GB2227262A

GB2227262A - Lintels: corrosion resisting and/or decorating

Info

Publication number: GB2227262A
Application number: GB8928906A
Authority: GB
Inventors: D Coward
Original assignee: Catnic Ltd
Current assignee: Catnic Ltd
Priority date: 1989-01-19
Filing date: 1989-12-21
Publication date: 1990-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2009-12-21
Also published as: GB8901190D0; GB8928906D0; GB2227262B

Abstract

A steel lintel or other structural component has those parts which are exposed to the elements (flange supporting exterior wall skin 6) covered with cladding 9 of a non-corrosive or decorative nature. The cladding may be stainless steel (in which case a non-conductive layer 10 is interposed between it and the lintel) or plastics. The cladding may be secured by adhesive. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements in or relating to Structural Members This invention relates to structural building components, such as lintels or frames, which are made of materials such as steel and which, when built into a building, have at least one face exposed.

It is now well known to fabricate lintels, beams and joists out of sheet metal, from one or from several sheet-metal sections which are joined together to give an open or closed combined box section. The well-known 'CATNIC' (RTM) steels lintel are made in this way and are used to support brick and/or block-work over door or window openings.

Protection from the environment is obtained by galvanizing and/or powder-coating the components used to make up the lintel in accordance with recognised British Standards although stainless steel lintels have also been fabricated for use in extremely arduous environments. These however, have the disadvantage that the cost can be considerably more than the cost of conventional lintels.

We have now devized a method of protecting exposed faces of such components and also allow the exposed face to present an improved and adaptable appearance when the components are built into a building.

This invention consists in a lintel or other structural building member made of steel and having at least one exposed face, when incorporated in a building, characterized in that at least the exposed face or faces are clad with a sheet material which is non-corrosive and/or decorative in nature.

Preferably the sheet material used for the cladding is stainless steel. Alternatively, it may be a plastics material, with or without fibre-reinforcement. The plastics material may be, for instance, made from a polymer such as a polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinychloride. It may be fabricated from a nylon or polytetrafluoroethylene sheet. The polymer may be coloured to any required shade so that the cladding material presents a pleasing and aesthetic appearance when the member is assembled in a building.

Preferably the sheet material is resilient and is equipped with lips or flanges which can be sprung over the exposed face of the structural member. Alternatively the structural member can be equipped with protuberances over which integral clips on the interior of the cladding can be sprung. There are clearly a number of ways in which the claddings can be attached to the underlying member especially if the cladding sheet is resilient and can be deformed over abutment surfaces of the components to be covered. Alternatively the cladding may be attached to the underlying surfaces by suitable adhesive or sealing compositions and/or mechanical fixings well-known in the art.

Where the structural member and the cladding material are made of dissimilar metallic materials it may be necessary to introduce an additional electrically non-conducting, flexible element between the structural component and the cladding material; the function of the said non-conducting element being to separate the cladding from the surface of the structural component and to eliminate electro-chemical corrosion. However where the cladding material is electrically non-conducting this additional element will not be required.

The advantages of the cladding system according to this invention can be one or more of the following: (1) The enhancement of the appearance of the exposed areas of the structural members when in the installed position, so that the clad areas present a pleasing and aesthetic appearance to the eye.

(2) The provision of additional protection to the exposed face of the structural member especially in conditions of severe exposure and/or aggressive environments.

(3) The introduction of a thermal barrier between the structural member and the environment.

The invention will now be further described by reference to the non-limiting embodiments illustrated in the accompanying four figures of drawing in which: Figure 1 shows a section through a steel lintel carrying a cladding material according to the invention Figure 2 shows a section through a steel lintel clad as in Figure 1 but with a non-conducting element interposed between cladding and lintel.

Figure 3 shows a section through a steel lintel of a different design with a cladding over the exposed surface of the lintel.

Figure 4 show a section through the lintel of Figure 3, with a non-conducting element interposed between cladding and lintel.

Similar numbers will be used to designate the corresponding parts in all four figures.

With reference first to Figures 1 and 2, a standard steel lintel is made up of three component parts designated 1, 2 and 3 to form a wbox-sectiont. The exterior of component 1 is covered with a damp-proof course, designated 4, which extends from the top, over the inclined surface and horizontally to form a lip 4a which extends over the extremity of component 1.

The lintel is embedded in brick-work or block work (5, 6) and is used to span an opening 7 in the block work in which is installed a door-frame or window frame 8, of wood or other suitable material. The exposed faces of components 1 and 3 are covered with cladding 9 which incorporates flange 9a which fits over the outermost lip of component 1 and then extends backward over the exposed surfaces of components 1 and 3. In this typical application the cladding 9 fits snugly over component 1 by virtue of depression 9b which is an interference fit with the bottom surface of the horizontal part of component 1.

Depression 9b also acts as a water drip. Turning to Figure 2 (in which the same numerals are used for corresponding parts as in Figure 1) a non-conducting element 10 is interposed between cladding 9 and the horizontal exposed surfaces of components 1 and 3. This serves to electrically insulate the cladding from the steel lintel made up of the components 1, 2 and 3.

Turning now to Figures 3 and 4 (in which the same reference numbers are used for the same components as in Figures 1 and 2), the lintel (1, 2 and 3) is still of box-section but is of modified shape. The cladding again fits over the outermost lip of component 1 by means of interference fit, by virtue of despression of 9b. In this case the cladding sheet has two flanges 9a and 9c which fit over the lip of component 1 and the angle in component 3, respectively. Figure 4 show the same lintel as Figure 3 with non-conducting element 10 interposed between cladding 9 and the surfaces of steel components 1 and 3 so as to prevent electrical contact between lintel and cladding.

Various modification may be made within the scope of this invention. Thus the cladding may be of metal, alloy or plastics material and various flanges or abutments may be provided on the cladding so that it forms a good interference or frictional fit over the relevant surface of the structural member. Further the structural member need not be of box section but may be of channel or other section. Also, the cladding may extend over all or only part of the surface of the member, so that the whole of its surface may be clad if desirable.

Claims

1. A lintel or other structural building member made of steel and having at least one exposed face, when incorporated in a building, characterized in that at least the exposed face or faces are clad with a sheet material which is non-corrosive and/or decorative in nature.

2. A lintel or other member as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cladding is of stainless steel.

3. A lintel or other member as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cladding is of a plastics material.

4. A lintel or other member as claimed in claim 3 wherein the plastics material is selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamides and polytetrafluroethylene.

5. A member as claimed in any one of the claims 1-4 wherein the cladding material is resilient and is equipped with lips or flanges which are sprung over the exposed faces of the member.

6. A member as claimed in any one of claims 1-4 wherein the member carries protruberances over which integral clips on the interior of the cladding are sprung.

7. A member as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the cladding is cohered to the underlying surfaces by means of adhesive.

8. A member as claimed in claims 1, 2, 5, 6 or 7 wherein the cladding is metallic and an electrically non-conducting material is interposed between the cladding material and the structural member.

9. A clad structural building member substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.