Techniques to Assemble, Design, Fabricate, Install, Specify, and Use Structures Combining Different Member Types for Building Construction Framing and Comparable Applications

Abstract

An apparatus interconnects a metal stud fastened with a metal fastener and a wood stud fastened with a wood fastener. The metal stud includes a face wall and two side walls each extending away from the face wall to define a channel in between. Also included are two stud connector supports opposed to one another and a connector cross-support fixed to two stud connector supports transversely spaced apart to define a first stud receiver opposite a second stud receiver. The first stud receiver includes two side tabs each defined by a different one of the two stud connector supports, a medial tab defined by the connector cross-support, and two slots each defined between the medial tab and a different one of the two side tabs. A first one of the two side tabs defines a first tab aperture to receive the metal fastener to fasten the metal stud to the first stud receiver. The second stud receiver includes two side rails each defined by a different one of the two stud connector supports. A first one of the two side rails defines a first rail aperture to receive the wood fastener to fasten the wood stud to the second stud receiver.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A process, comprising:
 providing a stud interconnector including a first stud receiver with two ears opposite a second stud receiver with two arms and a finishing stud defining a wall finishing face and two side faces each extending away from the wall finishing face;   attaching the stud interconnector and the finishing stud to form a finishing stud subassembly in which the two ears each contact a distinct one of the two side faces;   receiving a structural stud between the two arms of the finishing stud subassembly;   determining alignment status of the finishing stud while the structural stud is between the two arms;   selecting a position of the second stud receiver in response to the alignment status from a position adjustment range relative to the structural stud; and   fastening the structural stud and the finishing stud subassembly in the position.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1 , in which the finishing stud is comprised of a metallic material and the structural stud is comprised of a wood material, and a finishing stud load-bearing capacity is less than 60% of a structural stud load bearing capacity with respect to longitudinal compression loading. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1 , which includes:
 providing a sill plate, a wall plate, several other stud interconnectors, several other finishing studs, and a wall support frame including the structural stud and several other structural studs each extending between the sill plate and the wall plate;   attaching a selected one of the other stud interconnectors to a selected one of the other finishing studs to form one other finishing stud subassembly;   evaluating alignment of the selected one of the other finishing studs included in the one other finishing stud subassembly relative to one or more finishing stud frame extension constructs each including a respective one of the other finishing studs attached to a respective one of the other structural studs with a respective one of the other stud interconnectors;   attaching the one other finishing stud subassembly to a selected one of the structural studs in a position responsive to the evaluating of the alignment;   mounting the selected one of the other finishing studs to the sill plate and the wall plate to increase by one the one or more finishing stud frame extension constructs;   repeating the evaluating of the alignment, the attaching of the one other subassembly, and the mounting of the selected one of the other finishing studs to form a finishing stud framework from a desired quantity of the finishing stud frame extension constructs; and   applying finishing material to the finishing stud framework.   
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1 , in which:
 the finishing stud includes an interface wall defining the wall finishing face and two opposed sidewalls each defining a respective one of the two stud side faces and being set apart to define a channel therebetween;   the first stud receiver includes a receiver tab and two receiver slots each defined between the receiver tab and a respective one of the two ears; and   the attaching of the interconnector includes receiving the two opposed sidewalls each in a different one of the two receiver slots and the receiver tab in the channel to dispose the two opposed sidewalls between the two ears and about the receiver tab.   
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4 , which includes:
 the finishing stud being comprised of a metallic material and the structural stud being comprised of a wood material;   the finishing stud defining a first end portion, a second end portion longitudinally opposing the first end portion, and a bridge portion therebetween;   clipping the finishing stud between the two ears of the first stud receiver along the intermediate portion of the finishing stud;   providing a wall support frame including a sill plate, a wall plate, and the structural stud longitudinally extending between the sill plate and the wall plate; and   mounting the first end portion of the finishing stud to the sill plate and the second end portion to the wall plate.   
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 5 , in which the interconnector is defined by a metal piece shaped with a cross-connection and two elongate side rails spaced-apart to extend away from the cross-connection opposite one another, the two elongate side rails each define a respective one of the two ears of the first stud receiver and a respective one of the two arms of the second stud receiver, the cross-connection defines the receiver tab approximately centered relative to the two ears, the two ears are approximately planar each relative to a different one of two parallel planes, and the receiver tab is approximately planer relative to a transverse plane perpendicular to the two parallel planes. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 5 , which includes:
 engaging the finishing stud and the first stud receiver in bearing contact to inhibit placement of one or both of the two ears past the wall finishing face;   bracing the finishing stud with the finishing stud frame extension construct to constrain relative motion thereof;   applying a first fastener through the first stud receiver to bear thereagainst and extend into or through the finishing stud while clipped to the first stud receiver in performance of the attaching of the interconnector;   applying a second fastener through the second stud receiver to bear thereagainst and extend into or through the structural stud in performance of the fastening of the structural stud and the finishing stud subassembly in the position;   accounting for warping of the structural stud by setting the position to approximate a result provided with an unwarped structural stud; and   a finishing stud load-bearing capacity is less than 40% of a structural stud load-bearing capacity with respect to a longitudinal compression load.   
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7 , in which:
 the structural stud defines two side faces and two opposed stud faces set apart by the two side faces, and a stud width between the two opposed faces is greater than a stud thickness between the two side faces;   a first distance separates the two arms approximate to the stud thickness and the two arms each extend closer to one of the two side faces than another of the two side faces after the receiving of the structural stud between the two arms, and the first distance is less than the stud width;   the finishing stud extends between the two ears a second distance greater than the first distance;   the bracing of the finishing stud includes a strut defined by the stud interconnector.   
     
