GB2295407A

GB2295407A - Ceiling clip

Info

Publication number: GB2295407A
Application number: GB9524286A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Julian Mark Dison; John Michael Dison
Original assignee: GORDON PRODUCTS Ltd H
Current assignee: GORDON PRODUCTS Ltd H
Priority date: 1994-11-28
Filing date: 1995-11-28
Publication date: 1996-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 2015-11-28
Also published as: GB2295407B; GB9524286D0; GB9423999D0

Abstract

Ceiling clips for securing battens to the underside of floor beams are made from sheet material and have anchor means (1) for locating them with respect to the floor beams and a pair of legs (7, 9) depending directly or indirectly from the anchor means (1) via a connecting web (3) for cooperating engagement with the battens to be secured. The legs have a cross-section which enables them to be readily bent by the installer and have holes (15). The legs may be twisted on site so as to lie in spaced parallel planes, at 90 DEG to the plane of the connecting web. The legs project beyond the underside of the batten and are of a length which permits them to be bent around the underside of the battens for nailing purposes. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: Ceiling Clip DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a ceiling clip.

Ceiling clips are widely employed to secure the likes of wooden battens to the underside of pre-cast floor or roof beams in order that ceiling material such as plasterboard can be attached to such battens.

A known ceiling clip comprises an L-shaped angle bracket made of sheet metal. One limb of the angle bracket is knocked into position between an abutment of the roof beam in a floor beam placed between adjacent roof beams. The other limb is apertured and receives a length of malleable wire which is bent to form two spaced downwardly depending elongate loops. The spacing accommodates the width of a ceiling batten with the loops extending along the opposite sides of the batten and projecting beyond the undersurface thereof. The flexibility of the wire loops enables them to be bent to overlie the undersurface and secured to the batten by nailing up into the batten.

The use of sheet material and wire necessarily complicates the manufacturing process. In order to overcome this problem several designs of clip have proposed in which the clip is made entirely of sheet metal.

A known ceiling clip of this type comprises a two part construction of sheet metal. One part is a channel section bracket one limb or flange of which in use is knocked or placed in position in the horizontal joint between an abutment of a floor beam and one end of a horizontally disposed building block which is supported by that abutment. The other part, which is an inverted U-shaped element, is secured to the lower flange of the channel section bracket so providing two substantially vertical spaced limbs.

In this known construction, limbs of the U-shaped element are approximately half as wide as the length of the limbs and provided with a pattern of 2 or 3 staggered holes in each limb. The batten is supported between the limbs of the U-shaped element by nailing or screwing through the holes into the sides of the batten.

Another known ceiling clip is formed from a single piece of sheet material which incorporates a horizontal fold so producing a horizonal flange and a vertical element. Two vertical spaced limbs are created by notching a T-shaped slot out of the vertical where the base of the T coincides with the bottom edge of the said element and folding the two resulting 'gates' into a plane at 900 to the said vertical element so as to project in the same direction as each other.

Characteristics of these known types of ceiling clip is that the spaced vertical limbs only facilitate nailing or screwing into the sides of the batten. With ceiling clips of these know types any projection of the limbs below the batten constitutes an obstruction to the ceiling material to be fixed to the batten. For this reason the length of the limbs in these known types of ceiling clips is of restricted length which has resulted in a ratio of length to width of not more than 3:1.

This present method of fixing into the sides of the batten can often result in the clip being displaced or dislodged from the beam. In this respect it is not as satisfactory as nailing upwards into the underside of the batten against the solid support of the beam.

A further disadvantage of nailing into the sides occurs where battens are parallel and close to a wall and cannot be nailed or screwed on the side closest to the wall.

Because of their design and inherent strength even those situations where they come to project below the batten it is not practicable as standard practice to bend the limbs of current sheet metal ceiling clips beneath the battens to achieve upward nailing.

One aim of the present invention is to provide a clip to overcome this disadvantage.

Currently ceiling clips are provided in varying sizes to suit the specified vertical dimension of a floor beam's abutments. Variation in batten sizes and any required vertical spacing between the beam and the batten may necessitate using ceiling clips of varying sizes. It is also an aim of the present invention to provide ceiling clips each size of which can accommodate a much wider range of beam and batten sizes.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a ceiling clip made from sheet material and comprising anchor means for locating the clip with respect to a floor structure, and a pair of spaced elongate limbs, said limbs being of sheet material and wherein they are at least three times as long as they are wide.

