Twin-vee ceiling hanger clip

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for insulating a covered patio by supporting insulation upon ceiling panels depending from clamps engaged in the apices of a twin-vee roof. The roof engaging elements of the clamp include a diagonal face plate with a gripping extended edge and a set screw threadedly engaged through said diagonal face plate. These elements are disposed so that the gripping edge of the diagonal plate and the leading edge of the set screw engage opposite vertical faces of the receiving slot at an apex of a roofing panel. The head of the set screw is accessible when the clamp is in place and tightening the set screw secures the clamp to the roofing panels and lodges the clamp in place by establishing sufficient force to the opposing walls adjacent the closed top of the slot. The depending end of the clamp carries mean of connection with the ceiling panels and this connection establishes the cavity into which the insulation is placed.

BACKGROUND 
It is currently a popular practice to enlcose existing covered patios of 
residential construction in order to add a sun room or a small room of 
some other utility. However, rising energy costs have radically changed 
the economic practicalities of enclosing patios to establish rooms of 
year-round use in all but the most moderate of climates. This change 
mandates that the enclosed areas be provided with some insulation and one 
of the greatest, as well as least necessary, losses is through the 
ceilings of these rooms where the room is converted from a covered patio 
simply by adding windows or walls to the existing roof. The popularity of 
patio conversions and the need for insulating the ceilings of these 
enclosures have combined to create a demand for a insulation system 
compatible with the common existing roofs of covered patios and of earlier 
conversions not yet insulated. These non-insulated roofs are typically 
constructed of "twin-vee" panels. 
Thus the real need is for a system which is compatible with twin-vee roof 
panels already in place. The system should provide for easily forming a 
cavity between the existing roof and a suspended ceiling into which 
insulation is placed and should securely support the insulation and the 
ceiling. Further, the ceiling support members should easily interface with 
the existing roof, attaching without the need for special tools, without 
placing holes through the roof, and without supporting framework that 
would drop the already low ceiling materially below the level required by 
the desired depth of insulation. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for insulating a 
covered patio by supporting insulation upon ceiling panels depending from 
clamps engaged in the apices of a twin-vee roof. The apices of the 
twin-vee configuration are closed longitudinal slots having substantially 
vertical walls. Further, twin-vee panels themselves interconnect at 
alternate ribs with overlapping flanges. And at these slots a re-entering 
angle of the inside flange alters one of the vertical walls of the slot by 
providing a slight longitudinal recess and an adjacent projection. This 
recess and projection are utilized at the apices of roofing panel 
interconnection to form a particularly secure clamp to roof connection. 
The roof engaging elements of the clamp include a diagonal face plate with 
a gripping extended edge and a set screw threadingly engaged through said 
diagonal face plate. These elements are disposed so that the gripping edge 
of the diagonal plate and the leading edge of the set screw engage 
opposite vertical faces of the receiving slot at an apex of a roofing 
panel. The head of the set screw is accessible when the clamp is in place 
and tightening the set screw secures the clamp to the roofing panels and 
lodges the clamp in place by establishing sufficient force to the opposing 
walls adjacent the closed top of the slot. 
The depending end of the clamp carries means of connection with the ceiling 
panels and this connection establishes the cavity into which the 
insulation is placed. The ceiling panels also provide the visible 
finishing in the completed room. 
In a particularly effective embodiment of the connection system, the 
depending clamp divides into a bifurcated set of clip rail engaging 
gripping elements. Clip rails are then snapped into place transverse to 
the roofing panels between the gripping members of a plurality of aligned 
clamps. The rails carry cushioned beads and the rails are pushed into 
engagement with the clamps until the cushioned bead is held into contact 
with the lower-most surface of the troughs of the roofing panels. Secure 
against the roofing panels and within the clamps, the clip is ready to 
receive suspension clips within longitudinal receiving tracks on the 
underside of the rail. One end of the suspension clip extends horizontally 
and this is threaded into the track where it is securely suspended, yet 
slidably fixed. The depending end of the suspension clip is trifurcated 
with two vertical extensions on either side of a cantilevered spring 
prong. This depending clip end receives the lateral edges of the ceiling 
panel between the vertical extensions and the prong which, together, 
secure the ceiling to the roof. This clip and track arrangement allows 
greater latitude in the alignment of the ceiling panels to the roofing 
panels and allows less stressful relative displacement due to varying 
thermal expansions of the roof and ceiling. 
Insulation is placed between the roof and the suspended ceiling where it is 
supported by the ceiling panels without further structural support.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross section of a twin-vee roofing configuration 
commonly used to cover patios, see generally roof 10. Twin-vee roof 10 is 
formed of roofing panels 12 which are fashioned into alternating ribs 14 
and troughs 16. The illustrated section of roof 10 incorporates portions 
of three panels, designated 12A, 12B and 12C, here shown connected 
together as they would appear in a standard roof before insulation. The 
illustrated segment of roof 10 has three ribs 14 and the underside of each 
of these ribs rises to an apex 18. Thus three apices, here 18A, 18B and 
18C are illustrated in FIG. 1. Each of apices 18 has the general 
configuration of a slot 20 having substantially vertical walls 22, a 
closed top 24, an open bottom 26, and each runs the length of the panel. 
Insulation is placed between the roof and the suspended ceiling where it is 
supported by the ceiling panels without further structural support. 
Apices 18A and 18C are formed by the interconnection of roofing panels 12A 
and 12C, respectively, to roofing panel 12B on opposing sides thereof. 
