Patent Issued for Hanger For Fire Separation Wall (USPTO 10,316,510)

2019 JUN 20 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Brekke, Steven (Lakeville, MN); Rolf, Mark R. (Fredericksburg, VA), filed on December 19, 2018, was published online on June 24, 2019.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 10,316,510 is Columbia Insurance Company (Omaha, Nebraska, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “The use of fire separation walls in structures, such as in multifamily housing, is commonplace. Often, fire separation is required to be continuous along the walls between adjoining units to prevent fire from spreading between the adjoining units in a multifamily structure. For some types of construction, the building codes also require exterior walls to be fire rated. Typically, gypsum board is used as a fire retardant sheathing along these walls. Floor trusses or joists are attached to or hung from the walls including the gypsum board, but cannot be hung from the gypsum board itself. The trusses or joists must therefore be attached to the wall framing. A cutout for the entire cross section of the truss leaves a large discontinuity in the fire retardant sheathing. However, building codes require that the fire separation wall maintain a certain fire resistant rating. Thus, the integrity of the fire retardant sheathing should be maintained and interruptions of the sheathing kept to a minimum.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “In one aspect of the present invention, a hanger for connecting a structural component to a wall having sheathing mounted thereon includes a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the structural component. The channel shaped portion includes a bottom wall, side walls extending from opposite edges of the bottom wall and a back wall. The bottom wall, side walls and back wall are sized and arranged to receive an end of the structural component for supporting the end of the structural component. A connection portion includes a top flange extending away from the back wall of the channel-shaped portion in a direction opposite to the bottom wall of the channel-shaped portion. The top flange is configured for attachment to a top surface of a top plate of the wall. The connection portion further includes a back flange extending from an edge of the top flange in a direction toward the bottom wall of the channel-shaped portion. The back flange of the connection portion faces the back wall of the channel-shaped portion and the back flange and back wall define a space sized to receive the sheathing between the back flange and the back wall. An extension portion extends from the channel-shaped portion to the connection portion and interconnects the channel-shaped portion and the connection portion. The extension portion separates the back wall of the channel-shaped portion from the back flange of the connection portion to define the space sized to receive the sheathing.

“In another aspect of the present invention a hanger for connecting a structural component to a wall adapted to have sheathing mounted thereon generally comprises a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the structural component. An extension portion extends from the channel-shaped portion and is configured to extend through the sheathing to engage the wall at a first location. The extension portion includes extension flanges extending from the channel-shaped portion forming a bend between each extension flange and the channel-shaped portion. Each of the extension flanges is configured to extend through the sheathing. A connection portion is fixed in position relative to the channel-shaped portion such that that channel-shaped portion does not rotate relative to the connection portion. The connection portion is configured for attachment to the wall at a second location spaced from the first location. The extension flanges define planar surfaces disposed in opposed face-to-face relation between the connection portion and the channel-shaped portion.

“In another aspect of the present invention, a truss hanger for connecting a truss to a wall adapted to have fire resistant sheathing mounted thereon generally comprises a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the truss. The channel-shaped portion includes a base sized and shaped for receiving a truss chord of the truss thereon, side panels extending upward from the base, and a back panel. The back panel extends orthogonally from one of the side panels. An extension portion extends from the channel-shaped portion and is configured to extend through the fire resistant sheathing. The extension portion includes extension flanges. Each of the extension flanges extends away from the base of the channel-shaped portion. A connection portion includes a top flange extending away from the back panel of the channel-shaped portion in a direction opposite to the base of the channel-shaped portion. The top flange is configured for attachment to a top surface of a top plate of the wall. The connection portion further includes a back flange extending from an edge of the top flange in a direction toward the base of the channel-shaped portion.

“A hanger for connecting a structural component to a wall having sheathing mounted thereon generally comprises a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the structural component. An extension portion is configured to be disposed at least partially in the sheathing. A connection portion is configured for attachment to the wall.

“Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A hanger for connecting a structural component to a wall adapted to have sheathing mounted thereon, the hanger comprising: a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the structural component, the channel-shaped portion including a base sized and shaped for receiving an end of the structural component thereon to support the structural component, and side panels extending upward from the base generally perpendicular to the base, the side panels having rearward edges lying in a rear edge plane; an extension portion extending from the channel-shaped portion and configured to extend through the sheathing; and a connection portion including a top flange configured for attachment to a top surface of a top plate of the wall, the connection portion further including a back flange extending from an edge of the top flange in a direction toward a plane of the base of the channel-shaped portion, the back flange having a front surface lying in a back flange plane, the extension portion spacing the side panels from the back flange plane by a distance sized large enough to permit two layers of 5/8 inch thick sheathing to be received between the rear edge plane and the back flange plane, but too small to permit three layers of 5/8 inch thick sheathing to be received between the rear edge plane and the back flange plane.

