Metal header frame for a building wall
AssigneeLafreniere Construction Concepts, LLC
InventorDennis P. Lafreniere
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved metal or steel header frame is provided for use in a metal framed building wall or the like, wherein the header frame is adapted for quick and easy installation to span a framed opening such as a door or window opening in the building wall. The improved header frame includes a pair of metal bracket clips adapted for screw-on and/or bolt-on attachment to a pair of jamb studs disposed at opposite sides of the door or window opening. These bracket clips define support lands for vertically supporting opposite ends of an elongated header stud which can be quickly and easily seated thereon to span the door or window opening, and attached thereto by one or more suitable fasteners such as screws.
Claims19
A bracket clip, comprising:
- a base wall for mounting flush with an associated jamb stud and having at least one fastener port formed therein for reception therethrough of at least one securement fastener for attaching said base wall to the associated jamb stud;
- a vertically elongated and inwardly extending strengthening rib subdividing said base wall;
- a pair of horizontally oriented load-bearing support lands extending perpendicularly from said base wall and separated by an open edge accessible channel linearly aligned with and perpendicular to said inwardly extending strengthening rib, for vertically supporting an associated end of a header stud;
- and
- a pair of flanges having planar surfaces oriented perpendicular to said base wall and said pair of support lands, each of which cooperate to form a three-sided pocket for receiving said header stud therein, said flanges prohibiting outward transverse movement of a pair of header stud sidewalls when mounted within said three-sided pocket.
A combination for a framed wall assembly, comprising:
- a pair of bracket clips each respectively having a base wall for mounting flush with an associated jamb stud and having at least one fastener port formed therein for reception therethrough of at least one securement fastener for attaching said base wall to the associated jamb stud;
- a vertically elongated and inwardly extending strengthening rib subdividing said base wall;
- wherein each bracket clip comprises a pair of horizontally oriented support lands extending perpendicularly from said base wall and separated by a clearance channel, said clearance channel linearly aligned with and perpendicular to said inwardly extending strengthening rib;
- wherein each bracket clip further includes a pair of flanges having planar surfaces oriented perpendicular to said base wall and said pair of support lands, each of which cooperate to form a three-sided pocket;
- and
- a header stud sized for substantial slide-fit reception into the interior of the three-sided pocket for supported mounting therein on said respective pair of bracket clip support lands, said header stud mounts flush with said flanges and in a manner that prohibits respective outward transverse movement of a pair of header stud sidewalls.
A method of building a framed opening in a building wall having a pair of vertically oriented jamb studs at opposite sides of the framed opening, comprising the steps of:
- aligning a pair of bracket clips to respective jamb studs at selected vertical positions lining an inboard side of the framed opening, said bracket clips each having a pair of horizontally oriented support lands extending from a base wall and separated by an edge accessible slide channel, said base wall having at least one slot and a pair of planar surface parallel flanges oriented perpendicular to said base wall and said pair of support lands, each of which cooperate to form a three-sided pocket;
- inserting a securement fastener into at least one slot in the base walls to attach said pair of bracket clips to said associated jamb studs;
- and
- sliding respective ends of a header stud into each bracket clip three-sided pocket in a manner that said pair of support lands vertically support the header stud and said flanges prohibit outward transverse movement of said header stud sidewalls, wherein the sliding step includes the step of sliding an edge of said header stud under a vertically elongated strengthening rib extending into the interior of said three-sided pocket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.