US-12624542-B2 - Hanger for fire separation wall

US12624542B2US 12624542 B2US12624542 B2US 12624542B2US-12624542-B2

Abstract

A hanger for connecting a structural component to a wall that can have sheathing mounted thereon either before or after the hanger is connected to the wall. The hanger includes 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. A connection portion is configured for attachment to the wall at a second location spaced from the first location.

Inventors

Steven Brekke
Mark R Rolf

Assignees

COLUMBIA INSURANCE COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20231023

Claims (20)

1 . A fire wall hanger for connecting a structural component to a frame wall adapted to have two layers of drywall mounted thereon to form a fire separation wall, the fire wall hanger comprising: a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the structural component, the channel-shaped portion including a base configured to receive an end portion of the structural component thereon to support the structural component, the base having an upper surface arranged to engage the structural component, the upper surface lying in a base plane, the channel-shaped portion including a side panel extending from the base; a connection portion including a top flange arranged to engage a top surface of a top plate of the frame wall and a back flange extending from an edge of the top flange, the back flange arranged to engage a vertical face of the top plate of the frame wall, the back flange having a planar front surface lying in a back flange plane; and an extension portion including first and second extension plates extending from the channel-shaped portion to the connection portion, the first and second extension plates spacing the channel-shaped portion from the back flange plane by a distance sized large enough to permit the two layers of drywall of the fire separation wall to be received between the channel-shaped portion and the back flange plane, the first and second extension plates being parallel to one another; wherein the channel-shaped portion, the extension portion and the connection portion are rigidly fixed with respect to one another; and wherein the side panel of the channel-shaped portion is spaced apart from the planar front surface of the back flange of the connection portion along an axis that is normal to the planar front surface of the back flange of the connection portion, the axis intersecting the side panel of the channel-shaped portion and intersecting the planar front surface of the back flange of the connection portion.
2 . The fire wall hanger of claim 1 , wherein the edge of the top flange the back flange extends from is a front edge of the top flange.
3 . The fire wall hanger of claim 2 , wherein a bend directly connects the back flange to the front edge of the top flange.
4 . The fire wall hanger of claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second extension plates includes a bottom edge, the channel-shaped portion and the bottom edges of the first and second extension plates bounding a drywall space sized and shaped to receive the two layers of drywall therein, each bottom edge extending from the channel-shaped portion to the connection portion, each of the bottom edges being a free edge.
5 . The fire wall hanger of claim 4 , wherein the bottom edge of the first extension plate forms a first driving point, and the bottom edge of the second extension plate forms a second driving point.
6 . The fire wall hanger of claim 4 , wherein: the first extension plate is directly connected to the channel-shaped portion by a first connection, the first connection having a first upper end and a first lower end, the first connection extending from the first upper end to the first lower end in a first direction; the second extension plate is directly connected to the channel-shaped portion by a second connection, the second connection having a second upper end and a second lower end, the second connection extending from the second upper end to the second lower end in a second direction; the first extension plate is directly connected to the connection portion by a third connection, the third connection having a third upper end and a third lower end, the third connection extending from the third upper end to the third lower end in a third direction; the second extension plate is directly connected to the connection portion by a fourth connection, the fourth connection having a fourth upper end and a fourth lower end, the fourth connection extending from the fourth upper end to the fourth lower end in a fourth direction; and the first, second, third, and fourth directions are parallel to one another, and the first, second, third, and fourth directions are perpendicular to the base plane.
7 . The fire wall hanger of claim 6 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth connections comprises a bend, wherein: the first extension plate and the channel-shaped portion form the bend of the first connection; the second extension plate and the channel-shaped portion form the bend of the second connection; the first extension plate and the connection portion form the bend of the third connection; and the second extension plate and the connection portion form the bend of the fourth connection.
8 . The fire wall hanger of claim 6 , wherein the third connection directly connects the first extension plate to the back flange, wherein the first and second extension plates each include an inner face and an outer face, the inner faces of the first and second extension plates facing one another, the inner face of the first extension plate facing in a fifth direction toward the inner face of the second extension plate and the outer face of the first extension plate facing in a sixth direction that is opposite the fifth direction, the back flange extending outward, in the sixth direction, from the third connection directly connecting the first extension plate and the back flange.
9 . The fire wall hanger of claim 8 , wherein the top flange extends in a direction rearwardly away from the channel-shaped portion, the top flange including a rear edge located rearwardly of the back flange.
10 . The fire wall hanger of claim 9 , wherein the channel-shaped portion and the first and second extension plates are formed as one-piece of sheet metal.
11 . The fire wall hanger of claim 10 , wherein the side panel of the channel-shaped portion is a first side panel, wherein the channel-shaped portion includes a second side panel extending from the base, wherein the base of the channel-shaped portion comprises a unitary portion of the one-piece of sheet metal, wherein the first and second side panels of the channel-shaped portion are each a unitary portion of the one-piece of sheet metal and are unitary extensions of the unitary portion of the base, and wherein the first and second extension plates are each a unitary portion of the one-piece of sheet metal and are unitary extensions of the sheet metal forming the channel-shaped portion.
