US2957556A - False ceiling with removable sections - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 25, 1960 w. J. TYKOL FALSE CEILING WITH REMOVABLE SECTIONS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1957 X\\\\ I a W a M W 7 M F m w H W7.) 6 NW 4 K 5 ET I w nd 2 w w 4 w I fi M mm r w W m n F a q q 1 1 I m; 1 i w z W 1 ./C b n W m i? y 1 m H A 0 W n fi s l Oct. 25, 1960 w. J. TYKOL 2,957,556

FALSE CEILING WITH REMOVABLE SECTIONS Filed May 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /WI 20 W hVE'r-z/UF M/ILL/AM 7/4601.

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FALSE CEHLING WITH REMGVABLE SECTIONS William J. Tykol, 3516 S. Cuyler Ave, Berwyn, Ill.

Filed May 6, 1957, Ser. No. 657,105

2 filaims. (Cl. 1559-85) This invention relates to a false ceiling construction, and more particularly relates to a false ceiling construction having removable sections to simplify installation and permit ready access to the space above the false ceiling.

The trend to progressively lower ceilings in modern building design and construction, coupled with the necessity for utilizing all available space in a single-level building or home, has resulted in the need for a false ceiling construction that is suitable for use in both new buildings and to modernize old buildings, and which permits a utilization of the space above the false ceiling for storage purposes, or for the installation and servicing of various other types of equipment, such as lighting fixtures, heating and electrical conduits.

The present invention offers one solution to each of these considerations in the form of a false ceiling construction having removable ceiling sections that are retained on a support molding that is easily installed on the side walls of a room, and which permits ready access to the space provided above the removable ceiling sections for storage, inspection or maintenance of various installed equipment, or for cleaning purposes.

Briefly described, the present invention generally contemplates a false ceiling construction utilizing a support molding that is secured to the side walls of the room, at the desired ceiling height, to provide a peripheral support for a plurality of removable false ceiling members. The false ceiling members are sized to be supported at their end extremities by the support molding on opposite side walls of the room, and a plurality of springs, or other biasing members are provided between the false ceiling members and the side walls of the room to maintain the members centered on the support molding. Guides or stops may be provided on the false ceiling members to engage appropriately formed recesses or grooves in the support molding to facilitate installation and reduce the number of retaining springs required. Removal of the false ceiling members is readily accomplished by longitudinally displacing the members a su-fiicient amount to overcome the centering biasing action of the retaining springs and permit disengagement of the members from the support molding.

It is an object then of the present invention to provide an improved false ceiling construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved false ceiling construction that may be readily installed on the side walls of a room, and which utilizes removable false ceiling members to. permit access to the space above the false ceiling.

A further object of the. present invention is to provide an improved false ceiling construction utilizing a support molding that is permanently attached tothe side walls of a room, and a plurality of elongated removable false ceiling sections that are biased into a static equilibrium position on the support. molding.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a false ceiling construction utilizing a support molding that is permanently fastened to the side walls of a room, and a plurality of elongated rigid ceiling sections that are sized to be supported at their end extremities on the support molding and are removable therefrom by a longitudinal displacement sufficient to disengage one end thereof from the support molding.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved false ceiling construction utilizing elongated, channelled removable ceiling sections, that are so formed as to be supported at their end extremities on a support molding without sagging, and in which springs are provided to removably bias the channelled false ceiling sections into a centered equilibrium position of the support molding.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved false ceiling construction utilizing elongated, false ceiling sections having guide stops thereon, that are engageable with an appropriately recessed support molding on the side walls of the room, to thereby retain and orient the elongated false ceiling sections thereon.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved false ceiling construction utilizing a support molding that is adapted to be permanently fastened to the side walls of a room, together with a plurality of elongated, rigidified, removable false ceiling sections that present a pleasing installed appearance and enhance the utility of the room.

Many other objects and advantages of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and accompanying sheets of drawings that follow, in which like reference numerals and letters have been used to identify identical parts, and which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional View, with some parts in elevation, of a portion of a false ceiling constructed according to the principles of my invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the line IIII of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan elevational view of my invention;

Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view, with portions in elevation of a modified form of my invention; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan elevational view of the modified false ceiling construction of Figure 4.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figures 1-3, the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10 of my invention is shown installed in a room having side walls W and a ceiling C. As illustrated, the removable false ceiling construction assembly It) generally includes a support molding 11, a plurality of removable false ceiling section members 12 and a a plurality of retaining springs 13.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, the support molding 11 is fastened to the side walls W of the room at the desired height below the ceiling C, and may be formed to any desirable cross-sectional configuration having sufficient strength characteristics to support the removable ceiling section members 12' when the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10 has been assembled and that will harmoniously complement other moldings and trim in the room. I

To this end, the support molding 11 is preferably formed with a generally triangular cross-sectional configuration having a vertical side wall engaging portion 14', a horizontal ledge portion .16 and a fillet portion 17. The fillet portion 17 may be formed to any desired decorative shape, so long as the side wall engaging portion 14 has ample depth .to accommodate connecting fasteners (not shown), for installing the support molding 2,957,555 1 Patented octqzs, 1960.

