US2616533A - Integrated ceiling lighting system - Google Patents

Description

1952 J. K. GANNETT ETAL 2,616,533

INTEGRATED CEILING LIGHTING SYSTEM A Tim/ways Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTEGRATED CEILING LIGHTING SYSTEM tion of Ohio Application August 12, 1948, Serial No. 43,904

'5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to buildings and more particularly to novel building construction suitable for use in various kinds of buildings and by which :a lighting fixture system is integrated into the building structure. The novel building construction herein disclosed is an improvement over that disclosed in related copending application Serial No. 733,472 filed March 10,, 1947.

The copending applicationjust mentioned discloses building construction in which beams supported by spaced frame members .are in the form of downwardly-opening trough-shaped metal load-carrying members and certain .of such beams have light producing and reflecting means built thereinto so .that these particular beams serve the dual purposecf carrying building loads and forming lighting fixtures. In the improved building construction herein disclosed certain important advantages are realized by incorporating the light producing and reflecting means into .such downwardly-opening trough-shaped beams as preformed trough-type down-lighting fixtures, preferably having their .own raceways for the current supply wires, and which preformed fixtures are assembled into the .beams in recessed relation. The preformed fixtures are preferably assembled into the trough-shaped beams before the beams have been installed in the building a-lthough, if desired, the fixtures can be assembled into the beams after the latter have been installed in the building or .after the beams have been installed and a ceiling structure attached thereto.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel lighting fixture system which is integrated into the building structure and in Which downwardly-Opening troughshaped beams forming an integral part of such structure .and adapted to carry building loads, have preformed trough -type down-lighting fixtunes housed therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel building construction in which spacedapart trough-shaped beams supported at their ends by spaced building frame members carry a ceiling, such as an acoustical ceiling, and have their trough recesses opening downwardly through the ceiling .and in which preformed trough-type down-lighting fixtures are assembled into said beams in recessed relation to the ceiling.

A further object is to provide novel building construction of the character mentioned in which open-ended trough-shaped beams disposed in a row with their adjacent ends in substantially abutting relation define a substantially longitudinally continuous downwardly-opening trough recess and preformed trough-type downlighting fixture units assembled in end-to-end relation form a substantially continuous downlighting fixture in the longitudinally continuous trough recess.

The invention can be further briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly set out in the claims hereof.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings,

Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view showing building construction embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partial vertical section taken longitudinally of the trough-shaped beams substantially as indicated by line 2--2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is another partial vertical section taken transversely of .one of the trough-shaped beams as indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The accompanying drawings show the invention embodied in building construction I!) of the type having laterally spaced supports or frame members which, in this instance, are in the form of trusses II having vertically spaced top and bottom chords Ila and llb. The building construction here shown includes a ceiling H which, as hereinafter described, may be an acoustical ceiling. In accordance with a feature of maior importance in the present invention the improved building construction also includes downwardly-opening trough-shaped beams [3 which are carried by the frame members I l and constitute a part of a lighting fixture system which is integrated into the buildin structure. The lighting fixture system also includes preformed trough-type down-li hting fixtures M assembled into some or all of the beams 13, as ex- :plained in greater detail hereinafter. The trough-shaped beams !3 also constitute the sole support for the ceiling I2. Although the troughshaped beams l3 are here shown as being supported by the trusses ll they could. of course, be supported instead by suitable building walls of masonry or other construction.

As shown in the drawings the beams G3 are in the form of downwardly-opening trough-shaped metal members which are supported at their ends only by the frame members II and span the spaces between pairs of such frame members. These trough-shaped beams are disposed in laterally spaced rows with the beams of each row in longitudinal alignment with each other and with their ends in substantially abutting relation. Each of the beams I3 provides a downwardly-opening trough recess I and for each row of beams these downwardly opening recesses form a substantially longitudinally continuous downwardly-opening housing recess.

The trough-shaped beams I3 constitute load carrying members which, in addition to carrying the lighting fixtures it, are capable of carrying very substantial building loads such as that represented by the ceiling I2 shown in this instance. As further indicating the load carrying capacity of the trough-shaped beams I3, it is pointed out that the space between pairs of the frame members II which is spanned or bridged by the beams may be twenty feet, although this distance may vary in different building structures and may be more or less than twenty feet. The beams, or rows of beams, can be spaced apart a distance of from two feet to ten feet or more depending upon the number of lighting fixtures desired and upon the building load to be carried by these beams. The spacing of the trough-shaped beams can of course be varied to suit diiferent building structures and requirements.

