US3035374A - Sill leakage preventing device - Google Patents

Description

May 22, 1962 B. R. ALLEN sILL LEAKAGE PREVENTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1960 R. m 4 mm m l 5 Am 4 R .g .n M0 ...ll .w am# M B @w G 3 .x xvu., Y a B W .0.. 4 8 m wFz \m u? M M m 5 /w S $8 E w w w A I /0 2 6 3 @lf \4 3 4 8 2 6 KH mw w/ Nk/ 9 M N 2 2 m n m.. Y F m m w My 22, 1962 B. R. ALLEN 3,035,374

SILL LEAKAGE PREVENTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F ig. 7

- suFLooR/ Burris R. Allen INVENTOR.

. y iid, BY WW nite The present invention relates to an improved prefabricated ready-to-install sill leakage preventing device which is expressly, although not necessarily, adapted for use in eectively solving the problem of heat loss, primarily in the basement of a residential-type house.

It is reasonable to assume that the average home owner often ponders the reason why it is difficult to uniformly heat basement rooms. He may be conversant with the fact that it is invariably necessary to utilize more heat than anywhere else in the house but unaware of the major cause: infiltration of cold outside air resulting in heat loss. No doubt, a survey of the situation by a qualied heating man would reveal and pin-point the basic trouble; namely, undiscovered sill leakage.

Persons conversant with the art to which the instant advance relates are, no doubt, well aware that cracks between the customary wooden sill and an improperly fitted draftstop header constitute the chief diiiculty. It has been the repeated experience of this applicant to observe that cracks between the sill construction and the masonry foundation wall Will more likely than not show daylight when carefully checked. This condition means that outside air leaks in and, when the air is cold, this obviously interferes with the intended performance of the furnace or other heating source.

Aware of this problem, it has often been suggested that mortar, or a composition of concrete and mortar, be spread atop the ledge portion of the masonry wall between the joists and where the draftstop header is seated either directly or indirectly on the Wall. But this hastily applied beam-lill, as it is often called, is unsatisfactory because it shrinks in time and does not provide the draft blocking joint and air seal desired. It can be appreciated that in a cheaply built house, where timbers are warped and not acceptably installed, the resulting poor sill construction, unless adjustments and repairs are made will continue to dissipate heat and keep the basement quarters too chilly and cold for comfort.

There has long existed a need for a properly insulated cold air stop or barrier to combat sill leakage and an expensively, but poorly heated basement. It follows that the instant concept involves the adoption and use of a simple, practical and economical prefabricated ready-touse product which is such that only the purchase price and willingness to cope with the requirements of purpose and correct installation are necessary to be taken into account. With this in mind, and as a result of experimentation, a feasible device has been perfected; one which will appeal to the manufacturing requirements of manufacturers, to retailers and sellers, and to the user and installer. Y

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. l is a fragmentary perspective View showing a States Fatent portion of the upper part of the masonry foundation wall, the joists, the subfloor and the sill leak preventing devices (one form thereof) and how they are constructed and utilized;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken on the vertical line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is -a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a slight modification in the upper mounting of the device, that is, where the joists `are 10-inches instead of S-inches high;

FIG. 4 is a View in perspective of the exterior or outer side of the device showing a protector strip being peeled off to expose the adhesive of an attaching lip forming a lower portion of the device;

FIG. 5 is a face or elevational view of the device in flat shippable form;

FIG. 6 is a detail section on the line 6 6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective similar to FIG. l but showing a modified form of the device;

FIG. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a View in perspective of one of the devices by itself ready to be installed and used'.

Briefly and generally and in both forms of the invention it will be seen that the backing member or panel is preferably constructed of cardboard. It is provided marginally with attaching flaps. The flaps may be either stapled in place or glued. The outer sides or surfaces of the cardboard portions are covered with compressibly resilient packing or insulation material, usually berglass.

Referring to FIGS. l to 6 and with respect to FIG. l the masonry foundation wall is denoted at 12 and the basement spaced parallel joists at 14. As seen in FIG. 2, the right hand ends of the joists abut a timber 16 commonly referred to in the trade as a draftstop header. This is an essential part of the sill construction and it rests either directly or indirectly atop the ledge portion 18 of the foundation wall. The subfloor Ztl is conventionally located and the main floor 22 is likewise installed in conjunction with the outer wall supporting studs, one of which is denoted at 24 in FIG. 2. The outer wall is shown to include sheathing 26 and shingles or siding 2S. The aforementioned beam-lill is denoted at 29. This is shown to emphasize the point that it is quite commonly used in the manner illustrated but despite the intention thereof to seal the joint 30 leakage nevertheless occurs by reason of the fact that the concrete or mortar or a combination of both used shrinks and leakage eventually occurs. This is the undesirable leakage which is intended to be overcome with the adoption and use of the novel insertable and removable leakage preventing draft stop. In the simple form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 the block, pad or bat of insulation is denoted at 32. This covers and is fastened over one complete side of the backing panel. In practice, the backing panel has been made of a suitable grade of cardboard and it is denoted by the numeral 34. The transverse vertical creases 36 define bendable attaching flaps 38. The lower extended longitudinal edge portion 40 provides an attaching lip. For S-inch joists one would use the fold line, groove or crease 42 which defines the ilap 44. For a lll-inch joist the fold line, groove or Patented May 22, 1962 ponents 38, 40, 44 and 43 are coated with an attaching pressure-responsive adhesive denoted at 52 in FIG. 4. The adhesive surfaces are covered by protector strips 54 which can be readily peeled olf.