11 on the side walls W of a room, and the ledge portion' 16 has ample width to support the removable false ceiling section members 12 at their end extremities, as will be explained in more detail as the description proceeds.

The support molding 11 may be constructed of any suitable material as for example wood, metal or plastic, as desired, and in most applications may be formed from currently available molding designs that possess the necessary cross-sectional width and depth to practice the principles of my invention.

The removable ceiling section members 12 may be individual panels, strips, or lathing, having sufficient rigidity to resist excessive bending or sagging, when supported at their end extremities by the supporting molding 11 on opposite side walls WW of the room. To this end, the removable ceiling section members 12 are preferably formed as bars or elongated rectangular shaped panels having a cross-sectional configuration that will resist the natural bending moments imposed on the members, when supported at their end extremities on the support molding 11, and will present a normal flat ceiling appearance to an observer.

In accordance with these considerations, I prefer to form the removable ceiling section members 12 as U- shaped channels (Figure 2), such that when supported on the support molding '11, the channel members will have their flat connecting web portions 12a generally downwardly disposed and coplanar with the support molding 11 to form the ceiling surface, and their flanged portions 12b upturned toward the ceiling C (Figures 1 and 2) to resist the natural bending moments imposed by the weight of the channels when supported on the support molding 11. By forming the removable ceiling section members 12 as channels, I not only obtain an extremely rigid ceiling section member, that will remain substantially fiat in an average sized room installation, but also advantageously utilize the bearing surface areas provided by the upturned flanged portions 12b of the channels to maintain an integrated aligned relationship between adjacent ceiling section members when installed on the support molding 11.

The false ceiling section members 12 may be formed from any suitable light-weight material having good strength and wear characteristics, as for example metal, wood or plastic. The false ceiling members 12 however, are preferably constructed of aluminum that has been extruded or otherwise formed to the channelled shape illustrated in Figure 1-3. It should be understood however, that in some applications of my invention it may be desirable to construct the removable ceiling section members 12 from transparent, translucent, or colored plastic, as where the invention is to be installed for use in conjunction with an indirect lighting system. When thus Installed, my invention affords many advantages to the user in that should it become necessary to obtain access to a particular lighting fixture above the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10, whether for inspection, cleaning or maintenance, it is only necessary to remove one or more of the false ceiling section members 12 from the zone below the fixture in question without having to remove the entire false ceiling assembly 10.

As best shown in Figure 3, the retaining springs 13 of the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10 are preferably of the leaf type having a connecting end port1on 1 3a, a body portion 13b and a curved skid, or Wall engaging portion 130. The connecting end portion 13a IS bent to some angle in relation to the body portion 13b such that when the retaining springs 13 have been connected at their end portions 13a to the removable false ceillng section member, the skid portions 13c will compressively engage the adjacent side walls W of the room and exert a suflicient biasing force on the ceiling section members 12 to maintain the members in a stable supported position on the support molding 11.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the retaining springs 13 are fastened to the removable ceiling section members 12 by a frictional engagement of their connecting end portions 13a in appropriately positioned, struck-out portions in the flanged portions 12b of the channelled ceiling section members 12. It should be understood however, that other suitable fastening techniques could be employed to connect the springs 13 to the ceiling section members 12, as for example with fasteners, adhesives or by welding.

The location of the retaining springs 13 on the ceiling section members 12 is largedly a matter of choice, depending on the room configuration, shape, number of ceiling section members 12, and biasing force required to safely support the ceiling section members 12 on the supporting molding 11, to resist accidental impacts and normal vibrations. To this end, at least one retaining spring 13 is fastened at each end extremity of the ceiling section members 12 and preferably on the opposite flanged portions 12b thereof, such that the skid portions engage the adjacent side Wall portions W-W of the room at points substantially collinear with the center line of the ceiling section member when centered on the support molding 11. It should be understood that the retaining springs 13 may be varied in size, shape and rating, depending upon the conditions and circumstances of a particular installation.