     
         9 . A system, comprising:
 a finishing stud including a first end portion, a second end portion longitudinally opposing the first end portion, an interface wall, two opposed sidewalls each extending away from the interface wall, and the finishing stud being comprised of a metallic material;   a stud interconnection brace including a finishing stud receiver, a structural stud receiver spaced-apart opposite the finishing stud receiver, and a stiffness to resist relative motion between the finishing stud receiver and the structural stud receiver during intended use;   the finishing stud receiver including two opposed side tabs to each contact a different one of the two opposed sidewalls, defining a first fastener opening, and being structured to inhibit movement of either one of the two opposed side tabs past the face wall if the finishing stud receiver engages the finishing stud to connect therewith; and   the structural stud receiver including two opposed side arms and defining a second fastener opening.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , in which the finishing stud receiver includes means for clipping the finishing stud between the two opposed side tabs and pressing the two opposed side tabs each against the different one of the two opposed sidewalls. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , in which:
 the two opposed sidewalls are spaced-apart to define a recess therebetween;   the finishing stud receiver includes a receiver tab and two slots each defined between the receiver tab and a different one of the two opposed side tabs; and   the finishing stud receiver is structured to receive the two opposed sidewalls each in a different one of the two slots about the receiver tab and to dispose the receiver tab in the recess if the finishing stud receiver engages the finishing stud to connect therewith.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , which includes:
 a first fastener; and   a finishing stud subassembly comprising the finishing stud fastened to the interconnection brace with the first fastener extending through the first fastener opening and into or through the finishing stud.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , in which
 the subassembly includes a second fastener;   the structural stud and the structural stud receiver of the interconnection brace are fastened together with the second fastener extending through the second fastener opening into or through the structural stud.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , which includes a wall support frame including a sill plate, a wall plate, and the structural stud extending between the sill plate and the wall plate. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a stud interconnector including: a first end portion defining a first stud receiver, a second end portion defining a second stud receiver opposite the first stud receiver, a stud support bridge portion fixed between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a stiffness to resist relative motion between the first stud receiver and the second stud receiver while used as intended;   the first stud receiver including: a stud clip with two opposed clip members resiliently biased to provide compressive stud contact by firmly pressing thereagainst, a tongue member, two slots each defined between the tongue member and a different one of the two clip members, and a first fastener opening defined through the first stud receiver;   the second stud receiver including: two arms disposed opposite one another, the two arms defining a continuously variable position range, and a second fastener opening defined through the second stud receiver; and   the stud interconnector extending a first distance projected along a reference axis centered between the two clip members and the two arms, a second distance separating the two clip members transverse to the reference axis, a third distance separating the two arms transverse to the reference axis, the second distance being less than 50% of the first distance, and the second distance being greater than the third distance.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , in which the stud interconnector includes a unitary piece of sheet metal structured to define a cross-connection and two elongate side rails each meeting the cross-connection at approximately a ninety-degree angle, the two elongate side rails each define a respective one of the two clip members of the first stud receiver and a respective one of the two stud receiver arms of the second stud receiver, the cross-connection defines the tongue member approximately centered relative to the two elongate side rails. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , which includes:
 a wood stud, and a metal stud with an interface wall and two walls oppositely extending away from the interface wall and spaced apart to define a recess between the two walls;   the metal stud being fastened to first stud receiver portion while intermeshed together with the two walls each received in a respective one of the two slots to flank the tongue member and the two clip members disposed thereabout; and   the wood stud being fastened to the second stud receiver while received between the two arms.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , which includes a finishing stud clipped between the two clip members, the finishing stud comprising an interface wall defining a wall finishing face and two walls set apart to define a channel therebetween opposite the wall finishing face, the two walls each extending away from the interface wall and into a respective one of the two slots with the two clip members each pressing against a respective one of the two walls and the channel receiving the tongue member between the two walls. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , which includes:
 a finishing stud being attached to the finishing stud with a first fastener extending through the first fastener opening and into or through the finishing stud; and   means for bracing the first stud receiver.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , which includes:
 a wall support frame with a sill plate and a wall plate and the structural stud extending therebetween; and   the structural stud being attached to the second stud receiver with a second fastener extending through the second fastener opening and into or through the structural stud.