More preferably, the limbs are at least seven times longer than they are wide. The width of the limbs in relation to their thickness is such as to enable them to be bent or twisted relatively easily, eg. by hand or with a hand-held tool. The minimum envisaged material thickness is 0.5mm. We prefer a limb width of approximately lOmm with a material thickness of up to lmm, although we prefer a thickness of 0.7 to 0.8mm.

It will be appreciated that the width may be correspondingly increased where the material thickness is reduced.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a ceiling clip made from sheet material comprising anchor means and a pair of spaced elongate limbs and wherein the limbs have a material cross-section in the range 5 to 10mm2.

It is envisaged that the minimum length of the limbs will be of the order of 70mm whilst for the preferred embodiment a length of 80mm is envisaged, including the twist. The maximum limb length will be of the order of 270mm.

Conveniently the limbs are formed integrally with the anchor means. The anchor means conveniently comprises an angle plate having a flange and a connecting web which usually are disposed at right angles to one another. In one preferred embodiment the limbs extend from the connecting web and extend therefrom across their widthwise dimension.

More especially still said limbs are located to be disposed substantially at 900 to the plane of said connecting web and at 900 to the plane of said flange so as to be substantially vertical when the aforesaid flange is uppermost and horizontal. This orientation is conveniently achieved by twisting the sheet material where the limbs depend from the connecting web.

Alternatively it may be achieved by making a number of folds across the width of the limbs in the region where they depend from the anchor means.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a ceiling clip made from sheet material comprising anchor means and a pair of spaced elongate limbs depending from the anchor means and wherein there is a twisted connection between the anchor means and each limb.

The limbs are advantageously offset so that one longitudinal edge of each thereof is in substantial alignment with the plane of the connecting web, ie.

disposed substantially vertically below the web when the flange is uppermost and horizontal. As an alternative the ceiling clip can be supplied untwisted so that the spaced elongate limbs are in the same plane as the connecting web.

In another embodiment the spaced elongate limbs are formed integrally with and depending from the side of the connecting web. The required plane of orientation being achieved by means of a vertical fold.

The vertical fold may be facilitated by means of cutting or notching the web.

In another embodiment the ceiling clip is constructed from a narrow strip of sheet material by making two approximately 450 folds bent through 1800 either side of a central horizontal flange sections with the free ends bent through 900 to provide in their initial length two connecting webs substantially at 900 to the plane of the flange. The adjoining portions of the limbs are twisted through 900 to provide two spaced elongate limbs.

In further embodiments the flange and/or connecting web is replaced by alternative means of securing the spaced elongate limbs to the underside of the floor.

Advantageously the afore-described flange of the anchor means incorporates one or more projecting barbs.

Conveniently these are nicked or punched out of the flange. Advantageously they project upwardly, ie. in a direction away from the limbs. Conveniently the barbs are triangular formations.

In another embodiment, the spaced limbs are formed from one or more separate elements secured with respect to the connecting web. For example, the limbs may be formed by bending a strip of metal into a substantially U-shape. The spaced elongate limbs lie in parallel planes and at right angles to the plane of the connecting web.

The limbs have a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes along their length which may be in-line or staggered. Most usually the sheet material will be sheet metal.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of securing ceiling battens to floor beams using a ceiling clip of sheet material construction (most usually metal but not necessarily), the clip having a pair of spaced elongate limbs depending from an anchor element in which an abutment or flange of the anchor element is located with respect to the floor beam and in which a batten to be secured is placed between the pair of spaced elongate limbs which are of a length to extend beyond an underside of the batten, and in which the sheet material limbs are bent to overlie the underside surface of the batten and secured in place using fixings directed upwardly against the support of the beams.

The narrow easily bent limbs can allow some lateral adjustment of the battens if required. Any excess length of limbs can be bent past one another as they overlie the underside surface of the battens.

Furthermore because the limbs are easily twisted they can be reoriented on site so as to be in the same plane as the web and thus allowing the fixing of battens parallel to the said plane of the web.

A further advantage of this invention is that small rods placed through opposing holes in the limbs can be temporarily support battens prior to nailing or delimit a spaced gap for ducting and wiring between the battens and the underside of the beams. To facilitate this, in the preferred embodiment, corresponding holes in the opposing limbs should align.

