Ventilating air distributing channel

Claim 2

In a suspended ceiling air-distributing apparatus including a supporting grid of spaced rails and ceiling panels arranged in a plane and supported by said grid to form a suspended Ceiling, the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises means spanning the distance between two adjacent rails of said grid and supported solely thereby, said means comprising two identical bars of a length approximately equal to the distance between supporting rails, said bars having conformations on a side thereof defining at least partially enclosed ways, and a single bracket at each end of said bars, each bracket having wings received in the ways of the respective bars to space and hold the two bars a given distance apart to form an air-distributing channel and an integral clip portion engaging adjacent grid rails for supporting said channel therebetween and in said grid.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the grid rails are inverted tees and the clip portion of each bracket has grippers that extend over and about the top of the engaged tee, said grippers being off center and spaced from each other an amount such that when two brackets are hooked over the tee at the same location therein but from opposite sides said grippers will interdigitate and align the centers of the two brackets with each other.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein the inverted tee rails have bulbous tops and said grippers of said clip portions of said brackets fit around and grip the bulbous tops of said inverted tee rails including under portions thereof.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 and including an air duct approximately equal in length to that of said channel, said duct being fastened to said channel along the top thereof and having an opening along its bottom for air flow connection of said duct with said channel.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and including an air duct approximately equal in length to that of said channel, said duct comprising resilient fiberglass ducting formed into an inverted roughly U-shaped and each bar is provided with spaced arms forming a groove opening outwardly from said channel and extending the length of said bar, the edge portions of said duct projecting into and compressed within the respective bars whereby to sealingly connect said duct with said channel.

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 and including means for positively holding said edge portions of said duct in said grooves.

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 and including a duct retainer arranged in each said groove between the fiberglass ducting and the outer arm of each set of groove-defining arms, said retainer comprising an elongated sheet material member having a generally L-shaped cross section and prongs extending inwardly from the back thereof into said ducting to hold the same in fixed position relative to said retainer.

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein said outer arm has an inwardly projecting shoulder extending along the length of the edge thereof and said retainer has a longitudinal detent which engages said shoulder when said edge portions of said duct and said retainers are fully inserted into said grooves.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein the upper edge portion of said retainer extends beyond the edge of said outer arm whereby said retainer may be disengaged from said shoulder and withdrawn from said groove along with said duct.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and including an air spreader arranged along the bottom of said channel and extending the length thereof, said spreader having a solid median portion and being open along each side of said median portion whereby to deflect air flowing downwardly through said channel and direct it to flow laterally along under the ceiling, said median portion having a downwardly opening groove centrally therein adapted to receive and laterally support the top of a wall structure.

Claim 12

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and including inner flanges extending toward each other from the bottom portions of said bars but leaving an air gap therebetween, and a shutter slideably mounted on each of said inner flanges and adapted tO vary the size of said air gap.

Claim 13

Apparatus in accordance with claim 11 and including an air spreader arranged along the bottom of said channel and extending the length thereof, said spreader having a solid median portion and being open along each side of said median portion whereby to deflect air flowing downwardly through said channel and direct it to flow laterally along under the ceiling, said spreader having a divider extending upwardly therefrom along the median thereof to the level of said inner flanges whereby to form with said shutters means for controlling the flow of air through said gap to the respective sides of said divider and spreader.

Claim 14

Apparatus in accordance with claim 12 wherein the median portion of said face plate is formed to define a downwardly opening groove adapted to receive and laterally support the top portion of a wall structure.

Claim 15

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 and including an air spreader arranged along the bottom of said channel and extending the length thereof, said spreader comprising a horizontal plate narrower than the width of said channel and positioned midway between said bars to provide air flow slots along each side of said spreader, and means for supporting said spreader from the same grid rails that support said channel.

Claim 16

Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein said spreader supporting means comprises a pair of brackets respectively secured to the respective ends of said spreader and seated upon said grid rails.

Claim 17

Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 and including a pair of flanges attached to said plate along the median thereof and extending respectively outwardly in spaced relation above said plate to provide a horizontal way between each said flange and said plate, said bracket having a pair of horizontal prongs received and snugly held within respective ways in said spreader to support the same.

Claim 18

Apparatus in accordance with claim 15 wherein said spreader supporting means comprises a pair of brackets respectively secured to the respective ends of said spreader and seated upon said grid rails, said brackets having vertical back portions the upper edges of which engage the under surfaces of said inner flanges to prevent upward movement of said spreader.

Claim 19

Apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein said bars have inner flanges extending toward each other from the bottom portions of said bars but leaving an air gap therebetween, a shutter slideably mounted on each of said inner flanges and adapted to vary the size of said gap, said spreader having a divider extending upwardly therefrom along the median thereof to the level of said inner flanges whereby to form with said shutters means for controlling the flow of air through said gap to the respective air flow slots.