In the above-mentioned feature of major importance the trough-shaped beams I3 constitute housings for the preformed lighting fixtures I4 which are assembled therein in recessed relation.

have been installed and the ceiling I2 attached 1 thereto. Some or all of the trough-shaped beams I3 can be used in the lighting fixture system. Fig. 1 shows alternate rows of the beams I3 being used to house the preformed lighting fixtures I4 while the intermediate rows of beams I3a are initially left empty but can have similar lighting fixtures assembled thereinto at some subsequent time.

As already stated in a general way, the beams I3 comprise elongated trough-shaped members and as shown in Fig. 3 each of these beams may have a substantially flat longitudinal top wall I6 and a pair of substantially fiat depending side walls I? which are formed integral with the top wall I6 and extend downwardly therefrom in slightly diverging relation. The side walls I! are provided at their lower edges with longitudinally extending outturned flanges I8 whose outer edges constitute longitudinally extending upturned flanges l9. The side walls I1 of the beams I3 are provided with. longitudinally extending internal shoulders or ledges which can be formed by angle bars which are welded or otherwise secured to the side walls. At longitudinally spaced points the beams I3 are provided with cross bars 2I which are bolted or otherwise secured to the longitudinal angle bars 20 and constitute supports on which the lighting fixtures I 4 are mounted in the manner hereinafter explained.

As mentioned above the trough-shaped beams I3 are supported at their ends only by the frame members I I and span the spaces between pairs of these frame members, the beams being otherwise unsupported and being sufficiently rigid to carry the loads imposed thereon by the ceiling I2 and the lighting fixtures I4 without an objectionable amount of deflection. The beams extend in a direction transversely to the frame members and have their ends suitably connected with the lower chords III). In this instance the beams are located beneath the bottom chords IIb and have their adjacent ends connected to one of the chords by means of clips 22 which are bolted to the top walls I6 of the beams and overlap the bottom flanges 23 of the chord.

The ceiling I2 may be of a conventional con struction which includes suitable mounting bars 24 extending transversely of the trough-shaped beams I3 and connected to the flanges I8 of the latter as by means of the screws 25. The bars 24 can be of any suitable type, and as shown in Fig. 2, may comprise bars of a sheet metal construction having a substantially chanel-shaped cross-section. Any one of various commercially available forms of bars of this type can be used. The ceiling I2 also includes a substantially continuous wall or backing 26 formed of plasterboard or plastered metal lath and attached to the bars 2 5.

When the backing 26 is formed of plastered metal lath the metal lath can be wired or otherwise secured to the bars 24 and when this backing is formed of plasterboard the plasterboard can be attached to the bar 24 by nails or other suitable mechanical fasteners. The outer layer or facing 21 of the ceiling I2 can be any suitable facing or coating material, such as a layer of finished plaster or acoustical plaster, but preferably comprises preformed acoustical tiles having numerous sound absorbing openings 21a therein and which are suitably attached to the backing 26 as by being cemented in place or connected to the backing by means of screws or other mechanical fasteners.

Since the trough-shaped beams I3 are incorporated into the building structure so as to constitute fixed load carrying elements thereof, the ceiling I2 can be attached to these beams as a part of the usual building construction work. In the case of the beams I3a which are not to be used for housing lighting fixtures, the ceiling I2 including the bars 24 can extend in continuous relation across the beams so as to conceal the beam and close the trough recesses thereof as shown in Fig. 1. In the case of those beams or rows of beams which are used to house lighting fixtures, the ceiling I2 terminates at the side walls I! of the beams so that the longitudinally continuous trough recesses provided by such rows of longitudinally aligned beams open downwardly through the ceiling as longitudinally continuous slots.

The lighting fixtures I 4 which are assembled into the trough-shaped beams I3 are preformed lighting fixtures of the down-lighting trough-type. These fixtures are in the form of prefabricated units I 4a of an appropriate length for convenient handling in installing the same into the beams. When the fixture units I la are assembled in the beams the units are preferably disposed in endto-end relation as shown in Fig. 2 so that the assembled units constitute a substantially longitudinally continuous lighting fixture I4. The adjacent ends of each pair of such fixture units can be connected together by a suitable preformed coupling member Mb into which the ends of the units telescopingly engage as shown in Fig. 2.

