Patent ID: 7127862

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 to a given lip width on each side thereof, said method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a connector having: (i) a connector body extending in the upright direction having a body width of at least a lower portion thereof that corresponds to the inside width of the base of said metal 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 pair of lips receiving grooves positioned at the given height from the base flange each extending laterally inward from each side of the connector body in parallel with and to a groove depth that corresponds to the width of the lips of said metal framing member; (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 lip receiving grooves of said connector receive the respective lips of said metal framing member therein, and the lower portion of the connector body within said metal framing member is in abutting contact with the sidewalls of said metal 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 at least through the connector base flange into the base of said metal framing member; and (d) securing an upper portion of the connector body extending outwardly from said metal framing member to another member by fasteners applied therethrough into said other member.