Interior ceiling panel support

Claim 2

In building structures constructed with purlins having a lower horizontal element with a raised toe, a support member to hold interior ceiling sheets across the roof between the purlins comprising: (a) a metal member having a width and a length at least equal to the distance center to center of adjacent purlins plus sufficient additional length to allow bearing of one end of the member on the top of the toe of the lower horizontal of a purlin, (b) wherein the member is formed in an inverted U-shaped cross-section extending essentially the entire length of the member with inside angles of the U-shape being concave extending all the way to the end of the support member which rests on the lower horizontal of the purlin, (c) wherein the other end of the support member is formed across its width as a hook to slip over the upraised toe of the purlin comprising: (i) an upright element coextensive with the width of a flattened portion of the other end of the U-shaped member structurally attached and extending at an angle from the horizontal plane of the top of the inverted U-shaped member equal to or greater than the angle of the upraised toe from the lower horizontal of the purlin, (ii) a horizontal element coextensive with the width of the flattened portion of the U-shaped member structurally attached and extending from the top of the upright element back toward and almost parallel to the top of the metal member, the horizontal element being angled slightly downwardly toward the top to form the hook shape, and (d) wherein the vertical opening between the top of the inverted U-shaped member and the exposed end of the horizontal element is greater than the vertical distance between the top of the upraised toe and the bottom of the lower horizontal of the purlin.

Claim 3

The support member of claim 1 wherein the flattened portion of the other end of the inverted U-shaped member is angled downwardly from the horizontal line of the top of the U-shaped member to the point where the upright element turns upwardly to form a spring member.

Claim 4

The support member of claim 1 wherein the angle of the upright element is in the range of five to 30 degrees.

Claim 5

The support member of claim 1 wherein the vertical distance between the inside corner between the upright element and the horizontal element and the line of a horizontal extension of the top of the inverted U-shaped member is less than the outside vertical dimension between the top of the upraised toe and the bottom of the lower horizontal of the purlin.

Claim 6

The support member of claim 1 wherein the concave angle of the inside angle of the U-shaped cross-section is greater than 90 degrees but less than 110 degrees.

Claim 7

The support member of claim 4 wherein the concave angle is about 100 degrees.

Claim 8

The support member of claim 1 wherein the angle of the upright element is about 35 to 60 degrees above the horizontal line extension from the top of the metal member.

Claim 9

The support member of claim 7 wherein the horizontal element is angled downwardly from the parallel configuration to an angle less than 10 degrees.

Claim 10

The support member of claim 7 wherein the horizontal element is angled downwardly from the parallel configuration to an angle in the range of one to five degrees.

Claim 11

In a building structure, constructed with purlins having a lower horizontal extension with the raised toe at the exposed end of the lower horizontal member, a support member to hold interior ceiling sheets across the roof between adjacent purlins comprising (a) a metal member having a width and a length at least equal to the distance center to center of adjacent purlins plus sufficient additional length to allow one end of the member to bear on the raised toe of the purlin, (b) wherein the metal member is formed in an inverted U-shaped cross-section extending essentially the entire length of the member with inside angles of the U-shape being concave and extending all the way to the end of the metal member which rests on the top of the purlin, (c) wherein the other end of the metal member is flattened across its width to form a hook to slip over the upraised toe of the purlin from below comprising (i) the flattened portion of the metal member near the end on which the hook is formed is angled downwardly from a horizontal line of the top of the inverted U-shape to form a spring element, (ii) the flattened member is angled upwardly coextensively with the width to an angle with the horizontal extension of the plane of the top of the inverted U-shape, the angle being equal to or greater than the angle of the upraised toe from the lower horizontal member of the purlin, and (iii) a horizontal extension, coextensive with the full width structurally attached and extending from the top of the upright element back toward and almost parallel to the top of the metal member, the horizontal extension being angled slightly downward toward the top of the metal member to form the hook shape, (d) wherein the vertical opening between the downwardly angled spring element and the exposed end of the horizontal element is greater than the outside vertical dimensional distance between the top of the upraised toe and the bottom of the lower horizontal member of the purlin, and (e) wherein the vertical distance between the inside corner between the upright element and the horizontal element and the plane of a horizontal extension of the top of the inverted U-shaped member is less than the outside vertical dimension between the top of the upraised toe and the bottom of the lower horizontal member of the purlin.

Claim 12

In a building structure, constructed with purlins having a lower horizontal extension with the raised toe at the exposed end of the lower horizontal member, a support member to hold interior ceiling sheets across the roof between adjacent purlins comprising (a) a metal member having a width and a length at least equal to the distance center to center of adjacent purlins plus sufficient additional length to allow one end of the member to bear on the raised toe of the purlin, (b) wherein the metal member is formed in an inverted U-shaped cross-section extending essentially the entire length of the member with inside angles of the U-shape being concave and extending all the way to the end of the metal member which rests on the top of the purlin, (c) wherein the other end of the metal member is flattened across its width to form a hook to slip over the upraised toe of the purlin from below comprising (i) the flattened portion of the metal member near the end on which the hook is formed is angled downwardly from a horizontal line of the top of the inverted U-shape to form a spring element, (ii) the flattened member is angled upwardly coextensively with the width to an angle with the horizontal extension of the plane of the top of the inverted U-shape, the angle being equal to or greater than the angle of the upraised toe from the lower horizontal member of the purlin, and (iii) a horizontal extension, coextensive with the full width structurally attached and extending from the top of the upright element back toward and almost parallel to the top of the metal member, the horizontal extension being angled slightly downward toward the top of the metal member to form the hook shape, (d) wherein the vertical opening between the downwardly angled spring element and the exposed end of the horizontal element is greater than the outside vertical dimensional distance between the top of the upraised toe and the bottom of the lower horizontal member of the purlin, and (e) wherein the vertical distance between the inside corner between the upright element and the horizontal element and the plane of a horizontal extension of the top of the inverted U-shaped member is less than the outside vertical dimension between the top of the upraised toe and the bottom of the lower horizontal member of the purlin.