Posts, especially for drywall construction

Abstract

Post (18) for dry construction made of a layered material comprising several superimposed layers (2, 2') whose cross-section comprises several straight sections (4, 5) which are each connected at a non-zero angle to at least one adjacent section (5, 4), characterized in that in at least one of the sections, designated as the displaced section (5), the layers (2) are displaced relative to each other after being superimposed.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a post which is particularly suitable for internal stiffening and support of drywall structures.

[0002] To construct a drywall wall, it is common to first attach rails to a substrate such as a floor, ceiling, and adjacent walls to mark the edges of the wall to be built, insert studs between the rails, and then clad the resulting structure with wall panels by attaching them to the outside of the studs or rails.

[0003] In WO 2017 / 202836 A1 it is proposed to replace these posts, which are conventionally formed from sheet metal, with those made of paper, which is wound around a hollow core to form a square hollow profile, similar to a packaging tube.

[0004] While the use of renewable, carbon-containing materials instead of sheet metal is desirable from various ecological perspectives, it has the disadvantage that the winding technique makes the production of the posts lengthy and therefore expensive, and that the crimping technique familiar to users for connecting the posts to other components of a drywall structure is poorly suited for hollow profiles.

[0005] To obtain a paper post that can be easily crimped, it would theoretically be possible to cut the familiar hollow post lengthwise to create two U-shaped posts whose two legs could be gripped by crimping pliers. However, such a post remains relatively expensive compared to conventional sheet metal posts due to the lengthy manufacturing process.

[0006] One objective of the invention is to provide a post which, although it consists of a multi-layered composite material such as laminated paper, is easy and efficient to manufacture.

[0007] The problem is solved according to the invention by providing a post for drywall construction made of a layered material comprising several superimposed layers, the cross-section of which includes several straight sections, each connected at a non-zero angle to at least one adjacent section. In at least one of the sections, hereinafter referred to as the shifted section, the layers are shifted relative to each other after being stacked. This allows the layered material to be prefabricated in a large area and cost-effectively as a flat material with the wall thickness required for the post, and then subsequently formed into the desired cross-section without impairing the strength of the post by tearing or creasing the layers.

[0008] Preferably, the at least one displaced section is connected to exactly one adjacent section. This ensures that on a narrow side of the displaced section facing away from the adjacent section, there is no material obstructing the movement of the layers relative to each other within the displaced section.

[0009] While the aforementioned flat material typically has narrow sides between its main surfaces that are oriented orthogonally to the main surfaces, in the displaced section this orientation changes due to the shaping of the cross-section, so that the narrow side of the displaced section facing away from the adjacent section forms an acute angle with one of its main surfaces.

[0010] The displacement occurring during the shaping of the cross-section can also result in a convex bulge forming on a main surface of the displaced section facing the adjacent section, by compressing layers of the material, whereas a main surface facing away from the adjacent section remains flat.

[0011] In the simplest case, the straight sections of the post form a U-profile.

[0012] The individual layers of the post can contain, as a fiber component, essentially mechanically or chemically processed semi-finished material (wood pulp or cellulose); in particular, the layers can each be made of paper or cardboard.

[0013] The number of layers can range from four to twelve. With fewer layers, each layer needs a high surface weight to achieve the load-bearing capacity required for the post, and there is a high risk of structural damage to such a layer during cross-sectional forming. A high number of layers makes manufacturing the beam unnecessarily complex.

[0014] The basis weight of the layers is preferably 150-500 g / m². 2 .

[0015] The basis weight of the straight sections can be particularly high in the range of 3000-4000 g / m². 2 lay.

[0016] To make shaping the post easier and safer, an outer layer of several stacked layers can differ in width, material properties and / or thickness from an inner layer of several stacked layers.

[0017] In particular, the outer layer can be so much wider than any inner layer that it can be folded around a narrow side of the inner layers, ensuring that the outer narrow side remains flat even after the post has been formed, even if the inner layers create a stepped edge beneath the outer layer. Any structural weakening associated with forming—and thus the risk of cracking—can be minimized in the outer layer by choosing a thickness smaller than that of the inner layers; for example, an upper limit of 300 g / cm² could be set for the thickness of the outer layer. 2 This can be assumed. Furthermore, higher-quality raw material, e.g., a higher proportion of fresh fibers, can be used for the outer layer than for the inner layers.

