Method of producing suspended ceiling runners

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING FROM A CONTINUOUS STRIP OF SHEET MATERIAL, SUSPENDED CEILING STRUCTURE RUNNERS OF GENERALLY INVERTED T-SHAPED HAVING AN UPRIGHT WEB PORTION OF DOUBLE THICKNESS PROVIDED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS WITH CONNECTING MEANS FORMED FROM A SINGLE THICKNESS OF THE WEB PORTION, AND A CROSS PORTION PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CAP STRIP, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF REMOVING LATERALLY SPACED PORTIONS OF A STRIP OF SHEET MATERIAL DISPOSED AT POINTS LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID STRIP AT WHICH THE LATTER IS TO BE SEVERED TO FORM ADJACENT ENDS OF A PAIR OF RUNNERS, HAVING CONNECTING MEANS FOR EACH RUNNER END THEREAT, WITH THE CONNECTING MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN LATERALLY ADJACENT POSITIONS AND THE OPENINGS SO FORMED DEFINING STRIPS INTERMEDIATE SAID ADJACENT CONNECTING MEANS AND AT EACH LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE RUNNER BLANKS WITH SAID STRIPS CONNECTING THE END PORTIONS OF THE PARTIALLY BLANKED RUNNER ENDS, BENDING THE BLANKED STRIP ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE THEREOF TO FORM THE RUNNER WEB PORTION WITH THE PORTIONS OF THE SHEET MATERIAL DISPOSED IN ABUTTING PARALLEL RELATION TO FORM THE WEB PORTIONS OF DOUBLE THICKNESS AND DISPOSE THE RESPECTIVE CONNECTING MEANS IN OVERLAPPING RELATION, BENDING THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF THE STRIP TO FORM FLANGES LYING IN A COMMON PLANE WHICH COMPRISE THE RESPECTIVE CROSS PORTIONS OF THE RUNNERS, SECURING A CAP STRIP TO SAID CROSS PORTION AND CUTTING SAID CONNECTING STRIPS AND SAID CAP STRIP TO SEVER THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE RUNNERS THUS FORMED.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING FROM A CONTINUOUS STRIP OF SHEET MATERIAL, SUSPENDED CEILING STRUCTURE RUNNERS OF GENERALLY INVERTED T-SHAPED HAVING AN UPRIGHT WEB PORTION OF DOUBLE THICKNESS PROVIDED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS WITH CONNECTING MEANS FORMED FROM A SINGLE THICKNESS OF THE WEB PORTION, AND A CROSS PORTION PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING CAP STRIP, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF REMOVING LATERALLY SPACED PORTIONS OF A STRIP OF SHEET MATERIAL DISPOSED AT POINTS LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID STRIP AT WHICH THE LATTER IS TO BE SEVERED TO FORM ADJACENT ENDS OF A PAIR OF RUNNERS, HAVING CONNECTING MEANS FOR EACH RUNNER END THEREAT, WITH THE CONNECTING MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN LATERALLY ADJACENT POSITIONS AND THE OPENINGS SO FORMED DEFINING STRIPS INTERMEDIATE SAID ADJACENT CONNECTING MEANS AND AT EACH LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE RUNNER BLANKS WITH SAID STRIPS CONNECTING THE END PORTIONS OF THE PARTIALLY BLANKED RUNNER ENDS, BENDING THE BLANKED STRIP ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL CENTER LINE THEREOF TO FORM THE RUNNER WEB PORTION WITH THE PORTIONS OF THE SHEET MATERIAL DISPOSED IN ABUTTING PARALLEL RELATION TO FORM THE WEB PORTIONS OF DOUBLE THICKNESS AND DISPOSE THE RESPECTIVE CONNECTING MEANS IN OVERLAPPING RELATION, BENDING THE LONGITUDINAL EDGE PORTIONS OF THE STRIP TO FORM FLANGES LYING IN A COMMON PLANE WHICH COMPRISE THE RESPECTIVE CROSS PORTIONS OF THE RUNNERS, SECURING A CAP STRIP TO SAID CROSS PORTION AND CUTTING SAID CONNECTING STRIPS AND SAID CAP STRIP TO SEVER THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE RUNNERS THUS FORMED.