Patent ID: 6892500

Claim:
A supporting framework for a suspended ceiling comprising: (a) a plurality of longitudinal ceiling runners each being generally of an inverted “T” shape in cross-section and comprising: i) a pair of laterally extending support flanges providing ledge surfaces for carrying ceiling panels; and ii) an upwardly directed, clamp-penetrating leg with a web portion extending from said support flanges and terminating at a peripheral clamp-penetrating end portion; and, (b) a plurality of clamps each having a baseplate with a fastening hole and resiliently expandable sides terminating at a pair of lips defining a nip to provide a retention force, said baseplate and sides defining an internal receiving space for receiving the clamp-penetrating end portion of the leg of the runner, wherein said clamp-penetrating end portion of each runner is positionable within said receiving space and is of a shape compatible for being engaged by said clamps to permit the runner to alternately maintain either of the following first and second stable orientations: (c) a first stable orientation, wherein the clamp penetrating leg is engaged by the clamps with the flanges in a central, symmetrically aligned, horizontal orientation, and (d) a second stable orientation wherein the clamp penetrating leg and the lateral flanges are obliquely canted with respect to the nip and the baseplate, whereby when the runner is slightly rotated about either of said stable orientations said lips are spread apart to provide a restoring force which establishes said stable orientation, and wherein said runners are positionable with respect to said clamps with respect to said clamps with said flanges being generally parallel to said base plate in one of said first stable orientation, and with said flanges being canted at an angle to said base plate in said second stable orientation.