Basement wall construction

Abstract

A basement wall is formed by a series of vertical metal studs supported with their lower ends on a metal sill extending along the upper face of a concrete footing. A foam wall and a metal shear plate are mounted on the metal studs to form the wall's outer surface. A novel brick ledge is attached to the studs adjacent the upper edge of the foam wall.

Having described my invention, I claim:  
     
         1 . A below-ground basement structure, comprising: 
 a concrete footing disposed a substantial distance below ground level, said footing having an inner edge and an outer edge;    a basement floor extending from the inner edge of said footing;    an upright skeleton frame supported on said footing, said skeleton frame comprising a lower sill resting on said footing, plural upright metal studs extending upwardly from said sill at regularly spaced points therealong, and an upper cap spanning said metal studs an appreciable distance above said sill;    each of said metal studs having an outer flat shear panel mounting surface, and upper ends;    a metal shear panel mounted on said shear panel mounting surface, and attached to the sill and the cap;    a plurality of flat rigid first foam panels secured flatwise to the shear panel; said first foam panels having a first thickness, vertical side edges shiplapped together to form an outer wall, and an outer face;    first means for securing said first foam panels to said shear panel;    said first foam panels having a height less than the height of said studs whereby the upper edge of the first foam panels is disposed in a spaced relationship below the upper ends of the studs;    a second foam panel secured to said shear panel and extending from the upper edge of the first foam panels to the upper ends of the wall and the shear panel and having a thickness less than the thickness of the first foam panels;    an elongated brick ledge having an upper flange fastened to the studs through the shear panel adjacent the upper edge of the first foam panels, the brick ledge having a horizontal midsection having a width greater than the thickness of the first foam panels and greater than the thickness of a brick wall;    the brick ledge having an inclined section and a lower flange, the inclined section being connected to both the outer edge of the brick ledge midsection, and the lower flange being attached to an outer face of the shear panel; and    whereby the weight of a brick wall on the brick ledge biases the first foam panels toward said studs.    
     
     
         2 . A basement structure as defined in  claim 1 , including an inner brick ledge having an upper flange disposed in a face-to-face relationship with the upper flange of the first mentioned brick ledge and fastened to said studs, said inner brick ledge having a lower flange disposed in a face-to-face relationship with the lower flange of the first mentioned brick ledge and attached thereto, and a horizontal midsection in a face-to-face relationship with the midsection of the first mentioned brick ledge adjacent the top edge of the first foam panels.  
     
     
         3 . A basement structure as defined in  claim 2 , in which the lower flange of the inner brick ledge is disposed at right angles to the midsection thereof.  
     
     
         4 . A basement structure as defined in  claim 2 , in which the upper flange of the inner brick ledge is disposed at a right angle with respect to the midsection thereof.  
     
     
         5 . A brick ledge for a wall having a vertical upper planar structure and a vertical lower planar structure, spaced from the plane of the upper planar structure but parallel to the upper planar structure, said brick ledge comprising: 
 a unitary sheet metal body having an upper flange suited for attached to an upper planar structure, a lower flange suited for attachment to lower planar structure, a planar midsection disposed at a right angle to the upper flange, and an inclined wall having an upper edge attached to the planar midsection, and a lower flange attachable to the lower planar structure.    
     
     
         6 . A brick ledge as defined in  claim 5 , in which the inclined wall is disposed at a 45° angle to both the midsection and the lower flange of the brick ledge.  
     
     
         7 . A brick ledge as defined in  claim 7 , including an inner sheet metal member having an upper flange in a face-to-face relationship to the upper flange of the first mentioned brick ledge, a lower flange in a face-to-face to the lower flange of the first mentioned brick ledge, and a midsection having an upper section forming a right angle to both the upper flange thereof and the lower flange thereof, and connected to both the upper and lower flanges thereof.