Wall construction

Abstract

A downwardly opening upper channel member ( 10 ) is positioned above an upwardly opening lower channel member ( 12 ). A lower end portion of a stud ( 14 ) is received in the lower channel member ( 12 ). A clip ( 54 ) is received in an upper end portion of the stud bracket ( 10 ). The clip ( 54 ) has an upper portion that is connected to the upper channel member ( 10 ). It also has a lower portion that extends downwardly into an upper end portion of its stud ( 14 ). The upper channel member ( 10 ) has opposite side flanges ( 20, 22 ) that include lower edges ( 32, 34 ) the stud ( 14 ) has an upper butt end that is positioned above the lower edge ( 32, 34 ) is below an upper web portion ( 18 ) of the upper channel member ( 10 ). The upper portion of the clip ( 54 ) is connected to the upper channel member ( 10 ). The clip ( 54 ) is free to move vertically with respect to the stud ( 14 ). In a wall construction, wallboard sheeting WS is connected to the stud ( 14 ) and the lower channel member ( 12 ) but not to the upper channel member ( 10 ). As a result, relative vertical movement is permitted between the upper channel member ( 10 ) and the rest of the wall which includes the stud ( 14 ), the lower channel member ( 12 ) and the wallboard sheeting WS.

1 - 40 . (canceled)  
   
   
       41 . A wall structure, comprising: 
 a downwardly opening upper channel member including an upper web and a pair of spaced apart side flanges depending from the upper web to lower edges, said upper web and side flanges forming a channel space below the upper web and between the side flanges;    a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, vertically extending studs, each said stud including an upper end portion having an upper butt end;    said upper end portions of said studs being received in the channel space, with the butt ends of the studs being positioned above the lower edges of the side flanges of the upper channel member;    a clip for each said stud, each said clip comprising an upper portion within the upper channel member and a lower portion that extends downwardly from the upper portion into the upper end portion of its stud, said lower end portions of the clips being received within, the upper end portions of the studs;    wherein each said stud comprises a web extending perpendicular to the side flanges of the upper channel, and front and rear flanges connected to the web and extending parallel to the side flanges of the upper channel, said front and rear flanges of the stud having upper end portions which are contiguous the side flanges of the upper channel member;    wherein each said clip comprises a web that is inwardly contiguous the web of its stud, and front and rear flanges connected to the web of the clip that are inwardly contiguous the front and rear flanges of the stud;    wherein upper portions of the front and rear flanges of the stud are sandwiched between the side flanges of the upper channel and lower portions of the front and rear flanges of the clip;    screw fasteners extending through the side flanges of the upper channel and through the front and rear flanges of the clips above the butt ends of the studs; and    said studs being movable up and down in the channel space, below the screw fasteners, relative to both the clips and the upper channel member.    
   
   
       42 . The wall construction of  claim 41 , wherein each said stud comprises lips connected to the flanges of the stud, said lips extending toward each other, in coplanar parallelism, with each other and in spaced parallelism with the web.  
   
   
       43 . The wall construction of  claim 42 , wherein each said clip includes lips that are inwardly contiguous the lips on its stud.  
   
   
       44 . A wall structure, according to  claim 41 , further comprising: 
 an upwardly opening lower channel member including a lower web and a pair of spaced apart side flanges extending upwardly from the lower web to upper edges, said lower web and side flanges forming a channel space above the lower web and between the side flanges;    each said stud including a lower end portion with a lower butt end, said lower end portions of said studs being received in the lower channel space, above the lower web and between the side flanges of the lower channel member.