AU769393B2 - A metal track for steel stud walls - Google Patents

Description

wr S&FRef: 519300

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

Name and Address of Applicant Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Rondo Building Services Pty Limited 3-33 Glossop Street St Marys NSW 2760 Australia Sergio Cariolato Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 A Metal Track for Steel Stud Walls ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) AU PQ2586 [32] Application Date 01 Sep 1999 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- '-Documents received on: ~ra.

SEw 20o0 1 Batch NO.- 5815c 1 A METAL TRACK FOR STEEL STUD WALLS Technical Field The present invention relates to the construction of steel stud walls and more particularly to top and bottom tracks (plates) thereof.

Background of the Invention With the recent development of more flexible boards (panels) that can be used as the major surface providing members of a wall, architects and designers have been calling for more curved walls and ceilings.

Previous methods are very time consuming and hence expensive. These lo previous methods included providing standard shaped metal sections and notching the metal sections so that they can be curved. This is more fully illustrated in Figure 11 attached hereto. The curved wall 10 of Figure 11 has an inner curved sheet 11 and an outer curved sheet 12. Supporting each sheet is a curved track 13. Each rail 13 has a bottom flange 15 cut so as to provide a plurality of notches 14. The vertical flange of each track 13 can then be bent about a vertical axis to provide the shape as illustrated. To secure the rails 13 in position a plurality of metal studs 16 are secured to the tracks 13.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.

20 Summary of the Invention So 0There is disclosed herein a track for a wall or ceiling, said track being of a "U" configuration so as to provide a longitudinally extending base located between a pair of generally parallel and coextensive longitudinally extending arms, and wherein the arms and base are transversely slotted at longitudinally spaced intervals to define a plurality of 25 track segments, each track segment having a pair of arm portions and a base portion, and wherein at least two adjacent segments have each of their adjacent arm portions and/or base portion joined by a flexible web so that the track can be arranged in an arcuate configuration by deformation of the web/s.

Preferably the webs of the arm portions are located adjacent longitudinally extending edges of the track.

Preferably the arm deformable webs are of a configuration, with each arm deformable web projecting towards the other arm.

[I:\DAYLIB\LIBTT]021 I3.doc:lan:KEH 2 Preferably each deformable web of the base includes a central portion from which there extends in opposite directions two pairs of ribbons joining the central portion to adjacent base segments.

There is further disclosed herein a method of manufacturing a metal track for a wall or ceiling, said method including the steps of: providing a metal strip; (ii) punching the metal strip to have a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse slots so that the strip is divided into a plurality of longitudinally spaced segments; (iii) bending longitudinally extending edge portions of the strip about axes extending generally parallel to the strip so that the strip has a "U" transverse cross section providing a longitudinally extending base joining a pair of longitudinally extending arms; and wherein each segment has a base portion and two arm portions, with at least two adjacent segments have each of their arm portions and/or base portion joined by a flexible web so that the track can be arranged in a curved configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings *o A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of 20 example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a metal track; i Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the metal track of Figure 1 deformed to a curved configuration; :...•Figure 3 is a schematic enlarged view of the metal track as illustrated in Figure 25 1; Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a metal strip employed in the conformation i:i of the metal track of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of the metal strip of Figure 4 further deformed in the manufacture of the metal track as shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a schematic end elevation of the metal strip as illustrated in Figure Figure 7 is a schematic side elevation of the metal strip as illustrated in Figure Figure 8 is a schematic top plan view of the metal track of Figure 1; [I:\DAYLIB\LIBTT]02113.doc:lam:KEH 3 Figure 9 is a schematic side elevation of the metal track as illustrated in Figure 8; Figure 10 is a schematic end elevation of the metal track as shown in Figure 8; and Figure 11 is a schematic top plan view of a prior art track.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In Figures 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a metal track 20 that can be used in formation of curved walls and ceilings. Typically, the track 20 would be coextensive with another rail with metal studs extending therebetween.

The metal track 20 is of a shaped transverse cross section so as to provide a longitudinally extending base 21 joining a pair of longitudinally extending side arms 22.

