Steel edge gypsum wall panel

Claim 2

A steel edged gypsum wall panel engageable by flanged studs, said panel having substantially flush planar front and back surfaces and comprising: a body portion of from about 5/16 inches to about 3/4 inches thick having; front and back faces, and opposite marginal side edges, said front and back faces both having reduced portions adjacent said marginal side edges; steel edges having a channel shape and comprising; a front flange, a back flange, a web portion integrally connecting said flanges and adapted to contact said marginal edge, wherein said back flange terminates in a return flange providing an engageable slot therebetween and, wherein at each steel edge said front flanges and return flanges are spaced apart a distance no greater than the distance between said front flush planar surface and said back flush planar surface wherein said back flanges contact said reduced portions adjacent said marginal side edges.

Claim 3

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body portion is tapered adjacent both marginal side edges on both front and back faces to provide said reduced portions and reduced thickness along said opposite marginal edges.

Claim 4

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 2 wherein the steel edging channels cap said reduced marginal edges between the front and back flanges, said steel edges have a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the body portion whereby the return flanges are substantially coplanar with the back face of the body portion and said back flanges contact the tapered portions on the back face of the body portion.

Claim 5

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 3 wherein the web portions of the steel edging angles outwardly from the back face to the front face of the panel.

Claim 6

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 3 wherein said front flanges contact the tapered portions of the front face of the body portion and a bonding adhesive is disposed between said steel edging and body portion marginal edges for securement therebetween, and disposed along both tapered portions of the front face of the body portion sufficient to fill the tapers and provide the flush panel front surfaces being substantially coplanar with the front face of the body portion.

Claim 7

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 3 wherein a sheet steel member integrally connects the front flanges of said opposite steel edging, said sheet steel member lying in generally coplanar relationship with said front flanges thereby providing a flush planar steel facing front surface to said panel.

Claim 8

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 6 wherein a bonding adhesive is disposed between said body portion marginal edges and steel edging, and between the body portion front face and steel facing, for securement therebetween.

Claim 9

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 6 wherein the web portion of the steel edging angles outwardly from the back face to the front face of the panel.

Claim 10

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body portion is tapered on the front face adjacent said opposite marginal side edges and notched on the back face adjacent said opposite marginal side edges at a depth no greater than one-half the thickness of the body portion.

Claim 11

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 9 wherein the steel edging channels at the opposite marginal edges have the engageable slots disposed along said notches, and said front flanges contacting the tapered portion of the front face of the body portion.

Claim 12

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 10 wherein the web portions of the steel edging angle outwardly from the notches to the front face of the panel.

Claim 13

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 10 wherein a bonding adhesive is disposed between said steel edging and body portion marginal edges for securement therebetween, and disposed along both tapered portions of the front face sufficient to fill the tapers and provide the flush planar front panel surface being substantially coplanar with the front face of the body portion.

Claim 14

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 9 wherein a sheet steel member integrally connects the front flanges of said steel edging, said sheet steel member lying in generally coplanar relationship with said front flanges thereby providing a flush planar steel facing front surface to said panel and wherein said steel edges cap the marginal edges having said engageable slots disposed along sid notches at the back face.

Claim 15

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 13 wherein the web portions of the steel edging angle outwardly from the notches to the front face of the panel.

Claim 16

A steel edged gypsum wall panel as claimed in claim 13 wherein a bonding adhesive is disposed between said body portion marginal edges and steel edging, and disposed between said body portion front face and steel facing, for securement therebetween.

Claim 17

A wall partition assembly comprising: A. two parallel spaced apart rows of gypsum wall panels including at least one panel having steel edging, said steel edged panel having substantially flush planar front and back surfaces and comprising: 1. a body portion of from about 5/16 inches to about 3/4 inches thick having front and back faces, and opposite marginal side edges, said front and back faces both reduced portions adjacent said marginal side edges; and 2. steel edging along the opposite marginal side edges, said edging having a channel shape and comprising a front flange, a back flange, and, a web portion integrally connecting said flanges, said web being adapted to contact said marginal side edges, said back flange terminating in a return flange providing a flange-engageable slot therebetween, wherein at each steel edge said front flanges and return flanges are spaced apart a distance no greater than the distance between said front flush planar surface and said back flush planar surface wherein said back flanges contact said reduced portions adjacent said marginal side edges, wherein remaining gypsum wall panels in the assembly have kerfed marginal side edges; and, B. a plurality of studs located at joints between adjacent panels, said studs comprising a body portion with opposite generally T-shaped engageable flanged edges wherein at least one stud engages said steel edged panel having a flanged edge supportively engaged within the flange-engageable slot.

