GB2209774A

GB2209774A - Spacer for corrugated roof sheet

Info

Publication number: GB2209774A
Application number: GB8721684A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Reginald Collins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-09-15
Filing date: 1987-09-15
Publication date: 1989-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-15
Also published as: GB8721684D0; GB2209774B

Abstract

A moulded plastics spacer, suitable for use in the nailing of corrugated roofing sheets of plastics or asbestos material, has a continuous side wall 1 and a plurality of spaced internal webs 2. The webs 2 are integral with the side wall 1, and they extend in the longitudinal sense for substantially the length of the spacer. They also extend inwardly towards a free through space adapted to receive a fixing nail, screw or the like. The webs 2 are also integral with an end wall 4 having a central aperture 3 aligned with the through space. The other end of the spacer is open between the webs 2. <IMAGE>

Description

"SPACER" The invention relates to spacers of generally tubular or tubiform shape, such as are used in the nailing of corrugated roofing sheets of plastics or asbestos material. When fixing such corrugated sheets it is the normal practice to drive in nails, usually "screw nails, passing through the peaks of the corrugations. A sealing washer is positioned under the head of each nail, and a spacer of length suited to the depth of the corrugations is commonly positioned on the nail below the sheet.

The roofing sheets are of somewhat fragile material and it is thus required that the spacers used should, whilst giving reasonably firm support, be of an axially yielding nature. As an expedient it is known to use for such spacers lengths of extruded plastics tubing, and the invention provides a purpose-designed tubiform plastics spacer construction which has advantageous features and is more economical of material.

According to the invention a tubiform spacer comprises a plastics moulding with a continuous side wall and a plurality of spaced internal webs which are integral with the side wall, and which extend longitudinally for substantially the length of the spacer and inwardly towards a free through space adapted to receive a fixing nailr screw or the like.

Preferably the webs are also integral with an end wall having an aperture aligned with said through space, the other end of the spacer being open between the webs.

The end wall is desirably slightly domed, presenting a convex end surface of the spacer which may be of frusto- conical shape with an obtuse included cone angle.

The spacer is preferably of circular cross-section with the webs disposed radially and, at radially inner ends, the webs may terminate on an imaginary cylinder which defines said through space. Any suitable number of webs may be provided, six being in general a convenient number, and they are preferably equi-angularly disposed with a spacing at the radially inner ends. The side wall may be frusto-conical in shape, increasing slightly in diameter from an upper end, provided with said end wall, towards a wider lower end.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side perspective top view of a spacer in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an opposite side perspective bottom view; Fig. 3 is a bottom end view; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line X-X in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is an illustrative view showing how the illustrated spacer is used in practice.

The spacer is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 in the upright position in which it is used in the fixing of a corrugated roofing sheet, as depicted diagrammatically in Fig. 5, and it will hereinafter be described in that orientation. It is a plastics moulding of generally tubiform shape with a continuous side wall 1 of frustoconical shape, increasing slightly in diameter from its upper end to the lower larger end.

An equi-angularly spaced series of six internal webs such as 2 are moulded integrally with the side wall 1 and extend radially up to an imaginary cylinder disposed centrally of the spacer and of the same diameter as a circular and aligned aperture 3 formed in an end wall 4.

This end wall 4, at the smaller top end of the spacer,. is also moulded integrally with the side wall 1 and the six webs 2. It has a slightly domed shape presenting a convex frusto-conical end surface 4a of the spacer.

Typical dimensions for use with 20 mm corrugation plastics roofing sheet are a length of 20 mm, a top end diameter of 13 mm, a bottom end diameter of 15 mm, an included cone angle of about 1500 for the end face 4a and a nail aperture 3 of 5 mm. These dimensions are by way of example only, and a convenient wall thickness would then be 1 mm.

Fig. 5 illustrates how the spacer illustrated is used in the fixing of a corrugated roofing sheet 5 which is secured by nails, such as 6, driven through the peaks of the corrugations into supporting roof timbers such as 7.

Each nail 6 is threaded through a sealing washer 8, positioned between the sheet 5 and the head 9 of the nail, and a spacer 10 of the invention (as described) positioned between the sheet 5 and the timber 7 As will be appreciated, the spacer whilst being economical of the plastics moulding material used offers suitably firm support for the sheet 5 with the side wall 1 and webs 2 under direct axial compression. However, the wall and webs can buckle sideways to allow the spacer to yield in the axial sense when this is necessary whilst still offering the firm support required. For the moulding of the exemplary and preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings, a suitable plastics material to provide the required firm but yielding support for the plastics sheet 5 is a flexible PVC (polyvinylchloride).

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A tubiform spacer comprising a plastics moulding with a continuous side wall and a plurality of spaced internal webs which are integral with the side wall, and which extend longitudinally for substantially the length of the spacer and inwardly towards a free through space adapted to receive a fixing nail, screw or th2 like.

2. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein the webs are also integral with an end wall having an aperture aligned with said through space.

3. A spacer according to claim 2, wherein the other, end of the spacer is open between the webs.

4. A spacer according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the end wall is slightly domed, presenting a convex end surface of the spacer.

5. A spacer according to claim 4, wherein the end wall is of frusto-conical shape with an obtuse included cone angle.

6. A spacer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the moulding is of circular cross-section with the webs disposed radially.

7. A spacer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, at radially inner ends, the webs terminate on an imaginary cylinder which defines said through space.

8. A spacer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the webs are six in number.

9. A spacer according to any one of the preceding claims', wherein the webs are equi-angularly disposed with a spacing at the radially inner ends.

10. A spacer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the side wall is frusto-conical in shape and increases in diameter from an upper end towards a wider lower end.

11. A spacer according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plastics moulding material is a flexible PVC.

12. A moulded plastics spacer constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.