The track 20 is formed from a strip of metal punched at longitudinally spaced locations so as to have first slots 23 and second slots 24. The slots 23 and 24 divide the track 20 into a plurality of longitudinally spaced segments 25. Each segment 25 has a base portion 26 and arm portions 27.

The arm portions 27 are joined by deformable webs 28 which are of a "V" configuration with the apexes projecting towards the opposite arm 22. That is, each deformable web 28 includes web portions 29 which converge away from their associated arm portions 27. The deformable webs 28 are located adjacent the longitudinally 20 extending edges The slots 23 and 24 cooperate to provide a second deformable web 31 which joins adjacent segments 26. The web 31 includes a central portion 32 from which there extends two pairs of ribbons 33.

"The above-described rail 10 is deformable about an axis generally perpendicular to the base 21. During such a deformation the base 21 would remain substantially within the one plane while, for example, the arm portions 27 of one arm 22 would be moved closer together and the arm portions 27 of the other arm 22 would separate. The rail 20 is also deformable about an axis generally parallel to the base 21 but transverse thereof. In such an arrangement the deformable webs 27 would open up while the deformable webs 31 would close. Accordingly, the base segments 24 would move closer together.

As best seen in Figure 9 the deformable webs 31 are of a configuration (see Figure 9) so that the central portion 32 has an apex 34 extending generally transverse of the track 20. Each central portion 32 divergs downwardly from its apex 34 to the ribbons 33. The ribbons 33 attach each of their associated central portions 33 to the adjacent segments 26. The central portion 32 projects away from the segments [I:\DAYLIB\LIBTT]02113.doc:lam 4 The above-described rail 10 would be formed from a metal strip punched so as to have the configuration as shown in Figure 4. In addition to the slots 23 and 24 apertures may also be formed if required. Typically, the apertures 34 would be used by fasteners to secure the track 20 to a supporting structure. Thereafter the strip is rolled so that the shaped configuration of the webs 28 and 31 is formed. In that respect it should be noted that the webs 28 and 31 have the same height relative to the main plane of the sheet as shown in Figures 6 and 7. Thereafter the strip is rolled so that edge portions 36 are folded about fold line 37 to form the longitudinally extending legs 22.

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Claims (8)

1. A track for a wall or ceiling, said track being of a configuration so as to provide a longitudinally extending base located between a pair of generally parallel and coextensive longitudinally extending arms, and wherein the arms and base are transversely slotted at longitudinally spaced intervals to define a plurality of track segments, each track segment having a pair of arm portions and a base portion, and wherein at least two adjacent segments have each of their adjacent arm portions and/or base portion joined by a flexible web so that the track can be arranged in an arcuate configuration by deformation of the web/s. 0to

2. The track of claim 1 wherein the webs of the arm portions are located adjacent longitudinally extending edges of the track.

3. The track of claim 2 wherein the track has said arm portions joined by said flexible webs which are of a configuration, with each arm deformable web projecting towards the other arm.

4. The track of claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the track has adjacent base portion joined by said deformable web, which base portion webs each include a central portion from which there extends in opposite directions two pairs of ribbons joining the central portion to adjacent base segments.

The track of claim 4 wherein the central portion is of a "V" 20 configuration having an apex extending generally transverse of the track.

6. The track of claim 4 or 5 wherein each central portion projects away i from the associated segments.

7. A method of manufacturing a metal track for a wall or ceiling, said method including the steps of: S 25 providing a metal strip; (ii) punching the metal strip to have a plurality of longitudinally spaced .0 transverse slots so that the strip is divided into a plurality of longitudinally spaced segments; 0.000: (iii) bending longitudinally extending edge portions of the strip about axes extending generally parallel to the strip so that the strip has a "U" transverse cross section providing a longitudinally extending base joining a pair of longitudinally extending arms; and wherein each segment has a base portion and two arm portions, with at least two adjacent segments have each of their arm portions and/or base portion [I:\DAYLIB\LIBTT]0211 3.doc:lam:KEH 6 joined be a flexible web so that the track can be arranged in a curved configuration.

8. A track for a wall or ceiling substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A method of manufacturing a metal track for a wall or ceiling, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated 30 October, 2003 Rondo Building Services Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON oee* eoe e [I:\DAYLIB\LIBTT]02113.doc:lam:KEH