Claim 18

A wall partition assembly comprising: A. two parallel spaced apart rows of gypsum wall panels including at least one panel having steel edging, said steel edged panel having substantially flush planar front and back surfaces and comprising: 1. a body portion of from about 5/16 inches to about 3/4 inches thick having front and back faces, and opposite marginal side edges, said front and back faces both reduced portions adjacent said marginal side edges; and 2. steel edging along the opposite marginal side edges, said edging having a channel shape and comprising a front flange, a back flange, and, a web portion integrally connecting said flanges, said web being adapted to contact said marginal side edges, said back flange terminating in a return flange providing a flange-engageable slot therebetween, wherein at each steel edge said front flanges and return flanges are spaced apart a distance no greater than the distance between said front flush planar surface and said back flush planar surface wherein said back flanges contact said reduced portions adjacent said marginal side edges, wherein remaining gypsum wall panels in the assembly have kerfed marginal side edges; and, B. a plurality of studs located at joints between adjacent panels, said studs comprising a body portion with opposite generally T-shaped engageable flanged edges wherein at least one stud engages said steel edged panel having a flanged edge supportively engaged within the flange-engageable slot.

Claim 19

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein at least one stud engaging the steel edge panel has a removable portion which resiliently engages a remaining portion of the stud to form the generally T-shaped panel engaging edge thereby providing simple panel demountability to permit ease of access to the plenum between the parallel spaced-apart rows of panels.

Claim 20

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claime 16 wherein the body portion is tapered on the front face adjacent said opposite marginal side edges and notched on the back face adjacent said opposite marginal side edges at a depth no greater than one-half the thickness of the body portion, wherein a sheet steel member integrally connects the front flanges of said opposite steel edging, said sheet steel member lying in generally coplanar relationship with said front flanges thereby providing a flush planar steel facing front surface to said panel, and wherein said steel edges cap the marginal edges having said flange-engageable slots disposed along said notches at the back face; and, wherein a bonding adhesive is disposed between said body portion marginal edges and steel edging, and disposed between said body portion front face and steel facing, for rigid securement therebetween.

Claim 21

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein the web portions of the steel edging angle outwardly from the notches to the front face of the panel.

Claim 22

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein the body portion of the steel edged panel is tapered on the front face adjacent said opposite marginal side edges and notched on the back face adjacent said opposite marginal side edges at a depth no greater than one-half the thickness of the body portion; wherein said steel edging channels cap the marginal edges and have the engageable slots disposed along said notches, and said front flange contacting the tapered portions of the front face of the body portion; and, wherein a bonding adhesive is disposed between said steel edging and body portion marginal edges for securement therebetween, and disposed along both tapered portions of the front face sufficient to fill the tapers and provide a flush planar front panel surface being substantially coplanar with the front face of the body portion.

Claim 23

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 20 wherein the web portions of the steel edging angle outwardly from the notches to the front face of the panel.

Claim 24

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein the body portion of the steel edged panel is tapered adjacent both marginal side edges on both front and back faces to provide said reduced portions and reduced thickness along said marginal edges.

Claim 25

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 22 wherein the steel edging channels cap said reduced marginal edges between the front and back flanges, said steel edges have a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the body portion whereby the return flanges are substantially coplanar with the back face of the body portion and said back flanges contact the tapered portions on the back face of the body portion, and wherein a bonding adhesive is disposed between said steel edging and body portion marginal edges for securement therebetween.

Claim 26

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 23 wherein the web portions of the steel edging angle outwardly from the back face to the front face of the panel.

Claim 27

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 23 wherein a sheet steel member integrally connects the front flanges of said opposite steel edging, said sheet steel member lying in generally coplanar relationship with said front flanges thereby providing a flush planar steel facing front surface to said panel.

Claim 28

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 25 wherein the web portions of the steel edging angle outwardly from the back face to the front face of the panel.

Claim 29

A wall partition assembly as claimed in claim 25 wherein a bonding adhesive is disposed between said steel facing and the front face of the body portion for securement therebetween.