GB2339809A

GB2339809A - Timber frame construction

Info

Publication number: GB2339809A
Application number: GB9914381A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Hinton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-06-19
Filing date: 1999-06-21
Publication date: 2000-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 2019-06-21
Also published as: GB2339809B; GB9914381D0

Description

2339809 TIMBER FRAME CONSTRUCTION THIS INVENTION concerns timber

frameworks of the kind used for the construction of walls of buildings. So called "studded" walls consist of a plurality of usually rectangular timber frames each comprising upper and lower horizontal frame members spaced apart by and attached to a plurality of laterally spaced upright members. Such frames may be faced internally and externally to produce a completed wall, often with insulation material between the facings.

In general, to ensure that such a frame cannot become distorted from its intended rectangular formation, it is necessary to clad one entire surface, usually to the outside of the building, with a sheet of plywood which is nailed to the timber frame members to produce a rigid panel.

The need to apply plywood across an entire wall in timber frame construction, is expensive in materials and is time consuming.

According to the present invention there is provided a timber frame construction comprising upper and lower horizontal frame members spaced apart by and attached to a plurality of laterally spaced upright frame members; characterised by at least one stabilising unit disposed in a space bounded by the upper and lower frame members and by a pair of adjacent upright frame members, the unit comprising a rigid web to maintain the angular disposition of the - 2 frame members defining said space.

Typically, a wall panel 3m in length by 2.4m in height would contain five bays each defined by the upper and lower horizontal members and by a pair of adjacent upright members, each bay thus being approximately 600mm in width. To clad an entire wall panel of this size requires one or more sheets of plywood of considerable dimensions. A stabilising unit in accordance with the invention, would need to occupy only one bay of a wall of this size or greater thus considerably reducing the quantity of materials required and the labour and time involved. Stabilising units in accordance with the invention may be pre-made as sub-assemblies in large batches and drawn from stock as required. Such a stabilising unit might be known as a racking component.

Preferably, such a stabilising unit comprises a sub-frame the inner wall of which has a continuous groove around its sides, and a single sheet or web of ply-wood or the like is located in the groove and bonded therein to produce a rigid structure.

Preferably, corner plates are provided and attached to the main frame members of the wall construction and have parts which overhang the subframe of the stabilising unit to maintain it in place.

An insulation panel of rigid or semi-rigid material may be introduced on one or both sides of the rigid web and retained by the corner plates without the need for additional attachment.

A further aspect of a timber frame construction made in accordance with the invention is the provision of a ring beam extending along the upper frame members of several wall panels thus to act as a lintel and avoid the need for further independent lintels above windows and door frames.

The ring beam may comprise upper and lower timber strips having their opposed faces grooved longitudinally to receive the edges of a pair of horizontally spaced upright supporting strips.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a timber studded wall panel incorporating a stabilising unit in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an isometric fragmentary view of part of the assembly of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of a lower part of the assembly of Figs. I and 2; Fig. 4 is an isometric view similar to Fig. I illustrating a studded wall panel having a door opening therein; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a studded wall panel having a window opening therein; and Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a length of ring beam for use in a timber frame construction incorporating a stabilising unit in accordance with the invention.

Fig. I illustrates a timber studded wall panel some 4.8m in length and 2. 4m high and comprising upper and lower timber frame members 10 and 11 and laterally spaced upright timber frame members 12, the whole construction being nailed together in a rectangular form.

Typically, such a panel will define eight spaces or bays between the respective upright members and would, conventionally, be required to be entirely faced on one or both sides by one or more plywood sheets nailed to the frame members, for stability.

In accordance with the invention a single space or bay 13 is occupied by a stabilising unit which serves to retain the rectangular form of the wall. The stabilising (or racking) unit will comprise horizontal and upright sub-frame members 14 (Fig. 2) preferably grooved as at 15 along a centre line around the sub-frame to receive a sheet 16 of plywood or the like which is located in the groove 15 and bonded thereto by an appropriate adhesive thus to form a rigid construction. Each such racking unit may be pre-made to one or more standard sizes and installed in one or more bays of the main wall framework.

