US3736706A

US3736706A - Sub-dividing secondary support grid for a ceiling fixture

Info

Publication number: US3736706A
Application number: US00192213A
Authority: US
Inventors: F Stephenson
Original assignee: Butler Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Butler Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1971-10-26
Filing date: 1971-10-26
Publication date: 1973-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-05

Abstract

A sub-dividing secondary support grid for ceiling fixtures such as a lighting fixture or the like wherein a plurality of substantially identical parts are interlocked and rotated as a unit into position in an opening in a primary ceiling grid structure for providing a smaller opening in which the ceiling fixture is supported.

Description

United States Patent 1 Stephenson [4 1 June 5, 1973 54] SUB-DIVIDING SECONDARY SUPPORT 2,710,679 6/1955 Bibb et al. ..52/484 x 2,830,330 4/1958 Heath ..52/28 GRID FOR A CEILING FIXTURE 3,312,024 4/1967 Paschmann.... 52/637 X [75] Inventor: Fred J. Stephenson, Lawrence, 3,668,826 6/1972 White ..52/28 Kans.

[73] Assignee: Butler Manufacturing Company, Primary ExaminerPrice C. Faw, Jr.

Kansas City, Mo. AtlorneyShoemaker & Mattare [22] Filed: Oct. 26, 1971 [2]] Appl. No.: 192,213 ABSTRACT A sub-dividing secondary support grid for ceiling fix 521 US. Cl. ..52/28, 52/39, 52/484, as a lighting fixture or the like wherein 8 52/664 plurality of substantially identical parts are interlocked [51] Int Cl E04, 5/62 and rotated as a unit into position in an opening in a Fie'ld 173 663 primary ceiling grid structure for providing a smaller 474 opening in which the ceiling fixture is supported.

[56] References Cited 6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,292,332 12/1966 Jahn ..52/484 PAIENTEUJUH 5197a 3,736,706

SHEET 1 OF 2 11T..ZZ 3SIT JCITTI;

ATTORNEYS PAHQIHEDJUH 5 I975 SHEET 2 BF 2 HNH M m n a n a m a h m T w W m M u 1|: 3

ll, m m m u W m twi FIG. 7.

:3 Hi Hill FIG. 8.

INVENTOR FRED J. STEPHEN SON BYQ/MMJ mam.

ATTORNEYS SUB-DIVIDING SECONDARY SUPPORT GRID FOR A CEILING FIXTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a secondary support grid for ceiling fixtures such as lights and the like wherein a supporting grid or frame is positioned in and said supported in a larger framed opening in a ceiling, said supporting grid defining a smaller opening therein in which the light or the like is positioned and supported.

Various devices are known in the prior art for supporting ceiling fixtures such as lights and the like from primary grid structures in the ceiling. One typical device used in the prior art is an exposed, simple span regular ceiling T-support wherein the supports span the entire opening in a primary ceiling grid structure with a secondary T-support spanning the opening between the first mentioned T-support to form a framed opening in the center of a larger opening. Such supports present a cluttered appearance, however, and are undesirable from an esthetic point of view. Another typical ceiling fixture support comprises a concealed device which supports nine separate ceiling boards. The concealed supports require complicated parts and connections and skilled labor is required in order to achieve a desired appearance with the concealed supports.

