US1997607A - Acoustical ceiling - Google Patents

Description

April 16, 1935. c. s. STROM ACOUSTICAL CEILING Filed Aug. 31, 1932 INVENTOR CARL 5.5TF2OM. BY

' AT ToRNE V Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES ACOUSTICAL CEILING Carl S. Strom, Chicago, Ill., assig'nor to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 31, 1932, Serial No. 631,243 12 Claims. (Cl. 189-88) This invention relates to building constructions, and has reference more particularly to ceiling constructions in which perforated metal membranes are backed by sound absorbing ma- 5 terials for. the purpose of absorbing sound and correcting the acoustics in a room.

In the construction of acoustical ceilings in buildings of the type employing perforated metal membranes backed by sound absorbing fiber pads, it is desirable to have the erection operation as simple as possible in order to reduce the cost thereof. The perforated metal membranes are preferably attached to supporting structural members by means of resilient clips or latches. It is desirable that these latches be not attached directly to the inside face of the membrane since some of the perforations will be covered up by such clips so as to be visible from below and present an unsightly appearance.

An object of this invention, therefore, .is to pro vide an acoustical ceiling construction in which convenientnmeans are arranged to attach the acoustical pad and perforated metal membrane to the ceiling. v

Another object of the invention is to provide an attaching clip for the metal membrane which is spaced apart from the membrane so as to avoid an unsightly appearance on the face of the membrane when viewed from below; also. to improve building constructions in other respects hereinafter specified and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective, sectional view of one of the perforated membranes and attaching clip,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the membrane taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, v

Fig. 3 is a perspective sectional view of a modified form of attaching clip and membrane,

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation through a further modified form of acoustical ceiling construction,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the modified form of membrane shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation through the membrane taken on-line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

In constructing the acoustical ceiling, a return bent hanger I is attached to the ceiling surface II in any suitable way, such as by nails l2 The hanger ID has downwardly extending'legs 13 terminating in oppositely disposed hooks I4 which are arranged to embrace opposite, upper flanges of a structural rail 16 which is H-shaped in cross section, or is in any other desired shape,

and is provided with outstanding lower flanges II; The rail I6 is preferably composed of two channel strips with their webs spotwelded together in back to back position. In order to clamp the two legs l3 of hanger l0 together with hooks I4 embracing the flanges IS, a plurality of bars l9 are provided on their ends with hooks 20 which embrace the legs l3 and clamp them together. An acoustical pad 22 of mineral wool, hair felt or other suitable sound absorbing material is supported upon the bars IS.

A sheet metal membrane 24 is supported below the rail flanges I! in a manner to be hereinafter described, and is provided with triangular perforations 25 which may be of any other desired shape such as round, square, elliptical, etc. The edges of the membrane 24, which is preferably square but may be any other desired shape, are formed with bevels 26 which terminate in outwardly extending flanges 21. In order to support the membrane, a rectangular plate 28 has inwardly extending flanges 29 formed along two adjacent edges thereof, and said flanges 29 are spotwelded to the inside of the membrane flanges 21 by spot welds 30. An oflfset strap 3| is struck from the metal of the plate 28, and an outwardly extending flange 32 formed on an attaching clip 33, is forced into the space between the strap 3| and the plate 28 so as to secure said clip 33 to said plate 28. An aperture 35 is formed in the clip 33 and an inclined cam surface 36 extends a downwardly from the top of said clip 33, said cam surface being provided with an inwardly'extending latching shoulder 31 which terminates in a guide lug 38 which extends through the. aperture 35. As the membrane 24 is moved upwardly during erection, the cam surface 36 engages the lower edge of the rail flanges I1 and flexes said cam surface 36 'until the latching shoulder 31 seats on top of one of the flanges l1, thus securing the membrane'to the supporting rail. It will be noted that the plate 28 spaces the flange 32 of the clip 33 apart from the inner face of the membrane 24 so that the attaching devices cannot be seen from below after the membranes have been erected,'thus providing a smooth, even appearance on the lower faces of the membranes.

