Method of constructing a prefabricated wall module

Claim 1

A method of constructing a prefabricated wall module for a building, wherein the wall module comprises: a first normally horizontal sheet metal member in the form of an upper U-shaped downwardly facing cap member having a main web and two longitudinal side flanges depending from the main web; a second normally horizontal sheet metal member in the form of a lower U-shaped floor track member having a main web and two longitudinal side flanges extending upward therefrom; a plurality of horizontally spaced normally upright sheet metal studs, each having a main longitudinal web and two opposite side flanges extending from the main web, the upper and lower ends of the studs being telescoped into the first and second horizontal members respectively into pressure contact with the main webs thereof with the two side flanges of each longitudinal member in face-to-face relation with the side flanges of the studs thereby providing a pair of opposite rectangular areas of two layers of sheet metal at each end of each stud, the intersection of the side flanges of the studs with the side flanges of the two horizontal members forming 90* angles with the vertex of each angle at a corner of one of said rectangular areas; said method being characterized by the use of a power-actuated hand tool having two parts with the reach of the jaws at least equal to the distance from said vertex to a central portion of the corresponding rectangular area, one of the parts of the tool carrying a hollow die, the other of the two parts carrying a punch to cooperate with the die; said method including the steps of: placing each stud in the desired assembled position relative to said horizontal members thereby providing two of said rectangular areas at each end of the stud with one of said vertices at the corner of the rectangular area; applying pressure to said track member and said cap member to force the webs of said members into pressure contact with the ends of said studs; placiNg said tool in the region of each of said vertices with the parts extending diagonally of the corresponding rectangular area into a central portion of the rectangular area and with said hollow die inside the stud and said cooperating punch outside the stud; and actuating the tool to drive said punch through the two layers of metal of the rectangular area into the interior of the die, while the ends of said studs are held in pressure contact with the webs of said longitudinal members, said punch and die being shaped and dimensioned to form an aperture in the two layers with interlocking tongues of the two layers projecting from the periphery of the aperture into the interior of the stud and with the tongues more nearly perpendicular than parallel to the inner surface of the stud.

Claim 2

A method of constructing a prefabricated wall module for a building, wherein the wall module comprises: a first normally horizontal sheet metal member in the form of an upper U-shaped downwardly facing cap member having a main web and two longitudinal side flanges depending from the main web; a second normally horizontal sheet metal member in the form of a lower U-shaped floor track member having a main web and two longitudinal side flanges extending upward therefrom; a plurality of horizontally spaced normally upright sheet metal studs, each having a main longitudinal web and two opposite side flanges extending from the main web, the upper and lower ends of the studs being telescoped into the first and second horizontal members respectively into pressure contact with the main webs thereof with the two side flanges of each longitudinal member in face-to-face relation with the side flanges of the studs thereby providing a pair of opposite rectangular areas of two layers of sheet metal at each end of each stud, the intersection of the side flanges of the studs with the side flanges of the two horizontal members forming 90* angles with the vertex of each angle at a corner of one of said rectangular areas; said method being characterized by the use of a power-actuated hand tool having two parts with the reach of the jaws at least equal to the distance from said vertex to a central portion of the corresponding rectangular area, one of the parts of the tool carrying a hollow die, the other of the two parts carrying a punch to cooperate with the die; said method including the steps of: placing each stud in the desired assembled position relative to said horizontal members thereby providing two of said rectangular areas at each end of the stud with one of said vertices at the corner of the rectangular area; applying pressure to said track member and said cap member to force the webs of said members into pressure contact with the ends of said studs; placiNg said tool in the region of each of said vertices with the parts extending diagonally of the corresponding rectangular area into a central portion of the rectangular area and with said hollow die inside the stud and said cooperating punch outside the stud; and actuating the tool to drive said punch through the two layers of metal of the rectangular area into the interior of the die, while the ends of said studs are held in pressure contact with the webs of said longitudinal members, said punch and die being shaped and dimensioned to form an aperture in the two layers with interlocking tongues of the two layers projecting from the periphery of the aperture into the interior of the stud and with the tongues more nearly perpendicular than parallel to the inner surface of the stud.