“2. A hanger as set forth in claim 1, wherein a portion of the rearward edge of at least one of the side panels is in opposed, spaced apart relation with the back flange.

“3. A hanger as set forth in claim 1, wherein the channel-shaped portion is disposed with respect to the extension portion to mount the structural component at a non-orthogonal angle relative to the wall.

“4. A hanger as set forth in claim 1, wherein the extension portion includes extension flanges extending from the channel-shaped portion, each of the extension flanges being configured to extend through the sheathing.

“5. A hanger as set forth in claim 4, wherein the extension flanges are configured to engage each other along a juncture positioned within the sheathing.

“6. A hanger as set forth in claim 4, wherein the extension flanges are parallel to one another.

“7. A hanger as set forth in claim 6, wherein the extension flanges are connected to the channel-shaped portion at an end of the channel-shaped portion opposite an end where the base is disposed.

“8. A hanger as set forth in claim 7, wherein the top flange comprises a first connector tab and a second connector tab, the first and second connector tabs being spaced apart from each other.

“9. A hanger as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a stop configured to engage the end of the structural component to space the end of the structural component from the back flange plane by a distance sized large enough to permit two layers of 5/8 inch thick sheathing to be received between the end of the structural component and the back flange plane.

“10. A hanger as set forth in claim 9, wherein the stop comprises back panels extending toward each other.

“11. A hanger as set forth in claim 10, wherein the back panels include a first back panel and a second back panel, the first back panel extending from a first of the side panels toward the second back panel and the second back panel extending from a second of the side panels toward the first back panel.

“12. A hanger as set forth in claim 9, wherein the channel-shaped portion, the extension portion, the connection portion, and the stop are formed as one piece.

“13. A hanger for connecting a structural component to a wall adapted to have fire resistant sheathing mounted thereon, the hanger comprising: a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the structural component, the channel-shaped portion including a base sized and shaped for receiving an end portion of the structural component thereon and side panels extending upward from the base; an extension portion extending from the channel-shaped portion and configured to extend through the fire resistant sheathing; and a connection portion including a top flange configured for attachment to a top surface of a top plate of the wall, the connection portion further including a back flange extending from an edge of the top flange in a direction toward a plane of the base of the channel-shaped portion, the extension portion spacing the side panels from the back flange by a distance sized large enough to permit two layers of 5/8 inch thick sheathing to be received in a space bounded by the side panels and the back flange, but too small to permit three layers of 5/8 inch thick sheathing to be received in the space bounded by the side panels and the back flange.

“14. A hanger as set forth in claim 13, wherein a portion of at least one of the side panels is in opposed, spaced apart relation with the back flange.

“15. A hanger as set forth in claim 13, further comprising a stop configured to engage an end of the structural component to space the end of the structural component from the back flange by a distance sized large enough to permit two layers of 5/8 inch thick sheathing to be received between the end of the structural component and the back flange.

“16. A hanger as set forth in claim 15, wherein the stop comprises back panels extending toward each other.

“17. A hanger as set forth in claim 16, wherein the back panels include a first back panel and a second back panel, the first back panel extending from a first of the side panels toward the second back panel and the second back panel extending from a second of the side panels toward the first back panel.

“18. A hanger as set forth in claim 13, wherein the extension portion includes extension flanges extending away from the channel-shaped portion, the extension flanges are configured to engage each other along a juncture positioned within the fire resistant sheathing.

“19. A hanger as set forth in claim 13, wherein the channel-shaped portion, the extension portion, and the connection portion are formed as one piece of sheet metal.

“20. A hanger for connecting a structural component to a wall adapted to have drywall mounted thereon, the hanger comprising: a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the structural component; an extension portion extending from the channel-shaped portion and configured to extend through the drywall; and a connection portion including a top flange configured for attachment to a top surface of a top plate of the wall and a back flange extending from an edge of the top flange, the back flange having a front surface lying in a back flange plane, the extension portion spacing the channel-shaped portion from the back flange plane by a distance sized large enough to permit the drywall to be received between the channel-shaped portion and the back flange plane.”

For additional information on this patent, see: Brekke, Steven; Rolf, Mark R. Hanger For Fire Separation Wall. U.S. Patent Number 10,316,510, filed December 19, 2018, and published online on June 24, 2019. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,316,510.PN.&OS=PN/10,316,510RS=PN/10,316,510

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