Patent Abstract:
A clip for attaching the end of a grid tee to a wall angle. The clip, in various forms, is arranged to frictionally lock between the hem of the horizontal leg of the wall angle and the vertical leg. The clip, typically, has a pair of opposed open hems forming channels in which the flange of the tee end is received to join the tee to the clip. The clip can be elongated horizontally to accommodate movement of the grid during seismic activity. The clip can be used to trim the edges of a ceiling island and can be made to accommodate angular intersections of the grid with a wall or island edge.

Full Description:
[0001]    The invention relates to suspended ceiling grid and, more particularly, to a clip for attaching grid tee ends to wall molding. 
       PRIOR ART 
       [0002]    Suspended ceiling grid is normally made up of inverted tee shaped runners or tees that are arranged in a rectangular open grid pattern. Commonly, the ends of the tees, where they intersect with a wall, are simply laid onto the horizontal leg of a wall angle or wall molding. The vertical leg of the wall molding extends upwardly from the horizontal leg and is concealed by the horizontal leg and installed ceiling tiles. The vertical leg is nailed or screwed to the wall to support the wall molding and, in turn, the ends of the tees. Since the area of the vertical leg of the wall molding is concealed from view when the ceiling is completed, the fasteners used to secure it to the wall are unseen. 
         [0003]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,715,161, 4,610,562 and 5,046,294 disclose types of clips that are used to attach ends of typical grid tees to wall moldings. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,195,289 and 5,201,787 show a clip used to secure island trim to grid tees. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The invention provides a clip useful with suspended ceiling grid for attaching the ends of grid tees to wall angles or molding at selected or specified locations. The clip is arranged to be joined onto the end of the face or flange of a grid tee. The clip includes a formation, concealed in use, that interengages with the hem of a wall angle and to thereby lock the clip into position on the wall angle. In certain disclosed versions, the entire clip is concealed from view so as to yield an uninterrupted smooth finish on the visible portion of the wall angle and associated end of the tee. 
         [0005]    In a reversal of roles, the clip can be used to mount the wall molding or its equivalent to the ends of the tees where the ceiling is constructed as an “island”. The clip can, additionally, be configured to telescopically support a tee end during seismic disturbances. Still further, the clip can be arranged to receive a grid tee that, by design, intersects the wall molding at an angle other than a right angle. This variable angle clip can be arranged, as mentioned before, to mount a wall molding or its equivalent in an island-like configuration even where the molding is free form or otherwise non-rectangular at the perimeter of the ceiling. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a fragmentary perspective view, looking from above, of a suspended ceiling grid employing the invention; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale, of a first form of a clip for attaching the ends of grid tees to a wall molding; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of the clip of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the clip of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a modified form of the clip; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of another modified form of the clip; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of still another form of the clip specially suited for service in locales where seismic activity concerns exist; 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the clip of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of the clip of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a front elevational end view of the clip of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a clip modified in form from that shown in  FIGS. 7-10 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is a fragmentary perspective view of a clip of modified form for use in instances where a tee intersects a wall molding at an angle other than 90°; 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a plan view of the clip of  FIG. 12 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  is a front end view of the clip of  FIG. 12 ; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 15  is a side elevational view of the clip of  FIG. 12 . 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a portion of a suspended ceiling grid  10  including intersecting tees  11  and a wall angle or wall molding  12 . The tees  11  can be relatively long main tees and relatively short cross tees as is customary. The illustrated tees are of a customary cross-section ( FIG. 2 ) having a lower flange  13 , the underside of which forms the face of the tee visible from below in a room, a vertical stem or web  14  and an upper hollow reinforcing bulb  15 . The wall angle  12  illustrated in the figures has horizontal and vertical legs  17  and  25  of equal length (i.e. lateral width) and are each formed with a hem  16 . Customarily, the wall molding  12  is an elongated roll-formed sheet metal structure having a nominal standardized width. 
         [0022]    As discussed hereinbelow, the ends of the tees  11  that overlie the horizontal leg  17  of the wall molding  12  are attached to the wall molding by individual clips  18 , as suggested in  FIG. 2 . The clip  18 , preferably formed of sheet metal, has a generally horizontal leg  19  and an integral generally vertical leg  20 . At its end or edge remote from the vertical leg  20 , the horizontal leg  19  includes an integral tongue  21 . The tongue  21  extends substantially across the width of the clip, projects lengthwise a short distance from the horizontal leg, and is bent downwardly so that it forms an obtuse angle with the plane of the horizontal leg. The edges of the horizontal leg  19  are folded in the manner of a hem to form opposed channels  22 . The hems, designated  23 , are open sufficiently and their bight areas, designated  24 , are spaced apart sufficiently from one another to receive the flange  13  of the end of an associated tee  11  with sufficient room to enable the tee flange  13  to be received within the hem formed channels  22  without the application of excessive force. The hems  23  are short enough to permit free passage therebetween of the web  14 . For example, where the face of the flange is typically 15/16″ in width, the distance between the bights  24  can provide a lateral clearance of roughly 1/32″. The vertical distance between the hems  23  and main portion or body proper of the horizontal leg  19  can allow for minimal friction or a slight clearance with the thickness of the tee flange. The main portion of the horizontal leg  19  has a pair of laterally spaced holes  27  and the vertical leg  20  has a similar set of laterally spaced holes  28 . 
