Chicago Metallic Corporation

James J Dunn

Ronald W Vukmanic

John S Borucki

Martin D Jahn

Chester A Stanley

Main runner members and cross members having an inverted T-shaped configuration characterized by an outer edge of the flanges being bent upwardly at an angle to form a bevelled edge to give the flanges an appearance of being substantially thicker than the material used to form the flange. The cross members include a connecting element, preferably formed as a separate element, having spacer bumps, and a U-shaped tab extending from one surface, the U-shaped tab forming a first abutment and a portion of the element is cut and deformed out of the plane of the element on an opposite surface to form a second abutment surface to coact with the first abutment surface of an adjacent connecting element to hold the two aligned cross members in a slot of a main runner.

Ceiling system with staked on connectors

A system for forming either horizontal or vertical walls characterized by a plurality of beam elements, an arrangement for holding the beam elements to extend parallel to each other with a desired spacing between adjacent beam elements and a filler strip or element inserted between adjacent beam elements. The filler strips have a U-shaped configuration with a crease forming a catch surface for engaging an external shoulder on an edge of each of the beam elements to hold the filler strip with the edge of the leg of the filler strip engaged on a flange of the leg of the beam element. Thus, the mounting of the filler strip is the same regardless of the height of the element relative to the face portions of each of the beam elements. The beam elements can have a flat face portion or be provided with a longitudinally extending depression to subdivide the face portion into two parallel extending subportions.

Parallel beam system

A grid system for suspending a ceiling formed of drywall includes main runners which are interconnected by splice connections having an arrangement for controlling bending to relieve thermal expansion and has cross members formed of channels which are connected to the main runner by a connection having an arrangement for relieving thermal expansion. The splice connection includes a portion of the bead of the main runner being removed to provide bending lines spaced inward from the edge of the web so that bending will occur at two spaced positions at the splice connection to relieve thermal expansion caused by a fire. The connection between the channel cross members and the main runners includes flanges of each of the cross members having a first notch separated from a second notch by a shear tab, the connection is formed by the edge of the aperture in the web of the main runner being received in the first notch and the shear tab being broken off or removed in response to forces of thermal expansion caused by a fire.

Drywall furring system

A hold-down clip for holding panels on inverted T-shaped members in a suspended ceiling characterized by a U-shaped one-piece member having a bight portion interconnecting two leg portions. Each of the leg portions, along an edge, has an inwardly bent flange with a plurality of teeth aligned with the teeth in the opposite leg portion and each of the leg portions has a foot portion adjacent the free end for engaging and holding the panel on the flanges of the T-shaped member. To increase the rigidity of the bight portion, it is preferably provided with two spaced embossments that extend into adjacent portions of each of the leg portions.

Hold down clip

A grid tee or member for suspended ceilings has a reinforced bead, a central web and a pair of flangs formed from a single sheet of metal. The reinforced bead has a continuous outer upper surface and can either be a hollow reinforced bead with a rectangular or triangular configuration or a solid bead having a thickness of at least four layers. The hollow bead structure can have a single layer for the top continuous surface with at least two side portions having at least three layer thicknesses, or can be a single top layer, which has more than three layers.

Reinforced bead

An expansion joint or fire break for a main runner which has a web portion interconnecting a bead having a rectangular cross section with a pair of outwardly extending flanges characterized by an aperture in the web portion, a portion of the bead above the web portion being deformed to provide a modified bead having a flattened portion of reduced width connected to an upper sub-bead portion of a greater width, three notches extending transversely through the upper sub-bead and the aperture having an arrangement including shear lines and cuts to define bending lines or regions for the web that extend through the notches of the sub-bead and to define three bending lines or areas for the flanges, which are aligned with the bending lines in the web. When the runner is subjected to elevated temperatures, the compressive forces formed by thermal expansion will be relieved by the modified bead and web buckling laterally outward with bending in the three bend regions as the flanges buckle downward with bending in three bend areas.

Fire-rated main runner

A clip for securing or holding a frame member to a perimeter member of a suspended ceiling system characterized by a one-piece member having a flap for engaging a back side of the perimeter member, and a transverse portion for connecting an engaging flange to the flap. The engaging portion includes opposed tabs bent angularly inward toward the flap and which tabs are placed on either side of the frame member so that the frame member is secured to the perimeter member.

Perimeter clip

A suspended ceiling system having a main runners or members extending parallel with cross-members spaced therealong to form rectangular sections, the cross-members being provided with tongues extending from the end and received in apertures or slots in the main member with the tongues being provided with a catch surface coacting with a shoulder on the tongue to hold the tongue as it is inserted into the aperture of the main runner. Each of the tongues are provided in coacting engagement and abutment surfaces which lock the two tongues together in an end-to-end connection when inserted from opposite sides of the main runner.

Growing community of inventors

St. Charles, IL, United States of America

James J Dunn