Joints 28 formed at these interconnections are fastened and sealed by 
outside flanges 30, here carried on panels 12B and 12C, wrapping about 
inside flanges 32, here carried on panels 12A and 12B. The leading edge of 
the inside flanges form projections 34 which are curled to a re-entrant 
angle that aids in engaging the outside flange about them. Further, inside 
flanges 32 are extended slightly where they engage a recess in the outer 
flange 30 and this extension presents a recess 36 in one of vertical walls 
22 in slot 20. This recess and projection combination runs the length of 
the joined panels and although merely a slight channel-like irregularity 
in the symmetry of an uninsulated twin-vee roof, the present invention is 
hereinafter shown to effectively utilize this incidental irregularity to 
securely depend the insulation and ceiling. 
FIG. 2 is a cross-section of the twin-vee roofing system 10 to which an 
insulation system has been added. Clamps 40 seat in slots 20 of apices 18 
and these clamps provide the support for ceiling panels 42. Insulation 44 
is disposed in the cavity created between ceiling panels 42 and roofing 
panels 12. In the prefered embodiment, the ceiling panels are connected to 
clamps 40 through suspension clips 46 and clip rails 48. 
The roof engaging end of clamp 40 carries a diagonal plate 50 having an 
extended leading or engaging edge 52. Further, set screw 54 projects 
upward through diagonal plate 50 through which it is threadedly engaged. 
In the prefered embodiment diagonal plate 50 is skirted with reinforcing 
side plates 56 which have notches 58 immediately below engaging edge 52 of 
diagonal plate 50. These side plates strengthen the angular integrity of 
the diagonal plate by stablizing the connection of the diagonal plate 
through front plate 60 to body 62 of clamp 40. 
Notches 58 in the side of plates 56 allow the exploitation of the recess 
36-projection 34 combinations available at apices 18A and 18C of FIG. 2 
where panels 12A and 12B, and 12B and 12C are interconnected. 
The seating at an interconnection apex such as apices 18A and 18C is much 
more secure because engaging edge 52 of diagonal plate 50 projects into 
recess 36 and rests upon projection 34. Set screw 54 is tightened against 
the slot wall opposite the recess-projection and presses the engaging edge 
of the diagonal plate into secure engagement. The smoother vertical walls 
of the slot in apex 18B do not offer any irregularities such as the 
recess-projection combination of apices 18A and 18B, nevertheless the 
set-screw and the engaging edge of diagonal plate 50 sustains sufficient 
pressure against the opposing slot walls 22 to retain a fully loaded clamp 
40 in place. 
The preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 uses clip rails 48 attached 
to the body of clamps 40. These rail clips run transverse to ribs 14 of 
roofing 10 and are held tightly against trough 16 of roofing 10 by clamps 
40. Suspension clips 46 depend from tracks 76 formed in the underside of 
clip rails 48 where they are slidably engaged and the suspended end grasps 
flanges 64 of ceiling panels 42 between extensions 66 and prong 68. 
Thus, the ceiling is suspended from the roofing and the space therebetween 
receives insulation and in this manner an existing patio roof is 
effectively utilized in the conversion of a covered patio into an enclosed 
room. 
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the present invention illustrating the 
separated elements in a perspective view. This Figure is particularly 
useful in teaching the prefered embodiment of clamp 40. Note the 
reinforcement to diagonal plate 50 by side plates 56 in the connection of 
these and front plate 60 to main body 62 of the clamp, here a bifurated 
array of opposing rail engaging daggers 70. Note also the accessability of 
set screw 54 between side plates 56. 
The first step in insulating a previously installed twin-vee roof is the 
installation of clamps 40 into apices 18. The clamps are aligned into 
series of sets that run beneath roof 10 transverse to ribs 14 and troughs 
16. The clamps are simply held in place while set screws 54 are tightened. 
Clip rails 48 are then lifted into engagement with the series of aligned 
clamps where they are received between the bifurcated dagger carrying 
sides of body 62 of each clamp. These daggers allow the clip rail to be 
pushed into engagement with clamp 40 until cushion bead 72 is pressed 
firmly against the underside of troughes 16 between clamps 40. The upward 
pressure against the clip rail is then released and flanges 74 of clip 
rail 48 fall into daggers 70. Daggers 70 are disposed to allow upward 
passage of the clip rail but engage flanges 74 to prevent withdrawal and 
the clip rail is secured in this engagement by gravity and the resilience 
in compressed cushion bead 72. 
The underside of the mounted clip rails 48 present longitudinal tracks 76 
which slidably receive suspension clips 46. A number of suspension clips 
are slid into tracks 76 to correspond to the lateral edges of adjacent 
ceiling panels 42. Ceiling panels 42 are arranged parallel to roofing 
panels 12 and transverse to the slidable freedom of the clip rails and 
this freedom allows some latitude in alignment of ceiling panels beneath 
the roofing panels during installation. The ceiling panels in FIGS. 2 and 
3 are installed from left to right. A ceiling panel is lifted into place, 
suspension clips are aligned to receive it, and flanges 64 of the ceiling 
panels are pushed into engagement between extensions 66 and prong 68 on 
the depending end of suspension clip 46. Insulation is then inserted into 
the cavity created between the roof and the installed ceiling panel. The 
next ceiling panel is similarly installed and its adjoining lateral edge 
carries a flange 64 which nests within flange 64 of the last previously 
installed panel. Insulation is then inserted between the roof and the 
panel and the process is repeated across the conventional room. 
In this manner, the twin-vee ceiling is economically and conveniently 
provided with insulation without using special tools or placing holes in 
the roof.