Wood frame wall construction

Abstract

A wall panel has elongate members connected together to form a rectangular frame having a top, a bottom and opposite sides, a sheathing extending over the rectangular frame; and connectors providing a connection between the sheathing and the rectangular frame. The connectors are varied so that the strength of the connection increases from the top and bottom towards the middles of the opposite sides of the frame.

1 . A wall panel, comprising: 
 a plurality of elongate members connected together to form a rectangular frame having a top, a bottom and opposite sides;    a sheathing extending over the rectangular frame; and    a plurality of connectors providing a connection between the sheathing and the rectangular frame;    wherein 
 the connectors are varied so that the strength of the connection increases from the top and bottom towards the middles of the opposite sides of the frame.  
   
     
     
         2 . A wall panel as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the strengths of the connectors increase along the opposite sides of the rectangular frame from the top and bottom to the middles of the opposite sides of the rectangular frame.  
     
     
         3 . A wall panel as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the connectors are nails.  
     
     
         4 . A wall panel as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the connectors are spaced apart from one another along the opposite sides of the rectangular frame by distances which decrease from the tops and bottoms to the middles of the opposite sides of the rectangular frame.  
     
     
         5 . A wall panel as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the connectors are nails.  
     
     
         6 . A wall panel, comprising: 
 elongate frame members;    the frame members comprising top and bottom members and side members and having ends connected to one another to form a rectangular frame;    metal corner connectors connecting the ends of the frame members to one another at corners of the frame;    the metal corner connectors each comprising a hollow intermediate portion abutting the ends of a pair of the frame members, and flanges extending from the abutment portion along the pair of frame members;    the flanges comprising a pair of co-planar flanges extending at right angles to one another;    a sheathing covering the frame, the sheathing extending in surface-to-surface contact with the coplanar flanges; and    connectors securing the coplanar flanges directly to the sheathing.    
     
     
         7 . A wall panel as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the intermediate portion is in the form of the tube of square cross-section.  
     
     
         8 . A wall panel as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the intermediate portion is in the form of a tube of square cross-section.  
     
     
         9 . A wall panel as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the corner connectors each have further flanges extending to along and at right angles to the co-planar panels.  
     
     
         10 . A wall panel as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the frame members comprising pairs of frame members at opposite sides of the further flanges.  
     
     
         11 . In combination, a corner connector and a tie down device, 
 the corner connector comprising a hollow intermediate portion and a pair of flanges extending from the intermediate portion at right angles to one another; and    the tie down device comprising an anchor bolt having an upper end within the hollow intermediate portion of the corner connector and a resilient retainer resiliently retaining the upper end of the anchor bolt in the intermediate portion of the corner connector.