The present invention is much simpler than all prior art devices and provides a pleasing appearance when in use. According to the present invention, a plurality of identical elongate parts or structural members are interlocked with one another to form a pinwheel design with an opening defined in the center of the plurality of interlocked parts. The assembly is lifted into a larger framed opening in a primary ceiling grid structure and rotated into place with a portion of each of the substantially identical parts resting on the primary ceiling grid structure. The opening defined by the substantially identical parts is then used to position and support a ceiling fixture such as a light or the like within the larger primary framed opening. The construction of the supports according to the present invention is simple and economical; and because of the rhythmical repeat of lines when installed in a complete ceiling, the support is esthetically attractive. Further, due to the exceptional simplicity of construction of the secondary support grid of the present invention, wherein a minimum number of parts are required, the support grid of the present invention is economical to manufacture and simple to install.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide an economical and simple secondary support grid for ceiling fixtures, wherein a plurality of substantially identical parts are interlocked with one another and then lifted into position in a larger opening in a primary ceiling grid structure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a subdividing secondary support grid for ceiling fixtures such as lights and the like wherein four substantially identical parts are interlocked with one another in substantially a pinwheel pattern with the four parts defining an opening therebetween and with one end of each of the parts extending beyond an edge of the opening so that when the assembly is positioned in a larger opening in a primary ceiling grid structure, the projecting ends rest on the edges of the opening to support the opening in the secondary support grid substantially centered with respect to the larger opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a portion of a primary ceiling grid structure with a sub-dividing secondary support grid for a ceiling fixture positioned therewithin.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a subdividing secondary support grid for a ceiling fixture showing the manner of assembly thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation of one of the members of the assembly in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional end view of one of the members of FIG. 2 interlocked with another member and with a pair of ceiling panels in place.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a sub-dividing secondary support grid shown in position in a larger framed opening in full lines and in position to be lifted through the opening in phantom lines.

FIG. 6 is an end sectional view of one of the longitudinally extending truss members in the primary grid ceiling structure of FIG. 1 with a pair of secondary support grids and ceiling panels resting on opposite sides thereof.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but is taken in end section on one of the transverse truss members of the primary ceiling grid structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 of a conventional end connection of the secondary support grid with a primary support grid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now the the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, a portion of a building structure is indicated generally at l in FIG. 1 and comprises a primary ceiling grid structure 2 of the space grid type wherein a plurality of longitudinally extending truss members 3 are interconnected with and intersected by a plurality of transversely extending truss members 4 to define a plurality of square openings 5 in the primary ceiling grid structure 2. A pair of subdividing secondary support grids 6 are shown supported within a pair of spaced openings 5 in the primary ceiling grid structure. Suitable ceiling fixtures such as lights L or the like are supported by the secondary support grid structures 6.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the secondary support grid structure 6 comprises four substantially identical elongate inverted T-section

structural members

7, 8, 9 and 10. Each of the

members

7, 8, 9 and 10 resembles an inverted T in cross section and includes a vertical web 11 having a tubular head or reinforcement 12 along the upper edge thereof and a pair of oppositely directed laterally extending flanges 13 and 14 on the bottom or lower edge thereof, said tubular bead and flanges being commensurate in length with said web. Each member also has a longitudinally extending flange or tab 15 projecting outwardly beyond one end thereof and a vertically extending slot 16 in the web 1 1 intermediate the ends thereof and spaced closer to the end of said member remote from said longitudi nally projecting tab 15.

In use, the flange or tab 15 on the end of one structural member 7 is inserted through the slot 16 in the web 11 of another structural member 10 and bent or folded over to interlock the two structural members 7 and 10. A similar procedure is followed with the other two

structural members

8 and 9 which are interlocked together and interlocked with the structural members 7 and W by extending the tabs or flanges 15 on the ends of the

structural members

8 and 10 through the respective slots 16 in the webs ll of the structural members 7 and 9. The four

structural members

7, 8, 9 and R are accordingly interlocked with one another in a pinwheel design and define an opening 17 in the center thereof. The free ends of the structural members extend outwardly in mutually prependicular relationship to one another to define supports for engaging the edges of a larger opening to support the secondary support grid 6 in the larger opening 5. A suitable ceiling fixture such as a light L or the like is then supported in the opening 17 substantially in the center of the larger opening 5. A plurality of ceiling panels 18 may then be supported on the flanges 13 and M of each

structural member

7, 8, 9 and and on the flanges of the longitudinal and

transverse truss members

3 and 4 in the primary ceiling grid structure 2.

The method of positioning the secondary support grid within an opening 5 in the primary ceiling grid structure is depicted in FIG. 5 wherein the position of the secondary support grid 6 while it is being lifted through the opening 5 is shown in phantom lines and the final position of the secondary support grid in supported relation within the opening 5 is indicated in full lines.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the manner in which the edges of the ceiling panels 18 and the ends of the

structural members

7, 8, 9 and 10 rest on and are supported by the longitudinal truss members 3 and transverse members 4, respectively, can be seen.

