NZ270740A - Wall construction apparatus includes a planar surface with a single flange extending therefrom - Google Patents

Description

PATENTS FORM NO, g Fee No. 4: $260.00 PATENTS ACT 1963 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION After Provisional No; 270740 Dated: 17 March 1995 METHOD AND APPARATUS RELATING TO WALL CONSTRUCTION I Jean Noel Clement, a New Zealand citizen, of Massey Road (no number), RD2, Waipu, New Zealand hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 270740 Method and Apparatus Relating to Wall Construction TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to methods and apparatus relating to wall construction.

More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention relates to methods and apparatus which may be used in the construction of either skirting boards, cornices or modifications of these. However, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to methods and apparatus for use in relation to construction of these parts of wall only. The prior art and possible 10 applications are therefore given by way of example only.

Background art This invention relates primarily to a method and apparatus which may be used in relation to wall construction. In this specification the term "wall construction" shall refer to the construction of any substantially vertical 15 surface which may be used to form a barrier between two spaces. The term "wall construction" will primarily refer to the walls of buildings such as houses, offices, factories or other similar buildings. However, it should be appreciated that the present invention may be used in relation to any other type of vertical surface construction whatsoever.

At the present time, many walls consist of three different parts. The skirting board is at the lower portion of the wall, a cornice at the top of the wall and a large wall body in between. 2 270740 Frequently, the skirting board will be in contact with the floor of the room and the cornice with the ceiling. The main body portion of the wall may consist of plaster board, such as GIB-BOARD®, wooden planks, or any other common wall material.

Typically skirting boards consist of a protruding piece of wood of approximately three to ten centimetres in height, and projecting approximately a centimetre from the wall body. The skirting board has a number of functions which include protection for the lower part of the wall body and to provide an aesthetic junction between the floor of the room and the 10 wall body.

Existing cornices, such as scotia board, also tend to project from the wall body. Such cornices have a number of functions, including strengthening the attachment of the wall to the ceiling of the room and providing a visually appealing junction which hides any cracks or other blemishes in the 15 wall/ceiling junction.

Existing skirting boards and cornices suffer from a number of disadvantages. For example, the skirting boards which protrude from the main body collect dust and dirt upon their protruding portions. This significantly detracts from the visual appeal of the skirting board as well as being unhygienic and 20 possibly posing a health hazard. To prevent this happening the skirting boards need to be cleaned reasonably regularly to avoid a significant reduction in the visual attractiveness of these boards.

A further disadvantage with current wall construction techniques that it is often difficult to mount the back of the skirting board flush with the wall. 25 Common reasons for this are the skirting board being warped or having blemishes or the wall itself being warped or having blemishes. This makes 3 270740 the skirting board difficult to align properly. Errors in the construction when aligning the adjacent wallboards with respect to each other also cause problems when the skirting board is mounted.

Such difficulties can prevent the snug fit of the skirting board onto the wall. 5 When this occurs, there is a danger that the skirting board will in time separate from the body of the wall. This can either reduce the visual appeal of the wall by causing a number of cracks between the skirting board and the wall, or significantly reduce the skirting boards ability to protect the main body of the wall. Either way, the difficulty in mounting the skirting board 10 flush with the wall can result in a number of unfortunate consequences for the appearance and function of the skirting board.

Similar conditions apply to cornices used to cover the junction between the main body of the wall and the ceiling. As with skirting boards, if the wallboards are not correctly aligned with respect to each other it is difficult to 15 attach the cornice flush with the wall. This can lead to gaps between the cornice and the wall, which can reduce the structural integrity of the wall and detract from the visual attractiveness of the wall.

A method and apparatus of wall construction which removes the present disadvantages of wall construction would be a significant advantage over 20 these existing methods and apparatus.

In particular, if there was a simple means whereby the boards forming the main body the wall could be placed flush with respect to each other, and also a means whereby the skirting board does not collect dust and dirt, then this would form a significant advance over present methods and apparatus of 25 wall construction. 4 270740 It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.

Disclosure of I According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in wall construction, the apparatus including a substantially planar surface with a flange extending therefrom, the shape and configuration of the apparatus being such that the flange is adapted to 10 abut the end of a wall body.

In a preferred embodiment, the end of the wall body is either the top or the bottom of the wall body.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in wall construction substancially as described above 15 wherein the apparatus is further configured so that in use at least one part of the substantially planar surface may form part of the exposed surface of the wall.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in wall construction substancially as described above 20 wherein another part of the substantially planar surface provides an area onto which the wall body may be attached.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in wall construction substantially as described above wherein the flange may either at least partially support, or totally support, the 25 wall body. 270740 According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for use in wall construction substantially as described above wherein the flange may be at least partially supported, or totally supported, by the wall body.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a wall including the use of an apparatus having a substantially planar surface with a flange extending therefrom, the method including the steps of: (a) attaching the apparatus to structural members of the wall adjacent to horizontal members of the building such that the flange extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the wall, and (b) mounting a wall body such that the ends of the wall body abut with the flange.