In order to maintain a uniform lateral orientation of the ceiling section members 12, and to prevent gaps from being formed between these members and the support molding 11, it is desirable to include one or more retaining springs 13 between the marginal edges of the outermost ceiling section members adjacent the walls W of the room.

In the operation of the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10, the support molding 11 is initially fastened to the side walls W of the room by conventional fastening techniques, at the desired height, and thus becomes a permanent fixture in the room. After the support molding 11 has been installed, the number size, and type of removable false ceiling section members 12 is determined, as is also the number, size and ratings of the retaining springs 13. The removable ceiling section members 12 are formed to lengths such as will provide ample rigidity when supported at their end extremities on the support molding 11 and permit disengagement therefrom by longitudinal displacement toward either side wall W-W of the room. The retaining springs 13 are then fastened to the removable ceiling section members 12 and the removable ceiling section members 12 are ready for installation on the support molding 11.

Installation is readily accomplished by placing either end of the false ceiling section members over the ledge portion 16 of the support molding 11 and applying a suflicient force to compress the retaining springs 13 and permit the opposite end portion of the ceiling section member to clear the opposite ledge portion 16 of the support molding 11 and allow the ceiling section member to move into a biased equilibrium support position on the support molding 11. A suflicient number of removable ceiling section members are then installed to completely bridge the space defined by the circumscribing support molding 11. When completely installed, the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10 presents a uniform decorative appearance, sustantially resembling the original ceiling.

Whenever it becomes necessary to remove one or more of the false ceiling section members 12 for cleaning purposes, or to gain access to the space above the false ceiling, it is only necessary to longitudinally displace one or more of the particular ceiling section members 12 to be removed a sufiicient amount to compress the retaining spring 13 at either end thereof, to thus permit disengagement of the opposite end of the ceiling section member from the support molding 11 and withdrawal therefrom. The false ceiling construction of my invention thus permits a user to remove one or more of the ceiling section members 12 in order to gain access to a particular zone or area thereabove, without the necessity of removing all .or most of the ceiling section members. This. feature is particularly advantageous where it is desired to obtain access to a lighting fixture, or a particular portion of the storage space provided above the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, a modification of the removable false ceiling construction of my invention is illustrated, and designated generally by the reference numeral 20.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the removable false ceiling construction assembly 20 generally includes a support molding 21, removable ceiling section members 22 and retaining springs 23, each of which are substantially similar in purpose and function to their counterparts in the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10.

In the modified removable false ceiling construction assembly 20 however, the support molding 21 includes. one or more molding portions 11 that are engageable with the side walls W of the room, and a suppoit molding portion 11. The support molding 11' is substantially identical to the support molding 11, but. is. formed with a The removable false ceiling section members 22 are substantially identical to the removable false ceiling section members 12, in that they may be formed as strips, panels or lathing, and from the same materials as the ceiling section members 12. The section members 22 are also preferably formed as U-shaped channels having web portions 22a and flanges 22b, but additionally include one or more struck-out finger portions or guides 220 at one end, for engagement in the groove 24 of the support molding 11. The struck out finger portions 220 are located inwardly of the end extremities of the false ceiling section members 22 so as to engage the groove 24 in the support molding portion 11 and insure the symmetrical positioning of the members 22 on the support molding assembly 21. The abutting engagement of the fingers 220 in the groove 24 eliminates the necessity of retaining springs at that end of the ceiling section members 22, which results in simplified assembly techniques and reduction in cost of the assembly.

It should be understood that while only one struckout finger 22c has been shown formed at one end extremity of each removable ceiling section member 22, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, two or more fingers could be provided for engagement in the groove 24, and that additional struckout fingers could be formed along the longitudinal, marginal edge, web portions 22a of the outermost removable ceiling section members 22, adjacent the flanges 22b, to engage a grooved support molding, similar to the support molding portion 11'. The necessity for lateral retaining springs along the outermost longitudinal flanged portions of the removable ceiling section members 22 could thus be eliminated.

The springs 23 perform substantially the same function as the springs 13, in that they serve to bias the removable ceiling section members 22 into an engaged, static equilibrium position on the support molding 21, and thus prevent accidental or unintended disengagement therefrom, when installed. The retaining springs 23, differ however from the retaining springs 13, in that they are preferably formed as a generally corrugated or undulating ribbon, having reentrant alternately disposed convex portions 23a and 23b, and generally planar connecting web portions 23c. The positioning springs 23 are actionably disposed between the removable ceiling section: members 22 and the walls W of the room, so that one or more of the convex portions- 23a and 23b engage the end portions of the removableceiling section members 22 and the walls W of the room, respectively.