For the S-inch joists the device is installed as seen in FIG. 2. For the lO-inch joist the device is installed in the manner seen in FIG. 3. In both instances the flaps or flanges are simply bent laterally and the removable protector strips 54 are peeled off and the adhesive surfaces are brought into play and are stuck to the surfaces of the joists, that is, the flaps 38. The flap 43 is stuck or attached to the subfloor 20. The depending lip is attached to the surface 56 of the foundation wall in the manner shown.

In FIGS. 7 and 9 the same numerals are used to designate the corresponding foundation wall and adjacent or component parts. The difference is only in the construction of the unit or device which is here used instead of the one seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. For example, in FIG. 9l the rectangular panel of cardboard, constituting the backing member and also the barrier, is denoted at 6i). The several marginal flanges or flaps are denoted at 62 and 64, respectively. Here instead of using adhesive for attaching media the aps are simply secured by staples or equivalent fasteners as shown at 66 in FIG. 8. The aforementioned shelf-like lateral extension or apron is denoted at 68 and it is provided along its transverse ends with attaching flanges or flaps 80. The depending flange at the left in FIG. 8 is denoted at 72 and it is reinforced by a metal sheath comprising an anchoring flange 74, component walls 76 and 78 joined by a bend 80 with the wall 78 having a return 4bend or lip at 82. The insulaation pad is denoted generally by the numeral 84 and the component portions 86 and S6 cover the cooperating surfaces of the panel 60 and apron 68 in the manner shown. The numeral 88 designates extensions at the ends of the lip 72 which function in the installed manner seen in FIG. 7.

it will be evident from FIGS. 4 and 5 that the device is sold in flat easy-to-handle form. All that the installer has to do is follow the instructions printed on FIG. to adapt the device for 8-inch or IO-inch joists. FIGS. l to 3 show how the flaps or flanges are bent and pressed into place. FIG. 4 shows how the adhesive surfaces are rendered ready for use. 1n FIG. 2 the device is spaced from the draftstop header 16 and beam-fill 29.

In the modification (see FIG. 8) the installation procedure requires forcing the insulation pad 86 directly against the draftstop header 16, with the apron 68 and insulation resting atop the beam-fill. The sheathed lip 72 aids in making the installation self-explanatory. In this construction, staples 66 are used, but obviously, the already described adhesive-coated idea may be incorporated here.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a building construction, in combination, a masonry foundation wall below an outside wall of the building and the top of the masonry wall constituting a sill, a timber providing a draftstop header supported on said sill and spaced outwardly from an inner edge of the sill, a pair of spaced parallel joists having end portions supported on the sill and having ends abutting an inner side surface of said header, a floor resting atop the joists and header, sill leakage preventing means bridging each space between outer ends of each pair of adjacent joists, said sill leakage preventing means comprising a draftstop unit capable of installation when the framework is being erected or at any convenient time after erection has been completed,

' insulation material between said panel and said header,

the lower edge of said panel being flexibly joined to a generally horizontal apron-like extension which extends between the joists and over an inner portion of the sill, upwardly extending flaps connected to the sides of said extension and secured to adjacent joists, and the underneath side of said extension being also covered with insulation material which extends over said Sill, tne free lengthwise forward edge of said extension having rigidly connected thereto a downwardly extending reinforced flange abutting an upper vertical surface portion of the foundation wall, said sill leakage preventing means substantially reducing the convection of heat through the spaces between said header and sill and the conduction of heat through said header and the upper portion of said masonry wall.

2. In a basement level building wall framework construction, in combination, a masonry foundation wall the top of which constitutes a sill, a draftstop header supported atop said sill, a pair or spaced parallel joists having end portions supported on the sill and having terminal ends abutting an inside surface of said header, a tloor structure resting atop the joists and header, sill leakage preventing means bridging each space between outer ends of each pair of adjacent joists, said means comprising a draftstop unit embodying a panel slightly greater in vertical height and equal in horizontal length to the depth and width respectively of the space between said joists, the ends of said panel having lateral marginal flanges providing attaching flaps directed inwardly and being sealed to the joists, said flaps being flexibly joined to the edges of said panel, an outwardly facing surface of said panel being completely covered with a pad of compressibly resilient insulation material, the upper lengthwise portion of said panel having spaced parallel preformed lengthwise grooves defining selectively usable attaching portions flexibly connected at said grooves to said panel, said portions being cooperable with an underneath portion of the floor structure and attachable thereto whereby to enable said portions to be used to satisfactorily adapt said unit for insulation and practical use between joists which vary in Vertical dimensions, means securing at least one of said attaching portions to said door, a bottom edge portion of said panel overlapping and contacting an upper part of a vertically extending inner surface on said masonry wall.

3. For use in conjunction with Ithe end portions of basement joists where they cooperate with a foundation sill surface and structure including a draftstop header supported from a foundation wall; a flat prefabricated ready-to-install sill leakage preventing joist attachment comprising la pad of compressibly resilient insulation material of a size and shape permitting the same to be plugged into a channel-like space between opposed vertical surfaces of a pair of spaced parallel joists in a manner to block the circulation of drafty cold air currents that might otherwise flow along the space and undesirably lower the basement room temperature, and a relatively rigid flat backing panel, said pad of insulation material xedly mounted on an exterior side of said panel, said panel being adapted to span said space and having laterally bendable installing and attaching flaps disposed along the top and vertical end portions of the panel, the lower longitudinal edge portion of said panel depending a short distance below the vertical end flaps and constituting an attaching lip which may be secured to a surface of the 6 foundation wall, the attachable sides of .the attaching lip References Cited in the le of this patent and said yattaching flaps being coated with adhesive rna- UNITED STATES PATENTS terial which facilitates sticking the lip `and retaining it in 332,491 Clay Dec. 15, 1885 used between joists of varying heights.

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