Free span ceiling grid system

A suspended ceiling grid comprising a plurality of parallel regularly spaced runners, each one of a pair of opposed oppositely facing channels being disposed adjacent one end of said runners, said channels each having a vertical web and a horizontal flange at top and bottom edges of the web, a bracket at each end of each runner, each bracket being attached to a respective runner with a first self-drilling screw and to the web of the adjacent channel with a second self-drilling screw, each runner extending between said channels, one end of each runner being exclusively supported by the adjacent channel with sufficient support capacity to permit the runners to support a conventional acoustical ceiling while being free of multiple suspension wires or other overlying support elements along a full length of the runners between the channels.

A method of constructing a suspended ceiling for a space such as a corridor or a hallway comprising attaching sheet metal channels on opposing walls at the sides of the space at ceiling height, the channels being arranged with upper and lower horizontal flanges projecting from the associated wall and joined by a vertical web abutted against the wall, positioning a plurality of regularly spaced runners between and perpendicular to the channels, fixing a first part of a bracket in a vertical plane on an end of each runner with a self-drilling screw, fixing a second part of the bracket in a vertical plane against a respective channel web, the bracket being capable of fully supporting a portion of a weight of the ceiling whereby the runners can be free of suspension wires at a mid-length thereof while the upper flange of the channel resists deflection of the channel from the abutted wall due to the proportionate weight of the ceiling, the first part of the bracket having upper and lower edges lying on straight lines for a major portion of the horizontal length of the first part and proportioned to fit closely with a reinforcing bulb and a flange of the associated runner.

A kit for constructing a narrow suspended ceiling for a corridor comprising a plurality of sheet metal runners, a plurality of sheet metal brackets, and a plurality of sheet metal channels, the runners having an upper reinforcing bulb and a lower flange and having a length of at least 8 feet, the brackets having first and second portions in a right angle configuration, the first portion having upper and lower edges lying on straight lines and proportional to fit closely with the reinforcing bulb and flange when positioned against a runner, the channels having flanges joined by an intermediate web, the flanges having inturned hems at edges distal from the web, the bracket second portion having a tab proportioned to snap into engagement with an edge of a hem when the bracket second portion is positioned in the channel between the flanges and against the web.

In combination, a grid runner, a right angle bracket, and a wall molding having a vertical web and a horizontal flange at a top of the web, the bracket being separately fixed to the wall molding with a first screw and to the grid runner with a second screw.