Pre-spaced time-saving track for mounting studs for construction of drywall and other wall surfaces

Claim 2

A wall construction comprising: a plurality of elongated studs each having a pair of opposed sidewalls, said sidewalls each having an inwardly-directed lip thereon; first and second elongate members, each of said elongate members having a longitudinal axis and formed of resiliently deformable material, said elongate members each comprising an elongate base wall, first and second opposed side walls extending generally perpendicular from said base wall, said base wall and side walls defining a channel; said first and second side walls each having at least one tab; said at least one tab deformed around one of said lips of said stud when said stud is disposed in a generally perpendicular relationship with respect to one of said first and second elongate members.

Claim 3

The wall construction of claim 1 wherein said base wall of at least one of said first and second elongate members further comprises at least one longitudinal protrusion to provide additional structural support to said at least one of said elongate members.

Claim 4

The wall construction of claim 1 wherein said at least one tab is defined by a vertical edge and a horizontal edge, said vertical edge extending downwardly from a terminal edge of one of said sidewalls and said horizontal edge extending longitudinally from said vertical edge.

Claim 5

The wall construction of claim 1 and further comprising a means for starting a fastener through one of said side walls of said elongate members and through a transverse wall of said stud.

Claim 6

The wall construction of claim 1 wherein: said lip on each sidewall of said stud has a first face and a second face; said at least one tab further comprises a first portion and a second portion; whereby said first portion is adjacent said first face and said second portion is adjacent said second face when said tab is bent around said lip.

Claim 7

The wall construction of claim 1 wherein said at least one tab comprises a plurality of tabs spaced along each side wall of said elongate member at a regular interval.

Claim 8

The wall construction of claim 6 wherein said regular interval is selected from the group consisting of: six inches, eight inches, sixteen inches and twenty-four inches.

Claim 9

A wall construction track for receipt of an end of an elongated stud, the stud having a pair of opposed sidewalls, the sidewalls each having an inwardly directed lip thereon, said lip having a terminal end, said wall construction track comprising: an elongate member formed of bendable material having a base wall and first and second side walls extending perpendicularly from said base wall forming a channel; said first and second side walls each having at least one tab, said at least one tab being bendable about an axis; said at least one tab being of a sufficient length to be bent about said axis around said terminal end of said lip of a stud when said stud is disposed in a generally perpendicular relationship with respect to said elongate member.

Claim 10

A wall construction track for receipt of an end of an elongated stud, the stud having a pair of opposed sidewalls, the sidewalls each having an inwardly directed lip thereon, said lip having a terminal end, said wall construction track comprising: an elongate member formed of bendable material having a base wall and first and second side walls extending perpendicularly from said base wall forming a channel; said first and second side walls each having at least one tab, said at least one tab being bendable about an axis; said at least one tab being of a sufficient length to be bent about said axis around said terminal end of said lip of a stud when said stud is disposed in a generally perpendicular relationship with respect to said elongate member.

Claim 11

The wall construction track of claim 8 wherein said base wall of said elongate member further comprises at least one longitudinal protrusion to provide additional structural support to said elongate member.

Claim 12

The wall construction track of claim 8 wherein said at least one tab is defined by a vertical edge and a horizontal edge, said vertical edge extending downwardly from a terminal edge and said horizontal edge extending longitudinally from said vertical edge whereby said vertical and horizontal edges define said at least one tab with said side wall.

Claim 13

The wall construction track of claim 8 and further comprising a means for starting a fastener through one of said side walls of said elongate members and through a transverse wall of said stud.

Claim 14

The wall construction of claim 8 wherein: said lip on each sidewall of said stud has a first face and a second face; said at least one tab further comprises a first portion and a second portion; whereby said first portion is adapted to be adjacent said first face and said second portion is adapted to be adjacent said second face.

Claim 15

The wall construction track of claim 8 wherein said at least one tab comprises a plurality of tabs spaced along each side wall of said elongate member at a regular interval.

Claim 16

The wall construction track of claim 13 wherein said regular interval is selected from the group consisting of: six inches, eight inches, sixteen inches and twenty-four inches.

Claim 19

The method of wall construction of claim 15 and further comprising the step of providing said base wall of said elongate member with at least one longitudinal protrusion to provide additional structural support to said elongate member.

Claim 20

The method of wall construction of claim 15 wherein said at least one tab is defined by a vertical edge and a horizontal edge, said vertical edge extending downwardly from a terminal edge of said side wall and said horizontal edge extending longitudinally from said vertical edge whereby said vertical and horizontal edges define said at least one tab with said terminal edge of said side wall.

Claim 21

The method of wall construction of claim 15 and further comprising the step of providing said elongate member with means for starting a fastener through one of said side walls of said elongate member and through a transverse wall of said stud.

Claim 22

The method of wall construction of claim 15 wherein: said lip on each sidewall of said stud has a first face and a second face; said at least one tab further comprises a first portion and a second portion; whereby said first portion is adjacent said first face and said second portion is adjacent said second face when said tab is bend around said lip.

Claim 23

The method of wall construction of claim 15 wherein said at least one tab comprises a plurality of tabs spaced along each side wall of said elongate member at a regular interval.

Claim 24

The method of wall construction of claim 20 wherein said regular interval is selected from the group consisting of: six inches, eight inches, sixteen inches and twenty-four inches.

Claim 25

A wall construction track for receipt of an end of an elongated stud, the stud having a pair of opposed sidewalls, the sidewalls each having an inwardly-directed lip thereon, said wall construction track comprising: an elongate member formed of bendable material having a base wall and first and second side walls extending perpendicularly from said base wall forming a channel; said first and second side walls each having at least one tab, said at least one tab being bendable about an axis; said at least one tab having a first portion and a second portion, said portions being of a sufficient length to be bent about said axis around said lips of a stud when said stud is disposed in a generally perpendicular relationship with respect to said elongate member, said first portion projecting inwardly from a respective first and second side wall, said second portion bent relative to said first portion.

Claim 26

A wall construction track for receipt of an end of an elongated stud, the stud having a pair of opposed sidewalls, the sidewalls each having an inwardly-directed lip thereon, said wall construction track comprising: an elongate member formed of bendable material having a base wall and first and second side walls extending perpendicularly from said base wall forming a channel; said first and second side walls each having at least one tab, said at least one tab being bendable about an axis; said at least one tab having a first portion and a second portion, said portions being of a sufficient length to be bent about said axis around said lips of a stud when said stud is disposed in a generally perpendicular relationship with respect to said elongate member, said first portion projecting inwardly from a respective first and second side wall, said second portion bent relative to said first portion.