Protective shield for utility opening in a building framing member

A protective shield adapted to overlie one of the wall panel supporting legs of a framing member having a pair of wall panel supporting legs spaced apart by an integral connecting web having a utility service opening therein to prevent a wall panel fastener from entering the utility service opening, said protective shield having a generally planar body portion having opposed side edges defining a width sufficient to overlie substantially the full width of the wall panel supporting leg of the framing member and upper and lower edges defining a length sufficient to overlie substantially the full extent of the utility service opening, said body portion being of material and thickness effective to provide resistance to penetration by the wall panel fastener which is greater than the resistance to penetration of the wall panel supporting leg of the framing member, and fastening clip means integral with the body portion and projecting generally perpendicularly therefrom for non-piercing clamping engagement with the framing member to mount the body portion in juxtaposed overlying relation with the wall panel supporting leg, the integral fastening clip means at one of the side edges of the body portion extending closely adjacent the web extending between the wall panel supporting legs and having inwardly bent teeth formed thereon for extending into gripping engagement with the web extending between the wall panel supporting legs, the integral fastening clip means at the other side edge of the body portion having an outwardly bent lip providing a resilient outward camming of the integral fastening clip means as the protective shield is engaged over the wall panel supporting leg.

In combination, a wall structure having a sheet metal framing member with vertically extending wall panels supporting legs positioned in spaced apart relation by a connecting web integral with the legs and having a utility opening therein, a protective shield adapted to overlie the wall panel supporting leg and prevent a wall panel fastener of the self-drilling type from entering the utility opening, said protective shield having a generally planar body portion having opposed side edges defining a width sufficient to overlie substantially the full width of the wall panel supporting leg of the framing member and upper and lower edges defining a length suufficient to overlie substantially the full extent of the utility service opening, fastening clip means integral with the body portion and projecting generally perpendicularly from the opposed side edge thereof, the integral fastening clip means at one of the side edges of the body portion having inwardly bent teeth formed thereon for gripping engagement of the edge portion of the wall panel supporting leg, the integral fastening clip means at the other side edge of the body portion having an outwardly bent lip providing a resilient outward camming of the integral fastening clip means as the protective shield is engaged over the wall panel supporting leg, said body portion being of material and thickness effective to provide resistance to penetration by the self-drilling type fasteners which is greater than the resistance to penetration of the wall panel supporting leg of the framing member, the protective shield being mounted on the wall panel supporting leg of the wall stud with the body portion in juxtaposed overlying relation with the wall panel supporting leg so that the wall panel supporting leg supports the body portion over substantially the entire surface thereof so that the body portion is supported against bending during application of force thereagainst by insertion of the self-drilling type fastener.

In combination, a wall structure having a C-shaped metal framing member with vertically extending wall panel supporting legs spaced apart by an integral web having a utility opening therein and connecting the edge portion of one leg with the edge portion of the other leg, a protective shield adapted to overlie one of the wall panel supporting legs and prevent a wall panel fastener of the self-drilling type from entering the utility opening, said protective shield having a generally planar body portion having opposed side edges defining a width sufficient to overlie substantially the full width of the wall panel supporting leg of the framing member and upper and lower edges defining a length sufficient to overlie substantially the full extent of the utility service opening, fastening clip means integral with the body portion and projecting generally perpendicularly from the opposed side edges thereof, the integral fastening clip means at one of the side edges of the body portion having inwardly bent teeth formed thereon for extending around the edge portion of the wall panel supporting face and into gripping engagement with the web extending between the edge portions of the wall panel supporting legs to prevent the shield from slipping on the wall panel supporting leg, clip means at the other side edge of the body portion having an outwardly bent lip providing a resilient outward camming of the integral fastening clip means as the protective shield is engaged over the wall panel supporting leg, said body portion being of material and thickness effective to provide resistance to penetration of the wall panel supporting leg by the self-drilling fastener, the protective shield being mounted on the wall panel supporting leg of the framing member with the body portion in juxataposed overlying relation with the wall panel supporting leg so that the wall panel supporting leg supports the body portion over substantially the entire surface thereof so that the body portion is supported against bending during application of force thereagainst by insertion of the self-drilling fastener.

A protective shield adapted to overlie the wall panel supporting face of a building framing member and prevent a wall panel fastener of the self-drilling type from entering a utility service opening provided in the framing member, said protective shield comprising:

• a generally planar body portion having opposed side edges defining a width sufficient to overlie substantially the full width of the wall panel supporting face of the framing member and upper and lower edges defining a length sufficient to overlie substantially the full extent of the utility service opening, and fastening clip means integral with the body portion and projecting generally perpendicularly from the opposed side edges thereof, the integral fastening clip means at one of the side edges of the body portion having inwardly bent teeth formed thereon for gripping engagement of the framing member and the opposing integral fastening clip means at the other side edge of the body portion having an outwardly bent lip providing a resilient outward camming of the integral fastening clip means as the protective shield is engaged on the wall panel supporting face of the framing member, said fastening clip means resiliently clamping the protective shield on the building framing member to mount the body portion in juxtaposed relation with the wall panel supporting face of the building framing member and in overlying alignment with the utility service opening, said body portion being of material and thickness effective to provide resistance to penetration by the self-drilling type fastener which is greater than the resistance to penetration of the wall panel supporting face of the framing member whereby the presence of the protective shield is sensed and insertion of the self-drilling fastener is terminated prior to entry of the self-drilling fastener into the utility service opening.