[0018] To achieve the desired deformation, the individual layers can be processed in a moist state, for example, by not drying them, or drying them only incompletely, after pressing in a paper machine and before stacking. It is also conceivable to apply a sliding layer between the layers during stacking, e.g., in the form of a layer of synthetic resin or adhesive that is still plastic at the time the cross-section is formed and only solidifies subsequently. Adhesives based on PVA (polyvinyl acetate) are particularly suitable for this purpose.

[0019] The invention further relates to a drywall structure comprising at least one rail fixed to a substrate, with two legs extending on either side of a groove, and at least one post as described above, one end of which engages in the groove and two sections abut the legs. The drywall structure may further comprise at least one panel fixed abutting one of the two sections.

[0020] A method for manufacturing a post as described above has the following steps: a) Producing an elongated flat strand from a layered material comprising several superimposed layers; b) Passing the strand through a forming gap formed by several successive roller systems, each roller system comprising a support roller on a first side of the gap and a deflecting roller laterally offset from the support roller on an opposite side of the gap, and wherein the angle between the axes of the support roller and the deflecting roller increases along the gap from one roller system to the next; c) Allowing the strand to solidify in order to create the post.

[0021] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments. These show: Fig. 1 a strand for making a post; Fig. 2 a cut through the strand clamped in a forming tool; Fig. 3. a cut through the strand that has been formed into a post in the forming tool; Fig. 4 a cut through the post according to a second embodiment; and Fig. 5 a drywall structure.

[0022] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an endless flat strand 1, which is obtained by passing several layers of paper 2, coated with adhesive, in particular PVA glue, on their facing main surfaces through a gap between two rollers 3 and pressing them together. In the example shown, there are a total of six layers 2, each of the same width, which, after pressing together, form the strand 1 with a rectangular cross-section; in practice, the number of layers 2 can be smaller or larger. Layers of different widths could also be used, for example, to form a strand with a trapezoidal cross-section, or, as will be explained in more detail later, several inner layers of the same or substantially the same width can be combined with a single outer layer of a significantly larger width.

[0023] After being compressed between the rollers 3, the strand 1 passes through a forming gap to be transformed from a flat cross-section into a U-shaped cross-section with a central section 4 and sections 5 adjoining it laterally at right angles. Several roller systems are arranged along the forming gap. One in Fig. The system shown in section 2, perpendicular to the direction of travel of the strand 1, comprises a support roller 7 rotatable about a horizontal axis 6 with a circumferential surface 8, which supports the central section 4, and two deflection rollers 9 laterally offset from the support roller 7, whose axes 10 form an isosceles triangle with the axis 6. A further roller 25 can be positioned opposite the support roller 7 to clamp the central section 4 together with the support roller 7.

[0024] By engaging in an imaginary cylinder 24 that axially extends the circumferential surface 8, the deflecting rollers 8 angle the lateral sections 5 of the strand 1 relative to its central section 4. To prevent an inner paper layer 2, which rests against the support roller 7, from being creased too sharply, the support roller 7 can have a rounded section 12 between its circumferential surface 8 and its lateral flanks 11, against which the inner layer 2 conforms during deformation.

[0025] The radii with which the individual layers 2 are curved between the central section 4 and the lateral sections 5 increase with the increasing distance of the layers 2 from the support roller 7. As a result, during forming, the inner layers 2 adjacent to the support roller 7 in the lateral sections are subjected to a compressive force in the cutting plane, while the outer layers 2 adjacent to the deflection rollers 8 are subjected to a tensile force. If the inner layers 2 do not yield to the compressive force, the layers 2 must slide relative to each other to prevent the outer layers 2 from tearing; the necessary sliding mobility of the layers 2 relative to each other is provided by the adhesive layers between the layers 2, which have not yet cured at this point.