Claim 20

Apparatus in accordance with claim 18 and including a pair of flanges extending outwardly from said divider in spaced relation to said plate to form a horizontal way on each side of said divider, said bracket having a pair of horizontal prongs received and snugly held within respective ways in said spreader to support the same. 20 Air distributing apparatus installed in a suspended ceiling comprising a supporting grid of spaced rails having horizontal flanges supporting ceiling panels arranged in a plane to form the ceiling, said apparatus comprising an air-distributing channel having openings along the top and bottom thereof for the flow of air downwardly therethrough and horizontal flanges extending outwardly along the bottom of said channel at the level of and abutting said rail flanges for supporting said ceiling panels, a bracket attached to each end of said channel and engaging a grid rail to support said channel therefrom, said brackets having grippers extending over the tops of said rails spaced and arranged to interdigitate with the grippers of a mating bracket on the opposite side of the same rail to exactly align said mating brackets, said channel having internal flanges extending Inwardly toward each other along the bottom thereof but leaving an air flow gap therebetween, adjustable shutters arranged on said internal flanges to control the width of said gap and thus the flow of air therethrough, an apertured cap extending subjacent said channel throughout the length thereof and along under said grid rails and supported from said channel, said cap having a solid median portion and a vertical divider rising therefrom to the level of said gap, said channel having a pair of spaced arms rising upwardly and outwardly along each side of said channel to provide grooves for receiving the edge portions of an air flow duct, a duct supported by and extending the length of said channel and opening downwardly thereinto, and means for demountably and sealingly holding edge portions of said duct in said grooves.

Claim 21

Air distributing apparatus installed in a suspended ceiling comprising a supporting grid of spaced rails having horizontal flanges supporting ceiling panels arranged in a plane to form the ceiling, said apparatus comprising an air-distributing channel having openings along the top and bottom thereof for the flow of air downwardly therethrough and horizontal flanges extending outwardly along the bottom of said channel at the level of and abutting said rail flanges for supporting said ceiling panels, a bracket attached to each end of said channel and engaging a grid rail to support said channel therefrom, said brackets having grippers extending over the tops of said rails spaced and arranged to interdigitate with the grippers of a mating bracket on the opposite side of the same rail to exactly align said mating brackets, an air spreader arranged along the bottom of said channel and extending the length thereof, said spreader comprising a horizontal plate narrower than the width of said channel and positioned at the level of said channel and grid rail flanges midway between the sides of said channel to provide air flow slots along each side of said spreader, said channel having internal flanges extending inwardly toward each other from the lower part of said channel but leaving an air flow gap therebetween, adjustable shutters arranged on said internal flanges to control the width of said air gap and thus the flow of air therethrough, said spreader having a vertical divider rising along the median thereof to the level of said internal flanges, a bracket attached to each end of said spreader and seated upon the same grid rails that support said channel, said brackets having a back which fits snugly between said inner flanges and said horizontal flanges of said grid rails to prevent vertical movement of said spreader and which fits snugly between the sides of said channel to prevent lateral movement of said spreader, said channel having a pair of spaced arms rising upwardly and outwardly along each side of said channel to provide grooves for receiving the edge portions of an air flow duct, a duct supported by and extending the length of said channel and opening downwardly thereinto, and means for demountably and sealingly holding edge portions of said duct in said grooves.

Claim 22

Air distributing apparatus installed in a suspended ceiling comprising a supporting grid of spaced rails having horizontal flanges supporting ceiling panels arranged in a plane to form the ceiling, said apparatus comprising an air-distributing channel having openings along the top and bottom thereof for the flow of air downwardly therethrough and horizontal flanges extending outwardly along the bottom of said channel at the level of and abutting said rail flanges for supporting said ceiling panels, a bracket attached to each end of said channel and engaging a grid rail to support said channel therefrom, said brackets having grippers extending over the tops of said rails spaced and arranged to interdigitate with the grippers of a mating bracket on the opposite side of the same rail to exactly align said mating brackets, an air spreader arranged along the bottom of said channel and extending the length thereof, said spreader comprising a horizontal plate narrower than the width of said channel and positioned at the level of said channel and grid rail flanges midway between the sides of said channel to provide air flow slots along each side of said spreader, said channel having internal flanges extending inwardly toward each other from the lower part of said channel but leaving an air flow gap therebetween, adjustable shutters arranged on said internal flanges to control the width of said air gap and thus the flow of air therethrough, said spreader having a vertical divider rising along the median thereof to the level of said internal flanges, a bracket attached to each end of said spreader and seated upon the same grid rails that support said channel, said brackets having a back which fits snugly between said inner flanges and said horizontal flanges of said grid rails to prevent vertical movement of said spreader and which fits snugly between the sides of said channel to prevent lateral movement of said spreader, said channel having a pair of spaced arms rising upwardly and outwardly along each side of said channel to provide grooves for receiving the edge portions of an air flow duct, a duct supported by and extending the length of said channel and opening downwardly thereinto, and means for demountably and sealingly holding edge portions of said duct in said grooves.