AU644309B2 - Double channel wall base framing - Google Patents

Description

"o *P/00/011 2l/ol Regulation 3,2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Page 1.

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT ~Iirnvention Title: DOUBLE CHANNEL WALL BASE FRAMING. I D U o 1 1 1 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- This invention relates to providing accessable cabling space within the base of a stud framed wall.

I o The principle adopted is, that when building a new wall, raise the level of I. the bottom of the framed wall and it's attached sheeting, by placing it onto short pedestals that sit within a floor channel. This creates a longitudinal space under the wall that would be suitable to accommodate service wiring and pipework. This space would be sealed off and concealed by removable skirtings.

It's best use would be as part of a steel stud wall, because this type of construction already employs the use of metal channels as top and bottom plates.

The "standard" floor channel would be replaced by another channel being the full width of the finished wall. The upturned sheetmetal that forms the sides of the channel, will fold downwards from the top, to terminate at a level that would have it's bottom edge pressing down onto the short pedestal's base, to lock it in position.

The short pedestals are "waisted", (as is the profile of a wine glass) Each pedestal is installed into the floor channel by forcing it's base to spring the downturned edges outward, only to have them spring back in again over the edge of the short pedestal's base, to hold it firmly in *10 position.

The upper channel (being the bottom plate of the stud wall framing) is fixed down to the shoulders of the short pedestals, making it into one unit, a wall base of twin channels, seperated by short pedestals.

The remainder of the wall framing and sheeting is then constructed as normal, ensuring that the bottom edge of the wall sheeting doesnl"t project below the level of the upper channel The result is an oppn wall base supported on a metal tray, quite suitable for the accommodation of cables and pipework.

Finally, the skirting is fixed to conceal the space. Top edge fixing should be so that the fixing (most likt' .y a screw) should be into the upper channel. Bottom edge fixing, if required at all, should be straight through into the base portion of the pedestal. This method eliminates the possibility of making contact with cables or pipework.

In the drawings Figure 1, shows a cross-section of the wall base at floor level.

This illustration shows two different types of skirting boards. The extruded metal one being most commonly used in offices and other commercial work. The timber skirting is more representative of the traditional types used in residential construction.

Figure 2, is a perspective view of one form of the short pedestal used as support for the elevated, stud framed wall.

Figure 3, shows a "cutaway assembly" of the wall.

Referring to Figure 1, the assembled wall, above the top surface of the short pedestal, is a standard, stud framed wall. Only it's bottom track forms part of the present invention, and will be referred to as the "upper channel".

The essential component of the present invention is the short pedestal (1) which comprises of 3 portions. They are The base of the pedestal the "waisted" portion (3) and the "shoulders" The base of the short pedestal rests on the pan section of the lower channel, referred to as the floor channel It's upturned sides (7) arqeextended and the top portion folds inward and downwardsat bend (8) where it's bottom edge presses down on the short pedestal's base.

The top surface of the "shoulder" has a recess (10) to receive the upper channel leaving the outer edges (11) of the shoulder to support the bottom edges of the wall sheeting.

This illustration shows a metal skirting (13) sealing off one side of the wall base and a timber skirting (14) sealing off the reverse side.

Any skirting will suffice, as long as it conceals the under-wall space Referring to Figure 2, this perspective view of the short pedestal clearly shows the recess (10) in the top surface, that lc-ates the upper channel Another obvious feature is a chamfered edge (16) to each side of the pedestal base that allows the metal edge of the floor channel to spring back in position to lock that chamfered edge (16) and stop it from lifting.

Referring to Figure 3, this perspective "cutaway" view shows the short pedestals locked in position by the edge of floor channel and supporting the upper 15 channel which is the bottom track of the stud wall framing.

The upper channel (12) has elongated holes (17) formed in it's pan section, to allow the pasc-ie and pipes in a vertical direction.

Claims (7)

1. A wall base in which twin upturned channels are seperated, one above the other, by short pedestals, the lower channel, being a floor channel, which receives and retains the bases of the short pedestals, which, in turn, support an upper channel as a bottom track of a stud framed wall, thereby creating an "under-wall" space from floor level to underside of of the upper channel.

2. A wall base as in claim 1, where upturned sheetmetal that forms sides of the floor channel then folds downwards into the floor channel to terminate at a level where it's bottom edge presses the short pedestal's base down firmly into the floor channel

3. A wall base as in claim 1, in which the short pedestal is S"waisted" within it's height, it's upper portion is as broad as the wall is thick and is referred to as "shoulders", while the base portion is as broad as the "shoulders", but is locked firmly into the floor channel by downturned edges of the said floor channel.

4. A wall base as in claim 1, where the shoulders project outwards beyond the upper channel to also support any wall sheeting that forms a part of the stud framed wall.

5. A wall base as in claim 1, where the upper channel is fixed downwards into the shoulders of the short pedestal, it also has elongated holes in it's pan section that allow cables and pipes to pass through in a vertical direction.

6. A wall base as in claim 1, that may be sealed off by skirting boards, so that any service wiring or pipework is concealed.

7. A wall base substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings. DPAVID A. DUNN. 24TH. Sept. 1993. *00 *0 so 0* 0* 00 0: ABSTRACT. A double channel wall base framing is disclosed. The invention is an assembly of three components. A row of short pedestals stand in a floor channel (6) to elevate and support an upper channel which also acts as the bottom plate of a stud framed wall. The elevation of the wall creates an "underwall" space suitable to accommodate cabling and pipework, which will be concealed when removable skirtings are in place. 00 t.. a. tI m