Each of the preformed lighting fixture units Ilia comprises an elongated downwardly-opening trough-shaped reflector portion 28 and a longitudinally continuous hollow quadrangular upper or body portion 29. The hollow upper portion 29 provides a substantially continuous longitudinal raceway 3B in which the current supply wires are located. The reflector 28 extends in depending relation to the the hollow upper portion 29 and can be formed by integral extensions of the side walls of such hollow portion. The fixture units i ia also include suitable lamps 5i and appropriate sockets 32 for mounting the lamps. The lamps 3| can be provided in suitable number, such as the three lamps shown in this instance in each of the fixture units, and are preferably of the fluorescent type. The sockets 32 are suitable supported in the fixture units so as to extend below the bottom wall 28a; of the hollow upper box portion 29 and are connected with the current supply wires located in the raceway 3B. The raceway 30 may also contain a ballast device or other suitable mechanism 33 which may be needed in connection with the operation of the lamps 3| when the latter are of the fluorescent type.

The reflector portion 2'8 of the lighting fixture units Ma is provided at the sides thereof with outturned longitudinal flanges 34 adapted to engage and overlap the facing 2? of the ceiling l2 so as to cooperate with the ceiling in providing a neat and finished appearance when the fixture units have been assembled into the troughshaped beams 13. The fixture units l-id are preferably supported in the beams 13 by being suspended from the cross bars 2 i. For this purpose connecting bolts 35 can be used and are so located that when the bolts are tightened the outturned flanges 34 will be drawn upwardly into engagement with the facing 21 of the ceiling I2. The

longitudinal edge portions of the reflectors 28 also cooperate with portions of the couplings Mb in forming a quadrangular frame 36 at the opening of each fixture unit i ia for mounting a lightdillusing screen or cover 3'! in a position extending across the opening of the fixture unit. The screen 3'! can be made of glass, plastic or any other suitable translucent or transparent sheet material and may have a suitable rim 31a extending therearound. The screen 3? is adapted to seat in or on the frame 35 and can be secured to the fixture unit as by means of suitably located hinges or by screws or other suitable mechanical fasteners (not shown) extending through the rim 31a and engaging the frame 3'6.

The lighting fixture units Hid will usually be assembled in the trough-shaped beams it in a continuous row and in the end-to-end relation mentioned above, but in some cases the fixture units may be assembled in one or more of the beams in a spaced-apart relation and the number of fixture units assembled in a beam may vary from a single fixture unit to a full-row of such units. Usually the end unit of a row of the fixture units I la will have its outer end located at or adjacent an end 13b of the trough-shaped beam l3 but this is not necessary because the units can be located or shifted along the beam as may be found convenient and, if found desirable or convenient, one of the units can span the joint formed by the meeting ends 53b of a pair of aligned beams. To permit the assembly of the lighting fixture units Ma into the trough-shaped beams l3 at any desired longitudinal point, the angle bars 26 may have holes 29a therein at relatively closed spaced intervals, for example one foot intervals, so that the cross bars 2| can be readily shifted along the beams to the point or points Where the fixture units are to be located.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings it will now be readily understood that this invention provides an improved form of building construction in. which loadcarrying trough-shaped metal beams form housing for preformed lighting fixture units of the trough-shaped down-lighting type and provide a means by which a lighting fixture system can be integrated into the building structure with the lighting fixtures recessed thereinto. It will also be seen that this invention provides an improved construction in which the trough-shaped beams forming the housing for the recessed lighting fixtures also constitute the sole support for the ceiling and thus eliminate the need for the very complex structures heretofore employed for supporting a ceiling and its associated lighting fixtures. While the invention has been disclosed herein as being embodied in building construction which includes a ceiling, it should be understood that the ceiling can be omitted if desired.

Although the improved building construction provided by this invention has been illustrated and described herein to a detailed extent, it will be understood of course that the invention is not to be regarded as being correspondingly limited in scope but includes all changes and modifications coming within the terms of the claims hereof.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In building construction, a plurality of relatively widely spaced frame members, a ceiling structure forming a substantially continuous surface below said frame members, a plurality of spaced-apart beams extending in a direction transverse to said frame members and supported solely at their ends by a pair of said frame rnem bers, said beams comprising downwardly-opening load-carrying metal trough members having their trough recesses opening downwardly through said surface, said trough members having outturned lateral flanges extending along their longitudinal edges, bars extending between and supported by the lateral flanges of pairs of said beams and forming a support for said ceiling structure, preformed trough-type down-lighting fixtures housed in said trough members, said fix tures having outturned lateral flanges extending along their longitudinal edges in overlapping relation to said ceiling structure, and connecting means supporting said fixtures in said trough members and being adjustable for relatively positioning said fixtures to locate the lateral flanges thereof substantially in the plane of said sunface.

