to the forming assembly 10 followed by, or coincident with, a forming step wherein the joining profiles 84 are formed in the structural member 70. Importantly, the method of formation provides a depression 92 in the structural member 70 adjacent each of the joining profiles 84 in order to lead and direct excess material into a receptacle relief 54 area to provide a natural response for compression and stretching of the structural member 70 which thereby avoids distortion of the structural member 70.
Furthermore, the method of the present invention may optionally include a cutting step wherein the structural member 70 may be cut into at least two pieces following introduction of joining profiles 84 in the structural member 70. Ideally, the joining profiles 84 are formed within opposing pairs of flanges 76 of the structural member 70. A pair of the joining profiles 84 is preferably formed in each of the flanges such that the joining profiles 84 are preferably spaced apart. In this manner, the structural member 70 may be split between the pairs during the cutting step. The method disclosed herein provides for mass production of structural members 70 while minimizing manufacturing steps such as additional forming steps with a resultant decrease in production time and cost.
Referring now to
As can be seen, the upper and lower horizontal members 102 are preferably disposed in spaced, parallel relation to one another and may be mounted to a floor and a ceiling of a building. The vertically oriented structural members 70 are interconnected to the upper and lower horizontal members 102. As is well known in the building construction arts, vertically oriented structural members 70 are generally provided in predefined spaced intervals and are connected to the upper and lower horizontal members 102 in order to provide a means for attaching panel members 100 such as drywall or wall board to form the wall assembly 98.
As can be seen in
The structural members 70 may also have a channel shaped cross-section with opposing terminus ends 90. As best seen in
Referring back to
The forming assembly 10 further includes at least one and, more preferably, a pair of side anvils 38 which cooperate with the mid anvil 34 to introduce the joining profiles 84 into the structural member 70. The forming assembly 10 may further comprise a base member 20 to which may be mounted a pair of mid plates 22 and a base plate 24 interposed between the mid plates 22. In such an arrangement, the base member 20 may receive and supports the mid plates 22 and the base plate 24. Each of the side anvils 38 may be engaged to or mounted upon a seat 42.
Importantly, the seat 42 may include at least one and, more preferably, a pair of protrusions 44 which assist in the formation 48 of the joining profiles 84 in a manner to be described in more detail below. Each of the side anvils 38 may be reciprocatively moved into and out of engagement with the structural member 70 via the hydraulic cylinder 16 similar to that which is used to move the forming body 26. In this regard, the side anvils 38 are specifically configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the forming body 26.
As can be seen in
Shown in
As can be seen in
In
In summary, the sequence of steps comprises initially mounting the member on the base member 20, advancing the forming body 26 or mid anvil 34 toward the member until the web 72 is clamped to the base member 20, urging the side anvil(s) 38 toward an external face(s) 80 of the flange(s) 76 along a direction perpendicular to a plane of the flange(s) 76 such that the side anvil(s) 38 engage the flange(s) 76 thus forming the joining profile(s) 84 in the flange 76. As is illustrated in the figures, the joining profiles 84 formed in the structural member 70 have a gender or shape which is opposite to that of the gender formed in the side anvils 38.
More specifically, each of the side anvils 38 has at least one anvil profile 46 formed therein. Hence, the joining profile 84 will have a configuration which mirrors the anvil profile 46 of the side anvil 38. During formation 48 of the joining profile 84, the protrusions 44 are engaged with the web 72 in an area adjacent to the joining profile 84. Movement of the forming body 26 or mid anvil 34 as well as movement of the side anvils 38 is effectuated by action of the hydraulic cylinders 16. The side anvils 38 may preferably advance concurrently toward the flanges 76 in order to prevent lateral movement of the structural member 70 relative to the base member 20.
As shown in
Each of the side anvils 38 cooperates with the mid anvil 34 to form opposing joining profiles 84 in the structural member 70. As can be seen in
Referring more particularly now to
Referring now to
At an intersection of the flange 76 with the web 72, a depression 92 is provided in the web 72 in order to accommodate formation 48 of the joining profiles 84 without undue distortion of the structural member 70. The side anvil 38 can be seen mounted on or integrally formed with the seat 42 and which has one and, more preferably, a pair of protrusions 44 formed on the seat 42 in order to facilitate formation 48 of the reliefs 54. At an upper portion of the mid anvil 34 can be seen a notch 52 extending along a lateral side thereof. The notch 52 may be provided to facilitate overlapping of the flange return 78 with the flange 76.