12 . The fire wall hanger of claim 11 , wherein the axis intersects the planar front surface of the back flange at a location spaced apart from a perimeter of the planar front surface, and wherein the axis is spaced apart from the first and second extension plates of the extension portion.
13 . The fire wall hanger of claim 10 , wherein the channel-shaped portion, the connection portion, and the first and second extension plates are formed as one-piece of sheet metal.
14 . The fire wall hanger of claim 10 , wherein the drywall space has an open lower end between the channel-shaped portion and the back flange plane, the open lower end sized and shaped to permit the two layers of drywall to be inserted therethrough.
15 . The fire wall hanger of claim 1 , wherein the first and second extension plates and the channel-shaped portion bound a drywall space sized and shaped to receive the two layers of drywall therein.
16 . The fire wall hanger of claim 1 , wherein the axis intersects the planar front surface of the back flange at a location spaced apart from a perimeter of the planar front surface.
17 . The fire wall hanger of claim 16 , wherein the axis is spaced apart from the first and second extension plates of the extension portion.
18 . A fire wall hanger for connecting a structural component to a frame wall adapted to have two layers of ⅝-inch-thick drywall mounted thereon to form a fire separation wall, the fire wall hanger consisting of: a channel-shaped portion configured to receive the structural component, the channel-shaped portion including a base configured to receive an end portion of the structural component thereon to support the structural component, the base having an upper surface arranged to engage the structural component, the upper surface lying in a base plane, the base having a rear edge; a first top plate shaped and arranged to engage a top surface of a top plate of the frame wall; a first back plate shaped and arranged to engage a vertical face of the top plate of the frame wall, the first back plate being directly connected to the first top plate by a first bend, the first back plate and the first top plate forming the first bend, the first back plate having a front surface lying in a back plate plane; a first extension plate directly connected to the first back plate by a second bend, the first extension plate and the first back plate forming the second bend, the first extension plate being perpendicular relative to the base plane, the first extension plate interconnecting the channel-shaped portion with the first top plate and the first back plate; a second top plate shaped and arranged to engage the top surface of the top plate of the frame wall; a second back plate shaped and arranged to engage the vertical face of the top plate of the frame wall, the second back plate being directly connected to the second top plate by a third bend, the second back plate and the second top plate forming the third bend; a second extension plate directly connected to the second back plate by a fourth bend, the second extension plate and the second back plate forming the fourth bend, the second extension plate being perpendicular relative to the base plane, the second extension plate interconnecting the channel-shaped portion with the second top plate and the second back plate; and a stop arranged to engage and space an end of the structural component from the back plate plane by a distance sized large enough to permit the two layers of ⅝-inch-thick drywall of the fire separation wall to be received between the end of the structural component and the back plate plane, the first and second extension plates being parallel to one another; the first and second extension plates each having an inner face and an outer face, the inner faces of the first and second extension plates facing one another, the inner face of the first extension plate lying in a first inner face plane, the inner face of the second extension plate lying in a second inner face plane, the inner face of the first extension plate facing in a first direction toward the inner face of the second extension plate and the outer face of the first extension plate facing in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, the first back plate extending in the second direction from the second bend directly connecting the first back plate to the first extension plate, the first back plate and the first top plate being entirely disposed outward, in the second direction, of the first inner face plane, the second back plate extending in the first direction from the fourth bend directly connecting the second back plate to the second extension plate, the second back plate and the second top plate being entirely disposed outward, in the first direction, of the second inner face plane; the first and second extension plates spacing the rear edge of the base of the channel-shaped portion from the back plate plane by a distance sized large enough to permit the two layers of ⅝-inch-thick drywall of the fire separation wall to be received between the rear edge of the base of the channel-shaped portion and the back plate plane.
19 . The fire wall hanger of claim 18 , wherein the channel-shaped portion includes first and second side plates extending upward from the base of the channel-shaped portion.
20 . The fire wall hanger of claim 19 , wherein the stop includes first and second panels extending toward each other.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 18/112,843, filed Feb. 22, 2023, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/235,349, filed Apr. 20, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/433,799 filed Jun. 6, 2019, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,021,867 on Jun. 21, 2021, U.S. application Ser. No. 16/225,517 filed on Dec. 19, 2018, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,316,510 on Jun. 11, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/675,409, filed Aug. 11, 2017, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,184,242 on Jan. 22, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/555,049, filed Nov. 26, 2014, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,024,049 on Jul. 17, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/922,531, filed Dec. 31, 2013, the entirety of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to connections for structures, and more specifically, a truss hanger for connecting a truss to a wall including fire retardant sheathing. BACKGROUND 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. SUMMARY 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 pf 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