The horizontal members may be either the floor or the ceiling of the building.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a wall substantially as described above, the method including the further step of attaching the wall body to part of the substantially planar surface.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a wall, the method including the further step of supporting the wall body on the flange.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of constructing a wall, the method including the step of supporting the flange on the wall body. 6 270740 In preferred embodiments of the present invention the apparatus may have a substantially "t" shaped cross section, although preferably one part of the cross arm is removed.

However, in one embodiment the apparatus may have two cross arms to form 5 a complete "t" shape. This allows the apparatus to be attached to a horizontal structural member behind the face of the substantially planar surface.

The larger part of the "t" vertical portion, usually the lower part, may form one part of the substantially planar surface and the projecting arm of the "t" may constitute the flange.

However, it should be appreciated that in use the apparatus may be configured so that the flange may be positioned on any part of the apparatus. This is particularly so when the apparatus is being used as a skirting board as the flange may be positioned at any height to support and/or align the wall body. In this case, the flange may be positioned at any convenient location.

It should be appreciated that other cross sections may also be used for the apparatus described in the present invention and the present specification is not intended to be limited to an apparatus of any specific cross section.

The flange provides a consistent surface for the different components such as boards or plaster panels that comprise the wall body, to be aligned on. This 20 allows a neat tidy wall with good strength due to consistent joins. It also allows the wall body to be mounted flush with the skirting board.

In one embodiment, the flange may be strong enough to support the wall body. This allows the construction to be greatly simplified as other construction techniques, such as using extra nogging between studs, may not be required. 270740 The apparatus may be made from any substantially strong and rigid material which can provide strength suitable for use in constructions of walls. Such materials may be metals or wood.

In particular, preferred embodiments of the present invention may be made 5 from metal, which allows the apparatus to be manufactured simply, for example by extrusion, and may also eliminate the requirement of painting the apparatus.

In embodiments of the present invention whereby the apparatus is used as a skirting board, the apparatus may be positioned so that part of the planar 10 surface defines part of a recess in the lower portion of the wall itself. This recess is bordered on its lover side by the floor of the room , and on its upper side by the flange which may extend towards the interior of the room.

In these embodiments, it is common for at least part of the main body of the wall to be mounted upon the flange itself. For example, the remaining 15 portion of the wall may commonly consist of plasterboard, which may be mounted on the flange. In this way, the recess in the wall can be substantially rectangular in shape.

However, it should be appreciated that where the apparatus is used as a skirting board and defines a recess in the wall itself, then this has the 20 advantage that it is extremely difficult for dust or dirt to settle on the apparatus itself. In particular, in many embodiments of the present invention there may be no portion of the apparatus which extends out from the wall body itself.

In one particular embodiment, the flange may not project out as much as the wall body does. This will leave a small, eg one millimetre, gap between the end of the flange and the edge of the wall body. This allows the bottom of the 8 270740 wall body to be plastered or filled after construction. By doing this, a more aesthetic join is produced and it can be impossible to tell where the wall body finishes and the flange starts.

In addition, embodiments of the present invention whereby a recess is defined 5 in the lower portion of the wall may also be significantly more visually attractive than present skirting boards. In particular, recessed apparatus tends to be less visible than skirting boards, which extend into a room. In addition, in embodiments of the present invention whereby the apparatus is made from metal, the apparatus may be powder coated (or otherwise 10 coloured) at a factory site which saves those involved in the construction of a wall significant time in having to paint the apparatus on site.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be appreciated that many variations of these embodiments may be made without changing the inventive principle of the present 15 invention.

In embodiments of the present invention where the apparatus is used as a substitute to existing scotia boards and/or cornices, then these may have the advantages that the apparatus may be considerably more visually attractive than present scotia boards and/or cornices, or may have considerable 20 structural advantages over existing scotia boards/cornices.

This is especially so as having a flange to extend towards the interior of the room allows the plasterboard (or other boards which may form the main body of the wall) to be attached to the apparatus easily and without the considerable effort which is needed to apply and attach scotia boards/cornices to present 25 day walls. 9 270740 The wall body can be attached to part of the substantially planer surface. This can help to support the boards or panels that make up the wall body to such an extent that extra nogging is not required. This is a large advantage over current construction techniques where to properly support plaster board, 5 extra nogging is required between the studs.

When the wall body is attached to the substantially planer surface, the wall body can be secured by this join and also being attached on to the studs. No extra nogging is required and this greatly reduces the complexity time and labour costs of constructing a wall.

