Structural retainer clip

Claim 2

A sheet metal retainer clip comprising a channel shape clip element of hardened, resilient material for embracing a corrugation of a corrugated deck, said clip having opposed side flanges for resiliently gripping the side walls of the corrugation and a base portion extending between said side flanges, said base portion being formed by a flat center section and flat side sections sloping outwardly from said center section at a small, acute angle and integrally joined to said side flanges at a much greater angle to the plane of said center section, said side flanges extending from said base portion a substantially greater distance than the depth of said base portion with its sloping side sections anD having inwardly extending sharp, pointed teeth directed toward said base portion engaging the side walls of the corrugation, said base when flattened against the bottom of said corrugation exerting a stress on said flanges to increase the engagement of said teeth, and a connector element fixed to said center section and extending from the center section of said base portion in the opposite direction from said side flanges and having retainer means spaced from said base portion to retain an article for connection to said support member.

Claim 3

A sheet metal retainer clip as claimed in claim 1, in which said clip element is formed from one piece of sheet metal and is hardened to provide resilience and to harden the pointed teeth.

Claim 4

A sheet metal retainer clip comprising a channel shape clip element of resilient sheet metal having opposed side flanges for resiliently gripping a support member and a base portion extending between said side flanges, said base portion being formed by a flat center section and flat side sections integrally connected to and sloping outwardly from said center section at a small, acute angle to the plane of said center section and integrally joined to said side flanges by curved portions and at a much greater angle, said side flanges extending from said base portion a substantially greater distance than the depth of said base portion with its sloping side sections and having inwardly extending sharp, pointed teeth directed toward said base portion, and a connector element fixed to said center section and extending in the opposite direction from said side flanges and having retainer means at its opposite end to retain an article for connection to said support member.

Claim 5

A sheet metal retainer clip comprising a channel shape clip element of resilient sheet metal having opposed side flanges for resiliently gripping a support member and a base portion extending between said side flanges, said base portion being formed by a flat center section and flat side sections integrally connected to and sloping outwardly from said center section at a small, acute angle to the plane of said center section and integrally joined to said side flanges by curved portions and at a much greater angle, said side flanges extending from said base portion a substantially greater distance than the depth of said base portion with its sloping side sections and having inwardly extending sharp, pointed teeth directed toward said base portion, and a connector element fixed to said center section and extending in the opposite direction from said side flanges and having retainer means at its opposite end to retain an article for connection to said support member.

Claim 6

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 3, in which said clip is forced on a structure under pressure to engage the central section with the support structure and to flatten said base and thereby increase the grip of said teeth on said structure.

Claim 7

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which said retainer means are two flat legs extending in opposite directions perpendicular to said connector element.

Claim 8

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which said connector element is formed by two telescoping members, said members having interengaging projections and recesses.

Claim 9

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which the connector element comprises an integral flange perpendicular to said center section.

Claim 10

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which said connector element is formed as a flat tab struck out of said center section and bent at a right angle to said center section.

Claim 11

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which said connector element and retainer means are integral with said clip element formed out of one piece of sheet metal with said clip element.

Claim 12

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which said center section is formed with a strip raised above the body of the section and the connector element has an end bent at a right angle to underlie the strip and is formed with projections to engage opposite edges of said strip to hold said connector portion to said clip element.

Claim 13

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which said center section has an apertured raised portion, and said connector element has an end bent at right angles to underlie said raised portion and is formed with projections engaging in the aperture of said center section.

Claim 14

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which the connector element is formed separately from said clip element, said center section and said connector element being formed with interengaging abutments.

Claim 15

A retainer clip as claimed in claim 4, in which said center section is apertured, and the connector element is formed with projections passed through said center section and bent over to secure the connector element to the clip element.

Claim 16

In a building structure, a corrugated structure having corrugations each of which has side walls converging outwardly and a Flat intermediate base, a sheet metal panel retainer clip comprising a clip element secured to said corrugation having a base in contact with the base wall of said corrugation and two side flanges on opposite sides of said base in engagement with the side walls of said corrugation, said base being formed of a central section and side sections joining said side flanges to said central section, said side flanges having opposed, inwardly extending, sharp, pointed teeth directed toward the base of the clip element with their points frictionally engaging said side walls, a connecting element extending from the central section of the base of said clip in the opposite direction from said flanges, and retainer means on the other end of said connecting element to secure a member to said corrugated structure, the base of said channel shape clip element being normally inclined slightly in opposite directions from its central section toward the side flanges, said base of said clip being flattened into a plane in contact with said base wall of said corrugation to stress the inwardly diverging side flanges of said clip element in contact with said outwardly converging side walls and increase their frictional engagement of said teeth with the side walls of said corrugation.

Claim 17

In a building structure, a corrugated structure having corrugations each of which has side walls converging outwardly and a Flat intermediate base, a sheet metal panel retainer clip comprising a clip element secured to said corrugation having a base in contact with the base wall of said corrugation and two side flanges on opposite sides of said base in engagement with the side walls of said corrugation, said base being formed of a central section and side sections joining said side flanges to said central section, said side flanges having opposed, inwardly extending, sharp, pointed teeth directed toward the base of the clip element with their points frictionally engaging said side walls, a connecting element extending from the central section of the base of said clip in the opposite direction from said flanges, and retainer means on the other end of said connecting element to secure a member to said corrugated structure, the base of said channel shape clip element being normally inclined slightly in opposite directions from its central section toward the side flanges, said base of said clip being flattened into a plane in contact with said base wall of said corrugation to stress the inwardly diverging side flanges of said clip element in contact with said outwardly converging side walls and increase their frictional engagement of said teeth with the side walls of said corrugation.

Claim 18

In a building structure, as claimed in claim 14, in which the side sections of said base are joined to said side flanges by curved portions.