Claim 4

A method of constructing a prefabricated wall module for a building, wherein the wall module comprises: a first normally horizontal sheet metal member in the form of an upper U-shaped downwardly facing cap member having a main web and two longitudinal side flanges depending from the main web; a second normally horizontal sheet metal member in the form of a lower U-shaped floor track member having a main web and two longitudinal side flanges extending upward therefrom; a plurality of horizontally spaced normally upright sheet metal studs, each having a main longitudinal web and two opposite side flanges extending from the main web, the upper and lower ends of the studs being telescoped into the first and second horizontal members respectively into pressure contact with the main webs thereof with the two side flanges of each longitudinal member in face-to-face relation with the side flanges of the studs thereby providing a pair of opposite rectangular areas of two layers of overlapping sheet metal at each end of each stud, the intersection of the side flanges of the studs with the side flanges of the two horizontal members forming 90* angles with the vertex of each angle at a corner of one of said rectangular areas; said method being characterized by the use of a tool having two parts with the reach of the jaws thereof at least equal to the distance from said vertex to a central portion of the corresponding rectangular area, the two parts of the tool respectively carrying two cooperating punching elements, one being a hollow die, and the other being a punch; said method including the steps of: placing each stud in the desired assembled position relative to said horizontal members thereby providing two of said rectangular areas at each end of the stud with one of said vertices at the corner of the rectangular area; applying pressure to said track member and said cap member to force the webs of said members into pressure contact with the ends of said studs; placing said tool in the region of each of said vertices with the parts extending diagonally of the corresponding rectangular area into a central portion of the rectangular area and with said two punching elements on opposite sides of the overlapping portions of said sheet metal in said area; and forcing said jaws together to drive said punch through the two layers of metal of the rectangular area into the interior of the die, while the ends of said studs are held in pressure contact with the webs of said longitudinal members, said punch and die being shaped and dimensioned to form an aperture in the two layers with interlocking tongues of the two layers projecting from the periphery of the aperture into the interior of the stud anD with the tongues more nearly perpendicular to than parallel to the inner surface of the stud.

Claim 5

A method of constructing a prefabricated wall module for a building, wherein the wall module comprises: a first normally horizontal sheet metal member in the form of an upper U-shaped downwardly facing cap member having a main web and two longitudinal side flanges depending from the main web; a second normally horizontal sheet metal member in the form of a lower U-shaped floor track member having a main web and two longitudinal side flanges extending upward therefrom; a plurality of horizontally spaced normally upright sheet metal studs, each having a main longitudinal web and two opposite side flanges extending from the main web, the upper and lower ends of the studs being telescoped into the first and second horizontal members respectively into pressure contact with the main webs thereof with the two side flanges of each longitudinal member in face-to-face relation with the side flanges of the studs thereby providing a pair of opposite rectangular areas of two layers of overlapping sheet metal at each end of each stud, the intersection of the side flanges of the studs with the side flanges of the two horizontal members forming 90* angles with the vertex of each angle at a corner of one of said rectangular areas; said method being characterized by the use of a tool having two parts with the reach of the jaws thereof at least equal to the distance from said vertex to a central portion of the corresponding rectangular area, the two parts of the tool respectively carrying two cooperating punching elements, one being a hollow die, and the other being a punch; said method including the steps of: placing each stud in the desired assembled position relative to said horizontal members thereby providing two of said rectangular areas at each end of the stud with one of said vertices at the corner of the rectangular area; applying pressure to said track member and said cap member to force the webs of said members into pressure contact with the ends of said studs; placing said tool in the region of each of said vertices with the parts extending diagonally of the corresponding rectangular area into a central portion of the rectangular area and with said two punching elements on opposite sides of the overlapping portions of said sheet metal in said area; and forcing said jaws together to drive said punch through the two layers of metal of the rectangular area into the interior of the die, while the ends of said studs are held in pressure contact with the webs of said longitudinal members, said punch and die being shaped and dimensioned to form an aperture in the two layers with interlocking tongues of the two layers projecting from the periphery of the aperture into the interior of the stud anD with the tongues more nearly perpendicular to than parallel to the inner surface of the stud.