US2361733A - Supporting structural wallboard unit - Google Patents

Description

1944- B. J. BARTHOLOMEW 2,361,733

SUPPORTING STRUCTURAL WALLBOARD UNIT Filed April 26, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 1 a V2102 Z I BY MM ATTORNEY-5 1944- B. J. BARTHOLOMEW 2,361,733

SUPPORTING STRUCTURAL WALLBOARD UNIT Filed April 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIM, NW

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ATTORNEYS Patented :25 31, 1944 SUPPORTING. STRUCTURAL WALLBOARD Byron J. Bartholomew, Burton, Ohio Application April 26, 1943, Serial No. 484,619

2 Claims. (Cl. 154-45-9) This invention relates to the building arts and particularly involves a novel mode of employment of so-called wallboards universally used today in such arts.

As is well known, the customary manner of employment of wallboards is to apply the same to a supporting structure of a building such as partition studding, ceiling beams or rafters, or the like, to form wall or ceiling surfaces carried by the structural supporting members of the building structure itself.

The primary object of my invention is to avail of wallboard or wallboard sections or members in a novel manner by assembling ordinary commercially manufactured wallboard members in such a manner as to create a supporting structural wallboard unit made entirely from wallboard, preferably, without the necessity of in any way changing the method of manufacture of such board. In furtherance of the foregoing objective, my invention comprises a supporting wallboard unit having an air insulation space and having self-contained structural supporting characteristics such that the units made according to the invention may be set up and form a supporting wall, as distinguished from the ordinary method of use of wallboard by which it is required to be applied to structural supports in a, building construction, which supports ordinarily carry the load. In other words. my supporting structural unit made from wallboard members constitutes in itself a structural support so as to eliminate the necessity of employing the wallboard after the common practice, namely. by applying the latter to supporting studding, beams, or the like. Since my proposed novel supporting structural unit is possessed of its own inherent supporting characteristics, the units of my invention may be ,assembled into a wall structure, for instance, and will have load carrying capacity so as to eliminate the employment of separate structural supports such as commonly used today.

Supporting structural units assembled according to my invention are such, therefore, as mayconstitute the outer walls or partition walls of houses, a one instance of their utility, that may be set up upon a floor or base without previous disposition upon the latter of studding or similar load carrying supports.

A primary objective of the invention, as intimated before, lies in the utilization of common commercial wallboard members without necessitating any change in the mode of manufacture of the same, assembling spaced members of relatively large area with spacer members therebetween to provide for the air space and insulation characteristics obtained thereby. The large area wallboard members form the sides united together ordinarily by relatively narrow spacer members made out of the wallboard sections cut to proper dimension, the whole assembled to provide a supporting unit with the desired structural supporting characteristics.

So far as I am aware, it has never been proposed prior to my invention to utilize wallboard members assembled in such a manner as to constitute supporting structural units of the type to which I refer, and I therefore claim the foregoing as an essential broad feature of my invention.

By reason of the employment of the wallboard sections in the manner set forth, I am enabled to obtain a very flexible construction of manufactured unit in that the load carrying capacity of the structural supporting units may be increased or decreased by the simple adding or subtracting, respectively, of the main layers or sections of wallboard that form the main supporting structural elements of the unit in combination with spacer members between said main wallboard sections that are designed to connect the latter together in the unit structure as well as to space them in such manner as to provide the air insulating space between the sides of the unit.

While my invention may take many different forms in the composition of the supporting structural unit described, I illustrate in the accompanying drawings, and set forth in the detail description found hereinafter, certain preferred forms of the invention, to which, however, I do not wish to be limited in the practical carrying out of the invention because of the many possible modifications available in adopting the principles of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wallboard supporting structural unit embodying the invention in one form.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view through a unit of a modified form, showing the manner of providing interlocking tongue and groove features by mere peculiar disposition or arrangement of certain of the spacing parts.

Figure 4 is a vertical section of the unit of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a supporting structural unit embodying the invention, in which a window is mounted in the unit itself.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 6--6 of Figure 5, bringing out more clearly the construction of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a double window arrangement incorporated in two of the supporting units of the invention, each unit cut away from one edge to receive one-half of the double window frame or unit.

Figure 8 is a detail fragmentary sectional view showing a. modification of the form of interlocking tongue and groove structure that may be employed in unit of the invention.

First referring to the invention as shown in- Figures 1 and 2 primarily, it will be observed that my supporting unit is made up of sides I and 2 spaced apart and each utilizing wallboard the depth dimensions of the window, in an obvious manner, so that the window will be properly emplaced in the unit when the latter is finally completed as a manufactured complete unit.

In Figure '7, I have illustrated two supporting units 1 and 8 which are constructed of spaced side members, as previously described, one or both of which may be composed of laminated wallboards. These units are cut out at their adjacent vertical joined edges to provide the window space, and inset in the cut out portions is the double window frame 9. In this construction the frame 9 would be emplaced in and upon the units 1 and 8 when the latter are set up as distinguished fromthe construction of Figures 5 and 6, whereinthe structuralsupporting unit of the invention may be actually built and asmembers of known types. These wallboard men'i' bers are manufactured in single or double layers, usually, and when double layers or laminated structure is employed, the wallboard members are usually adhesively connected in compact secured arrangement face to face, so to speak. As illustrated, the side I of the unit of Figures 1 and 2 is made up of three layers, or is composed of a laminated structure, whilst the side 2 in this instance is made up of a single wallboard section or member. The sides I and 2 are spaced apart by spacing members 3 which extend preferably vertically of the unit, and which, as illustrated, are of laminated form in this instance, though a single layer member to provide a spacing means may be availed of should it be desired. However, when the laminated spacers 3 are used, greater spacing is obtainable and such would usually be desirable in view of the objective of achieving the provis on of a tanible amount of air insulating space 4 between the sides I and 2 of the unit.