The wall body may be attached to the substantially planer surface by any standard means. In particular, gluing, nailing or screwing are all simple methods of attaching plaster board or wood on to the planer surface.

It should be noted if the flange can also support the wall body, then there is provided an extremely effective means of constructing a secure wall.

The part of the substantially planar surface of the apparatus attached to the wall body should be thin enough to prevent the wall body from being pushed out into the room. This causes as unslightly rim in the wall body. brief description of drawings Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the 20 ensuing description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and 270740 Figure 2 is a side view of a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Best Modes for Carrying out the Invention With regard to Figure 1 there is illustrated an apparatus 1 for use in relation 5 to wall construction. Apparatus 1 includes a substantially planar surface 2 with a flange, 3 extending therefrom.

In the embodiment illustrated, apparatus 1 is being used in place of a skirting board (not shown). Thus the lower part of the apparatus 1 will be positioned either adjacent to the floor (not shown) of the room, or may be positioned 10 slightly below the floor to enable the apparatus 1 to be attached to the floor itself.

Positioned on flange 3 may be a number of boards 4 (such as plasterboards, like GIB-BOARD®, wooden boards, etc.) which may form the wall body. These boards 4 are partially supported by the upper portion of the 15 substantially planar surface 2.

In addition, boards 4 may be attached in any convenient way to the flange 3 and/or the substantially planar surface 2 of apparatus 1.

As can be seen from this figure, configuring a wall in the way as illustrated allows for a recess 5 to be provided in the lower portion of the wall itself. This 20 recess, besides being visually attractive, also prevents dirt and/or dust from gathering on the lower portion of the wall (as it tends to do for existing skirting boards etc), and thus has significant hygiene advantages as well as aesthetic appeal.

In addition to these advantages, by providing a premoulded or preformed apparatus 1, it is reasonably simple to mount boards 4 in such a way so that 11 270740 they are correctly aligned with respect to each other. This adds to the speed and convenience in wall construction. Furthermore, there are no inconveniences associated with normal skirting boards in that it is simple to position apparatus 1 flush with respect to any other portion of the wall and 5 also to position the boards 4 flush with respect to the apparatus 1. This ensures that boards 4 may be easily positioned flush with respect to each other, which aids the structural integrity of the wall.

Figure 2 illustrates another use for apparatus 10, which is similar to the apparatus 1 already illustrated in Figure 1.

In Figure 2, a cross section of the wall and ceiling of a room are shown. The lower apparatus 10 is being used as a replacement to a skirting board in a way as already substantially illustrated in Figure 1. The upper apparatus 10 is being used instead of a standard cornice/scotia board arrangement to provide a join between the wall and ceiling.

In this figure, the wall is formed by apparatus 10 in conjunction with plasterboard 11, and a plasterboard ceiling 12 is attached to the upper apparatus 10. The means of attaching plasterboards 11 and 12 to apparatus 10 may be in any way which is convenient.

As can be seen from this figure, walls which are constructed using 20 apparatus 10 in this way can easily be made extremely secure, as there is significant area in the apparatus for the plasterboard walls or ceilings to be attached thereto. Furthermore, any other types of walls or ceilings may also be attached to apparatus 10.

It should be seen from the foregoing description that the apparatus described in the present invention, together with the method of use of this apparatus provides for an extremely simple means for constructing a wall. This means 12 270740 has a number of adveuitages over present means, which have been discussed in the present specification.

Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the appended claims. 13

Claims (8)

14 170 7 4 0 WHAT I CLAIM IS;

1. An apparatus for use in wall construction, the apparatus including a substantially planar surface with a single flange extending therefrom, the shape and configuration of the apparatus being such that the flange is adapted to abut the bottom of a wall body.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one part of the substantially planar surface may form part of the exposed surface of the wall.

3. The application as claimed in claim 2 wherein the exposed surface so formed by at least one part of the substantially planar surface is a skirting board.

4. An apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein another part of the substantially planar surface provides an area onto which the wall body can be attached.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the flange can either at least partially support, or totally support, the wall body.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the apparatus is made from a metal.

7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the apparatus is made from wood.

8. A method of constructing a wall including the use of an apparatus having a substantially planar surface with a flange extending therefrom, the method including the steps of: N.Z. PATENT OFFICE 31 OCT 1397 RECEIVED n (a) attaching the apparatus to structural members of the wall adjacent to horizontal members of the building such that the flange extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the wall, and (b) mounting a wall body such that the bottom end of the wall body abuts the flange. A method of constructing a wall as claimed in claim 8, the method including the further step of attaching the wall body to part of the substantially planar A method of constructing a wall as claimed in either claim 8 or claim 9, the method including the further step of supporting the wall body on the flange. An apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. A method of constructing a wall substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Joan Noel Clement by his Attorneys face. jZA END OP CLAIMS \