Slotted metal stud

Abstract

An elongate wall stud has a slot in upper end portions for use in a wall structure having a plurality of such studs extending between a floor and a ceiling support beam. In wall construction, pins connect said upper end portions of the studs to a support beam on the ceiling, the support beam having a base, a pair of side flanges depending from the base for receiving therebetween said stud upper end portions, said studs slots receiving the pins and allowing relative vertical movement between the support beam and the studs. Said pins include hollow and solid rivets and screws. A head on the rivet inside the slotted stud larger than the slot width prevents the rivet from passing out of the stud through the slot while loosely tying the stud to the channel and allowing longitudinal movement of the stud in the channel.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is the following:  
     
         1 . An elongate wall stud comprising two opposing sides separated by a back and an abbreviated fourth side opposite the back including a first part extending from one side and a second part extending from the other side, at least one side having a slot longitudinal with the stud at a stud end portion adapted to receive a pin therethrough without the pin engaging the stud.  
     
     
         2 . An elongate wall stud for use in a wall structure having a plurality of studs extending between a floor and a ceiling support beam with pins connecting upper end portions of the studs to a support beam having a base, a pair of side flanges depending from the base for receiving therebetween said stud upper end portions, said studs each having a slot longitudinal with the stud in said stud upper end portions adapted to receive at least one of said pins therein after said at least one of said pins passes through the side flange therein slidably connecting the support beam and the studs sized to fit in slidable contact therein while allowing relative vertical movement between the support beam and the studs, said studs comprising two opposing sides separated by a back and an abbreviated fourth side opposite the back including a first part extending from one side and a second part extending from the other side.  
     
     
         3 . A wall structure extending between a floor and a ceiling, comprising 
 a plurality of elongate wall studs each including two opposing sides separated by a back and an abbreviated fourth side opposite the back including a first part extending from one side and a second part extending from the other side, at least one side of at least one of said plurality of elongate wall studs having a slot longitudinal with the stud at a stud end portion into which a pin may pass and slide;    a support beam, including a base and opposing side flanges depending from the base receiving said plurality of wall studs therebetween, the studs sized to fit in slidable contact therein;    a pin connecting said stud end portion to one of said support beam flanges, the pin passing through the support beam flange and into said slot, allowing relative vertical movement between the support beam and the stud.    
     
     
         4 . The wall structure of  claim 3  further comprising a stud wallboard member mounted on the studs.  
     
     
         5 . The wall structure of  claim 4  further comprising a flange wallboard member mounted on at least one of the support beam flanges.  
     
     
         6 . The wall structure of  claim 5  in which the stud wallboard member overlaps in parallel and in staggered relation to the flange wallboard member allowing the stud wallboard member to slide relative to the flange wallboard member as the stud moves relative to the support beam with the pin or pins moving within the slot or slots.  
     
     
         7 . An elongate wall stud section of constant cross-sectional dimension comprising two opposing sides separated by a back and an abbreviated fourth side opposite the back including a first part extending from one side and a second part extending from the other side, at least one side having a slot longitudinal with the stud section at a stud section end portion adapted to receive a pin therethrough without the pin engaging the stud and attachable to a metal, unslotted stud with a portion of its back against a back of said metal, unslotted stud at an end of said metal, unslotted stud therein converting the unslotted stud to an effective slotted stud sized to fit in slidable contact with the member to which it may be affixed.  
     
     
         8 . The combination of (1) a first metal, unslotted stud having a back and an end and (2) a second stud section of constant cross-section dimension comprising two opposing sides separated by a back, at least one side of said second stud section having a slot longitudinal with the second stud section at a stud section end portion adapted to receive a pin therethrough without the pin engaging the second stud section, the stud section attached to the metal, unslotted first stud with a portion of the second stud section back face to face on the back of said metal, unslotted first stud at the end of the metal, unslotted first stud therein converting the unslotted first stud to an effective slotted stud.  
     
     
         9 . An elongate wall stud assembly comprising 
 two opposing sides separated by a back and an abbreviated fourth side opposite the back including a first part extending from one side and a second part extending from the other side, the back and sides defining a stud inner volume, at least one stud side having a slot longitudinal with the stud at a stud end portion and a width transverse to the stud,    a pin passing through the stud slot without the pin securely engaging the stud, the pin having a first end within the stud inner volume and a second end outside the stud back and sides, the pin including a head on its first end larger than the slot width within the stud inner volume preventing the pin from passing through the stud from the stud inner volume to outside the at least one stud side.    
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9  wherein the pin further includes a head on its second end.  
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 9  wherein the pin is a rivet with its first end flared to comprise the head on the pin first end.