The method conveniently uses ceiling clips according to one or other of the aforegoing aspects of the invention.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a ceiling clip for use in securing battens under floor beams, the ceiling clip being made from sheet material and comprising a means by which the battens are secured in place and extending from a connecting web, and anchor means having first and second abutment means which extend to opposite sides of a plane accommodating the connecting web.

The connecting web may form part of the anchor means and/or the securing means for the battens. In a preferred embodiment the securing means comprise a pair of spaced elongate legs (such as further described herein). The anchor means preferably comprises three elements formed from a blank, for example the connecting web, by cutting and folding. In the preferred embodiment the three elements comprise two wings and a tab. The wings are defined by a respective corner of the blank, a cut in from a respective side of the blank and a corner fold between the wing and the tab. The tab is defined by an end of the blank, said corner folds and a fold line between it and the blank and extending between the inner ends of said respective cuts. The cuts may be straight or arcuate.

In use the ceiling clip with the afore-mentioned configuration of anchor means is inserted from above between two adjacent floor beams whereby the oppositely directed abutments engage with a respective ledge of two beams. The cut edge of the two wings form a first of said abutment means and the tab forms the second.

The present invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view from the front, above and one side of a ceiling clip according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the ceiling clip of Figure 1 illustrating by way of example one installation possibility, Figure 3 is a front view of the ceiling clip of Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 is a perspective view from the rear, above and one side of another embodiment of ceiling clip according to the invention, Figure 5 is a perspective view from the front, above and one side of the clip of Figure 1 prior to twisting of the limbs, Figure 6 is a perspective view from above front and one side of a yet further embodiment, Figure 7 is a perspective view of yet further embodiment of ceiling clip and Figure 8 is a plan view of a partially formed blank for an alternative embodiment of ceiling clip, Figure 9 is a perspective view of the clip of Figure 8 showing the anchor means, and Figures 10a, b and c illustrate diagrammatically the way in which the clips may be used for securing battens to the underside of floor beams.

Referring firstly to the drawings of Figures 1 to 3, a ceiling clip is cut from one piece of sheet material and comprises an angle plate comprising a flange 1 and a connecting web 3 disposed substantially at 900 to one another and connected by a fold 5.

Depending from the connecting web are two elongate limbs 7, 9 which are relatively long and narrow. In the illustrated embodiment the length of the limbs is approximately seven times their width, and although other proportions are envisaged, the length will be at least three times the width. By making the limbs relatively narrow they can be bent as described further hereinafter. The limbs are formed integrally with and depending from the connecting web across their widthwise dimension. In the illustrated embodiment each limb is twisted through 900 so as to be disposed in a plane at 900 to the plane of the connecting web and also at 900 to the plane of the flange 1.The twist is asymmetric such that the longitudinal centerline of the limb is offset from its connection point to the extent that its inner edge 11 is substantially aligned with the plane of the connecting web 3 as denoted by line X,X in Figure 2.

The advantage of this will be apparent from the following description.

Each of the limbs has a plurality of longitudinally spaced holes 15. It is convenient in some applications if the holes in one limb are in horizontal alignment with the holes in the other limb.

A further advantageous feature of the clip is the provisions of the afore-mentioned barbs and the illustrated embodiment has two triangular teeth 18 nicked out of the side regions of the flange and upwardly directed to aid retention thereof in use.

In use, the ceiling clip illustrated in Figure 1 is designed to be received on a ledge 20 of a floor beam 21 (typically concrete - see Figure 2), and will either rest on the ledge or be knocked into position in the direction of arrow A, between the floor beam 21 and a building block 22 placed between adjacent roof beams.

The connecting web can be struck to urge the flange into place and as will be seen from Figure 2, the limbs depend downwardly beyond the underside of the floor beam. The connecting web lies adjacent to a side face of the floor beam. The barbs 18 act to prevent dislodgement of the ceiling clip.

The ceiling clip is used primarily for securing a wooden batten 24 to the floor beam. The spacing (X) of the limbs 7, 9 is sufficient to receive a standard roof batten. The installer can either secure the batten by nailing through one or more of the holes in each limbs into the side of the batten, or more preferably, the present invention makes it possible to fold a projecting part 7a of the limb 7 inwardly to overlie the undersurface of the batten, whereupon the batten can be secured by nailing up into the batten. It is easier to nail upwards against the resistance of the floor beam rather than sideways. The design and inherent strength of existing sheet metal ceiling clips makes this impracticable.

