Easy cut suspension grid

Abstract

A grid runner for a suspended ceiling having a lower flange extending generally horizontally, a web extending upwardly from the flange, and walls forming a hollow reinforcing bulb at the upper end of the web, the web lying generally in an imaginary vertical plane, a portion of the walls forming the bulb being disposed on and laterally spaced from the imaginary vertical plane, a wall area of the bulb on an upper side of the bulb bridging the space between the bulb walls on opposite sides of the imaginary plane, the bulb having lower wall portions forming its base and configured such that the bulb will readily collapse at the base when a lateral shear force is applied to the bulb walls by a hand-operated snips whereby the force to manually field cut the tee is reduced.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The invention pertains to suspended ceiling grid and, in particular, to a grid runner construction that eases the task of its installation.PRIOR ART[0002]Suspended ceiling grid typically is in the form of metal runners having an inverted tee cross-section. Ceiling grid is erected on site, there ordinarily being no practical or cost-effective way to prefabricate an installation or even a part of an installation. Moreover, it is obvious that the installation work cannot be done on the actual floor surface or by an installer standing directly on the floor. Rather, a technician or installer works off a rolling scaffold or other elevating appliance. In this situation, there is typically no convenient workbench or like table to support the grid elements while length measurements are being made and transferred to a grid tee and while a grid tee is actually being cut to the proper length. It is axiomatic that time is money and the quicker and easier a piece ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a grid tee that can be easily cut, reducing the effort required and increasing productivity for the technician or installer. The invention recognizes that the resistance to cutting the tee is primarily due to the compressive strength of the hollow reinforcing bulb formed at the upper part of the tee. The invention addresses this issue by incorporating certain structure / geometry in the base of the bulb to make it easier to initiate buckling or crushing of the bulb, allowing for easier cutting of the tee. This reduces the need for high forces and increases efficiency for the technician.

Problems solved by technology

Ceiling grid is erected on site, there ordinarily being no practical or cost-effective way to prefabricate an installation or even a part of an installation.

Moreover, it is obvious that the installation work cannot be done on the actual floor surface or by an installer standing directly on the floor.

In this situation, there is typically no convenient workbench or like table to support the grid elements while length measurements are being made and transferred to a grid tee and while a grid tee is actually being cut to the proper length.

Repetitive manual cutting of tees in the customary manner can lead to fatigue in the installer's hand and a consequent loss of productivity.

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