Preferably, the sub-frame members 14 will be nailed or screwed into the adjacent frame members 10, 11 and 12. Alternatively, or in addition, nail plates as illustrated at 17 and 18 may be provided and nailed to the main frame members 10, 11 and 12 and, if appropriate, the sub-frame members 14.

Rigid insulating sheets 30 of polystyrene may be inserted in the spaces on one or both faces of the plywood web 16, to be retained by the nail plates 17 and 18. Similar insulation material sheets will be inserted in the remaining bays defined by frame members 10, 11 and 12 where no racking unit is present. A splayed or outwardly tapered rebate retains the insulation sheets in the remaining bays. A channel strip 32 is provided to fix the panel to a foundation or floor.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a wall panel may be constructed in this manner to include a door opening 19, again with nail plates similar to those illustrated at 17 and 18 being provided at all appropriate positions within the wall structure, and a racking unit in the bay 13.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the wall panel may include a window opening 31.

Several such wall panels with or without door or window frames may be provided to make up a complete wall and along the 6 - top of such wall there may be fixed a length of ring beam as illustrated in Fig. 6. This will consist of upper and lower timber strips 20 and 21 arranged in side-by-side abutting pairs in superimposed spaced disposition with pairs of opposed grooves 22 to receive a pair of upright plywood strips 23 which are located in the grooves 22 and bonded therein. Insulation sheets 24 are then bonded to strips 23 and between them if required. An inverted channel strip 26 is provided to fix the ring beam to the top rail 10 of the panel. A continuous ring beam consisting of several lengths of the structure as illustrated in Fig. 6 may form an entire lintel around the top of the external walls defining a building, and this removes the need for individual lintels over the windows and doors thus avoiding also the need for cripple studs for supporting the lintels.

The sheet 16 of plywood or the like in each racking unit may be replaced by, for example, a perforated metallic alloy sheet or any other rigid support to retain the shape of the construction.

In some cases, the racking unit may be other than rectangular, for example, when a wall panel occupies an area where the wall, ceiling or roof is other than horizontal.

A timber frame construction incorporating stabilising or racking units in accordance with the invention achieves considerable savings in materials and a greatly improved overall production rate owing to the limited number of basic standard panels required by the system.

Claims

1. A timber frame construction comprising upper and lower horizontal frame members spaced apart by and attached to a plurality of laterally spaced upright frame members; characterised by at least one stabilising unit disposed in a space bounded by the upper and lower frame members and by a pair of adjacent upright frame members, the unit comprising a rigid web to maintain the angular disposition of the frame members defining said space.

2. A timber frame construction according to Claim 1, wherein the stabilising unit comprises a subframe the inner wall of which has a continuous groove around its sides, and a single sheet or web of plywood or the like is located in the groove and bonded therein to produce a rigid structure.

3. A timber frame construction according to Claim I or Claim 2, including corner plates attached to the main frame members of the wall construction and having parts which overhang the stabilising unit to maintain it in place.

4. A timber frame construction according to Claim 3, wherein the corner plates are attached to the main frame members and to the stabilising unit.

5. A timber frame construction according to Claim 2, including an insulation panel of rigid or semi-rigid material which may be introduced on one or both sides of the rigid web.

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6. A timber frame construction according to Claim 3, including an insulation panel of rigid or semi-rigid material disposed on one or both sides of the rigid web and retained by the corner plates.

7. A timber frame construction according to any preceding claim, wherein the rigid web is a sheet of plywood.

8. A timber frame construction according to any preceding claim, including a door opening.

9. A timber frame construction according to any preceding claim, including a window opening.

10. A timber frame construction according to any preceding claim wherein a number of wall panels so produced are arranged end to-end and including a ring beam extending along the upper frame members of said wall panels thus to act as a lintel.

11. A timber frame construction according to Claim 10, wherein the ring beam comprises upper and lower spaced timber strips having their opposed faces grooved longitudinally to receive the edges of a pair of horizontally spaced upright supporting strips.

12. A timber frame construction according to Claim 11, wherein an insulation panel of rigid or semi-rigid material is bonded to the outwardly facing surfaces of the upright supporting strips of the ring beam.

13. A timber frame construction according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the ring beam is attached to the upper frame members of the or each wall unit by means of an inverted channel strip fixed to the ring beam and to said upper frame members.

14. A timber frame construction substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.