Referring now to Figure 4, here there is illustrated an alternative embodiment. It comprises a flange 1 and a connecting web 3', which are disposed at 900 to one another, but the here spaced elongate limbs 7', 9' comprise parts of a U-shaped strip member formed from a separate piece of material. The U-shape is secured to the web by mechanical means. More particularly in the illustrated embodiment the connecting web has a lower location tab 32 which is turned at 900 to the plane of the connecting web and in the opposite direction to the flange 1, but in a parallel plane thereto. The tab is further returned on itself at 32a to hold secure a U-shaped strip member by a base which connects spaced limb portions 7', 9'.

Thus, the ceiling clip can function in exactly the same manner as that described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 but is constructed in an alternative way.

Figure 5 illustrates a ceiling clip as per the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, but with the limbs 7", 9" in the same plane as the connecting web 3, ie. before they have been twisted into the final position of that embodiment. Because the limbs are of relatively thin gauge and narrow, they can be bent into shape by the installer. This embodiment facilitates the ceiling clip being slotted through vertical joints between flooring blocks or units to be subsequently twisted if required.

Figure 6 illustrates a ceiling clip where the spaced elongate limbs 7''' and 9''' are formed integrally with and depending from the side of the connecting web 3". The required orientation of the limbs being achieved by a vertical fold as at 42. This embodiment employs the afore-described flange 1 with tabs 18 (these can be employed with any of the illustrated embodiments incorporating a flange), and the limbs have the spaced holes. The limbs have a free length fl, ie. the distance beyond the lower edge 3a of the connecting web, and the afore-described width to length ratio, and overall limb lengths apply to this free length.

In Figure 7 the ceiling clip is formed from a single narrow strip of sheet material which is folded to provide a horizontal flange 1', connecting webs 3''' and spaced elongate limbs 7a and 9b. There is a first 45' fold at 22 and then a 900 fold at 24, followed by a twisted section 3''' which serves to displace the limbs through 900. In this embodiment the twisted section acts as the connecting web. In this embodiment the free length is measured from immediately below the twisted section. Whilst the twisted section is shown immediately after the 900 fold, it may be disposed some distance from it, although the twisted section will usually terminate at or above the underside of the floor beam.

The afore-described ceiling clip is designed to provide a means of securing battens or other items to the underside of concrete or other flooring systems.

The limbs are designed to confer properties of flexibility and versatility of use thus far not previously found in ceiling clip manufactured from sheet material. According to a preferred embodiment the required orientation of the limbs is achieved by a twist or a series of folds across their width which are imparted either during manufacture or at the time of installation. In another embodiment the orientation is achieved by a vertical fold.

Referring now to Figures 8 and 9, here there is illustrated a ceiling clip made from sheet material and having means for securing a batten to the underside of floor beams and having anchor means for locating it with respect to the floor beams. The clip is illustrated with a pair of slender elongate spaced legs 107, 109, each having a plurality of equally spaced holes 115 along the length thereof. The legs depend from a connecting web 103. In the illustration the legs are shown in the same plane as the connecting web, however, for use they will be turned through 900 (for example as discussed above) so that they are disposed parallel to one another and in spaced planes. This may be done before or after insertion of the clip between two adjacent beams, depending on the width of the slot, but usually it will be done after insertion.

Anchor means is formed from the connecting web but cutting and folding so as to form first and second abutment means extending to opposite sides of the plane of the connecting web. More particularly the anchor means comprises a tab 120 and two wings 122, 124. The wings are formed by making a cut in from the opposite sides of the connecting web. The cuts are shown in solid outline at 126 in Figure 8. The cuts define respective first abutments. Each wing is further defined by a respective corner of the connecting web and a corner fold 128 between it and the tab 120. The corner fold 128 is shown in dotted outline in Figure 8 before folding to form a substantially 900 bend with respect to the tab 120 (as shown in Figure 9) and puts the wings in a plane which is normal to the plane of the connecting web.The tab is defined between an end 130 of the connecting web, said corner folds 128 and a fold line 132 between it and the connecting web. The tab is bent to approximately 450 to the plane of the connecting web. The tab defines said second abutment means. By having abutment means extending in two opposite directions from the plane of the connecting web, the clip sits squarely and positively in position. This is further aided by having the abutment to each side disposed symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane passing through the centre line of the clip and disposed at 900 to the plane of the connecting web.

