Ceiling construction

A soffit for use in a metal ceiling panel suspended ceiling for concealing a beam depending from a floor slab which comprises:

• a. first and second elongated snap-bars longitudinally extending along said beam on either side thereof, comprising spring-like arms extending from a common, integrally formed base portion and terminating in opposed free ends biased towards one another;
• b. vertically disposed first and second elongated members held within said spring-like arms of each said snap-bar and depending from said snap-bars, said members in one snap-bar being opposed to the members in the other snap-bar and extending longitudinally along said beam on either side thereof;
• c. each said first member having a vertically disposed portion held within said snap bar, a horizontally disposed portion terminating in a free end facing away from said beam, and retainer means at said free end for receiving and retaining a metal ceiling panel;
• d. each said second member having a planar, vertically extending body portion with one horizontal edge thereof held within said snap-bar and with a clip portion longitudinally extending along and positioned above the opposite horizontal edge of said body portion, said clip portion having a spring-like arm integral with said body portion terminating in a free end biased toward said body portion, said clip portion facing toward said beam;
• e. a metal ceiling panel below said beam and having a horizontally disposed planar bottom portion and a pair of opposed vertically disposed side walls snap-fitted into said clip portions, whereby said planar bottom portion of said panel is perpendicular to said body portions;
• and
• f. the vertical height of said vertically disposed portion of a said first member being less than the vertical height of said body portion of a said second member held within the same snap bar therewith.