In FIG. 8, a conventional end connection of the secondary support grid members and roof panels 18 is shown. In this form of the invention, the free ends of the structural members 7, a, 9 and 110 are provided with a tab which is inserted through a slot in the vertically extending flange of a primary grid structure 19 having a generally H-shaped cross sectional configuration.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5, the slot 116 in each of the structural members is positioned closer to one end of the structural member than to the other end and accordingly when the structural members are assembled together as in FIG. the point of interconnection or interlocking engagement between each pair of structural members is spaced close to the edge of the opening 5 and, therefore, less bending moment is exerted on the secondary support grid from the weight of the ceiling fixture supported therein than if the point of interconnection or interlocking engagement between the pairs of structural members was spaced further from the edge of the opening 5. However, the position of the slots 16 and accordingly the relative positions of the

structural members

7, 8, 9 and 10 with respect to one another could be varied to define different size and shaped openings 117 than that specifically shown and described herein.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive, since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. A sub-dividing secondary support grid support a ceiling fixture such as a light or the like in a larger opening defined by a plurality of primary ceiling grid structural members, comprising four substantially identical, elongate, secondary structural members interlocked with one another in angular relationship substantially in the shape of a pinwheel with one end of each of the elongate secondary structural members projecting laterally beyond another elongate secondary structural member with which it in interlocked, said interlocked secondary structural members defining a rectangular secondary opening therebetween, each elongate member having an opening therethrough adjacent said one end thereof and an axially projecting tab on the other end thereof, the tab on each secondary structural member received through the opening in an adjacent secondary structural member and bent over to secure all of the secondary structural members together in said pinwheel shape, the said one ends of the' secondary structural members supported on said primary grid structural members to space said secondary opening substantially centered in said larger opening, and a ceiling fixture supported on said secondary support grid in said secondary opening, the connection of said other end of each secondary structural member with an adjacent secondary structural member near said one end thereof resulting in the load carried by the secondary structural members being concentrated near the connection thereof with the primary structural members and thus reducing the bending moment on the secondary support grid.

2. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim ll, wherein the cross sectional shape of each elongate structural member substantially resembles an inverted T.

3. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 2, wherein each elongate structural member comprises a vertically disposed web with a tubular reinforcing rib along the upper edge thereof and a pair of opposite laterally extending flanges along the lower edge thereof.

4. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 3, wherein a plurality of elongate ceiling panels are supported along one edge on a flange of each of said elongate structural members and ona flange of an adjacent I primary ceiling grid structure.

5. A sub-dividing secondary support, grid as in claim 4, wherein said means on said elongate members for supporting a ceiling fixture comprises one of said flanges on the lower edge of each said member.

6. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 1, wherein a longitudinally projecting tab is on each end of each structural member.

t i t i =3

Claims

1. A sub-dividing secondary support grid support a ceiling fixture such as a light or the like in a larger opening defined by a plurality of primary ceiling grid structural members, comprising four substantially identical, elongate, secondary structural members interlocked with one another in angular relationship substantially in the shape of a pinwheel with one end of each of the elongate secondary structural members projecting laterally beyond another elongate secondary structural member with which it in interlocked, said interlocked secondary structural members defining a rectangular secondary opening therebetween, each elongate member having an opening therethrough adjacent said one end thereof and an axially projecting tab on the other end thereof, the tab on each secondary structural member received through the opening in an adjacent secondary structural member and bent over tO secure all of the secondary structural members together in said pinwheel shape, the said one ends of the secondary structural members supported on said primary grid structural members to space said secondary opening substantially centered in said larger opening, and a ceiling fixture supported on said secondary support grid in said secondary opening, the connection of said other end of each secondary structural member with an adjacent secondary structural member near said one end thereof resulting in the load carried by the secondary structural members being concentrated near the connection thereof with the primary structural members and thus reducing the bending moment on the secondary support grid.

2. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 1, wherein the cross sectional shape of each elongate structural member substantially resembles an inverted T.

4. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 3, wherein a plurality of elongate ceiling panels are supported along one edge on a flange of each of said elongate structural members and on a flange of an adjacent primary ceiling grid structure.

5. A sub-dividing secondary support grid as in claim 4, wherein said means on said elongate members for supporting a ceiling fixture comprises one of said flanges on the lower edge of each said member.