Metal building construction

Claim 1

A STUD FOR USE IN A BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING A METAL MEMBER OF GENERAL I-SHAPE HAVING A WEB AND OPPOSITELY DISPOSED FLANGES EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID WEB AT OPPOSITE EDGES THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FLANGES HAVING A GROOVE THEREIN EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID ONE FLANGE, SAID GROOVE INCLUDING A NARROW THROAT PORTION FORMING A SLOT OPENING FROM THE OUTER FACE OF SAID ONE FLANGE INTERMEDIATE THE WIDTH OF SAID ONE FLANGE AND INCLUDING INTERIOR WALLS LATERALLY OBLIQUELY DIVERGING FROM THE INNER END OF SAID THROAT PORTION WHEREBY THE GROOVE IS SUBSTANTIALLY T-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION WITH ITS BASE SUBSTANTIALLY WIDER THAN ITS THROAT PORTION AND IS THEREBY ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND INTERLOCKINGLY HOLD THE DIVERGENTLY REVERSELY BENT HOOKED FLANGES OF A PAIR OF EDGE-ABUTTING SHEET METAL WALL PANELS, EACH OF SAID LATERALLY OBLIQUELY DIVERGING INTERIOR WALLS BEING FORMED WITH AN OUTSTANDING PROJECTION SPACED INWARDLY FROM AND PARALLEL TO SAID ONE FLANGE AND FORMING THEREWITH A PAIR OF ALIGNED GROOVES EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS FROM SAID NARROW THROAT PORTION FOR RECEPTION FO THE MARGINAL EDGES OF WALL PANEL ELEMENTS.