Grid supported structure

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In this invention, an expanded metal grid has beads which comprise grooves, the widest part of each said groove being wider than its mouth, and these narrow-mouth grooves are engaged by the heads of panel supports which support panels (for example, louvres).
More specifically, this invention consists of an expanded metal grid having a plurality of beads which are non-rectilinear and are interconnected by rows of webs, the webs of any one row being staggered with respect to the webs of the next adjacent row, the said beads comprising grooves, the widest part of each said groove being wider than its mouth, a plurality of panel support brackets having a relatively narrow portion entering the mouth of a said groove and a head engaging and retained by its said re-entrant surfaces, and panels carried by said support brackets.
The grooves may be defined by adjacent beads where they are joined by the webs, or may be within the beads themselves.
In some embodiments of the invention the panel members are directly supported by the expanded metal grid, while in other embodiments, the panel members are supported by panel supports themselves carried by the grid.
In still further embodiments, the grid means can itself be provided with stiffeners which will inhibit deflection, due for example to wind loadings.