GB2110738A - Roof or wall cladding - Google Patents

Abstract

A cladding panel has extending across its in situ inner face projecting hook means 16 defining a recess wherein the edge portion 17 of an adjacent panel is located, so that the first panel partially overlies the second. The panels are preferably formed as an extrusion of a synthetic resin material. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Roof or wall cladding This invention relates to cladding which can be used in place of conventional tiles or slates to cover a roof structure or which if desired can be used to cover a wall which can be either an internal or an external wall, the object of the invention being to provide such cladding in a new or improved form.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided roof or wall cladding comprising a panel which is integrally formed on its in situ inner face with projecting hook means which extends across a face of the panel intermediate two opposite sides thereof and which is adapted to receive and locate an edge portion of another, similar, panel so that the two panels can be engaged in a relationship in which said first-mentioned panel partially overlies said other panel.

Conveniently, each panel is manufactured from a synthetic resin material and is formed as an extrusion. The in situ outer face of each panel may be formed with a notch or mark so that, when a pair of panels are fully engaged as above-described, the notch or mark of one panel will lie adjacent to an edge of the other panel, thereby providing an indication of when the two panels are fully and properly inter-engaged. Preferably, said edge portion of the panel and the corresponding recess formed between the projecting hook means and the adjacent face of the panel are formed to a cross-sectional tapered configuration of similar shape.Each panel is preferably also integrally formed on its in situ inner face with one or more projecting ribs which extend across the panel so as to be parallel to said hook means and so as to be located between the hook means and that edge portion of the panel which is adapted to be engaged with the hook means of another panel.

The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side view of one example of a panel forming roof or wall cladding constructed in accordance with the invention, and Figure 2 is a side view of part of a roof covered by a plurality of panels shown in Fig.

1.

Referring to the drawings the panels shown in Fig. 1 is conveniently formed from a synthetic resin material such as a foamed synthetic resin material and is produced by means of an extrusion process used to produce panels which, after being cut, may be for example of the order of two metres long.

The panel is of generally rectangular configuration in plan and has one surface namely the in situ outer face 10 which is of generally planar configuration although said face is formed with a groove 11 and a notch 1 2 which each extend in a straight line from one side of the panel to the other and which are provided for purposes which will hereinafter be explained.Furthermore the surface of said outer face 10 intermediate said notch 1 2 and the longitudinal edge which is remote from said groove 11 may be marked as by means of rollers to any desired surface pattern and may also be marked with a series of spaced parallel lines which each extend in a direction at right angles to the length of said notch 12, adjacent lines being spaced apart by a distance similar to the width of a conventional tile so that this part (indicated by reference numeral 1 3) will simulate the appearances of separate tiles when the panels are used to cover a roof.The longitudinal edge 1 4 bounding one side of said part 1 3 is preferably chamfered or bevelled as shown in the drawing so as to preclude any tendency of the panel to lift by reason of pressure applied by the wind when the panel forms part of a roof cladding.

The in situ inner face 1 5 of the panel is formed with projecting hook means 1 6 which extends across the panel intermediate said longitudinal edge 1 4 and the opposite longitudinal edge 17, said hook means 1 6 projecting from the panel and extending in a straight line generally parallel to the aforesaid groove 11 and notch 1 2. Said hook means 1 6 thus serves to define a recess 1 8 of generally tapered configuration in cross-section. Furthermore the aforesaid edge 1 7 of the panel is formed to a similar tapered configuration in cross-section.In addition said in situ inner face 1 5 of the panel is formed intermediate said hook means 1 6 and the edge 1 7 with one or more projecting ribs, two such ribs being shown in the example depicted in the drawings and being indicated by reference numerals 1 9 and 20. The ribs 1 9 and 20 together with the outer surface of said hook means 1 6 together form bearing surfaces which are engageable with a supporting surface such as a roof structure or a wall.

A plurality of panels, each formed as shown in Fig. 1, can be used to clad a roof as is shown in Fig. 2 or alternatively they may be used to clad the surface of an internal or external wall or partition. The aforementioned groove 11 provides a channel which can be used in securing a panel to the roof or wall structure by means of nails 21 (see Fig. 2) such nails being inserted at intervals along the length of a groove and being inserted, in the case of a roof structure to the rafters thereof.

The bottom of said groove 11 is formed with a small notch 22 in which the pointed end of each nail can be positioned and the groove itself serves to receive and conceal the head of the nail. As will be seen in Fig. 2 every third panel is so nailed. Thus in forming the cladding a panel 26 may first be fixed in position by using nails in its groove 11 so as to secure it to the roof rafters. A second panel 25 is then positioned so that its lower part overlaps the upper part of panel 26, the hook means 1 6 of panel 25 being pushed beneath the edge portion 1 7 of panel 26 until said edge portion fully engages in the recess 1 8 of panel 25 and the notch 1 2 of panel 26 is disposed adjacent to the longitudinal edge 14 of the panel 25.A third panel 24 is then similarly placed in position so that it projects over the panel 25 with the edge portion 1 7 of panel 25 engaging in the recess 1 8 of panel 24 until the notch 1 2 of panel 25 is adjacent to the edge 1 4 of panel 24. The fourth panel 23 is added in a similar fashion but is then nailed in position and the sequence is repeated. In the case of a roof structure conveniently formed ridge panels and corner panels (not shown) may be provided to complete the cladding.

If it is desired to replace a damaged panel in the roof structure and such damaged panel lies in a row which is not nailed then if the damaged panel is in one of the rows lying immediately beneath a nailed row, the damaged panel can be removed by sliding the panels in the row laterally to the end of the roof until the damaged panel is removed, after any pointing has been removed where necessary. If however the damaged panel occurs in a row which is not nailed but which lies immediately above a nailed row then a gap can be made in the row immediately above the row containing the damaged panel and the latter can be pushed upwardly into the gap and subsequently removed. On the other hand if the damage occurs in a row which is nailed then the damaged panel can be levered out after a suitable gap has been made in adjacent rows to expose the damaged panel.

It will be appreciated that panels constructed in accordance with the present invention can be made in any desirable colour and can be used to provide an insulating cladding which is especially the case where they are formed of a foamed plastic material. The panels can also offer a saving in weight as compared with conventional tiles or slates and this in turn means that the overall weight of the supporting roof structure can also be reduced.

Claims (7)

1. Roof or wall cladding comprising a panel which is integrally formed in its in situ inner face with projecting hook means which extends across a face of the panel intermediate two opposite sides thereof and which is adapted to receive and locate an edge portion of another, similar, panel so that the two panels can be engaged in a relationship in which said first-mentioned panel partially overlies said other panel.

2. A roof or wall cladding panel as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said panel is formed as an extrusion in a synthetic resin material.

3. A roof or wall cladding panel as claimed in either of the preceding claims wherein the in situ outer face of each panel is formed with a notch or mark so that when a pair of such panels are fully engaged with each other, the notch or mark of one panel will lie adjacent to an edge of the other panel.

4. A roof or wall cladding panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said edge portion of the panel and a corresponding recess formed between said projecting hook means and the adjacent face of the panel are formed to a cross-sectional tapered configuration of similar shape.

5. A roof or wall cladding panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein each panel is integrally formed on its in situ inner face with one or more projecting ribs which extend across the panel so as to be parallel to said hook means and so as to be located between the hook means and that edge portion of the panel which is adapted to be engaged with the hook means of another panel.

6. A roof or wall cladding panel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the in situ outer face of each panel is formed with a groove which extends in a direction parallel with said projecting hook means and through the bottom of which nails can be driven for the purpose of securing the panel in position.

7. A roof or wall cladding panel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.