Track member for wall and soffit construction

Abstract

An improved track member for use in stud and track wall construction, particularly with metal structural members, that comprises a generally U-shaped track member with a plurality of measurement lines and/or measurement designations along the base or flange portion of the track member to assist in the positioning of the studs in the channel of the track member. In the preferred embodiment, the track member is divisible by both sixteen and twenty-four inches. If vertically disposed slots are utilized, they are positioned evenly along the track member with or without measurement lines or designations. The track member ends have an improved mechanism, having notches and tabs for interlocking engagement, for longitudinally connecting two adjacent track members. A soffit track member comprises two attached track members having their lateral axis in orthogonal relation. The soffit track member can incorporate the measurement lines and/or designations and the connecting mechanism.

1 . A wall construction, comprising: 
 a stud member having a lower end and an upper end; and    a track member having a generally elongated, rectangular base and two longitudinally extending, substantially parallel flanges perpendicularly disposed at the sides of said base to form a generally U-shaped transverse cross-section channel configured to receive either said lower end or said upper end of said stud, said track member having a longitudinal axis and a perpendicular lateral axis, said track member having a preferred length to facilitate construction of said wall construction.    
   
   
       2 . The wall construction according to  claim 1 , wherein said preferred length is evenly divisible by both sixteen inches and twenty-four inches.  
   
   
       3 . The wall construction according to  claim 2 , wherein said preferred length is twelve feet.  
   
   
       4 . The wall construction according to  claim 1 , wherein said track member further comprises a plurality of measurement lines in spaced apart relation substantially along the length of said track member.  
   
   
       5 . The wall construction according to  claim 4 , wherein said track member further comprises a plurality of measurement designations.  
   
   
       6 . The wall construction according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of said measurement designations is utilized to designate the position of said stud member in said channel.  
   
   
       7 . The wall construction according to  claim 1 , wherein said flange of said track member comprises a plurality of vertically disposed slots, said vertically disposed slots positioned in substantially uniform spaced apart relation along the length of said track member.  
   
   
       8 . The wall construction according to  claim 7 , wherein said vertically disposed slots are spaced apart two inches.  
   
   
       9 . The wall construction according to  claim 7 , wherein said flange of said track member further comprises a plurality of measurement lines positioned in conjunction with said vertically disposed slots.  
   
   
       10 . The wall construction according to  claim 1 , wherein said wall construction comprises a first track member and a second track member disposed in longitudinal relation, each of said first track member and said second track member having a first end and a second end, said first end and said second end of each of said first track member and said second track member configured with a connecting mechanism, said connecting mechanism configured for interlockingly engagement of said first track member and said second track member to substantially join said first track member and said second track member.  
   
   
       11 . The wall construction according to  claim 10 , wherein said connecting mechanism comprises a center notch, a side notch, a first tab member and a second tab member at said first end and said second end of each of said first track member and said second track member.  
   
   
       12 . The wall construction according to  claim 11 , wherein said center notch of said first track member is configured to be engaged by said center notch of said second track member and said first tab and said second tab of each of said first track member and said second track member are configured for slidable engagement.  
   
   
       13 . The wall construction according to  claim 12 , wherein said center notch at said second end of said first track member is configured to be engaged in said center notch at said first end of said second track member, said first tab member of said second end of said first track member is configured to be slidably disposed relative to said second tab member of said first end of said second track member and said second tab member of said second end of said first track member is configured to be slidably disposed relative to said first tab member of said first end of said second track member.  
   
   
       14 . The wall construction according to  claim 12 , wherein said first tab member is upwardly offset and said second tab member is downwardly offset.  
   
   
       15 . The wall construction according to  claim 1 , wherein said wall construction further comprises a soffit track member comprising two of said track members, said flange of one of said track members attached to said base of the other of said track members, said lateral axis of each of said track members orthogonally disposed relative to each other, wherein said channel of one of said track members is generally vertically disposed and said channel of the other of said track members is generally horizontally disposed.  
   
   
       16 . The wall construction according to  claim 15 , wherein said soffit track member further comprises a plurality of measurement lines and/or a plurality of measurement designations.  
   
   
       17 . The wall construction according to  claim 15 , wherein the ends of said soffit track member are configured with a connecting mechanism, said connecting mechanism comprising a center notch, a side notch, a first tab member and a second tab member.  
   
   
       18 . A wall construction, comprising: 
 a stud member having a lower end and an upper end; and    a track member having a generally elongated, rectangular base and two longitudinally extending, substantially parallel flanges perpendicularly disposed at the sides of said base to form a generally U-shaped transverse cross-section channel configured to receive either said lower end or said upper end of said stud, said track member having a longitudinal axis and a perpendicular lateral axis, said track member having a preferred length to facilitate construction of said wall construction, said track member having a plurality of measurement lines in spaced apart relation substantially along said length of said track member, said track member having a first end and a second end, each of said first end and said second end configured with a connecting mechanism having one or more notches and one or more tab members.    
   
   
       19 . The wall construction according to  claim 18 , wherein said track member further comprises a plurality of measurement designations.  
   
   
       20 . A wall construction, comprising: 
 a stud member having a lower end and an upper end;    a track member having a generally elongated, rectangular base and two longitudinally extending, substantially parallel flanges perpendicularly disposed at the sides of said base to form a generally U-shaped transverse cross-section channel configured to receive either said lower end or said upper end of said stud, said track member having a longitudinal axis and a perpendicular lateral axis, said track member having a preferred length to facilitate construction of said wall construction, said track member having a plurality of measurement lines in spaced apart relation substantially along said length of said track member, said track member having a first end and a second end, each of said first end and said second end configured with a connecting mechanism having one or more notches and one or more tab members; and    a soffit track member comprising two of said track members, said flange of one of said track members attached to said base of the other of said track members, said lateral axis of each of said two track members orthogonally disposed relative to each other, wherein said channel of one of said two track members is generally vertically disposed and said channel of the other of said two track members is generally horizontally disposed.