It should be understood however, that the retaining springs 23 may be formed in various sizes and ratings, as may be necessary to insure a retained engagement of the removable ceiling section members 22, on the support molding 11. In Figure 5, an exemplary retaining springs arrangement is illustrated, wherein one long corrugated retaining spring '23 is positioned between the side wall W of the room to engage the end extremities of the ceiling section members 22, opposite the support molding portion 11, and a series of shorter single-convoluted retaining springs 23" are positioned between the walls W of the room and the edge flanges 22b of the outermost ceiling section members 22.. The single long retaining spring 23' thus serves to-bias the struck-out fingers 22c into engaged abutting relationship with the grooved support molding portion 11, while the shorter retaining springs 23" prevent lateral displacements of the assembled ceiling section members 22 when installed on the support molding assembly 21.

i It should be understood however, that various other types of retaining spring configurations could be used in place of the corrugated ribbon type retaining springs 23, depending upon a particular installation of the removable false ceiling construction assembly 20.

In operation, the modified removable false ceiling construction assembly 20 is installed in substantially the same manner as the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10, in that the support molding 21 is initially fastened to the side walls W of the room at the desired height by conventional fastening techniques, and becomes a permanent fixture. The number, size and type of the removable ceiling section members 22 is then determined, and each member is inserted over the support molding assembly 21 by compressing the retaining spring 23' to permit the struck-out fingered ends of the removable ceiling section member 22 to extend over the ledge portion 16 and into nested engagement in the groove 24. The abutting interlocking action provided by the engaged relationship of the stop means or fingers 220 in the groove 24 thus serves to orient and each removable ceiling section member 22 in a static equilibrium position on the support molding assembly 21, and prevent accidental disengagement therefrom. Removal of the ceiling section members 22 from an installed position on the support molding 21 is accomplished in the same manner as in the removable false ceiling construction assembly 10, in that each ceiling section member 22 may be removed by a simple vertical shifting of the member from its retained position on the support molding 21, for disengagement of the struck-out fingered end of the ceiling section member from the ledge portion 16.

It should be noted however, that in the false ceiling construction assembly 20, I eliminate the necessity of positioning springs at one end of the removable ceiling section members 22, which is advantageous in that each ceiling section member 22 may be preformed with struckout finger portions 22 corresponding to a standardized location of the groove 24 on the support molding 11, and thus simplify the installation of my invention.

The recess and stop means are positioned so that the end of the false ceiling member is spaced from the side wall of the room. In a room with a finished ceiling a grip cannot be easily obtained for a panel and the stop end of the panel can be pushed upwardly to lift the stop means out of the recess, This permits the spring to shift the panel longitudinally so that the spring end can be dropped down from the ledge.

It will thus be appreciated that my invention provides a removable false ceiling construction assembly that is simple to install, easy to maintain and service, and which accomplishes the purposes and objects herein set forth.

While only two embodiments of my invention have been illustrated and described, it should be understood that various modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts herein disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a room structure including a room having side walls, a removable false ceiling construction installed on the side Walls of the room, the construction comprising support means to be fastened to the side walls of the room and defining a ledge therearound, said support means having an upwardly facing retaining recess formed therein spaced inwardly from the room side wall, a plurality of false ceiling members each being supported at its end extremities on said ledge, said false ceiling members having a downwardly projecting stop means engaged in said retaining recess to orient said false ceiling members on said support means, said recess and said stop means positioned so that the end of each of the false ceiling members is spaced from the room side wall, and spring means actionably disposed between said false ceiling members at the end opposite said stop means and the side walls of the room to bias said false ceiling members into a centered position on said ledge and maintain said stop means engaged is said retaining recms, said false ceiling members being removable from said ledge by vertical displacement thereof to disengage said stop means from said retaining recess to permit longitudinal displacement by said spring means so that the end of the false ceiling member acted on by said spring means may be dropped downwardly from said ledge and does not have to be forced against said spring means.

2. A room structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein said ceiling members are U-shaped and second spring means are provided between sides of the ceiling members at the edge of the ceiling and the side walls urging the sides of adjacent ceiling members in abutting contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 29,631 Messer et a1. Aug. 14, 1860 490,186 Cherest Jan. 17, 1893 1,998,423 Stubbs Apr. 16, 1935 1,998,425 McNeil Apr. 16, 1935 2,481,794 Stitt Sept. 13, 1949 2,664,599 Zitomer Ian. 5, 1954 2,772,451 Luke Dec. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 376,352 Great Britain July 11, 1932

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