Patent ID: 7021021

Claim:
A method for interconnecting a metal framing member with another member in a manner that leaves the framing member sidewalls free of fasteners, said metal framing member having a U-channel configuration formed by a base extending in a longitudinal direction and having a given inside base width, sidewalls on each lateral side of the width of the base extending upright in a perpendicular direction a given sidewall height from the base, and lips that extend laterally inward from the tops of the sidewalls, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a connector having: (i) a connector body extending in the upright direction having a body width that corresponds to the inside width of the base of said framing member and having a body height that corresponds to the inside height of the sidewalls of said framing member; (ii) a base flange having a base width that corresponds to the body width of the connector body extending in the longitudinal direction perpendicularly from the bottom of the connector body; and (iii) a lip flange having a lip width that corresponds to the body width of the connector body extending in the longitudinal direction perpendicularly from the top of the connector body; (b) positioning said connector within said metal framing member, by either twisting said connector directly from above or sliding said connector in from an available end of said metal framing member, such that the base flange of said connector lies atop the base of said metal framing member, the lateral aspects of the lip flange of said connector are in abutting contact with the underside of the lips of said framing member, and the connector body is flush with an available end of said framing member, thereby forming a three-dimensional tight fit of said connector within the U-channel configuration of said metal framing member; (c) securing said connector to said metal framing member by fasteners applied through the lips of said framing member into the lateral aspects of said lip flange and/or through the base of said framing member into the base flange; and (d) securing the connector body extending outwardly from the end of said metal framing member to another member by fasteners applied therethrough into said other member.