As can be seen in the figures, each of the mid anvil 34 and side anvils 38 includes anvil profiles 46 formed therein. The anvil profiles 46 may be V-shaped although various other shapes of the anvil profiles 46 are contemplated. The anvil profiles 46 of the mid anvil 34 are preferably formed complementary to (i.e., opposite to) the corresponding anvil profiles 46 formed in the side anvils 38. In this regard, the anvil profile 46 of the mid anvil 34 opposes the anvil profiles 46 of the side anvils 38. Although the configuration of the anvil profiles 46 illustrates inwardly directed joining profiles 84 as shown in
Furthermore, although the anvil profiles 46 are shown as being generally V-shaped, it is contemplated that the anvil profiles 46 may be generally rounded or have various alternative shapes that are specifically configured to mate with corresponding mating profiles formed in another member in the manner shown in
Referring briefly still to
The joining profile 84 is preferably formed to extend along a substantial portion of the flange 76 height in order to facilitate detachable engagement of the structural member 70 to a corresponding mating profile 96 in another member. For example, as shown in
By locating the joining profile 84 adjacent at least one end 90 of each of the structural members 70, the corresponding mating profile 96 which extends substantially continuously along a length of the upper and lower horizontal members 102 resists excessive outward deflection of the flanges 76 of the such horizontal members 102 which reduces the risk of inadvertent disengagement or disconnection between the vertically oriented structural member 70 and the upper and lower horizontal members 102 of a wall assembly 98 such as that which is shown in
Referring to
Optionally, the forming assembly 10 includes a cutting assembly 56 that is separately reciprocative in relation to movement of the mid anvil 34 and/or forming body 26. The cutting assembly 56 may be moveable along an axis that is parallel to the movement of the mid anvil 34 and may be separably activated by a hydraulic cylinder 16. The cutting assembly 56 may include a cutting blade 58 or similar cutting element which is advanceable through grooves 60 formed in the control plate 32 and in the mid anvil 34. Likewise, grooves 60 may also be formed in each of the side anvils 38 in order to accommodate the cutting blade 58 therein.
In the enlarged perspective view of
In addition, shown in
It should be noted that the cutting assembly 56 is preferably configured to be moveable in an orientation transverse to the longitudinal axis 94 of the structural member 70 whereby the cutting blade 58 may be advanced toward the structural member 70 while the web 72 is clamped between the forming body 26 (i.e., mid anvil 34) and the base member 20. Furthermore, the forming assembly 10 is preferably configured such that the structural member 70 is cut such that the joining profiles 84 are located proximate an end 90 of the members.
Advantageously, the anvil profiles 46 preferably include ramped surfaces 50 as was earlier described in order to facilitate introduction of the joining profiles 84 into the structural member(s) 70. The ramped surfaces 50 cause excess material to fold and deform in localized areas of the structural members 70 as the side anvils 38 advance toward the flanges 76. The unique geometry of the formations 48 (i.e., the ramped surfaces 50) alone of in combination with the protrusions 44 provides a means to enable compression of material which allows for appropriate metal stretching and enables introduction of the joining profiles 84 without over-stressing and/or inducing cracking or unwanted deformations of the material. More specifically, such ramped surfaces 50 and protrusions 44 relieve undue material stresses during formation of the joining profiles 84. In this manner, the ramp surfaces, the protrusions 44 as well as the flange returns 78 enhances the structural integrity of the finished product.
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein including various ways of forming the joining profile 84. Furthermore, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.
The present application claims priority under 35 USC §119 to Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2005907348, filed Dec. 30, 2005, and to Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2005906274, filed Nov. 5, 2005, both of which are entitled METHOD OF PRODUCTION OF JOINING PROFILE FOR STRUCTURAL MEMBER, and is also related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/979,214, filed May 14, 2002, entitled “STRUCTURAL MEMBERS AND JOINING ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR”, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/146,534, filed Jun. 7, 2005, entitled “STRUCTURAL MEMBERS WITH GRIPPING FEATURES AND JOINING ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR”, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/780,099, filed Mar. 8, 2006, entitled “FIRE RATED WALL STRUCTURE”, the entire contents of each application being expressly incorporated by reference herein.
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