Stud having struck-out flanges and fire-rated wall structure formed therewith

A fire-retardant wall comprising in combination:

• I. upper and lower runners
• Ii. a plurality of studs mounted in said runners, each of said studs comprising:
• A. a first wallboard panel layer-engaging structure comprising:
• 1. a first flange-forming panel comprising
• a. an outer panel member extending to a first fold, and
• b. an inner panel member connected at said first fold and folded over a surface of said outer panel member and extending to a second fold intermediate the edges of said outer panel member, thereby forming a pair of flanges one on each side of said second fold,
• 2. a web connected at said second fold and extending away from said first flange-forming panel, disposed substantially perpendicular thereto and extending to a third fold, and
• 3. a plurality of discrete longitudinally spaced-apart second flange-forming panels each formed of a single tab struck from a medial portion of said web and positioned substantially parallel with respect to said first flange-forming panel, each of said discrete panels comprising;
• a. an inner panel member connected to said web at a fourth fold and disposed substantially perpendicular to said web and extending to a fifth fold, and
• b. an outer panel member connected at said fifth fold and folded over said inner panel member and extending beyond said web and terminating at a free edge, thereby forming a pair of flanges one on each side of said web,
• said first and said plurality of second flange-forming panels and said web cooperating to form a plurality of H-shaped structures in cross-section defining oppositely directed channels for receiving and restraining adjacent wallboard panels in three directions;
• and
• B. means for supporting a second layer of gypsum wallboard panels spaced apart from said first layer of panels comprising a wallboard-supporting panel connected at said third fold extending in a direction substantially parallel to and spaced-apart from said first flange-forming panel and adapted to permit said second layer of panels to extend across and be affixed to the outer surface of said supporting panel, and
• Iii. a first row of gypsum wallboard panels, the edges of adjacent panels being engaged and retained within the oppositely directed channels of said studs, and
• Iv. a second row of gypsum wallboard panels engaged by and affixed to said wallboard supporting panels in substantially parallel spaced-apart relationship with respect to said first row.