In the form of device shown in Fig. 3, two up posite membrane flanges 21 are formed with inwardly extending plates or extensions 40 which lie in spaced parallel relation with theinner face of the membrane 24. These extension plates 40 are made integral with the flanges 21 so as to avoid the spot-welding operation. An offset strap 4| is struck from the metal of the plate 40, and an attaching clip 42 is provided with an outstanding flange 43 which seats under the strap 4| so as to connect the clip 42 to the plate 40. The clip 42 is provided with an aperture 44, and is also provided with a resilient loop 45 which terminates in an outwardly extending latching lug 46' which extends through said aperture 44. A 'c'arn edge 41 is formed on the latching lug 46, and a latching shoulder 48 is also formed on said lug 46. An outstanding guide flange 49 is formed on the clip 42 to guide the movement of the resilient loop 45 as the membrane is moved upwardly into position during erection. In the form of the device shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, the construction is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 3 except that plate 40a has an offset section 5| to which the attaching clip is connected, this offsetting of the plate 40a reducing the overall height of the membrane construction and permitting close contact of the plate and flange 21 with the underside of supporting flange I1.

I would state in conclusion, that while the illustrated examples constitute practical embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to limit myself precisely to these details, since manifestly, the same may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An acoustical ceiling construction comprising a plurality of spaced, parallel supports adjacent a. building surface, perforated, sheet membranes below said supports, upturned sides on said membranes, separate clips associated with extensions on the sides of the membranes, said clips having resilient means adapted to snap into engagement with said supports, and sound absorbing means between said building surface and said membranes.

2. An acoustical ceiling construction comprising a plurality of spaced, parallel supports adjacent a building surface, metallic sheet membranes below said supports, integral, spaced extensions at the edges of said membranes, separate clips associated with said extensions and adapted to snap into engagement with said supports, sound absorbing means between said building surface and said membranes, said membranes being provided with a plurality of perforations adapted to permit sound waves to travel through said membranes to be absorbed by said absorbing means.

3. In metallic membrane, building construction, spaced supports, perforated, sheet membranes adapted to form the exposed surface of said construction, fiat, plate-like means on the edges of said membranes extending substantially parallel to' said membranes and adapted to support clips in spaced relation to said perforated membranes, and clips on said means, said clips being adapted for snapping engagement with said supports.

4. A building surface characterized by being fireproof, easily washable, and aesthetically pleasing, said surface comprising perforated, metallic membranes having resilient clips secured inplace on flat, plate-like integral extensions extending substantially parallel and in spaced relation to said membranes, said clips adapting said membranes to be snapped into place against metallic support means.

5. A perforated membrane unit for building structures, comprising a planular face, a side extension plate on said membrane, extending substantially parallel to said membrane and in spaced relation thereto, and a resilient clip associated with said plate, said clip beingadapted for snapping engagement with a building support.

6. In a perforated, metallic unit for building structures, a planular face blank, the edges of said blank being turned up to form sides, a clip support in plate form secured by means of spot welding or the like at the convergence of two sides, and a clip secured on said support.

7. In a membrane unit for building structures, a perforated, planular blank, an edge of said blank being turned up to form a side, an extension plate formed integral with said side and extending substantially parallel to sa d blank, said extension providing means for supporting a clip for attaching said unit in place.

8. A clip adapted for securing a membrane unit to supports in a building structure, comprising a body portion, a flange at right angles to said body portion for frictional engagement with said unit, a resilient portion formed integral with said body portion and adapted to fiex when pressed against a support, and means connected with said resilient portion for engaging said support, whereby said unit is retained in place.

9. In a membrane unit for building structures, a planular blank, an upturned flange on an edge of said blank, a clip base on said flange extending substantially parallel to said blank, a portion of said base member being depressed below the top of said flange, and an attaching clip mounted on said depressed portion, said clip being provided with means for engaging with a support member to bear said clip base into contact with the outermost side of said support member.

10. In an attaching clip for structures of the type described, a clip body adapted to extend perpendicularly to the member being attached, a flange on said clip body for securing the clip to said member, a resilient portion on said clip, said resilient portion having a contact surface and being adapted to flex when brought into contact with a support when said member is pushed into place, and a shoulder on said clip adjacent said contact surface for engaging with said support.

11. In combination in an acoustical building construction, a support member, means for securing said support member adjacent a building surface, a perforated membrane unit below said support, an upturned side on said membrane unit, an. extension formed on said side, and lying substantially parallel to said unit, a resilient clip carried by said extension, said clip having camlike means adapted to flex when pushed against said support, an engagement shoulder to engage with said support, and sound absorbing means interposed betweensaid building surface and said membrane unit for absorbing sound waves travelling through said perforated unit.

12. In a building structure, a perforated, metallic membrane, a building structure comprising supports provided with engagement means, and clips detachably secured to spaced, inwardly extending, flat plate extensions on the edges of said membrane, said clips having resilient means for snapping into engagement with said engagement means on said support.

. CARL S. STROM.

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