[0026] The tensile and compressive strength of an undeformed single layer increases with its thickness. This might lead to the use of fewer layers to achieve the desired thickness of strand 1, thus counteracting the risk of a layer tearing or creasing during deformation. At the same time, the risk of the layer buckling during bending and thus losing load-bearing capacity also increases with the thickness of the individual layer. The number of layers and the basis weights that yield optimal deformation results must be optimized experimentally in each individual case, also taking into account the varying sliding mobility of the layers 2 relative to each other, which depends on the thickness of the adhesive layer used. To achieve the load-bearing capacity required in drywall construction, a basis weight of 3000–4000 g / m² for the complete strand 1 has proven effective. 2 proven suitable; this can consist of 4-12, preferably 6-10, layers 2 with a basis weight of 200-500 g / m² each2 , preferably 300-450 g / m² 2 , assemble. Suitable materials for the layers include, in particular, raw paper for corrugated board production or so-called edge protection cardboard.

[0027] The displacement of the layers 2 within the lateral sections 5 results in the narrow sides 13 of the strand 1, which after the layers 2 have been pressed together in Fig. 1 are oriented perpendicular to the main surfaces of strand 1, after the transformation are oriented obliquely to the main surfaces 14, 15 of sections 5.

[0028] The strand 1 passes through several roller systems, whereby from one system to the next the angle α between one of the axes 10 of the deflecting rollers 8 and the axis 6 of the support roller 6 becomes progressively larger, until in the last roller system, as shown in Fig. Figure 3 shows that the axes 10 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the axis 6, and that the lateral sections 5, now oriented perpendicular to the central section 4, press against the lateral flanks 16 of the support roller 7. While in the roller system of the Fig. Since there is no support opposite the deflection rollers 8 in order to keep the friction between the layers 2 low and to encourage their displacement against each other, the layers 2 are pressed and compacted against each other in the lateral sections 5 in order to achieve the strength required later for anchoring a screw in the sections 5.

[0029] The flanks 16 can be used as in the left half of Fig. Figure 3 shows that the sides 16 should be flat and oriented perpendicular to the axis 6. However, to reduce the stresses occurring during deformation, it can also be advantageous, as shown in the right part of the figure, to provide the flanks 16 with a circumferential groove 17 concentric to the axis 6, into which the inner layers 2 of the strand 1 can deflect the compressive forces occurring during deformation and form a convex curvature of the main surface 15.

[0030] The resulting U-profile is cut crosswise to create finished posts. The adhesive is then allowed to set to stiffen the posts.

[0031] Fig. Figure 4 shows a cross-section through a post 18 according to a second embodiment of the invention. Several inner layers 2 of uniform thickness and material properties form a core of the post 18; an outer layer 2' consists of a different material than the inner layers 2. To increase the load-bearing capacity of the post 18, the outer layer 2' can, for example, have a fabric reinforcement or fibers with higher tensile strength or greater length than those of the layers 2. In practice, the different qualities of the outer layer 2' and the inner layers 2 can be easily achieved by ensuring that the ratio of virgin fibers to recycled paper content is higher in the outer layer 2' than in the inner layers 2. For example, so-called test liner or, for higher load-bearing capacity, kraft liner can be used for the outer layer, preferably with a basis weight in the range of 200-250 g / cm². 2 .

[0032] The width of the outer layer 2' can be the same as that of the inner layers 2; in the case shown here, the outer layer 2' is significantly wider, so that it also covers the narrow sides 13 of the sections 5 and part of their mutually facing main surfaces 15, thus protecting the narrow sides 13 from damage. Preferably, and as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the outer layer 2' is more than twice as wide as the inner layers 2, allowing it to be completely folded around them, with the edges 19 of the outer layer 2' overlapping. If the outer layer 2' is diffusion-tight, it can protect the inner layers 2 from moisture ingress, thus ensuring the load-bearing capacity of the post even in humid environments.

[0033] The overlapping edges 19 are located on the central section 4 of the post; by being wedged between its support roller 7 and the opposite roller 25 as they pass through each roller system, they are prevented from slipping against each other and against the inner layers 2 of the central section 4 when the sections 5 are formed.

