Connector-spacer and floor construction using same

Claim 1

A floor construction comprising: a plurality of channel members arranged in parallel relation; at least one bottom connector fastening the bottom portions of said channel members together in spaced relation to provide a substantially unobstructed passage between each immediately adjacent pair of channel members; and at least one top connector for holding the top portions of said channel members together in spaced relation, said top connector comprising a main body, and a plurality of spacing means each extending downwardly from said main body into an associated passage and having a height which is a small fractional part of the height of its associated passage, and means fastening said top connector to associated ones of said channel members, wherein each channel member is made of a resilient material providing a normal resiliency therefor and comprises a bight defining a top load-carrying wall, a pair of downwardly extending side walls adjoining opposite side edges of said top load-carrying wall, and a pair of inwardly directed fastening flanges each adjoining a lower edge portion of an associated wall and extending inwardly toward the other flange, each channel member having a width between the lower edges of its side walls which is no greater than the width of its top loadcarrying wall; and said bottom connector comprising a main body and a plurality of upwardly and laterally extending fastening legs each defining a recess which has an associated fastening flange of a channel member received therewithin.