         [0023]    Ideally, the clip  18  is proportioned so that it snaps in the space included between the two wall molding hems  16 . It can be difficult to precisely form the wall angle  12  so that the hems  16  are precisely open or precisely closed and/or to precisely position the free edges, designated  31 , of the hems  16 . The configuration and proportions of the clip  18  are intended to snap fit into the hem area of the wall molding  12  despite these variations. The tongue  21 , by virtue of its downward inclination is potentially capable of at least partially wedging under the hem  16  of the horizontal wall molding leg  17 . With reference to  FIG. 4 , it will be seen that the generally vertical leg  20  is originally formed with a slightly obtuse angle α of say between about 91° and 101° to the plane of the main body portion of the horizontal leg  19 . The clip  18  is enabled to snap into the space occluded by the hem edges  31  by proportioning the clip  18  so that the distance between the free edge of its tongue  21  and a remote edge  36  of its vertical leg  20 , when the clip is in the free state illustrated in  FIG. 4  is greater than the distance between the free edges  31  of the wall molding hem  16 . In this situation, when the clip  18  is pressed into the space bounded by the wall molding hem free edges  31 , the tongue  21  will lock against the free edge  31  of the horizontal wall molding leg  17  or will slip under its hem  16 . Similarly, the edge  36  will tightly abut the free edge  31  of the hem  16  on the vertical leg  25  or will snap under this hem  16 . Once the clip  18  is snapped in position so that it bears against the wall molding hem edges  31  or slips under one or both of them, the clip will be frictionally retained in its location. A moderate force can be applied to the clip manually to adjust it along the length of the wall angle  12 . 
         [0024]    Ordinarily, the clip  18  can be slipped onto the end of a tee  11  before the clip is installed at a desired location on the wall molding  12 . The clip  18  is installed on the tee by simply slipping or telescoping the clip hems  23  and bights  24  over the lateral extremities of the tee flange  13  enabling these elements to grip the tee and prevent any significant relative movement between the clip and tee apart from telescoping motion along the longitudinal axis of the tee. Where desired, the tee  11  and clip  18  can be completely fixed relative to one another by assembling shallow head rivets or the like through the holes  27  in the main portion  26  of the horizontal clip leg  19  and through corresponding holes in the tee flange  13 , the location and making of which is ordinarily accomplished in the field by the installer. Shallow head fasteners assembled from the visible or face side of the flange  13  through the holes  27  allow these fasteners to exist between the horizontal clip leg  19  and horizontal wall molding leg  17  so that they are concealed from view of an observer looking upwards at a finished ceiling. The clip  18  can be fixed relative to the wall angle or molding  12  by screws, nails, or the like, through one or both of the vertical leg holes  28  and the vertical leg  25  of the wall angle. Fasteners in the clip vertical leg holes  28 , of course, cannot be seen from below the finished ceiling. 
         [0025]    Various modified forms of the clip  18  are illustrated in  FIGS. 5 through 15 . Elements serving the same or essentially same function as that described above in connection with the clip  18  are designated by the same previously used numerals. Elements having different or supplemental functions are ascribed with a third digit number designation. 