2. In a building having a metal frame struc- 1 ture, pairs of relatively widely spaced load-carrying frame members forming a part of said frame structure, a plurality of spaced-apart rows of longitudinally aligned beams spanning the spaces between pairs of said frame members with the individual beams of said rows supported solely at their ends by pairs of said frame members, said beams comprising open-ended load-carrying downwardly-opening metal trough members having spaced side walls and disposed with the adjacent open ends of the beams of each row substantially in abutting engagement so that the beams of each row define a substantially longitudinally continuous downwardly-opening trough recess, preformed trough-type down-lighting fixture units located in said beams in end-to-end relation and forming substantially longitudinally continuous down-lighting means in the longitudinally continuous trough recesses, means mounted on said side walls and forming substantially longitudinally continuous supporting shoulders internally of said beams, and means suspending said fixture units from said shoulders including cross bars spanning said shoulders at longitudinally spaced points and shiftable along said shoulders for locating said fixture units in said end-to-end longitudinally continuous relation in said trough recesses.

34 In building construction, a plurality of pairs of relatively widely spaced frame members, an acoustical ceiling structure forming a substantially continuous surface below said frame members, a plurality of spaced-apart rows of longitudinally aligned beams spanning the spaces between pairs of said frame members with the individual beams of said rows supported solely at their ends by pairs of said frame members, said beams comprising open-ended load-carrying meta1 trough members disposed with the adjacent open ends of the beams of each row substantially in abutting relation so that the beams of each row define a substantially longitudinally continuous trough recess opening downwardly through said surface, preformed trough-type down-lighting fixture units located in end-to-end relation in said beams to form substantially longitudinally continuous down-lighting fixtures in the longitudinally continuous trough recesses, said fixture units having outturned longitudinal lateral flanges extending in overlapping relation to said surface, and means connecting said fixture units with said beams and being adjustable for moving the units upwardly into said beams so as to draw said flanges against said surface.

4. In a building having a metal frame structure, spaced building members constituting a part of said frame structure and forming a pair of relatively widely spaced load supports, a beam spanning the space between said building members and being supported thereby at its ends only, said beam comprising a downwardly-opening load-carrying metal trough member having spaced side walls, means mounted on said side Walls and forming substantially longitudinally continuous supporting shoulders internally of said beam, a plurality of preformed trough-type down-lighting fixture units disposed in substantially end-abutting relation and forming a substantially continuous down-lighting means extending longitudinally in the trough recess of said beam, and connecting means connecting said fixture units with said shoulders so as to be supported thereby in said trough recess.

5. In building construction, a plurality of pairs of relatively widely spaced frame members, an acoustical ceiling structure forming a substantially continuous surface below said frame members, a plurality of spaced-apart rows of longitudinally aligned beams spanning the spaces between pairs of said frame members with the individual beams of said rows supported solely at their ends by pairs of said frame members, said beams comprising open-ended load-carrying metal trough members disposed with the adjacent open ends of the beams of each row substantially in abutting relation so that the beams of each row define a substantially longitudinally continuous trough recess opening downwardly through said surface, preformed trough-type down-lighting fixture units located in end-to-end relation in said beams forming substantially longitudinally continuous down-lighting means in the longitudinally continuous trough recesses, said fixture units having outturned longitudinal lateral flanges extending in overlapping relation to said surface, internal shoulders substantially longitudinally coextensive with said aligned beams and mounted on the side walls thereof forming a longitudinally continuous support in said longitudinally continuous trough recess, and means suspending said fixture units from said support including cross bars spanning said shoulders at longitudinally spaced points and shiftable along said shoulders for locating said fixture units in said end-to-end longitudinally continuous relation in said trough recess.

JOSEPH K. GANNETT. BROWN W. SAVELAND.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,997,168 Davison Apr. 9, 1935 2,003,342 Cavanaugh June 4, 1935 2,221,001 Lucius Nov. 12, 1940 2,232,499 Waterbury Feb. 18, 1941 2,291,489 Naysmith July 28, 1942 2,291,490 Naysmith July 28, 1942 2,338,521 Levy Jan. 4, 1944 2,376,715 Naysmith May 22, 1945 2,436,635 De Bishop, Jr Feb. 24, 1948 2,516,660 Versen July 25, 1950

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