ELEMENTS DE MUR OU DE PLAFOND A INSERTION

SYSTEM WALL OR SYSTEM CEILING

Abrégé anglais

ABSTRACT
A system wall or system ceiling comprising a number of
supporting girders suspended from the structure of the
building and to which slabs are mounted substantially
extending perpendicular to the girders,the girders being
provided with outwardly or downwardly protuding clamping feet
engaging into one or more slits,cut into the upper or back
side of the slabs.

Revendications

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A system for attaching slabs to structural girders to form system
walls or system ceilings, and comprising:
a plurality of separate slabs, each slab having at least one slit
extending into a side confronting one of said structural girders, each slit
including a pair of spaced sidewalls and a bottom wall extending therebetween;
a plurality of spaced clamping feet each having a first end
portion mounted on a structural girder and having a further, curved portion
extending into contact with the bottom wall of a confronting slit, each
curved portion culminating in a barbed end projecting away from said bottom
wall and into contact with a side wall of said respective slit enclosing said
curved end portion;
whereby slight pressure against each slab in the direction of said
confronting structural girders is sufficient to initiate penetration of said
barbed end portions through said slit sidewalls and into interior portions
of said respective slabs, thereby fixedly attaching said slabs to said
clamping feet.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein each slit defines a sub-
stantially rectangular-shaped opening extending partially through a respective
slab.
3, A system according to claim 1, wherein pairs of adjacently disposed
clamping feet are integrally joined to one another via a substantially planar
fastening member extending therebetween, each fastening member including a
pair of fastening lips folded about opposite end portions of a structural
girder to prevent separation of said fastening member and said integrally
attached clamping feet from said structural girder.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said clamping feet curved
portions are substantially V-shaped in configuration, each substantially V-
shaped portion having a corner resting on the bottom wall of a respective slit.
5. A system according to claim 3, wherein each pair of attached
clamping feet have curved portions of substantially V-shaped configuration,
with each V-shaped portion having a corner resting on the bottom wall of a
respective slit,
each pair of V-shaped portions culminating in a pair of barbs
extending away from said fastening member integrally joining said pair of
clamping feet together.
6. A system according to claim 5, wherein each V-shaped portion
intersects a sidewall edge of a respective slit at an angle sufficient to
bias an attached barb into contact with an opposite side wall as said slab
is moved toward said structural girder.
7. A system according to claim 1, wherein each of said clamping
feet is integrally attached to a substantially V-shaped structural girder
and each of said clamping feet includes a substantially hook-shaped curved
portion partially enclosed within a respective slit.

Description

~LZ~8S
The present inventlon relates to a s~stem ~all or system ceiling
comprising a number of supporting girders suspended from the structure of
the bui.lding and to which s~labs are mount0d substantially extending per-
pendicular to the girders.
Such a system ceiling i5 known in which the slabs are mounted
to the g~rders by means of fastenlng mem~ers clamped or pushed onto the
girders and which are pro~ided with sheet metal strips directed downwardly
to the slabs, and of which the end portions flanged at right angles engage
s.~a~cuts applied into the sides of the slabs.
This manner of mounting the slabs to the girders has the
dratyb.ack, that on occurrence of shrinkage or buckling of the slabs,
these sla~s aecome insufficientl~ retained by the fastening members
and may~shift with respect to each other, so that the spacing between the
succeeding slabs which are generally bridged b~the so called first strips,
t~ll sho~ d~fferences.
B~ the ~irst strips which, to obtain a decorative effect, may
have a contrasting tint with respect to the slabs, and which also are
slipped into the saw cuts at the sides of the slabs, the mutual differences
in spacing between the slabs further is accented.
Also, on shrinkage of the slabs, the first strips may become
free from the saw cuts, which causes a very defacing effect to the known
system ceiIing.
It is an object of the present invention to remove these drawbacks
of the known s~stem ceiling.
AccordIng to the present invention there is provided a system
~or attaching sla~s to structural girders to form system walls or system
ceillngs, and ccmprising:
a plurality o separate slabs, each slab having at least one
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l~S~35
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slit extending into a side confronting one of said structural girders,
each slit including a pair of spaced sidewall.s and a bottom wall
extending therehetween;
a plurality of spaced clamping feet each having a first end
portion mounted on a structural girder and having a further, curved
portion extending into contact with the bottom wall of a confronting :
slit, each curved portion culminating in a barbed~end projecting away
from said bottom wall and into contact with a side wall of said
respective slit enclosing said curved end portion;
whereby slight pressure against each slab in the direction of -
~- said confronting structural girders is sufficient to initiate penetration
i
of said barbed end portions through said slit sidewalls and into interior
:~, portions of said respective slabs, thereby fixedly attaching said slabs
to said clamping feet,
To apply the slabs to the girders suspended from the structure
of the building, the slabs may simply be pressed with the slits across
: ~:
.~ the clamping feet of the girders.
~;~ In one favourable embodiment of the invention, the ends of
: :
the clamping feet cooperating with the slabs are bent in opposite
` directions and substantially perpendicular to the length direction of
; 20 the slabs and the slits cut therein, to form oppositely directed barbs.
In this embodiment the clamping feet introduced into the slits
hook into both opposite side walls of the slits so that a double
security is obtained against the loosening of the clamping feet from
the slabs.
The number of slits in a slab for cooperating with the clamping
feet may vary.
Preferably two spaced slits are applied symmetrically with
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~2S~35
respect to the ~iddle plane of the slabs.
n the ceiling system of the present invention, the slabs are
completely secured against shifting ~y the mounting by clamping feet
introduced into the slits at the upper or back side of the slabs, so that
the drawbacks of the known systems are completely met.
The clamping feet may be connected to the sheet metal girders in
various manners. rn a favourable embodiment of the invention, the clamping
feet are integral with the girders. Favourably, in this embodiment, the
clamping feet may have been punched from the girders.
In another embodiment of the invention, the slabs are mounted
to the girders b~ means of fastening members, each comprising a substantially
rectangular middle portion of which the one pair of opposite edges connect
to fastening lips bent around the 1ange of the cooperating proEile sheet
metal girder, and of which the other pair of opposite edges connect to the
clamping feet.
Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example
in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a sectional view through the slabs of a ceiling in
accordance wit~ a first embodiment of the invention
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation according to line A-A of Figure 1
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation through the slabs of a ceiling
according to a second embodiment of the invention.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation according to line B-B of Figure 3.
As is shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the system ceiling is formed
by a row of profile sheet metal girders 1 extending parallel to and spaced
from each other, and which are suspended from the structure of the building.
From the -U- shaped girders 1 clamping feet 3 are punched with ends
bent to form barbs which hook into the slits 5 at the upper side of the slabs
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The slabs 4 are pro~ided at the sides with saw cuts 6 into which the first
strips 7 have been slipped. To mount the system ceiling, the girders 1 may
be suspended first from the structure of the buildingJ after which the slabs
are pressed until the slits 5 receive the clamping feet 3. It also is
possible first to prepare the complete ceiling on the floor and then to sus-` ~
pend the same from the structure of the building by means of ~chors 2. ~:
~ As is shown in Figure 3 and in Figure 4 the slabs 4 are mounted to
:. the girders 1 by means of the fastening members 8 which are provided with the
clamping feet 3 and which are clamped around the flange 9 of the profile sheet
~e~al girder 1 bJ me ns of the fastening lips 10.
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