Referring now to Figures l0a and lOb, there is illustrated schematically the underside of a series of floor beams, denoted by chain dotted line 150.

Projecting below the underside are the two limbs, eg. 7, 9 of one of a plurality of ceiling clips which are disposed in line one behind the other at appropriately spaced locations. Depending on the type of floor beam employed, the anchor element may be of knock-in type allowing fitting from the underside, or of drop-in type requiring fitting from the upper side. A length of batten is shown in cross-section at 152. It will be seen from Figure 10a that the legs 7, 9 project beyond the underside of the batten. The cross-section of the legs allows them to be readily bent around the underside of the batten, as shown in Figure lOb whereby a nail can be inserted in the direction of arrow A.

Figure l0c illustrates how a batten can be spaced from the underside 150 of the floor beams by inserting a pin 154 to pass between aligned holes in the legs 7, 9.

The legs are folded and nailed as previously described when there is sufficient length.

Claims

1. A method of securing ceiling battens to floor beams using a ceiling clip of sheet material construction, the clip having a pair of spaced elongate limbs depending from an anchor element and in which an abutment or flange of the anchor element is located with respect to the floor beam and in which the cross-section of the limbs is such as to enable them to be readily twisted or bent so that the limbs can be aligned with opposite sides of a batten to be secured in place between the pair of spaced elongate limbs, or where the limbs are of a length to extend beyond an underside of the batten to enable the limbs to be bent to overlie the underside surface of the batten and secured in place using fixings directed upwardly against the support of the beams.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the spaced elongate limbs have a plurality of longitudinal spaced through holes and comprising the step of placing rods through opposed holes of the limbs to temporarily support the battens or to delimit a spaced gap between the battens and the underside of the beams.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 comprising the step of twisting the spaced elongate limbs to lie in spaced planes substantially parallel to the sides of the battens to be secured.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 in which the ceiling clip is located with respect to the floor beams before said twisting of the spaced elongate limbs.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which the ceiling clip is positioned from below the floor beam.

6. A method of securing ceiling battens to floor beams substantially as hereinbefore described using any one of the illustrated ceiling clips.

7. A ceiling clip made from sheet material and comprising anchor means for locating the clip with respect to a floor structure, and a pair of spaced elongate limbs whose cross-section is such as to enable them to be readily bent or twisted.

8. A ceiling clip as claimed in claim 7 in which the cross-sectional area is less then 10mm2.

9. A ceiling clip as claimed in claim 7 in which the cross-sectional area is in the range 5 to lOmm2.

10. A ceiling clip as claimed in claim 8 or 9 in which the limb thickness is less then lmm.

11. A ceiling clip as claimed in claim 8 or 9 in which the limb thickness is in the range of 0.5mm to l.Omm.

12. A ceiling clip as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 11 in which the limbs have a width of the order of lOmm or less.

13. A ceiling clip as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12 in which the limbs are at least three times as long as they are wide.

14. A ceiling clip as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12 in which the limbs are at least 51/2 times as long as they are wide.

15. A ceiling clip as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 12 in which the limbs are at least seven times as long as they are wide.

16. A ceiling clip as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 15 in which the limbs are formed integrally with the anchor means.

17. A ceiling clip as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 16 in which the anchor means comprises an angle plate having a flange and a connecting web which are inclined with respect to one another along a fold line.

18. A ceiling clip as claimed in claim 17 in which the limbs extend from the connecting web and extend therefrom across their widthwise dimension.

19. A ceiling clip as claimed in claim 17 or 18 in which the limbs are turned through substantially 900 relative to the plane of the connecting web.

20. A ceiling clip as claimed in claim 19 in which the limbs are twisted from a point where they depend from the connecting web.

21. A ceiling clip as claimed in claim 19 in which the 900 turn is achieved by twisting the limbs or by a series of bends or folds along the length of the limbs.

22. A ceiling clip made from sheet material comprising anchor means and a pair of spaced elongate limbs depending from the anchor means and wherein there is a twisted connection between the anchor means and each limb.

23. A ceiling clip as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 22 in which the limbs are offset so that one longitudinal edge of each thereof is in substantial alignment with the plane of a connecting web from which they depend.

24. A ceiling clip as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 23 in which the anchor means comprises an angle plate having a connecting web from which the limbs depend and at least one flange or abutment member folded from the connecting web to lie at an angle thereto.

25. A ceiling clip constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings.