GB2213508A

GB2213508A - Glasshouse

Info

Publication number: GB2213508A
Application number: GB8728915A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Godfrey Buxton
Original assignee: British Alcan Aluminium Ltd
Current assignee: British Alcan Aluminium Ltd
Priority date: 1987-12-10
Filing date: 1987-12-10
Publication date: 1989-08-16
Also published as: GB8728915D0

Abstract

A glasshouse framework having a ridge structure and a pair of spaced apart valley gutter structures 3 having their inner upper edges each formed as an upwardly turned hook formation 21, a series of glazing bars 2 each having a formation adjacent one end for engagement with the ridge structure and re-entrant slot 16 formed in its other end edge for engagement with the hook formations, retention means 22 being provided to act between part of the slot and the gutter to wedge each glazing bar against its associated gutter structure so that the ridge and the glazing bar assembly is supported between the gutter structures. <IMAGE>

Description

GLASSHOUSE This invention relates to a glasshouse framework and is particularly concerned with a glazing bar and with the mounting of such a glazing bar in a pitched roof.

Commercial glasshouses are frequently built to cover a large ground area. Usually pitched roofs are arranged in side by side formation; the valleys between adjoining roofs being constituted by continuous gutters supporting the lower ends of the glazing bars of adjoining roofs and the gutters being supported, internally of the glasshouse by spaced apart stanchions.

The glazing bars form part of the structural framework of the glasshouse so it is important that they should be firmly secured within this framework. At the same time it is also desirable that they should be easily and quickly assembled.

A typical commercial glasshouse is well known as a "Venlo" glasshouse and generally the joints between glazing bar and gutter includes bolts or "storm clips" which are slow and costly to assemble. Alternatively tensioned wire bracing is frequently used to hold the glasshouse framework together.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved glazing bar and an improved glasshouse framework particularly but not exclusively for "Venlo" glasshouses in which glazing bars can be fitted both at their upper ends to a ridge structure and at their lower ends to a gutter structure by a simple clipping operation.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a glasshouse framework having a ridge structure with an upwardly turned lip and a pair of spaced apart valley gutter structures having their inner upper edges each formed as an upwardly turned hook formation; a series of glazing bars each having a formation adjacent one end for engagement with the ridge structure and a re-entrant slot formed in its other end edge for engagement with the hook formations, retention means being provided to act between part of the slot and the gutter to wedge each glazing bar against its associated gutter structure so that the ridge and the glazing bar assembly is supported between the gutter structures.

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view thLough a single ridge of a multi-ridged glasshouse framework; Fig. 2 shows a detail to a larger scale and Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view to a smaller scale of part of an assembled glasshouse framework.

Referring to Fig. 1 a single ridge of a multi-ridged glasshouse framework comprises a ridge structure 1; a series of glazing bars 2 and spaced apart gutter structures 3. It will be understood that the gutter structures are supported at spaced intervals along their lengths by stanchions (not shown).

The ridge structure 1 comprises an extruded part 4 of generally conventional form having upper and lower plates 5 and 6 to receive between them the upper ends 7 of the glazing bars 2. Stops 8 are provided to limit inward movement of the glazing bars. The lower plates 6 have their central part formed with a re-entrant downwardly opening slot 9 to receive the heads of bolts 10 in well known manner. These bolts are used to secure plates 11 at intervals along the length of the ridge. The plates have upturned lips 12 and are spaced apart to correspond with the locations of the glazing bars.

The glazing bars 2 are generally box-like extrusions having significant stiffness to enable them to contribute to the strength of the framework. The underside of each bar is formed towards its upper end 7 with a rectangular notch 13 Of a size to be a close fit over the lips 12. At their lower end edges 14 the bars are formed with a re-entrant slot 15 having a mouth 16 and an inner part 17 with a sloping upper surface 18.

Each side wall 19 of the gutters 3 has at its upper end, a hook formation 20 having an upwardly inclined wall 21.

The hook formations 20 can pass through the mouths 16 of the slots 15 and the walls 21 can lie snugly against the surfaces 18.

Each glazing bar 2 is disposed so that its slot 15 engages over the hook formation 20 of a gutter 3 and its upper end 7 disposed is then engaged loosely between the plates 5 and 6 of the ridge 1. In assembly the bars are glazed (not shown) and each bar has its notch 13 engaged over the lip 12 and the bolts 10 tightened to secure the upper ends of the glazing bars to the ridge.

As shown to a larger scale in Fig. 2 the lower end of the bar 2 is held against upward movement by a clip 22 engaging between an edge of the slot 15 and the hook formation 20. The clip 22 can be of any suitable formation and may be of metallic material or it may be a shaped block of rigid plastics material.

It will be understood that the glazing bars and the ridge are thus held in position under their own weight to constitute an effective part of the structure of the glasshouse framework and accommodating the necessary tension forces. In addition the present invention enables the glazing bars to resist tension forces when the outer surface of the glazed structure is subjected to suction as a result of high winds.

Fig. 3 shows, in outline, part of a glasshouse frame structure 23 having a multiplicity of ridges 24, gutters such as 3 extending along the valleys 25. At an end wall 26 the glazing bars in the slope 27 could be joined to a gutter 3 extending inwardly of the end wall 26, the latter being joined to the other side of the gutter.

Claims

1. A glasshouse framework having a ridge structure with an upwardly turned lip and a pair of spaced apart valley gutter structures having their inner upper edges each formed as an upwardly turned hook formation; a series of glazing bars each having a formation adjacent one end for engagement with the ridge structure and a re-entrant slot formed in its other end edge for engagement with the hook formations, retention means being provided to act between part of the slot and the gutter to wedge each glazing bar against its associated gutter structure so that the ridge and the glazing bar assembly is supported between the gutter structures.

2. A glasshouse framework substantially as herein described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawing.