Modular wall construction

Claim 1

Means supporting opposed panel members in a double wall comprising at least two vertical studs spaced longitudinally along the length of said double wall; each said stud comprising an elongated body member of generally channel U-shaped cross sectional configuration providing a web portion and a pair of opposite side walls in substantial parallelism with each other and extending in a direction normal to said web portion; said web portion having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings formed therein with each of said openings having a uniform radius and an uninterrupted periphery; at least one elongated spacer bar extending between said studs and having opposite ends projecting through aligned openings of said studs; said spacer bar having diverging legs with a pair of slots at each said end extending inwardly from the longitudinal edges thereof and being in planes substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said spacer bar, the longitudinal axes of the slots of each pair being aligned, each pair of said slots being mounted over the lower peripheral edge portion of each corresponding said opening to lock each respective end of said spacer bar in a locked axial position, and opposed panel members defining opposed wall surfaces; each of said stud side walls defining a bearing surface receiving the edge portions of side-by-side related panel members thereon.