         [0026]      FIG. 5  illustrated a clip  118  that is devoid of the vertical leg  20  of the previously described clip  18 . Here, in one approach the length of the clip  118  is such that the distance from the tongue free edge designated  34  to an opposite edge  119  is greater than the distance of a free edge  31  of a wall molding hem  16  (of a horizontal leg  17 ) to the vertical wall molding leg  25 . This extra length between these edges  34  and  119  assures that the tongue  21  will, at least, interfere with the wall molding horizontal leg hem edge  31  or will be caused to slide under it. In either case of interference or fitting below the hem  16 , the tongue  21  will lock the clip  118  in a selected position along the length of a wall molding  12 . The clip  118  is most easily installed by abutting the tongue edge  34  with the wall molding horizontal leg hem edge  31  and then forcing the clip from any inclination downwardly until the edge  119  is adjacent the corner between the horizontal and vertical wall molding legs  17 ,  25 . Once the clip  118  is pressed so that its edge  119  is at or adjacent the corner between the wall molding legs  17 ,  25 , the clip is frictionally locked in position. In an alternative approach, the distance between the free edge  31  of the tongue  21  and the opposite edge  119  can be the same or less than the distance between the inside edge  31  of the hem  16  of the horizontal wall molding leg  17  and the vertical leg  25 . The clip  118  is attached to a grid tee end with shallow head fasteners through holes  27  and aligned holes in the grid tee flange  13 . Where the holes  27  are not used or are omitted, the clip  118  (as well as other clips disclosed herein) can be locked to the grid tee flange  13  by crimping the hems  23  onto the flange. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , a clip  218  differs from the  18  in that it is devoid of the vertical leg  20 , hems  23 , and bights  24 . The clip  218  has an edge  219  corresponding to the edge  119  of the clip  118  of  FIG. 5 . The clip  218  is frictionally locked in position when the tongue edge  34  tightly abuts or slips under the wall molding horizontal leg hem free edge  31  and the edge  219  abuts or is adjacent the corner between the horizontal and vertical legs  17 ,  25  of the wall molding  12 . Spaced holes  27  enable the clip  218  to be locked to the end of an associated tee  11  when screws, rivets or the like, are located in the holes and holes formed in the tee end. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 7-10  illustrate a clip  250  suitable to be used, for instance, where seismic activity may be expected. The clip  250  has an elongated, e.g. 3″ long, horizontal leg  251 . The leg  251  includes a generally planar main body  252  with integral opposed hems  253  and bights  254  along its elongated edges. The hems  253  are open to enable the flange  13  of an end of a tee  11  to freely telescope therein along the longitudinal direction of the tee in the manner of a “trombone”. Like the hems  23  and bights  24  of the clip  18 , the hems  253  and bights  254  are proportioned to allow passage of the tee web  14  therebetween and limit relative motion between the clip  250  and tee  11  to longitudinal motion. 
         [0029]    The clip  250  has the geometry of the tongue  21  and relative geometry between the plane of the horizontal leg  19  and vertical leg edge  36  as described in connection with the clip  18  of  FIGS. 2 through 4 . Depending on where the end of the tee  11  is positioned, i.e. that dictated by the selected length of the tee, there can be about 1½″ in free telescoping movement in each longitudinal direction of a tee in the event of seismic movement. 
         [0030]      FIG. 11  illustrates a side view of a clip  260  similar to the clip  250  of  FIGS. 7-10 . The clip  260  differs from the clip  250  in that the tongue  21  is spaced farther from the vertical leg  20  of the subject clip. The clip  260  is provided to work with a seismic wall molding. The distance between the tongue edge  34  and remote edge  36  of the vertical leg  20  is increased to match the corresponding pseudo hypotenuse dimension between the free edges of the hems of the seismic molding. 
         [0031]      FIGS. 12 through 15  illustrate another form of a clip  270  for attaching the ends of grid tees to wall angles or similar elements. The clip  270  is an assembly including a base  271  and an arm  272  pivotally joined to the base by a pin or rivet  273  which may be a separate element or integrally formed from one or both the base and arm. The rivet  273  enables the arm  272  to pivot about its axis in a horizontal plane when the clip  270  is in the orientation shown in  FIG. 12 . The arm  272  from the rivet or pin  273  has a cross-section like that previously described in connection with the clip  18  of  FIGS. 2 through 4  and the other modified clips, the arm including open hems  274  and bights  275 . The clip  270  allows a tee  11  to be attached to a wall molding  12  while intersecting it in the horizontal plane of a leg  276  at an angle other than 90°. It will be seen that the arm  272  can be pivoted about the center of the rivet  273  to permit the arm  272  to receive a tee  11  intersecting the wall molding at an angle from nearly 0° to nearly 180°. 
         [0032]    While the clip of  FIGS. 12 through 15  is proportioned to work with a wall molding with a horizontal leg of conventional width, this clip can be modified to lengthen the horizontal portion of the base  271  so as to move the tongue  21  further from the vertical leg  20  so as to mate with a relatively wide or seismic wall molding. 
         [0033]    Various ones of the disclosed clips can be conveniently used to support a wall molding or a similar structure when the roles of the tees and wall molding are reversed such as in an island ceiling treatment where the perimeter of the ceiling does not abut a wall. The clip  270  permits a wall angle or a similar structure to be supported on tees which intersect at one or more angles other than 90°. 
         [0034]    While the invention has been shown and described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, this is for the purpose of illustration rather than limitation, and other variations and modifications of the specific embodiments herein shown and described will be apparent to those skilled in the art all within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the patent is not to be limited in scope and effect to the specific embodiments herein shown and described nor in any other way that is inconsistent with the extent to which the progress in the art has been advanced by the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4