Now in respect to the entire unit illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, it is notable that I preferably employ wallboard exclusively, in the manufactu e of the. unit. and that all arts of the unit are assembled together preliminary to shipment or use from the place of manufacture. and constitute a supporting structural unit capable of carrying loads when such units are assembled v r ic l v e e to ed e and ho zontal y edge o ed e in a wall construction. for instance. In other words. here will be no necessity. when usin un ts of the invention, for setting up studdin or any vertical supportin structure wha soever in addition to my wallboard unit havrw it self-conta ned supportin characteristics.

In Figures 3-and 4 the construction described n reference to Figures 1 and 2 is modified in a simple aspect by disposing certain ones of the spacin members designated 3a in such a manher as to form tongue extensions and groove recesses which will match one another when adia-cent sections are set up. and providea common form of interlock well known in buildin structures. an interlock s milar. practically speakin to the tongue and groove interlock of fionrboarding.

Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings typify the adaptation of my invent on in regard to the bu ldin o a sup ortin structural unit 5 cut out centrally in such a manner that a window frame 6 o desired size may be mounted therein. Under such conditions, the number of layers of wallboard sections or members to constitute the sides of the unit may be varied according to sembled at the factory as a complete unit ready to be set up in place.

Figure 8 is simply illustrative of a modified form of tongue and groove connection susceptible of being used, and in this figure it is notable that the tongue member ID is composed of laminated wallboard parts or members and the groove or recess member II is similarly composed of a plurality of layers of wallboard members. Also, in the modification of Figure 8, it will be noted that the spaced sides 12 and I3 are made of a double layer of wallboard, and the customary method of providing the tongues at one edge and recesses at the other edge of each structural unit will be pursued in reference to the vertical edges of the unit, and likewise with respect to the horizontal edges of the unit.

It is within the purview of the invention to employ any suitable type of dowel means between the units for purposes of joining the same at adjacent edges and reinforcing the edge connections at the joints.

It is to be understood, as before indicated, that the side members I and 2 may both comprise laminae of wallboard members. Likewise. it is apparent that since the wallboard structural supporting unit of the invention is made entirely of wallboard, it can be manufactured at the wallboard factory as a complete unit comprised entirely of wallboard members or elements cut to proper sha e and size and assembled to comprise the final unit ready for shipment.

Among the rigid types of wallboard that may be employed for the invention are the gypsum Sheet Rock wallboard. "Gold Bond wallboard also made of gypsum, also the common Cellotex wallboard members. and other classes of manufactured products of this type which will satisfactorily sup ly the rigid characteristics of my structural unit when the wallboard members are assembled and connected together as a single substantially integral manufactured product.

By reason of the provision of the air space between the outer and inner sides of the unit. such units are especially adaptable for use in house construction because they may form the outer walls as well as the inner walls or partitions, and. being structurally rigid and strong, provide for the load carrying capacltv, which, when varyin may be accommodated for by adding to 'or reducing the number of wallboard members or sections incorporated in the unit as a single layer or combined layers or laminae, as may be desired.

The layers of wallboard material used for both the sides and spacing members when plural in number are adhesively connected in accord with the regular practice oi manui'acturing laminated wallboards as made today.

As will be seen upon reference to Figure 7, it is contemplated that the structural units of the invention may be provided at the upper and lower ends, as well as at the side edges, with the spacing members I4 and II, respectively, thereby to close the units completely at such places. The spacing members thus emplaced in the unit of Figure 1, at the top and bottom of said unit, would at the top, carry along with the side members I and 2, the plate which directly supports the load on the unit. as well known in certain types oi. building construction. Under the above conditions the spacing members such as referred to may be composed of one or more layers of wallboard material between the sides i and 2 at the upper and lower ends, and would also close the spaces at the top and bottom of the structural unit and advantageously rigidity the same.

Where doors are to be provided on or in the structural units, they will be disposed in a manner similar to the emplacement oi the windows seen in Figures 5 and 7, the doors extending to the floor or arranged at any desired elevation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. As' a new article of manufacture, a prefabricated wall unit capable of sustaining structural load stresses without distortion, said unit being composed of spaced side members, and spacer members arranged between the side membars in load-sustaining position. said spacer members having relatively broad adhesive surfaces contacting with the side members, all of said side and spacer members consisting of dense, rigid, compressed wall board having substantially the same coefficient of expansion and high tensile strength, and bonded together under compression to form a unit preparatory to disposition of the unit in load-sustaining position.

2. As a new article of manufacture for house and the like building construction, a preiabrh cated unit made wholly oi wall board and capable of sustaining structural load stresses without distortion, the same being composed of spaced hard wall board side members, and hard wall board spacer members oi the same material as the side members disposed face-to-face and at intervals between the side members to provide a hollow unit or air insulation character, the side and spacer members being all bonded together under compression sumcient to integrate the structure into an independent, non-distortable unit, preparatory to disposition in load-sustaining position.

BYRON J. BARTHOLOMEW.

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