[0034] Fig.Figure 5 shows a section of a drywall structure. A horizontal sheet metal rail 20 with a U-shaped cross-section is attached to a floor; a second rail, not shown in the figure, is mounted opposite it on a ceiling. Posts 18 are cut to a length corresponding to the distance between the rails 20, so that they can first be inserted at an angle with their lower end into the groove of the rail 20 on the floor and then erected so that their upper end engages in the rail on the ceiling and the post 18 is temporarily fixed therein.

[0035] The widths of the rails 20 and the posts 18 are matched so that, in the provisionally fixed state, the outer main surfaces 14 of the sections 5 are frictionally engaged with the lateral legs 21 of the rails 20.

[0036] A crimping tool can now be placed at the overlap areas 22 of the legs 21 and the side sections 5 to press metal of the legs into the side sections 5, thus permanently connecting the posts 17 to the rails 19.

[0037] In a next step, lightweight panels 23, typically gypsum plasterboard, are attached to the outer sides of the legs 21 and the side sections 5 using standard methods. In particular, screws can be used which self-cut their threads when penetrating the side sections 5 of the posts 18.

[0038] Since the layered cardboard material of the posts 18 transmits sound significantly less effectively than conventionally used metal profiles as posts, the lightweight panels 23 can be mounted in direct contact with the side sections 5 without an intermediate insulating layer. List of reference symbols 1 strand 2 layers 3 roller 4 central section 5 lateral / displaced section 6-axis 7 Support roller 8 Circumferential area 9. Deflection roller 10-axis 11. Flank 12 Rounding 13 Narrow side 14 Main surface 15 Main surface 16th flank 17 Nut 18 posts 19 Rand 20 rail 21 thighs 22 Overlap area 23 plate 24 cylinders 25 rolls QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] WO 2017 / 202836 A1

[0003]

Claims

[1] Post (18) for drywall construction made of a laminated material comprising several superimposed layers (2, 2'), the cross-section of which comprises several rectilinear sections (4, 5) which are each connected at a non-vanishing angle to at least one adjacent section (5, 4), characterized by that in at least one of the sections, referred to as the displaced section (5), the layers (2) are displaced relative to one another after being stacked one on top of the other. [2] Post according to claim 1, wherein the at least one displaced section (5) is connected to exactly one adjacent section (4) of the post (18). [3] Post according to claim 2, wherein a narrow side (13) of the displaced section (5) facing away from the adjacent section (4) forms an acute angle with one of its main surfaces (15). [4] Post according to one of the preceding claims, in which the displaced section (5) has a main surface (15) facing the adjacent section (4) and a main surface (14) facing away from the adjacent section (4), the facing main surface (15) is convexly curved and the facing main surface (14) is flat. [5] Post according to one of the preceding claims, in which the displaced portion (5) is obtained by deflecting the displaced portion from a plane in which an adjacent portion (4) extends. [6] Post according to one of the preceding claims, in which the straight sections (4, 5) form a U-profile. [7] Post according to one of the preceding claims, in which the layers (2, 2') essentially contain wood pulp as a fiber component and / or the number of layers is four to twelve and / or the basis weight of the layers (2, 2') is 150-500 g / m 2and / or the basis weight of the straight sections (4, 5) is 3000-4000 g / m 2 amounts. [8] Post according to one of the preceding claims, in which an outer (2') of the plurality of superimposed layers (2, 2') differs in width, material properties and / or thickness from an inner (2) of the plurality of superimposed layers. [9] Post according to claim 8, wherein the outer layer (2') extends from one main surface (14) of the displaced section (5) to the other (15) over its narrow side (13) facing away from the adjacent section (4), and optionally the outer layer (2') extends over the entire circumference of the post (18). [10] Post according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the tear strength and / or flexibility of the outer layer (2') is higher than that of the inner layer (2), and / or the thickness of the outer layer (2') is smaller than that of the inner layer (2). [11] Drywall structure comprising at least one rail (20) fixed to a base with two legs (21) extending on either side of a groove and at least one post (18) according to one of the preceding claims, one end of which engages in the groove of the rail (20) and two sections (5) abut against the legs (21), and optionally at least one plate (23) fixed abutting against one of the two sections (5).

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